(Radio Iowa) — Sioux City’s MercyOne Medical Center has announced the facility will stop delivering babies on September 1st. Spokesperson Jenna Rehnstrom says it was a difficult decision for the hospital and its board of directors to make. “This is the news that resulted after a thorough review, a discernment process, and really a close examination of the local healthcare needs and what is being demanded in our market and how we can best serve our community,”Rehnstrom says.

She says the staff in the obstetrics department will be provided opportunities to join other areas of care or transfer to other hospitals in the Mercy Health system. “We’re not eliminating any positions. Nurses and medical professionals are always in high demand and this time is no different,” according to Rehnstrom. “So we definitely hope they chose to stay and continue to care for patients here at MercyOne Siouxland. Or there is always that opportunity within our network as well as the statewide system.”

The hospital had announced one week ago that they were studying what services they would continue to provide in the light of the Covid-19 pandemic, which had caused a shift in care and use of resources. “This challenging time has made it very clear that we need to be more thoughtful than ever about how we are serving our community. You know, we were called on to serve some really sick patients and serve our community at a high level during our COVID-19 surge. And I am so proud of how our organization stepped up to do that,” Rehnstom says.

Rehnstrom says the decision to close the obstetrics department will allow MercyOne to expand other health care services and programs not currently offered in the region. MercyOne will continue to serve labor and delivery patients and families through August 31st. They are collaborating with area providers to notify patients of this change to efficiently transition care.

(Radio Iowa) – The leader of the Iowa State Patrol joined his counterparts from Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, and Arkansas to announced a joint effort to crack down on excessive speed. Colonel Nathan Fulk spoke about the issue Thursday, at a Missouri Department of Transportation facility. “Law enforcement is seeing a significant increase in excessive speed across the Midwest related to the pandemic,” according to Fulk. “We’ve seen reduced vehicle miles traveled producing less congested roadways and creating a driver perception that law enforcement isn’t out enforcing traffic laws.”

Colonel Fulk at a news conference in Missouri.

Fulk detailed some of the things his troopers have seen. “In 2020 the Iowa State Patrol has seen a 113 percent increase in speed citations issued for 100 miles-per-hour or greater. We’ve also seen a 70 percent increase in speed citations issued for speeds in excess of 25 miles-an-hour over the posted speed limit,” he says. “This data is alarming and unprecedented — and shows why we need motorists to understand that this driving behavior is not the new normal.”

The leaders of the state patrols in the other four states say they’ve seen similar issues. Fulk says the number one concern in each state is the safety of drivers. “Speeding is the number one causation factor in crashes. They are preventable. Ninety-four-percent of crashes are driver related,” according to Fulk. ” During the month of July, we will be working in collaboration with our state police partners and local law enforcement agencies to raise awareness on this concerning trend that has a negative impact on traffic safety.”

He says they will use a variety of methods to try and educate the public. “We are asking the public so SIDE with us. SIDE is an acronym for seat belts, impaired driving, distracted driving, and excessive speed. We are asking the public’s help to please put the phone down, slow down and buckle up,” Fulk says. Troopers in the five-state area are collaborating with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for a speed enforcement initiative Friday and Saturday (July 17-18). The initiative is aimed at reducing high speeds and encouraging personal responsibility in keeping roadways safe.

In a post on social media Thursday night, the Iowa State Patrol showed a dashboard photo of a vehicle pulled over on Highway 148, coming into Anita. The caption said the vehicle was traveling “109 mph in a 55 mph zone. Driver claimed he was “trying to beat a friend home”.” No other details were provided, except to say the State Patrol asks you to, “Please be responsible and drive safe!”

(Radio Iowa) – Late this (Friday) afternoon, the state’s top election official will ask the Iowa Legislative Council for permission to mail absentee ballot request forms to every active Iowa voter. Secretary of State Paul Pate mailed the forms to voters before the June Primary, encouraging Iowans to vote-from-home during the pandemic rather than risk standing in line at a polling place. There was record participation in the primary and about 80 percent voted early. Ten days later, the Republican-led legislature voted to force Pate to seek approval from the Legislative Council if he planned a similar mailing in the future.

The Cass County Auditor’s Office, Thursday, said in a social media post, that “Lots and lots of requests already coming in!” They offered a form available on their Facebook page for persons to print and then mail in, or you can pick one up at the following locations: the Cass County Auditor’s Office; Lewis City Hall; Anita Tribune; Griswold American Newspaper; or the Massena City Hall.

Pate, in a document for the Council’s meeting at 4:30 this (Friday) afternoon, says he’ll use federal “Help America Vote” money to cover the cost of the mailing. Some county auditors have said they intended to mail out absentee ballot request forms, with some of the information on the form filled in for the voter. Pate is asking the Legislative Council to prevent auditors from doing that — and require only blank forms be mailed from county auditors to voters.

A new state law about how county auditors may confirm the information on the forms they RECEIVE is being challenged in court.

(Radio Iowa) – A report prepared for the White House Cornavirus Task Force suggests Iowa is among 18 states where rising infections rates should prompt new restrictions. The internal documents were first obtained by The Center for Public Integrity. Five Iowa counties are in what the analysis refers to as a “red zone” where 10 percent or more of those undergoing testing are confirmed to have the virus.

Those counties are Sioux, Osceola, Webster, Franklin and Clarke. The recommendation is that bars and gyms be closed in those counties and social gatherings be limited to 10 or fewer people. The report uses the phrase “yellow zone” to describe the spread of COVID in 42 other Iowa counties. The recommendation is that face coverings be required in public places in the zed and yellow zone areas — which cover 47 of Iowa’s 99 counties.

On Monday, Governor Kim Reynolds called on Iowans to take personal responsibility and voluntarily wear face coverings in public.