(By DAVID KOENIG AP Airlines Writer) – American Airlines is dropping flights to 15 U.S. cities in October, when a federal requirement to serve those communities expires. American said its schedule covering Oct. 7th through Nov. 3rd will drop flights to cities including Sioux City, Iowa; New Haven, Connecticut; and Springfield, Illinois.

American said Thursday (today) that it will consider other changes unless the federal government provides more money to the embattled airline industry. The decision appears designed to put pressure on Congress and the Trump administration to approve another $25 billion in relief for passenger airlines, which have seen traffic plummet during the coronavirus pandemic. American has already received $5.8 billion and has applied for an additional federal loan of $4.9 billion.

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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (5.9MB)

Subscribe: RSS

NEVADA, Iowa (AP) — Police say an arrest warrant has been issued for a 24-year-old man wanted in connection with the alcohol-related death of a central Iowa teenager. Television station WOI reports that the warrant charges Austin Ray McFall, of Indianola, with supplying alcohol to an underage person resulting in the death of 18-year-old Taron William Harmon, of Nevada, Iowa. Officers were called to a Nevada home on April 19 for a report of an unresponsive person and found Harmon’s body on the home’s porch.

The Red Oak Police Department reports two arrests. At around 12:25-a.m. today (Thursday), officers arrested 47-year old Tiffany Lee Palmer, of Red Oak, on a valid Montgomery County warrant for Violation of Probation. Palmer was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $5,000 cash-only bond. And, at around 9:05-p.m. Wednesday, 42-year old Jill Renee Coddington, of Red Oak, was arrested for Theft in the 5th Degree. Coddington was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $300 bond.

(Updated 10:05-a.m.) The number of people in Iowa who have died from complications of COVID-19 currently stands at 1,012, eight more than reported Wednesday. The Iowa Department of Public Health reports of those who died, 720 had a pre-existing medical condition. Officials say 542 of the deaths occurred at long term care facilities.

There have been 333 additional, Positive COVID-19 cases since 10-a.m. Wednesday, for a total of 53,830. Cass County reports four new positive COVID-19 cases since Wednesday, for a total of 100. Adams County has one new, positive case, for a total of 18, Guthrie County reports two more cases, for a total of 152. Shelby County has 4 more cases (199 total), and Pottawattamie County reports 15 more positive cases, for a total of 1,471. Pottawattamie County also had an additional death since the outbreak, for a total of 31.

The IDPH says 684 people have tested negative since Wednesday. Of the 576,953 residents who have been tested to-date, 512,756 have tested negative since the outbreak began, for a positivity rate of 9.3%, which is up from 9.1% yesterday. The number of persons who have recovered from the virus amount to 42,316, which is 348 more than reported Wednesday.

There are currently 300 COVID-19 patients hospitalized across the state. IDPH lists 89 patients in intensive care. There were 43 people admitted to hospitals across the state, and 31 patients on ventilators. In western/southwest Iowa: Two more people were hospitalized, for a total of 17; Seven are in an ICU, and two people were admitted to area hospitals. One person remains on a ventilator.

There are coronavirus outbreaks in 33 of Iowa’s long-term care facilities. The IDPH reported 986 positive cases and 602 recoveries within those facilities.

Here are the latest positive case numbers for southwest/western Iowa since 10-a.m. Wenesday (County; Positive Case #’s; number of persons who have (recovered); {deaths since the outbreak began}. Counties with changes have highlighted numbers over the previous 24-hours:

• Cass County: 100 cases; (75); 2 deaths
• Adair County: 42 cases; (20); 1 death
• Adams County: 18 cases; (16)
• Audubon County: 30 cases; (22); 1 death
• Guthrie County: 152 cases; (115); 5 deaths
• Montgomery County: 66 cases; (55); 4 deaths
• Pottawattamie County: 1,471 cases; (1,134); 31 deaths
• Shelby County: 199 cases; (182); 1 death.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:15 a.m. CDT

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A spokesman for Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds says that the state is correcting a major flaw in its coronavirus data that backdated thousands of positive and negative test results. Reynolds spokesman Pat Garrett said that the state’s data system had been erroneuosly recording the results of people who were tested on multiple occasions. He said that an individual’s most recent result, whether positive or negative, was “unintentionally attributed to the date of their first test.” That means thousands of recent results were being recorded in the system as having occurred in March, April, May and June.

CORALVILLE, Iowa (AP) — An increase in coronavirus cases has prompted Iowa prison officials to stop admitting inmates from county jails to the Iowa Medical and Classification Center in Coralville. The Department of Corrections said Wednesday that 59 inmates have tested positive in the last week out of nearly 800 tests conducted at the center. When officials believe the virus is no longer spreading in the facility, they will end the suspension. Staff implemented enhanced quarantine and testing measures after an inmate tested positive for the coronavirus last week. Inmates typically are temporarily assigned to the center before being sent to another prison in Iowa’s system. The Coralville center usually admits about 65 inmates a week from jails.

CLARION, Iowa — A north central Iowa woman died Wednesday evening during a collision between a motorcycle and and SUV. The Iowa State Patrol reports 56-year old Michelle Joann Gambrill, of Clarion died when the motorcycle she was riding was struck after the SUV, driven by 40-year old Michael James Curtis, of Clarion, turned from Highway 3 onto 10th Street, in Clarion. Authorities say Gambrill became separated from her motorcycle following the collision, and was dragged several feet before the SUV came to rest on top of the motorcycle.

LeCLAIRE, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a second person has died from injuries he received in an eastern Iowa boat crash on the Mississippi River. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says 61-year-old Craig Verbeke, of Moline, Illinois, died in a hospital Wednesday, three days after a boat he was aboard collided with another boat on the river near LeClaire. The crash also killed Dr. Anita Pinc, of Moline, Illinois, a 52-year-old Davenport obstetrician and gynecologist. Officials said she and Verbeke were aboard the same 19-foot Bayliner boat. Officials say a 36-year-old woman on the other boat — a 35-foot center-console vessel — suffered minor injuries.

NEVADA, Iowa (AP) — Police say an arrest warrant has been issued for a 24-year-old man wanted in connection with the alcohol-related death of a central Iowa teenager. Television station WOI reports that the warrant charges Austin Ray McFall, of Indianola, with supplying alcohol to an underage person resulting in the death of 18-year-old Taron William Harmon, of Nevada, Iowa. Officers were called to a Nevada home on April 19 for a report of an unresponsive person and found Harmon’s body on the home’s porch.

In his report to the City Council in Atlantic, Wednesday evening, City Administrator John Lund said he learned of some good news from Mayor Dave Jones, who attended a League Of Cities meeting last week.

Lund mentioned at the next regular meeting, the Council will act on a Resolution with regard to the CARES act. The City, he said would (on a per capita basis), be allocated $155,100 in eligible funds, for reimbursement up to 25% of budgeted Public Safety costs associated with the Coronavirus pandemic, covering the period of March through July 1st. He and City Clerk Barb Barrick attended a webinar on the subject Wednesday morning, after being informed about the funds by the Mayor.

The Atlantic City Council dons face shields and masks during their meeting Aug. 19, 2020 (Ric Hanson/photo)

On August 4th, Governor Kim Reynolds announced the state will allocate $125 million in federal CARES Act funds to local governments to assist with direct expenses incurred in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Of those funds, $100 million will go toward reimbursement for COVID-19 expenses. It will be divided between eligible cities and counties, with 60 percent going to cities, and 40 percent going to counties based on population, using 2019 census data. The remaining $25 million will be used to cover local governments match requirements for FEMA. Any unused money will be reallocated to local governments based on the percentages listed above.

Reynolds said the funding will go towards medical supplies and equipment, PPE, sanitizing products, testing supplies, and ventilators. It could also go towards other COVID-19 related expenses like payroll costs for public health and safety personnel or emergency staffing. It will also go toward costs associated with enhanced 211 services.

Lund said also some other items on the next agenda include the donating of City-owned lots to persons who wish to build a house on the property within the City limits, with certain provisions, such as the recipient must build an owner-occupied house, and not other structures like a garage or multi-family structures, such as an apartment.

In other business, the Council, as expected, approved the partial vacating of the Right-Of-Way (ROW) between Hemlock and Sycamore Streets, south of E. 18th Street. Each of the abutting property owners will be contacted and informed of the City’s decision to vacate the alley, and divide the ROW among the eight abutting lots. The Council’s decision followed on the heels of a review and recommendation of the matter, by the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa State Education Association and the Iowa City Community School District are filing a lawsuit in Johnson County against the governor and the requirement that schools returning to classes have at least 50 percent in-person instruction. The lawyer for the teachers union, Jay Hammond, says the I-S-E-A is seeking one thing.

“What we are asking the court to determine is that ultimate authority to determine the content and to effectuate the content of a plan to return to school lies with the individual school boards of every school district across the state of Iowa,” Hammond says. He says they are alleging the governor’s emergency order violates the Iowa Constitution.

“Which summarized states that state government is charged with the responsibility of protecting the health and welfare of the citizens of this state to the greatest extent that it can,” according to Hammond. “The governor is not protecting those rights — her proclamations are unconstitutional as a result,” he says. Hammond says they also take issue with the way the governor has interpreted the law passed by the Iowa Legislature in their special session that says classes should be primarily held in person.

“We are alleging that the governor has exceeded her authority under Senate File 2310 — and in fact does not have the authority to determine the minimum amount of online learning. Or to set the standards and criteria when a school closing may be ordered due to the COVID-19 environment,” Hammond says. Hammond says they hope to get an injunction against the state.

“A hearing as to whether the court believes there is merit to the lawsuit. And if so, has the authority to issue a temporary injunction — which would then restrain any enforcement of these proclamations,” Hammond says. A spokesman for the Iowa City Schools says they have approved a 50-50 learning plan that meets the state guidelines while the lawsuit is being heard.

CORALVILLE, Iowa (AP) — An increase in coronavirus cases has prompted Iowa prison officials to stop admitting inmates from county jails to the Iowa Medical and Classification Center in Coralville. The Department of Corrections said Wednesday that 59 inmates have tested positive in the last week out of nearly 800 tests conducted at the center.

When officials believe the virus is no longer spreading in the facility, they will end the suspension. Staff implemented enhanced quarantine and testing measures after an inmate tested positive for the coronavirus last week.

Inmates typically are temporarily assigned to the center before being sent to another prison in Iowa’s system. The Coralville center usually admits about 65 inmates a week from jails.

Audubon Police Chief Matt Starmer, Wednesday afternoon, released a list of 28 people who were arrested over the past eight-weeks, plus an undefined list of nearly a dozen people who were cited for “Dog At Large” violations. Information with regard to the dates and additional details concerning the arrests were not included in the Chief’s report:

• Kent Henriksen, 60, (5) counts of Forgery and (5) counts of Theft
• Joseph Douglas Jensen, 36, Driving Under Suspension
• Troy Gene Mack, 35, Domestic Abuse Assault
• 16 year old male for Juvenile Court Terms Violation
• Larry Duane Phipps, 59, Poss of Meth, Poss of Marijuana; Paraphernalia
• David Howard, 53, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
• Nina Bruns, 34, Driving While Barred
• Angela Sue Barclay, 40, Keeping a Vicious Dog
• Jessica Lee Mack, 26, Public Intoxication
• Allison Dawn Heuton, 36, Child Endangerment
• Rae Beth Horton, 24, Violation of No Contact Order
• Joseph Michael Hartl, 36, Operating Motor Vehicle While Intoxicated
• Zachary James Vesper, 25, Warrant for Failure to Appear In Court
• Rickie Don Bohlmann, 65, Obstruction of Emergency Communication
• Charles Dean Emig, 36, Operating Motor Vehicle While Intoxicated
• Angela Sue Barclay, 40, Warrant for Failure to Appear in Court
• Jeremiah Micah Jobe, 36, Warrant for Failure to Appear in Court
• Rickie Don Bohlmann, 65, Domestic Abuse Assault
• Tauna Jean Bohlmann, 55, Domestic Abuse Assault
• 4 male juveniles, 14-16 years old, Burglary 3^rd degree and Theft 5^th
• Clay Lamar Perry Sr., 58, Child Endangerment
• Ashlie Lynette Kluver, 32, Warrant for Other Agency
• Michael Ohara Sherrod, 55, Warrant for Other Agency
• Misty Dawn Winfield, 40, Violation of Parole.
• Owen Daniel Anthofer, 28, Dog Annoyance/Disturb the Peace
• As well, 11 other individuals were cited for Dog At Large violations.