(Radio Iowa) – An Iowa D-O-T worker was killed in northwest Iowa Tuesday morning in an accident on Highway 18 near Boyden. Sioux County Sheriff’s Office reports that 64-year-old Lynn Roder of Ashton was standing in the westbound lane with a traffic sign signaling for westbound traffic to stop of slow down ahead of a road construction area when he was hit by a 2017 Chevrolet Equinox being driven by 94-year-old William Plantage of Sheldon who was driving westbound. Plantage struck Roder on the roadway.

Roder was transported by the Boyden Ambulance to Sanford Sheldon Medical Center where he was pronounced dead as a result of his injuries. Plantage’s vehicle sustained approximately $4,000 in damage. The Sioux County Sheriff’s Office was assisted at the scene by the Boyden Ambulance and the Iowa State Patrol. The accident remains under investigation.

More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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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 2020 Cass County gets underway today, but in a way that is far different from previous fairs, thanks to the Coronavirus. The shows and events are open to exhibitors and their immediate family only. There are no carnival rides or attractions such as tractor pulls and music. Livestock shows will be streamed online, and show results will be posted online within 24-hours of completion.  You can look for the results and video, live or recorded via on-demand. Simply go to www.kjan.com and look for the Ag/Outdoors page under the “Programs” tab, or go to www.extension.iastate.edu/cass, and click on the Cass County Fair Results logo for video information and results.

Static Judging was held at the fair earlier today. The “Bucket of Junk” judging runs until 2-p.m.;  Tomorrow (Thursday) is the Pet Show at 10-a.m., and a virtual livestock judging contest.  Friday’s activities include the Horse Show (9-a.m.) and Rabbit Show (9:30-a.m.).

Saturday, the Sheep Show begins at 9-a.m., followed by the Meat Goat/Dairy Goat – Show. On Sunday, Decorator Showcase Judging takes place at the Cass County Fair, from Noon until 4-p.m.  Monday’s event will include (10-a.m.) the Cow Calf and Feeder Calf Shows, followed by the Beef Show. And the Swine Show wraps up the fair on Tuesday, beginning at 3-p.m.

Virtual events include: Clothing Selections/FR; Clover Kids Showcase; Share the Fun; Educational presentations; Working Exhibits; Extemporaneous speaking, and the “Best of Iowa.”

The Fair Board decided in early June to restrict the Fair to 4-H and FFA exhibitors in a “Show-and-Go” format, in order to protect the health of fair goers, staff and the exhibitors.  The 2020 Cass County Fair runs through July 28th.

The State of Iowa’s Coronavirus dashboard (as of 10-a.m. today), shows nine more people have died from the virus since Tuesday, and 373 have tested positive. As of today (Wednesday), the State’s death toll from the virus is 808, while the number of positive COVID-19 cases stands at 39,793. The IDPH says 427,908 Iowans have been tested. Of those, 386,643 have tested negative for COVID-19. Officials said also, 28,607 persons affected by the virus have recovered from it.

Hospitalization data show: one more person with COVID-19 was hospitalized, for a total of 224; 71 individuals are in an ICU; 29 were admitted, and 31 were on a ventilator. In RMCC Region 4 (southwest/western IA), five people are hospitalized with COVID-19, two are in an ICU), there were no hospital admissions, one person remains on a ventilator.

Long-Term Care (LTC) data show 20 outbreaks (3 more than Tuesday, 494 staff/patients have tested positive for the virus, 124 have recovered and 433 have died.

Here is the latest data for confirmed cases and the number of persons recovered from COVID-19, in Cass and surrounding counties, plus any change in the numbers (Highlighted number indicate a change from Tuesday):

• Cass: 30 positive cases, 28 recovered
• Adair: 20 positive cases, 16 recovered
• Adams: 12 cases (recovered data still not available from the IDPH)
• Audubon: 22 cases, (No recovery data available)
• Guthrie: 110 cases, 66 recovered
• Montgomery: 24 cases, 16 recovered
• Pottawattamie: 945 cases, 708 recovered
• Shelby County: 125 cases, 123 recovered

Police in Council Bluffs responded at around 3:25-a.m. today (Wednesday), to a Personal Injury Accident in the 3200 block of 9th Avenue. Authorities say information was received that one vehicle was on its side. Officers arrived on scene and were able to locate the vehicle on its side. Officers were able to help the driver – 26-year old Haleigh Colbert, of Council Bluffs – out through the sunroof of the vehicle.

A preliminary investigation indicated Colbert was traveling westbound on 9th Ave. in her 2007 Honda CRV. She veered over onto the shoulder and struck a parked Ford F-150. Both vehicles had extensive damage and had to be towed from the scene. Colbert suffered minor injuries however refused medical attention.

Colbert was cited for the accident. Authorities say alcohol was not a factor in this accident, and Colbert was wearing her seatbelt, which proved to be very effective in preventing more serious injuries.

(Radio Iowa) — Iowans who are buzzing with enthusiasm for boosting the pollinator population ought to take part in the second annual Backyard Bumble Bee Count, starting Friday. Jill Utrup, a biologist with the U-S Fish and Wildlife Service, says even if you can only spare a few minutes and manage to spot a couple of bees, it will be worthwhile to log in and join the cause. “The purpose of the Backyard Bumble Bee Count is really to enlist the help of folks who are interested to help document bumble bee occurrence and overall abundance,” Utrup says. “We’re looking at this as kind of an outreach tool for the endangered rusty-patched bumble bee but this project really helps us learn about all different species.”

You’ll need to get close enough to the bees to take a few pictures over the course of the nine-day count. It’s a valid concern to be cautious about getting stung, and Utrup assures, if you approach slowly and carefully, you should be fine. “Bumble bees are quite docile and what you’ll notice is, if you do get a little bit closer to them, you’ll notice they want nothing to do with us,” Utrup says. “They’re very different from wasps and hornets. When they are focused in on nectaring, they’re not paying attention to us at all.”

The dates of the count run from July 24th through August 2nd, during which you’re asked to count the number of bees and species you see, while documenting the time you’ve spent observing and where. “These surveys can be just a few minutes, if you happen to find just a couple of bumble bees in your front yard, or they can be a more structured survey,” Utrup says. “If you happen to be in a park for a good half an hour or something like that, we actually have survey sheets you can print out to help you structure your survey a little bit more.”

Register for the count through the i-Naturalist website. (https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/backyard-bumble-bee-count)

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:38 a.m. CDT

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa City’s mayor is ordering people to wear masks in public to stop the spread of the coronavirus, defying Gov. Kim Reynolds’ claim that cities cannot mandate face coverings. Iowa has been one of the only states that does not have any enforceable local or state mask mandates. The Republican governor has said that she believes cities and counties can require masks only if she grants that authority, which she’s refused to do. But Iowa City Mayor Bruce Teague on Tuesday cited authority granted to cities in the state constitution and a law that gives mayors the power to govern by proclamation when an “emergency or public danger exists.”

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A judge has ruled that prosecutors must turn over body-camera footage and other material to a Des Moines Register reporter who was arrested while covering a protest in May. Judge Christopher Kemp on Monday ordered the Polk County Attorney’s Office to give body-cam footage and reports to reporter Andrea Sahouri by the next court date, which hasn’t been scheduled. Sahouri was arrested May 31 while covering a protest near a Des Moines shopping mall, less than a week after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Prosecutors argued authorities didn’t need to provide evidence because the charges are misdemeanors and such cases are supposed to be handled quickly and inexpensively.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ office has ordered a sharp reduction in coronavirus testing at a site in Dubuque, where infections have been rising. The Test Iowa site in Dubuque will be allowed to offer only 100 tests per day, starting Tuesday. The Dubuque Telegraph-Herald reported the site had been testing between 400 and 550 people per day. The site will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. Tuesday through Thursday. Reynolds’ spokesman, Pat Garrett, said the tests were limited to ensure consistency and high quality performance at all Test Iowa sites. Dubuque County has seen daily coronavirus cases more than quadruple since June.

LE MARS, Iowa (AP) — A man has died after becoming trapped in a grain bin in northwest Iowa. The Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office says deputies and other first-responders were called Tuesday morning to a grain bin about five miles east of Le Mars. They were told a 65-year-old man had been loosening stuck corn when he became trapped. Even though there were safety measures in place, he sank into the corn when the crust broke. He had died by the time his body was recovered about an hour after rescuers arrived. His name wasn’t immediately released so relatives could be notified.

The Madison County Sheriff’s Office reports that around 10:30-p.m. Tuesday, they received a 911 call reporting a single vehicle crash in the 3000blk of Peru Road or two-miles west of Truro. Responding Deputies located an adult male inside the vehicle that had left the roadway and entered the timber adjacent to the roadway.

The adult male who was the only occupant of the vehicle. He was pronounced dead at the scene by the Madison County Medical Examiner’s Office. The identity of the individual is being withheld until family receives notification.