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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!
(Des Moines, IA; 9-a.m. News) – Iowa Department of Human Services (DHS) officials Thursday (today) said the state’s safe haven procedure was recently used for the 46th time since the law went into effect. A baby girl, born Sept. 27, was released to the custody of DHS. Specific details are withheld in order to protect the identity of the parents and the children. Through Iowa’s Safe Haven law, parents, or their authorized representative, can leave infants age 30 days or younger at a hospital or health care facility without fear of prosecution for abandonment.
Janee Harvey, DHS Division Administrator of Adult, Children and Family Services says “The purpose of this law is to protect the lives of newborns who are in danger of abandonment. We want to ensure Iowans know that Safe Haven is an available option if they cannot care for their newborn safely. We recognize that these decisions are often made in the midst of crisis, and the protocols are built accordingly.”
Safe Haven prioritizes the health and physical safety of the infant(s), as well as the anonymity of the parent or authorized individual who relinquishes custody of the child. The Safe Haven law was approved in the wake of a high-profile case in 2001 involving a teen mother in eastern Iowa who killed her home-delivered newborn. Infants who are safe haven babies are placed with currently-approved foster or adoptive families. All states have Safe Haven laws, although provisions differ.
(Radio Iowa) – Sioux City again has daily air service to Colorado. The first flight from Denver arrived at Sioux Gateway Airport on Wednesday afternoon, rolling in under an arch of water sprayed by two airport fire trucks to welcome the United Express SkyWest plane. Sioux City Mayor Bob Scott says he hopes travelers from both communities will support the new service. “I want to especially thank SkyWest Airlines for having the confidence in our market in these critical times that are difficult to imagine traveling,” Mayor Scott says. “This is one of those deals where we either use it or we lose it. It’s important that we fly out of Sioux City and it’s important that we use this airline.”
Dave Bernstein, president of the airport board of directors, says early indications are that the local support is there. “Our understanding is the booking numbers are good,” Bernstein says, “and I think folks are pleased, especially given the current environment.” Thirty-six passengers arrived from Denver on the first flight. Twenty-six departed Sioux City about an hour later on the 50-passenger jet.
American Airlines announced plans to end all flights to Sioux City earlier this year, but in August reversed course and said it would keep flying routes to Chicago and Dallas.
(8-a.m. News) – Clarinda Police Chief Keith Brothers reports a traffic stop at around 3:45-p.m. Wednesday at 14th and Garfield Streets, resulted in a pursuit and an arrest. Officers tried to stop a 1997 Chevy K1500 pickup, after observing of the vehicle fail to obey a stop sign. When the pickup also failed to stop for officers, the chase was on. The driver of the vehicle – identified as 44-year-old Anthony Wayne See, of Shambbaugh – stopped at 20th & Garfield, after traveling through residential areas at speeds more than 70 miles per hour.
Officers arrested See for driving a vehicle while barred, possession of methamphetamine, felony eluding of a police vehicle, failure to obey a stop sign, speeding and littering. He was being held in the Page County Jail on $12,000 bail, pending a court appearance. Clarinda Police were assisted during the pursuit and arrest, by a Fremont County Deputy Sheriff.
All reports will be forwarded to the office of Page County Attorney Carl Sonksen for review and the filing of formal charges in Page County District Court.
More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.
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Two men were recently arrested in Creston, on Harassment charges. According to Creston Police, 36-year-old Jaime Naan Torres, of Creston, was arrested at his home at around 5:15-p.m. Wednesday. He faces a charge of Harassment in the 1st Degree. At around 12:15-a.m. Thursday (Today), 32-year old Bryant Edward Adkins, also from Creston, was arrested for OWI/3rd offense and Harassment in the 1st Degree. The cash/surety bond for Torres was set at $2,000, while Adkins’ bond was set at $7,000.
The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.
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The Pottawattamie County Attorney’s Office reports a Council Bluffs Police Officer involved in a shooting incident on Sept. 18th, has been cleared of any criminal wrongdoing. No charges will be filed against Officer John Kuebler, after an investigation into the incident in the Council Bluffs Walmart parking lot. Authorities say he fired a shot from his handgun while being dragged several feet by an SUV driven by 29-year-old Ian James Lybarger, of Omaha.
Prior to the shooting, Kuebler and another officer had approached Lybarger, who had been identified as an alleged drug dealer. The suspect ignored Kuebler’s orders to stop and entered his SUV. The officer smashed through the vehicle’s window with his club in an attempt to stop Lybarger from speeding away, but to no avail. Kuebler then fired a round from his gun. The bullet struck the vehicle, but not the Lybarger. Kuebler was later treated for injuries.
The State of Iowa’s Coronavirus dashboard, Thursday (today, as of 10-a.m.) indicates that since 10-a.m. Wednesday, there have been 1,410 new, positive test results for COVID-19 returned from the labs, for a total of 103,170. There are 11 more positive case of the virus in Cass County, for a total of 258. Across the KJAN listening area, there are: 56 more positive cases of COVID-19 in Pottawattamie County; 26 additional cases in Harrison County; 15 more cases in Mills County; seven in Union County, five each in Adair, Adams and Shelby Counties; four in Guthrie County; three new cases in Madison County, and one new case in both Audubon and Montgomery Counties. (See the data below)
There have been 13 more deaths statewide since 10-a.m. Wednesday, for a total of 1,505. The IDPH says of the reported deaths, 1,013 (67%) were related to a pre-existing medical condition. There have been a total of 879,830 Iowans tested for COVID-19 to-date, with 775,238 total Negative results. There have been 6,397 results received since 10-a.m. Wednesday, with 5,506 of those Negative, and 878 Positive. Officials say 11.7% of persons tested had a positive test result. Iowans who have recovered from the virus number 80,114.
State data shows 19 counties report a positivity rate greater than 15% over the last 14 days. That means public schools in Harrison, Carroll, Fremont, Guthrie, Crawford, Taylor and Page, along with 12 others, can apply for a waiver with state officials to provide 100% virtual learning. Seven counties report a positivity rate of greater than 20%, including Harrison and Carroll.
Iowa has set another record for hospitalizations for a third straight day. Hospitalizations are up from 473 on Wednesday to 482, today. The IDPH says: 107 patients with COVID-19 are in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU); 66 people with COVID symptoms were admitted to a hospital; and 49 patients are on a ventilator. Western/Southwest Iowa hospitals report 29 people hospitalized, eight are in an ICU, two were admitted to a hospital, and one person remains on a ventilator.
There are still 61 Long-Term Care (LTC) facility outbreaks in Iowa, with 1,463 positive cases of COVID-19 among the patients and staff at those facilities. LTC facilities also report 737 persons have recovered, and there have been 757 deaths since the outbreak 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,
The Atlantic School Board discussed once again the possibility of introducing a mandatory face mask/shield policy. Prior to the beginning of the school year, the Board had an in-depth conversation about the matter, and developed a mask policy that stated anyone in grades 6-thru-12 are expected to wear masks, when social distancing was not possible.
Superintendent Steve Barber said given the square footage of both the Middle School and High School, each Principal was able to create social distancing in the classrooms and lunch area.
Barber said also, “The standard for our PK-5 building was [to encourage the use of masks] when social distancing cannot occur.” He said “Given the self-contained nature of these grades and the space available, creating social distancing is more of a challenge. “Although space has been created,” he said, “The six-feet rule is hard to achieve. These groups are in bubbles.) He added both Principals observed the number of students wearing masks [in grades PK-5] was around 10-percent.
About three weeks ago Governor Kim Reynolds issued a new directive on the use of quarantines for persons who may have been in close contact with an individual who tested positive. The director stated that when both the positive case and the close contacts to a positive case were wearing masks, the close contact doesn’t have to quarantine. The basis of the change was to keep students who are not actually infected, in school. As a result, some schools have since required or mandated masks be used on campus and/or at events.
During the discussion Wednesday night, Board members Nicholas Hunt and Laura McLean said they were still in favor of a mask mandate. Hunt said he interprets the State’s policy change as giving the District more emphasis to use a mandated mask policy and avoid quarantines. He says health and saftey is the goal, keep kids in school, and reduce absenteeism.
Hunt says he spoke with District Registered Nurse Laura Freund, who told him “Our numbers are going to get worse.” He says District staff are worried about the positive numbers possibly going up and a possible hybrid situation. Hunt said he’s spoken with other district which have a mandated mask policy if they are not social distancing, about how things are going.
Hunt said the Griswold and Denison Schools haven’t had a problem with enforcement, mostly because peer pressure reinforces the need to wear a mask. Laura McLean said there are already some significant learning gaps between those who are in classrooms and who are being educated online. She said if masks are not or cannot be used, face shields are an option.
Other board members were not keen on a mandate. No action was taken during the meeting Wednesday. It’s expected more continued, in-depth discussion will take place at the Board’s next Work Session. T
(10/16 – Updated w/revised upward certified enrollment number) There was mixed news Wednesday evening with regard to the Atlantic Community School District’s Certified Open Enrollment numbers. Superintendent Steve Barber reported during the regular monthly school board meeting, that while all corrections for the Certified Annual Open Enrollment Report (CAR) are due by the end of today (Thursday), the official Certified Enrollment is 1333.32. The district is currently serving 17.05 fewer resident students.
On the other hand, he says there was an increase of 17.80 students, creating a net gain of 86.2 students.
The Superintendent says he’s hopeful that once the pandemic is over, those students who chose to receive their education virtually or in another district, will return to the classrooms in the Atlantic District. Barber reminds parents and the Board that Parent-Teacher Conferences will be virtual this semester, except for IEP meeting at the High School. “In-person mitigation strategies will be followed,” he said.