Police in Creston report a woman from Nebraska was arrested early this morning, on a drug charge. 51-year old Ellen Joy Kovalsky, of Omaha, was taken into custody at around 3:50-a.m. and charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance – 1st Offense. Kovalsky was taken to Union County Jail and subsequently transferred to the jail in Adams County.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Dustin Liston once served as an intern for the Iowa City Police Department. Now, he may soon lead it. The Cedar Rapids Gazette reports that Iowa City Manager Geoff Fruin is recommending Liston, currently a lieutenant with the El Paso Police Department in Texas, to take the top job in Iowa City. Whoever is selected will lead the department through a period of change. The Iowa City Council, in the wake of racial injustice protests, has vowed to restructure the department.

Liston is originally from Eldora. He was among 18 applicants for the chief’s job following the retirement of former Chief Jody Matherly in February.

KELLOGG, Iowa – The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office are continuing to investigate the September 16th discovery of a burned body in rural Jasper County. The investigation has led to the involvement of the Grinnell Police Department and the Poweshiek County Sheriff’s Office. The investigation is on-going and is being treated as a homicide.

As reported earlier, at around 5:32-p.m., Wednesday, the Jasper County Communication Center received a report of a fire in the 8100 block of North 67th Avenue East in rural Kellogg. Responding emergency personnel found an active fire in the roadside ditch. After extinguishing the fire, a deceased body was located.

Additional information on the case is expected to be released later today (Friday).

The Iowa Department of Public Health’s Coronavirus dashboard today (Friday), said there were 1,259 new (Positive) COVID-19 cases reported since 10-a.m. Thursday, and 10 additional deaths. As of 10 a.m. Friday, IDPH reported 78,227 total COVID-19 cases, 56,474 recoveries and 1,258 deaths since the pandemic began. There have been 726,050 Iowans tested for the virus. IDPH reported 6,381 lab test results received in the previous day, with 729 positive results. IDPH reports a positivity rate of 8.5% over the last 14 days. One of four Iowans have been tested for COVID-19, while 1 of 40 have tested positive.

In the KJAN listening area, there are new Positive tests results to report for nearly all of the counties in our area, except Cass and Adams. Adair and Union Counties have three new cases each. There are four more cases in Audubon County, one more each in Guthrie County and Montgomery Counties, two new cases each in Shelby and Harrison Counties, three more in Union County, seven more in Madison County, nine more cases in Mills County, and 82 new cases in Pottawattamie County,

IDPH reported 39 long-term care facilities with coronavirus outbreaks, unchanged from the previous day. There are 928 positive cases and 466 recoveries within those facilities. There have been 661 deaths in Iowa’s long-term care facilities, accounting for more than half of the statewide total. Across the State, hospitalizations are up 10 to 281. The number of patients with COVID-19 who are in an ICU is up to 91; 55 people were admitted to a hospital with symptoms of the virus, and 39 patients were on ventilators. In western/southwest Iowa, hospitals report 12 people are hospitalized with COVID-19; 8 are in an ICU; One person was admitted to an area hospital with symptoms, and one person remains on  ventilator.

Here are the latest positive case numbers for southwest/western Iowa (County; Positive Case #’s; number of persons who have (recovered); {deaths since the outbreak began}.

• Cass County: 126 cases; (113); 2 deaths
• Adair County: 62 cases; (42); 1 death
• Adams County: 27 cases; (23)
• Audubon County: 53 cases; (32); 1 death
• Guthrie County: 209 cases; (156); 5 deaths
• Montgomery County: 85 cases; (79); 5 deaths
• Pottawattamie County: 1,934 cases; (1,582); 37 deaths
• Shelby County: 240 cases; (227); 1 death.
• Madison County, 198; (151); 2 deaths
• Harrison County, 166 cases; (151); 2 deaths
• Union County: 114 cases; (85); 3 deaths.
• Mills County: 162 cases; (114); 1 death.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 330 a.m. CDT

KELLOGG, Iowa – The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office continue their investigation into the September 16 discovery of a burned body in rural Jasper County. The investigation has led to the involvement of the Grinnell Police Department and the Poweshiek County Sheriff’s Office. The investigation is on-going and is being treated as a homicide.  Additional information will be released later today (Friday). Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Grinnell Police Department at 641.623.5679 or the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office at 641.792.5912.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa reported more than 900 new confirmed coronavirus cases and 14 deaths in the past 24 hours, as a federal report says the state has one of the nation’s highest infection rates. As of Thursday morning, Iowa Department of Public Health data showed 918 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours, raising the state total to 76,965 known positive cases. An additional 14 people died for a total of 1,248 deaths attributed to COVID-19 since March. The data also shows an increasing number of children under age 17 have tested positive for the virus, with the total now 5,929. That’s an increase of 389 cases since Monday. More than 2,700 educators have tested positive for the virus.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Supreme Court is refusing to review lower court decisions that invalidated tens of thousands of voters’ absentee ballot requests at the urging of President Trump’s reelection campaign. The court issued orders Wednesday denying requests to put rulings in Linn and Woodbury counties on hold. The elections commissioners in those counties, an affected voter and Democratic-aligned groups had asked the court to intervene, saying thousands of voters could be disenfranchised and inconvenienced if the rulings stand. The court rejected all of their requests without explanation. Judges have ruled the counties overstepped by sending absentee ballot request forms to voters with their personal information already filled in.

FORT DODGE, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Attorney General’s Office has determined a Webster County deputy was legally justified in the Aug. 4 fatal shooting of a woman near Fort Dodge. The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation announced Thursday that the attorney general’s office cleared deputy Brett Knippel in the shooting of 39-year-old Melissa Halda, of Fort Dodge. The shooting happened the evening of Aug. 4 when Webster County and Fort Dodge officers were called to a home and told a woman was armed with two knives and was suicidal. The officers found Halda, who threatened the officers with the knives and moved toward them. Knippel fired five times, striking Halda with four bullets and killing her.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The University of Iowa says the Big Ten’s decision to have a fall football season will not impact its decision to eliminate four sports programs. Athletic Director Gary Barta last month announced the elimination of men’s and women’s swimming and diving, men’s tennis and men’s gymnastics. He said the cuts were “100% driven by” the coronavirus pandemic, which caused the postponement of football and tens of millions in lost revenue. On Wednesday, the Big Ten announced that the conference would have a fall football season beginning in late October. Alumni of the Hawkeye programs that were cut held a news conference to call for their reinstatement. But the athletics department says the cuts are “final” and have been supported by the Board of Regents.