(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Department of Public Health has started its search for a new state medical director after Doctor Caitlin Pedati resigned in late October. Interim public health department director Kelly Garcia told the state board of health today (Wednesday) that she’s making some changes to the job. Pedati served as both the state medical director and the lead epidemiologist. Garcia says she got input from state and federal officials and decided those duties will now be separated into two positions.

“This is a really really key hiring for a number of different reasons. I’ve already received a little bit of interest which is exciting to hear that folks are invigorated despite what we have gone through with our pandemic response, there are still Iowans who are highly qualified and engaged and are wanting to serve in this space,” she says.

Garcia says the new state medical director will be the head of public health after the department merges with the Department of Human Services. The opening for a lead epidemiologist hasn’t been posted yet as the coronavirus pandemic continues.

(reporting by Katarina Sostaric, Iowa Public Radio)

DES MOINES – From Council Bluffs to Davenport and Mason City to Centerville, the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs today announced it is awarding more than $1.5 million in grants for the return of the state’s arts, culture, history and creative sector by supporting arts and cultural jobs and programming in the humanities. (A full list of grant recipients is available for viewing HERE)

In total, 236 individuals and organizations – representing 70 communities across 56 Iowa counties – will benefit from $1,527,814 in one-time grant funding, made possible through the agency’s state/federal partnerships with Arts Midwest, the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities with federal funds through the American Rescue Plan Act.

The department received more than $4.1 million in requests to help support a portion of about 1,600 arts jobs. The list of grant recipients includes individual artists, cultural centers, museums, local government and community groups, arts organizations, public libraries, historical societies, community theaters, media production organizations and more.

The department awarded $642,080 in American Rescue Plan Humanities grants to 47 humanities organizations, made possible with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Here are a few of them:

• Elk Horn: The Museum of Danish America will sustain a full-time position to provide humanities-based publications, online content and programming, including several exhibitions that travel across Iowa and the United States.

• Sioux City: The Sioux City Art Center will continue its efforts to develop engaging online content, building on a new website and video series launched in 2021, and expand its community outreach and engagement.

(Radio Iowa) – After two delays, Iowa astronaut Raja Chari is hoping the third time’s a charm as liftoff is now scheduled for tonight. Launch of the Falcon 9 rocket was originally set for early on Halloween but it was delayed several days due to bad weather. The next delay was due to a crewmember’s illness. Now, launch from Kennedy Space Center in Florida is set for shortly after 8 p.m./Central time. Chari, a Cedar Falls native, is the commander of the six-month mission. If all goes as planned, the crew of four will arrive at the International Space Station tomorrow. Chari is among the 18 astronauts named to the new Artemis team which is setting its sites well beyond the low-earth-orbit of the space station.

“The Artemis goal is to have people back on the Moon to stay by 2024,” Chari says. “We’ll have to build to that so there will be a mission prior to that to go around the Moon and test out the systems and then we’ll also continue to keep our presence on the space station, so there’s lots of different possibilities for me in the coming years.”

Raja Chari in EVA suit (NASA photo)

In a Radio Iowa interview last fall, Chari acknowledges he could be the first man since the late Gene Cernan of Apollo 17 to step foot on the Moon, but the modest Iowan is betting on his other NASA colleagues. “It is, I guess, theoretically possible but I would put my money on someone else,” Chari says, laughing. “There’s much better qualified people in the office than me. That’s a great problem to have, to be working with people that, every single one of them, I’d say you should take them instead of me. That’s what I love about working here at Johnson and in our office, just the caliber of people.”

He joined the astronaut corps in 2017, being among a dozen candidates picked out of 18,000 applicants. Chari has degrees in aeronautics and astronautics from the Air Force Academy and MIT. He will become only the eight Iowan to reach orbit.

(Radio Iowa) – Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks plans to move and will seek re-election in Iowa’s new first congressional district. None of the four Iowans who currently serve in the U.S. House live in the new first congressional district. Miller-Meeks, who lives in Ottumwa, says she’ll move into the district, but hasn’t decided where yet. The area includes the cities of Fort Madison and Maquoketa as well as Mount Pleasant, Fairfield, Newton, Oskaloosa and Indianola. Miller-Meeks, who is an eye doctor, previously worked at an eye clinic in West Burlington and taught at the University of Iowa in Iowa City — two other cities in the district. She’s also emphasizing that as the current second congressional congresswoman, she represent 16 of the counties in the new first district.

Marianette Miller-Meeks. (photo from Miller-Meeks office.)

Miller-Meeks will face a possible primary in the new first district, as Bettendorf businessman Kyle Kuehl announced Monday that he’s launching a campaign for Iowa’s first district seat. Two Democrats are running in the district. State Representative Christina Bohannan of Iowa City is a University of Iowa professor. Joseph Kerner of Knoxville is a senior cultivator with licensed medical marijuana manufacturer MedPharm Iowa,

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Natural Resources Commission has approved the rules to increase the cost of the lifetime fishing license. Fisheries Bureau Chief, Joe Larschied, says the change come after they heard public input. “A total of 310 comments were received during the public comment period. The comments suggested fees ranging from zero to 200 dollars. The vast majority of comments suggested a total fee of 65 dollars or more,” he says.

He says following the comments the initial proposal to raise the fee to 65 dollars was lowered to 63 dollars. “The 63 dollar license fee — along with the existing two-dollar administrative fee — results in a 65 total, which is the amount supported by the vast majority public comments,” according to Larscheid. A lifetime license for those over the age of 65 now costs 61-dollars, 50 cents. The new fee begins in January.

DES MOINES, Iowa —Iowa’s COVID-19 positivity rate continues to climb, and hospitalizations are on the rise. The Iowa Department of Public Health today (Wednesday) released new virus data showing 97 additional virus deaths, bringing the total to 7,166 deaths since the start of the pandemic. IDPH reports those additional deaths happened between Sept. 15 and Nov. 5.
There were 7,616 positive COVID-19 tests reported in the last seven days, down from 7,912 at the last report on Monday. The state’s 14-day positivity rate increased from 8.7% to 8.9%.

There are currently 525 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, up from 481 on Monday. Of those hospitalized with COVID-19, 71.6% are unvaccinated and 85% of those listed in intensive care with COVID-19 are unvaccinated. The number of long-term care facilities reporting a virus outbreak increased from 28 to 29 since Monday.

There have been 3,882,251 vaccine doses administered in Iowa, with 68.3% of those 18 and older fully vaccinated and 71% of those 12 and older with at least one dose.

(Anita, Iowa) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture Under Secretary for Rural Development and other officials gathered at the Anita Fire Station this (Wednesday) morning, to talk about $136,000 in grants for Community Facilities Programs in the City.

Xochitl Torres-Small, Under Secretary for Rural Development at the United States Department of Agriculture.

Xochitl (So-CHEEl) Torres-Small, Dee Fischer, an Area Specialist in Rural Development with the USDA, and USDA Rural Development Acting State Director in Iowa Darin Leach toured the Anita Fire station. Fischer explained to the Under Secretary how the funds were being used

In the past, the USDA has helped Anita purchase a new ambulance and fire truck which is housed in the fire station. The City is in the process of discussing and seeking USDA funding for a $1.25-million streets improvement project that involves an asphalt overlay and ADA accessible sidewalks. Snyder and Associates Engineer Austin Sonntag said it will cover about 35-to- 40 city blocks. A sewer lagoon is currently under construction, in Anita. Darin Leach said the USDA has also provided Revolving Loan Funds for the City.

Fire Chief Eric Steffensen showed the Under Secretary a new cot/guerney and a CPR device they purchased with the grant, that will help prevent injuries to EMS personnel and free up personnel to tend to a patient who is in cardiac arrest. The old cot required two-to-four people to load a patient into the ambulance, especially if they were heavy. The new cot makes the task easier for one person with the push of a button.

Another thing the grant money is being used for, is fixing the leaking Fire Department roof. It will also be used for purchasing 10 sets of fire protection gear. Some of their old gear is about 15-years old, and past its useful life expectancy of 10-years. The new gear isn’t expected to arrive until sometime in January or February. The City of Anita has previously purchased seven sets for their more active-duty firefighters.

Under Secretary Torres-Small said she has always been impressed by the citizens in rural communities and how much they invest their own lives into the community to help it thrive and grow.

More area and State news from Ric Hanson.

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(Radio Iowa) – There’s a major blood shortage in the United States. A quarter of the blood centers in the Midwest have just a day’s supply or even less on hand. Emily Holley is a spokesperson for the American Red Cross in Iowa. “Our blood supply is at the lowest it has been this time of year in six years,” she says, “so it’s critical right now that folks give blood.” Many blood centers report they’re running critically low of O-negative blood. It’s the most common blood type used in emergencies when a patient’s blood type is unknown.

Holley says more donations are also needed for platelets.”Platelets often go to those battling cancer and other chronic illnesses,” she says. “It helps keep them healthy.” Platelets are the cells in blood that form clots and stop or prevent bleeding. Cancer patients often need platelet transfusions if their bone marrow cells aren’t producing enough platelets due to chemotherapy.

WATERLOO – Officials with the Iowa Dept. of Corrections, Tuesday, said an inmate, 39-year-old Andrew Lee Stephens, who was convicted of Robbery 1st Degree in Black Hawk County, failed to report back to the Waterloo Residential Correctional Facility as required, Monday. Stephens is a White male, height 6’0″, and weighs 270 pounds. He was admitted to the work release facility on July 26, 2021.

Persons with information on Stephens’ whereabouts should contact local police.

Andrew Lee Stephens (IA-DOC photo)