Governor Reynolds Lifts COVID-19 Restrictions
DES MOINES – Governor Kim Reynolds signed a new Public Health Disaster proclamation on Friday that relaxes existing public health measures effective Sunday, February 7th, 2021 while continuing critical regulatory relief to those on the frontlines of COVID19 recovery for an additional 30 days.
The proclamation strongly encourages Iowans, businesses, and organizations to take reasonable public health measures consistent with guidance from the Iowa Department of Public Health.
The proclamation is also modified to reflect changes due to the passage of Senate File 160 and extends the waiver on transportation restrictions for overweight loads.
Floyd Valley Healthcare To Take Appointments For Vaccinations
(Le Mars) — Floyd Valley Community Health is anticipating additional COVID-19 vaccine shipments in February. With that knowledge, the COVID-19 vaccine phone line will be activated on Monday, February 8th at 8 a.m. Those that are 65+ and live in or doctor with healthcare providers in Plymouth County
may call 712-546-3646. Please leave a message as directed with your name and contact information and you will be placed on the waiting list to be called once we receive future allocations of vaccine. Please only call once as we will call you as soon as we are able to get you scheduled.
For those coming in for their vaccinations, please DO NOT arrive early as we need to observe social distancing while others are receiving their vaccine AND waiting in their 15 minute observation period. Appointment times are spaced accordingly to limit the numbers in the vaccination clinic. Also, please remember to wear your mask, bring your driver’s license and your insurance card to your appointment.
Le Mars Community Students Start Cancer Awareness T-Shirt Campaign
(Le Mars) — “Stronger Together” is the theme for a new fund raising campaign being coordinated by Le Mars Community High School student council. The idea according to Shaniah Temple and Kylie Dreckman is to call attention and awareness to people with cancer by wearing a t-shirt. Kylie Dreckman says the campaign will focus attention on those Le Mars Community students that have been diagnosed as having cancer. The t-shirt will feature the “Stronger Together” logo on the front, and people have the opportunity to include specific names on the backside of the t-shirt.
Shaniah Temple is the cousin of Tyra Thompson, who has recently been diagnosed as having a form of cancer. Temple tells of her cousin’s ordeal, currently as a patient at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
The two students say the Le Mars Community student body are the greatest supporters of the campaign, with many purchasing the t-shirt in honor of the “cancer warriors.”
The students are encouraging everyone to participate with the cancer awareness campaign by submitting a name of a cancer warrior that will be featured on the back side of the shirt.
The cost to purchase a “Stronger Together” cancer awareness t-shirt is $15. T-shirts can be ordered at the school, or on-line.
The Le Mars Community High School Students say people can choose the color of the ribbon featured on the front side logo of the t-shirt, to reflect the type of cancer they wish to acknowledge. T-shirts come in either black or white. The deadline to order a “Stronger Together” cancer awareness t-shirt
is Wednesday, February 17th.
Reynolds Pushes For Statewide High Speed Broadband Internet
(Le Mars) — A goal of Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds is to expand high-speed broadband internet capabilities to all locations of Iowa. The governor’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board also mentioned the importance of having broadband with the release of their report. KLEM radio was given the opportunity to have an exclusive interview with the Governor, Friday morning. Reynolds has put together a budget that would allocate $150 million dollars a year, for the next three years to be used for the implementation of broadband internet through the entire state. Reynolds was asked how will Iowa implement such a plan, and how will we pay for the program?
Reynolds says Iowa needs high speed broadband internet in all areas in order for our state to remain competitive, and to attract and retain people to the state.
Reynolds says her plan will help leverage funds from both the state and the private sector, as well as using federal grants.
The governor equates the implementation of high speed broadband internet throughout Iowa as having the same importance when electricity and telephone service was introduced in rural Iowa.
We will feature our exclusive interview with the governor’s comments on the KLEM website.
Truck Driver In Highway 20 Accident Dies
(Wellsburg, IA) — The state patrol says one of the semi drivers died in a chain reaction crash Thursday on Highway 20 in Grundy County, near Wellsburg. Eight semis and four passenger vehicles were involved in that accident during the blizzard. The victim’s name wasn’t released. Three other people were hurt. Another pile-up near Newton on Interstate 80 involved about 40 vehicles, and two state troopers’ cruisers were among those that were demolished.
Hinson Discusses Vote On Cheney
(Washington, DC) — Iowa Congresswoman Ashley Hinson, a Republican from Marion says she was not in favor of removing Wyoming Congresswoman Liz Cheney from party leadership — despite Cheney’s vote for impeachment of the president. Hinson says she disagreed with Congresswoman Cheney on the impeachment vote — but says Cheney is an important leader in the Republican conference and party. The vote was secret and Hinson was in favor of Cheney staying in her leadership role. Hinson doesn’t think the vote will hurt the party moving forward.
U-I Gets Grant For Simulators To Help Rural First Responders
(Iowa City, IA) — The University of Iowa has landed an eight-million dollar grant to purchase three semi-sized simulators that will help Iowa’s rural first responders and community hospital staff brush up on emergency medicine. U-I nursing professor Cormac (CORE-mack) O’Sullivan, says each of the three simulators will be equipped with a mock-up ambulance cab and an emergency room. He says they can provide simulation-based education with very lifelike mannequins for “anything and everything that providers would need education on.” Teams from the U-I will work with the rural Iowa crews on medical procedures and in situations, they don’t often encounter in sparsely-populated areas.
Dozens Of Dogs Taken From Marengo
(Marengo, IA) — The Animal Rescue League of Iowa says more than 40 dogs were rescued in Marengo in Iowa County right as the blizzard was rolling into the state Thursday. Information from the A-R-L says the dogs were confined in pens — and their only shelter was two run-down buildings and a camper with most of the floor missing. There was feces around the area and the dogs were wet and cold. The A-R-L has not released any information on who owned the dogs.
