DUBUQUE, Iowa (Telegraph Herald) — A spike in influenza and other respiratory illnesses in eastern Iowa have led hospitals in Dubuque and Dyersville to limit patient visitation. The Telegraph Herald reports that children under 14 — including siblings of babies in the birth center — are being asked not to visit the hospitals. Those with respiratory or flu symptoms, such as coughing, fever, aches and nausea, are also asked not to visit.

Dr. Honorio Caceres is chairman of the bi-hospital infection control committee. He directed that the restrictions be put in place at MercyOne Dubuque Medical Center and UnityPoint Health-Finley Hospital in Dubuque and at MercyOne Dyersville Medical Center.

In an update a story we brought you on Feb. 18th, the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, Saturday (today), reports a man accused of pushing a co-worker off the top of a grain bin in southwest Iowa, who was found in Mexico and returned to the United States, is now being held in the Fremont County Jail, after being extradited from Texas.

Pedro Andrade

37-year old Pedro Andrade, of Muscatine, faces charges that include Attempted Murder, a Class B Felony, Willful Injury a Class C Felony, and Flight to Avoid Prosecution, a Class D Felony. He was being held without bond in the Fremont County Jail, pending an appearance before a Magistrate.

Last month, officials with the U.S. Marshals Service said Andrade was taken into custody with the assistance of Mexican authorities, outside Merida, Yucatan, Mexico (about 3 hours west of Cancun), and extradited to Houston, Texas.

Background:

On Oct. 10th, 2019 the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office received a call at around 12:43-p.m., about a male construction worker who had fallen approximately 60 feet, or 5 1/2 stories, from the catwalk above an industrial grain bin in the 300 block of Washington Street, in Hamburg, and was unconscious. The man was transported to Grape Community Hospital and then transferred to Nebraska Medicine for treatment of life threatening injuries.

Four days later, the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office received a report that the man had awoken from a coma and said he was pushed from the platform by a co-worker, Pedro Andrade. Deputies allege that Andrade, had unhooked the victim’s safety lines and pushed him from the catwalk, onto a gravel parking lot after discovering an affair between the victim and Andrade’s wife.

Andrade was contacted and agreed to meet with deputies, however, the sheriff’s office received information that Andrade and his wife fled the country prior to the interview. Deputies received an arrest warrant for Andrade and the information was sent to the US Marshall’s Service for assistance.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Democratic Party State Central Committee has certified the results of the 2020 presidential caucuses, nearly a month after a faulty mobile app and other problems delayed counting and prompted calls for Iowa to lose its first-in-the-nation status. Iowa awards 41 national delegates in its caucuses.

Following today’s (Saturday’s) certification of the Feb. 3 caucuses, Buttigieg had 14 delegates and Sanders had 12. Elizabeth Warren won eight, Joe Biden won six and Amy Klobuchar won one. The Associated Press opted not to call a winner, given remaining concerns about whether the results as reported by the party were fully accurate.

w/ Chris Parks

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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Police in Des Moines say a suspect has been arrested in the death of a 71-year-old woman who was the victim of a hit-and-run as she crossed a Des Moines street last month. Police say in a news release that 41-year-old Isaias Flores-Morales was arrested Thursday in Illinois on suspicion of leaving the scene of a fatal crash, escaping custody and other counts in the death of Stephanie Markert.

Markert died a week after being hit on Jan. 30 near the Drake University campus, where first responders found her in the street with critical injuries. Police say she was the house mother for Delta Gamma sorority at Drake.

Cass County Democratic Party Chair Sherry Toelle reports, the Party’s Distribution of Winter Clothing in December had to be postponed due to illnesses, weather, and lack of transportation. “But WE’RE BACK!”

Toelle says the Final Distribution of the clothing will take place in March, at two sites, on a first-come, first-served basis:

• Lewis Community Center—Saturday, March 14th, from 3 PM to 4 PM.
• Care & Share Food Pantry—Wednesday, March 18th, from 4 PM to 5:30 PM.

The items are open to all communities in Cass County. If the clothing is not given away as of March 18th , remaining items will be taken to West Central’s Community Action Building in Atlantic.

Red Oak Police report the arrest of 32-year-old Brandon Michael Houghtaling of Red Oak for Public Intoxication on Friday night. Houghtaling was arrested at 9:35pm in the 100 block of West Elm Street in Red Oak. He was taken to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $300 bond.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports a person wanted on multiple active warrants was taken into custody in Carroll County on Friday. 33-year-old Sara Batten was wanted on three warrants for Failure to Appear for a pretrial conference and one warrant for Probation Violation on an original charge of Theft 3rd Degree. Batten was transported to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $6,500 bond.

DIKE, Iowa (WOI-TV) — Iowa authorities say a wooden box containing the cremated remains of a Dike man that was stolen in a home burglary has been recovered. Grundy County sheriff’s deputies had reported that the cremains of 65-year-old Daniel Evanson were stolen during a break-in at his rural home sometime late Feb. 14 or early Feb. 15.

Evanson died Feb. 6. Evanson’s family members had taken to social media to plead for the public’s help in finding the remains and the ornate wooden box holding them. Grundy County Sheriff’s Department told WOI that a jogger Friday morning found the box of cremains on a trail in Cedar Falls, which is about 12 miles northeast of Dike.

WATERLOO, Iowa (The Des Moines Register) — Deere & Co. plans to lay off 42 workers in Waterloo — the latest round of layoffs in the state the farm equipment maker has announced in recent months. The Des Moines Register reports that the company told Waterloo workers Friday that the layoffs will take effect May 4.

It would be the fifth round of layoffs at Iowa offices and plants since November, including 113 workers in Davenport in November, 23 Des Moines workers in December, and 57 more workers in Davenport in January. The company also announced earlier this month that 105 Dubuque workers will be laid off in April.