Mills County Public Information Officer Nick Johnson reports, in their regular meeting on Tuesday, May 11th, the Mills County Board of Supervisors adopted updated procedures for county offices, effective as of 8-a.m., May 13th. The updates include:

1. The Mask Mandate has been lifted. Employees and visitors to county offices who wish to continue to wear a mask, may do so, but it is no longer required.
2. Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Susan Christensen, has ordered that masks and/or face coverings shall be worn in ALL Court-controlled areas, until further notice. This does not include the top floor of the Mills County Courthouse. Anyone conducting business or attending court on the upper level of the courthouse, will be required to wear a mask.
3. Social distancing should be maintained in the common areas by all persons in the courthouse.
4. Any person with COVID-19 symptoms should refrain from entering a public building. Stay home if you are ill.
5. Good handwashing is essential, and hand sanitizers will be available at all entrances and in all offices.
6. Should you have any questions specific to your business, contact the appropriate department directly.

Please be advised also, that these precaution are in place to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases. However, these measures do not eliminate the possibility of contracting or spreading the virus.

Johnson says also, COVID-19 vaccines are now readily available in Mill County. Mills County Public Health has the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines. HyVee Pharmacy in Glenwood has the Pfizer vaccine. Kohl’s Pharmacy in Malvern also has the Moderna vaccine. Appointments at all locations are available, and walk-ins are accepted.

(Radio Iowa/updated) – Governor Kim Reynolds says there’s no reason to fear Covid-19 any longer. She says Covid case numbers in Iowa are at a 10 month low, the number of Iowa hospital patients being treated for Covid is down 90 percent from the high point in November, and about half the state’s adults are fully vaccinated. “Life really is getting back to normal,” Reynolds says, “and all around us, there are more signs of it.”

Reynolds says it’s time to lean FURTHER into normal and that’s why she has declared that the three-hundred extra dollars in federal benefits for unemployment Iowans will end June 12th.  “Jobs are readily available and employers are eager to hire,” Reynolds says, “and it’s time to get back to work.” House Democratic Leader Todd Prichard says the governor’s move is heartless and shows Reynolds is willing to use vulnerable Iowans as a stepping stone for her own political gain.

Reynolds says regular unemployment will continue. And, to other critics who say more Iowans would join the workforce if businesses offered better pay, Reynolds says the market is taking care of that. “I love it when I have businesses tell me they’re having some of their best years ever and they’ve got orders that are waiting to be filled,” Reynolds says. “They just can’t find employees to help build the equipment, so I think these are great jobs, they have benefits, there’s opportunities for growth…and you’re seeing wages adjust accordingly.”

The governor says many state employees who’ve been working from home will be returning to their offices in the coming weeks. Reynolds says state agencies are assessing which jobs can be done remotely. “I’m excited about that because I think that opens up the application pool statewide,” Reynolds says, “and that gives people that don’t necessarily live in the metro areas the opportunity to be a state employee.” Reynolds says she plans to meet with businesses and organizations over the next few days to discuss how all can return to more normal work, business and entertainment experiences.

“There’s no reason for us to fear Covid-19 any longer,” Reynolds says. “We know how to manage it and individuals can be trusted to make decisions that will keep us on a path forward. I believe Iowans are ready to live our lives more fully again and I think we’ve earned it.” Reynolds made her comments late this (Wednesday) morning during a news conference to highlight the state’s response to increased demand at food pantries and food banks.

Officials say more than 400-thousand Iowans are food insecure and the need for food assistance is 50 percent higher than than it was two years ago.

(Radio Iowa) – The state Transportation Commission has approved the first draft of its updated five-year transportation plan. The plan include an estimated three-point-six billion dollars for road construction and improvement, which the D-O-T’s Stuart Anderson says includes some ongoing projects. “The Interstate 74 bridge replacement over the Mississippi River in the Quad Cities. We are in the last major year of construction on that project — hoping to see a second span open to traffic by the end of this calendar year,” he says. It also includes continuing work on the I-80/380 interchange west of Iowa City.”We have the final phase of that work underway now, so that should be wrapped up in the next couple of years,” according to Anderson. “And then out west in Council Bluffs, continuing a multi-year effort to reconstruct the interstate system in that area.”

He ways work will continue on expanding I-35 to six lanes from Polk County to Story County and Ames. The five-year plan is updated and new projects are approved in June. One new project ties into the work near Iowa City. “The commission is now wanting to prioritize the reconstruction and widening of Interstate 380 between Iowa City and Cedar Rapids. So they were able to add into this program the first phase of that work — which really builds on the reconstruction of the mixmaster at 80 and 380. So, they’ve added in this program the first phase of that work.,” according to Anderson.

The pandemic has cause delays in getting products and increased the prices of a lot of construction materials. Anderson says that hasn’t been an issue for roads yet. “So far our lettings for fiscal year 2021 which we are wrapping up now, have come out almost exactly equivalent to the amount we estimated for the five-year program. Which is great news,” Anderson says. “But the next months we’ll be monitoring very closely.” He says they don’t know how long supply chain issues will last and if they will eventually hit road construction. “There has been discussion about steel prices increasing, obviously a lot of steel goes into construction. Fuel prices — because of the supply issues they are having with fuel now — a lot of fuel goes into road construction projects — so that could have an impact,” Anderson says.

Anderson says the road use tax funding that fell off at the start of the pandemic, but that has rebounded and they’ve also gotten federal pandemic funds to help with any deficits.

(Greenfield) – There’s a new way to explore Adair County. The Adair County Tourism Council has launched a new website: visitadaircounty.org. The site offers information on the county’s tourist sites and attractions as well as dining and lodging options. ACTC Chairman Terri Queck-Matzie says “The mission is simple. We want people to visit Adair County. We have much to offer here. We hope this website will make it easier to identify and connect with the things they want to do.”

Even more information about activities and happenings in Adair County can be found on the Adair County Iowa Tourism Facebook page.

The Adams County Sheriff’s Office reports three recent arrests. At around 7:30-p.m. May 7th, Deputies arrested 37-year-old Clay Pettit, of Mt. Ayr, on an active warrant for Burglary in the 3rd Degree. His cash or surety bond was set at $5,000. That same evening, Adams County Deputies arrested 32-year-old Angel Sharpsteen, of Corning, on an active warrant for Failure to Appear. She was transported to the Adams County Jail.

And, on May 6th, Adams County Deputies arrested 46-year-old Alisha Peckham, of Creston, on an active warrant for Possession of a Controlled Substance/1st offense (Meth). Her bond cash/surety was set at $1,000.

AMES, Iowa – May 12, 2021 – The Iowa Department of Transportation is requesting public input for the proposed replacement of the U.S. 169 over stream bridge 0.1 mile north of the Missouri and Iowa state line, in Ringgold County. The project includes replacing the existing 86’ x 26’ continuous concrete slab bridge with a single 12’ x 12’ x 124’ reinforced concrete box culvert. Construction of the project is anticipated to begin in Fall of 2022.

Through traffic on U.S. 169 would be detoured during construction using Iowa 2, Interstate 35, and U.S. 136 in Missouri.  It is anticipated that the detour would be in place for approximately 30 days.  For more information, see the website below.

For general information regarding the proposed improvements please view the information online at www.iowadot.gov/pim

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Flood Center is creating technology that will forecast Missouri River flooding and provide information on how it could affect individual homes, businesses and farms. Scientists hope the tech will better inform and prepare people for flooding. Larry Weber, co-founder of the Iowa Flood Center, says during the 2019 flooding, people had very little information about how much water might inundate their property. “The depth of water at your house is a very important piece of information as you’re trying to decide whether to evacuate your home,” Weber says, “and if you do decide to evacuate, what belongings to bring with you or to take with you out of the home.”

Weber says the Missouri River Flood Forecast and Information System will use forecast models of flooding in real-time and Google Maps to display that information and make it readily available to people. Weber says the center’s simulation tool will have more relevant data online that people will want to see. Weber says, “Our forecast system will provide that very specific home-by-home, business-by-business, farm-by-farm depth of water at the time of a levee breach or levee overtopping.”

The project is expected to be completed by the end of the year. Weber says he’ll show off a beta version of the system in the southwest Iowa towns of Hamburg and Pacific Junction this week.

(reporting by Katie Peikes, Iowa Public Radio)

(Atlantic, Iowa) – Officials with Atlantic Municipal Utilities (AMU) say they have awarded a $3,000 Powerline Scholarship to Gunner Kirchhoff, son of Corey and Laura Kirchhoff of Atlantic. Gunner will graduate from Atlantic High School this month, and was accepted at Northwest Iowa Community College (NCC) in Sheldon, to partake in their Powerline Technology program. The purpose of the program is to provide training for students interested in becoming line workers in the electric power industry. The NCC program has produced highly qualified graduates, who finish their “educations” through apprenticeship within the industry. AMU currently employs nine Certified Line Workers.

Gunner Kirchhoff (Photo submitted)

The electric utility industry is facing shortages of skilled workers of various kinds, including line workers. AMU’s challenge is to identify workers who want to work in this challenging and rewarding field. The AMU Powerline Scholarship is available to students whose families are customers of AMU. Students or parents interested in learning more about the AMU Powerline Scholarship should contact the AMU Business Office, or the AHS guidance counselors.

The City of Audubon’s newly redesigned website is online and ready for use. The site, cityofauduboniowa.com, allows the public to take care of online, just about anything you would normally have had to go to City Hall in Audubon, to accomplish.

You also have the opportunity to get your own portal to interact with the city. Simply click on “My Front Desk” to get signed in, once you’ve set up your account. While there, you can view your utility bill and history, fill-out permit forms, and other transactions, that would normally have been handled in-person.

The broadcast news at 8:09-a.m., with Ric Hanson.

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