The State of Iowa’s Coronavirus dashboard as of 10-a.m. today (Friday), showed: two more confirmed, positive cases of COVID-19 in Cass County, for a total of 34 and a positivity rate of 2.9%.  In Cass County, 1,167 residents have been tested, 28 people have recovered from the virus and 1,132 have tested negative.

Guthrie County has three more COVID-19 cases than Thursday, for a total of 116; and Montgomery County has a total of 29. An additional case of the virus was confirmed by Montgomery County Public Health this (Friday) afternoon.The latest Montgomery County case is an adult age 41-to-60, who contracted the virus through community spread, and is isolating at home.

Across the State, five more people have died from the virus since Thursday, and 451 more Iowans have tested positive. The State’s death toll from the virus stands at 820. The total number of positive COVID-19 cases is at 40,960. The IDPH says 441,256 Iowans have been tested. Of those, 398,707 have tested negative for COVID-19. Officials said also, 29,148 persons have recovered from the virus.

Hospitalization data show: 230 persons were hospitalized (2 less than yesterday); 72 individuals are in an ICU; 28 were admitted, and 28 were on a ventilator. In RMCC Region 4 (southwest/western IA), five people are hospitalized with COVID-19, four are in an ICU, there were two new hospital admissions, and one person remains on a ventilator.

Long-Term Care (LTC) data show 21 outbreaks, 548 staff/patients have tested positive for the virus, 154 have recovered and 441 have died.

Here is the latest data for confirmed cases and the number of persons recovered from COVID-19, in Cass and surrounding counties, plus any change in the numbers (Highlighted number indicate a change from Thursday):

• Cass: 34 positive cases, 28 recovered
• Adair: 22 positive cases, 16 recovered
• Adams: 12 cases (recovered data still not available from the IDPH)
• Audubon: 22 cases, (No recovery data available)
• Guthrie: 116 cases, 66 recovered
• Montgomery: 32 cases, 17 recovered
• Pottawattamie: 990 cases, 729 recovered
• Shelby County: 126 cases, 124 recovered

The dream of a local group of citizens in Red Oak for an early Childhood Development Center a little less than two-years ago, will culminate with opening of the facility on August 17th, thanks to efforts by the non-profit Montgomery County Child Development Association and more than 30 volunteers, to raise nearly One-million dollars, in a community of 5,500 population and county of 13,000 residents – during a pandemic no less.

Laura Kloewer, Vice-Chair of the Montgomery County Child Development Board, says that since the Association was founded, progress on the project has moving forward nicely.

Center Director Jackie Howell spoke about the facility, who it will serve and what will be offered to foster children’s growth.

They will offer a nature-based playground in addition to their curriculum. The Red Oak School District is partnering with the ROCDC. Superintendent Ron Lorenz said the Child Development Center gives the District an opportunity to “Provide rigorous, relevant and developmentally appropriate learning opportunities for all kids, birth through 21.”

Fundraising for the project got a big boost, thanks in-part to matching funds in the amount of $150,000, from the ACORN Development group. Houghton State Bank is also among more than a dozen businesses and families who support the project through funding.

Anyone wishing to help the Red Oak Child Development Center meet their fundraising goal, can email director@redoakcdc.org. You can also see updates on the Red Oak Child Development Center Facebook page.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CDT

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — A western Iowa nursing home has acknowledge a coronavirus outbreak at its facility that has left six residents dead. Risen Son Christian Village in Council Bluffs said the six COVID-19 deaths at its facility have occurred since it reported its first case on June 26. Risen Son says 21 other residents and 13 employees have been infected with the virus. The facility says it has dedicated units for infection control and is not allowing infected employees to come back to work until they are cleared by the health department.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The latest coronavirus figures in Iowa show the number of confirmed cases nearly doubled in the 24-hour period from Wednesday morning to Thursday, pushing the state’s total to more than 40,500. The state health department’s virus tracking site showed that as of 10 a.m. Thursday, there had been 716 cases confirmed from the day before, when 374 cases were confirmed. The state also reported seven more COVID-19 deaths, bringing Iowa’s total to 815 since the beginning of the outbreak. Hospitalizations for the virus also continued to creep upward, with 232 people hospitalized for the virus by Thursday morning.

LE MARS, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have identified a man who died after becoming trapped in a grain bin in northwest Iowa. The Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office says 65-year-old Daniel Cronin died Tuesday after becoming trapped in the bin located about five miles east of Le Mars. Officials said deputies and other first-responders were called Tuesday morning to the grain bin for a report of a man trapped. Investigators say Cronin had been loosening stuck corn when the crust broke, and he sank into the grain. Officials say the accident happened despite the use of safety measures. Officials say Cronin had died by the time his body was recovered about an hour after rescuers arrived.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — One of the first coronavirus outbreaks at an Iowa meatpacking plant was more severe than previously known, with over twice as many workers becoming infected than the Iowa Department of Public Health publicly confirmed. The department announced at a May 5 news conference that 221 employees at the Tyson Foods pork processing plant in Columbus Junction had tested positive for COVID-19. But records show that days earlier, Tyson officials told workplace safety regulators that 522 plant employees had tested positive to their knowledge. A dozen of the plant’s roughly 1,300 workers were believed to have been hospitalized by then, and two died after contracting the virus.

Public Health/Emergency Management officials in Mills and Montgomery Counties, Thursday, reported additional, positive cases of COVID-19. In Mills County, there was one additional case, for a total of 62 and a positivity rate of 2.6%. Officials say the latest case is a person 41-to-60 years of age, who contracted the virus through community spread. Of the 62 confirmed cases, 34 of those individuals have recovered from COVID-19. More than 2,400 Mills County residents have been tested for the virus.

In Montgomery County, there are three new positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the total since the start of the pandemic to 28. The latest cases contracted the virus by close personal contact with a previously reported positive case. The individuals include a person 17 years of age or younger, and two adults age 18-to 40. All are isolating at home.

In Montgomery County, 1,046 residents have been tested for the virus, nine people are being monitored by Public Health officials and 17 have recovered. There have also been two deaths attributed to COVID-19.