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KJAN News can be heard at five minutes after every hour right after Fox News 24 hours a day!
Keep up-to-date with Fox News Radio, Radio Iowa, Brownfield & the Iowa Agribusiness Networks!
Iowa’s Coronavirus dashboard today (10-a.m., Wednesday), indicates there are 2,964 new, Positive cases of COVID-19, and 22 additional deaths. The total number of Positive cases since the beginning of the pandemic, amount to 233,866. Deaths total 2,449. The IDPH says one more death was reported in Cass County, for a total of 24, and in Pottawattamie County, where the total number of deaths stands at 71. Long-Term Care (LTC) facilities report 1,075 deaths, and deaths attributed in-part to preexisting conditions number 1,337.
After increasing for a day, hospitalizations fell from 1,172 Tuesday to 1,162, today. Health officials say 226 COVID patients are in an ICU (Compared to 235 Tuesday), 181 were admitted (Compared to 129 Tuesday), and 131 patients are on a ventilator. Hospitals in southwest/western Iowa (RMCC Region 4) report: 62 hospitalized; 20 are in an ICU; four were admitted, and eight COVID patients are on a ventilator.
Long-Term Care facility outbreaks are up to a record, 163. The IDPH says 5,105 patients/staff have tested positive; 2,265 have tested negative. Area LTC data show: 214 positive cases and 132 recoveries at the three facilities in Cass County; 113 positive and 23 recovered in Shelby County (2 facilities); 139 positive and 120 recovered in Harrison County (1 facility); and 235 positive cases along with 89 recoveries at three LTC’s in Pottawattamie County.
Iowans who have recovered from the virus number 142,249, while 1,222,572 have been tested, to-date. There were 5,593 lab results returned yesterday, with 4,377 negative results and 1,154 positive. The individual positivity rate is 19.1%, and the 14-day rolling average is down from 17.1 to 16.9%. Cass County’s positivity rate is down from 18.4 to 16.8%. A total of 986, 510 negative results have been returned since the pandemic began.
In the KJAN listening area, here are the current number positive cases in each county, along with the 24-hour change in case numbers {+#}; the number of persons recovered, and the total number of [deaths] (if any), since the pandemic began,
A traffic stop at around 1:50-a.m. today (Wednesday), in Red Oak, resulted in two people being arrested on drug charges. Red Oak Police stopped a vehicle near Summit and Boundary Streets, and after an investigation, arrested 53-year old Charles Samuel Williams, of Villisca, for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. 55-year old Stephanie Lee Hightshoe, also of Villisca, was arrested on three counts of unlawful possession of prescription drugs and possession of paraphernalia. Both were being held in the Montgomery County Jail, with bonds set at $300 and $1,000, respectively.
Montgomery County Sheriff’s Deputies assisted in the arrests.
(Radio Iowa/KJAN) – State Climatologist Justin Glisan says preliminary data shows a statewide average of two inches of precipitation fell in Iowa last month. While that’s exactly what’s average for November, Glisan says precipitation amounts were far below average in northwest Iowa. “We saw precipitation departures of anywhere from one to two inches,” Glisan says. That means some areas of northwest Iowa, where there are drought conditions, recorded little, if any precipitation last month. On the flip side, south central and south east Iowa were much wetter.
“We kind of had the storm track locked on that part of the state,” he says. “That’s where we saw the largest positive departures, anywhere from 1.5 to 2 inches.” That means some pockets of southern Iowa had twice as much rain as average. Glisan says due to a lack of precipitation over the past three to six months, a few counties in northwest iowa are in extreme drought.
“You can kind of cut Iowa in half, typically right down I-35. Anywhere east of that we’re above average precipitation wise and anywhere west of that we’re below average and that’s where we see…abnormally dry conditions all the way to the extreme drought conditions up in that northwest corner.”
Weather during the month of November here in Atlantic, was warmer and drier than normal. Data compiled at the KJAN studios (The OFFICIAL National Weather Service reporting/record keeping site for Atlantic), show the Average High for the month was 56 (55.8), which was a full 10-degrees above normal. The Average Low was 27.3, which is nearly one-tenth of a degree above normal. Rain and melted snowfall for the month amounted to 1.76 inches, which is nearly one-tenth of an inch below average. Snowfall amounted to just one-half of an inch.
During the month of December, in Atlantic, the Average High is 32.9-degrees, the Average Low is 14.4, and rain/melted snow typically amounts to 1.11-inches. Check the Weather Page Jan. 1st, to see how our stats this month compare to the records.
Based on astronomy, winter starts on December 21st, but based on climatology and meteorology, December 1st is the first day of winter. Glison says that means the drought conditions are likely to persist. “Drier soils will freeze faster and they’ll freeze deeper,” Glisan says. “If we get into a cold period in which we dip below freezing for a good amount of time and the soils freeze, any precipitation in the form of rain or snowfall getting into a melt period will not infiltrate into that soil very deep, if at all.” The other factor is subsoil moisture is depleted, especially in western Iowa. Temperatures in Iowa averaged five degrees above normal for the month of November.
“Typically when we do see warmer temperatures along with these windy days that we’ve had, especially in November, that produces atmospheric demand for water vapor,” Glisan says. And that exacerbated evaporation of what moisture there had been in the soil. Glisan says the short term outlook is for warmer and drier than normal conditions in December for the western three quarters of the United States.
(Radio Iowa) – A draft list from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources indicates 750 segments of lakes, rivers and streams in Iowa are impaired due to pollution and are not suitable for at least one of its intended uses, like swimming or as a source of drinking water. Ken Krier, a D-N-R environmental specialist, describes Iowa’s water quality as stable.
“I don’t know if we can really point to one direction or the other,” he says. “You know, last cycle from 2016-2018, there was a 2% increase and we’re at a 2% decrease this cycle.” The state is required by federal law to update the list of impaired waters every two years. This is the first time in more than two decades there’s been a decrease in the total number of bodies of water classified as impaired.
Alicia Vasto of the Iowa Environmental Council says with hundreds of bodies of water still on the impaired list, state officials must establish regulations that limit pollution. “We believe that the voluntary approach that the state is taking to water quality is not sufficient,” she says. The list is a draft and Iowans may submit written comments to the D-N-R about the list this month, before it’s submitted to federal officials.
Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CST
JOHNSTON, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds says there are no plans to use millions of dollars of unused state surplus money to help businesses and families experiencing financial stress due to the coronavirus pandemic. Some other states have approved state funding aid or are considering it. Reynolds said Tuesday there isn’t enough state money. She placed the burden on Congress to reach an agreement. Pubic health data in Iowa shows signs that the coronavirus infection rate is slowing, but the number of people hospitalized and dying with the coronavirus remains high. Iowa reported 24 deaths and 1,906 new confirmed cases Tuesday. Hospitals reported 1,172 patients with the virus.
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Sioux City police say they are investigating a death inside an apartment used by transients as a homicide. The victim’s body was found Tuesday. Police did not release the gender of the victim, who appeared to have signs of blunt force trauma. The person appeared to have been deceased for a week. A medical examiner has not yet determined the cause of death. The apartment is part of a complex where 33-year-old Solomon Blackbird was shot on Nov. 1. He later died. Police say the two deaths do not appear to be related.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Police are investigating the fatal shooting of a man inside a Cedar Rapids home, and a person of interest was being questioned. Police say the shooting happened Monday morning, when officers were called to the home for a report of a shooting. KWWL reports that arriving officers found the body of 24-year-old Charles James Griffin. Police have not released other details of what may have led to the shooting and have not announced any arrests, although a person of interest was questioned.
ODEBOLT, Iowa (AP) — A Texas company has announced it will build a $15 million plant in northwest Iowa that will make environmentally-friendly shipping pallets from corn plant waste, such as stalks, husks and leaves. The Des Moines Register reports that Corn Board Manufacturing will build the 50,000-square-foot plant on 40 acres west of Odebolt in Sac County. The company makes a wood alternative, named CornBoard, from corn stover, the plant debris that’s typically left in the field after a crop is harvested. The company already uses CornBoard to make ski, snow and skateboard equipment under the Stalk It brand name, as well as indoor and outdoor furniture. Company CEO Lane Segerstrom says construction will begin in the spring and the plant will employ up to 30 people.
(Radio Iowa) – A former southwest Iowa sheriff and his wife of 67 years died within minutes of each other last week after contracting Covid. A double memorial graveside service is set for Friday morning at 11 at the Benton Cemetery for 86-year-old Lyle Minnick and his wife, 84-year-old Judy Minnick. The couple died last Tuesday (Nov. 24th) at Mercy One Hospital in Des Moines due to complications from COVID-19.
Julia “Judy” Louise Minnick
Lyle Minnick (Photos via the Slade-O’Donnell Funeral Home.
An obituary states Judy preceded Lyle in death by four minutes. Lyle Minnick served as Ringgold County Sheriff from 1985 until his retirement in 1999. He served 10 years as a sheriff’s deputy prior to his election as sheriff. He was finishing a four-year term on the Ringgold County Board of Supervisors upon his death last week. Lyle also served two years in the U.S. Navy from 1953-to-’55, and worked as a farmer and truck driver.
Lyle and Judy Minnick were married in January, 1953. The couple had four children and five grandchildren.
Council Bluffs Police, Tuesday, updated a story we brought you late last week with regard to a “Shots fired” incident Thursday night, outside of the gas station/convenience store at 1305 N. 25th Street. The Council Bluffs Police Department Criminal Investigations Division is asking for the public’s assistance in identifying the two persons in the photographs (shown on the right side of this page). It is believed that the female arrived with the male shooter in a dark colored SUV. Do not attempt to confront these persons, they are considered armed and dangerous.
The male has numerous tattoos on his arms and upper chest, he also has long dark hair that goes to the middle of the back. He may be of Hispanic descent.
This investigation is ongoing by the Criminal Investigation Division. Anyone with any information that was in the area at the time of this incident or recognizes the suspects is encouraged to contact this Division at 712-328-4728 or they may call Crime Stoppers at 712-328-7867.
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Police in Council Bluffs late Thursday night, said a shots-fired incident took place outside of a gas station/convenience store at around 9:46-p.m. As the results of an investigation, authorities say an adult female patron went into the gas station at 1305 N 25th Street for coffee. Upon returning to her vehicle, she noticed a white male party walking rapidly towards her. The male began to fire shots at the female, so she drove away fleeing the area.
The victim’s vehicle was struck by two rounds, but she was not physically injured. The motive for the incident was unclear at the time of the report. The suspect fled the area and has not been located. The suspect was a white male, no further description. He was with two white females and they were in a newer model black Mitsubishi SUV.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Council Bluffs Police Department at 712‐328‐ STOP. The victim was aware of what was going on around her. She took immediate decisive action, preventing any further harm to herself. Bluffs Police remind citizens, that “As the holidays approach, criminals tend to look for easy marks. Be vigilant and have a plan of action to keep yourself out of harm’s way.”
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) — Sioux City police say they are investigating a death inside an apartment used by transients as a homicide. The victim’s body was found Tuesday. Police did not release the gender of the victim, who appeared to have signs of blunt force trauma. The person appeared to have been deceased for a week. A medical examiner has not yet determined the cause of death. The apartment is part of a complex where 33-year-old Solomon Blackbird was shot on Nov. 1. He later died. Police say the two deaths do not appear to be related.
JOHNSTON, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds says there are no plans to use millions of dollars of unused state surplus money to help businesses and families experiencing financial stress due to the coronavirus pandemic. Some other states have approved state funding aid or are considering it. Reynolds said Tuesday there isn’t enough state money. She placed the burden on Congress to reach an agreement.
Pubic health data in Iowa shows signs that the coronavirus infection rate is slowing, but the number of people hospitalized and dying with the coronavirus remains high. Iowa reported 24 deaths and 1,906 new confirmed cases Tuesday. Hospitals reported 1,172 patients with the virus.