Williams And Company Audits Plymouth County Landfill
(Le Mars) — Williams and Company of Le Mars has released an audit report on the Plymouth County Area Solid Waste Agency for the year that ended June 30, 2021. Williams and Company reported that the Plymouth County Area Solid Waste Agency revenues totaled $1,464,121 for the year that ended June 30, 2021, that was an increase of 37.04 percent from 2020. Expenditures for the year totaled $1,193,066 an increase of 10.48 percent from the prior year.
Creighton University Medical Official Recommends Double Masking
OMAHA, Neb. (Jan. 12, 2022) – Due to the spread of the highly transmissible omicron variant and the increase in COVID-19 cases, medical experts urge the public to take additional precautions. In addition to receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, booster shots and getting tested, Maureen Tierney, MD, chair of the Department of Clinical Research and Public Health in the Creighton School of Medicine, recommends individuals consider double-masking.
Tierney says double-masking by layering a well-fitted cloth mask over a surgical medical-grade mask provides increased protection and is a prevention measure being practiced by many health care providers to keep staff and patients healthy.
The contagiousness of the omicron variant and how quickly it is growing in communities across the United States highlights the importance for source control because individuals can infect others before showing any symptoms. New research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association indicates that approximately 40% of those who tested positive for COVID-19 in a recent study had no symptoms. The study sheds light on the potential transmission risk of asymptomatic infections in communities.
“Wearing a tight-fitting cloth mask and medical procedure (surgical) mask together can help limit spread of the virus that causes COVID-19 by helping with source control or substantially reducing exhaled respiratory particles from infected wearers and reducing exposure of uninfected wearers,” Tierney said.
Surgical masks have a good level of filtration, but they tend to fit more loosely than KN95 or N95 masks. Adding a well-fitted cloth mask can prevent air leakage and gaps from the edges of the masks, which helps protect the wearer from breathing in particles containing the virus. According to lab tests conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, exposure to potentially infectious aerosols decreased by about 95% when a tight-fitting cloth mask was used over a medical procedure mask by both people in a room together.
When selecting a mask, quality matters. Tierney recommends a surgical mask with a nose bridge for the best protection, in addition to a multi-layer cloth mask made of a cotton poly blend. Ideally, both would be changed daily – the surgical face mask disposed of and the cloth mask laundered.
In regard to N95 and KN95 masks, Tierney says they are highly effective options due to their rigid filter. KN95s have higher filtration than surgical face masks. When worn properly, the CDC says N95 and KN95 masks can filter out at least 95% of airborne particles. N95s usually require fit testing to ensure they fit well and are generally reserved for clinical care settings. They also are difficult to wear for extended periods of time.
Iowa State Education Association President Rips Reynolds’ Condition of State Address
(Des Moines, IA) — The head of the Iowa State Education Association is accusing Governor Kim Reynolds of launching an “all-out assault” on Iowa’s public schools. In her Condition of the State address, Reynolds proposed using taxpayer funding for private and religious schools and called for legislative action on school books that have sexual content. I-S-E-A president Mike Beranek (bur-AHN’-ek) said, “we do not need a private school voucher program which robs finite taxpayer funding and funnels it to select private and religious places without taxpayer oversight.” His statement says they appreciate hearing Governor Reynolds say words of support for Iowa’s public-school teachers with a stipend of federal E-S-S-R money for their hard work and efforts throughout the pandemic. But Beranek also says bus drivers, cafeteria workers, janitors and others who keep schools running safe are being ignored.
Des Moines Police Locate Suspect Vehicle in Deadly Hit and Run Pedestrian Crash
(Des Moines, IA) — Authorities in central Iowa say they’ve found the vehicle they believe was involved in a deadly hit-and-run early this (Wednesday) morning. Des Moines police and fire crews were called to a main eastside road before 3 A-M to investigate a report of a pedestrian being hit by a vehicle. They found a man with serious injuries — and he died a short time later at the hospital. Investigators say evidence shows the man had been hit by a car — which they identified as a yellow 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier. Police say its front license plate was at the scene. There’s no word yet on an arrest or the name of the victim.
Iowa Court of Appeals Hearing Arguments in Delaware County Murder Conviction
(Des Moines, IA) — The Iowa Court of Appeals will hear arguments today (Wednesday 3 p-m) from the lawyer of a northeast Iowa farmer convicted of killing his wife with a corn rake. Todd Mullis of Earlville is serving a life sentence for the 2018 first-degree murder of Amy Mullis. His attorney claims there was not enough evidence at his trial to support the conviction. Mullis initially claimed that his wife fell on the rake , but the jury didn’t believe him.
Mount Pleasant Man Jailed For Alleged Arson and Attempted Murder
(Mount Pleasant, IA) — Prosecutors in Henry County say a man is accused of intentionally setting fire to a home in Mount Pleasant. Thirty-seven-year-old James Ollom is charged with first-degree arson and three counts of attempted murder. Sheriff’s deputies say the fire started in the living room of a home Sunday while three people were inside. All of the occupants got out safely and suffered only minor injuries. Detectives say Ollom set fire inside the house following a family disturbance.
