A collision in Harrison County a little after 12-a.m. today (Wednesday), left one person dead and another injured. The Iowa State Patrol reports 39-year-old Carson Stiffler, of Omaha, died in the crash that happened at the I-29 off-ramp to exit 89, near Mondamin. Authorities say a 2006 Honda Civic driven by Carson Stiffler was traveling south in the left lane of northbound I-29 at the same time a 2017 Toyota RAV4 driven by 20-year-old Serena Mailes, of Sioux City, was traveling north in the same (left) lane.

After the vehicles collided at the off-ramp, the Civic entered the median and rolled-over. The car came to rest on its wheels in the median. Its door was torn-off during the collision, resulting in Stiffler being ejected from the vehicle. The Patrol says he was wearing a seat belt. The RAV4 entered the median and struck the car.

Stiffler was transported by Mondamin Rescue to the hospital in Missouri Valley, where he died from his injuries.  Mailes, who was wearing her seat belt, was also transported to the Missouri Valley Hospital by Mondamin Rescue. The accident remains under investigation. The Harrison County Sheriff’s Office assisted at the crash scene.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa hospitals and their employees face a number of challenges as they take care of an increasing number of patients with COVID-19. Dr. Toyosi Olutade, Chief Medical Officer for UnityPoint Health Trinity, says people put off routine health care last year, and now the system is struggling to deal with pent-up demand. “The hospitals have been very busy with non-COVID illness and if you add on COVID-19, it’s going to be a whole new level of stress to the hospital systems,” Dr. Olutade says.

Even large health care organizations in the region are shuffling patients and beds in an attempt to meet demand.  “Missouri, southern Illinois, they’ve been sending patients to Iowa, the University of Iowa, because they don’t have beds,” he says. “So what happens to the people that maybe require care over there or with us? There are no beds because COVID-19 patients have occupied those beds.”

The doctor says he wishes he could say employees are doing very well, but in reality, they’re just plain tired. Olutade says everyone who works at the hospital is stressed out. Not just doctors and nurses, but also secretaries, clerks, lab and x-ray technicians, therapists, housekeepers, food service workers, and maintenance personnel.  “Many people who were planning to retire in two or three years have actually just retired because it’s been overwhelming for them,” he says. “There’s such a limited pool of nurses available, a limited pool of respiratory therapists, a limited pool of ultrasound techs because people are leaving the health care field faster than new people are coming in.”

UnityPoint Health operates Iowa hospitals in: Anamosa, Bettendorf, Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, Dubuque, Grinnell, Fort Dodge, Marshalltown, Muscatine, Sioux City, and Waterloo — as well as in Illinois and Wisconsin.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds attended the dedication of an apartment complex in Sioux City and talked about the importance of adding more modern housing to attract new workers to the state. She also talked Tuesday about how the state is ready to help those facing eviction as the federal rent moratorium comes to an end. “Last year in 2020, so between May and December, we set up a rent eviction program as well as a mortgage program and utility program, and allocated close to 45 million dollars that helped keep a lot of Iowans in their home,” Reynolds says.

Gov. Reynolds attends apartment complex dedication in Sioux City, Aug. 3 2021 (Photo credit: Woody Gottburg, KSCJ in Sioux City)

The program is behind in getting the money out and Reynolds says state Economic Development Authority director Debbi Durham has reached out to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. “To let them know with Legal Aid that it is in the process and not to be rash in following through with the evictions until we can work through with the backlog. But she hoped….certainly by the end of this week — that the backlog will be filled,” according to Reynolds.

Reynolds says the new multi-plex in Sioux City is one of the things that will help attract much-needed workers. “That’s one of the reasons that I ended the 300 dollars a week supplemental unemployment payments,”Reynolds says. “Because it was a disincentive for people to go to work — and when we have more job openings than we have people on unemployment — we need to help Iowans to get the skills to fill the jobs.” She says the Economic Development Authority is working on a recruiting campaign. “That really showcases what we have to offer here in the state of Iowa. So we’re kind of finalizing that right now. That will go nationally,” she says.

The “District 42” Sioux City complex features studio, one, two, and three-bedroom options, plus an outdoor pool, community building, and a fitness center. The developer says it is already two-thirds full.

Council Bluffs Police are investigating what’s been deemed a “suspicious death.” Authorities say at around 11:30-a.m. Tuesday, officers were dispatched to the area of Lookout Point, Fairmont Park, in the 1200 block of Fairmont Avenue, after a decomposing female body was found. As of late tonight (Tuesday), additional information was not available, except to say, this is an ongoing investigation. Authorities say additional details will be released after an autopsy is performed, Wednesday.

(Atlantic, Iowa) – The Atlantic School Board, Tuesday evening, held a special meeting to discuss the goals and ultimately approve a plan ( see details here: scan_ssheeder_2021-08-03-20-07-05) for transitioning students from the Atlantic Middle School (AMS) to other District sites. The change is necessary due to a fire on July 27^th that left the building with substantial water damage. Superintendent Steve Barber said last week, the building cannot be occupied when school starts August 23^rd. The building is currently being cleaned, he said, and restoration will follow. Barber said “although those working on the building are making good progress, the process should take a whole year.”

Atlantic School Board meeting 8/3/21 via Zoom.

Barber said he and AMS Principal Josh Rasmussen got together and came up with three goals the district must accomplish to serve the students in light of the current situation.

(To serve each of the middle school grades together; finding a plan that was logical and doable, making it the least disruptive to middle school students and staff; and developing a plan that would disrupt the least amount of individuals or programs in the school district.)

He said the proposed plan is divided into three sections. The first is with regard to 8^th Grade students. The High School Media Center will be used for classrooms, with the goal of keeping MS students as separated as possible from 9-12^th graders

The second concerns 7^th Grade students. They will be housed in the eastern third of the District’s Achievement Center, in Atlantic.

The 6^th Grade students will be served in the developed western third of the Achievement Center building. EOC (Educational Opportunity Center) students will be relocated to two classrooms at Iowa Western Community College, in Atlantic.

Links program students and staff will find a temporary new home in the Early Learning Center, where the Home school Assistance program is located.

Before the plan is put into action, there are several necessary steps: It must first be approved by the State Fire Inspector; A plan will also be developed to determine transportation needs; The back end of the Achievement Center will be cleaned-out and another location found to safely store the equipment; Technology must be ordered, also, and the necessary access points to provide internet access; They will also need to begin to furnish the spaces with the necessary equipment to conduct classes; and Mr. Rasmussen will collaborate with teachers at the Middle School to determine their needs and the best ways to educate in the new setting.

In addition to approving the Transition Plan, the Atlantic School Board approved the purchase of certain pieces of technology in the amount of $80,140, from 2ndGear in Temecula, CA.