Plymouth County Reports 4th COVID-19 Case — Iowa Now Has 22 Deaths Associated With Coronavirus
(Le Mars) — Plymouth County Health officials are reporting a fourth positive case of COVID-19 coronavirus. The reported case involves an adult between 18 and 40 years of age. The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) has been notified of 83 additional positive cases for a total of 868 positive cases.
There have been an additional 519 negative tests for a total of 9,973 negative tests to date, which includes testing reported by the State Hygienic Lab and other labs.
More than 10% of all positive cases in Iowa are occurring among long term care staff and residents. More than 40% of all deaths in Iowa are associated with outbreaks in long-term care facilities. This statistic underscores that COVID-19 poses the most risk for older adults above the age of 60 with chronic health conditions, resulting in more severe illness and death.
The Iowa Department of Public Health and public health officials continue to work closely with Iowa’s long-term care associations and facilities, providing guidance for sick residents, transferring residents in need of care to hospitals, constantly monitoring
the health of other residents and staff, and implementing additional infection prevention measures.
According to IDPH, an additional 8 deaths were also reported, bringing the state’s total deaths to 22 associated with the COVID-19 coronavirus. Those deaths were reported at:
Appanoose County, 1 elderly adult (81+)
Johnson County, 1 older adult (61-80 years)
Polk County, 2 older adults (61-80 years), 1 elderly adult (81+)
Linn County, 1 elderly adult (81+)
Scott County, 1 elderly adult (81+)
Washington County, 1 older adult (61-80 years)
County Fire Departments Busy Battling Grass Fires During The Weekend
(Le Mars) — Grass and field fires throughout the weekend kept many of the Plymouth County fire departments busy. Remsen, Kingsley, Merrill, Le Mars, and Hinton were all called to battle various wild fires. In many cases, the firefighters were called to at least two fires. One grass fire happened Sunday evening at about 7:45 p.m. on a field about four miles west of Hinton
near 300th Street and Huron Avenue. Hinton, Merrill, and Le Mars all responded with their grass pickup rigs and tankers. Hinton Fire Chief Chad Beeck talks about the fire.
Beeck says there were five pickup rigs fighting the spread of the fire. The Hinton Fire Chief believes between 30 to 40 acres had burnt as a result of the fire. Beeck says firefighters worked the scene for at least an hour after the sun had gone down, before being able to contain the fire and ultimately extinguishing the flames. He says local farmers also came to the scene with their tractors and disks to help.
Sunday evening’s fire was the second call of the day for the Hinton Fire Department. Beeck isn’t certain as to what may have started Sunday evening’s fire, but he says in many cases with the fires from this past week, they are the result of a controlled burn getting out of control.
As mentioned earlier, many fire departments needed to respond to more than one fire. The Le Mars Fire and Rescue Department also responded to a grass ditch fire Sunday afternoon, approximately five miles north of Le Mars, at about 3:20 p.m. located along 120th Street between Highway 60 and Nature
Avenue.
Orange City Tulip Festival Is Cancelled
(Orange City) — Officials with the Orange City Tulip Festival have decided to cancel this year’s event due to the spread of the COVID-19 virus. This is not the first time the tulip festival has been cancelled. Back during World War II, the event was also called off. Tulip officials say we want to pause to take care of each other, and find creative ways for the spirit of the
festival to live on. In addition to celebrating the 80th annual tulip
festival, the town of Orange City was also going to celebrate its
Sesquicentennial. Both celebrations were scheduled for May 14th, 15th, and 16th.
Le Mars To Test Outdoor Warning Sirens Today
(Le Mars) — The city of Le Mars will test their outdoor warning sirens today at 1:00 p.m. as part of the monthly testing of its tornado sirens. The city of Le Mars has eight outside warning sirens throughout the community. The warning sirens are intended for people to take cover in a safe place. The
warning sirens are not intended for indoor warning devices. In the event of an emergency, the fire and the police departments working together will try to notify the public through KLEM radio and the Sioux City television stations. The city will conduct the siren testing on the first Monday of each month from April to November. If inclement weather, or a holiday, should occur, the test will take place on the following Monday.
FEMA Sends $44 Million To Iowa For COVID-19 Relief
(Des Moines) — Gov. Kim Reynolds received word from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that more than $44 million has been obligated to the State of Iowa for reimbursement of expenses related to the COVID-19 response.
Reynolds says, “Our health care workers are on the frontlines battling the COVID-19 pandemic, and they have the State of Iowa’s full support. She says “FEMA’s reimbursement will allow Iowa to buy additional personal protective equipment (PPE), and we appreciate President Trump and his team for supporting the health and safety of Iowans during this unprecedented crisis.”
The funds were obligated under the Presidential Major Disaster Declaration approved for Iowa by President Trump on March 23 and will be used to reimburse the State of Iowa for costs it has incurred in March and April to implement emergency protective measures.
These emergency protective measures have included the purchase of PPE such as gowns, masks, and face shields to support the response efforts of hospitals and clinics, local governments, and certain nonprofit entities.
The Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, which is responsible for coordination of disaster response resources, submitted for reimbursement to FEMA a cost of approximately $59 million for emergency protective measures taken by the State of Iowa in response to COVID-19.
The $44 million is the 75 percent federal share of that total cost, with the State covering the remaining 25 percent. However, the State of Iowa has requested FEMA cover 100 percent of the eligible costs. As the COVID-19 response continues, additional costs willbe submitted to FEMA for reimbursement.
North West Rural Electric Cooperatives Report A Slight Decrease In Sales Revenue From 2019
(Orange City) — North West Rural Electric Cooperative was unable to hold its district meetings because of the COVID-19 virus, and the annual meeting instead of inviting all members, consisted of only directors and committee chairs. Still, Lyle Korver, the Executive Director of the power utility cooperative, says some essential business was conducted. Korver says one item of business was the election of a director position for
District 3 which covers Plymouth County. Scott Feuerhelm of Merrill was elected to serve on the board of directors.
Korver says the electrical cooperative was able to continue to provide reliable power to its members in a cost effective manner, while also having a good safety record for its employees. Korver says the total number of kilowatt hours consumed in 2019 was lower than from previous years.
Korver explains upgrades are what’s ahead for the future of the rural electric utility cooperative.
North West Rural Electric Cooperative consists of Sioux, O’Brien, Ida, and Plymouth Counties.
Iowa Supreme Court Suspends Grand Jury Hearings Until July
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Supreme Court has issued an order suspending grand jury hearings and criminal jury trials until mid-July in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19. Chief Justice Susan Christensen issued the order Thursday that says trials and hearings already in progress will continue. But those that have not begun and are scheduled to begin over the
coming weeks have been postponed. Non-jury criminal trials, in which a judge issues a verdict, are scheduled to resume June 1 under the order. Grand juries and jury trials scheduled through June are now pushed back until at least July 13.
Des Moines Police Investigate Eighth Homicide For 2020
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – Police say a 33-year-old woman is Des Moines’ latest homicide victim. Police say officers were called Friday afternoon to an area just blocks southwest of the Drake University campus for reports of a shooting. Arriving officers found the woman unresponsive, suffering from a gunshot wound. The woman, later identified as 33-year-old Catherine Bobbitt,
of Des Moines, was taken to an area hospital, where she died. Police say witnesses had been interviewed and investigators were following up on leads, but no arrests had been reported by Saturday morning. Police say Bobbitt’s death is the city’s eighth for 2020.
People Turn To Adopting Pets During Coronavirus Isolation Period
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) – Animal shelters across the U.S. say they’ve placed record numbers of dogs, cats and other animals as people suddenly find themselves stuck at home amid the coronavirus pandemic. If past trends hold, many of those who agree to temporarily care for a pet will ultimately decide they want to keep the animal. Amid an avalanche of bad news, stories of people fostering pets are prompting smiles. A shelter in Denver now says it has a waiting list of 2,000 people wanting to foster. When the Animal Rescue League of Iowa put out a call for temporary homes for 80 cats, it got 160 applications within 12 hours.
Office Furniture Maker Layoffs 40 Employees
DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) – An Iowa-based furniture manufacturer has laid off 40 workers at its Dubuque corporate location. The Telegraph Herald reports that a letter recently sent to Dubuque city officials from Flexsteel Industries says the temporary layoff was effective March 23 and is expected to last three months. The affected positions are primarily are in sales, customer service or other corporate functions. The letter says the layoff is “in direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic” and the outbreak’s effect on Flexsteel’s business. On March 24, the company announced it was shutting down its Dubuque manufacturing plant for two weeks. The company has about 150 production workers at that Dubuque plant.
Pedestrian and Dog Killed During A Hit-And-Run Accident
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A pedestrian and a dog were struck by a vehicle and killed in Des Moines on Sunday morning. Des Moines Police say the crash happened around 8 a.m. Sunday in the 1700 block of Beaver Avenue. Officers found the 38-year-old woman and a dog she was walking deceased at the scene.
The 49-year-old driver of the vehicle that hit the pedestrian continued driving for several blocks before he abandoned his vehicle and fled. Police said it appeared that the driver intentionally hit the pedestrian after striking a utility pole and driving across several yards. He was arrested on suspicion of first-degree murder and animal neglect.
