DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa physician groups are urging Gov. Kim Reynolds to order the public to wear masks as cases continue to rise. The Des Moines Register reports that the Iowa Medical Society and 14 other health-professional groups said Monday in a letter to the governor that “widespread use of cloth masks in public settings will dramatically slow the spread of COVID-19 and save lives.”

The Republican governor has encouraged Iowans to “mask up,” but she has rebuffed calls to join more than half of other states in requiring it.

Cass County Treasurer Tracey J. Marshall, today (Monday), said Governor Reynolds’ Proclamation of Disaster Emergency signed on July 24th impacts many of the services provided at the CassCounty Treasurer’s office.

The proclamation sections related to property taxes were extended through Friday, July 31st, 2020. The sections related to driving with expired licenses were extended through August 23rd, 2020. The sections related to motor vehicle renewals and title transfers and temporary plates were not extended and expired on July 25, 2020 at midnight.”

What You Need to Know:

• Pay property taxes that were due in March by July 31, 2020 to avoid penalties. Send checks to Cass County Treasurer; 5 W 7th St.; Atlantic, IA 50022; pay online at www.iowatreasurers.org; drop payment off in the yellow drop box located in front of courthouse door.
• Pay motor vehicle renewals by August 31, 2020, if your registration expired in the months of January 2020 through July 31, 2020. Send checks to Cass County Treasurer; 5 W 7th St.; Atlantic, IA 50022; pay online at www.iowatreasurers.org ; drop payment off in the yellow drop box located in front of the courthouse door. * If you purchased a vehicle between February 13th – March 15th, your vehicle must be transferred as soon as possible to avoid penalties. ** If you purchased a vehicle between March 16th – July 25th, you must apply for title and registration by August 24th to avoid penalties.
• Driver’s Licenses that expired beginning January 16th and during the proclamation have driving privileges extended through August 23rd. The Cass County Driver’s License Station is open by appointment only for Cass County Residents– call for an appointment at 712-243-5503; Some driver’s licenses can be extended for 6 months for driving purposes online with the Department of Transportation.
• REAL ID driver’s license enforcement was extended until October 1, 2021.

Marshall says “We are open to the public now, but because of social distancing health needs we are limited to three to four people in the office and one to two people in the Driver’s License Station. We are asking people to pay taxes and motor vehicle renewals through our online website, mail, or drop box.”

Montgomery County Public Health officials say two additional cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in residents of Montgomery County, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to thirty-eight (38). The new cases contracted the virus via community spread and close contact with a previously reported case. Of the two additional cases, one case is a middle-aged adult (41-60) and one case is an older adult (61-80). The number of residents who have been tested in Montgomery County amount to 1,100.

And, Public Health officials in Mills County have confirmed four additional positive cases of COVID-19. The latest cases are persons in the age ranges of 0-17, 18-40, 41-60 and 61-80. Those individuals contracted the virus through known contact and community spread, and brings the total number of cases to 68.

Authorities say 37 of the affected persons have recovered from COVID-19 in Mills County. To date, 2,537 residents of the County have been tested, for a positivity rate of 2.7%.

DES MOINES– Gov. Kim Reynolds today (Monday), announced her appointment of John Flynn as a district court judge in Judicial Election District 2B.  Flynn, who is from Boone, currently practices law with the Jordan & Mahoney Law Firm, P.C., in Boone. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Iowa and his law degree from the Drake University Law School.

Flynn fills the vacancy created by the upcoming retirement of District Court Judge James McGlynn. Judicial Election District 2B includes Boone, Calhoun, Carroll, Greene, Hamilton, Hardin, Humboldt, Marshall, Pocahontas, Sac, Story, Webster, and Wright counties.

A survey conducted by the Iowa auditor shows a majority of health care organizations are dissatisfied with the state’s Medicaid program and think the privatized system hasn’t been good for the more than 650,000 poor and disabled residents receiving care. Iowa shifted the state’s Medicaid system from a state-run program to one managed by private insurance companies in 2016.

There have been persistent complaints over the past four years that providers have a more difficult time getting fully paid and that access to care has worsened for patients. Auditor Rob Sand said Monday that his survey reinforces those complaints.

FORT DODGE, Iowa (AP) — A woman has died in an apartment fire in downtown Fort Dodge. Firefighters were called to the building Sunday afternoon after a fire alarm activated and a neighbor reported smelling smoke. Crews were met with heavy smoke in the apartment and then found an unresponsive woman. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene. Her body was taken to the State Medical Examiner’s Office. She was identified Monday at 67-year-old Jeanne Miller. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.