Governor Reynolds Shuts Down Bars And Nightclubs In Six Iowa Counties Due To High COVID-19 Numbers
(Des Moines) — Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds announced a new health safety proclamation during her news conference held Thursday that places additional restrictions including the closure of nightclubs and bars within six counties.
Reynolds added that everyone above the age of two should be wearing face coverings or a mask.
Reynolds stopped short of issuing a mandate for masks, saying it is often unenforcable. The governor was asked why counties, such as Plymouth County, with a high percentage of COVID-19 positivity rate were not included with the proclamation with the other six announced counties, and whether bars and nightclubs in Plymouth County would be asked to close their doors?
Plymouth County ranks as the county with the highest positivity rate within the state at over 21 percent.
North West REC To Hold Member Appreciation Events
(Orange City) — North West Rural Electric Cooperative will be holding a series of “Member Appreciation Picnics” during the coming days. The Plymouth County event is scheduled for Tuesday evening, September 1st to be held at the Plymouth County Fairgrounds. Lyle Korver, the C-E-O for North West REC
explains the purpose behind the appreciation programs.
Korver says the local power utility cooperative will serve a meal and provide entertainment for the event.
Korver says officials contemplated whether or not to hold the event, but felt that they could provide a safe and enjoyable evening.
The R-E-C official says serving will begin at 4:30 p.m. and will continue until 6:30 p.m. and the Browns will perform from 6:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m.
The O’Brien County event is scheduled for Thursday, September 3rd at the O’Brien County Fairgrounds, and the Sioux County event will take place on Tuesday, September 8th at the Terrace View Event Center in Sioux Center.
Plymouth County Historical Museum To Hold “Cabin Days”
(Le Mars) — Pioneer history, food, and music will be featured on the lawn of the Plymouth County Historical Museum in Le Mars with the arrival of “Log Cabin Day” Saturday, Oct. 3.
This is the sixth annual salute to the cabins, scheduled from 1 to 5 p.m.
Tentative plans are to have the Museum open by then for those wishing to tour the five floors of exhibits in the historic former school. Due to COVID-19, the Museum has been closed since March 18.
Masks are encouraged if social distancing is not possible. Museum personnel are hoping that by hosting a small event on the lawn, COVID-19 safety measures can be observed.
The celebration to honor the Museum’s two log cabins – the Weber Cabin near the Museum’s east entrance and Joy Hollow on the northeast corner of the Museum block – had been a part of “Ice Cream Days.” Last year, the Museum decided the 2020 event would move to the fall.
Given the situation with the pandemic and the cancellation of summer events, museum staff said moving the event to October should work out well. The day chosen is also the Le Mars Fall Festival when other groups are planning special activities.
Both cabins will be open for touring during the event, which will have free admission. Also featured will be a Civil War re-enactor. Michael Peters of Sioux City, formerly of Merrill, has appeared several times on the Museum grounds. Dressed in a Civil War uniform, he will talk to visitors for most of the afternoon.
Featured from 2 to 3 p.m. will be pioneer gospel songs by Jonathan Foster of Le Mars. Foster has participated in many area musicals, including “The Innkeeper’s Wife” at the Brown Century Theater in downtown Le Mars where he appeared as Joseph.
A few pioneer re-enactors will stroll the Museum grounds. Old-time apple crisp will be the offering near the Weber Cabin, and cherry tarts will be available near Joy Hollow Log Cabin. The cherry is in keeping with the theme of honoring the late Cherry Cliff at “Cherry Pie on the Porch.” That event, which began in 2011 when the log cabin was still at the Plymouth County
Fairgrounds, continued following the 2015 move of the cabin to the Museum grounds.
Fewer Iowa Counties Getting Federal Help For Derecho Damage
(Des Moines, IA) — Nine of the original 27 Iowa counties who asked for federal help while recovering from the derecho won’t be getting that help.
Iowa management director Joyce Flinn says those counties have withdrawn their applications to FEMA. Flinn said Thursday they don’t appear to meet the federal guidelines for the number of properties destroyed or with major damage. Assessments are near completion for the rest of the counties included in the governor’s request for federal individual disaster assistance.
Backlog On Autopsy By State Medical Examiner Forcing Families To Wait
(Des Moines, IA) — The Iowa State Medical Examiner’s Office says it is backlogged by at least two weeks – with 47 families forced to wait for autopsies to be completed before they can bury their lost loved ones. The autopsy backlog has existed for at least three years. The coronavirus pandemic is not the problem. Instead, the state Department of Human Services is blaming a lack of specialized pathologists, retirements at the local
county level, and a 25 percent increase in the need for autopsies in the last 12 months. State officials say there have been more homicides, car accidents, and other traumatic deaths that require a full autopsy.
Three Eastern Iowa Healthcare Centers Share $746K In Federal Funding
(Washington, DC) –– Three health care centers in northeast Iowa will share more than 746 thousand dollars in federal funding. Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer announced the grants that are coming from the U-S Department of Health and Human Services. Finkenauer says the money will be used to make
sure health care is available in northeast Iowa for the most vulnerable populations. It’s going to the Crescent Community Health Center in Dubuque, the Eastern Iowa Health Center in Cedar Rapids, and the People’s Community Health Clinic in Waterloo.
