(Radio Iowa) – A bill that’s cleared a House subcommittee would let Iowa doctors prescribe a medication used to treat parasites as an EXPERIMENTAL treatment for Covid patients on a ventilator. Republican Representative Lee Hein of Monticello says he sponsored the bill after learning two families wanted ivermectin used as a last resort treatment for a critically ill relative, but hospital policies prevented it. Both patients died of Covid.

“I don’t know whether any of these drugs work, but I think at that late stage in the game, once you’re on a ventilator, families ought to have at least a glimmer of hope to try something,” Hein says. The Food and Drug Administration has authorized ivermectin tablets as treatment for worms in humans, but the agency says currently available data does not indicate ivermectin is effective in treating or preventing Covid. Representative Ann Meyer, a Republican from Fort Dodge who’s a nurse, says ivermectin has been around for many years and the bill would allow what’s called “off-label” use of the drug for Covid patients on life support.

“I think that we should give patients the right to try,” Meyer says. Representative Mary Mascher, a Democrat from Iowa City, says a number of medical groups sent lobbyists to merely monitor subcommittee discussion of the bill. “I’m curious about that,” Mascher says. “There’s a lot of folks in the room…and I have heard no one in support of the bill.” Mascher opposed the bill in subcommittee, but with the support of two Republicans on the panel, the legislation is now eligible for debate in a House Committee.

(Radio Iowa) – Officials in several Iowa school districts have announced temporary mask requirements for students have ended after a panel of federal judges issued a ruling on Iowa’s statewide ban on school mask mandates.

Last fall, after a group of parents sued, a federal judge based in Iowa put a hold on the state law banning mask mandates in schools. Yesterday, a panel of federal judges based in Missouri ruled the Iowa judge’s action was too broad and the State of Iowa may enforce its ban on masking in most schools. Disability rights advocates who’ve analyzed the ruling say it appears masking could be required around students with disabilities.

A spokesman for Iowa’s attorney general released a statement to The Des Moines Register late yesterday. It indicates the state will not be enforcing the ban on school mask mandates as it files an appeal that seeks a ruling from all 11 judges on the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals.

(Radio Iowa) – The unemployment in Iowa rate fell to three-point-five percent in December. The rate is down from three-point-seven percent in November, as Iowa Workforce Development reports the number of unemployed dropped by 38-hundred compared to November, and the number of working Iowans was up 52-hundred.

It is the fifth straight drop in unemployment since July. I-W-D says the state added jobs in each of the last four months of 2021 — ending the year with a total non-farm employment increase of more than 41-thousand jobs. (41,200 jobs).

(Radio Iowa) – A federal appeals court has thrown out a temporary order that has allowed Iowa schools to have mask mandates. A federal judge’s order this fall had blocked enforcement of the state law that forbids mask mandates in schools. Disability rights advocates and a group of parents filed a lawsuit in September challenging the law.

The federal appeals court has ruled mask mandates in the schools their children attend may continue, but the ruling said this group of children with disabilities are not harmed when students in other school districts who do not encounter disabled students attend class without masks on.

(Radio Iowa) – A semi driver died in an accident early this morning that also left 600 people without power. The accident happened at about 5:00 a-m when the semi-truck and trailer were heading southbound on Highway 75 approaching the Plymouth County town of Merrill. The semi initially collided with a power line utility pole, which resulted in a loss of power for Merrill residents. Then it careened into a used auto sales lot, striking several vehicles.

Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed the driver has died. The identity of the driver is being withheld at this time pending notification of family members.

(Radio Iowa) – Investigators are trying to determine how a school bus and train collided in northeast Iowa.The crash occurred around 9:15 this (Tuesday) morning near Castalia in Winneshiek County. Authorities later confirmed that two students and the driver were on board the Postville Community School District bus when it collided with the Canadian Pacific train.

Officials say the driver was taken by a private vehicle to a nearby hospital to receive treatment for minor injuries after being evaluated at the scene. The two students were also looked at by emergency crews, before an ambulance transported them to the hospital for further evaluation.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office reports deputies executed a search warrant at around 8-p.m. Monday, at 1105 2nd Avenue, in Malvern, and arrested 34-year-old Christopher Nicholas Smith, of Malvern, on multiple felony charges, after they recovered more $50,000 in stolen property. The property includes several mowers, ATV’s, dirt bikes, lumber, construction tools and several other items. Smith was transported to the Mills County Jail and held on a $74,000 cash-only bond, with additional charges pending.

Authorities say with the execution of the search warrant and recovery of items, the Mills County Sheriff’s Office was able to solve and close over a dozen burglaries/thefts that have occurred in the county, dating back to July, 2021. There are also several items that have yet to be identified, leaving many cases still open at this time.

Christopher N. Smith

The Sheriff’s Office says, “If you have been a victim of a burglary or theft in Mills County or surrounding areas, and had items stolen, please contact Mills County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Pittman or Sgt. Mather, at 712-527-4337.

Atlantic, Iowa — Cass Health has announced it has earned the 2022 Top Workplaces USA award, issued by Energage, a purpose-driven organization that develops solutions to build and brand Top Workplaces. This is the inaugural year for Top Workplaces USA, built on the program’s 14-year history surveying more than 20 million employees across 54 markets for the regional Top Workplaces awards. “We are thrilled to be recognized at a national level,” said Kolton Hewlett, Chief Human Resources Officer. “Our employees are the heart of this organization, and we are delighted to celebrate this achievement because of them.”

Top Workplaces USA offers national recognition for large organizations, those with more than 150 employees, and those that may have operations in multiple markets. Several thousand organizations from across the country were invited, and more than 1,100 participated in the Top Workplaces USA survey. Winners of the Top Workplaces USA list are chosen based solely on employee feedback gathered through an employee engagement survey, issued by Energage. Results are calculated by comparing the survey’s research-based statements, including 15 Culture Drivers that are proven to predict high performance against industry benchmarks.

“During this very challenging time, Top Workplaces has proven to be a beacon of light for organizations, as well as a sign of resiliency and strong business performance,” said Eric Rubino, Energage CEO. “When you give your employees a voice, you come together to navigate challenges and shape your path forward. Top Workplaces draw on real-time insights into what works best for their organization, so they can make informed decisions that have a positive impact on their people and their business.”