(Radio Iowa) – Following last week’s brutal cold and severe winter storms, gasoline prices have jumped up to 20-cents a gallon — or more — in some Iowa cities. Nick Jarmusz, a spokesman for Triple-A Iowa, says the price you pay at the pump depends on where you live. “For the state we’re seeing an average increase that is about 15 cents,” Jarmusz says, “but in some places it is more than that.” He adds, refinery shutdowns in Texas are typically not a major factor in Iowa’s gasoline prices.

“Our refining is all done here in the Midwest,” Jarmusz says. “There’s refineries in the Chicago area, there’s refineries up in Superior (Wisconsin) and that’s mostly refining oil that’s coming down from Canada.” The sizable winter blast that brought Iowa snow and prolonged subzero temperatures also dumped flakes on parts of the U-S that rarely see snow, spinning off a deadly tornado in North Carolina and knocking out the power to four-million homes in Texas. The largest refineries in North America were idled because severe cold cut electricity, water and fuel supplies across Texas.

“There is an indirect effect, because of the commodity nature of gas,” he says. “There’s less of it out in the national market, and that does push prices up, even in places that aren’t directly impacted by that capacity.” Triple-A says the average gas price in Iowa is two-61 a gallon. The state’s most expensive gas is selling in Des Moines at two-67, while Sioux City has the cheapest gas at two-49.

(Radio Iowa) – After students in Des Moines Public School spent much of the fall semester in online classes, a bill in the Iowa Senate is designed to make it easier to eject members from a school board. Emily Piper, a lobbyist for the Iowa Association of School Boards, is raising concerns about giving just five registered voters the power to petition a judge to remove school board members.

“Let’s say the court did determine that the entire board or half the board had violated the law and agreed with their removal, without the ability to hold an immediate special election, school boards would be unable to function,” Piper said. “They would not have a quorum, they could not do their business.” Bill sponsors also want a state agency to speed up the process for disciplining or removing superintendents who knowingly and intentionally violate state law. Dave Wilkerson of the School Administrators of Iowa says there’s already a process for pursuing ethics complaints against superintendents and the bill isn’t necessary.

“It just seems a little petty,” Wilkerson said, “and would hope that we wouldn’t go down that road.” Senator Brad Zaun, a Republican from Urbandale, says to dismiss the bill as petty misses the point. “Tell that to the students having mental problems because of the actions of several school boards and administrators in the state of Iowa,” Zaun says. Two members of the Des Moines School Board testified during a Senate subcommittee hearing — saying they’d done the best they could in a district with 60 buildings, 31-thousand students and five-thousand teachers and staff.

Des Moines School Board chair Dwana Bradley says there was no playbook for a pandemic.  “As a school board, our focus was fundamental: do everything we can to educate our children and to keep the people from getting sick and even dying,” she says. Rob Barron, vice chair of the Des Moines School Board, says they had to make tough calls — and they are listening to complaints from legislators.

“I hope this is the first step in finding common ground so we can all be public servants,” he said, “the public servants our 31,000 kids in Des Moines Public Schools and their families need.” Senate Education Committee chair Amy Sinclair says something must be done to speed up sanctions for school officials who willfully flout state law. Sinclair points to the years it took the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners to address decisions made by Davenport school leaders that put the district in financial jeopardy.

Washington (AP) — The U.S. Senate voted 92-7 Tuesday to confirm Tom Vilsack as Agriculture secretary. The former Iowa governor spent eight years leading the same department for former President Barack Obama. In his testimony, Vilsack, 70, heavily endorsed boosting climate-friendly agricultural industries such as the creation of biofuels, saying “Agriculture is one of our first and best ways to get some wins in this climate area.” He faced minimal opposition throughout the confirmation process.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The FBI have identified an Iowa woman and her adult son as participants in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol after a tip from a longtime family acquaintance. An FBI agent says in a court document that videos posted to social media and surveillance video at the Capitol also confirmed that Deborah Sandoval and Salvador Sandoval Jr. were part of the mob.

The affidavit describes surveillance video showing 23-year-old Salvador Sandoval pushing two officers with the Metropolitan Police Department and trying to grab the shield of a third. The mother and son were arrested on Friday in Des Moines and have been released from custody pending further proceedings.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Agricultural groups and anti-hunger organizations are pushing the Biden administration to continue a program launched by President Donald Trump that spent $6 billion to prevent farmers from plowing under food and instead provide it to millions of Americans left reeling by the coronavirus pandemic. The U.S. Department of Agriculture began the Farmers to Families Food Box program in April 2020 after many people were shocked to see farmers destroy crops even as food banks were being overwhelmed by demand from people suddenly out of work.

A USDA Farmers to Families Food Box is seen at a Des Moines Area Religious Council mobile food pantry stop at the downtown bus station, Thursday, Feb. 18, 2021, in Des Moines, Iowa. Agricultural groups and anti-hunger organizations are pushing the Biden administration to continue the Farmers to Families Food Box program launched by President Donald Trump that spent $6 billion to prevent farmers from plowing under food and instead provide it to millions of Americans left reeling by the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

If the USDA extends the program, it will be a rare example of the new administration retaining rather than dismantling a Trump initiative.

OTTUMWA, Iowa (AP) — Authorities have identified a man was shot to death last week after breaking into a rural home near Ottumwa. The Ottumwa Courier reports that 28-year-old Aaron Thompson, of Brookfield, Wisconsin, was shot by a homeowner after he broke into the home Thursday night and fought with the homeowner. Thompson was flown by helicopter to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City, where he died.

The Wapello County Sheriff’s Office says Thompson appeared to have been suffering from a mental health crisis at the time he broke into the home. Officials called the incident tragic and said no criminal charges would be filed against the homeowner.

Cass County Wellness Coordinator Brigham Hoege reports on Wednesday March 3rd, the Cass County Local Food Policy Council is hosting a mobile food pantry through the Food Bank for the Heartland at the Cass County Community Center from 4:00 – 6:00 PM, or as supplies last. Hoege notes they have handed out double the amount of food at these mobile pantries in the past, given the increased needs related to COVID-19.

Anyone in need is welcome to visit the mobile pantry, and no documentation is needed. People from surrounding towns and communities are welcome. Due to high rates of COVID-19, everyone visiting or volunteering for the pantry is asked to wear a mask.

Details for Food Bank for the Heartland Mobile Food Pantry:
When: Wednesday, March 3 (4:00-6:00 PM, or until supplies run out).
Where: Cass County Community Center (805 West 10th St. Atlantic IA 50022). Traffic will be directed by
volunteers.
What: A mobile pantry is a traveling food pantry that delivers food directly to families in need for a oneday
distribution. The mobile pantry is available free of charge. Visitors are asked stay in their vehicles
with the trunk open and wear a mask when talking with volunteers.
Who: Anyone in need is welcome. No documentation needed.
For more information on local food, farmers markets, and food access, follow the Cass County Local
Food Policy Council’s Facebook page @CassCountyLocalFood.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Prosecutors say a man charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder and other counts in a 2019 Des Moines shooting that killed one man and injured another has taken a plea deal. Television station WHO-TV reported Tuesday that Michael Lyke Jr. has pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter, willful injury and intimidation with a dangerous weapon in the June 2019 killing of 41-year-old Earl Caldwell. Another man, 39-year-old Des Moines resident Littleton William Clark, was injured.

Lyke had been scheduled to go to trial in April on the more serious charges and would have received a mandatory life sentence if convicted. He now faces up to 30 years in prison when he’s sentenced on March 10.

Public hearings will be held Wednesday morning in Greenfield, as part of the Adair County Board of Supervisor’s regular, electronic* meeting that begins at 9-a.m.  The hearings (which are scheduled to begin at 9:20 and 9:30-a.m.), are with regard to a FY21 Budget Amendment, and the FY22 Maximum Property Tax Dollars, respectively. Both will be followed by action on Resolutions approving each matter, and the setting of a date for a Public Hearing on the FY22 Adair County Budget.

In other business:

• County Engineer Nick Kauffman will present an award contract for the Board Chair to sign, with regard to Farm-to-Market granular surfacing.
• County Recorder Janelle Schneider will discuss and/or present a County Land Record Information System 28-E agreement
• And, Eddie Bajric, with Access Systems, will talk about a Cloud-based Phone System.

The Adair County Supervisors will also receive a COVID-19 update, discuss the latest information, along with acting on any claims to come before them.

*The meeting can be heard/joined by calling (605)-313-6157, and using access code 526272#   Please be sure to mute your phone if you are not part of the discussion during times of public comment.

The Iowa Department of Public Heath, Tuesday, at 10-a.m., reported 690 new, positive COVID-19 test results were returned from the labs, for a pandemic total of 360,278. There were 26 additional deaths reported, for a total of 5,400. The coronavirus dashboard shows one additional death in Adams County, where the pandemic total is now four.

Health officials say Underlying Causes (diseases or injury that initiated the events resulting in death), amount to 4,849. The IDPH says 551 deaths listed COVID as a contributing factor. A pre-existing condition accounted for 4,973 deaths, while Long-Term Care (LTC) facility deaths accounted for 2,146 of the total number of deaths.

Long-Term Care facility COVID-Outbreaks are down slightly from Monday, at 20. Positive cases at LTC’s account for 520 of the total number of positive results, while 352 patients/staff at those facilities have recovered from COVID.

Hospitalizations are up. The IDPH said as of Tuesday, there were 227 persons hospitalized with COVID, compared to 222 on Monday. COVID patients in an ICU increase from 54 Monday to 58 Tuesday. There were 30 COVID patients admitted to hospitals across the State in Tuesday’s report, compared to 22 during the previous 24-hour report.  Patients on a ventilator remain at 25. Hospitals in Western & Southwest Iowa report: 13 people still hospitalized; six COVID patients are in an ICU, two people were admitted, and one person remains on a ventilator.

Iowa’s 14-day positivity rate as of Tuesday was steady at 4.3%, while the 7-day average was up slightly, to 4.2%.

In the KJAN listening area, here are the current number positive cases by County; The # of new cases since yesterday {+} – if any; and the total number of deaths in each county to date:

• Cass, 1,315 cases; {+3}; 48 deaths
• Adair, 911; {+3}; 26
• Adams, 326 {+0}; 4
• Audubon, 483 {+1}; 9
• Guthrie, 1,157 {+2}; 28
• Harrison County, 1,785; {+3}; 69
• Madison County, 1,520; {+4}; 17
• Mills County, 1,615; {+2}; 20
• Montgomery, 1,036; {+0}; 36
• Pottawattamie County, 10,666; {+16}; 140
• Shelby County, 1,192; {+0}; 33
• Union County,  1,256; {+2}; 31