(Radio Iowa) – A-A-R-P state director Brad Anderson says the pandemic should prompt public officials to rethink policies that impact older Iowans. “There’s no doubt that the virus has shined a bright light on the shortcomings of nursing homes and the entire industry. We all know now that nursing homes are severely understaffed and that direct care workers are severely underpaid.” Anderson says home-based care is a better model for older Iowans. “Home-based care is what most Iowans want. They want to age in place. They want to be at home and it is a safer option than two beds per room and that is a face,” Anderson says, “and so I think one of the things we need to do after all is said and done after we get this virus under control is we need to look at the whole industry and then use Covid as a spring board to rethink long-term care in Iowa.”

By 2030, the number of Iowans over the age of 85 is projected to grow by 36 percent. Anderson says now is the time to start talking about caring for a growing number of elderly Iowans and that includes their mental as well as physical health. “This has been a long and heartbreaking year for older Americans,” Anderson says. “The vaccine rollout has been frustrating, especially for those without a computer and today older Iowans remain socially isolated.”

According to state records, nearly 22-hundred Iowa nursing home residents have died of Covid. State officials say all those who live or work in an Iowa nursing home who wanted a Covid shot have gotten one. The Iowa Department of Public Health reports there are 141 current Covid cases among nursing home residents and employees.

State fire officials have declared an open burn ban in Page County due to dangerous fire conditions. (See the proclamation below) The ban is in effect from Noon today (March 8), until further notice, and will only be lifted once conditions allow.  The State Fire Marshal’s Office says it received a request from Page County Emergency Management Coordinator Kris Grebert on behalf of the county’s fire chiefs for the burn ban. Grebert says high winds and low relative humidity in the forecast make for dangerous fire conditions in the days ahead. Those violating the burn ban will be subject to a simple misdemeanor charge.

The Atlantic School District Board of Education is expected to act on several matters, Wednesday, including a recommendation from Superintendent Steve Barber, to continue with the face mask policy, while at the same time considering adding exceptions, such as for participation in outside activities. Since a mask mandate began on Oct. 22, 2020, the District has renewed the policy, mostly for 30 days at a time, with the exception being in January, when the Board elected to continue with the policy until March 10th.

Barber says the district’s self-imposed mask mandate, along with CDC guidelines, have allowed for a significant drop in the number of students who have needed to quarantine. In all of the district’s buildings, except Washington, students have some ability to social distance. Mr. Barber says also, in elementary buildings, administrators feel good about not having to send whole classes home, due to direct contact. He added “We have had some good compliance for mask usage, and it seems that had become part of the routine. Many staff and students utilize masks” he said,”even when they are not required. Outside activities and transportation,” he says, “is another consideration as the Board looks to set policy.”

The meeting begins at 6-p.m. in the High School Media Center, and will be streamed live on YouTube.

In other business, the Superintendent will recommend to the Board the following changes to the 2020-21 School Calendar, to make-up for lost hours on snow days:

• Add May 27th & 28th. Dismiss 1.5 (90 minutes early) on Friday
• Go to school all day on May 26th and May 19th.

Those changes, he says, would result in a total of 14.5 hours, and bring the total to 1,082.5, which meets the state requirements, and provides flexibility, he says, “in case we need to start school one-day late.” Barber says “If additional time is lost, we would have to look to have full days on Wednesdays, to still get students out before Memorial Day.” Teachers, he said, will need to return for three-days, after Memorial Day.

The Atlantic School Board is expected to act on approving the following resignations:

• Connor Larson, HS PE/Weight Training/Health Teacher, & MS Football/Assistant Wrestling Coach
• June Halder, Washington Elem. Secretary
• Riley Speer, Washington Elem. Office Paraeducator
• Jennifer Rumery, Food Service.

And, the following Contract Recommendations:

• Mark Anderson, HS Boys Soccer Coach
• Payton Wilkenfeld, Jalen Petersen and Roger Warne: HS Track Volunteer Coaches
• James Northwick, HS Tennis Volunteer Coach
• and Cal Heuton, HS Boys Soccer Volunteer Coach.

Other matters on their agenda include: a Facility Project Update; setting March 24th at 6-p.m. as the date/time for a Public Hearing on the 2021-22 Certified Budget; Approving the plans, specs and form of contract for the High School Parking and Sidewalk Project, and awarding of the contract.

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds visited the COVID-19 vaccine clinic in Fort Dodge over the weekend, in order to see first-hand the new techniques being put into practice. The clinic was put on by the Webster County Public Health Department and the governor said she was impressed with the event’s execution. “The organization, the collaboration, the coordination, the way that people come in, the way they have the pods set up, they never have to leave their chair,” Reynolds says. “My take-away is, they have the capacity to do more. They’re willing to do more. They just need the vaccines.”

While Iowa is experiencing a vaccine shortage, Reynolds feels the new Johnson & Johnson vaccine could help alleviate that. “We’re seeing our doses increase every week and the administration has guaranteed that we will get the same amount,” she says. “I don’t think we’ll get any Johnson & Johnson this week to the state but they’re hoping the following week, we’ll be able to start to ramp that up again. That is a game-changer just because it’s a single dose.”

The governor says the Webster County clinics are the blueprint the rest of the state could follow. “I think it is a great model of what other areas can do and it’s honestly one of the reasons I’m here, is to highlight it because there’s been a lot of thought that’s gone into it and they’ve done a great job,” she says. “We need to recognize that and incentivize that by allocating more vaccine to areas that have demonstrated that they can do it.”

An average of 90 people every 30 minutes have been vaccinated at the Webster County clinics.

A regular meeting of the Adair County Board of Supervisors is set to take place 9-a.m. Tuesday over the phone**. During their session, the Board will canvass the votes for a Special Nodaway Valley School District Revenue Purpose Statement election, held last week. Unofficial results indicated the measure passed by a vote of 107 Yes to 9 No. In other business, the Board will receive a quote from Access Systems, for their cloud-based phone system. They’re also set to discuss letters to Entities, with regard to COVID Relief.

At around 9:10-a.m. Tuesday, Kristen Renslow, with the City of Stuart, will present to the Board for their action, a Resolution approving the addition of county property to the City of Stuart Urban Renewal Area. Later on, Curt Beane and Joanie Finck are expected to express their concerns with regard to regulations pertaining to Solar Panel/Solar Farms.

Neil Hyde, from Infomax, will discuss a complete Cloud Solution, and County Engineer Nick Kauffmann will present his weekly report, and a performance bond for a Farm-To-Market road rock contract.

(** Dial in number 605-313-6157     Access Code 526272#)