With the hope that schools will re-open this fall, the Cass County Democratic Party is again sponsoring its annual School Supply Drive, to begin Monday, July 13th and continuing through August 14th. Coupled with the school supply drive will be a Food Drive. County Democratic Party Chair Sherry Toelle says “This is the 9th year that the Party has held the school supply drive. We have always been overwhelmed by the support of Cass County for this important event. We want our children to start the year off right, with new supplies.”

Toelle says “We are also sponsoring a food drive, realizing that there are far more food insecure people this year due to high unemployment and the pandemic. We generally have a food drive at least once a year but, because this is a major election year, I decided to do both drives at the same time since we will be busy during the fall. I do want to stress that both drives are non-partisan events. We don’t care if you are a Democrat, Republican, No Party, or not registered to vote; it is far more important than politics to meet the needs of our local children and families.”

Food pantries and the schools will do the actual distribution of the donated items. Suggested items for the school drive include everything from pencils to spiral notebooks to book bags and also should include non-traditional items such as facial tissues, hand sanitizer, plastic zip-top storage bags, and copy paper. Non-perishable items such as canned and boxed food items are needed; cleaning supplies, personal hygiene items, zip-top storage bags or other food storage containers are also welcome.

There will be drop-off sites around the County (See the list below). Toelle says  “We are also looking for a drop-off site in Wiota so if anyone has suggestions, please call [her] at 712-243-4861.”

Drop-off sites include:

• Anita: City Clerk’s Office; Library; Main Street Market; Rusty Razor; Rolling Hills Bank.
• Atlantic: Fareway (school supplies only); private home at 10 E. 13th St.; YMCA; Rolling Hills Bank
• Cumberland: City Hall; Houghton State Bank
• Griswold: Rolling Hills Bank; City Hall; Telephone Company, Houghton State Bank
• Lewis: Library
• Lyman: Lyman Cafe
• Marne: Library outside Post Office
• Massena: Library; FNB Bank; Economy Food Mart

Red Oak Police, Saturday night, arrested 59-year old Tony Joe Christensen. The Red Oak man was taken into custody at around 9:40-p.m. in the 1800 block of N. Broadway Street, for Public Intoxication. He was transported to the Montgomery County Jail and held on a $300 bond.

BRIDGEWATER, Iowa (KJAN) — Firefighters from more than a half-dozen area fire departments are on the scene this morning, of a large structure fire in on W. 1st Street, in Bridgewater. The page went out at around 12:30-a.m. Crews from Bridgewater, Adair, Anita, Atlantic, Fontanelle, Greenfield, Massena, and Orient were called to the scene, with Atlantic sending its ladder truck. As of 4:15-a.m., flames were reported to still be shooting through the roof of the building, four pumper trucks were running lines and at least eight tankers were shuttling water drawn from a dry hydrant at Mormon Trail Lake, near Bridgewater. The structure was apparently being used to store hay. Additional details were not immediately available.

UNDATED (AP) — The number of women having abortions in Iowa climbed last year, a turnaround that critics blame on the state’s controversial decision to withdraw from a federally funded family planning program. After decades of plummeting abortion numbers, the state last year recorded 3,566 abortions. That is 8% more than the previous year. The Des Moines Register reports last year’s increase came after the number of Iowa abortions dropped 56% from 2008 to 2018.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Health officials in Iowa report that six more people have died in the state from COVID-19. As of Saturday afternoon, the toll for coronavirus-related deaths reached 748 in Iowa. The state also reported 34,647 confirmed COVID-19 cases. Officials suspect the actual number of people with COVID-19 is much higher than the state-released statistics indicate because many people with mild or no symptoms do not get tested. The health department reports 178 coronavirus patients were hospitalized on Saturday, up from 169 who were hospitalized a day earlier.

Firefighters from more than a half-dozen area fire departments were called to a large structure fire in 200 block of 280th Street (W. 1st Street) in Bridgewater, Sunday morning. The page went out at around 12:30-a.m.  Crews from Bridgewater, Adair, Anita, Atlantic, Fontanelle, Greenfield, Massena, Orient and Wiota were all requested to provide mutual aid. Atlantic’s aerial (or, ladder) truck was requested at 1:24-a.m. Tanker trucks were provided by Anita, Wiota, Orient and other departments.  Sources say water was being drawn from a dry hydrant at Mormon Trail Lake, near Bridgewater. The Adair County Ambulance was also on the scene to provide fire fighter rehab.

Flames were still shooting through the roof of the building, at around 4:15-a.m. By 5-a.m., most of the fire departments were released from the scene. Bridgewater Fire crews were expected to remain on-site for several more hours while the building smolders, and to knock down any flare-ups. (Update 6:40-a.m.) – Just before daylight, a construction excavator was brought-in to gain better access to, and containment of, the flames.

Photos of the Bridgewater fire submitted to KJAN News.

The structure was apparently being used to store hay.

Additional information, along with a cause of the blaze, was not immediately available.

Four additional cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Montgomery County, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to fifteen (15). Health and Emergency Management officials says all four cases confirmed Saturday are due to close contact with a previously confirmed positive case. All four cases are adults (18-40) and currently isolating at home.

The current stats for Montgomery County (as of Saturday afternoon) show:

• 4 new confirmed cases
• 8 recovered cases
• 2 deaths
• 15 positive cases
• 855 individuals tested.

Montgomery County Serology testing data show:

• 3 positive
• 70 negative
• 73 tested

“Now is the time more than ever to continue to follow social distancing guidelines and avoiding large crowds,” said Montgomery County Public Health Administrator Samantha Beeson. As always, remember to stay home if you’re sick and wash your hands often.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — State health officials in Pennsylvania have neighboring Delaware and three other states to the travel quarantine recommendation aimed at stemming the spread of COVID-19 in the commonwealth. Officials say people who have traveled to Delaware, Iowa, Kansas and Oklahoma are being asked to self-quarantine for 14 days upon their return to Pennsylvania.

The state earlier issued the recommendation for self-quarantine for people returning to the commonwealth from 15 other states. Another 17 deaths attributed to the coronavirus were announced, bringing the total to 6,897.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The number of women having abortions in Iowa climbed last year, a turnaround that critics blame on the state’s controversial decision to withdraw from a federally funded family planning program. After decades of plummeting abortion numbers, the state last year recorded 3,566 abortions. That is 8% more than the previous year.

The Des Moines Register reports last year’s increase came after the number of Iowa abortions dropped 56% from 2008 to 2018.