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Chicago officials expand quarantine order travelers to city

News

July 14th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

CHICAGO (AP) — People traveling from Iowa and Oklahoma to Chicago will have to quarantine for two weeks upon arrival or face possible fines starting Friday. Chicago first issued a quarantine order early this month for 15 other states based on increasing numbers of confirmed cases of the coronavirus. The city updated the order Tuesday, bringing the total number of affected states to 17.

States are included based on the rate of new confirmed cases per 100,000 residents. Illinois health officials announced 707 new confirmed cases of coronavirus disease and 25 deaths.

Governor’s Empower Rural Iowa Initiative Awards $400,000 for Innovation Projects and Housing Studies in Rural Communities Across Iowa

News

July 14th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

Officials with the Iowa Economic Development Authority today (Tuesday) announced $400,000 in Rural Innovation grants and Rural Housing Assessment grants have been awarded to 21 communities across the state. Among them is Creston, Manning and Stanton. Officials say this is the inaugural round for the Rural Innovation and Rural Housing Assessment programs, which were developed in 2019 by the Governor’s Empower Rural Iowa Initiative.
Area 2020 Rural Innovation $20,000 Grant recipients/Amount/Project/Total Project Cost (TPC):
  • City of Lenox, for a Main Street Pocket Park (TPC $90,000)
  • City of Stanton, for downtown renovations, including signage (TPC $553,400)
  • SWIPCO (City of Atlantic), for a complete building rehab for commercial and Airbnb (TPC $315,992)
  • TB Ramsey Enterprises, LLC (Regions around Lenox & Manning), for a rural grocery store delivery system. (TPC $60,000)
In addition to the Rural Innovation grants, the cities of Creston, Central City, Manning, Springville, Keokuk and Stanton received Rural Housing Assessment grants and will be working with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach to undergo a facilitated readiness assessment and implementation process.
2020 Rural Housing Assessment $10,000 Grant recipients/Projects/funding amount:
  • SICOG (Southern IA Council of Governments), City of Creston: Facilitation w/ISU Extension & Implementation.
  • City of Manning: Facilitation w/ISU Extension & Implementation.
  • City of Stanton: Facilitation w/ISU Extension & Homebuilder Share Program.
Debi Durham, Iowa Economic Development and Iowa Finance Authority Director, says “With access to supportive programs and creative ideas from the awarded communities, the projects will be used as models to be replicated across the state, serving as best practices. Both of the rural grant programs align with the Governor’s Empower Rural Iowa Initiative to revitalize communities, and we are proud to support our rural areas.”
For more information on the Rural Innovation or Rural Housing Assessment programs, visit iowaeda.com/empowerruraliowa. A full list of the 2020 Rural Innovation and Rural Housing Assessment Grant recipients (applicant, population, project type, description, amount, total project cost) is available online.

Most JUCO fall sports moved to spring

Sports

July 14th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – The nation’s junior colleges are moving nearly all of their fall sports to spring, including the sport of football. The decision was made by the National Junior College Athletic Association. Thom (Tom) McDonald is commissioner of the Iowa Community College Athletic Conference.

Iowa Western, Ellsworth and Iowa Central are the three schools in the state that offer football.

McDonald says the sports of cross country and half marathon will remain in the fall.

The start of the season for sports like basketball and wrestling have been moved to January.

Scott Strohmeier is the football coach at national power Iowa Western and feels the move to the spring is the best option.

Strohmeier says being allowed fall practice and three scrimmages will help players who hope to be recruited by four year schools.

Strohmeier says mid-year transfers mean a lot of his players won’t be available when the season begins March 25th.

Strohmeier says while he would prefer to play in the fall this gives them something to look forward to.

American Cancer Society fundraisers shift to virtual in 2020, or postpone

News

July 14th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – This summer’s major fundraisers for the American Cancer Society in Iowa are undergoing significant changes due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Relay For Life is held every summer in many Iowa cities to raise funds for research and services for cancer patients and their families. Iowa chapter spokesman Brian Ortner says many once-familiar events are going virtual in 2020.

“Some events are being postponed, so either later in the summer or early fall,” Ortner says, “and some are taking on different looks where communities are trying to be creative in how they get to do their fundraising or in what kind of event they can hold.” The Relay For Life events are often the biggest fundraisers of the year and they’re vital, according to Ortner.

“Donations are key to us being able to continue to serve the patients and the families,” Ortner says. “Even though it seems like the world has stopped, cancer hasn’t stopped and neither have we. The resources for patients are still available. Our 24-7 Cancer Helpline and the National Cancer Information Center is still available. We need to funds to make sure resources like that continue.” The coronavirus has many people fearful, but especially those who are in the greatest danger.

“Preexisting conditions are one thing that makes this COVID-19 pandemic so concerning for some people,” he says, “and cancer patients are definitely in that class of being at high risk when it comes to being exposed to COVID-19.” To donate, visit cancer.org or relayforlife.org.

Casino company Boyd Gaming laying off workers in 10 states (including IA)

News

July 14th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

LAS VEGAS (AP) — A U.S. casino company with 29 properties in 10 states is laying off thousands of employees, citing a slow restart to business following closures due to the coronavirus pandemic. Las Vegas-based Boyd Gaming Corp. said in a statement Monday that an unspecified number of furloughed employees will not return to work. The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported 2,500 company workers in Nevada could be affected.

The publicly traded company had about 10,000 employees in Nevada and another 14,300 nationally, according to its last annual report. It also has properties in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Iowa auditor questions legality of Test Iowa reporting chain

News

July 14th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

(DES MOINES, Iowa A-P) – Iowa Auditor Rob Sand says the Test Iowa program brought to the state under a $28 million no-bid contract by Gov. Kim Reynolds on recommendation from actor Ashton Kutcher is violating state law in the way it handles test results data. Sand says Test Iowa results first go to two Utah companies contracted to provide testing then to the state’s chief information officer and then to the Iowa Department of Public Health. Sand says this indirect route violates a law requiring laboratories to immediately report infectious diseases to the public health department. Pubic health spokeswoman Amy McCoy says the reporting process follows Iowa law.

Cardinals quietly ramping up for shortened big league season

Sports

July 14th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

The St. Louis Cardinals have enjoyed a relatively quiet ramp-up to next week’s opener of their abbreviated season. Their core players have continued to test negative for COVID-19 during their workouts at Busch Stadium ahead of next week’s opener to their abbreviated season. They haven’t had any injuries pop up that could dramatically alter their plans for the starting rotation or lineup. And the few questions they did have during the spring, such as how they would cast their deep platoon of outfielders and how they would stack their bullpen, have been largely answered.

Nebraska sees 200-plus coronavirus cases confirmed in 1 day

News

July 14th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska health statistics show more than 400 people have been diagnosed with coronavirus so far this week. The state’s online virus tracker shows 174 cases were reported Sunday and another 227 cases were reported on Monday, bringing the state total to nearly 20,400. Of the total, 16,025 have recovered from the virus. The total number of deaths attributed to COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, had reached 288 by the end of Monday. State officials say 41% of Nebraska’s hospital beds, 45% of the intensive care beds and 80% of the ventilators in the state remained available Tuesday.

AP source: Chiefs, Jones agree to 4-year, $85M extension

Sports

July 14th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs have agreed with defensive tackle Chris Jones on a four-year, $85 million contract extension that includes $60 million in guarantees, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Tuesday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team had not announced the signing. The Chiefs and representatives for Jones have been working on a contract extension ever since last year, when they remained far apart on terms and the Pro Bowl selection skipped the entirety of the offseason program. Jones was back in time for training camp and helped the Chiefs win their first Super Bowl in 50 years in February.

NATALIE WHEATLEY MERRITT, 53, formerly of Atlantic (Celebration of Life 8/1/20)

Obituaries

July 14th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

NATALIE WHEATLEY MERRITT, 53, of Platte City, MO. (& formerly of Atlantic), died April 17th, at home in Missouri. A Celebration of Life for NATALIE MERRITT will be held 2-p.m. Saturday, August 1st, at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Atlantic. The family requests face masks be worn. Social distancing guidelines will be followed. Roland Funeral Home has the arrangements.

Visitation with the family is from Noon until 2-p.m., Aug. 1st, at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church. ; Online condolences may be left at www.rolandfuneralservice.com.

Burial is in the SS Peter & Paul Catholic Cemetery.

NATALIE WHEATLEY MERRITT is survived by:

Her mother – Donna Wheatley, of Atlantic.

Her sisters – Jana Wheatley (& Terry Zieber), of Smithville, MO., & Dana Wheatley, of Dallas, TX.

Her grandmother – Elleen Wheatley, of Marne.