(Radio Iowa) – Iowa bars and restaurants have begun to apply for another round of state grants to cover pandemic-related losses. Governor Kim Reynolds says the grants are available to bars and restaurants that saw sales slump in the second and third quarters of 2020 compared to the year before. “The one-time grants are intended to assist with short-term cash flow and award amounts, up to $25,000 will be tiered based on lost sales,” Reynolds says, “…to help them recover, bring their employees back to work and to keep their doors open.” The state began accepting applications at noon yesterday (Monday).

The deadline for making an application is Monday, February 15th at 5 p.m. According to the Iowa Restaurant Association, total sales at the bars, taverns and restaurants in Iowa dropped by 33 percent in 2020 compared to 2019. Forty-one percent of those business owners expected to close before this summer if they can’t get additional relief from the state and federal government.

The Iowa Department of Public Health’s Coronavirus dashboard, Tuesday (10-a.m.), indicated there have been 844 new, positive cases of COVID-19 in test results since 10-a.m. Monday, for a pandemic total of 320,339, to-date. There were 13 additional deaths, for a pandemic total of 4,919. Officials say 4,460 deaths have been attributed to an Underlying Cause, while COVID was a contributing factor in 459 deaths. There were NO new COVID related deaths reported from around southwest Iowa.

Long-Term Care (LTC) facility data show there are 48 current outbreaks among those facilities in Iowa (Down from 55, Monday). Those facilities account for 1,417 of Iowa’s positive cases, while 857 LTC patients have recovered from the virus. LTC deaths make up 2,018 of the State’s total number of deaths.

The IDPH reports there are near 25 more people hospitalized with COVID symptoms, for a total of 390. Officials say 88 COVID patents are in an intensive care unit (ICU), which is down slightly from Monday. The number of patients admitted over the past 24-hours is up from 41 Monday to 49 today, and there are 31 people on a ventilator, compared to 20 on Monday. In RMCC Region 4 (Hospitals in western/southwest Iowa), there are 27 hospitalized with COVID symptoms, nine are in an ICU, no one was admitted since 10-a.m. Monday, and two people remain on a ventilator.

The Health Dept. reports also, 256,096 doses of the vaccine have been administered. Of those doses, 132,922 persons have received their first, or initial dose, while 60,092 have received their second dose.  The State’s 14-day positivity rate is 9.6% (compared to 9.9% Monday), and the seven-day average is 7.3% (Compared to 7.5% on Monday). A total of 286,339 Iowans have recovered from the virus.

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, 1,182 cases; {+2}; 45 deaths
• Adair, 707; {+1}; 24
• Adams, 309; {+1}; 3
• Audubon, 434 {+0}; 8
• Guthrie, 1,057 {+0}; 27
• Harrison County, 1,614; {+1}; 65
• Madison County, 1,308; {+12}; 12
• Mills County, 1,406; {+5}; 17
• Montgomery, 923; {+2}; 30
• Pottawattamie County, 9,360; {+27}; 126
• Shelby County, 1,104; {+5}; 29
• Union County,  1,146; {+1}; 27

Des Moines – Iowans currently enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan have options to switch through the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment period that continues through March 31.
“During this open enrollment period Iowans can switch to a different Medicare Advantage Plan with or without drug coverage.  They can even go back to Original Medicare and, if needed, join a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan,” Kristin Griffith, Director of the Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) said.

Iowans switching Medicare Advantage Plans or switching to Original Medicare with or without a Medicare drug plan, will have new coverage start the first day of the month after your new plan gets your request for coverage. “Iowans should keep in mind, if you go back to Original Medicare, you may not be able to buy a Medicare Supplement insurance policy.  Call 1-800-351-4664 to be connected to a SHIIP counselor who can help you make the change and answer your questions,” Griffith said.

The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period isn’t for people who are enrolled in Original Medicare or are enrolled in a Medicare Cost plan.

(Radio Iowa) – One month of 2021 already behind us, but there are still several days left before the tax filing season opens for 2020. I-R-S spokesman, Christopher Miller, says February 12th is the first day you can file. “If that seems a little late to some people — we have changed the date depending on what we need to do to our systems,” Miller explains. “The February 12th start date allows the I-R-S to do additional programming and testing of the I-R-S system.”

He says that additional programming is needed after the tax change that came on December 27th. Miller says that was the change that brought the second round of economic impact payments and other benefits, and the programming is needed to keep things running smoothly. Miller says the changes ensure that eligible people will receive any remaining stimulus money as a Recovery Rebate Credit when they file their 2020 tax return. “If filing season were open without the correct programming in place — then there could be a delay in issuing refunds to taxpayers — and nobody wants that,” according to Miller. ” These changes ensure that eligible people will receive any remaining stimulus money as a recovery rebate credit when they file their 2020 tax return.”

Miller says the agency is still urging you to file electronically with direct deposit as soon as you have the information they need. He says you can get the tax returns completed now and the returns will be transmitted to the I-R-S when the filing season opens on February 12th.

(Radio Iowa) – Scammers are targeting some Iowans who are trying to get COVID-19 vaccinations. Larry Jones, a public health expert, says criminals are pretending to be from a local health department or another organization in order to get your personal information. “Health departments, etcetera, are not going to be asking people for their credit card numbers or personal information of that nature,” says Jones. “They’re going to be wanting to know your name, probably a telephone or an email to be able to get back with you, but they’re not going to be asking you for financial information.”

Jones says some of the scammers have built sophisticated websites with authentic-looking vaccine sign-up forms. “They look very legitimate like they are a local health department and they’re not,” says Jones. “When you go onto their site, they start asking for their credit card and their Medicare or Medicaid numbers and things of that nature.”

If you get a call, email or letter from your local, county or state health department that looks suspicious, call that agency directly before responding.

The Atlantic Community School District Board of Directors and representatives with the Non-Certified Staff Collective Bargaining Unit (CBU) are set to begin contract negotiations on Wednesday, February 2. The meeting starts at 4:00 p.m. at the High School Media Center, and will be available for viewing live on YouTube. The meeting is open to the Public. The NCS CBU will present its proposal first, followed by the Atlantic Board of Education’s proposal.

In the last school year (2020-2021), the non-certified staff CBU negotiated a 2.31% increase, at an estimated cost of $68,357.64. In 2020-2021, the certified staff CBU negotiated a 2.28% increase for the 2020-21 school years, with an estimated cost of $157,503.82.