CHARLOTTE, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say an Iowa sheriff’s deputy was shot and wounded while responding to a 911 call. The Clinton County Sheriff’s Office said in a media release posted on Facebook that gunfire erupted Friday morning from inside a Charlotte home as deputies approached it. The deputy who was struck was rushed to a hospital, where he underwent surgery for non-life threatening injuries.

A woman inside the home also was taken to the hospital. The release said Jesse Doran, 29, was arrested and charged with violation of a no-contact order. The release said additional charges are pending.

A former Des Moines sports radio personality faces a federal prison sentence after pleading guilty to one of his 10 fraud charges in 2019. According to KCCI, Marty Tirrell, known as the “Mouth of the Midwest,” is facing charges after officials say he swindled nearly $1.5 million from investors in a sports ticket deal.

Court documents show Tirrell pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud in December of 2019. The other nine counts will be dismissed during the sentencing. Tirrell was scheduled to be sentenced in April 2020, but that was delayed during the pandemic. Tirrell is scheduled to be sentenced in federal court Jan. 20.

Prosecutors are recommending Tirrell be sentenced to five years in prison and pay restitution to multiple victims.

Iowa’s Coronavirus dashboard today (Saturday), shows more than 1.4-million Iowans have been tested for the virus, 304, 122 have tested positive, 265,317 have recovered from the virus, and 4,321 have died, since the beginning of the pandemic. The IDPH says 1,336 people have tested positive since Friday, and 64 more deaths have been recorded. After closures due to Friday’s storm and Martin Luther King Jr. Day closing testing sites on Monday, the IDPH says numbers may be affected in the following days.

Iowa’s average reported positivity rate for the last 14-days is at 13.3%, compared to 13.2% on Friday.

Of those who died from COVID, 3,948 persons have underlying causes, and COVID was a contributing factor in 373 of those deaths. There were no additional deaths reported in the immediate KJAN listening area.

The RMCC dashboard (hospitalization information) shows, that since 10-a.m. Friday: 505 patients were hospitalized with COVID symptoms across the state (Compared to 513 on Friday); 91 people are in an ICU (unchanged from previous); 80 were admitted to a hospital (compared to 88 on Friday), and 39 patients are on ventilators.

The numbers in western/southwest Iowa (RMCC Region 4), show there are: 36 are hospitalized (3 more than previous); 12 are in an ICU; 4 people were admitted to a hospital, and 7 people are on a ventilator.

There are currently 78 Long Term Care facilities (LTC) with COVID-19 outbreaks, 1,910 positive total (patient/staff) cases at those facilities, 949 recoveries and 1,759 LTC patients have died.

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, 1,124 cases; {+5}; 41 deaths
• Adair, 684; {+4}; 20
• Adams, 293; {+1}; 3
• Audubon, 411; {+0}; 8
• Guthrie, 1,022 {+0}; 24
• Harrison County, 1,540; {+10}; 62
• Madison County, 1,178; {+14}; 9
• Mills County, 1,357; {+5}; 16
• Montgomery, 840; {+9}; 22
• Pottawattamie County, 8,905; {+33}; 112
• Shelby County, 1013; {+4}; 26
• Union County,  1,081; {+1}; 22

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (AP) — The federal government faces a second lawsuit over flooding along the Missouri River after it was ordered last month to pay some landowners for damages. R. Dan Boulware, of the Polsinelli law firm, filed the new class-action lawsuit on behalf of 60 plaintiffs who experienced damages during flooding in 2007, 2008, 2010, 2013 and 2014. The St. Joseph News-Press reports that Boulware successfully argued in the earlier case that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers knowingly flooded some farmland when it made changes to protect endangered species.

Boulware currently is waiting for the class-action lawsuit to be certified. If that occurs there could be additional plaintiffs added to the case. He estimates that the current claim of damages exceeds $50 million.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest of a Denison woman on Saturday morning. At approximately 6:40 a.m. Deputies arrested 55-year-old Amy J. Ross of Denison on a charge of Driving While Revoked. Ross was arrested following an investigation into a reported car in the ditch at Ironwood Avenue and 180th Street. A check of Ross’ driving record indicated that her privelege to operate a motor vehicle in the State of Iowa was revoked. She was taken to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $1,000 bond.

w/ Chris Parks

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DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — One of the largest jackpots in U.S. history is growing larger. There was no winner of Friday’s drawing for the Mega Millions $750 million jackpot. It would have been the fifth-largest jackpot ever drawn. Now, the next top prize is estimated to grow to $850 million. That would be the third-largest of all time. The drawing is on Tuesday. Lottery players still have a chance to win big this weekend. The Powerball jackpot is up to $640 million for the drawing on Saturday. No one has won either game’s top prize in months, and it’s been nearly two years since a lottery jackpot has grown so large.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office has made another arrest following an investigation that began on Wednesday, January 13th. On Friday at approximately 3:40 p.m. Deputies arrested 58-year-old Donna M. Tiemeyer of Farragut for a Controlled Substance Violation, a Class C Felony.  Tiemeyer was taken to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $100,000 bond.

The investigation had previously led to the arrest as well of Henry. B. Ballard. Ballard has now additionally been charged with a Drug Tax Stamp Violation.

The Cass County Conservation Board (CCCB) is holding Cabin Fever Escape program. The program/open house will be held at the Outdoor Educational Classroom outside of Massena, on Saturday, January 23rd. The event takes place from 1-until 4-p.m., and is FREE for all ages. The Board invites you to cure cabin fever by spending some time outside with family friendly FUN! Bring your mugs, sleds, dress for the weather, and snowshoes will be available!

If you get cold, warm and tasty drinks and a movie will be playing inside our lodge! There will be no-snow activities planned, as well! To get to the Outdoor Classroom, take Highway 148 south of Massena, turn Left on Tucson Road, and follow it East for about two miles.Then make a right hand turn into the parking lot.

The Cabin Fever Escape Program qualifies for the CCCB’s 120hrs Outdoor Challenge, so don’t forget to use #120hrsCassCoIA as a hashtag for your adventures.

Officials with the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH), Friday, said they spoke with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding expected increases in vaccine allocation. According to IDPH, they continue to be in close communication with their federal partners and will provide updates as they learn more.

Sarah Ekstrand says “At this time, we continue to move forward with our targeted plan to ensure a swift and equitable process. Iowa is currently vaccinating individuals in Phase 1A, which includes health care personnel and residents and staff of long-term care facilities. The next phase, Phase 1B, includes Iowans age 75 and over, as well as other high-risk populations. This next phase will begin receiving vaccinations no later than February 1. The Department created a timeline to help Iowans understand when they can expect to get their vaccination.”

According to Ekstrand, “This approach focuses on Iowans who are most vulnerable to exposure to COVID-19 or high-risk for illness as the result of a COVID-19 infection, with a significant focus on equity.  Some examples include individuals with disabilities living in home settings, correctional facilities, other congregate settings and meatpacking plant workers.” Definitions and examples of individuals included in Phase 1A and B can be found here.

As the IDPH moves into the next phase, more settings and locations for vaccination will become available. Some may receive vaccines at employer-based clinics. Others may receive theirs through health care providers, pharmacies and clinical settings that are equipped to handle screening and scheduling for vaccination efforts. There are approximately 1,700 enrolled vaccine providers in the state. County health departments may partner with these providers to ensure their residents have access to the vaccine when it becomes available.

Throughout the vaccine campaign, officials say, it has been the goal of IDPH to keep Iowans informed with accurate and confirmed details. The department will continue to monitor and evaluate updated allocation information during this time when the situation remains fluid. Iowa’s current allocation numbers can be found here and vaccine administration totals here.

IDPH continues to urge Iowans that while the vaccine is still a scarce resource, to practice virus mitigation efforts.

• Wear a mask or face covering
• Practice social distancing with those outside your household
• Clean your hands frequently with soap and water
• Stay home if you feel sick