The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:05-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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The Atlantic City Council will meet 5:30-p.m. Wednesday in another electronic session via Zoom. One of the items on their agenda, is a “Resolution to require Employees and Visitors to City Buildings to wear face masks.” The issue is, of course, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and a request by the Atlantic Library Board for the City’s blessing requiring those entering the library (and other City buildings) to wear the masks in order to further prevent the spread of the virus.

City Administrator John Lund says he reached out to City Attorney David Wiederstein, who agreed the precaution is appropriate. Lund is expected to inform the Council, Wednesday, that if approved, the mask policy:

• Would Apply to the interior of City-owned buildings, only.
• Would Not affect private property, both business and residential, City parks, trails or other City-owned grounds.
• Would Not result in a citation or penalty for failure to wear a mask.
• Would remain in effect only if the City Council feels it is necessary to protect employees and the public.  The policy is not intended to continue indefinitely.

Lund said also, City Departments will be free to respond to employees or members of the public who refuse to follow the policy (if approved) in a manner that is deemed appropriate for the situation. The Council may adopt the Resolution, vote it down or refer it to a City Committee for further discussion. In other business, the Council will act on setting May 20th as the date for a public hearing to amend the Fiscal Year 2020 budget, and the second reading of an Ordinance prohibiting parking on the north side of East 12th Street, as recommended by the Community Protection Committee. The Council passed the first reading on April 15th.

And, the Atlantic City Council will discuss and act on recommendations for the following:

• The Palm Street/Atlantic Golf and Country Club drainage review report (with regard to ongoing storm water management issues). Following discussion and a review of the options available, the Council may elect to reject participation in the improvements requests, ask for additional studies, or defer its decision to a later date. John Lund is expected to recommend the Council select the option most appropriate to resolve or mitigate property damage caused by inadequate city infrastructure in the affected area, and a financial feasibility plan to be developed for review of the City Council.
• A review of bids for the Country Oak/Miller Storm Water Detention Basin Project & the awarding of the bid project. The lowest bid ($21,520) came from Christ Heuton Earthmoving. City Administrator John Lund says the FY 2020 Budget reserves $27,000 for storm water projects. To date, he says, none of that money has been spent on capital improvements. The project, therefore, is budgeted for and the funds are available.

And, they will act on setting the date for a Public Hearing on the proposed contract documents and estimated construction cost for the Atlantic Facade Rehabilitation Project. This is part of a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), which is in the final stages of pre-construction preparations. The bids will be opened this Friday, and the hearing held during the May 20th City Council meeting.

(Radio Iowa) — This spring planting season in Iowa started out much like last year, cold and wet, but conditions have improved significantly in recent weeks. Angie Rieck-Hinz, a field agronomist with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, monitors crop conditions in north central Iowa. “It’s such a turnaround from the last couple of springs,” she says. “People are still a little bit in shock about how good planting conditions have been over the course of the last two weeks and how much progress we’ve made planting corn and beans. People are in great shape.”

Rieck-Hinz says farmers were prepared to move quickly this spring — and they’re doing just that. “If conditions are good, say we plant about 13-million acres of corn in Iowa, we can knock out about 1.1- to 1.2-million acres planted statewide on a daily basis,” she says. “Our soil temperatures have stayed pretty steady in the low- to mid-50s, but the big thing that’s helped us is, it’s really kind of dried out.” Rieck-Hinz says the spring weather is much more cooperative this year, but she still recommends growers who planted early check on the progress. “There were people planting corn around April 1st and around April 8th, it was still pretty cool back then and it was kind of wet back then,” she says. “I would go out as soon as that corn starts poking through the ground, and some of it has, do some stand counts and make sure your stand’s where you want it.”

When the new weekly crop report comes out, Rieck-Hinz says she expects to hear nearly all of the corn is in the ground and most of the soybeans.

(Radio Iowa) — The Board of Regents will hold a meeting today (Monday) where they will discuss a proposal to freeze tuition and fees for the 2020-2021 academic year. The presidents of the three state schools reported to the Regents during a meeting last Thursday that they have lost millions of dollars from the coronavirus shut down. University of Northern Iowa president, Mark Nook, is not sure how enrollment will be impacted. “It’s really early right now to say that. What we are seeing is the students that we currently have on campus — they are re-registering and falling in line with what we have seen in the past for the students we have here,” Nook said.

U-N-I has struggled to keep its enrollment up in recent years — and has focused on trying to bring in new students. He says it’s too early to say how many freshman and transfer students they will have, although he says they have been doing well in recruitment. University of Iowa president Bruce Harreld said they expect an enrollment drop. “In the recruiting for the new class we see about nine to ten percent down from where we expected to be,” according to Harreld. “So instead of a class close to five-thousand, we are looking at 45-hundred. If it moves a little up or a little down– it’s going to be in that zone.” Harreld said they aren’t expecting much change in current students. “Most of the returning class — right now we see it pretty strong — we don’t see a real issue there. We are concerned about our international students, we have seen a downturn across the nation,” Harreld said.

Iowa State University president Wendy Wintersteen expects a drop in enrollment — but doesn’t have a projection yet. She also has a concern about international students. She said international students may be very interested in coming to I-S-U, but may not be able to get a VISA. Wintersteen says they are hoping online classes will help them with international students by keeping them linked to the school. “Start your first semester with us online. So we’re taking some steps that we see address that problem for some very good students coming from other countries,” she said.

The Board of Regents will meet online today (Monday) to discuss the tuition proposal and then are scheduled to vote on it in June.

(Radio Iowa) — The latest data on COVID-19 test results show more than 91-hundred Iowans have so far tested positive for the virus. Governor Kim Reynolds indicated a backlog in processing at the State Hygienic Lab was being resolved. On Saturday and Sunday a total of 12-hundred-85 (1285) positive test results and more than 63-hundred negative results were announced. A drive-through “Test Iowa” site has been set up in Sioux City. Woodbury County has turned into one of the “hot spots” in Iowa for the virus, with more than 11-hundred confirmed cases in the county. Captain Sam Otto of the Iowa National Guard’s 2nd Brigade Infantry Unit in Boone says the testing is by appointment only, with a referral through the “Test Iowa” website or app.

“There’s going to be a ‘soft opening’ on Monday and Tuesday and then it should be operational throughout the rest of the week,” Otto says. The “Test Iowa” site has been set up at Western Iowa Tech Community College in Sioux City. The state is hiring medical staff to conduct the tests, but guard soldiers will be assigned to the site. “We’re there either to provide planning support, logistical support and then we’re directing some traffic in lanes, for people to go get the actual testing,” Otto says.

For today (Monday) and Tuesday, the site will be open from noon until 6 p.m., then on Wednesday testing will be conducted 10 hours a day, from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. There will be no testing done on weekends. The latest statewide report indicates that 184 Iowans have died of COVID-19 and by Saturday morning, 378 were hospitalized for treatment.

Red Oak Police report a man was arrested Sunday night on numerous drug charges. 39-year old Phillip Jay McClish, of Red Oak, was taken into custody at around 7:45-p.m. in the area of N. Broadway and Elm Streets.

Phillip Jay McClish

He was charged with: Possession of Methamphetamine; Possession of Marijuana; and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. In addition, McClish was cited for operating a vehicle with no valid license. He was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $1,000 bond. Red Oak Police was assisted by the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office.

And, at around 1:50-a.m. today (Monday), Red Oak Police arrested 27-year old Jonathan James Gruber, of Council Bluffs. He was arrested on a warrant for Failure to Appear on a charge of Criminal Mischief in the 3rd Degree, and transported to the Montgomery County Jail, where bond was set at $5,000.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa health officials reported 528 additional coronavirus cases and nine new deaths linked to COVID-19 to give the state a total of 9,169 cases. The Iowa Department of Public Health said Sunday that a total of 184 deaths have been reported in the state. Iowa has begun lifting restrictions on many businesses and churches in 77 counties where few cases of the virus have been reported. More stringent rules remain in 22 counties, which include most of the state’s major cities. State health officials said Sunday that 77 percent of the new cases reported Sunday came from the 22 counties where restrictions remain in place.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Police are investigating after pulling a body from the Des Moines River this weekend. Des Moines Police spokesman Sgt. Paul Parizek said officers were sent to Prospect Park Saturday afternoon after someone spotted a body in the Des Moines River. Rescue personnel from the Des Moines Fire Department removed the body from the water with help from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Parizek said an autopsy will be performed to identify the body and determine how the person died.

CLINTON COUNTY, Iowa (AP) — Two people died when the motorcycle they were riding veered off the road and crashed into a fence. Clinton County Sheriff’s Department Sgt. Scott Reyhons said the crash happened around 4:15 p.m. Saturday afternoon. Deputies who responded to the crash found that a motorcycle had left the road and struck a farm fence in a field. Both people on the motorcycle died at the scene of the crash. Their names were not immediately released.

MCGREGOR, Iowa (AP) — One person died when a truck struck a tree and caught on fire in northeast Iowa. The Clayton County Sheriff’s office says the crash happened south of the town of McGregor, Iowa, around 3:40 p.m. Saturday. The sheriff’s office says the truck failed to negotiate a curve in the road and went into a ditch where it struck the tree and started on fire. The driver of the truck died at the scene of the crash. Authorities did not immediately release the driver’s name.

Officials with Pottawattamie County Public Health, Sunday, reported four new COVID-19 cases. The total of COVID-19 cases in Pottawattamie County is now 49. Twenty-three individuals have recovered, 23 are self-isolating at home, one is hospitalized, and there have been two deaths.

The four new cases are males and residents of Council Bluffs. These individuals were tested for COVID-19 between April 29 and April 30. Three of the cases are between 18-40 years old, the fourth individual is between 41-60 years old. Two of them have pre-existing conditions. One of the new cases had contact with an existing COVID-19 case, and the other three are the result of community spread. All four of these individuals are self-isolating at home.

Pottawattamie County Public Health continues to conduct contact tracing investigations for each COIVD-19 case. A part of contact tracing is assessing risk to the general public. If there is not a risk to the general public, Public Health will communicate directly with the specific contacts identified in the investigation. If and when a risk to the general public is identified, Public Health will publicly identify the location and communicate any actions the public should take.

Because their is community spread of COVID-19, individuals should be taking precautions to protect themselves. Stay home as much as possible, limit travel and shopping. If you must leave home, practice social distancing, and stay at least six feet away from others. Implement excellent hygiene and disinfectant practices. Wash hands and disinfect frequently touched surfaces multiple times per day. And if you are sick, self-isolate at home.

MCGREGOR, Iowa (AP) — One person died when a truck struck a tree and caught on fire in northeast Iowa. The Clayton County Sheriff’s office says the crash happened south of the town of McGregor, Iowa, around 3:40 p.m. Saturday. The sheriff’s office says the truck failed to negotiate a curve in the road and went into a ditch where it struck the tree and started on fire. The driver of the truck died at the scene of the crash. Authorities did not immediately release the driver’s name.