(Radio Iowa) – Senator Joni Ernst is the lead sponsor of legislation that would make it clear immigrants and refugees seeking asylum should be barred from entering the United States if they have been convicted of a serious sex crime.  “Right now, the current laws on the books don’t effectively target those who have been convicted of sexual assault and sexual violence,” Ernst says. “We desperately need to update these laws to make sure we block sexual predators from immigrating to the U.S.”

Under current federal immigration law, those seeking entry into the U.S. may be barred or deported if they have been convicted of an aggravated felony or deviant behavior in another country. Ernst suggests federal law should be more specific.  “This is a common sense, urgently needed solution to modernize our immigration policies and combat sexual violence and those seeking to exploit our law,” Ernst says.

Eleven Republican Senators are co-sponsoring the bill, including Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley. Ernst says there’s no hard data about how many foreign nationals with a sex crime conviction may have been admitted into the United States. “We need to make sure that we’re not allowing unvetted people into the United States,” Ernst said, “especially those that have been charged and convicted of a sexual offense.”

The U.S. Border Patrol recently announced it had arrested a Guatemalan man in Texas, near the Mexican border, who had been convicted a dozen years ago of a felony sex crime in Buena Vista County, Iowa. The agency said the man had been properly processed, but it’s unclear if that means the man was held in U.S. custody or deported.

CRESTON, Iowa – Oct. 6, 2021 – A project to repair the beams of the westbound Interstate 80 bridge over U.S. 169 in De Soto requires closure of U.S. 169 for five nights beginning on Wednesday night, Oct. 6, weather permitting, according to the Iowa Department of Transportation’s Creston construction office.

U.S. 169 at I-80 (exit 110) in De Soto will be closed on the following nights:

• Wednesday, Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. until Thursday, Oct. 7 at 5 a.m.
• Thursday, Oct. 7 at 7 p.m. until Friday, Oct. 8 at 5 a.m.
• Monday, Oct. 11 at 7 p.m. until Tuesday, Oct. 12 at 5 a.m.
• Tuesday, Oct. 12 at 7 p.m. until Wednesday, Oct. 13 at 5 a.m.
• Wednesday, Oct. 13 at 7 p.m. until Thursday, Oct. 14 at 5 a.m.

Detour Route:

• Northbound U.S. 169 traffic will travel east on I-80 to Dallas County Road R-16/Veteran’s Memorial Drive (exit 113), then turn west onto I-80 before exiting onto northbound U.S. 169 (exit 110).

• Southbound U.S. 169 traffic will travel west on I-80 to Dallas County Road F-90 (exit 100), then turn east on I-80 before exiting onto U.S. 169 (exit 110).

(Des Moines, IA) The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH), Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEMD) and the State Hygienic Lab (SHL) are adjusting the state’s approach to provide Iowans convenient access to free COVID-19 testing statewide. The recently launched testing locator map at coronavirus.iowa.gov helps Iowans find testing near them by entering a city or zip code. The map includes all Test Iowa test kit pick-up sites, and locations across the state where in-person testing is available. The tool also includes an overview of the types of tests offered and associated costs. The testing locator will be updated regularly as more locations are submitted by providers.

To provide more timely results to symptomatic Iowans, seven Test Iowa pick-up sites will also provide same day delivery to SHL. This change is being made to expedite test processing. Samples dropped off Monday-Friday at the seven sites listed below will be collected and delivered daily to the SHL by a contracted courier service.

Test Iowa pick-up and drop-off sites with same day delivery to SHL are:

• Black Hawk County: Peoples Community Health Clinic, 905 Franklin Street, Waterloo
• Linn County Public Health: 1020 6th Street Southeast, Cedar Rapids
• Johnson County Public Health: 855 South Dubuque Street, Iowa City
• Polk County Public Health: 1907 Carpenter, Des Moines
• Pottawattamie County Public Health: 600 South 4th Street, Council Bluffs
• Scott County Public Health: 600 W 4th Street, Davenport
• Woodbury County, Siouxland District Health Department: 1014 Nebraska Street, Sioux City

Visit testiowa.com for details. Test results will be sent by email and should be available within 24 hours of the lab receiving an activated test kit. Hours and drop-off times vary by site. Review sites drop off hours on the Test Iowa website to ensure same day delivery to SHL.

Increased demand for testing is putting additional strain on health care clinics and emergency rooms. To ensure that Iowa’s health care resources are available for those who need care, IDPH recommends that Iowans consider the following testing options based on their circumstances:

• Iowans with mild symptoms consistent with COVID-19 or those who have been exposed to a COVID positive individual should seek testing in a health care setting or use Test Iowa at home.
• Iowans seeking testing for travel or other proactive purposes should purchase a home test kit from a retailer or pharmacy, or schedule an appointment at a local pharmacy.
• Individuals experiencing severe symptoms or those who are at high risk of serious illness should seek should seek medical care.

Consistently, between 75%-80% of Iowans recently hospitalized due to COVID-19 were unvaccinated when they became infected, and 80-90% of those admitted to an intensive care unit were unvaccinated. The number of vaccinated Iowans continues to grow. According to the CDC, 71% of Iowans over the age of 18 have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and nearly 69% of Iowa’s total vaccine eligible population, which includes those 12 years of age and older, have received at least one dose. Iowans age 65 and older have achieved the highest vaccination rate at 92%.

Health officials say these figures underscore how essential it is for all Iowans who are eligible to get vaccinated for COVID-19. The vaccine is best tool we have to keep ourselves and our families healthy and to prevent severe illness, hospitalization and death from the COVID-19 virus. Finally, as flu season approaches, IDPH urges all Iowans to get the flu vaccine. By getting vaccinated for both influenza and COVID-19, we can prevent avoidable hospitalizations and help preserve health care resources for other needs, including illnesses, injuries and emergencies. Anyone with questions about either vaccine should reach out to their health care provider.

(Greenfield, Iowa) – The Adair County Board of Supervisors, Wednesday, authorized Board Chair SteveShelley to sign an Intergovernmental 28-E agreement with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and Adair County, pertains to well fees and a language update to the agreement. County Engineer Nick Kauffman reported on, and the Board approved, step wage rate progression and/or Longevity Raises for Secondary Roads employees: Luke Meisenheimer (employed 6 months); Brad Cooper, (employed 24 months); Dustin Ford (employed 24 months); Bobby Jeanes (employed 6 months), as well as Barry Williams (employed 10-years).

In other business, the Board authorized Chairman Steve Shelley to sign a temporary Right Of Way Contract for the Lakeview Road culverts project, and the final voucher for the Fiscal Year 2021 granular surfacing project. They discussed the closure and possible replacement of the North 35, 52-foot Summit Bridge which has a 3 ton weight limit. Kauffman said a local land owner expressed concerns about access to his property while the bridge is closed.

Kauffman said the only alternative the County has would be to pay the land owner for damages, but he said bridge can be repaired/rebuilt, also.

The Board approved repairing the bridge instead of replacing it. Kauffman discussed other, on-going projects as well, in his report on the Roads Dept. maintenance and activities.

October 6, 2021 (DES MOINES) – Awards totaling $5.2 million were announced today (Wednesday), for CDBG projects across the state. The Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) made the awards through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, which provides support for community improvements.

Downtown revitalization project awards were awarded to six Iowa communities to invest in the improvement of 62 downtown building facades .They include:

• Stanton – Rehab of 8 downtown building facades ($316,945 local/other funding, $445,242 CDBG)
• Ft. Dodge – 9 downtown building facades
• Independence – 8  ”         ”            “
• Maquoketa – 8      ”         ”            “
• Marshalltown  – 11 ”       ”            “
• West Bend – 18      ”        ”            “

The Upper Story Conversion awards will help five communities with the creation of an additional 21 upper story housing units. Those communities include:

• Atlantic, 2 units, $205,105
• Burlington, 6 units ($500,000)
• Leon, 4 units ($500,000)
• Marshalltown, five units ($550,000)
• Mason City 4 units ($550,000).

Grants are awarded based upon the benefit to low- and moderate-income persons, financial need, project impact and readiness, and commitment of local resources to the project. CDBG funds enable communities to make needed improvements to infrastructure, improve housing conditions for low-income homeowners, provide facilities for disabled and at-risk individuals, and make transformative downtown improvements.

The CDBG program is federally funded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. IEDA is responsible for administering the CDBG funds in the non-metropolitan areas of the state. Download a copy of the CDBG Upper Story Conversion and Downtown Revitalization awards.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – With the help and wonderful generosity from the community of Atlantic, and beyond, the Atlantic Police Department was able to raise approximately $2,700 in 2020 through the sales of Pink Patches with the A-PD logo. The proceeds were donated to our local Cass County, IA Relay for Life chapter. Atlantic Police Sgt. Spencer Walton says “In 2021, the Atlantic Police Department has partnered with Outfitters Plus to provide a different option. We are pleased to offer a line of “WE FIGHT TOGETHER” apparel. Featuring “WE FIGHT TOGETHER” on the front and an eye-appealing design on the back, combining cancer awareness imagery with the First Responder Thin Line flag.”

Pre-orders are available now but only for a short duration to allow time for shirts to be processed and distributed; orders must be submitted by October 17th. Apparel can be viewed, selected and purchased ONLINE at the following link: https://relayforlifefundraiser2021.itemorder.com/shop/sale/

Apparel orders will be processed and created by Outfitters Plus, in Atlantic. When choosing and paying for items, you will have the option to have their items shipped for an additional fee, or people can pick the items up directly from Outfitters Plus for free, once complete. Sgt. Walton says the Atlantic Police Department also has a VERY limited number of Pink Patches left over from last year. Stop in to the Atlantic Police Department at 23 East 4th St., Atlantic, IA to pick a patch up for $10, if you would like.

All proceeds from apparel sales and pink patch sales will again benefit the local Cass County, IA Relay for Life Chapter. Please feel free to contact the Atlantic Police Department at 712-243-3512 for questions. And, for apparel order questions, contact Outfitters Plus at 712-243-4379.