Officials with the Clarinda Community School District have confirmed action was being taken after two students contracted coronavirus. In a letter to parents Wednesday (posted below), Clarinda School Superintendent Chris Bergman confirmed the Clarinda High School students tested positive for COVID-19. The letter (also posted on the District’s Facebook page) said “In consultation with Page County Public Health and the district’s school nurse, the district is taking appropriate safety measures.”

Bergman says the students are at home recovering, and will not return to school until the isolation period has expired, and symptoms have improved. In order to avoid the virus’ spread, contact tracing for exposure is in progress, in order to communicate with any individuals requiring a quarantine. Page County Public Health will contact those individuals. Also, Bergman says staff and students will be required to wear face coverings whenever present on district grounds–inside and outside–until further notice.

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds held a Press Conference this (Wednesday) morning, during which she said she is re-opening the Iowa Small Business Relief Program for bars and taverns closed by last week’s proclamation in certain counties. She said also she will not bow to calls for a mask mandate to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. With regard to the ISB Relief Program, Reynolds said those businesses in just a handful of counties will receive assistance.

The program will be run through the Iowa Economic Development Authority.

The Governor says she’ll wait to determine whether her move last week to close bars in six counties causes spread of the virus to slow before considering additional steps. Reynolds says the soaring number of confirmed virus cases is largely due to infection among young people, especially those in the college towns of Iowa City and Ames. That trend prompted her to order the closure of bars. Now, she says it’s best to wait to see if those moves will cause numbers to drop. If not, she will consider additional actions.

Reynolds was asked why she doesn’t act on a mask mandate, which the White House Task Force recommends for Iowa. The Governor said “We do know through the data, where the [highest positive test numbers] are at.” Johnson County is one of those hot spots. Reynolds said she’s added additional mitigation steps to control the rise in cases, and they are beginning to work.

She said she continues to emphasize “personal responsibility” in reducing the spread of the virus.

FORT DODGE, Iowa (AP) — A Fort Dodge woman already serving a prison sentence for setting fire to an Iowa mosque three years ago has now pleaded guilty to causing a fatal 2018 crash. The Messenger reports that 26-year-old Aisha Ismail pleaded guilty Tuesday to vehicular homicide by reckless driving for the July 2018 head-on crash on a Webster County road that killed 20-year-old David Fliehe, of Humboldt.

Under a plea deal, Ismail’s sentence for the death would begin after she has completed another sentence of up to 10 years for second-degree arson, stemming from a June 2017 incident in which she started a fire at The Islamic Center, a Des Moines mosque.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports three arrests over the past week. On Sunday, Deputies arrested 21-year old Logan Allen Russell, of Atlantic, on a charge of OWI/1st Offense. Russell was taken to the Cass County Jail and released later that day on his own recognizance.

Last Saturday, 28-year old Amanda Jo Skow, of Marne, was arrested on a charge of OWI 1st Offense (Serious). Skow was taken to the Cass County Jail and released later that day on her own recognizance.

And, On August 27, 2020, 44-year old Richard Edward Swain, of Cumberland, was arrested after he turned himself-in to the Cass County Jail, on a Sheriff’s Office warrant for (Felony) OWI/3rd Offense. Swain was booked and released on $5,000 bond

DES MOINES, IOWA: Iowa Sister States, a Des Moines-based non-profit organization that builds international partnerships connecting Iowans to the world community, is holding a Virtual Italian Cooking Class event and fundraiser on four dates in 2020. It’s a means to bring Italy to one’s own kitchen through cooking techniques and make one a top chef in your home!
The classes will be held via Zoom conference on September 11, October 2, November 6, and December 4, 2020.

It’s a chance to learn to prepare delicious Italian recipes with Alessandra Meschini of “Cooking With Alessandra!” Attendees can attend one class, or attend all, social-distance style via Zoom link. Registrants will find out in advance which ingredients they will need for your class and then dig in with Alessandra who will teach them how to put it all together! The menu for each class is different, encompassing appetizers, main dishes, or desserts, plus cocktails to accompany.

The cost of each class is $50.00 ($15.00 of which is tax deductible). Anyone can enjoy a fun night of cooking for themselves, with their family, or with their friends while supporting the citizen
diplomacy work of the Iowa Sister States. All classes begin at 6:00pm on Zoom and are $50.00 per class. Class sizes are limited, and those interested should consider registering for all classes at once to ensure their place.

Registration (and more information) is at www.iowasisterstates.org. Zoom links will be provided to ticket holders after registration.

(Radio Iowa) – Senator Joni Ernst says she is skeptical about the number of Covid cases and deaths being reported in the United States. During an interview with The Waterloo Courier, Ernst said: “That should be discussed because I heard the same thing on the news traveling across the state today is that they’re thinking there may be 10,000 deaths or less that were actually singularly Covid-19,” Ernst told the newspaper. “Now, no doubt that there are deaths and it creates complications with those that have other illnesses certainly, but those that are just attributable to Covid-19, I’m just really curious. It would be interesting to know that.”

President Trump recently tweeted about the lower Covid death count Ernst is citing. White House Coronavirus Task Force member Dr. Anthony Fauci said yesterday (Tuesday) it is accurate to say more than 180-thousand Americans have died of Covid-19 since the pandemic began. Ernst spoke with Waterloo Courtier reporter Amie Rivers after meeting with a crowd on a farm in rural Waterloo. Ernst suggested in remarks to the crowd that coronavirus counts may be inflated by the health care industry, due to higher reimbursement rates for care of Covid patients.

“I can’t actually look at that information, but I have heard it from health care providers that they do get reimbursed higher amounts if it’s a Covid-related illness or death, so because of the additional expense for PPE and the treatment that might be necessary for Covid-19,” Ernst said.

Radio Iowa has asked the Iowa Hospital Association and the state’s largest private insurer for comment on Ernst’s assertion. A spokesperson for the state has not replied to questions about whether the government’s reimbursement rates for Medicaid patient care are higher if the patient has Covid compared to some other illness.