GRINNELL, Iowa (AP) — The president of Grinnell College has told students they must leave the east-central Iowa campus by March 23rd to help halt the spread of the new coronavirus disease. Classes will continue to meet through Friday, the last day before spring break. A Tuesday letter from President Raynard Kington says that after March 30 the college will shift to online classes for the rest of the semester.

The college will cancel all athletic events, including practices, for the rest of the semester. Kington also says the college might cancel May’s commencement ceremony and other large events.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Health officials say two more Nebraska residents have tested positive for the new coronavirus disease, bringing the Nebraska total to five. A Douglas County woman in her 40s was added to the list Tuesday. Officials say she had recently traveled to California and Nevada and is recovering at home. State officials say a person from northeast Nebraska will be treated at the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit on the University of Nebraska Medical Center campus in Omaha. It’s unclear whether the person’s infection is travel related or related to any of the other four.

(Radio Iowa) — A Guttenburg man faces several charges after the Clayton County Sheriff’s Department says he hit a horse-drawn buggy northeast of Edgewood Sunday. The sheriff’s department says three people were seriously injured when a pickup driven by Alex Hyde struck the buggy. The injured were identified as 21-year-old Mary Miller, 21-year-old Adam Hershberger, and 17-year-old Nettie Hershberger, all of Edgewood.

The horse died, but Hyde was not hurt. Hyde faces charges that include: operating while intoxicated causing serious injury by vehicle, use of an electronic communication device while driving, driving on the wrong side of a two-way highway and carrying weapons while intoxicated.

Several people were arrested on a variety of charges, Tuesday, in Montgomery County. At around 10:10-p.m., Officers with the Red Oak Police Department and Montgomery County Sheriff’s Deputies arrested 28-year old Shanea Ranee Pointer, of Mound City, MO., on a felony warrant for Violation of Probation out of Nodaway County, MO. During their investigation, officers and deputies also arrested 27-year old Mathew Boyce along with 27-year old Jessica Harbord, both of Red Oak. They were taken into custody for Interference with Official Acts. All three were transported to the Montgomery County Jail, where Pointer was being held without bond while awaiting extradition, and the others were being held on $300 bond, each.

At around 6:40-p.m. Tuesday, Red Oak Police arrested 33-year old Benjamin William Hrabik, of Red Oak, for Public Intoxication. His bond was set at $300.  Red Oak Police arrested 38-year old Jesse Donald Trost, of Red Oak, at around 5:08-p.m. Tuesday, for Burglary, Attempted Burglary in the 3rd Degree, Criminal Mischief in the 4th Degree, and Felony, Possession of a Controlled Substance/3rd or subsequent offense. His bond was set at $15,000.

And, at around 3-p.m. Tuesday, 27-year old Dustin James Danick, of Red Oak, was arrested for Possession of a Controlled Substance/2nd offense, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Unlawful Possession of Prescription Drugs. His bond on those charges was set at $1,000. Danick was additionally charged with Theft in the 4th Degree, the bond for which was also set at $1,000.

The Adams County Sheriff’s Office reports two Corning residents, 33-year old Brandon Clayton and 36-year old Leana Smith, were arrested Tuesday afternoon following a traffic stop at 9th and Nodaway, in Corning. Both were found to have an active, temporary Protective Order against each other. Clayton and Smith were transported to the Adams County Jail.

(Radio Iowa) — Colleges and universities across the country — and in Iowa — are talking about having students complete the semester online rather than on campus. The leaders of the legislative and executive branches of state government say at this point there is no need to cancel large gatherings in the state capitol. Governor Kim Reynolds spoke with reporters Tuesday morning.

“I don’t see any need to address that,” Reynolds said. “Those are things, though, that we’ll have to take a look at depending on what happens in the days ahead.” House Speaker Pat Grassley of New Hartford is the top Republican in the legislature. “Unless the folks at the Iowa Department of Public Health, the professionals, give us a recommendation — which as of yesterday they did not,” Grassley says, “I don’t see any reason for us to overreact.”

Grassley’s grandfather, U.S Senator Chuck Grassley, has announced he plans to hold “town meetings” next Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in four Iowa counties. Governor Reynolds has scheduled a town hall meeting at Boone City Hall this (Wednesday) morning and another town hall at an Ankeny restaurant on Thursday.

On Tuesday, Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders cancelled campaign rallies in Ohio on the advice of public health officials.

(Radio Iowa) — Republicans in the Iowa House have voted to make changes in the state-regulated medical marijuana program — changes the governor has said she’ll accept. Representative Jarad Klein of Keota is the Republican assigned to lead the debate. “We base a lot of this on the advice of very smart medical professionals because in the State of Iowa we have a medical program, not a recreational program masquerading as a medical program,” Klein said, “and that’s the way we’re going to keep it.”

The bill would limit patients to four-and-a-half grams of the chemical T-H-C in the cannabis products they purchase over a 90-day period. Representative Mary Gaskill, a Democrat from Ottumwa, says that’s not enough for many Iowa patients, including her daughter. “To those who do not know what it is like to have a loved one suffering from the pain of MS, you have no idea how concerned I am tonight about reducing the allowed grams over 90 days,” Gaskill says.

Klein says the limit is based on the recommendation of the state board that oversees the program. “I am not a physician. I never pretend to be, but I do listen to them on this topic,” Klein said, “because it’s very important for them to do the homework and report back to us their professional advice.” Klein added that the bill provides a waiver if a doctor believes a patient would benefit from a higher amount of T-H-C.

“To allow individuals to be treated on a case-to-case basis,” Klein said. Rep. John Forbes, a Democrat from Urbandale, is a pharmacist who says most doctors are already reluctant to recommend cannabis products to their patients.  “You know we’re going to have about 2300 patients in this state who are going to have to cut their dose down,” Forbes said, “considerably.”

Representative Wes Breckenridge, a Democrat from Newton, says it’s unfair to patients currently in the system who’ve successfully switched from opioids to cannabis. “Those that have finally found relief, have a dosage amount, a system in place where they are truly getting the care they need,” Breckenridge says, “now they’re going to have to try and jump back through hoops and hope, just hope that their practitioner will allow them and give them the dosage that they’re currently on.”

Other provisions in the bill would let patients get a doctor’s recommendation for medical marijuana as treatment for more conditions — for P-T-S-D and autism as well as for patients with self-harming behavior. Last year, Governor Reynolds surprised lawmakers by vetoing an expansion of the state’s medical marijuana program, but she’s made it clear she’ll sign this one.

Key Senators still would like to allow patients to buy up a 90-day supply of cannabis products with up to 25 grams of T-H-C. That means it’s unclear how this year’s medical marijuana debate may be resolved as it shifts to the senate.