Cass County Wellness Coordinator Brigham Hoegh reports Cass County COVID-19 Mobile Food For All offers food delivery to Cass County residents in need of the service during COVID-19. Just beginning its third week, the program has over 80 households registered. Cass County COVID-19 Mobile Food For All continues to accept registrations, and is now also recruiting volunteers to assist with food delivery.

Registration is open: Once registered, households will receive weekly food delivery until grant funding runs out, or participants notify the program that they are no longer in need of the assistance. The weekly service is available to people in Cass County in need of food delivery during COVID-19. To learn more or register for the program, visit www.extension.iastate.edu/cass, or call Cass County Public Health at 712-243-7443.

Calling volunteers: While Cass County COVID-19 Mobile Food For All continues to expand, the Cass County Local Food Policy Council is recruiting volunteers to assist with food delivery. Volunteers are needed Monday through Thursday from 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Volunteers able to commit to volunteering on the same day of the week for a month are preferred. Volunteers must be able to lift heavy grocery bags repeatedly and climb on and off a bus multiple times an hour.

As many individuals registered for food delivery are at high risk for COVID-19, volunteers must be committed to adhering to safety practices recommended by Public Health including maintaining a six-foot distance from others, wearing a mask at all times, and frequently washing hands or using hand sanitizer. On days with fewer than approximately 15 deliveries, volunteers will be asked to drive their own vehicles (mileage will be reimbursed).

On days with more deliveries, volunteers will ride a SWITA bus driven by a SWITA driver. For more information or to sign up to volunteer, contact Brigham Hoegh at bhoegh@iastate.edu or 712-249-5870.

Cass County COVID-19 Mobile Food For All is made possible by a grant from the Iowa Economic Development Authority. The Cass County Local Food Policy Council, Cass County Public Health, Cass County ISU Extension, Southwest Iowa Transit Agency (SWITA), and Cass County are partnering on the program.For more information, follow @CassCountyLocalFood on Facebook or contact Cass County Wellness Coordinator Brigham Hoegh at 712-249-5870or by email at bhoegh@iastate.edu.

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

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — State health officials reported five more deaths and 323 additional cases of coronavirus on Sunday. The Iowa Department of Public Health said 351 people have died from COVID-19 in the state and 14,651 have tested positive for the disease caused by the coronavirus. For some infected people, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, the virus can cause severe illness or death. But for most people, it causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, that clear up in two to three weeks.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa has rebuilt its stockpile of personal protective equipment after a dire shortage that prompted the state to buy replenishments from some unusual sources. Records show Iowa’s executive branch has signed $45 million worth of emergency purchase orders for isolation gowns, masks, face shields, goggles and other equipment from mid-March through April. That includes $7.2 million in contracts for gowns and goggles with a Des Moines business that has never previously sold either and is known for making Republican campaign signs. The deals include 590,000 masks that were purchased directly from China and to be flown to an Ankeny warehouse.

CASS COUNTY, Neb. (AP) — An Iowa man is facing several charges after fleeing from police in southeast Nebraska. The Cass County Sheriff’s office says the chase reached speeds up to 130 miles per hour on U.S. Highway 75 Friday morning. The 55-year-old Council Bluffs man stopped briefly after deputies pulled him over around 11:40 a.m. before fleeing northbound. The driver’s 2005 Ford Crown Victoria wound up in a ditch after he exited the highway without slowing down. The Cass County Sheriff’s office says the man was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving, fleeing to avoid arrest, reckless driving and several other charges.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — University of Iowa researchers privately warned that the coronavirus would continue spreading through the state even before Gov. Kim Reynolds relaxed social distancing policies, a move they said would exacerbate the problem. In a report to the Iowa Department of Public Health on April 27, the university experts said that Iowa had not reached a peak and reopening the state economy before then would “result in a rapid rise of cases.” In a paper dated May 4, they found that the virus was still likely growing. They said that Iowa’s school and business closures and other steps had strongly mitigated the spread of infection but nonetheless were not “sufficient to prevent uncontained spread.”

Officials with Pottawattamie County Public Health (PCPH), Sunday afternoon, said there are three new, positive cases of COVID-19. All three are residents of Council Bluffs. Two of the cases are persons 18-to 40 years of age, one is 41-to 60 years old. All were tested between May 14th and May 15th.

Thus far, officials say, 2,014 Pott. County residents have been tested for COVID-19, and a total of 162 persons have tested positive. An additional six people have recovered, for a total number of recoveries at 74. Two individuals are hospitalized, 83 are self-isolating.

Based on PCPH contacting tracing investigations, a total of 55 Pott. County COVID-19 cases are the result of Community Spread.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — State health officials reported five more deaths and 323 additional cases of coronavirus on Sunday. The Iowa Department of Public Health said 351 people have died from COVID-19 in the state and 14,651 have tested positive for the disease caused by the coronavirus.

For some infected people, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, the virus can cause severe illness or death. But for most people, it causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough, that clear up in two to three weeks.

CASS COUNTY, Neb. (AP) — An Iowa man is facing several charges after fleeing from police in southeast Nebraska. The Cass County (Nebraska) Sheriff’s office says the chase reached speeds up to 130 miles per hour on U.S. Highway 75 Friday morning. 55-year-old Daniel Kessel, of Council Bluffs, stopped briefly after deputies pulled him over around 11:40 a.m. before fleeing northbound.

The 2005 Ford Crown Victoria he was driving wound up in a ditch after Kessel exited the highway without slowing down. Authorities say Kessel was treated at the scene for a possible head injury sustained during the accident, but refused transport. He was taken into custody and transported to the Cass County, Nebraska Jail, where he was charges with suspicion of drunken driving, fleeing to avoid arrest, reckless driving and several other charges.

A public hearing on a possible 2020-21 Early Start Calendar will take place 6-p.m. Monday, as part of the Exira-Elk Horn Kimballton School Board meeting. Members The meeting takes place in the Conference Room at the Elk Horn Building. Persons interested in attending via telephone conference call should notify Superintendent Trevor Miller prior to the meeting, at 712-764-4616.

During the Board’s regular session to follow the hearing, the Exira-EHK School Board will discuss and possibly act on approving:

• 2020-21 Fees
• A late Open Enrollment Request
• An Early Start 2020-21 Calendar
• The 2018-19 Audit Report
• Approval of a Resolution to Consider Continued Participation in the Instructional Support Program.
• And, approval of Personnel hires, transfers, resignations and other such matters.

Officials with Taylor County Public Health report an additional, positive case of COVID-19. The individual is a person age 41-to 60. TCPH Director Joan Gallagher reminds residents that “It’s important for everyone to stay home as much as possible and practice social distancing,” in order to slow the spread of the virus.

The Griswold School District’s Board of Education is set to meet 5:30-p.m. Monday, in the Griswold Elementary School Library. Old business on their agenda includes:

• 300-Series Board Policies
• Approval of a Resolution to set a Public Hearing for issuance of approximately $1.8-million in Sales Tax Refunding Bonds
• and a COVID-19 update.

New Business during Monday’s meeting will cover:

• Establishing for 2020-21: A Convenience charge of On-Line Deposits; Nutrition Prices; Registration Fees, and an Activity Pass fee.
• Approval of: Fuel bid specifications; Technology Support Bid specs; a Spanish 3/4 Spanish Waiver for 2020-21, and a Consortium Agreement for Academic and Therapeutic services.

The Griswold School Board will also act on the first reading of additional Series 300 Board Policies.

An investigation into an assault May 9th in Hamburg has culminated in an arrest. The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office reports 25-year old Joseph William Haughton, of Hamburg, was arrested Friday for Assault while displaying a weapon, an Aggravated Misdemeanor and a Class-C Felony charge of Willful Injury. Haughton was being held on a $3,000 10% bond, following an initial appearance with the Fremont County Magistrate.

Joseph Haughton (Fremont Co. S/O photo)

On May 9th, deputies with the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, were called to a gas station in Hamburg for a report of a male who was bleeding in the parking lot.  The man advised he was assaulted by two males, using a blunt object.  He was transported to Grape Community Hospital for treatment of severe injuries.

At the time of the alleged assault, Haughton was out of jail, released on his Own Recognizance, after violating a No Contact Order. Authorities say his arrest on May 15th was Haughton’s 18^th arrest by the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office since November of 2016. More charges are pending in this case.