(Updated 9:20-a.m.) Firefighters from Shenandoah were dispatched at around 4-p.m. Thursday to a wooden bridge fire. Upon arrival, crews found heavy smoke and flames engulfing the Wabash Trace bridge over the East Nishnabotna river, on the north side of Shenandoah. According to a post on the department’s social media page, crews were able to extinguish the fire and were on scene for approximately two hours.

The Wabash Trace organization posted on social media, that over 50′ of the bridge will have to be completely torn off and rebuilt. Officials say there is no thru access, so trail users will have to cautiously use Highway 59 as a detour. Work on repairing the bridge will begin as soon as possible. If you would like to donate towards the repair, please visit www.wabashtrace.org/contribute and make a note in the memo, or you may mail a check to P.O. Box 581, Shenandoah, IA, 51601.

Photos via the Shenandoah Fire Department Facebook page.

The Page County Sheriff’s department, Page County EMA, and several members of the Wabash trace assisted Shenadoah Fire at the scene. The cause of the fire remained undetermined and was under investigation.

(Radio Iowa) — While parts of Iowa had record high temperatures in the mid-80s earlier this week, a cold front has cut those highs in half and forecasters say the chilly, unseasonable weather may be sticking around. Meteorologist Dennis Todey, director of the U-S-D-A’s Midwest Climate Hub, based in Ames, says there’s no warm-up in sight. “The main part of this goes into next week where we have sub-freezing temperatures possible into next week,” Todey says. “The downside of this, unfortunately, is that this pattern could stay with us for another couple weeks.”

Todey says there is the potential for some freeze damage and — much like a year ago — a slowing of spring planting for Iowa farmers. “We could still have some repeated cold shots that plants then could be far enough along but if we get freezing temperatures we have an issue,” Todey says, “and if that cold does stay with us, and not give us too much of a warm-up over the next couple weeks, we again will have that same problem with soils not warming up quickly enough and not drying out enough that we can start getting field work done.”

Todey says it doesn’t look like much precipitation is coming with the cold, which will benefit some farmers in the short-term. “The advantage for row crop people is, you can still do a lot of prep work,” Todey says. “If you can get into the field, you can start getting ready. You just don’t want to be putting out anything except for maybe some small grains would probably be okay to get started on.”

Todey says long-range trends show both temperatures and precipitation staying below-normal for the next month or so.

(Radio Iowa) — Sioux City Police have announced several staff members have tested positive for COVID-19, but officials are not releasing the exact number of employees affected or what their positions or roles may be within the department. Sergeant Jeremy McClure says the department just learned of the positive results yesterday (Thursday). “We wanted to make sure that we’re being transparent and then also review the proceedures we have in place to ensure that we are following the best practices to protect the public and our officers,” McClure says.

“The important thing is right now our capabilities to provide essential services have not been impacted and we continue to monitor our employees’ health.” McClure says the department has enough staff to respond to 9-1-1 calls and other calls for service in Sioux City. “Officers have been sanitizing equipment and cars regularly and then as of today, officers will be wearing masks when interacting with the public and co-workers,” McClure says, “just to ensure that we’re being as safe as possible and minimizing the risk.”

Sioux City Police Department employees who tested positive for COVID-19 are recovering in isolation, according to McClure. He says the entire staff has NOT been tested. “Any employees that we think may possibly may be getting sick, we’ve been working with an over abundance of caution and providing them the resources they need to take care of themselves whether that’s self-isolating or any other resources we can provide to them,” McClure says, “just to protect them and the other staff members.”

It appears Sioux City’s police department may be the first law enforcement agency in the state to have staff test positive for COVID-19. The president of the Iowa State Sheriffs and Deputies Association told The Des Moines Register on Wednesday he was unaware of any Iowa deputy or officer testing positive for the virus.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:35 a.m. CDT

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds is urging residents to focus on what they can do individually to stop the spread of the coronavirus and less about whether she will have to order further restrictions to fight the outbreak. Reynolds told reporters that “sometimes everyone is getting so hung up on the metrics” guiding the state’s response, including whether local stay-at-home orders may become necessary. Reynolds said Iowans should focus “first and foremost” on increasing compliance with the social distancing guidelines she has emphasized, including staying home whenever possible. She said if Iowans do that, the conversation will eventually shift to “how we can start to open things back up.”

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A state group voted Thursday to extend the Iowa Legislature’s adjournment until April 30. The 24-member Iowa Legislative Council, which makes rules when the legislative body isn’t in session, voted in a telephone conference call to extend the recess as concerns remain over the increasing number of coronavirus cases in the state. Legislators in March passed a resolution that prevented meetings until April 15. The number of Iowans testing positive for COVID-19 increased by 125 cases on Thursday to a total of 1,270.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A historic surge in unemployment claims continued last week in Iowa as more workers lost their jobs in an economy devastated by the coronavirus. The U.S. Department of Labor reported Thursday that 67,334 people in Iowa filed for unemployment benefits in the week that ended April 4. That is roughly the population of Waterloo, Iowa’s sixth largest city. The labor department said the claims were a 20 percent increase over those filed in Iowa the prior week, which had been a high for the state. Pandemic-related layoffs in several industries, from health care to food services, were driving factors behind Iowa’s claims.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — A 28-year-old Chicago man who killed his girlfriend’s son has been sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole. Tre Henderson was sentenced Wednesday in the May 2018 death of 5-year-old Ja’Shawn Russell in Davenport. Henderson was convicted in February of first-degree murder and two child endangerment charges. Henderson indicated he will appeal his conviction and sentence. An autopsy found the boy died of blunt force trauma. His mother, Jacqueline Majanise Rambert, was sentenced in March to 50 years in prison for two child endangerment charges.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A state group voted Thursday to extend the Iowa Legislature’s adjournment until April 30. The 24-member Iowa Legislative Council, which makes rules when the legislative body isn’t in session, voted in a telephone conference call to extend the recess as concerns remain over the increasing number of coronavirus cases in the state.

Legislators in March passed a resolution that prevented meetings until April 15. The number of Iowans testing positive for COVID-19 increased by 125 cases on Thursday to a total of 1,270.

Easter and spring holidays are a traditional time of family gatherings, celebrations and observances. Like many other events and activities, Southwest Iowa Public Health officials advise residents that these observances should be different this year. Cass County Public Health Director Beth Olsen says “We know many families gather together over Easter and Passover, but, like school, shopping and most other activities, we’re asking residents to modify their plans in light of COVID-19.”

Gatherings of family and friends, whether locally or by travel to other states, is discouraged. When people come together, the chances of spreading the COVID-19 virus grow. Although people with symptoms of the virus (coughing, fever and shortness of breath) obviously should not be around other people; even those who are seemingly well should do the same.

Olsen says “We are learning that some people with coronavirus don’t have any symptoms, and that even those who later develop symptoms can pass the virus to others before showing symptoms. This is why even people who do not feel ill should stay home.” Families and friends are encouraged to find alternate ways to observe holidays and to stay connected. Try Skype, Zoom, FaceTime or other electronic means of connecting. Phone calls and letters are especially welcome during this time of social distancing.

As of today (April 9th), there are no cases of COVID-19 in Cass County. The Cass County Health Department continues to work closely with the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH), and other state and local partners to respond to this ongoing pandemic. There is one confirmed case of COVID-19 in Mills County. The Mills County Health Department continues to work closely with the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH), and other state and local partners to respond to this ongoing pandemic

For up-to-date information on COVID-19, visit the IDPH webpage at https://idph.iowa.gov/Emerging-Health-Issues/Novel-Coronavirus and follow the department on Facebook at @IowaDepartmentOfPublicHealth and on Twitter at @IAPublicHealth.

The Iowa State Patrol, today (Thursday), released the name of a man who died Tuesday evening, when the motorcycle he was riding collided with an SUV in Page County.  72-year-old Gary Wayne Taylor, Sr., of Shenandoah died at the scene of the accident near the intersection of Highway 2 and C Avenue.

Taylor was riding a 2013 Harley Davidson cycle that hit an SUV broadside when the SUV slowed to turn left from Highway 2 onto C Avenue. The driver of the SUV, 72-year old Micheal Gene Flynn, of Shenandoah, was not injured in the crash.

Audubon County Sheriff Todd Johnson reports the arrest on April 8th of 23-year old Andrew Allen Malloy, of Audubon. Malloy was charged with Burglary in the 3rd degree, following an investigation into the break-in at the Exira Car Wash in January. Malloy was currently being held in the Audubon County Jail on a $16,000 bond for the Burglary charge, as well as other unrelated charges.

And, 29-year old Cole Jacob Benton, of Hamlin, was arrested March 12th for Tampering with a Witness. The charge stems from an investigation into an incident that occurred while he was being held in the Audubon County Jail. He appeared before the Magistrate and was released.

(Radio Iowa) — The COVID-19 pandemic is leaving sports fans everywhere hungry for something — anything — to watch and millions are turning to the sport of marble racing, with an Iowan calling all the action. The fast-moving and faster-growing international phenomenon of marble racing has Dutch roots. In one style of competition, the colored glass globes roll down a long, twisting trench dug in the sand by two brothers in the Netherlands. Greg Woods, of Fort Dodge, is the play-by-play man for the quirky sport that suddenly has a worldwide following thanks to a series of — pardon the V-word — viral videos.

Greg Woods

“It’s literally a sand hill over in the Netherlands and they’ve carved out this serpentine trench going down it and then they release marbles at the top and follow them to the bottom,” Woods says, “but the marbles have names and it turns into this sense of competition over the course of it, that they are racing to get to the bottom.” The marbles can also be seen being pulled by gravity around an elaborate Formula One-style plastic track — or in a host of “Marble-lympics” events, complete with cheering, color-coordinated marble crowds in tiny grandstands. Woods says he’s stunned by how popular the YouTube videos have become in the few weeks since coronavirus closed down virtually all other sports around the planet.

“One of the earliest that I saw was a tweet showing one of our videos from two or three years ago on Twitter,” Woods says. “Within a week, it gained something like 35-million views. Celebrities were tweeting about it. Actual athletes were tweeting about it. It was unbelievable to see that growth.” Woods is a fan of the real Formula One racing and has experience calling high school and college sporting events on the radio in central Iowa. While marble racing could be mistaken for child’s play, Woods says he endeavors to call the races as professionally as possible, which adds to the authenticity and excitement for viewers.

“It’s a testament to the world that Jelle and his brother, Dion, have created in these videos,” Woods says. “It makes it really easy to suspend that disbelief and to fall into this world. It still has the same sort of challenge that any live sport does, so you get into it pretty quickly.” Woods, a Newton native, has a master’s degree in public health from the University of Iowa and works as a program specialist for the Iowa chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. The marble racing events provide a welcome, comforting respite for Woods and for the growing, global audience of fans.

“I have gotten a lot of notes from people all around the world. Some of those are just very thankful that we are providing a little bit of levity in the situation that we’re all in right now,” Woods says. “Others have seen their kids want to build marble runs and they’re getting outside and rolling marbles down the hills and running along with them. Somebody did a marble-themed birthday party the other day.” Just how did an Iowa guy end up being the English-speaking voice on this Dutch sport? Woods happened across one of the videos and was captured by the novelty of marble racing, but thought the broadcasts could be spiced up by some true-world commentary. He recorded his version of the competition like a horse race, spliced it into the video and sent a link to the brothers in the Netherlands. They loved the idea and Woods was hired.

For Iowans who have a good internet connection and some time on their hands, there’s a wealth of dozens of marble racing videos online, all free, dating back to 2016 — with more routinely being “rolled” out.

The latest “Marbula One” race — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTVYLdKqxcI

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds is urging residents to focus on what they can do individually to stop the spread of the coronavirus and less about whether she will have to order further restrictions to fight the outbreak. Reynolds told reporters that “sometimes everyone is getting so hung up on the metrics” guiding the state’s response, including whether local stay-at-home orders may become necessary.

Reynolds said Iowans should focus “first and foremost” on increasing compliance with the social distancing guidelines she has emphasized, including staying home whenever possible. She said if Iowans do that, the conversation will eventually shift to “how we can start to open things back up.”