PLYMOUTH COUNTY CONTINUES TO BE FIRST IN THE STATE WITH A 21.7 PERCENT POSITIVITY RATE AMONG PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS IN THE COUNTY WHO HAVE BEEN TESTED FOR COVID-19. THE 14 DAY AVERAGE IS BASED ON INDIVIDUAL POSITIVE CASES IN THAT TIME PERIOD DIVIDED BY THE TOTAL INDIVIDUALS TESTED.
UNION COUNTY REPORTED NO NEW POSITIVE CORONAVIRUS TESTS. (22 ACTIVE CASES, TOTAL POSITIVES 237)
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A Hinton, Iowa man has been sentenced to federal prison for possession of child pornography. 49-year-old Shayne Yates was sentenced to two years and 9 months in prison after pleading guilty to possessing child pornography. Prosecutors say Yates possessed over 150 images of child pornography on a Kindle Fire Tablet showing minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Yates is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
Authorities in Royal, Iowa in Clay County continue to investigate the cause of a grain elevator explosion that occurred around 3pm Tuesday afternoon. No injuries were reported and people living near the Ag Partners elevator were evacuated. Royal resident Richard Green was inside a gas station when the blast occured while a state inspector was just outside looking over the gas pumps.
One silo was damaged and Clay County Sheriff Chris Raveling says it’s still not clear how safe the elevator building may be to approach.
Officials say it held a mix of corn and soybeans at the time of the blast, but it was mostly empty. Witnesses say the entire downtown shook and windows rattled. Authorities conducted safety checks door to door.
