DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The number of people hospitalized with the coronavirus in Iowa dipped below 500 Sunday, for the first time since October. The Iowa Department of Public Health said 474 people were being treated for COVID-19 in hospitals Sunday, which was down from 505 on Saturday. The last time the number of people hospitalized was below 500, was back on Oct. 18. This (Monday) morning (as of 10-a.m.), the State reported there were 428 new cases, for a total of 305,279, and 266, 454 recovered. IDPH says 1,422,939 persons have been tested in the State. The IDPH says virus numbers reported today and tomorrow may be affected by Friday’s snowstorm and today’s Federal Holiday. The 14-day positivity rate is 12.9%, down slightly from Sunday’s 13%.

The state reports one death over the previous 24-hours, to give Iowa a total of 4,324 deaths since the pandemic began. Of those who died, 3,950 had an underlying cause, while COVID-19 was a contributing factor in 373 deaths. Long-Term Care (LTC) facility deaths stand at 1,761. There are 76 Outbreaks at LTC’s facilities (One less than on Sunday). Patients and staff who have tested positive amount to 1,938, while persons recovered number 1,002.

Hospitalizations have increased from 474 on Sunday, to 483 today. There are: 84 COVID patients in an ICU (down from 93 Sunday); 58 people were admitted to a hospital (compared to 61 previously), and 38 are on a ventilator (down 3 from before). In southwest/western Iowa RMCC Region 4, there are: 36 hospitalized with COVID symptoms; 13 in an ICU; one person was admitted, and seven remain on a ventilator.

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, 1,126 cases; {+1}; 41 deaths
• Adair, 686; {+0}; 20
• Adams, 295; {+0}; 3
• Audubon, 412; {+1}; 8
• Guthrie, 1,027 {+2}; 24
• Harrison County, 1,547; {+3}; 62
• Madison County, 1,188; {+2}; 9
• Mills County, 1,360; {+0}; 16
• Montgomery, 840; {+0}; 22
• Pottawattamie County, 8,942; {+7}; 112
• Shelby County, 1013; {+1}; 26
• Union County,  1,081; {+0}; 22

The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:05-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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(Radio Iowa) – The Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation is again offering grants to schools to replace drinking fountains with stations that have touchless water bottle fillers. Foundation executive director, Suzanne Heckenlaible says there’s a continued need for the modern stations as schools adapt to the pandemic. “Working with the schools, what we’ve found is they’ve shut down the water fountains –but left the water bottle stations open. So the opportunity for us to provide this assistance is even more important,” Heckenlaible says.

They have been working with schools for several years and had restricted the grants to schools that did not have the new water bottle station. She says they are now opening it up to schools that already have one. Heckenlaible says the average cost is 25 to 35-hundred dollars to replace an existing fountain with a new one. But she says it can cost significantly more to retrofit older buildings, and they have committed to work with those schools.

The program is called “Rethink Your Drink,” and Heckenlaible says the goal is to get kids to drink water over other less healthy options. She says having water becomes an activity and a habit — where kids have the water daily. Heckenlaible says they hope once the water-drinking habit is established it will stay with the students all their lives. The foundation is taking grant applications through February 5th.

Schools can apply by visiting: deltadentalia.com/foundation/grants. The program, “Rethink Your Drink” is supported by the Iowa Department of Public Health Bureau of Nutrition and Health Promotion, Iowa Public Health Association, Iowa Department of Education, Iowa Healthiest State Initiative and In Depth Marketing.

A public hearing will be held this evening during the Griswold School Board meeting. The hearing is with regard to the 2021-22 School Calendar, following a presentation of the proposed calendar. Later on in their session, the Griswold School Board will consider approving the calendar, as presented. In other business, the Board will consider, and likely approve, entering into a closed session to discuss and possibly act on a personnel matter.

In other business, the Griswold School Board will discuss and act on requiring remote learners to return to onsite learning, as well as approval of the 2021-22 School Calendar. Their final order of business is a closed session for the purpose of discussing and acting on a negotiations strategy with a Certified Bargaining Unit. The meeting takes place in the Griswold Schools Conference Room, beginning at 5:30-p.m.

The Atlantic City Council will hold an in-person session in their Chambers at City Hall, 5:30-p.m., Wednesday (Jan. 20th). On their agenda, is recognition of Kirk Knudsen, for his 35 years of employment with the Atlantic Street Department. The Council will act on a Resolution to set the date for a Public Hearing on the sale of real estate at 403 W. 14th Street. The City, in April 2019, adopted a resolution for the disposition of City-owned properties, that outlines how properties may be disposed of.

In this case, owners of an abutting property have submitted a bid for $10,000 to acquire the property at 403 W. 14th, but a hearing is required before the agreement can be signed-off on. On a related note, the Council will act on a Resolution “Amending the Policy for the Disposition of City Own Properties,” which clarifies that in such matters:

• City Staff should advertise the availability of the lots.
• When multiple parties are interested in a property, sealed bids and a review by the Council or designated Committee are appropriate.
• Additional language is added with regard to securities for buyers interested in building a home on the property. Those persons must place a down-payment to secure their interest and promise to build.

In other business, the Atlantic City Council will act on the Second Reading of an Ordinance with regard to the Collection of Solid Waste, and the First Reading of an Ordinance amending sections of the Code of Ordinances entitled “City Clerk,”and “City Attorney,” that would eliminate the current two-year reappointment schedule, and make the City Clerk and Attorney permanent employees.

And, in his report to the Council, City Administrator John Lund will present a Budget Overview, including “Recommended Tax Levy, Proposed Program and Funding Changes.”

Police in Red Oak, Sunday, arrested a Council Bluffs woman for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. 20-year old Madison Jane Franzen, was taken into custody at around 9:23-p.m. and transported to the Montgomery County Jail. Her bond was set at $300.

(Radio Iowa) – The chairman of the Iowa G-O-P says having President Trump at the top of the ticket in 2016 and 2020 obviously helped Iowa Republican candidates, but Jeff Kaufmann says the state party is led by its Republican governor. “This was never Trump’s Republican Party,” Kaufmann said. “This was Kim Reynold’s Republican Party.” Kaufmann has been the Iowa Republican Party chairman since June of 2013 and on Saturday the Iowa G-O-P’s governing board voted to keep him in that role.

Kaufmann says his focus now is on reelecting Reynolds and Senator Chuck Grassley in 2022. “I can’t think of a time when (Iowa Republicans) have been stronger,” Kaufmann said. “I mean we are at an absolute peak right now.” Kaufmann is also focused on the lobbying effort to keep Iowa’s Caucuses first in the nation. Kaufmann says it’ll be up to citizens to decide if Donald Trump makes a political comeback in the 2024 Iowa Caucuses, but Kaufmann says he’s currently getting phone calls, texts and email from Iowa Republicans expressing continued support for Trump.

“I mean we are bombarded here, I mean literally bombarded,” Kaufmann says. “Yes, I think he still has a great deal of support in this state.” Kaufmann says he won’t gloss over the disappointment that Trump has not been reelected, but Kaufmann says the focus now is on the next election. That includes next week’s special election for a state senate seat in the Ottumwa area.

(Radio Iowa) – It was an uneventful Sunday at the Iowa statehouse where there’s enhanced security after an F-B-I warning there could be armed protests at all 50 state Capitols in the days leading up to the Inauguration. An online posting indicated there would be a midday march at the Iowa Capitol. A business nearby closed as a precaution, but a security official on the scene said only three people arrived around noon and were gone by 12:30.

K-C-C-I T-V reports one of the three Iowa Capitol protesters was armed with a knife and had a bull horn. The largest protest yesterday (Sunday) appears to have been at the state Capitol in Michigan where several dozen gathered, some of whom were armed with guns. Fewer than a dozen protesters were outside Minnesota’s Capitol.

(Radio Iowa) – Members of the state legislature were notified Friday night that someone “associated” with the Iowa House had tested positive for Covid. The notification indicated the person had been in the state Capitol on Wednesday and, although there is not requirement to do so, the person had been wearing a face covering. The person’s identity or condition isn’t being revealed.

Democrats have argued the 2021 legislative session, which began LAST Monday, will become a super spreader event if Republicans in the majority don’t take more steps to stop the spread of the virus. G-O-P leaders say under state constitution, they do not have the authority to require that elected officials wear a mask.

The Iowa legislature is not meeting today (Monday), in observance of the Martin Luther King, Junior holiday. The MISSOURI House of Representatives is not meeting at all this week after a covid outbreak among lawmakers. The Missouri legislature also began its session a week ago.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:20 a.m. CST

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The number of people hospitalized with the coronavirus in Iowa has dipped below 500 for the first time since October. The Iowa Department of Public Health said 474 people were being treated for COVID-19 in hospitals Saturday, down from 505 on Friday. The last time the number of people hospitalized was below 500 was on Oct. 18. The state reported 730 new cases and two deaths Sunday to give Iowa a total of 304,852 cases and 4,323 deaths since the pandemic began. Over the past week, Iowa has been reporting an average of 941.43 new cases per day.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A judge has dismissed nine felony counts filed against a Black Lives Matter leader in Iowa charged with shining a laser pointer in the eyes of police officers during an August protest. Judge Paul Miller ruled Thursday that the Johnson County Attorney’s Office violated Matè Farrakhan Muhammad’s speedy trial rights by waiting 46 days after his arrest to file a formal charging document, one more day than allowed by law. Miller ruled that six aggravated misdemeanor assault counts related to the same allegations can proceed since they were filed weeks after his arrest. Muhammad has changed his name since his arrest, when he went by the name Matthew Bruce.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A white military veteran shot and wounded a 15-year-old Black girl during a tense confrontation at a rally in support of President Donald Trump in Iowa last month. Michael McKinney is charged with attempted murder in the Dec. 6 shooting in Des Moines. McKinney, who was heavily armed and wearing body armor, told police he fired in self-defense. He has posted on Facebook in support of the far-right Proud Boys and against Black Lives Matter. Authorities haven’t mentioned the Trump rally or the race of those involved in news releases detailing the shooting, suggesting it was traffic-related. The driver’s mother says the crowd of Trump supporters subjected her daughter and the other girls to racist abuse.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Powerball jackpot will grow to an estimated $730 million after there were no winners Saturday for the lottery’s top prize. The results come as there was also no winner of the Mega Millions jackpot on Friday. That top prize is now estimated at $850 million. It’s been nearly two years since a lottery jackpot has grown so large. The Powerball’s $730 million top prize would be the fifth-largest ever if a lottery player strikes big in Wednesday’s drawing. The Mega Millions’ $850 million jackpot would be the third-largest ever for the drawing on Tuesday.