The State of Iowa’s COVID-19 dashboard indicates that from 10-a.m. Sunday through 10-a.m. today (Monday), there were seven more deaths attributed to the virus, for a total of 1,388, and 356 more Positive cases, for a total of 92,901. Deaths attributed to a pre-existing medical condition number 944. There have been 3,289 lab results returned since 10-a.m. Sunday, with 2,971 coming back Negative for the virus, and 316 positive. The total number of tests administered to-date, amount to 824,048, with 729,587 total Negative results. The 14-day rolling average remains 8.8%. Health officials say 71,798 Iowans have recovered from the effects of COVID-19.

In the KJAN listening area; There are six new, Positive cases of COVID-19 in Harrison County; five new cases in Pottawattamie County; 2 cases each in Adams and Shelby Counties, and one new positive case in each of Adair; Guthrie and Madison. The IDPH says there was also one more COVID-19 related death in Guthrie County, for a total of 11.

Hospitalization data due to COVID-19 show: 389 are hospitalized (compared to 392 Sunday); 99 patients are in an ICU (compared to 104 previously); 54 people have been admitted to a hospital, and 43 COVID patients are on a ventilator (up from 39 previously).

In western/southwest Iowa, 20 people are hospitalized with COVID-19 (compared to 21 on Sunday), seven are in an ICU (8 previously), two were admitted since Sunday (3 previously), and no one is on a ventilator.

There are currently 52 long-term care facilities with coronavirus outbreaks, in Iowa. IDPH reports 1,160 positive cases and 684 recoveries within those facilities. There have been 713 deaths in Iowa’s long-term care facilities, five more than yesterday.

In the KJAN listening area, here are the current number positive cases in each county, the number of persons recovered, and the total number of [deaths] (if any), since the pandemic began:

• Cass, 194 cases; 163 recovered; 2 deaths
• Adair, 77; 52; 1
• Adams, 42; 28; 0
• Audubon, 104; 39; 1
• Guthrie, 292; 179; 11
• Harrison County, 326; 183; 5
• Madison County, 266; 186; 2
• Mills County, 221; 143; 1
• Montgomery, 109; 94; 5
• Pottawattamie County, 2,350; 1,812; 41
• Shelby County, 286; 255; 1
• Union County,  152; 102; 3

The Atlantic City Council is scheduled to hold a regular meeting 5:30-p.m. Wednesday, in the Chambers at City Hall. Among the action items on their agenda, is:

• An Order to refer a proposal to vacate an obsolete Right-Of-Way (ROW) on E. 9th Street, to the Planning and Zoning Commission. The Commission would be tasked with further reviewing the proposal and forwarding its recommendation to the City Council for action at subsequent meetings, to include a public hearing and three readings of an ordinance.
• The Council, Wednesday, will also act to approve an Amended City Attorney Retainer Agreement with Otto, Lorence & Wiederstein, P.L.L.C, for the services of Blake Miller. Miller, who currently works with a law firm out of Harlan, would replace Audubon County Attorney Sarah Jennings, who also served as the Assistant City Attorney for the City of Atlantic. It was announced last month that Jennings resigned her position in Audubon County, and has left the region to be closer to her family.
• The Council will hold the second reading of an Ordinance Vacating a City ROW between Hemlock & Sycamore Streets, south of E. 18th Street, to include “Phantom” alley.
• And, the Atlantic City Council will act on the first reading of an ordinance that amends the Code of Ordinances, with regard to “Stop Required” at the intersection of 22nd & Olive Streets. The City’s Community Protection Committee (CPC) has unanimously recommended the current two-way stop at the intersection be expanded to four-way, and they recommend making the intersection of 32nd Street and Chestnut be converted to a three-way stop, to slow down the traffic flow in that area.

In other business, the Council will act on passing a Resolution adopting a policy on limiting street closures for certain events. The CPC recommends approval of the Resolution the says street closure request shall be granted no more than twice per year, per individual or business, and that such closures be made for “a good cause.” Events sponsored directly by the City or through the Atlantic Chamber of Commerce, would be exempt from the requirement.

And, the Council is expected to act on orders accepting the Tax Sale Certificate for 301 Maple and 101 Cedar Streets, in addition to a Change Order for the Downtown Revitalization Project, the latter of which adds $19,613 to the project, but still keeps it within the overall scope of the project cost. In his report to the Council, City Administrator John Lund will discuss the Standard & Poor’s Rating on the City Of Atlantic’s Wastewater Treatment Plant Debt.

(Radio Iowa) – The I-R-S is sending out a special mailing to some residents of Iowa and the U-S who may be eligible for the Economic Impact Payment. I-R-S spokesman, Chris Miller, says they want to get a check to everyone who is eligible. “We don’t have enough information on them to send them a payment, so we need them to update their information with us,” Miller explains. “There are about nine million people who are getting this special mailing — including about 71-thousand in Iowa alone.” He says the people targeted by the letters are usually low income and don’t have to file a tax return. Miller says they developed the letter list by using W-2’s, 10-99 forms, and other third-party statements to create this group.

Miller says if you got a letter and may be eligible, you need to do one thing. “We’re encouraging them to register with us by using the I-R-S’s non-filers tool — which is available on our website — I-R-S-dot-gov. They simply put in very simple information and that allows us to find out if they are eligible. We want people to register on our website by October 15th,” according to Miller. He says they set that deadline in the hopes they can get the checks out by the end of the year. He says individuals could get 12-hundred dollars or 24-hundred for each couple and 500 dollars for each eligible dependent child or dependent.

Miller says if you think you may be eligible, you can go to the website and check before you receive a letter.

Police in Creston report one person was transported to the hospital, following a collision Friday afternoon at Highway 25/Sumner Avenue, & W. Howard Street. Authorities say a 2007 GMC SUV driven by 25-year old Matthew Avery Parks, of Creston, was stopped at stop sign on Howard Street, facing west, and proceeded to continue across Sumner Avenue, when it was struck on the driver’s side, by a northbound 1994 Ford Ranger pickup. The accident happened at around 12:10-p.m.

The driver of the pickup, 51-year old Sheila Ann Culbert, of Creston, suffered suspected minor/non-incapacitating injuries, and was taken by EMS ground to the Greater Regional Medical Center, in Creston.

According to Police report, Parks failed to yield to the pickup. No citations were issued. Damage from the collision amounted to $7,000. Both vehicles were declared a total loss.

Police in Red Oak, Sunday evening, arrested a woman for Domestic Abuse Assault/1st offense. 41-year old Heidi Ann Divis, of Red Oak, was taken into custody at around 5:30-p.m., at 4th and Elm Streets, in Red Oak. She was transported to the Montgomery County Jail and held without bond, pending an appearance before the magistrate.

(Radio Iowa) – Three Republicans in the U.S. Senate have tested positive for Covid, but Senator Chuck Grassley’s spokesman says the 87-year-old senator will not be tested. Grassley and Senator Mike Lee of Utah, who has the virus, were both at a Judiciary Committee meeting last Thursday, but Grassley spokesman Michael Zona says Grassley’s doctors do not recommend that he be tested because Grassley wasn’t seated next to Senator Lee.

Zona says Grassley hasn’t had close contact with anyone suspected or confirmed to have the virus. Grassley is the president pro tempore of the U.S. Senate, which makes him third in the line of succession to the presidency, behind the speaker of the House and the vice president. Grassley issued a statement via Twitter, saying he regularly prays for President Trump and others in authority, but added an additional prayer that Trump and the first lady get well soon from the coronavirus.

Iowa’s other U.S. Senator, Joni Ernst, did take a Covid test and found out this weekend it was negative.

(Radio Iowa) – J.D. Scholten, the Democrat running for Iowa’s fourth district congressional seat, says he’s hoping President Trump’s Covid diagnosis raises awareness about what health experts recommend to combat the spread of coronavirus. “First of all, my prayers go to the president and first lady and hoping for a speedy recovery,” Scholten says. “What it shows is this pandemic and this virus doesn’t discriminate.”

Scholten stops short of calling for a national mandate that everyone wear face coverings in public, but Scholten says he’s hoping the president’s case raises awareness about the importance of wearing a mask and social distancing. “I think there should be a national plan. I mean we were all willing to commit in March to stay home and there was never that next step,” Scholten says, “and so we have this ‘one foot in, one foot out’ approach that just continues to prolongs it.”

Scholten says the next coronavirus relief package should include funding for more robust testing as well as grants for small businesses and biofuels plants. Scholten made his comments this weekend on the “Iowa Press” program on Iowa P-B-S. He faces Republican nominee Randy Feenstra of Hull in this year’s General Election. Scholten came within three points of defeating Republican Congressman Steve King in 2018.

(Radio Iowa) – A man has been taken into custody after a standoff with the Fort Dodge Police over the weekend. The man identified by police as Christopher Smith, faces multiple charges from the incident. There were warrants for Smith’s arrest issued prior to this incident. He barricaded himself in a bedroom of a residence.

Officers eventually deployed a chemical into the room, forcing Smith out. After he jumped out of a bedroom window officers were able to take him into custody.