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Keep up-to-date with Fox News Radio, Radio Iowa, Brownfield & the Iowa Agribusiness Networks!
KJAN News can be heard at five minutes after every hour right after Fox News 24 hours a day!
Keep up-to-date with Fox News Radio, Radio Iowa, Brownfield & the Iowa Agribusiness Networks!
(Radio Iowa) – State officials say while millions of doses of Johnson and Johnson’s Covid vaccine that were produced at a Maryland plant are apparently ruined, they see no impact on Iowa’s shipments of the one-dose vaccine this week or next. It means the four mass vaccination sites at four Iowa college campuses will go on as scheduled.
Greg Christy, president of Northwestern College in Orange City, says his institution’s allotment next week is 500 doses. “With their college student now in their last month or so of class, we’re excited to get as many of them possible vaccines before they head out of the summer, wherever they may be going,” Christy says, “so our plan is to set up vaccine clinic here on campus late next week for our students and encourage as many of them as possible to participate.”
The vaccination clinic will be set up in the former library that was converted into a student center on the Orange City campus. Christy says all students are eligible. “It’s a first-come, first-served basis,” Christy says. “They just need to bring a copy of their insurance card with them, complete a brief form when they arrive and then I believe that the health system will be tracking data of who has been vaccinated because that could become important in the future.”
The Northwestern College president says having the student body get vaccinated will lead to the end of face coverings, quarantines and social distancing and a return to a more normal campus experience. “We’re not requiring students to get the vaccine,” Christy says, “but we’re obviously encouraging as many as possible to get the vaccine.”
State officials are also sending Johnson and Johnson vaccine doses to Dordt University, the University of Iowa in Iowa City and Des Moines Area Community College for mass vaccination clinics next week in Sioux Center, Iowa City and Ankeny. Governor Reynolds says the plan is to send more of the single-dose vaccine to other college and universities so students can be vaccinated before they leave campus for the summer.
Atlantic, IA — Cass County Health System in Atlantic, Iowa announced today it has been recognized as a 2021 Top 100 Critical Access Hospital. Compiled by The Chartis Center for Rural Health, this 11th annual recognition program honors outstanding performance among the nation’s rural hospitals based on the results of the Hospital Strength INDEX®.
“Our vision is to be the best rural hospital in America for patients to receive care, employees to work, and physicians to practice. This award reaffirms for us that we are growing closer to meeting that vision, and we couldn’t be prouder of our staff that has worked incredibly hard to get us to this point,” said Brett Altman, CEO of Cass County Health System.
“The Top 100 program continues to illuminate strategies and innovation for delivering higher quality care and better outcomes within rural communities,” said Michael Topchik, National Leader, The Chartis Center for Rural Health. “We are delighted to be able to spotlight the efforts of these facilities through the INDEX framework.”
Over the course of the last 11 years, the INDEX has grown to become the industry’s most comprehensive and objective assessment of rural hospital performance. Based entirely on public data and utilizing 36 independent indicators, the INDEX assesses rural hospitals across eight pillars of performance, including market share, quality, outcomes, patient perspective, cost, charge, and financial efficiency. The INDEX framework is widely used across the nation by independent rural hospitals, health systems with rural footprints and state offices of rural health, which provide access to INDEX analytics through grant-funded initiatives.
Atlantic, IA —Cass County Public Health is now scheduling vaccine appointments for all adults. Anyone 16 or older is eligible beginning on April 5. Anyone in the area that would like to be vaccinated is encouraged to sign up immediately. To sign up, complete the form at casshealth.org/covidvaccine or call (712) 243-3250 and press 7.
It will take time to vaccinate everyone eligible. Cass County Public Health continues to receive approximately 300 doses per week, and they will schedule appointments as they have doses available.
It’s critical to continue practicing the mitigation measures that can slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Vaccinated Iowans should continue these precautions as we are still learning whether getting a vaccine will prevent you from spreading the virus that causes COVID-19 to other people, even if you don’t get sick yourself.
• Wear a mask or face covering
• Practice social distancing with those outside your household
• Clean your hands frequently with soap and water
• Stay home if you feel sick
• Get tested if you are exposed to, or have symptoms of COVID-19
• Get a COVID-19 vaccine when you are eligible
More information about coronavirus in Iowa can be found at coronavirus.iowa.gov.
The Atlantic Fire Department has had a busy morning. At around 9:10-a.m., Atlantic and Marne Fire were called to the area of 590th and Chicago Road (north of Atlantic), for a field fire. As it turns out, that was a controlled terrace burn. Then, at around 10:17-a.m., Atlantic Fire was called to 54166 598th Street, north of Atlantic, for a barn fire. According to reports, persons on the property were burning in an in-ground fire pit when the wind switched directions and caught the barn on fire. There were no injuries.
And, at 11:48-a.m., Atlantic Fire was dispatched to the scene of a field fire south of town, at 60373 630th (or in the area of Highway 71, south of Keystone Lane). The flames/embers had reportedly found there way to some outbuildings.
Sheriff’s deputies in Page County, Wednesday, arrested a Glenwood man, 48-year-old Dominic Anthony Hargis. He was arrested on a Page County Warrant for Violation of probation from an original sentencing charge of Sexual Abuse 3rd Degree.
Dominic Anthony Hargis
Hargis was arrested at the Pottawattamie County Jail. Hargis was transported to the Page County Jail where he is being held on $20,000 bond pending further court appearances
And, on Monday, Page County deputies arrested 42-year-old Justin Allen Sickler, of Yorktown, on a Page County Warrant for failure to appear for an original charge of Driving under Suspension. Sickler was arrested at the Page County Courthouse. He was transported to the Page County Jail where $300 bond was posted for him, and he was released pending future court proceedings.
(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller and attorneys general from seven other states are siding with the biofuels industry in a brief filed with the U.S. Supreme Court. On April 27th, the court will hear arguments over how the E-P-A has granted waivers from the ethanol mandate to the oil industry. Monte Shaw with the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association says his takeaway from the brief is the attorneys general are simply asking the Supreme Court to uphold the Renewable Fuel Standard. “The process is laid out. These exemptions were supposed to be for a short period of time to help people transition into the RFS,” Shaw says, “and that was 13 years ago.”
The attorneys general argue in their brief that overturning an appellate court’s decision would be a devastating financial hit to many rural communities. At the Capitol in Des Moines, an Iowa House committee has made changes to the governor’s proposed biofuels mandate. A coalition of gas stations and convenience stores argued the initial plan would have cost their industry as much as a billion dollars to install new fuel pumps. The House Ways and Means Committee would let retailers have multiple pumps offering “no alcohol” gasoline — the governor’s plan would have allowed just one — but the committee’s bill still calls for all stations to start selling gas with 15 percent ethanol by 2028 and includes provisions to boost use of soybean-based biodiesel as well.
The Iowa Department of Public Health’s Coronavirus dashboard, (Thursday) showed there were 907 additional positive test results for COVID returned from the labs since Wednesday, for a total of 380,122. There were 14 additional deaths reported, for a pandemic total of 5,743. Cass County reports one additional death, for a total of 54, while Pottawattamie County had two more deaths for a total of 154. Long-Term Care facility deaths account for 2,241 of the total number of deaths across the state.
There was no change in the number of Long-Term Care facility outbreaks. The two previously reported facilities have 17 positive cases among residents and staff within those facilities. Health officials say 194 Iowans are hospitalized with COVID (3 more than reported previously); 41 people are in an ICU (3 more than the last report); 35 people were admitted to a hospital across the state (compared to 39 previously), and 15 patients are on a ventilator, an increase of four from Wednesday.
RMCC Region 4 hospitals (those in western/southwest Iowa) show: There are 11 hospitalized with COVID; eight COVID patients are in an ICU; One person was admitted with symptoms of COVID, and there are three COVID patients on a ventilator, an increase of two from before. The 14-day positivity rate is up from 4.6% Wed. to 4.8% today. The seven-day rate fell went from 4.4% Wed. to 4.7% Thursday.
In the KJAN listening area, here are the current number positive cases by County; The # of new cases since yesterday {+} – if any; and the total number of deaths in each county to date:
A traffic stop early Thursday morning in Shenandoah resulted in the arrest on drug charges, of a man from eastern Iowa. According to Shenandoah Police, 28-year-old Freddy Ramirez, Jr., of Cedar Rapids, was arrested for possession of a controlled substance, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
His arrest occurred a little after 7-a.m., when Shenandoah Police stopped Ramirez’s vehicle for speeding in the 1600 block of Highway 48. Ramirez was being held in the Page County Jail on $1,300 bond.
The Cass County Sheriff’s Office Thursday, issued helpful tips from the Social Security Administration on what to do if you are contacted by someone (a scammer) posing as Social Security personnel. If there is a problem, the Social Security Dept. will mail you a letter. They will not call you unless you have requested a call, or have ongoing business with the department. Officials say the latest scam trick of using robocalls or live callers has increased. Fraudsters pretend to be government employees and claim there is identity theft or another problem with one’s Social Security number, account, or benefits.
Scammers may threaten arrest or other legal action, or may offer to increase benefits, protect assets, or resolve identity theft. They often demand payment via retail gift cards, wire transfers, pre-paid debit cards, internet currency, or mailing cash.
Social Security employees will never threaten you for information or promise a benefit in exchange for personal information or money. Social Security may call you in some situations, but will never:
Don’t be fooled! You should be on the look out for:
How to protect yourself and your family:
Learn more at oig.ssa.gov/scam. Share this information with friends and family. Learn more about fraud prevention and reporting at https://www.ssa.gov/antifraudfacts/.
The Audubon County Community Foundation has announced grants totaling $104,350 were awarded to Audubon County nonprofit organizations and community projects as part of its spring grant cycle. The following organizations were awarded grants by the Audubon County Community Foundation Advisory Board:
All grantees met the criteria as Audubon County nonprofit agencies or organizations with charitable missions supporting community needs in the areas of civic engagement, culture, health, education, and social services. Only organizations providing services in Audubon County were eligible to apply. The Audubon County Community Foundation is an affiliate of the Omaha Community Foundation, which meets National Standards for Community Foundations, and is one of nine county members of the Community Foundations of Southwest Iowa. It receives funds annually from the State of Iowa County Endowment Fund Program for endowment building and grantmaking throughout the county. Made possible through the County Endowment Fund Program, this cycle of grants was funded by a percentage of the state’s commercial gaming tax revenue, which is distributed annually to participating community foundations associated with counties without a state-issued gaming license.
Beyond the County Endowment Fund Program, the Audubon County Community Foundation works with individuals, families, businesses, and organizations to create permanent and expendable funds that address changing, vital community needs and interests. To inquire about donating to the Audubon County Community Foundation, please contact the Community Foundations of Southwest Iowa staff or any board member (**listed below). Gifts to permanently endowed funds through the Audubon County Community Foundation may be eligible to receive a 25% Endow Iowa Tax Credit.
For information about donating or establishing an individual foundation/fund, please contact Stacey Goodman, Iowa Foundations Director, at 800-794-3458 or stacey@omahafoundation.org.
**Board members of the Audubon County Community Foundation are Chair, Genelle Deist of Audubon; Vice Chair, Joel Hoegh of rural Brayton; Secretary/Treasurer, Megan Wagner of Audubon; Gina Benton of Exira, Bob Blomme of Audubon; Steven B. Hansen of Audubon; and Donna Olson of Kimballton.