DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI-TV) — Organizers say a drive-thru testing site for the new coronavirus in Des Moines expects to see nearly twice the number of people on Monday as it tested over the weekend. Television station KCCI reports the site outside of the Wells Fargo Arena drew about 240 residents seeking to be tested over the weekend. Gov. Kim Reynolds says she expected 200 more on Monday.

State leaders have said the goal is to eventually test up to 3,000 people per day at different drive-thru sites around Iowa. As of Saturday, the state’s online coronavirus tracking portal showed 5,475 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Iowa and 118 deaths from the disease.

Two people were arrested on drug charges in Creston, Friday afternoon. 27-year old Brandon Haley, of Clarinda, and 28-year old Tyler Elmore, of Creston, were arrested at 424 New York Avenue, in Creston. Haley was charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance/Marijuana-2nd offense, and later released from the Union County Law Enforcement Center on a Promise to Appear in court.

Elmore was being held in the Union County Jail on charges that include: Possession with the Intent to sell/Marijuana (Under 50 kilograms); Failure to Affix a Drug Tax Stamp; Criminal Mischief in the 4th Degree; two counts of Assault on Persons in Certain Occupations; Possession of Drug Paraphernalia; Possession of a Controlled Substance/Meth-1st offense. His bond was set at $14,000.

And, a Creston woman residing in the 900 block of N. Birch Street, reported to police Friday, that sometime over the past week, someone broke into her residence and took several items, including:

• A cedar chest;
• A camelback trunk
• 2 ceramic Christmas trees
• 3 rings
• a full-size vacuum cleaner and a travel-size vacuum cleaner
• a wood trencher
• a crockery churn,
• some change and a bank.

The loss was estimated at $5,175 altogether.

Pottawattamie County Planning and Development Director Matt Wyant, Sunday, issued a statement concerning COVID-19 contact tracing. Wyant said “Pottawattamie County Public Health is and will continue to contact trace all cases as COVID-19 makes a larger impact into our community. A part of contact tracing is assessing risk to the general public. If and when a risk to the public is identified, that location is publicized along with steps to take. With the recent increase in our cases, all risks have been assessed and contacts notified. The State of Iowa and Iowa Department of Public Health, along with several health departments, have identified community spread of COVID-19.

“With the identification of community spread came the Governor’s proclamations and restrictions on local businesses and workplaces. We are still in community spread and continue to identify cases that we can not trace back to a source, but it can be traced as to risk to the pubic and people around them.”

Wyant says all precautions should still be taken, such as social distancing, proper hygiene, limiting trips to the store and out in public to only the necessary. “This has been a long road, he said, “and I want to personally thank everyone in Pottawattamie County for their strength and perseverance in these unprecedented times. Pottawattamie County has been running about two to three weeks behind modeling data.” Wyant says ” We will see a increase in numbers in the next few weeks as testing increases in our area. We are as prepared as we can be, and we have great health systems in our area. The whole community is behind this effort to minimize the impact on our area and be as transparent as we can with the public.”

Members of the City of Atlantic’s Personnel and Finance Committee will meet 5:30-p.m. Wednesday, April 29th, during an in-person session, as opposed to via Zoom meeting. The meeting will take place in the Council Chambers, but attendance is limited to 10 people, and the six-foot separation policy will be adhered to. City Administrator John Lund says the City has acquired face masks available for those in attendance, if desired.

During the session, the Committee will hold an open discussion and take recommendations on, Human and Financial Resource changes resulting from Covid-19, along with any other business to come before them. Lund says “A lot has happened in the last 40 days. Things are rapidly changing in human resources and public finance. The City is staying on top of everything [it] can, but Council oversight of these two critical functions is essential [and] we need to have an opportunity for a question and answer period so the Council’s questions can be addressed directly and also make sure its priorities are being responded to by staff.”