(Radio Iowa) – The five state-operated “Test Iowa” sites will continue to offer drive-through screenings this winter, but not in open parking lots. Governor Reynolds says sites in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Davenport and Waterloo have already relocated to enclosed spaces test-takers can still drive through.  “The sites range from industrial buildings to a Windsor Lions bus facility and a former Sears Auto Center,” Reynold says. “The site in Council Bluffs has been the only one remaining without an enclosed building secured for winter operations, until now.”

Today (Friday) will be the final day of testing for the Council Bluffs site at the Western Trails Historic Center. It will reopen at 8 a.m. Monday in the Southwest Iowa Transit Agency facility in Council Bluffs.  “As the seasons began to change, we knew it would be critical to maintain operations of the five drive-through sites located in some of our states most populated areas throughout the winter months, but recognized that adjustments would be necessary to accommodate the weather and protect Test Iowa staff as well as those being tested.”

Last week, more than 19-thousand Iowans were screened for Covid during the four weekdays the five Test Iowa sites were open. Reynolds says on the Monday before Thanksgiving, a record six-thousand-seven-hundred-three (6703) test kits were collected at the five locations. The sites were closed on Thanksgiving Day.

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

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(Radio Iowa) – Now that the calendar says December, Iowans will start autographing their holiday letters and getting packages ready to mail to far-away friends and family. Nicole Hill, a spokeswoman for the United States Postal Service, says Iowans will need to remember a couple of key deadlines. “So, we’re looking at December 18th, send your greeting cards, send your Christmas cards out to your loved ones,” Hill says. “Get those in the mail. Make sure they have the right postage, make sure that the addresses are legible.”

For Iowans who want to send a package Priority Mail, the deadline is just one day later if you want that gift to arrive before the 25th. “December 19th is when we’re looking at that Priority Mail service,” she says. “So, if you’re sending a Priority Mail flat rate to a loved one somewhere else, make sure that you’re Priority Mail package is in the mail stream by December 19th.”

Hill says if you’re sending something via Express Mail, it has to go out by December 23rd at the latest. For more information about packaging or postage, visit usps.com.

(Radio Iowa) – A Webster County man accused of murdering an 18-year-old woman plans to defend himself in court. Eighteen-year-old Denahrrio Lewil of Fort Dodge has given notice to the court he will be defending himself in upcoming court proceedings. He’s facing first-degree murder and attempted murder charges after police say he opened fire on a vehicle and killed Jlynn Beason. The incident occurred September 20th in Fort Dodge.

Police say the bullets were intended for Beason’s brother, as he and Lewil had an altercation prior to the shooting. Lewil has entered not guilty pleas to both charges and both charges will be condensed into one trial.

KCCI-TV in Des Moines reports the Iowa Department of Human Services is facing a whistle-blower lawsuit connected to the Glenwood Resource Center. The lawsuit references the troubling allegations at the Center, where former Superintendent Jerry Rea was accused of spearheading human experiments including sexual arousal studies on Iowans with severe mental disabilities. The latest 50 page lawsuit filed on behalf of six former employees outlines what they describe as an environment of emotional distress.

KCCI says the former employees claim Rea proceeded with the experiments after receiving commitment from the Iowa Special Assistant Attorney General to begin work. The governor’s office has not responded to the allegations.

The Creston Police Department reports one arrest and one incident of theft. 37-year-old Adrian Allen Albert Jacques, of Creston, was arrested Thursday night, for Driving While Suspended. Jacques was transported to the Union County Jail and has since posted bond. And, in a delayed note, the Creston Police Department says a woman residing in the 1100 block of W. Spencer Street, in Creston, reported on Nov. 19th, that a black, Acer school computer was stolen from her son’s truck, sometime between 6 and 7:30-p.m. Nov. 19th. The loss was estimated at $1,200.

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 people died and two others were injured during a collision west of Brighton, in eastern Iowa’s Washington County (Iowa), Thursday evening. According to the Iowa State Patrol, a 2011 Chevy Equinox driven by 66-year old Patricia A. Remington, of Brighton, was traveling north on Fir Avenue at around 5:30-p.m., as a 2019 Chrysler Pacifica driven by 29-year old Westley A.  Vaughan, of Oskaloosa, was traveling eastbound on High 1. When Remington failed to stop at the intersection, her SUV collided with the Pacifica. Both vehicles came to rest in the northeast ditch.

Patricia Remington and her passenger, 67-year old Nita J. Hesseltine, of Rubio (IA), died at the scene. Both were wearing seat belts. Vaughan and his passenger, 25-year old Mateo Ariza, of Oskaloosa, were injured and transported by Washington County Ambulance to separate hospitals. They were also wearing their seat belts.

The accident remains under investigation.

(Radio Iowa) – A north-central Iowa couple is accused of buying multiple vehicles with bad checks. Thirty-nine-year-old Adam L. Schrodt of Fort Dodge and his girlfriend, 37-year-old Tasha L. Becker of Pocahontas, were arrested in Fort Dodge on Tuesday. The couple was apprehended after the vehicle they were driving was reported stolen in Urbandale after they allegedly wrote a bad check to a dealership there.

The couple is accused of writing over $200,000 worth of bad checks to purchase vehicles from multiple dealerships throughout north central Iowa. Both Schrodt and Becker face charges of first degree theft, first degree fraudulent practice and ongoing criminal conduct.

Iowa’s Coronavirus dashboard today (as of 10-a.m., Friday) shows deaths from COVID-19 are up again, but hospitalizations, and Long-Term Care facility outbreaks are down significantly. The IDPH says 84 more deaths have been reported since 10-a.m. Thursday, for a total of 2,603. One death was reported in each of Cass, Madison, Mills and Union Counties, and there have been three more deaths in Pottawattamie County (See data below). Long-Term Care (LTC) facilities report 1,096 deaths, and deaths attributed in-part to preexisting conditions number 1,360. There are 2,901 new Positive cases of COVID-19 statewide, for a total of 239,693. Officials say 30,473 of the Positive cases also had a preexisting condition.

Hospitalizations statewide fell from 1,124 Thursday, to 1,000 today. Health officials say 209 COVID patients are in an ICU, 124 were admitted, and 128 patients are on a ventilator. Hospitals in southwest/western Iowa (RMCC Region 4) report: 55 hospitalized; 18 are in an ICU; six were admitted, and seven COVID patients are on a ventilator.

Long-Term Care facility outbreaks are down, from 169 Thursday to 135 today. The IDPH says 5,158 patients/staff have tested positive; 2,257 have tested negative. Cass County has one less LTC facility outbreak, after the Griswold Care Center dropped-off the list. Currently, there are a total of 159 LTC residents and staff who have tested positive in two Cass County LTC’s and 92 recovered. Shelby County has 11 additional cases, for a total of 128, and 46 recovered. Harrison County dropped-off the outbreak list entirely. Pottawattamie County has nine more positive cases for a total of 249 among the care facilities, and 107 recovered.

Iowans who have recovered from the virus number 152,332, while 1,237,170 have been tested, to-date. The State’s positivity rate is down to 16.6%. Cass County’s positivity rate has declined to 15.9%. A total of 995, 238 negative results have been returned since the pandemic began.

In the KJAN listening area, here are the current number positive cases in each county, along with the 24-hour change in case numbers {+#}; the number of persons recovered, and the total number of [deaths] (if any), since the pandemic began,

• Cass, 857 cases {+17}; 554 recovered; 25 deaths
• Adair, 459 {+6}; 267; 9
• Adams, 183 {+6}; 97; 2
• Audubon, 311 {+5}; 222; 2
• Guthrie, 788 {+17); 496; 15
• Harrison County, 1,141 {+29}; 783; 32
• Madison County, 733 {+16}; 452; 5
• Mills County, 1,118 {+28}; 584; 9
• Montgomery, 522 {+23}; 269; 11
• Pottawattamie County, 6,885 {+176]; 4,083; 74
• Shelby County, 807 {+9}; 496; 11
• Union County,  851 {+15}; 333; 7