IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — The family of a Tyson Foods worker who died of the coronavirus in April has filed a lawsuit claiming his plant took few safety precautions before he and others became infected. Pedro Cano worked on the kill floor elbow-to-elbow with others at Tyson’s pork processing plant in Columbus Junction, Iowa. A wrongful death lawsuit filed by his three adult children says that Cano developed COVID-19 symptoms April 2, days before Tyson announced that two dozen workers had tested positive and that production would be suspended.

The lawsuit says Cano died April 14 at age 51. The plant resumed production with new safety measures a week after his death.

Atlantic Municipal Utilities crews will flush water mains and check fire hydrants this Thursday, October 8th, and Friday, October 9th, throughout the entire cities of Atlantic and Marne. Water main flushing is the process of cleaning or “scouring” the interior of water distribution mains by sending a rapid flow of water through the mains. The cleaning process is accomplished by forcing water at high velocities through the mains. The practice helps to extend the life of the City’s water system.

As a result of the necessary maintenance activity you may temporarily experience rusty colored water on Thursday and Friday. Flow-testing the hydrants helps to make sure they work properly in the event of an emergency.

AMU thanks for you for your patience and understanding.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports a man from Pottawattamie County was arrested Sept. 29th on two Atlantic Police Department warrants. 18-year old Deven Anthony Hatfield, of Council Bluffs, was taken into custody on the warrant for Burglary in the 3rd Degree, and 5th Degree Theft . Hatfield was taken to the Cass County Jail and released later that day on $3,000 bond.

And, on Sunday (Oct. 4), Cass County Deputies arrested 46-year old Ian Joseph Haas, of Emerson, for OWI/1st Offense. Haas was taken to the Cass County jail and released later that day on his own recognizance.

The Washington G.E.M. 4H Club in Cass County met on Sunday, October 4th, for their regular meeting and installation of officers.  Due to COVID the club was unable to celebrate their 100th Anniversary last year so plans are again in the works to celebrate this coming year.  This week also starts 4H week so members of the club decorated the window at Bonnesen’s in downtown Atlantic and also the display case at the Atlantic Public Library with memorabilia of the clubs last 100 years.  Club members also displayed posters in the schools and at Oathoudt Farm Supply explaining what 4H is about and how to join!

A member who did their presentation on drones and the use of them in farming applications was able to take a great photo of the club celebrating 100!

Information & photos submitted by Melanie Petty.

For more information on 4H please contact the Cass County Extension Office at 243-1132.

The Glenwood Police Department reports three recent arrests. Saturday, 28-year old Taner Schoening, of Glenwood, was arrested for reckless use of a firearm. He pled guilty to the charge and was released. And, 24-year old Zachary Bond, of Glenwood, was arrested Saturday for Domestic Abuse Assault. He later posted a $5,000 cash or surety bond.

On Sept. 29th, 33-year old William Meredith, of Glenwood, was arrested on a Mills County warrant for Probation Violation, with bond set at $5,000. He was also arrested for Violation of a No Contact Order, and held without bond, until seen by a magistrate.

The Glenwood P-D says also, a juvenile male suffered possible/unknown injuries Sunday afternoon, after the bicycle he was riding collided with a 2010 GMC SUV. The accident happened as the SUV, driven by 28-year old Samantha Garbez, of Glenwood, was traveling south in the 200 block of Elm Street, at around 3:45-p.m.  The bicycle, operated by the seven-year old boy, came down the street and entered Elm before his bike hit the SUV. After the impact, the juvenile was thrown from the bike onto the grass, causing him to suffer injuries to his left leg and torso.

The boy was check by EMS and released, per authority of his parent. Garbez told Police the kid just pulled out in front of her and she tried, but was unable to stop. The boy admitted to hitting the car as opposed to the car hitting him. A witness confirmed the boy was coming down the hill very fast, and failed to yield the right of  way, before the bike hit the SUV. There were no citations issued. Damage to the vehicle amounted to $150.

INDIANOLA, Iowa (AP) — A central Iowa woman is facing charges for the June death of a newborn child. KCCI-TV reports that 30-year-old Amber Nicole Phillips of Indianola is now charged with child endangerment resulting in death, after an autopsy showed the child tested positive for drugs. Authorities were called to a home on June 15 after the child stopped breathing.

According to court records, Phillips told police she had been sleeping and woke to found the baby not breathing. The child was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities say the autopsy found methadone and buprenorphine in the infant’s system, which “likely contributed to the respiratory failure from respiratory distress syndrome.”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) have issued a statement with the purpose of raising awareness of the potential threat posed by foreign-backed online journals that spread disinformation regarding the 2020 elections. Authorities say foreign intelligence services have been known to use websites, including pseudo-academic online journals, to disseminate articles with misleading or unsubstantiated information. Such sites could be employed during the 2020 election season in an attempt to manipulate public opinion, increase societal divisions, cause widespread confusion, discredit the electoral process, and undermine confidence in U.S. democratic institutions.

Foreign intelligence services have used online journals, including some with a global reach, to exacerbate disunity and dysfunction in the United States while also misinforming or misleading readers. Foreign governments have used these journals to amplify their disinformation and overt propaganda, and they have used websites, social media, and other online platforms to amplify the journals’ messages and increase their global reach. As foreign actors intensify their efforts to influence the outcome of the 2020 U.S. elections, they could use online journals to advance and launder misinformation and disinformation to denigrate or support specific candidates or political parties. Foreign actors could also use online journals to target the U.S. elections by making claims of voter suppression, amplifying reports of real or alleged cyberattacks on election infrastructure, asserting voter or ballot fraud, and spreading other information intended to convince the public of the elections’ illegitimacy.

Recommendations

• Seek out information from trustworthy sources, verify who produced the content, and consider their intent.
• Rely on state and local election officials as the authoritative sources of information about how elections are conducted in their jurisdictions.
• Verify through multiple reliable sources any reports about problems in voting or election results, and consider searching for other reliable sources before sharing such information via social media or other avenues.
• Report potential election crimes—such as disinformation about the manner, time, or place of voting—to the FBI.
• If appropriate, make use of in-platform tools offered by social media companies for reporting suspicious posts that appear to be spreading false or inconsistent information about election-related problems or results.

The FBI and CISA urge the American public to critically evaluate the sources of the information they consume and to seek out reliable and verified information. The FBI is responsible for investigating malign foreign influence operations and malicious cyber activity targeting election infrastructure and other U.S. democratic institutions. CISA is responsible for protecting the
nation’s critical infrastructure from physical and cyber threats. The FBI and CISA provide services and information to uphold the security, integrity, and resiliency of the U.S. electoral processes.
Victim Reporting and Additional Information The FBI encourages the public to report information concerning suspicious or criminal activity to their local field office (www.fbi.gov/contact-us/fieldoffices) or to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (www.ic3.gov).

For additional assistance, best practices, and common terms, please visit the
following websites:

• Protected Voices:
  www.fbi.gov/investigate/counterintelligence/foreigninfluence/protected-voices
• Election Crimes and Security: www.fbi.gov/scams-andsafety/common-scams-and-crimes/election-crimes-and-security
• #Protect2020: www.cisa.gov/protect2020

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa faces a rising rate of COVID-19 hospitalizations as it moves into flu season and colder weather as recent daily hospitalization numbers have reached their highest levels since May. Thomas Tsai, a professor of Health Policy and Management at Harvard, expects the number of those seeking medical care to increase during the colder months, but he says the number of new cases and hospitalizations depends on the public.  “We actually have a lot of control over the course of the pandemic, depending on what our public health response is, our testing responses,” Tsai says, “and our behavior on masking and physical distancing.”

Tsai says the focus should be on suppressing the curve, not flattening the curve, which can be done through public health guidelines. COVID-19 hospitalizations in Iowa have been ticking upwards since early July, but rates have increased sharply in the last two weeks. While demand for medical care will increase during colder months, Tsai says hospitals are more ready for the virus now compared to last spring. “The hospitals have had the opportunity to prepare both the supplies needed to treat the patients, but also plan for contingencies in terms of how to create excess capacity,” he says.

Tsai says it’s extremely important this year for people to get a flu shot. He says public health precautions like social distancing and wearing masks play a big role in lowering case counts and hospitalizations.

(reporting by Natalie Krebs, Iowa Public Radio)

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

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(Radio Iowa) – Authorities are investigating a fatal weekend accident at the Target Distribution Center in Cedar Falls. Cedar Falls public safety officials were dispatched to the Target Distribution Center Sunday just after 11:30 AM on a report of an unresponsive man in the parking lot.

According to officials, emergency crews determined the man was deceased and evidence indicated that the victim had been run over by a semi-tractor. The victim’s name was not immediately released.