Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:40 a.m. CDT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The number of coronavirus deaths in Iowa has jumped by 26 to 444. That’s the highest daily increase on record. A news release from the state says the latest deaths that were added to the count occurred from May 9 to Friday. The state on Saturday also reported 419 new cases. That brings the statewide total to 16,767. Among the state’s victims was a man who was one week away from retiring from his job at the JBS meatpacking plant in Marshalltown when he tested positive for the coronavirus. KCCI reports that he died last week on a ventilator.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A suburban Des Moines school district and a former student have reached a $900,000 settlement with a student who suffered permanent brain damage after being attacked at school. Audrey Vacek sued the Ankeny Community School District and another student after a 2016 attack. She alleged Mallory Schaubhut punched her in the face and slammed her head into a concrete wall. The lawsuit said Schaubhut had verbally abused and threatened Vacek for a year before the attack. The Des Moines Register reports a settlement reached in late April requires the school district to pay $880,000 and Schaubhut to pay $20,000 to Vacek.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Judicial Branch says it will postpone jury trials in criminal cases until at least Sept. 14 and push back any in-person proceedings until July 13 or later because of the coronavirus threat. Some hearings can begin July 13 or earlier if courthouses meet recommended safety protocols, but the use of teleconferences and video conferences will continue to be encouraged. Health officials have warned that crowded courtrooms could be venues to spread the virus to clerks, jurors, lawyers, witnesses, spectators and defendants.

Pottawattamie County Public Health officials reported Saturday afternoon, that the County has seven new, COVID-19 positive cases, and one more person has died from the virus, the fifth recorded to date. The latest victim was a man age 81 or older who was from Council Bluffs, and had pre-existing medical conditions.

Of the seven newly reported COVID-19 cases, six are from Council Bluffs, and one is from Neola. Six persons are 18-to 40-years of age, and one is 41-to 60. All were tested between May 18th and the 22nd.  So far, 2,624 Pott. County residents have been tested for COVID-19, and 215 have tested positive.

An additional five people have recovered from the virus, bringing the total number of recoveries to 116. Officials say, “Currently, five individuals are hospitalized,and 85 are self-isolating. Based on the PCPH contact tracing investigations, a total of 64 Pottawattamie County COVID-19 cases are the result of community spread.”

Today (Saturday), the state of Iowa has been notified of 419 additional positive cases for a total of 16,859 positive cases. There have been additional 4,336 negative tests for a total of 106,583 negative tests to date, which includes testing reported by the State Hygienic Lab and other labs. Negative test results amount to 9,221. The positivity rate for this report is 13.6% (up from 8.8% on Friday). Statewide, 488,218 Iowans have completed assessments for COVID-19, including 224 in Cass County. (Keep in mind, these figures change nearly hourly, as results are included in the State COVID-10 dashboard https://coronavirus.iowa.gov/.)

The number of patients who are hospitalized statewide due to the virus (as of this posting) is 362.  111 COVID-19 patients were in an ICU. 26 were admitted over the past 24 hours, as compared to 33 on Friday.  The number of recovered cases amounts to 9,226.

An additional 26 COVID related deaths were confirmed, for a total of 444. The dates of these confirmed COVID related deaths were from May 9 to May 22.  Among the state’s victims was a man who was one week away from retiring from his job at the JBS meatpacking plant in Marshalltown when he tested positive for the coronavirus. KCCI reports that he died last week on a ventilator.

In this area, the deaths include 5 in Pott. County, 1 in Audubon, and 3 in Guthrie County. The Iowa Department of Public Health COVID-19 dashboard shows four more positive cases of COVID-19 in Cass County, since Friday’s data was released, for a total of 10. Only one person (as we’ve mentioned before) has recovered. Around the area, here are the current (as of 1:40-p.m.) cases of positive test results and (number of recovered):

Adair County: 6 (3); Adams County: 4 (no data); Audubon County: 11 (9); Guthrie County: 42 (29); Montgomery County: 5 (5); Shelby County: 30 (24) and Pottawattamie County: 202 (106).

In RMCC Region 4 (Southwest/western Iowa), six people are hospitalized for COVID-19, three are in an ICU, and two were admitted to hospitals. Those numbers are unchanged from Friday. Statewide, LTC facility outbreaks are down one, to 36. The number of patients and staff at those facilities who have died number 235. The number of patients/staff have recovered is 659, and 1,517 have tested positive.

The COVID-19 dashboard contains updated information throughout the day at   Due to planned maintenance this weekend through 6:00 am Monday, May 25th, the Case Counts Dashboard will not reflect accurate counts during the maintenance period.  All Case Counts will be brought up to date by 6:00 am Monday, May 25.

The Iowa Department of Public Health COVID-19 dashboard shows four more positive cases of COVID-19 in Cass County, since Friday’s data was released, for a total of 10. Only one person (as we’ve mentioned before) has recovered. Around the area, here are the current (as of 7:50-a.m.) cases of positive test results and (number of recovered):

Adair County: 6 (3); Adams County: 4 (no data); Audubon County: 11 (9); Guthrie County: 42 (29); Montgomery County: 5 (5); Shelby County: 28 (23) and Pottawattamie County: 202 (106).

Statewide, 123,654 Iowans have been tested for COVID-19.  16, 795 have tested positive (13.6%). 106, 584 have tested negative, and there have been 444 deaths, 15 more than reported on Friday. In this area, that includes 5 in Pott. County, 1 in Audubon, and 3 in Guthrie County.

In RMCC Region 4 (Southwest/western Iowa), six people are hospitalized for COVID-19, three are in an ICU, and two were admitted to hospitals. Those numbers are unchanged from Friday. Statewide, LTC facility outbreaks are down one, to 36. The number of patients and staff at those facilities who have died number 235. The number of patients/staff have recovered is 652, and 1,513 have tested positive.

The COVID-19 dashboard contains updated information throughout the day at https://coronavirus.iowa.gov/.  Due to planned maintenance this weekend through 6:00 am Monday, May 25th, the Case Counts Dashboard will not reflect accurate counts during the maintenance period.  All Case Counts will be brought up to date by 6:00 am Monday, May 25.

w/ Chris Parks

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Persons who conduct online buy-sell-trade transactions, or who have family or child custody matters, now have a safe place to do their in-person business in Montgomery County. Police in Red Oak have set-up a location for specific public business outside the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Center.

The Purchase/Public Exchange location has been formally recognized, and is located in the 400 block of North 1st Street. Parking spaces for the spot will be on the west side of the street. Police say this location should be used by those individuals who are purchasing, selling or trading items online, and are meeting an unknown person for their transaction, or meeting for family or child custody exchanges.

The location chosen has 24-hour video surveillance, but not 24-hour monitoring. Questions may be directed to Police Chief Justin Rhamy at 712-623-6500.

Sheriff’s Officials in Guthrie County issued a statement Friday night with regard to an incident in Casey. Authorities said in a social media post:

“As some may be aware, there was a large law enforcement presence in the 100th block of West Grant (Friday night) in Casey. EMS and law enforcement were dispatched to a residence in the area for a medical call. Upon arrival, the scene was deemed unsafe by EMS and law enforcement. A perimeter was set up outside of the residence for approximately one hour.

(Cedar Rapids) – A man who traveled from Minnesota to Iowa to have sex with minors was sentenced (Friday) to 27 years in federal prison. 51-year old Terrance Nordwall, of Faribault, Minnesota, received the sentence after an October 31, 2019, jury verdict finding him guilty of attempted sex trafficking of children, attempted enticement of minors, and travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct.

The evidence at trial showed that, in March and April of 2019, Nordwall exchanged text messages with a man who he believed was a “pimp” with a 14-year-old girl and a 15-year-old girl available. The man was actually an undercover law enforcement officer. Nordwall agreed to pay the pimp $200 for a half hour with the two girls, and he drove to the Cedar Rapids area, where he met law enforcement officers.

In 2004, in Minnesota, Nordwall was convicted of criminal sexual conduct in the third degree, two counts of criminal sexual conduct in the fifth degree, and possession of pornographic work involving minors. Nordwall was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Nordwall was sentenced to 324 months’ imprisonment. A special assessment of $300 was imposed, and Nordwall must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release. He must comply with all sex offender registration and public
notification requirements.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Iowa State Patrol, and the Hiawatha Police Department. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.

For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — One-third of Iowa’s state government isn’t ready to fully reopen any time soon as the coronavirus continues to infect and kill people across the state.The Iowa Judicial Branch announced Friday afternoon that it would cancel jury trials in criminal cases until Sept. 14, and push back any in-person proceedings until July 13.

Some hearings can begin July 13 or earlier if courthouses meet recommended safety protocols, but the use of teleconferences and video conferences will continue to be encouraged.Health officials have warned that crowded courtrooms could be venues to spread the virus to clerks, jurors, lawyers, witnesses, spectators and defendants.

DES MOINES, Iowa (The Des Moines Register) — A suburban Des Moines school district and a former student have reached a $900,000 settlement with a student who suffered permanent brain damage after being attacked at school. Audrey Vacek sued the Ankeny Community School District and another student after a 2016 attack. She alleged Mallory Schaubhut punched her in the face and slammed her head into a concrete wall.

The lawsuit said Schaubhut had verbally abused and threatened Vacek for a year before the attack. The Des Moines Register reports a settlement reached in late April requires the school district to pay $880,000 and Schaubhut to pay $20,000 to Vacek.