Mills County Public Health has been notified of an additional positive confirmed case of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Mills County. This brings the total number of confirmed positive cases to the county, to seven. The new case is an adult, in the age range of 41-60 years, and the virus was contracted through close contact with a positive case.

Our health department is currently conducting contact investigations to identify and follow-up with any people who had close contact with the ill individual. Close contacts are educated about self-monitoring their health status by our health department nurses. They are required to do daily symptom and temperature checks; as well as quarantine themselves for 14 days as a precaution.

Three of the cases have recovered and the remaining four cases are being followed by Mills County Public Health. All residents are urged to stay home as much as possible, stay away from groups of people and maintain a 6-foot distance from other individuals. This is needed by everyone, regardless of confirmed cases, because we know there is substantial spread of COVID-19 throughout Iowa.

Mills County Public Health Administrator Julie Lynes states, “I know there are concerns in the county about the increase in positive cases we are seeing. I want to assure Mills County residents that the increase we are seeing is related to the increase in COVID-19 testing and test availability.”

The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office is seeking information on an incident that occurred at approximately 6:54-a.m., Thursday. Authorities say Page County Communications received a call of an unconscious male that had fallen and was bleeding in the 3900 block of 150th Street. Shenandoah Rescue arrived on scene and transported the man to the Shenandoah Hospital and then to Nebraska Medicine in Omaha.

The Iowa Department of Public health (IDPH) and Audubon County Public Health have identified an additional COVID-19 case in the County, bringing the total Audubon County positive cases to nine.
The new positive case is a child (0-18 years).

Audubon County Public Health is conducting a contact tracing investigation on this case to identify close contacts who should monitor their health symptoms and self-isolate.

For up to date information on COVID-19 please visit the Iowa Department of Public Health website at IDPH.gov or conronavirus.iowa.gov.

The Atlantic Area Chamber of Commerce, Thursday, announced Rush CPA & Associates, PLLC has donated $2,000 to the Atlantic Small Business Relief Fund. Chamber Director Bailey Smith said “We’re so thankful for Rush CPA & Associates, PLLC’s generous donation of $2,000 to the relief fund. They informed me that they have been fortunate that their business hasn’t suffered like many others in town and wanted to do their part to show support. It’s encouraging to see businesses coming forward and supporting other businesses in the community.”

The fund will be used to provide grants to local small businesses currently suffering economic hardship due to COVID-19. These funds are not intended to replace a loss of actual or anticipated revenue, but to provide businesses with funds to keep them viable during this public health crisis.

Applications will be available beginning Monday, May 11^th at 9 AM on www.atlanticiowa.com and will close Friday, May 15^th at 12 PM. Grants will range between $500 – $2,500. To apply, businesses must have a 50022 zip-code. Atlantic Chamber of Commerce membership for participation is not required, though preference will be given to current members and/or businesses that have not received State and/or Federal funds previously. Applications will be reviewed by a committee and awarded pending availability of funds.

To help as many businesses as possible, if you are interested in donating to the fund, contact the Chamber at 712-243-3017, email chamber@atlanticiowa.com or mail donations to 102 Chestnut St., Atlantic, IA 50022.

The Montgomery County Public Health Department reports a third and fourth case of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has been confirmed in Montgomery County. The individuals are both adults (18-40 years). In Montgomery County, to date, there have been four (4) confirmed cases, one (1) of which has recovered. A total of 131 have been tested.

Officials stress, “There is still a great need for all residents to stay home as much as possible, stay away from groups of people and maintain a 6-foot distance from other individuals as there is substantial spread of COVID-19 throughout Iowa.”

The Pottawattamie County Public Health Department today (Thursday), report there are three new, positive cases of COVID-19. Two of the cases are residents of Council Bluffs, one is from Oakland. They include two females and one male between the ages of 18 and 40. One of the persons has pre-existing conditions. All three had contact with an existing case of COVID-19, and all are self-isolating at home.

The County now has 72 cases of COVID-19. Of those, 31 people have recovered, 38 are self-isolating, one is hospitalized, and two have died.

JOHNSTON, Iowa (AP) — A day after Iowa’s governor appeared at the White House and took compliments for her management of the coronavirus pandemic, the state reported it has surpassed 11,000 known positive cases and 231 deaths. Gov. Kim Reynolds on Wednesday announced a broader reopening of business in Iowa.

Malls and fitness centers in 22 counties with the highest level of infections are allowed to reopen Friday, with some restrictions. Such businesses in Iowa’s 77 other counties have already reopened.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Crews working to finish fixing levees busted in last year’s deluge are getting some help from the weather. John Remus, of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, said Thursday that it is “much better shape” than a year ago. The flooding last spring along the Missouri River and its tributaries inundated thousands of acres of farmland in parts of Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa and Missouri.

Among 61 levees approved for repair in an area spanning from Rulo, Nebraska, to the mouth of Mississippi River, 39 have been restored to the height they were before last spring’s deluge. Upstream of Rulo, all but one levee has been repaired.

The Red Oak Police Department reports the arrest of a Red Oak man on Thursday afternoon. At approximately 1:10 p.m. Officers arrested 38-year-old Jesse Donald Trost of Red Oak in the 200 block of West 3rd Street for a violation of his pre-trial release agreement. He faces charges of 3 counts of Burglary in the 3rd Degree, Criminal Mischief 4th Degree, and Attempted Burglary 3rd Degree of a vehicle.

Trost was taken to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $20,000 cash bond.