County Supervisors To Hear Reports From Regional Mental Health C-E-O
(Le Mars) — The Plymouth County Board of Supervisors will again discuss county employee salaries during their weekly meeting held at Plymouth County Courthouse Board Room. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. On the county supervisor’s agenda will be a report from Shane Walter, the Sioux Rivers Mental Health Region C-E-O. Walter will submit a report to the supervisor’s attention, and he will also discuss the budget for the regional mental health organization. Ryan Bergman and Elizabeth Opie from Group Benefit Partners will review the fiscal year 2021-2022 county health insurance plan, the premiums and benefits. Plymouth County Public Health
Manager Tara Geddes is scheduled to appear before the county governing board to update the supervisors and discuss the fiscal year 2021-2022 budget.
County engineer Tom Rohe will also appear before the county board of supervisors to discuss culvert price quotes, and a motor grader. Rohe will also submit the final plan for approval regarding a couple of road construction projects. The supervisors will enter closed session to discuss secondary county road employees wage proposal for the bargaining unit.
City Council To Hear Annual Reports From YMCA And The Fire Department
(Le Mars) — The Le Mars city council will begin its meeting at 12:00 noon from the city council chambers with a public hearing regarding an offer to purchase property. As for action items, the city council will discuss the loan modification and extension. The city council will hear annual reports from the Community Wellness Center or YMCA, as well as the Le Mars Fire and
Rescue Department. The city council will also discuss the city’s budget.
Floyd Valley Releases Information On Next Round Of COVID-19 Vaccinations
(Le Mars) — As directed by the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH), Floyd Valley Healthcare anticipates moving from Tier 1A Frontline Healthcare workers caring for COVID patients to Tier 1B Priority Group. These clinics will begin the second week of February after the clinics wrap up for the 1A Priority Group.
Due to the current and short-term projections for vaccine allocation for Iowa, Infectious Disease Advisory Council (IDAC) recommends the following more narrowly defined, eligible populations for Phase 1B:
- Persons aged > 75 years,
OR the following populations vulnerable to high risk of exposure or severity
of illness: - Individuals with disabilities living in home settings who are dependent on attendant care staff, and their attendant care staff, if not otherwise vaccinated under Phase 1A.
- Correctional facility staff and individuals incarcerated, including state and city or county-operated facilities.
- Staff of and individuals living in congregate settings, not covered by the first two bullets, including shelters, sober living homes, behavioral health treatment centers, and detention centers. College dormitories shall not be included as part of Phase 1B.
- Where public health data indicates outbreaks or clusters of disease among food, agriculture, distribution and manufacturing workers who work in or live in congregate settings that do not allow for social distancing. For example,
working in a meatpacking or manufacturing production line or migrant workers who live in bunkroom style housing. - PK-12 school staff, early childhood education, and childcare workers.
Sub-prioritization should consider persons who work with younger and at-risk children in care, to better ensure child well-being and mitigate impact to parent workforce. - First responders (e.g., firefighters, police officers, and dependent adult abuse and child welfare social workers).
- Inspectors responsible for health, life and safety, including those in hospital and long-term care settings, child, and food production safety.
- Government officials, including staff, to ensure continuity of government, engaged in state business at the Iowa Capitol during the legislative session.
1B Priority Group clinic dates are:
· February 10th and 11th from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
· February 17th and 18th from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
· February 24th and 25th from 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Appointments are required and can be made by calling 712.546.3646. Please bring your insurance information as there will be an administration fee, which is covered by most insurance providers.
Those vaccinated will be required to remain for 15 minutes of observation after receiving the vaccine, with 30 minutes of observation being recommended for patients who have experienced a severe allergic reaction in the past,
such as to oral medications, foods, bees, etc. Due to social distancing concerns and potential adverse reactions with this new vaccine, we are discouraging all staff from one entity or facility to receive the vaccine at once, but spreading vaccinations for your staff through the various clinic times.
Due to storage and handling of this sensitive vaccine, there will be no off-site clinics or drop-ins to planned clinics allowed. While we understand the desire for many to receive this vaccine, we ask that you are patient as we work through this process. Please do not overwhelm the appointment desk with general inquiries, we will update our communities of additional steps in the
vaccination process through all Plymouth County media, our website at FloydValley.org and our Facebook page.
Due to the volume of people to be vaccinated and stringent guidelines, Floyd Valley Healthcare will not be vaccinating any group early or keeping a waiting list for those wishing to be vaccinated. All vaccinations will be given in a vaccination clinic setting and not on an individual basis. All clinic dates are based on adequate vaccine supplies, but dates could change
if supplies are not received in a timely manner.
More Vaccination Recommendations
The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices released more recommendations December 12, recommending two doses of the vaccine 28 days apart (+/- 2 days) for most individuals, including several specific populations:
- Pregnant and breastfeeding women after having informed discussionwith patient as risk of COVID infection is higher than risk to fetus/infant.
- Immunocompromised individuals, such as transplant and cancer patients. May be less effective but still recommended.
- Individuals with underlying health issues, such as COPD, asthma, diabetes, etc.
- Individuals over 65.
- Those who have completed isolation after COVID-19 infection.
- Those who have received other vaccines at least 14 days ago and those who plan to have vaccines in 14 days.
- Those who have completed quarantine after COVID-19 exposure. This is not a safety-based recommendation; rather, it protects vaccine staff. The exceptions are long term care and congregate settings, in which vaccination is recommended for quarantining individuals using adequate PPE.
- If I already had COVID-19, there is not enough information currently available to say if or for how long after infection someone is protected from getting COVID-19 again. Early evidence suggests natural immunity from COVID-19 may not last very long, but more studies are needed to better understand this. The CDC cannot comment on whether people who had COVID-19 should get a COVID-19 vaccine at this time. A previous infection with COVID-19 infection, whether symptomatic or asymptomatic, is not considered a
contraindication to vaccination and serologic testing for SARS-CoV-1 antibodies is not recommended prior to vaccination.
The Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine is not currently recommended in:
- Individuals under 18
- Individuals with a known history of a severe allergic reaction (e.g.,anaphylaxis) to any component of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine (see Full EUA Prescribing Information at https://www.modernatx.com/covid19vaccine-eua/ ).
- Individuals with a severe allergic reaction (anaphylactic, etc.) toany prior vaccine or other SC/IM/IV injection. However, if individuals experienced a less severe reaction vaccine is recommended.
Pork Producers Announce Virtual Seminars For Iowa Pork Congress
(Clive, Iowa) — January 18, 2021 – The 2021 Iowa Pork Congress may not be an in-person event this year, but there are still virtual options for online sessions that will bring useful information to Iowa’s pig farmers.
“Our producer education committee focused on a few key topics that it felt would help out Iowa farmers, said Jamee Eggers, producer education director for the Iowa Pork Producers Association (IPPA). “Each education session is just one-hour long, including the opportunity for those who participate to ask questions of the presenters.”
Registration for the education sessions is required in order to receive the link to join the session.
Jan. 27 Sessions
At noon, Wednesday, Jan. 27, the keynote for the meeting will be presented by Damian Mason, who will talk about the current events impacting agriculture that start with the letter f: foodies, fair trade, feelings, finance, and the future. Mason is known for motivating and inspiring audiences in both good and bad ag climates. Register to get the link for his session at bit.ly/IPC-
keynote-damian-mason.
The second presentation that day is at 7 p.m. The panel discussion will cover the lessons learned from the market disruptions last spring. Those lessons can be applied to future market disruptions, even those caused by a foreign animal disease outbreak. Iowa State University (ISU) Extension swine
specialist Colin Johnson will lead a panel discussion with Lucia Hunt, Minnesota Department of Agriculture; Sara Crawford, National Pork Board; and Nick Gabler, a swine nutrition professor at ISU. The link to register for this session is bit.ly/IPC-panel-covid-challenge.
Jan. 28 Sessions
The first education session on Thursday, Jan. 28 is at 7 a.m. The
presentation by Hannah Thompson-Weeman of the Animal Ag Alliance will discuss the individuals and organizations behind animal activists. Thompson-Weeman will talk about what farmers can do to improve their own farm security, but also how to counter activists’ tactics. Register for this session at
bit.ly/IPC-protecting-your-livelihood.
Recent pig and pork marketing tools is the topic for the second session on Thursday. It begins at noon, and will be a panel led by ISU livestock economist Lee Schulz. Schulz will be joined by Bill Kaelin of K&M Trading, LLC; Tim Hughes of CIH; and Pat Von Tersch, a marketing specialist. The group will talk about the new pork cutout contract, other marketing resources, and
updates for Livestock Risk Protection Insurance and Livestock Gross Margin insurance. Register for this marketing session at bit.ly/IPC-panel- marketing-tools.
Cedar Rapids Man Faces Charges For U-S Capitol Break-In
(Cedar Rapids, IA) — A Cedar Rapids man has been arrested for his alleged role in the break-in at the U-S Capitol. Thirty-five-year-old Leo Christopher Kelly has been charged with violent entry, disorderly conduct and unlawfully entering a restricted building. Kelly has admitted in interviews he was in the Capitol somewhere between 30 minutes and an hour. He is the second Iowa man to be charged — as Doug Jensen of Des Moines faces six federal charges.
Photos and videos taking during the attack show Jensen leading a group of rioters that came within 100 feet of where the Secret Service had taken Vice President Mike Pence to shelter.
COVID Hospitalizations Drop Below 500
(Undated) — The number of patients in Iowa hospitals being treated for Covid has dropped below 500 for the first time since October 19th. The state’s coronavirus tracking website shows 483 were hospitalized Sunday night. About one out of five of those patients were in intensive care and 43 percent of
those in an I-C-U were on a ventilator. Iowa hospitals hit a pandemic high of more than 15-hundred on November 16th. State officials have confirmed through a federal reporting system that four-thousand-three-hundred-23 (4,323) Iowans
have died of Covid. Nearly 41 percent of those Iowans who’ve died of the coronavirus were nursing home residents.
Hinson Assigned to Appropriations Committee
(Washington, DC) — First-term Iowa Congresswoman Ashley Hinson has been appointed to the Appropriations Committee in the U-S House. Hinson says her appointment to the committee will give Iowans a seat at the table during the government spending process. Hinson, a Republican from Marion, represents
Iowa’s First Congressional District. Two former Iowa congressmen spent decades on House Appropriations Committee. Neal Smith, a Democrat from Des Moines, served 36 years on the Appropriations Committee and Tom Latham (LAY-
thum), a Republican who now lives in Clive, was a member for 20 years. Hinson says as a member of the Appropriations Committee, she’ll make sure issues important to rural American and Iowa aren’t overlooked.
Iowans On List For National Honor
(Washington, DC) — Two prominent Iowans are among the dozens of names President Donald Trump is proposing to be included in a National Garden of American Heroes. Cresco native Norman Borlaug, winner of the 1972 Nobel Prize, and pianist Roger Williams, who spent his childhood in Des Moines, are
on the list, along with George Washington Carver, who studied at Simpson and Iowa State University.
IRS Opens Free File Service
(Undated) — The Internal Revenue Service now has its free file option open for filing your taxes. IRS spokesman Christopher Miller says filing is especially important for anyone who didn’t get their first or second economic impact payment. He says they will need to file a tax return for 2020.
Miller says if you haven’t gotten the stimulus payments you will get what’s called a recovery rebate credit after filing this year. You are encouraged to go to IRS.gov/freefile to sign up.
