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.

Riverside School District Superintendent Dr. Tim Mitchell, today (Thursday), reports Pottawattamie County Public Health and Riverside Community School District have confirmed that one student in the Middle/High School Building has been confirmed positive for COVID-19.  Mitchell says “Contact and location tracing has been completed by the district and Public Health and limited exposure has been determined.  Any students and staff identified as having primary exposure have been notified and appropriate measures as identified by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), Public Health and the Iowa Department of Education have been instituted.”  The district, he says “Continues to utilize all recommended mitigation measures at school to provide a healthy and safe environment for the students and staff.”

General Mitigation Techniques

• Daily home screening of students and staff-stay home if sick
• Best way to prevent illness is to avoid exposure–Face Coverings required for students and staff-Take frequent face covering breaks when 6ft distancing can be accommodated–with accommodations if needed-Cover your mouth and nose with a cloth face covering when around others
• Social Distancing-Signage throughout the building-when possible-Avoid close contact with others-Put distance (6 Feet) between yourself and others
• Limit large groups and capacity in large spaces (Cafeteria, Gym and Auditorium)
• Routine Hand washing and sanitizing-before you touch and after you touch!!
• Avoid touching mouth and nose with hands
• Cover coughs and sneezes
• Enhanced cleaning every night by custodial staff (CDC Guidance)
• Minimize student movement
• Limit outside visitors during the school day

Atlantic Community School District Superintendent Steve Barber, this (Thursday) morning, issued a statement to Staff and Parents of students in the District. The statement said “We were notified last evening that we had positive COVID test results from individuals in the school district.  We are following our Return to Learn plan and Cass County Public Health procedures in regards to quarantine.  Individuals affected by these positive cases have been communicated with, which is our process.”

Barber says “We continue to follow mitigation strategies of social distancing, handwashing, mask usage, disinfecting, and other strategies.  Although we have experienced a low positive case analysis rate, we must continue to follow our plan with fidelity.”

Mr. Barber told KJAN News if there’s any new information with regard to cancellations of games or events due to student/staff exposure, that information will be disseminated through the media and other sources. But as of today, there are no activities impacted by the positive test results.

(Radio Iowa) – The D-O-T is now offering the 90th version of a new license plate. D-O-T license plate administrator, Paul Cornelius, says the “Fly Our Colors” plate features the colors of the Iowa and U-S flags.”The top of the plate is blue and then the middle of the plate is white and the bottom of the plate would be red. And then it kind of has an eagle in the middle that is kind of gray that you can see through the plate,” Cornelius says.

Part of the money from the plate will go into the state’s flood mitigation fund. He says you can get the plate at your county treasurer’s office in a standard number version — or you can personalize the plate. “The 35 dollar initial fee would be for the flood mitigation fund…and then there’s a ten-dollar annual registration fee. That’s also for the flood mitigation fund, and that’s at the time of renewal,” according to Cornelius. “Then the personalized plates — it’s a 60-dollar initial fee — so you have your normal 25-dollar plate fee, then 35 dollars of that 60 goes to the flood mitigation fund.”

Cornelius says there are a couple of ways to order the new red, white and blue plate. You can get a standard number plate by going to the treasurer’s office.  “If you want the personalized plate, then you would order that just like you would the blackout or any other one,” he says. “You can do that online. Or there’s a form that we use, there’s a special plate form that you can also fill out. You can get that from your county treasurer and mail that into the D-O-T.”

Cornelius says the hours vary at the 99 county treasurer offices, so you should check ahead to be sure they are open before you go there.

BEIJING (AP) — Outgoing U.S. Ambassador to China (former Iowa Governor) Terry Branstad says he will help Republicans campaigning in his native Iowa after returning home next month. Branstad also told Hong Kong’s Phoenix Television that he considers the “phase one” trade deal between China and the U.S. as the biggest achievement of his three years in China. The deal reached in January amid the ongoing tariff war between the sides represented a truce but did not address the more fundamental complaints of the American side.

Branstad, says he will campaign for President Donald Trump, Senator Joni Ernst and others purely as a volunteer.