ARMSTRONG, Iowa (AP) — The police chief of a small Iowa town, who was charged with several crimes along with three other local officials last week, has been arrested in Minnesota. The Martin County, Minnesota, Sheriff’s office said Armstrong, Iowa, Police Chief Craig Merrill was arrested Saturday just over the border from the town where he was employed.

Armstrong’s mayor and the current and former city clerks were all arrested Friday and charged with several felonies and misdemeanors after a long investigation uncovered embezzlement and other offenses. Merrill is awaiting extradition to Iowa to face the charges.

The Iowa Department of Public Health, Sunday, said there were 458 new positive cases of COVID-19 test results returned from the labs over the past 24-hours, for a pandemic total of 329,098 positive cases. There were NO additional deaths reported, for a total of 5,236. Statewide, 4,726 COVID deaths are attributed to Underlying causes. COVID was a contributing factor to 510 deaths. Deaths at Long-Term Care (LTC) facilities account for 2,131 of the total number of deaths.

Long-Term Care facility outbreaks went down from 36 on Saturday to 35, Sunday. Officials say 947 LTC patients have tested positive for the virus, and 623 have recovered.

The State data show 240 people are hospitalized with COVID-19, compared to 225 on Saturday. Two more patients were in an ICU, for a total of 57……54 were admitted over the previous 24-hours, compared to 37 on Saturday, and 29 patients were on a ventilator, down from 33 previously. In RMCC Region 4 (Hospitals in western/southwest Iowa), 14 are hospitalized with COVID symptoms, six people are in an ICU, one persons was admitted over the past 24-hours, and two people remained on a ventilator.

Iowa’s statewide positivity rate Sunday was 8.0%. The 7-day average was 6.1%.

A total of 301,773 Iowans have recovered from the virus.

In the KJAN listening area, here are the current number positive cases by County; The # of new cases since yesterday {+} – if any; and the total number of deaths in each county to date:

• Cass, 1,231 cases; {+3}; 47 deaths
• Adair, 762; {+1}; 25
• Adams, 316 {+0}; 3
• Audubon, 453 {+1}; 9
• Guthrie, 1,071 {+2}; 28
• Harrison County, 1,645; {+0}; 68
• Madison County, 1,359; {+0}; 16
• Mills County, 1,457; {+3}; 20
• Montgomery, 953; {+1}; 36
• Pottawattamie County, 9,597; {+10}; 139
• Shelby County, 1,124; {+1}; 32
• Union County,  1,168; {+2}; 31

By DAVID PITT Associated Press
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Public health experts say Iowa’s lagging ability to broadly deliver coronavirus vaccines to people is due to inadequate preparation, confusing communication and a lack of staff and resources at local agencies. Iowa has hovered for weeks near the bottom among all U.S. states in its ability to deliver coronavirus vaccine to people. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds says some counties have had to cancel vaccination clinics due to bad weather and others with unused vaccine will get additional help with contract nurses.

She’s been criticized for not having a statewide registration and call center established. Reynolds announced this week she’s contracted with Microsoft for the statewide registration and appointment system. The state on Friday delayed plans to award a private call center contract.

Police in Council Bluffs are investigating a shooting incident. Officers were called at around 11:55-p.m. Saturday to the 10 block of Voorhis Street, in Council Bluffs, for a report of a male subject with a gunshot to his abdomen. Officers arrived and located the victim in his residence lying on a couch and alert. Medics arrived and transported him to a local hospital. At this time it appears as though the gun shot may have been self-inflicted. No other persons were injured in the incident.

This investigation is ongoing by the Council Bluffs Police Criminal Investigation Division. Anyone with any information that was in the area at the time of this incident is encouraged to contact the Criminal Investigation Division at 712-328-4728 or they may call Crime Stoppers at 712-328-7867

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

ARMSTRONG, Iowa (AP) — The mayor, police chief and current and former city clerk of a small Iowa town have been charged with a string of felonies and misdemeanors after a multi-year investigation uncovered embezzlement and other abuses, authorities say. The Emmett County Sheriff’s Office announced Friday in a news release that the Iowa Attorney General’s Office filed the charges against Armstrong Mayor Greg Buum, police chief Craig Merrill, city clerk Tracie Lang and former city clerk Connie Thackery on Thursday. The sheriff’s office said the investigation uncovered “misappropriation of city funds, the presentation of fraudulent public records, deploying a TASER against a civilian in exchange for cash, and falsification of ledgers to conceal embezzlement.”

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Kim Reynolds’ administration announced Friday it would not award a contract for an outside vendor to operate a call center to help residents find information about coronavirus vaccine appointments. The Iowa Department of Public Health informed several companies that had submitted emergency bids for the contract last week that it would not select any of them and was “continuing to evaluate call center solutions.” The department’s notice did not elaborate but cited an administrative rule that allows for bidding processes to be cancelled when in the state’s interest. The call center was to field inquiries about coronavirus vaccines, including helping screen residents for eligibility and set them up with providers to make appointments.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Authorities are investigating a deadly shooting at an apartment in Iowa City. The Iowa City Press Citizen reports that police were dispatched Friday night to the scene in the city’s Longfellow Neighborhood and found a man dead. Police said in a news release that a witness reported that three men had entered the residence, shot the victim and then fled. The release said police aren’t releasing the name of the victim until his family has been notified and an autopsy has been completed. There is a $1,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest in the case.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa health officials say they will withhold COVID-19 vaccines from five counties next week because they did not use up to 80% of their allocation this week. Kelly Garcia, interim director of the Iowa Department of Public Health, said Friday the state is invoking a new rule, which is designed to minimize the amount of vaccine left in storage. She did not say what five counties are involved. Garcia says the counties are not being punished but are instead being given time to catch up in vaccinations. The counties will receive their full allocation of vaccine the following week if they meet the 80% target.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Authorities are investigating a deadly shooting at an apartment in Iowa City. The Iowa City Press Citizen reports that police were dispatched Friday night to the scene in the city’s Longfellow Neighborhood and found a man dead. Police said in a news release that a witness reported that three men had entered the residence, shot the victim and then fled.

The release said police aren’t releasing the name of the victim until his family has been notified and an autopsy has been completed. There is a $1,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest in the case.

The Iowa Department of Public Health, Saturday, said there were 647 new positive cases of COVID-19 test results returned from the labs over the past 24-hours, for a pandemic total of 328,640 positive cases. There were 53 additional deaths reported, for a total of 5,276. Statewide, 4,726 COVID deaths are attributed to Underlying causes. COVID was a contributing factor to 510 deaths. Deaths at Long-Term Care (LTC) facilities account for 2,131 deaths. There was one more death reported in Cass County, for a total of 47 (see more data below).

Long-Term Care facility outbreaks went down from 37 Friday to 36 on Saturday. Officials say 977 LTC patients have tested positive for the virus, and 650 have recovered.

The State data show 225 people are hospitalized with COVID-19. Officials say 55 patients are in an ICU, 37 were admitted over the previous 24-hours, and 33 patients are on ventilators. In RMCC Region 4 (Hospitals in western/southwest Iowa), 14 are hospitalized with COVID symptoms, five people are in an ICU, two admitted over the past 24-hours, and two people were on a ventilator.

Iowa’s statewide positivity rate Saturday was 8.1%. The 7-day average was 6.1%.

A total of 301,174 Iowans have recovered from the virus.

In the KJAN listening area, here are the current number positive cases by County; The # of new cases since yesterday {+} – if any; and the total number of deaths in each county to date:

• Cass, 1,228 cases; {+2}; 47 deaths
• Adair, 761; {+3}; 25
• Adams, 316 {+1}; 3
• Audubon, 452 {+2}; 9
• Guthrie, 1,069 {+1}; 28
• Harrison County, 1,645; {+2}; 68
• Madison County, 1,359; {+6}; 16
• Mills County, 1,454; {+2}; 20
• Montgomery, 953; {+1}; 36
• Pottawattamie County, 9,587; {+36}; 139
• Shelby County, 1,123; {+2}; 32
• Union County,  1,166; {+0}; 31

(In an update to our report Friday morning) A home in Bridgewater was consumed by fire, Friday.

According to Fire Chief Daryl Christensen, a neighbor saw flames coming from 301 Main Street a little after 7-a.m., Friday. Smoke was pouring from the house by the time firefighters arrived, and flames were coming from the overhangs. Mutual aid was requested from and provided by, the Massena Volunteer Fire Department.

No one was home when the fire broke out, and none of the firefighters were hurt. The incident apparently began in the basement, but the cause had not yet been determined as of the latest report.

FORT DODGE, Iowa (AP) — Webster County in north-central Iowa is looking to promote green energy by setting up an array of solar panels large enough to power 30,000 homes. The Messenger reports that the panels will be set up on more than 950 acres about three miles southeast of Badger in the northeastern part of the county.

Energy collected from the panels be fed into a nearby substation of MidAmerican Energy to go into the transmission grid. Webster County Planning and Zoning Administrator Jeff Johnson says construction is expected to begin in the spring and be done by next winter.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — A 63-year-old Davenport man is facing charges in a fatal hit-and-run in January. Mark Lance Blackwood was booked into the Scott County Jail Friday on possible charges of homicide by vehicle/reckless driving, and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death. Both are felonies.

Affidavits in the case say Blackwood hit 60-year-old Eric Johnson, of Rock Island, Illinois, on Jan. 18. Police say Johnson was carried on the car about 140 feet before falling and being dragged by the car for nearly 3,000 feet. Police located the vehicle the next day outside Blackwood’s home.