United Group Insurance

Area COVID-19 case information (4/8/20)

News

April 8th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

A couple of area health departments updated their number of COVID-19 cases Tuesday afternoon. The numbers haven’t changed all that much from the mid-day IDPH report.

Harrison County: 11 positive COVID-19 cases; 1 person is isolating at home; 1 is hospitalized; 9 are no longer being monitored because they have exhibited marked improvement.

Pottawattamie County: 9 COVID cases (2 new cases: a Minden man age 41-60 and a Council Bluffs man 41-60. Both have been in self-quarantine since late March)

Shelby County: 7 positive COVID-19 cases; 48 negative test results; 8 pending test results.

Page County: 3 COVID-19 cases.

Adair, Audubon, Dallas, Guthrie, Mills, Montgomery and Taylor Counties all have 1 case each.

Iowa State football coach Matt Campbell supports salary cuts

Sports

April 8th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

Iowa State football coach Matt Campbell supports athletic director Jamie Pollard’s decision to cut coaches salaries and eliminate bonuses in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Pollard announced the plan last week to make up for a five million dollar loss following the cancellation of the Big 12 and NCAA basketball tournaments.

Campbell says it was a move to benefit the entire department.

Campbell says he met with his staff to discuss the plan.

Campbell says he has been going over different possibilities for what the preseason might look like but has not even thought about the possibility of not having a season.

POET to idle 3 bioprocessing plants, including in Coon Rapids

Ag/Outdoor, News

April 8th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

Officials with POET biorefineries announced Tuesday the company will idle production at its bioprocessing facilities in Chancellor, S.D., Ashton, Iowa, and Coon Rapids, Iowa, and delay the start-up of its new plant in Shelbyville, Ind.  Company officials say the move comes as producers across the United States continue to grapple with the economic fallout of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. On an annualized basis, these operational changes are expected to reduce corn demand by 110 million bushels, freezing 330 million gallons of ethanol production across the four facilities. POET has also significantly slowed production at other facilities, further decreasing corn demand.

POET Founder and CEO Jeff Broin said in a Press Release, “Across the board, biofuel producers and our partners in the farm community face an unprecedented challenge. From day one of this crisis, we have placed the highest priority on protecting the health and welfare of our workers, partners and farm suppliers. Unfortunately, plummeting fuel demand amid the coronavirus pandemic has overwhelmed markets already suffering from continued trade barriers, a foreign price war over oil and regulatory uncertainty here at home. In South Dakota, the crisis has been compounded by one of the worst growing seasons in memory.”

Ethanol producers across the country are slashing production amid the ongoing crisis. Nationally, experts predict a decline in fuel demand of up to 55 percent. If these conditions persist, it will result in an annualized drop in ethanol demand of up to eight billion gallons or 2.7 billion bushels of corn. POET President and Chief Operating Officer Jeff Lautt said “As always, we will continue monitoring the situation closely and working with team members at each plant to stay ahead of market changes as the situation continues to evolve day by day. We remain optimistic that elected leaders will move ahead swiftly on efforts to shore up the rural economy and deliver relief for struggling families. We are fully committed to protecting the strong, stable biofuel markets that America’s farmers need now more than ever, and we look forward to rebuilding and growing America’s agricultural markets.”

ISU study: Outbreak of African swine fever in the US could cost $50B

Ag/Outdoor

April 8th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – While much of the world is caught up with coronavirus, an Iowa State University study estimates the pork industry could lose 50-billion dollars if there’s an outbreak of African swine fever in the United States. Study author Dermot Hayes, an I-S-U economist, says tracking the spread of that virus in hogs would look very much like understanding how COVID-19 has infected people.  “The circumstances are almost identical,” Hayes says. “We have pigs out there that may be infecting other pigs, but we don’t know it. But once the infection becomes clearer, we would like to be able to trace that pig’s movement to find all the other pigs they were in contact with.”

Hayes advocates creating electronic movement records for all pigs, trucks and people in the pork industry. He says reducing imports of products that could harbor the virus are also necessary. Hayes says the 50-billion dollar figure looks out ten years after the virus arrives and includes a complete shut-down of U-S pork exports.  “If we can get rid of the disease before we force the industry to downsize, then the impact is still huge. It’s about $14-15 billion,” he says. “In either case, the take home for me is, we need to keep this disease out of the country and it’s worth spending a lot of money to do that.”

Many pork producers have already adopted strict biosecurity measures on their farms. Hayes says a 2011 study of a hypothetical foreign animal disease outbreak led to tighter customs security for meat coming into the country. He says now may be the time to stop importing things like pet food and organic soybean meal that might inadvertently give the virus a free ride into the U-S.

(Reporting by Amy Mayer, Iowa Public Radio)

Ben Rogers, longtime Boy Scout volunteer, dead from COVID-19

News

April 8th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

MOLINE, Ill. (AP) — Ben Rogers, a long-time activist with the Boy Scouts of America in Illinois and Iowa, has died from complications resulting from COVID-19. Austin Mitchell of the Boy Scouts said the 67-year-old Rogers of Moline, Illinois died Tuesday at a Rock Island hospital after battling coronavirus for more than a month. An obituary posted by a Moline funeral home noted Rogers was active for 40 years in all levels of scouting, including as the head cook at Loud Thunder Scout Reservation in western Illinois. Rogers is survived by his wife and several children.

Union says Iowa Veterans Home workers at risk of infection

News

April 8th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

MARSHALLTOWN, Iowa (AP) — A union leader is complaining that a large Iowa nursing home for veterans is forcing some employees to work after they were exposed to a colleague who tested positive for coronavirus. AFSCME Council 61 President Danny Homan said the situation at the Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown is potentially putting employees and its 550 residents at risk of infection.

Pat Garrett, a spokesman for Gov. Kim Reynolds, said that three employees at the home tested positive in late March, were sent home and are recovering. The home says it has tested 24 residents for COVID-19 so far and all have been negative.

Pickup vs. backhoe accident injures 2 in Montgomery County

News

April 8th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports two people were injured when a pickup collided with a backhoe Tuesday afternoon, east of Red Oak. The collision happened at the intersection of Highway 34 and 200th Street, at around 3:10-p.m. Authorities say an investigation determined the operator of a 1999 Case 580 Super L backhoe, 65-year-old Arthur D. Peterson, was traveling east on Highway 34 and was preparing to enter the turning lane to travel east onto 200th Street. A 2000 Dodge Dakota pickup, driven by 46-year-old Matthew Newton, of Omaha, was also traveling eastbound. Newton told authorities the backhoe entered the roadway in front of him and he had braked. but was unable to avoid striking the rear of the machine with the left front of the pickup.

Newton and his female passenger were transported to the Montgomery County Memorial Hospital for the treatment of non-life threatening injuries. The pickup sustained about $2500 damage and was considered a total loss. There was no damage to the backhoe, which is registered to C&J Construction. Arthur Peterson was not injured during the accident, which remains under investigation. Authorities say citation may follow completion of the investigation.

Skyscan Forecast for Atlantic & the area: 4/8/2020

Weather

April 8th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

Today: Partly cloudy to cloudy w/a slight chance of showers this afternoon. High 68. NW @ 15-25.

Tonight: Any showers will be ending this evening; Becoming p/cldy. Low n35. NW @ 10-20.

Tomorrow: P/Cldy. High 50. NW @ 15-30.

Friday: P/Cldy. High 54.

Saturday: Cloudy w/a chance of rain. High near 50.

Tuesday’s High of 85 in Atlantic broke the record set for April 7th (83 in 1931). Our Low this morning was 42. Last year on this date the High in Atlantic was 80 and the Low was 37. The All-time Record High here on April 8th was 89 in 1931. The Record Low was 14 in 2016.

Cass County Food Pantries adjust to COVID-19 to offer safe services

News

April 8th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

Cass County Wellness Coodinator Brigham Hoegh said Tuesday, “Our food pantries in Cass County continue to adjust to offer safe services as we face COVID-19.” Brigham said beginning tomorrow (April 9th), “The Atlantic Pantry is asking people to “drive through” the pantry. Cars are asked to line up on 4th St. (West of the pantry). Someone will be directing traffic.”

Here is up-to-date information on all four main pantries in Cass County:

Atlantic Food Pantry:

Starting 4/9 the Atlantic Pantry is asking people to “drive through” the pantry. Cars are asked to line up on 4th St. (West of the pantry). Someone will be directing traffic.

Phone for pantry questions: (712) 243-5019 (9-11 AM Mondays and Thursdays)
Address: 19 W. 4th St., Atlantic, IA 50022
Hours: Thursdays, 1:00pm – 2:00pm (or until line ends- please show up at 1:00)
Food Referrals will not be needed, and clients may come to the pantry as needed during this epidemic time.
Donations: make checks to “Atlantic Food Pantry” (mail to: 19 W 4th Street. Atlantic, IA 50022)

Anita Food Pantry: (serves people from towns of Anita, Massena, Cumberland, Wiota, and Bridgewater.)
Items are carried to cars. People are asked to follow signs and not get out of cars. The pantry will function like a drive through.
Phone: (712) 762-3645
Address: 208 Chestnut St, Anita, IA 50020
Hours: 1st & 3rd Saturday, 9:00am – 11:00am
Donations: make checks to “Anita Food Pantry” (mail to: PO Box 96, Anita, IA 50020)

Cumberland Care & Share Pantry: (serves Cumberland, Massena, Bridgewater)
Phone: (712) 774-5818
Address: 317 Monroe St, Cumberland, IA 50843
Hours: 1st & 3rd Wednesday, 4:00pm- 5:30pm
Donations: make checks to “Cumberland Care & Share” (mail to: 317 Monroe St, Cumberland, IA 50843)

Lord’s Cupboard of Griswold (serves Griswold School District)
Phone: (712) 778-4178
Address: 100 Cass St., Griswold, IA 51535
Hours: 2nd and 4th Tuesday, 11:00am – 2:00pm

Motorcycle vs. SUV fatal accident in Page County

News

April 8th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

A man riding a motorcycle died Tuesday evening during a collision with an SUV, in Page County. The Iowa State Patrol has not released the name of the victim, who was riding a 2013 Harley Davidson cycle.

The accident happened at around 5:15-p.m. at the intersection on Highway 2 and C Avenue. Authorities say a 1997 GMC Jimmy driven by 72-year old Micheal Gene Flynn, of Shenandoah, was traveling eastbound on Highway 2 and approaching C Avenue. Flynn slowed to turn left onto C Avenue, when the eastbound cycle behind him braked hard and went left of center as the SUV was turning.

The motorcycle broadsided the SUV on the driver’s side, causing the operator of the cycle to suffer fatal injuries. The driver of the SUV was not hurt.