COVID OUTBREAK
We’re entering the cold and flu season, and after the recent pandemic, there’s concern that COVID-19 may spread again.
Laura Weiler, Floyd Valley Community Health Manager, says the number of COVID cases has remained fairly steady including 28 cases in the last 14 days in Plymouth County. This has been the normal rate for the last few months.
The Director of Quality at Orange City Health Systems says Orange City Area Health System has also seen a recent increase in respiratory illnesses including RSV and (COVID-19) over the past two weeks. There are no signs of influenza yet, but are anticipating that will begin circulating soon, based on reports of early and increasing influenza activity in other parts of the country.
The Centers for Disease Control website indicates community levels are low in most of northwest Iowa, including Plymouth and Sioux Counties. Moderate levels of covid are noted in Lyon, Dickinson, and Clay Counties.
WINTER AWARENESS DAY
Today is Winter Weather Awareness Day, as Iowans are encouraged to start planning for the cold weather that’s coming and brush up on terminology we’ll hear in forecasts for the next several months. Meteorologist Chad Hahn, at the National Weather Service, says some Iowa communities have already had early snows in recent weeks and there’s certainly much more to come.
Hahn says Iowans need to know the difference between a watch and a warning.
Iowans will also be hearing about Winter Weather Advisories which involve events that motorists should be able to navigate through safely if they simply slow down and make themselves aware of their surroundings.
Forecasters say it appears the La Nina weather pattern will continue into the season ahead, for the third winter in a row.
We still have about six weeks of fall ahead, as winter arrives on December 21st.
UTILITIES BOARD HEARING
The Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) set a scheduling conference to discuss a procedural schedule and public hearing date for Summit Carbon Solutions, LLC’s, proposed carbon capture hazardous liquid pipeline. The scheduling conference will be held immediately following the oral argument scheduled for December 13, in Des Moines.
The order also set November 30, 2022, as the deadline for interested parties to submit their proposed procedural schedule and for anyone who intends to participate in the scheduling conference to submit notice in the docket and indicate whether they will attend in person or remotely.
Part of the Summit Pipeline is proposed to extend through central Plymouth County.
FAIR BOARD
The Plymouth County 4-H and Agricultural Society will hold their annual meeting tonight at 7 pm. The meeting will be held at the lower level of the Le Mars Convention Center.
The meeting will include an amendment to their bylaws, which will expand the maximum number of board members from 24 to 28.
This will be followed by election of Fair Board members, a recap of the past year’s activities and actions.
The board will also take comments and suggestions for the 2023 Plymouth County Fair.
The annual meeting will be followed by a regular Board of Directors monthly meeting. Their agenda will include election of officers, a discussion on entertainment for next year’s fair, and a parking lot update.
VEHICLE CRASH
A commercial vehicle accident occurred early Wednesday on US Highway 18, a quarter mile west of Sheldon.
The Sioux County Sheriffs Department says a straight truck driven by 42 year old Daniel Longey of Sioux Falls, was traveling east on 18. He told investigators he swerved to avoid a deer in the roadway, lost control of the vehicle, and went into the ditch, the vehicle coming to rest on its side. The vehicle sustained 30-thousand dollars damage in the crash. Longey received minor injury and refused medical treatment. He was cited for failure to maintain control.
Sioux County Emergency Management gave notice yesterday that the burn ban in the county was lifted. The office thanked everyone for their cooperation, especially those who helped crews battle field fires with their farm equipment.
2024 GOP PRESIDENTIAL RACE
The 2022 election may have just concluded, but the presidential politicking for the Iowa Republican Party’s 2024 Caucuses is well underway. During a rally a week ago in Sioux City, former President Donald Trump said he will very probably run again. Trump easily carried Iowa as the G-O-P’s presidential nominee in 2016 and 2020, but Trump called for a recount after he finished second in the 2016 Iowa Caucuses. Trump’s presence in the 2024 race may cause other candidates to scuttle their presidential campaign plans. Several Republicans who’ve already made trips to Iowa say they will not run if Trump does.
VOTER TURNOUT
It was the second highest voter turnout for a midterm election in Iowa history. Secretary of State Paul Pate said more than 1.22 million Iowans voted. The all-time high was 1.329 million set in 2018. Every county will now conduct post-election audits in randomly selected precincts to help ensure the integrity of the vote. The gubernatorial race and constitutional amendment ballot measure will be audited.
All election results remain unofficial until canvassing is complete, and results are certified. The deadline is December 5.
AXNE CONCEDES
Democrat Cindy Axne has conceded the race in Iowa’s Third Congressional District to Republican Challenger Zach Nunn. Axne released a statement Thursday saying she is “honored and humbled by the support she received over the last five years from the people in Iowa’s Third Congressional District.” Axne’s statement says she hopes “Zach Nunn understands the responsibility of this office and I will continue my hard work to uplift Iowans’ voices in Washington D-C,” said Cindy Axne. Nunn had held a lead of around two-thousand votes after election day. Axne’s concession ensures that Iowa will have an all Republican delegation in Congress.
VOTE COUNT DELAYS
Two Iowa counties have still not reported all their election results to the secretary of state’s office. The delayed vote tallies are from Warren County, where Indianola is the county seat, and Des Moines County, where Burlington is the county seat. Secretary of State Paul Pate is calling on officials in those two counties to authorize administrative recounts of the impacted precincts. Election officials in Linn County — the second largest county in Iowa — had problems uploading all of the spreadsheets with vote tallies, but by 1 a.m. Wednesday, all of Linn County’s unofficial results were publicly reported.
EMS REFERENDUMS
Voters in five Iowa counties have approved new taxes that will support local emergency medical services. A new state law lets county boards of supervisors put local tax referendums on the ballot to support local ambulance services. Like local bond elections, these referendums must get at least 60 percent approval. Voters in Jones, Kossuth, Pocahontas, Osceola and Winnebago Counties have approved E-M-S referendums that were on the 2022 General Election ballot. Voters in Calhoun, Floyd and Worth Counties defeated referendums to raise local taxes for ambulance services.
