DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Within weeks of Gov. Kim Reynolds agreeing to allow bars and restaurants to open to customers, Iowa’s two major college towns are seeing spikes in coronavirus cases among young adults. The trend is raising concerns among local health officials and prompting some businesses to again close their doors.

Business owners in Iowa have welcomed the governor’s move to end most restrictions that had been imposed over the spring to slow the spread of the coronavirus, but some in Ames and Iowa City now are unsure what to do as cases rise. The cities are home to Iowa State University and the University of Iowa, the state’s largest colleges.

(Radio Iowa) — The Iowa Department of Public Health has landed a five-year, four-point-four million dollar grant from the C-D-C to boost colorectal cancer screenings. Jeanna Jones, the agency’s screening promotions coordinator, says too few Iowans are being screened for colon cancer, which is often preventable by getting screened.

“Our screening rates are in the low 70s, so maybe around 71 or 72%,” Jones says. “We actually had the goal of getting Iowa’s screening rates up to about 80% by the year 2018 and we weren’t able to meet that goal.” With the grant, the state health department aims to increase colorectal cancer screenings at ten of Iowa’s federally qualified health centers to 60% by 2025. Those ten centers — in rural and urban areas of the state — all have screening rates below 60%.

“Federally qualified health centers tend to have lower colorectal cancer screening rates just because the population is more uninsured, underinsured,” Jones says. “We’re just trying to work with those health centers so that we can help provide any barrier assistance, transportation, help to the patients to get them screened.” She says seven out of 10 people diagnosed with colorectal cancer had no signs or symptoms, but if detected early, it can be 90% treatable.

“People don’t realize that colorectal cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in Iowa, however it’s one of the few cancers that you can actually prevent by getting screened,” Jones says. “A lot of people just think that they have to do a colonoscopy in order to get screened but we really try to promote that there are multiple screening options.”

The ten centers are: All Care Health Center in Council Bluffs; Community Health Care, based in Davenport; Community Health Center of Fort Dodge; Community Health Centers of Southern Iowa; Community Health Centers of Southeastern Iowa; Crescent Community Health Center; Eastern Iowa Health Center; Primary Health Care in Ames; Promise Community Health Center in Sioux Center; and River Hills Community Health Center, based in Ottumwa.

(On the web at https://idph.iowa.gov/igs/public)

FORT DODGE- The Iowa Dept. of Corrections reports that on June 14th, 59-year old Thomas Andrew Daleske, an inmate at the Fort Dodge Correctional Facility (FDCF) was found deceased in his cell at approximately 5:15-p.m.  Daleske was serving a 45-year sentence for multiple charges related to Sexual Abuse and Lascivious Acts with a Child from Warren County and had been incarcerated since October 31, 2000.

The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation assisted the FDCF and Webster County Medical Examiner with the death investigation and determined that another inmate, 44-year old Eric Hall, had been inside Daleske’s cell shortly before the body was discovered.  Hall was interviewed and admitted to killing Daleske.  The Iowa State Medical Examiner’s Office conducted an autopsy and determined the cause of Daleske’s death to be strangulation with blunt force injuries to the head and ruled the death a homicide.

On Tuesday, June 23rd (Today), Eric Hall was charged with 1st Degree Murder in Webster County. He remains in custody at the Fort Dodge Correctional Facility.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Two organizations filed a lawsuit that seeks to stop a 24-hour waiting period for abortions that was approved by Iowa lawmakers in the closing hours of the legislative session. Planned Parenthood of the Heartland and a doctor represented by Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa filed the suit Tuesday in state court. The suit seeks to block the measure and to impose a temporary injunction to stop it from taking effect July 1.

The groups filing the suit expect the bill to be signed into law by Gov. Kim Reynolds, who is an outspoken opponent of abortion rights. The waiting period was approved on the last day of a shortened legislative session.

COUNCIL BLUFFS—Officials with the Iowa Dept. of Natural Resources reports the city of Council Bluffs requested permission to release untreated wastewater to the Missouri River after discovering problems with a sewer line this (Tuesday) morning.

The DNR granted approval to discharge 125,000 to 200,000 gallons of untreated wastewater to enable the city to inspect a potentially collapsed sewage pipe near 32^nd Street and 12^th Avenue.

Starting at 8 a.m., the city bypassed 68,510 gallons from the sanitary sewer to the storm sewer, before ending the discharge at 9:25 a.m. The storm sewer discharges to the Missouri River near Dodge Park. The city collected water samples from the discharge and from the river (upstream and downstream) for testing.

The DNR encourages residents to keep children and pets away from the Missouri River downstream of the Dodge Park stormwater pump station for the next 24 to 48 hours.

Sheriff’s officials in Mills County today (Tuesday), said 37-year old Mark Charles Pontefract, of Pacific Junction, was arrested at around 4:45-a.m. today (Tuesday), for Domestic Abuse Assault. He was being held without bond in the Mills County Jail. On Monday, 39-year old Maurice Tabiya Harris, of Sioux City, was arrested for Driving While Revoked (bond $1,000), and 20-year old Humberto Felipe Mancinas, of Sidney, was arrested for OWI/1st offense (Bond $1,000).

Authorities in Shelby County are looking for a stolen vehicle. According to reports, at around 9-p.m. Monday, Harlan Police were called to the Dollar General Store, with regard to a stolen car incident.  When the officer arrived, he met with 29 year old Ryan Henrich, an employee at Dollar General.  Henrich said that he had arrived at work at about 2-p.m. Monday, and hadn’t been out of the store all day.  He discovered his car was missing when he left the store Monday evening. The keys had been left inside. The car was described as a 2008 Chevy Impala, with Iowa license plate CIM 565. The vehicle has some driver’s side damage and a broken tail light.

There are no suspects at this time, and the case remains under investigation.

Officials with the Harlan Police Department report two arrests took place last week. On Friday, 27-year old Kristofer Allan Erlbacher, of Woodbine, was arrested following a traffic stop. Erlbacher was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with operating while intoxicated, no proof of insurance, and careless driving. And, last Thursday, 20-year old Brandon Jay Benedict, of Harlan, was arrested following a traffic stop. Benedict was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with driving while revoked and failure to obey stop sign.