IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A teenager’s drowning death last year is prompting lawmakers in Iowa to consider making it a crime to fail to call emergency responders to report when someone appears to be in serious danger. The Iowa City Press-Citizen reported that the family of Noah Herring supports the bill. Herring was 15 when he drowned in April in Coralville Reservoir.

The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office said three teens and an adult were present, but none placed a call to get help. Democratic State Sen. Kevin Kinney says the bill would make failing to call emergency responders an aggravated misdemeanor.

The Iowa Department of Public Health today (Saturday) implemented changes to the coronavirus.iowa.gov website. The state has changed how it reports positive COVID-19 cases. The health department now reports total positive cases instead of individuals positive. That has a caused a sharp increase in total positive cases overnight.

Additionally, the health department is no longer reporting 14-day positivity rates by county. This is a metric that schools used to determine if they could apply for a waiver to provide 100% online learning. A page that previously reported this data has been taken offline.

Due to the change in reporting, The IDPH on Saturday reported 27,335 new COVID-19 cases and no additional deaths, for a pandemic total of 358,957 positive cases and 5,336 deaths. Officials say 137,385 persons have recovered.

Long-Term Care facility outbreaks is down to 21 from 24 on Friday. Officials say 601 LTC patients have tested positive for the virus, and 397 have recovered. The state reports 2,139 care facility deaths.

The State data show hospitalizations were down again, from 241 Friday to 238, Saturday. COVID patients in an ICU decreased to 56 from 60. The State says 34 people with COVID symptoms were admitted to hospitals over the previous 24-hours, compared to 43 on Friday, and 24 patients were on a ventilator. In RMCC Region 4 (Hospitals in western/southwest Iowa), 11 people are hospitalized with COVID symptoms, five people are in an ICU, one person was admitted over the past 24-hours, and two people are on a ventilator.

Iowa’s 14-day positivity rate is at 4.3%, and the 7-day average is now 3.8%. Health department data shows 235,716 Iowans have been tested for the virus, while 1,294,698 tests have been administered.

In the KJAN listening area, here are the current number positive cases by County; The # of new cases since yesterday {+} – if any; and the total number of deaths in each county to date:

• Cass, 1,310 cases; {+69}; 48 deaths
• Adair, 904; {+117}; 26
• Adams, 325 {+8}; 3
• Audubon, 481 {+16}; 9
• Guthrie, 1,152 {+78}; 28
• Harrison County, 1,775; {+124}; 68
• Madison County, 1,512; {+133}; 17
• Mills County, 1,611; {+150}; 20
• Montgomery, 1,033; {+75}; 36
• Pottawattamie County, 10,634; {+971}; 140
• Shelby County, 1,190; {+54}; 32
• Union County,  1,254; {+77}; 31

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa state senator faces an ordinance violation charge for allegedly having an undeclared handgun during a screening at Des Moines International Airport. KCCI-TV reports that Republican Sen. Brad Zaun of Urbandale was cited Friday afternoon. The Des Moines Police Department confirmed that the gun was found on Zaun during his screening.

Senator Brad Zaun, (R-IA)

Police say Zaun does have a permit to carry the weapon.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowans who aren’t physically active who want to change course and start moving might consider a program called Walk With Ease, headquartered at Iowa State University. Alison Phillips, an I-S-U psychology professor, says the six-week self-directed program offers strategies to build stamina, manage pain and to develop a safe stride to limit injuries. “It’s a walking program designed for anyone who is new to exercise,” Phillips says. “It was originally developed for people who have arthritis but it’s been expanded to be really for anyone who would benefit from walking — which is pretty much everyone.”

Walking is a great way to increase physical activity and improve well-being she says, but it can be painful and difficult for some Iowans, especially those who have been sedentary for a long time or have a chronic health-related condition. That’s where Walk With Ease can help. Phillips says, “It includes six weeks of content to help people gain confidence in their ability to be physically active, to learn how to walk pain-free and even tips for staying active in the winter.”

Another important component, the program also includes weekly one-on-one online sessions with student health coaches. To those who are already physically active, walking may not sound like a big deal, but Phillips assures, it’s a powerful tool. “The research behind walking is that it has all of the benefits of other types of physical activity and sometimes even more, depending on what you’re talking about,” Phillips says. “It has mental health benefits, physical health benefits. It can give you more energy, reduce pain, improve mood. It even improves sleep.”

While the program is available to anyone, I-S-U researchers are looking to work closely with Iowans who meet certain criteria. “You are able to stand for 10 minutes without increasing pain,” Phillips says. “You have to have approval from a physician, and we would help you get that, and you have to be 60 years of age or older.”

For more information, visit: https://www.uturn.iastate.edu/project/walk-with-ease/