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 Iowa Department of Public Health reports 500 Iowans have died from COVID-19, 12 more than what was reported Wednesday.  Iowans tested for the virus number 142,023, with 18, 474 testing positive. Test that have come back as negative for COVID-19 amount to 123,128. A total of 10,137 have recovered from the virus.

For Cass and surrounding counties, here is the latest data on positive cases and those who have recovered (in parenthesis):

• Cass: 11 (2) * no change from Wed.
• Adair: 8 (3)
• Adams: 7 (1)
• Audubon: 12 (8)*
• Guthrie: 45 (29)
• Montgomery: 6 (5)*
• Pottawattamie: 228 (140)
• Shelby: 34 (25)*

Across the State, the Regional Medical Classification Centers (RMCC’s) report: 383 patients are hospitalized for COVID-19;  112 patients are in an ICU; 30 people were admitted to hospitals in the last 24-hours; 67 patients are on ventilators. In RMCC Region 4 (western/southwest Iowa): 9 patients are hospitalized for COVID-19 (1 more than yesterday); 8 are in an ICU (up 5 from Wednesday), and 4 people were admitted over the past 24-hours. Three patients are on ventilators.

Rescue crews and law enforcement were called at 5:15-a.m. today to a residence in Griswold, for a report of a 30-year old male who was suffering from a gunshot wound to the head. The victim was in a vehicle in front of the residence. The Medical Examiner’s Office was also notified.

KJAN is withholding the street and house number information at this time, pending further details from law enforcement, and out of respect for the family.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:35 a.m. CDT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A northwest Iowa county that is home to a meatpacking plant has seen nearly 500 coronavirus cases in the past week but state officials and the company say they can’t confirm an outbreak at the facility. The state health department reported 493 cases since Friday in Buena Vista County, where a Tyson pork processing plant is located in Storm Lake. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds says Wednesday the state hasn’t confirmed an outbreak related to the plant but that testing is underway. A Tyson spokeswoman says the company is awaiting complete data. Iowa posted 595 new cases statewide Wednesday. There were 21 more deaths for a total of 485.

WAUKEE, Iowa (AP) — The National Weather Service says at least four tornadoes raked parts of Iowa on Tuesday for a second day of severe weather in the state. The first tornado was reported around 1:20 p.m. Tuesday four miles west of Waukee in central Iowa, where it touched down briefly and damaged a car dealership. The second occurred minutes later just east of Dallas Center. Later in the afternoon, tornadoes were reported simultaneously just northwest of Woolstock in northern Iowa and northeast of Adair in west-central Iowa. Meteorologist Roger Vachalek in Des Moines says all of the tornadoes appeared to be weak and in mostly uninhabited areas that caused little damage and no injuries.

GRIMES, Iowa (AP) — The Polk County Sheriff’s Office says a more than month-long investigation has shown that a woman found dead inside her house near Grimes died of natural causes. The sheriff’s office made the pronouncement in news release Wednesday on the death of 35-year-old Melanie Scheuring. Scheuring was found dead in her house on April 19 after deputies, firefighters and medics were called to the home. Scheuring’s 46-year-old fiance was also at the home. Other than to declare her death was from natural causes, officials did not say Wednesday what caused Scheuring’s death.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The daughter of an Iowa nursing home resident who died suddenly in a coronavirus outbreak says the state could have done more to stop the spread and protect vulnerable citizens such as her father.Roger Coe, 86, died Friday at the Crystal Heights Care Center in Oskaloosa after the virus quickly spread through the home. The center said Monday that 48 residents and 13 employees have tested positive over roughly the last two weeks.Sherrie Coe of Fort Collins, Colorado, said her father was known for wheeling himself to the nurses’ station every day and playing his harmonica for anyone who would listen. She says his death is sad and tough to take because she believes it could have been prevented with stricter mitigation strategies.

The Atlantic Community School District held an electronic session Wednesday evening and heard about the Teacher Leadership Program (TLC), as well as from Technology Coordinator Roger Warne and NishnaNet’s Scott Bennett, with regard to options for student/faculty internet access/infrastructure.

Warne said regardless of what option the District chooses, or even if a combination of options is offered, the service will not be a replacement for any current internet service students or staff may have. It is intended to serve those who do not have direct access to the internet, and who need to take lesson plans remotely, such as during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Option #1: The District will Provide a 4G LTW signal from the south water tower to supply cellular hotspots. This would offer the benefit of: content and internet being provided by the school and monitored by the existing firewall and content filter; The equipment could be deployed and gathered back fairly quickly if need be; It would include a one-time cost, and the district would own the equipment; it would cover most of Atlantic, and can move with the student. Drawbacks include: An initial cost estimate to $45-to $50,000 for the first 100 hotspots, while 200 more is $40,000; The signal can be weak or non-existent in low lying area and/or heavy trees; There needs to be an exact address of the user to determine access, or the dependability of the signal cannot be guaranteed. And, it will NOT reach rural students.

Option #2: Mediacom’s “Connect to compete” program. That would cost $10 per month; The school chooses who gets it; A VPN can be used to route internet access through the school’s firewall. Drawbacks include: Deployment can take time; There are data and speed limits; the modem stays in the household; There is a need to have an exact address to determine access; requires a 1-year commitment and a $120 minimum; and the user must have access inside the City Limits of Atlantic.

Option#3: Verizon Hotspots. This has the advantage of: Easy deployment; Fairly easy to gather equipment back in; Good coverage for the area; The school owns the device moving forward; The signal can move with the student; and it is an option for rural students. The drawbacks include a required six-month contract; $30 per device and $40 per month, for a total of $270 minimum.

Option#4: NishnaNet. The standard price for the service plus install is $55 per month, but Scott Bennett said the district would be charged a lower rate. Warne and Bennett said this is a good option for rural customers – IF there is a line of site from the point of signal. Conversely, it is not a good option for city dwellers, due to terrain and vegetation concerns. The customer pays the bills and chooses to use the service.

Option#5: Satellite Internet ($75-100 per month). This would not be a good option for school funded internet, but it is an option for someone in a remote location.

Option#6: School Parking Lots – WiFi Access. There is essentially no cost to the district or user; Content and internet is provided by the school and monitored by the existing firewall and content filter. Locations at the Washington Elementary and Achievement Center has greater signal strength than the High School and Middle School, but it is nonetheless receivable. The drawbacks are the range is limited to a 150-foot radius and the user (student/teacher) must travel to the location where it is available.

Warne and Bennett will work together to send out surveys to students and staff to see where the need is, which will help to determine which option or hybrid of options might best suit the District’s need to provide an alternate source of learning if the district is shut down in unforeseen circumstances (like COVID-19). When those questions are answered, the district will need to determine which devices (laptops) will be needed in addition to those currently being rotated through the grades, and how many will be needed to fill the demand.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office, Wednesday, said two men were arrested recently, on separate charges. On Wednesday (5/27), 25-year old Dylan Ging Fleuren, of Council Bluffs, was arrested at around 1:33-a.m., following a traffic stop on I-29. Fleuren was charged with two-counts of Possession of a Controlled Substance. His bond was set at $2,000.

And, at around 10:20-a.m. May 23rd, 34-year old Shane Scott Oliver, of Omaha, was arrested for Providing false information, Interference with Official Acts, and Failure to Provide Financial Liability [proof of insurance]. His bond was set at $900.

Officials with the Pottawattamie County Public Health Department today (Wednesday), reported nine new COVID-19 cases. All of the affected individuals are from Council Bluffs. Three are persons under the age of 17, one is 18-to 40, three are 41-60 years old, and two are 61-to 80 years old. They were tested between May 10th and 26.

So far, officials say, 2,854 Pott. County residents have been tested for COVID-19, with 252 having tested positive. Six people have recovered from the virus, for a total of 143. Currently, seven persons have been hospitalized, and 89 are self-isolating. Based on PCPH contact tracing investigations, a total of 75 Pott. County COVID-19 cases are the result of community spread.

A reminder, that a Test Iowa site will open in Council Bluffs at the Western Historic Trailer Center on Friday, May 29th. Anyone wanting to get tested must first complete the health assessment at www.testiowa.com.  After completing the assessment, you will receive a time and date for your test.

Officials with Marne Elk Horn Telephone Company (METC) recently announced that Rachel Hamilton, currently the office manager of the Walnut and Avoca offices of Marne Elk Horn, has been selected by the company’s Board of Directors to be the next CEO. According to Janell Hansen, Marne Elk Horn’s retiring CEO, Hamilton will start her new duties officially July 1^st. Marne Elk Horn is a provider of telephone, Internet, and Cable TV serving thousands of customers in communities along the I-80 corridor from Exira to Underwood.

Rachel Hamilton

Hansen says with 20 years of service to the communications industry, Hamilton brings a strong understanding of regulatory operations, customer service, billing, and financial matters to her new role. She recently graduated from the Iowa Communications Alliance Leadership program in March. Hansen plans to stay on with the company through the end of 2020 to aid the transition.

Hamilton started in customer service with Walnut Communications in June of 2000. By 2005, as the company began its growth to the west – in Avoca, Neola, Underwood, Persia, and Shelby, she was named office manager. In October of 2016, Marne Elk Horn acquired Walnut Communications.

In the press release, Rachel Hamilton said “I’m very passionate about our company, communities, employees, and customers. The last few months have illustrated the importance of what we do as a company and our employees have demonstrated that commitment repeatedly in their actions as the necessity for internet access accelerated due to the pandemic and work from home situations increased. Providing superior service is what Marne Elk Horn is all about and I am honored to continue what Janell has so successfully grown over the last 22 years.”

The Cass County Health System Specialty Clinic in Atlantic, will close at 2 pm on Friday, May 29. Officials say patients with any questions or concerns are encouraged to call 712-243-7590.

Adair County Sheriff Jeff Vandewater today (Wednesday), said on social media, “It is with a very heavy heart that I share the loss of one of our own. Retired Sheriff Randy H. Marchant passed away Monday May 25, 2020.”  Vandewater said Marchant initially worked at the Stuart Police Department from March 1, 1982 through July 31, 1985, graduating from the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy on July 2, 1982.