Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office Updates Accidental Shooting Incident
(Le Mars) — Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office has provided an update regarding an accidental shooting incident that was reported on November 1st.
The Sheriff’s Office was notified of a shooting that occurred between family members at 13184 Evergreen Ave in rural Plymouth County. An investigation was conducted and it was determined that two (2) juvenile male family members
mishandled a firearm causing the firearm to discharge striking one in the neck.
The juvenile was transported to the hospital and released with minor injuries. There is no criminal charges. No names will be released since both parties involved are under 18.
Sioux County Authorities Arrest Orange City Man For Sexual Assault
(Orange City) — The Sioux County Sheriff’s Office made an arrest on Sunday regarding a sexual abuse case that was under investigation since August. 32-year old Luis Mateo-Jose of Orange City was placed in authorities custody when deputies received a report that Mateo-Jose had illegal sexual contact
with a child. Upon further investigation, deputies discovered that the sexual assault occurred approximately two years prior to the August report at a location south of Rock Valley. Mateo-Jose was charged with 2nd degree sexual abuse.
Orange City Tulip Festival Crowns The 2021 Queen
(Orange City) — The Orange City Tulip Festival crowned its queen Monday evening for the 2021 event. Grace Dahl was crowned and given the title of Queen of the Tulip Festival. Dahl will reign over the 80th Tulip Festival scheduled for May 13th, 14th, and 15th of 2021. Grace Dahl is the daughter of Rik and Amy Dahl and she is a senior at the MOC-Floyd Valley High
School.Grace is joined on the 2021 Tulip Court by court members Elsie Bartels, daughter of Eric and Vanessa Bartels, Laura Beltman, daughter of Daryl and Shirley Beltman, Maci Brenneman, daughter of Patrick and Dana Brenneman, and Lindsey Jacobsma, daughter of Melinda Jacobsma and the
late Randy Jacobsma.
Orange City’s 2021 Tulip Court participated in a virtual Tulip Pageant in order to select the 2021 Tulip Festival Queen. Tulip Festival Court members shared their introductions, question segments and presentations via video that were available for public viewing and voting.
Reynolds Talks About Plasma Donations And COVID Outbreaks At State Corrections Facilities
(Des Moines) — Governor Kim Reynolds held a news conference Tuesday morning, following up with her primetime address to Iowans on Monday night.
Reynolds re-iterated her recent measures including the wearing of masks while inside, reducing elective surgeries at Iowa hospitals to 50 percent, and requiring restaurants and bars to close at 10 p.m. Reynolds remains optimistic that a vaccine to the virus will be introduced to the public within a few weeks.
Today, Reynolds talked about the need for those people that have recovered from having the COVID-19 virus to donate plasma.
Reynolds also discussed the COVID-19 virus outbreaks at our state’s correction facilities.
The Iowa Governor says the state’s correction facilities have been able to reduce the number of positive COVID-19 cases.
Reynolds publicly thanked Corrections Director Beth Skinner and her staff for the work they conducted to coordinate testing of the inmates, and helping to mitigate the outbreak within the corrections facilities.
Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley Tests Positive For COVID-19
(Washington, DC) — Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley has confirmed he has tested positive for the coronavirus. The 87-year-old Grassley, a Republican from New Hartford, reported Tuesday that he was exposed to someone who had the virus
and got tested. Grassley was in the U-S Capitol Monday, acting as presiding officer of the Senate and delivering a speech on the Senate floor– but he has not revealed how he was exposed. Grassley says he is feeling fine and is working from home until his doctor says it’s safe to return to work. The virus forced Grassley to miss his first Senate vote in 27 years Tuesday.
Grassley had voted a record eight-thousand-927 consecutive votes in the Senate before being sidelined by the virus. Grassley is the oldest Republican serving in the Senate — and is the senate president pro tempore and third in line for the presidency, behind the vice president and the speaker of the house.
Upper Midwest States Organize To Fight COVID-19
(Des Moines, IA) — Governors from states in the upper Midwest have agreed to start working together to slow the spread of COVID-19. Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds is part of the group. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz says new case rates are growing faster in the upper Midwest than any other place on the
planet during the pandemic. Reynolds and the other governors will coordinator, share information and try to work together to slow the spread.
Reynolds has already issued this state’s first mask mandate. The executive director of the Iowa Public Health Association calls the situation “a disaster.”
Governor Reynolds Acknowledges Pushback Against Mask Mandate
(Des Moines, IA) — Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds says mask wearing in public places is the “responsible thing to do,” but not every situation requires a face covering. Reynolds’ new public health proclamation requires masks when someone is inside a public space for at least 15 minutes and unable to stay
six feet away from others. Reynolds answered a question today about push back on mask mandates, saying, “there’s science on both sides and you know that. If you look you can find whatever you want to support wherever you’re at and so what I’m saying is let’s do everything we can.” After the news conference, a spokesman for the governor said Reynolds believes the science
is settled and masks are effective.
3563 New COVID-19 Cases in Iowa, 35 Deaths, 1510 Hospitalizations
(Des Moines, IA) — The Iowa Department of Public Health is reporting 35 more patients have died of COVID-19 complications, increasing the state’s death toll to two-thousand-24. Three-thousand-563 positive tests were confirmed today (Tuesday) which brings the total to 191-thousand-408 cases
since the pandemic began. The one-thousand-510 Iowans hospitalized with coronavirus sets another new daily record. Two-hundred-88 of those patients are in intensive care and 130 are on ventilators. Ninety-three of the state’s 99 counties have a two-week average positivity rate of more than 15 percent. There are currently 96 COVID outbreaks in long-term care facilities.
Dallas County Authorities ID Boy Killed By Vehicle at Woodward Granger High School
(Woodward, IA) — We now know the name of the little boy struck and killed by a vehicle outside a southwest Iowa school. The Dallas County Sheriff’s Office says seven-year-old Charlie Brewer of Bouton was run over by an S-U-V Monday afternoon in the parking lot at Woodward Granger High School.
Deputies say the preliminary investigation suggests it was an accident and the S-U-V died not intend to strike Brewer. The driver is identified as 48-year-old Robert Nevitt of Perry. No charges have been filed.
Recount Starts In Iowa’s Second Congressional District
(Davenport, IA) — The work to recount 394-thousand ballots in Iowa’s Second Congressional District is underway. Election workers will check all the votes in 24 counties once again. The Second Congressional District in Iowa is the closest federal race in the country. The first count showed Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks edging Democrat Rita Hart by 47 votes.
The race is still too close to call. The work is being overseen by three-member recount boards composed of representatives from both campaigns and a third person both sides agree upon. Many of the counties are ready to start the recount this week. In some cases, it will take several days.
