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Iowa COVID-19 rates rose slightly in mid-August

News

September 7th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Des Moines, Iowa) – COVID-19 rates are rising again in Iowa, according to new state and federal data, as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved emergency use of new COVID-19 vaccines in an effort to combat rising spread of coronavirus variants.

The Iowa Capital Dispatch reports, according to new Iowa Department of Health and Human Services data, positive COVID-19 tests grew to 21.9% in the week of Aug. 18 through 24, a 0.1% increase from the previous week, but is still lower than the 22.7% positive rate earlier in August. However, the positive testing rate is sizably higher than the 16.8% reported during the week of Aug. 26 in 2023.

Iowa, alongside many other states are seeing rising cases of COVID-19 due to “FLiRT variants,” researchers say, a category of several strains of COVID-19 that have mutated in similar ways. “FLiRT” infections are associated with milder symptoms than previous COVID strains, but still pose a risk to vulnerable populations such as immunocompromised and elderly individuals. The state department also reported a 3% rate of emergency room visits and 2.7% rate for inpatient visits that were related to COVID-19.

There were two Iowans who died from COVID-19 in the week period, HHS data found, lower than the six deaths reported in the same period in 2023.

At the same time, Iowa also saw a rise in COVID-19 wastewater viral activity. Data from The U.S. Centers for Disease Control found that Iowa has “very high” viral wastewater activity for the week ending Aug. 24, measured from nine state wastewater sites reporting on coronavirus rates detectable in water. This system allows health officials to monitor the spread outside of hospital visits and COVID tests, according to the CDC, in addition to being able to detect cases in which infected people are asymptomatic.

The current rating is an increase from the “high” viral wastewater activity reported in Iowa earlier this month. Iowa’s Wastewater Viral Activity Level was measured at 9.77 in the most recent data reported, a decrease from the 11.39 level measured for the week ending Aug. 17, but still above the national 8.78 national rating for the same period. Any score above eight points is considered a “very high” activity level.

The FDA last week granted emergency use authorization for the 2024-2025 coronavirus vaccines, an updated version of the Novavax COVID-19 vaccine that administration officials said more closely targets variants that are currently spreading. Dr. Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said the authorization allows Americans access to “an additional COVID-19 vaccine option that meets the FDA’s standards for safety, effectiveness and manufacturing quality needed.”

“The COVID-19 vaccines have had a tremendous positive impact on public health and vaccination continues to be the most effective method for COVID-19 prevention,” Marks said in a statement. “COVID-19 continues to be a very real risk for many people, and we encourage individuals to consider getting an updated COVID-19 vaccine when eligible.”

People age 12 and older who have never received a COVID-19 vaccination are eligible to receive two doses, three weeks apart, of the updated vaccine. Those who have already received a form of Novavax COVID-19 vaccine, or been vaccinated with using a different formula from another manufacturer, are eligible to receive doses of the updated vaccine within specified time frames since their previous vaccination.

https://data.idph.state.ia.us/t/IDPH-DataViz/views/COVID-19VaccineImmunization/COVID-19Vaccine?%3Aembed=y&%3AisGuestRedirectFromVizportal=y

Iowa has an immunization rate of 15.7% statewide. Public health officials recommend that Iowans stay up to date on vaccinations, and that people age 5 and older get one dose of the updated vaccine to prevent serious illnesses.

Iowa student proficiency rises in English, shows no ‘meaningful progress’ in math

News

September 7th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Des Moines, Iowa) – Iowa Statewide Assessment of Student Progress results for spring 2024, show that the state has reached or surpassed pre-pandemic proficiency levels in English language arts and mathematics The Iowa Capital Dispatch says tests results from the Spring 2024 assessment released Friday by the Iowa Department of Education, determined whether students in 3rd through 11th grade were meeting proficiency standards in the two subjects, in compliance with the federal Every Student Succeeds Act.

In the release on spring results, education department officials wrote that overall results showed some long-term progress for most grades, while results “do not show meaningful progress in most grade levels” for mathematics by remaining steady in comparison to previous years.

For English language arts (ELA), proficiency rates improved or remained steady in all assessed grades, with the exception of 3rd grade, in comparison to the previous year. Proficiencies increased across five grades — 4th through 8th.

(Photo illustration via Canva)

When looking at long-term results, the department found the largest increases in ELA scores for grades for 6th through 8th grade students’ proficiency in comparison to 2019 scores, rising between 8 and 9 percentage points. However, proficiency rates have decreased since 2019 for third grade students, as well as those in 9-11th grade.

In mathematics, proficiency increased in comparison to 2019 results for grades 3, 5, 6 and 8, with the highest improvement coming for 3rd grade students with a 5 percentage point increase. Results for 7th and 11th grade students remained at the same rate, while students in 9th grade saw the biggest drop of 7% fewer students proficient in 2024 compared to 2019. Grades 4 and 10 saw proficiency rates drop by a percentage point over the five-year period.

Overall, most mathematics proficiency rates show “relatively little to no growth across most grades when compared to last year,” according to the department news release, with grades only increasing or decreasing by 1 or 2 percentage points.

The results also showed that significant proficiency gaps remain among students with disabilities and students who are English language learners in both of the assessment areas. English language learners had an average proficiency difference across all assessed grade levels of 53% in English language arts and 45 percentage points in comparison to the overall student results, while students with disabilities saw differences of 45% in English language arts and 41% in mathematics.

During the 2024 legislative session, test results were cited as a motivation to pass the law proposed by Gov. Kim Reynolds making significant changes to Iowa’s Area Education Agencies system providing support for children with special needs in Iowa schools.  A report released by the Guidehouse consulting firm said the state spent more per-pupil on special education funding than the national average, but that students with disabilities performed below the national average on assessments. However, AEA supporters and education advocates argued the report cited misleading information.

In addition to efforts to change special education provisions in Iowa schools, the Iowa Department of Education said in the Friday news release the state is working to improve proficiency rates by adopting new academic standards for both of the tested subjects, approved by the Iowa State Board of Education. The department also provided professional learning opportunities for implementing the new standards over the summer for nearly 2,000 mathematics educators and more than 1,300 English language arts educators, according to the release.

Police in central Iowa asking for help in locating a bank robbery suspect

News

September 7th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

UPDATED: SUSPECT IS IN CUSTODY

 

Previous report…

(Carlisle, Iowa) – Police in the central Iowa town of Carlisle are asking for the public’s help in locating a suspect believed to be connected to the robbery of the First Interstate Bank in Carlisle, Friday afternoon. Authorities have identified 27-year-old Kevin Jeffrey Seay as the suspect. (Photos below are from the Carlisle Police Dept. Facebook page)

Seay was last known driving a 2016 gray Chevrolet Cruze- Iowa plate LHS 472. Police said Seay is aware that police are searching for him. The man should be considered armed and dangerous. If you have any information regarding his location, please call 911!
Authorities say at around 12:30-p.m., Friday, a man suspected to be Jeffrey Seay walked into the First Interstate Bank and handed the teller a note demanding money. The note stated that he had a gun and then displayed what appeared to be a handgun in his waistband. The suspect left the bank with an undetermined amount of money unknown direction of travel.
He was described as being a white male, who was last seen wearing eyeglasses, a light, blue button up dress shirt and jeans and a white medical surgical mask.
As a precautionary and safety measure, the Carlisle Community School District was placed on lock-down for approximately 30-45 minutes as well as a notification put out to community members and businesses through the city’s mass notification system.
Again, if you have any information regarding this situation or know this person’s identity or whereabouts, please contact the Carlisle Police Department at (515) 989-4121.

2 arrested on separate charges in Montgomery County

News

September 7th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Red Oak, Iowa) – Authorities in Montgomery County report two separate arrests. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department says 65-year-old Daniel Mark Sempek, of Elliott, was arrested on a warrant out of Pottawattamie County, for OWI/1st Offense. Sempek was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $1,000 bond.

And, police in Red Oak Police report 31-year-old Dallas Eugene Davis was arrested a little after 6-p.m., Friday, for Violating a No-Contact order. Davis was being held without bond, in the Montgomery County Jail.

High School Football Scores from September 6th

Sports

September 7th, 2024 by Asa Lucas

Atlantic 35, Glenwood 34 (OT)

AHSTW 42, Riverside 22

AC/GC 28, Earlham 21

ADM 31, Winterset 9

Audubon 44, Colo Nesco 8

CAM 58, Griswold 14

Central Decatur 22, Nodaway Valley 6

Clarinda 46, Red Oak 0

Coon Rapids-Bayard 28, Baxter 20

East Mills 44, Sidney 24

Exira EHK 30, Stanton Essex 22

Glidden Ralston 34, Ar-We-Va 15

Harlan 49, Denison Schleswig 7

Knoxville 58, Clarke 7

Kuemper Catholic 49, Underwood 28

Lenox 41, Fremont Mills 0

Lewis Central 44, Creston 8

St. Albert 41, West Monona 20

South Central Calhoun 43, Southwest Valley 6

Tri Center 27, Treynor 21

West Central Valley 46, Shenandoah 42

Woodbine 48, Boyer Valley 12

Skyscan Forecast for Atlantic & the KJAN listening area: Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024

Weather

September 7th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

Today: Sunny, with a high near 72. Light and variable wind.
Tonight: Mostly clear, with a low around 45. Light southeast wind.
Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 77. Light south wind becoming south southwest 5 to 10 mph in the morning.
Sunday Night: Clear, with a low around 52. South wind around 6 mph.
Monday: Sunny, with a high near 83. South wind 6 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Tuesday: Sunny, with a high near 83. Breezy.
Friday’s High in Atlantic was 73. Our low this morning, 41. Last year on this date, the High in Atlantic was 83, and the Low was 34. The All-time Record High in Atlantic for Sept. 7th, was 98 in 1893. The Record Low was 34, in 1956. Sunrise today: 6:52-a.m.; Sunset: 7:43-p.m.

Trojan Football takes the win in OT against Glenwood

Sports

September 6th, 2024 by Asa Lucas

The Atlantic Trojans had a thrilling 35-34 victory in overtime against Glenwood on Friday. The game got off to an exciting start quickly with the opening kickoff returned 95-yards for a touchdown by sophomore Ethan McNeal to put the Trojans up 7-0. Glenwood decided to commit to their pass game on the following drive which resulted in a field goal midway through the quarter, making it 7-3. After a turnover on downs, Glenwood drove the ball down inside Atlantic territory that created a 7-yard touchdown scramble by senior quarterback Cole Staudt to give the Rams their first lead of the game at 9-7 with a mixed extra point.

Atlantic had a scoring response of their own moving the ball downfield that ended with a 3-yard touchdown plunge by Gavin McLaren making it a 14-9 lead at the end of the first quarter. The drama subsided for the majority of the second quarter until the last minute. While the Trojans were marching towards the red zone senior Tristan Hayes fumbled the ball and it was recovered by Glenwood. Then with less than 10 seconds to go Joaquin Wailes had an interception returned to the goal line as time expired.

In the third quarter Glenwood focused on their pass game and it saw a quick touchdown with a score in under 90 seconds to put the Rams back up at 15-14. The game stayed at a deadlock until a mistimed snap on a botched punt gave Glenwood phenomenal field position at the Trojans 3-yard line. It was there that Tristan Ludwig took the handoff and sprinted his way in for a score for a 21-14 lead. Atlantic continued to trust their run game in the 4th quarter and it payed as the Trojans used a 1-yard pitch on the goal line to Tyson O’Brien to score and tie it up at 21 a piece.

When the Rams received the ball back they quickly wasted no time driving the ball down the field that concluded an impressive interception by Jarrett Hansen at the Atlantic 15-yard line. With that turnover Atlantic started their most strategic drive of the night chewing up over six minutes of clock and scoring on a 4-yard O’Brien run, putting the Trojans up 28-21. Glenwood then received the ball on their own 9-yard line and managed to tie the game up with 18 seconds left with an 18-yard Stoudt to Jack Johnson touchdown throw making it 28-28.

It was then time for overtime and Atlantic chose to be on defense first. On second and goal Stoudt kept the ball on a designed quarterback run and pushed his way into the end zone for an 8-yard touchdown. The Rams would miss a crucial extra point to only have a six point lead at 34-28. When it was Atlantic’s turn on offense the Trojans saw their first two rushing plays result in a loss of one yard. On third and goal Hayes took the snap and started to scramble, he ended up connecting with Hansen in the left side of the end zone for the tying score. Hadin Thompson then lined up for the game winning extra point and knocked it through giving Atlantic the 35-34 win.

Atlantic head coach Joe Brummer was impressed by the hustle of the Trojans in overtime.

The win for Atlantic on Friday was one they can use for positive momentum.

Coach Bummer does not want his team to use this win as a defining moment, but to carry on and continue to improve each week.

The Trojans improve to 3-0 as they head home to Atlantic to face Greene County next week and the Rams drop to 0-2 and stay at home taking on Harlan on the 13th.

Gov. Reynolds appoints Matthew Schuling as District Associate Judge

News

September 6th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES– Gov. Kim Reynolds today (Friday) announced her appointment of Matthew Schuling as a district associate judge in Judicial District 4. Judicial District 4 includes Audubon, Cass, Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Montgomery, Page, Pottawattamie, and Shelby counties.
Schuling, of Council Bluffs, Iowa, is an assistant attorney general at the State of Iowa Attorney General’s Office. He received his undergraduate degree from Coe College and his law degree from the University of Oregon School of Law.

Schuling fills a vacancy created following the resignation of the Hon. Donna Bothwell, having been selected previously as a District Judge in District 4.

Gov. Reynolds appoints Melinda Wicks as District Associate Judge

News

September 6th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES– Gov. Kim Reynolds today (Friday) announced her appointment of Melinda Wicks as a district associate judge in Judicial District 3B. Judicial District 3B includes Buena Vista, Cherokee, Clay, Crawford, Ida, Monona, Plymouth, Sioux, and Woodbury counties.  Wicks fills a vacancy created following the retirement of the Hon. Todd A. Hensley.
Wicks, of Sergeant Bluff, Iowa, serves as a magistrate in Woodbury County and as a deputy county attorney in the Dakota County Attorney’s Office, State of Nebraska. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Nebraska and law degree from Washburn University of Law.

‘ChiefsAholic’ fan of Kansas City Chiefs sentenced for prison for robbing banks

News, Sports

September 6th, 2024 by Ric Hanson

(Radio Iowa) – A man who gained online fame for his support of the Kansas City Chiefs has been sentenced to 17 years in prison for a string of robberies and attempted robberies — including three in central Iowa. Teresa Moore, the U-S Attorney for the western district of Missouri, issued a video statement after today’s (Friday) sentencing.

Xaviar Babudar stole 70-thousand from a bank in Clive in 2022. Investigators were able to recover his D-N-A from a black glove he left behind. Babudar admits he later stole another 25-thousand dollars from the same location, although the bank’s name had changed. Court records also show he stole over 300-thousand dollars from a West Des Moines credit union.

Babudar, who is 30 years old, went to Chiefs games dressed as a wolf — mimicking the Chief’s mascot. Prosecutors say he laundered the money stole by making large deposits in his bank accounts and buying casino chips from casinos in Missouri, Kansas and Illinois.