Atlantic Police responded to an incident Friday afternoon, whereby an argument over “personal products being purchased,” turned into a potentially deadly confrontation. According to Atlantic Police Lt. Devin Hogue, officers were called at around 4-p.m. to the Dollar General Store in Atlantic, where a man reportedly had displayed a gun during the incident. There were no injuries.

The man with the gun left the store and waited for Police to arrive.

Both subjects cooperated with police during the investigation. No arrests were made and no charges have been filed at this time. The incident remains under investigation.

Officials with Hy-Vee, Friday, announced additional changes to operations at the company’s stores, designed to help protect employees and customers in response to the evolving coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

In a statement, officials with the Iowa-based retail chain said “Over the upcoming days, all Hy-Vee stores will install additional temporary window panels on the back side of checkouts to help provide an additional layer of protection for both cashiers and customers. The panels are in addition to the panels already positioned on the front side of checkouts.

“This weekend, Hy-Vee is also placing new, one-way directional signage in its aisles that will be installed in all stores. The signage will direct customers to utilize aisles in a way that prevents them from passing each other, in an effort to maintain six feet of social distancing throughout the store.

“Also, effective Monday, April 6, customers shopping at all Hy-Vee locations will be strongly encouraged to follow a “one person per cart” rule to avoid multiple family members from accompanying a customer on shopping visits. Hy-Vee is asking that customers try to designate one person per family to visit the store during each visit and to avoid shopping in large groups in an effort to limit the number of people in stores at any given time.”

Hy-Vee’s chairman, CEO and president. Randy Edeker said “We continue to implement additional ways to adapt at Hy-Vee, so that we can serve our customers and protect the health and wellness of those who work and shop in our stores.”

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s Republican governor has appointed a West Des Moines lawyer with longtime ties to the state GOP as the newest Iowa Supreme Court justice. Gov. Kim Reynolds named Matthew McDermott on Friday to fill the vacancy left when former Justice David Wiggins, a Democratic appointee, retired last month.

McDermott served as lawyer for the state in a contentious lawsuit filed by a labor union challenging a 2017 Republican-backed law that made sweeping changes to Iowa’s public employee collective bargaining statute. McDermott’s team won the lawsuit and a subsequent appeal to the Iowa Supreme Court, which ruled the law change was constitutional.

McDermott was also a lawyer for the Republican Party of Iowa from 2007–2012.

Officials with Mills County Public Health, Friday afternoon, say they have been notified of the first confirmed case of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Mills County. The person is a male, between the ages of 41-60 years of age, and he is self-isolating. Mills County Public Health is conducting contact tracing investigation for this case to identify close contacts who should monitor their health symptoms and self-isolate. There is no additional general public guidance that would result from providing more information about the specific case.

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. Officials say this is needed by everyone, regardless of a confirmed case, because there is community spread of COVID-19 throughout the country and Iowa.

All residents are being reminded to continue to practice social distancing, wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or elbow/upper arm and stay at home when you are ill.

Approximately 80% of Iowans infected with COVID-19 will experience only a mild to moderate illness. Most mildly ill Iowans do not need to go to their healthcare provider or be tested to confirm they have COVID-19. Sick Iowans must stay home and isolate themselves from others in their house. Self-isolation must remain in effect until:

• You have had no fever for at least 72 hours (3 full days of no fever without the use of medicine that reduces fevers), AND
• Other symptoms have improved, AND
• At least 7 days have passed since your symptoms first appeared.

Iowa Code states, “A report or other information provided to or maintained by the department, a local board, or a local department, which identifies a person infected with or exposed to a reportable or other disease or health condition, is confidential and shall not be accessible to the public.” For up-to-date information on COVID-19, visit the Iowa Coronavirus webpage at https://coronavirus.iowa.gov

(Radio Iowa) — Governor Kim Reynolds says some people are misinterpreting the lack of a statewide shelter-in-place order as a sign there are no restrictions in place in Iowa.
Dr. Anthomy Fauci, one of President Trump’s medical advisors, last night said he doesn’t understand why every state hasn’t issued one.

“Maybe he doesn’t have all of the information, again,” Reynolds said. “You can’t just look at a map and assume that no action has been taken. That is completely false.” Iowa is one of five states where there’s no statewide or regional stay-at-home or shelter-in-place order.

Reynolds says she has taken significant and incremental steps to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 by closing schools and businesses and ordering people not to gather in groups of 10 or more. “Iowans of all walks of life are either strongly in favor or strongly opposed to shelter-in-place,” Reynolds says, “and this has become a divisive issue at a time when we must be united in this response to this crisis.”

On March 15th, Reynolds recommended that Iowa schools close for four weeks. Yesterday (Thursday) she ordered schools to remain closed for the entire month of April. On the 17th of March, she ordered bars and restaurants to close. Over the following weeks the governor added a variety of retail businesses — from hair salons and barbershops to gyms and flower shops to the closure list.

“So if you did a side-by-side comparison of what we are doing in Iowa and what other states are doing, they are much the same,” Reynolds says. “Even those states that have implemented shelter-in-place orders have kept the majority of businesses open, similar to our orders.”

Reynolds told reporters this (Friday) afternoon she’s determined between 80 and 81 percent of Iowa businesses would be considered “essential” and allowed to continue operating under a shelter-in-place order. State officials announced earlier today (Friday) testing has confirmed 699 cases of COVID-19 in Iowa. Eleven Iowans have died of the virus and 80 are hospitalized for treatment.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics says it has successfully treated dozens of COVID-19 patients through a program that allows them to stay in their homes while they recover. Doctors use virtual technology to check daily on patients who have been diagnosed with the disease, freeing up the hospital for the small percentage of people who need more intensive care.

So far, 35 patients in the program have recovered while only three have needed to be admitted to the hospital. Theresa Brennan, the hospital’s chief medical officer, say Friday that another 38 are still being monitored.Brennan says she hopes other hospitals follow suit, potentially preventing them from being overwhelmed with patients.

Officials with the Pottawattamie County Department of Public Health, today (Friday), indicated there was another presumptive positive COVID-19 case in the County. The total of presumptive positives for Pottawattamie County is seven, two of which have recovered.

The latest case is a Council Bluffs man who is between the ages of 41-and 60, and who has pre-existing medical conditions. He has not recently traveled, and had no identifiable contact with an existing case. Because the case is not traceable, Public Health believes it to be the County’s second case of community spread. The individual is currently self-isolating at home.

Pottawattamie County Public Health is in communication with the Iowa Department of Public Health and is considering this case to be of no risk to the public. Public Health recommends people stay home as often as possible to avoid being exposed, and to avoid exposing others, to the virus. Avoid groups of people. Do not visit big box stores except for necessary trips.

If you must leave home, use social distancing and stay at least six feet away from others. Now is also an important time to practice excellent hygiene and disinfectant practices. Wash hands and disinfect frequently touched surfaces multiple times per day.

(Radio Iowa) — The Iowa Board of Medicine met in emergency session by telephone this (Friday) morning — unanimously passing a resolution asking the governor to issue a statewide shelter-in-place order. Kent Nebel is the board’s executive director.

“The concern is that individuals or people are not fully complying with the recommendations for self-isolation,” he says, “and that is increasing the risks to both health care providers who are out there providing services and to the public for spread of the virus.” Governor Reynolds has forbid gatherings of 10 or more and ordered schools and an array of businesses to close and she has repeatedly said those steps are akin to the stay-at-home orders other governors have issued.

Six doctors, a nurse and an attorney serve on the Iowa Board of Medicine. “The board is supportive and believes she’s done an excellent job of establishing appropriate safeguards,” Nebel says, “but as the spread of the virus gets worse, I think they believe that she needs to take one step further and issue a stay-at-home or shelter-in-place order.” The Iowa Capital Dispatch reports a doctor from the Quad Cities who is a member of the board raised concerns about Illinois residents crossing into Iowa to get away from the restrictions there.

All members of the Board of Medicine were appointed by Reynolds or her predecessor, Governor Terry Branstad.

(By Iowa Public Radio’s Natalie Krebs; additional reporting by Radio Iowa’s O. Kay Henderson)