More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson

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(Radio Iowa) – The latest count in Iowa’s second congressional district race shows Mariannette Miller-Meeks, the Republican, now leads Democrat Rita Hart by 47 votes. Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate says there could be more adjustments.  “We’re all pretty good at observing what’s going on and how the counts are moving and I’m sure that the media will report who’s in the lead,” Pate says,”but as for certifying and declaring, it’ll not until November 30.”

Pate has ordered Lucas County to run all their ballots through a machine and do a hand count of a precinct in Russell. That’s the precinct where results were not included in last week’s Lucas County vote count. Pate says any new adjustments from the Lucas County recounts today (Thursday) and Friday will be reflected in the final report. “We don’t declare a winner until we’ve finished and do our certification on the 30th,” Pate says.

With about four dozen votes separating the two candidates in the second district race, it’s likely one or both campaigns will seek more recounts by Friday’s deadline. And if votes are recounted, counties will have to cover the cost. That’s because the margin between the two candidates is less than one percent. Taxpayers cover the costs of recounts in Iowa when a race is that close.

Atlantic Activities Director Andy Mitchell, Wednesday, said COVID-19 did not have a huge affect on sports and other activities this fall.

He told the Atlantic School Board, Winter Sports activities begin next week.

Mitchell said also the coaches are doing their best to keep kids six-feet or more apart. When they can’t they rotate drills constantly. Masks are to be worn when they get on the bus and in the locker rooms. He said also they had a plan on how they were going to transition from outdoor sports to indoor sports, but the Governor’s new proclamation on Tuesday changed that.

Mitchell said events will be live streamed as well through booktix.com. More information will be available on that soon. There’s also some new technology in-place to live-stream various events.

Mitchell said the two fans per player policy was discussed among the Hawkeye 10 Conference members.

He said they have to find a way to pay officials, and that “There won’t be a lot of extra money coming in this year.

Red Oak Police report 32-year old Jeremy Michael Cabe, Sr., of Red Oak, was arrested at around 9:10-p.m. Wednesday, in the 1800 block of E. Summit Street. Cabe was taken into custody for Simple Assault. His bond was set at $300. And, at around 9:35-p.m., Red Oak Police arrested 20-year old Tyler Blaine Baucom, of Red Oak, for Domestic Abuse Assault/1st offense. Baucom was being held without bond at the Montgomery County Jail, while awaiting an appearance before the magistrate.

A school district in north central Iowa is mourning the loss of a teacher who died three days after testing positive for COVID-19. KCCI reports 38-year-old Jason Englert, of Belmond, taught students in the Talented And Gifted (TAG) program. He also coached junior high volleyball, junior high girls basketball, and had planned on coaching varsity girls track this spring for the Belmond-Klemme School District. He died Nov. 8th, at home.

Jason Englert (Photo via the Warner Funeral Home website)

Wright County has been hit hard with the coronavirus. That’s why the Belmond-Klemme district did mass testing last week. His family said while they don’t have an official cause of death yet, they wonder if the virus spurred a heart attack or stroke.

Englert was a native of Royal and graduated from Central Clay/Everly High School. Before taking the position at B-K, he taught math at Manson-Northwest Webster. Prior to that, Jason taught at Twin River Valley in Bode, and at East Union in Afton. A private family service is pending at Warner Funeral Home in Spencer.

(Radio Iowa) – High school and middle school students in Charles City were dismissed early Wednesday morning, due to a possible COVID-19 case on the food service staff. In a written statement, the district’s administrators said they didn’t think it was wise to serve food until the staffer gets a Covid test and they can review how the situation impacts staffing. The district’s website shows 17 active Covid cases in the district and 101 people from the district’s campuses in quarantine.

Over the weekend, came news a special education teacher in Charles City who fell ill with Covid in September had died. At this week’s school board meeting, Charles City Superintendent Mike Fisher asked the community to do its part to ensure the school could stay open.

“We’re just begging and asking the community to please continue to make wise decisions,” he said, “social distance, avoid large gatherings, wear your face coverings.” Fisher says it’s touch and go as to whether he can find enough staff to keep in-person classes going. Charles City high school and middle school students will be out on a “snow day” today (Thursday) and tomorrow (Friday), as administrators prepare for the possibility of digital days for students.

(Radio Iowa)- There’s been a 60 percent increase in the number of Covid patients in Iowa hospitals so far this month. The patient count last (Wednesday) night was more than 12-hundred, with more than 200 in intensive care and about half of I-C-U patients were on a ventilator. Test results released by the state yesterday (Wednesday) show nearly 48-hundred more Iowans have the virus — three times the national average. Public health officials are pleading with Iowans to take precautions. The hospital in Algona posted a video on its Facebook page with Dr. Rachel Venteicher, director of the Kossuth County Board of Health.

“We have been talking about washing our hands and wearing masks basically for the last eight months, but it is really becoming important right now because we are starting to see our local cases and our regional and state cases just really take off and hospitalization numbers go up and now it is just really important that we have our community’s support and do the things that we ask of them.” Venteicher is urging people to plan ahead and weigh the risks of gatherings for the upcoming holidays.

“We know that in larger groups, there’s just a bigger risk with passing illness, but even in smaller groups, that risk still remains,” she says. “…It might be one of those years that a virtual get together is what’s in the best interest of your family and friends.” According to Dr. Venteicher, the original plan eight months ago was to transfer Covid patients to a larger, regional hospital, but she says because of the statewide spike in Covid cases, it’s become necessary for Algona’s hospital to care for patients suffering from the virus.

The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics — the state’s largest facility — has recently activated its surge plan to deal with escalating numbers of patients. Among the new coronavirus cases reported yesterday (Wednesday), more than 11 percent were either school-age children under 18 (482) or adults in education (60), who work in Iowa schools.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa coronavirus trends continue to worsen as increasing numbers of Iowans were hospitalized with the virus, further stressing hospitals and health care workers as they try to keep up with the surge. Iowa Department of Public Health data showed 4,764 additional cases in the past 24 hours Wednesday and 26 more deaths, bringing the state total to 1,898. It was the fifth consecutive day Iowa has reported more than 4,000 new cases a day. State data indicated 1,190 people were in Iowa hospitals with COVID-19 and 230 admitted in the past 24 hours/ That is the highest single-day number since the beginning of the pandemic and a 39% increase from the day before.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — State Sen. Janet Petersen says she will not seek reelection as Senate minority leader. Peterson was the first woman to be elected to lead Senate Democrats when she won the post in 2017. She says Wednesday she was asked by several members of her caucus to continue on as leader but decided against it. Senate Democrats retained 18 seats in last week’s election, and Petersen won a third four-year term. Republicans hold large majorities in the state Senate and House. Senate Democrats will meet Sunday to select caucus leaders for the coming legislative session scheduled to begin Jan. 11.

ONAWA, Iowa (AP) — A judge in western Iowa says he will announce a verdict Friday in the case of a man accused of killing his grandmother in 2018. Eliot Stowe is charged with first-degree murder for the beating death of 66-year-old Cheryl Stowe at her rural home in Castana in June 2018. The Sioux City Journal reports that Stowe waived his right to a jury trial, so a judge heard evidence during a four-day trial in August. Cheryl Stowe’s body was found wrapped in a rug and duct tape at the edge of a cornfield near her home. Prosecutors say Eliot Stowe had beaten her with a baseball bat. Eliot Stowe’s defense team has argued he’s not guilty by reason of insanity.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — A 24-year-old woman charged with fatally shooting a woman inside a busy Chuck E. Cheese in Davenport lost a bid to have her bond altered so she could be released from jail to await trial. Treshonda Pollion, of Davenport, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of 29-year-old Eloise Chairs in late October. During a telephone conference on Tuesday, Pollion and her attorney asked to have her $1 million cash-only bond altered, noting she has no prior criminal history or failure to appear in court on her record. The judge rejected the request, citing the serious nature of the shooting.