MAQUOKETA, Iowa (Telegraph Herald) — Federal authorities are taking over monitoring of contamination from a carcinogenic chemical that’s spread from a factory site in the eastern Iowa city of Maquoketa. The Telegraph Herald reported that the contamination stems from the operations of Clinton Machine Co., which built small engines in Maquoketa from 1950 into the 1990s. The factory used trichloroethene, commonly known as TCE, as a degreasing agent.

Federal authorities have since determined that TCE is carcinogenic. Authorities have said TCE in groundwater also creates the potential for indoor contamination.

Three people were arrested on separate charges, Saturday, in Creston. Authorities say 28-year old Christopher Keller, of Creston, was arrested Saturday afternoon at the Union County Law Enforcement Center (LEC), on the charges of Interference with Official Acts, Theft in the 4th Degree, and Driving While Barred. Keller was later released on $3,300 bond. 24-year old Shelby Fetters, of Altoona, was arrested at the Union County LEC Saturday afternoon, for Driving While Suspended and Theft in the 4th. She was later released on $1,300 bond.

And, late Saturday night, 43-year old Jeffery Johnson, of Creston, was arrested at the LEC for Criminal Mischief in the 5th Degree. He was later released on a $300 bond.

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

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Two students with the CAM School District are the 2020 winners of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR), American History Essay Contest. Sixth-grade student Collin Bower, and Seventh grader Sidney Amdor won for their essay “The Voyage of the Mayflower. Each student participant receives a certificate of participation from the chapter and the chapter winners receive bronze medals and certificates.

Sixth-grade student Collin Bower, and Seventh grader Sidney Amdor.

The DAR’s History Essay Contest was established to encourage young people to think creatively about our nation’s great history and learn about history in a new light. Essays are judged for historical accuracy, adherence to the topic, organization of materials, interest, originality, spelling, grammar, punctuation, and neatness.

2020 marks the 400th Anniversary of the voyage of the Mayflower and the founding of the Plymouth Colony. Imagine you are one of the passengers on the Mayflower. Knowing what materials were available in 1620, what would you have packed to prepare for the trip and starting a new life in the wilderness? After experiencing more than two months at sea then finally landing at Plymouth Colony on November 9, 1620, do you think you would have made different choices and why?

The Warren Cultural Center in Greenfield will host a Forum on Agriculture and the Economy, this Thursday, March 12th, beginning at 7-p.m.. Grant Gerlock, a reporter for Iowa Public Radio who grew up on a farm near Cumberland, will moderate a panel of three local agriculturalists, farmers Rhonda Boehm and Dan Dreher, and ag lender Paul Nelson about their challenges in this rural economy.  Dr. Alejandro Plastina, professor of economics at Iowa State University, will then offer the keynote and will share his views of the impact of agriculture on the economy at the local, state, and national levels. After Dr. Plastina speaks, he and the agriculturists will answer questions from the audience related to ag and the economy, again moderated by Mr. Gerlock.

Whether you are a farmer, live in a rural area, or in the city, you are invited to learn more about how farmers are faring in this economy and what that means for our local communities, for Iowa, and for the U.S. There is no charge, but a free-will offering is appreciated. Soulshine Food Truck will be parked at the Warren Cultural Center, opening at 5:00 pm. The public is encouraged to purchase supper from Soulshine and go upstairs to the auditorium where tables are set and conversation is invited.

(Radio Iowa) — Coronavirus cases worldwide now exceed 100-thousand with at least 22 U-S deaths, but health officials in northwest Iowa say there’s a fine line between being prepared for an outbreak and overreacting. Tyler Brock, deputy director of Siouxland District Health, says some people in the area have asked to be tested out of concern they may have contracted the potentially-deadly virus. “They’re just nervous about it and they want to know for sure whether or not they have this,” Brock says. “Even though symptoms don’t quite line up with the way the disease actually presents, there have been some folks seeking testing that really probably don’t need to be tested.”

There is a concern about people who have traveled overseas coming into a local clinic. Brock says they had a patient recently who had traveled abroad. The person was quickly moved from the waiting room to a separate area. Brock says 80-percent of people who test positive for coronavirus recover fairly quickly. “The vast majority of these cases are mild,” Brock says. “While we want to be concerned, we want to have the proper level of concern, the balance between, yeah, we’re taking it seriously and yet we’re not overreacting to the situation which tends to make it worse.”

Brock says it’s important for Iowans who are returning from overseas trips, especially from countries with major outbreaks like China, Italy and South Korea, to act responsibly. “The primary thing with folks returning from these countries are self-isolation, self-monitoring,” Brock says. “They’re not being ordered and quarantined or that kind of thing. It’s just a self-isolate, monitor yourself for symptoms, contact your provider when you think you have symptoms and your provider will take it from there.”

Statistics show the median age of a person with coronavirus is 51 with most cases between the ages of 30 to 69. Few children are affected, with only two to four percent of worldwide cases involving youngsters. The mortality rate is 3.7 percent, with most of the fatalities in older adults with respiratory issues and weakened immune systems.

Two men were arrested withing minutes of each other Sunday night, in Red Oak. According to Red Oak Police, 22-year old Devon Lee Smith, of Red Oak, and 25-year old Jeffrey Dewane Ott, of Des Moines, were taken into custody at around 9-p.m. in the 300 block of E. Market Street. Smith was charged with Criminal Mischief in the 5th Degree, and was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $300 bond. Ott was arrested for Harassment in the 3rd Degree, Possession of a Controlled Substance, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. His bond was set at $1,000.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:05 a.m. CDT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said Sunday that three cases of COVID-19 have been identified in Iowa. All three individuals with COVID-19 recently took a cruise in Egypt before returning home to Johnson County in Iowa. All three of the individuals are recovering at home in isolation. Iowa health officials said one of the individuals is between 41 and 60 years old. The other two individuals with COVID-19 are between 61 and 80 years old. The cruise that the three individuals were on ran from Feb. 17 to March 2. The individuals returned home on March 3.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A national group is hoping to encourage travelers to visit small towns along the old Route 20 highway with a historic designation. But it’s no an easy feat because it takes cooperation from so many jurisdictions. The road runs through a dozen states, from Boston on the East Coast to Newport, Oregon on the West Coast. The effort is gaining traction in Iowa, where the Historic Route 20 Association has won approval from all 35 cities and towns and 11 of 13 counties along the route. But other states, like Indiana, have issued a moratorium on new historic roads.

URBANDALE, Iowa (AP) — An apartment building in Urbandale caught fire and was damaged extensively Sunday morning. A spokeswoman for the property’s owner Hubbell Realty, Claire Brehmer said the building in Urbandale’s Ashford Ridge complex was engulfed in flames Sunday. Firefighters contained the fire by Sunday afternoon to a single building in the complex. Of the building’s 36 apartments, 31 were occupied. Brehmer said dozens of cats and kittens had been rescued from the building. Brehmer said Hubbell is working with the Red Cross to make sure everyone is safe and displaced residents have a place to stay.

The Iowa State Patrol says an Adams County Sheriff’s Deputy suffered minor injuries during a collision late Sunday morning, in Adams County. Officials say 52-year old Deputy Michael Laughlin, of Corning, was driving a 2017 Ford Explorer northbound on Quincy Avenue, enroute to an Emergency Call.

As the SUV approached a northbound 2017 Ford F-250 driven by 57-year old Robert Russell, of Prescott, McLaughlin attempted to pass the slower moving vehicle. The pickup turned left in front of the SUV, causing it to be struck on the driver’s side by the Explorer. Both vehicles continued across a farm entrance and into the west ditch off Quincy Avenue, just south of 180th Street. The accident happened at around 11:55-a.m., Sunday.

Russell was not hurt in the crash. Deputy Laughlin, who was wearing a seat belt, was transported by Adams County Rescue to CHI Health Mercy Corning for treatment of minor injuries.

DES MOINES – Testing at Iowa’s State Hygienic Laboratory has indicated three presumptive positive cases of 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Iowa residents. According to the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH), the individuals are from Johnson County: one middle-age (41-60 years) adult and two older adults (61-80). Two of the individuals had underlying health conditions. One did not. None required hospitalization and are recovering at home in isolation.

Governor Kim Reynolds said Sunday, “The state of Iowa has been coordinating plans across state agencies, including a partial activation of the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC), to protect the health of Iowans and assess our operational needs. While these are the first cases, it may not be the last and it’s why Iowans must continue to practice safe habits like hand washing and staying home from work when sick. My team is engaged through the President’s Coronavirus Task Force, led by Vice President Mike Pence, as well as the nation’s governors to work collaboratively to limit the spread of COVID-19.”

IDPH Medical Director and State Epidemiologist, Dr. Caitlin Pedati said “All three individuals were part of a cruise in Egypt. IDPH is working with local public health to assess potential exposures to others. These cases are an important reminder that all Iowans need to help prevent the spread of illness by washing hands frequently, staying home when ill, and covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue.”

COVID-19 was first linked to an outbreak in Wuhan, China, but cases have subsequently been identified in several countries, including the U.S. These are the first cases identified in Iowa. Confirmatory testing is pending at CDC.

No additional or special precautions are recommended for Iowans beyond the simple daily precautions to combat the flu including washing hands frequently, covering coughs and sneezes, and staying home when ill. It is currently flu and respiratory disease season, and IDPH recommends getting the flu vaccine. Influenza activity is widespread  in Iowa and as long as flu viruses are circulating, it’s not too late to receive the vaccine.

For more information about novel coronavirus, visit https://idph.iowa.gov/Emerging-Health-Issues/Novel-Coronavirus.  In addition, a public hotline has been established for Iowans with questions about COVID-19. The line is available 24/7 by calling 2-1-1.