This is rundown of the latest amended health proclamation by Governor Reynolds, effective Thursday, Dec. 10 at 12:01 a.m. through Wednesday, Dec. 16at 11:59 p.m…..

Mask Use: Indoor spaces open to the public & State executive branch buildings

•No change

Gathering Restrictions:Social, community, business, or leisure gatherings

•No more than 15 people indoors and 30 people outdoors

•These restrictions apply to wedding receptions, conventions, fundraisers, and other nonessential gatherings but do not apply to gatherings that occur during the ordinary course of business or government.

Sporting and Recreational Events:

•Only two spectators permitted for each youth or adult athlete, cheerleader, pep band member, or organizer staff, and must wear a mask and maintain 6 feet distance from other spectators

•Youth and adult participants can be closer than 6 feet and are not required to wear masks

High School Sports & Extracurriculars: Sporting, recreational, and extracurricular events

•Only two spectators permitted for each high school athlete, performer, competitor, cheerleader, pep band member,or staff member,and must wear a mask and maintain 6 feet distance from other spectators

•Students participating can be closer than 6-feet and are not required to wear masks.

Restaurants and Bars: Restaurant or bar, including a wedding reception venue, winery, brewery, distillery, country club, or other social or fraternal club

•Last call for in-person services at 10:00pm (includes all venues serving alcohol)

•May open at 4:00am

•No bar seating

•Masks required when not seated (while playing games, dancing, etc.)

•Six feet distancing between groups•Groups limited to 8 people unless larger group is all same household

•Seated when eating or drinking and limit congregating

Fitness Centers: Fitness centers, health clubs, health spas, gyms

•Group fitness activities are allowed if a 6-foot distance is maintained

Casinos & Gaming Facilities:

•Last call for in-person food or beverage services at 10:00pm

•Masks required except when seated to eat or drink.

Closer/Prolonged Contact Establishments: Bowling alleys, pool halls, bingo halls, arcades, indoor playgrounds, children’s play centers

•Last call for in-person food or beverage services at 10:00pm

•Mask required when not seated to eat or drink

•Ensure that groups and individuals are six feet apart at establishment

•Groups limited to eight people unless larger group is all same household

Nonessential/elective surgeries: A hospital must reduce its in-patient nonessential surgeries to a level to ensure it is use at least 25% fewer beds than it did on average during September 2020.

(Radio Iowa) – For Iowans who long to watch the fascinating swirls of green and purple waves of light in the sky, tonight (Wednesday) will likely be your best opportunity. A powerful solar flare is expected to push the famed Northern Lights further south into Iowa for a rare view. Meteorologist Andy Ervin, at the National Weather Service bureau in Davenport, says a storm front is forecast to arrive tomorrow (Thursday).

Locations from Washington state to Maine may be seeing the lights each of the next three nights, but clouds are expected over Iowa both Thursday and Friday nights. Ervin says if you can carve out a little time tonight to gaze skyward at the celestial spectacle, do.

A longtime Quad Cities resident, Ervin says he’s seen the Northern Lights before.

The Space Weather Prediction Center in Colorado says the geomagnetic storm will peak late tonight into early Thursday. The solar flare was recorded on Monday.

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds says studies show schools are safe spaces for kids and she’s praising Iowa districts which have kept all students in class 100 percent of the time. As for Iowa schools that have shifted 100 percent online or to a hybrid system with kids in classrooms every other day, she has a message.

During a news conference late this (Wednesday) morning, Reynolds invited a parent to speak about her frustrations with Ankeny schools. Sarah bar-THOHL has a son in kindergarten and another in third grade and both kids are bouncing between virtual classes and some in-school class time.

Governor Reynolds says current state law limits her ability to change the waiver system that allows schools to shift to part-time in person or full-time online, but hinted legislators could and should change that.

The governor has extended her public health emergency proclamation that was set to expire tomorrow (Thursday) for another week. It requires face coverings in many public places and limits the number of people who may gather indoor and outdoors.

Reynolds also has clarified that 10 p.m. is to be “last call” for alcohol served in Iowa bars, restaurants AND casinos rather than a closing time of 10 p.m. The governor is also letting organized sports for kids and adults — including bowling leagues resume — but spectators are limited to two per participant.

The governor announced the state has contracted with 104 out-of-state nurses to work in Iowa hospitals through the end of the month, 80 of whom are already on the job. The state is also providing a 30-day supply of face masks, gowns and gloves to all 432 Iowa nursing homes, at no charge. The state website shows more than 57-hundred nursing home residents and staff have active Covid infections, with Covid outbreaks at 141 facilities.

Atlantic Police Lt. Devin Hogue reports the Fireside Lounge raised more than $7,000 during their recent, 9th Annual Joe Dirt Memorial fundraiser and silent auction. The funds will help to support the Atlantic Police Department’s Christmas and various Cass County youth and family programs.

Photo courtesy Lt. Devin Hogue, Atlantic P-D

Hogue says “2020 put them (The Baier family) in an odd predicament for their normal fundraising, and left them without the ability to hold their annual pool tournament. They march[ed] forward anyway and reached out to many great businesses, individuals, and groups in Cass County, asking them to help make help their event a success.

“Despite the lackluster year that 2020 has been, they were still able to raise $7,013.04 as well as a large box of new toys, that will go towards our community programs,” Hogue said.  The Atlantic Police Department thanks the Baier family and their whole crew, who put forth so much time and effort to make this a successful event each year!

On the Joe Dirt Memorial Faceook page, the Baier’s said “With COVID19 we were worried how this year’s auction might go, especially with the pool tournament postponed. We should have known you guys would make it happen! Thank YOU for another year to our amazing community, family, and friends.”

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, Wednesday (today) announced FDA approval of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine is expected by the end of this week, and regional hospitals that have been approved to carry a stockpile of the supplies have been notified of their role in immunizing persons in the highest risk categories, including Long-Term Care facility patients.  Reynolds says patients at those facilities are expected to receive their vaccinations beginning Dec. 28th. As more vaccines become available, those groups will broaden until anyone who wants to receive the vaccine can get it.

Reynolds announced the state will provide the state’s 432 long-term care facilities with personal protective equipment for 30 days at no cost to those facilities. She also announced the state is providing temporary medical workers for some facilities. Reynolds said more than 80 nurses have already started and she anticipated that a total of 104 nurses would be assigned throughout the state through Dec. 30.

Reynolds noted that in the two weeks following Thanksgiving, COVID-19 hospitalizations and case positivity rates have shown steady downward trends. Reynolds said she will extend her emergency health disaster proclamation with some changes, which was set to expire Thursday night. Reynolds said venues that serve alcohol, such as bars restaurants and casinos, will have last call for service at 10 p.m. Additionally, the governor said that due to decreasing hospitalization rates, that proclamation will ease restrictions on elective procedures for our hospitals from 50, from a 50% reduction to a 25% reduction.

“Organized sports and recreational events including bowling leagues may resume for youth and adults, but spectators are still limited to two per participant. The same two-spectator rule that also applies to high school athletes will be extended to spectators for cheerleaders, band members and others performing at high school sporting events,” she said. Reynolds added  “We will continue to monitor virus activity over the next several days, and we’ll assess whether additional changes may be possible a week from now.”

The extension of the proclamation will last through Dec. 16th.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — Fire officials in northeastern Iowa say one person has died and five others were injured in a townhouse fire in Waterloo. Officials say the fire was reported early Tuesday morning, and firefighters arrived to flames coming from the home and several people trapped in and around the home. The Courier reports that six people — three adults and three children — were taken to a hospital, and one adult later died.

Officials said five of those who were injured were removed from the burning house by firefighters. Officials have not released the names of the victims or the cause of the fire.

Two firefighters suffered minor injuries when they fell through a floor into the basement of a home in Oakland, Tuesday. According to a statement from Fire Chief Brant Miller on the Oakland Fire and Rescue Facebook page, “Oakland, Carson and Hancock fire departments were requested at approximately 9:40 PM [Tuesday] for a residential fire on Gates St. in Oakland. Crews encountered heavy fire at the rear of the residence on arrival. The fire on the exterior of the structure was knocked down and crews Entered the residence to attack the fire on the inside.

“It was during this time that a portion of the floor collapsed, and two firefighters went into the basement. A Mayday was called and rescue For the firefighters was initiated. They were fortunately able to self rescue for the most part and were able to exit the structure. Both were transported to the hospital for evaluation and they suffered only minor injuries.”

The house was a total loss. The cause of the blaze was under investigation.

ALBIA, Iowa (AP) — Police in south-central Iowa are searching for a suspect in what they say was an intentional hit-and-run that left a man seriously injured. Television station KTVO reports that police in Albia are looking for 44-year-old Joshua Burk, of Lovilia, whom police say is suspected of intentionally using his vehicle to run down and hit a 36-year-old man. Albia police say the incident happened around 9:30 p.m. Sunday.

Investigators say a nearby security camera captured the incident on video and showed Burk driving away from the scene. Officials say Burk’s vehicle was later spotted, and Monroe County sheriff’s deputies tried to stop it, but police say that Burk sped away driving faster than 100 mph.

The Greene County Sheriff’s Office Wednesday (Today), reports a narcotics investigation in three counties resulted in the confiscation of methamphetamine, marijuana, heroin, cash and weapons. The search warrants were executed in and around Jefferson, Waterloo, and Van Horne.

The evidence seized included 82 pounds of methamphetamine, 10 pounds of marijuana, 1.5 pounds of heroin, $28,000 in cash, and two guns, according the Greene County Sheriff Jack Williams. No arrests have been made so far, in connection with the raids.

The Tri-County Drug Enforcement Task Force, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement and the Federal Bureau of Investigation continue to investigate a drug distribution case.

(Radio Iowa) – A grill stolen from the Manchester American Legion Post has been recovered. Legion Commander Larry Tibbott says he received a phone call from the Manchester Police Chief on Tuesday telling him the grill had been found in Newton, thirty miles east of Des Moines. “It’s hard to explain the feeling you get — it’s a prized possession that had been lost and then found — it’s just a happy feeling,” Tibbott says.

Manchester American Legion grill

The grill was missing last Thursday morning – and had last been seen behind the Legion in downtown Manchester on Saturday, November 28th. The grill is worth around 12-thousand dollars and is used in the Legion’s steak fry fundraisers that raise money for a variety of projects. Some local Manchester businesses had banded together to come up with a 600 hundred dollar reward for whoever was responsible for returning the grill. They’re be sifting through the details to find out who the reward will go to, but Tibbott says he really needs to thank the community, which has shown the Legion incredible support throughout this situation. He says the community has been amazing in getting the message out as it was shared over and over on social media. Tibbott says it’s a good feeling knowing that the community is supporting them.

The grill will need some minor repairs due to damage — and police are still investigating and trying to determine who took the grill and how it ended up in Newton.