(Updated) – Members of the IKM-MANNING School Board, Friday afternoon during a special electronic session via Zoom, voted to require facial coverings, as part of the District’s revised Return to Learn Plan.

Beginning Monday, November 16th, face masks or approved neck gaiters are required for all staff, students, and permitted visitors in all IKM-Manning school buildings during the school day, in school vehicles including buses, and at all activities. This is a necessary step for us to take if we want to keep students in school. We wanted to have this meeting on Friday to allow families to plan for Monday. There will be masks available for those who do not have a mask.

IKM-MANNING Superintendent Trevor Miller said “These are not easy decisions and we know that not everyone will agree with this decision. In the end, this is about putting everything we can in place to allow students and staff to safely be in school. The school board will readdress the mandate on Thursday, January 21st school board meeting.

In making the decision, the Board noted the 14-day Positivity rate has continued to climb in the counties served by the District. Carroll County’s rate as of Friday afternoon was 27.3%, Shelby County 25.3%, Crawford 22.9 and Audubon was at 14.9%.

The Audubon County Sheriff’s Office Friday (Nov. 13), reported the arrest on Nov. 6th of 22-year-old Trevor Hubbard, of Urbandale. Hubbard was taken into custody on an outstanding warrant for Violation of Probation, on the original charge of Arson in the 2nd Degree. He appeared before the magistrate and was being held in the Audubon County Jail on $10,000 bond.

And, 45-year-old Jesse Archibald, of Exira, was arrested November 7th, Operating While Intoxicated-3rd offense. He was released on his own recognizance and will appear before the magistrate at a later date.

(Radio Iowa) – The leader of the community college based in Fort Dodge has been picked to take over at Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs. Dr. DANIEL Kinney is the son of long-time Iowa Western president DAN Kinney, who is retiring after leading Iowa Western Community College for the past 26 years. The younger Kinney says his dad has been a remarkable mentor.

Dr. Daniel Kinney

“Good things I’ve learned from him, but also when you have a mentor there’s things that you learn that maybe you want to do a lot different,” Daniel Kinney said. “…I think our communications styles are probably quite a bit different. I’m a big collaborator, let’s get some evidence, let’s talk — approachable — things like that.” Kinney is moving from a community college with at 53-hundred students to Iowa Western, where about 65-hundred are enrolled.

“Getting organizations, getting people on campus I think is the most important thing (with) athletics,” Kinney says. “I think you guys see a lot of what I do. You are in a lot larger metropolitan area than I am in Fort Dodge, but our music…performances bring a lot of people on campus and I think that’s important because we are the community.”

Kinney has been Iowa Central’s president since 2009 and will officially become Iowa Western’s president in early 2021. In addition to his experience in higher education, Kinney served 17 years in the Kansas National Guard. He commanded an engineering company in Iraq in 2005 and is the recipient of the Bronze Star.

(A-P) – Eight Iowa labor and civil rights groups filed a federal complaint Friday alleging the state has failed to protect workers in meatpacking, dairy, construction, transportation, health care facilities and other industries. The American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa and others filed the complaint Friday with the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration office in Kansas City.

They’re seeking a full investigation and corrective action by the federal government. The complaint cites several examples of alleged failure of Iowa OSHA to do on-site inspections or investigate unsafe conditions related to the coronavirus pandemic. But the groups also say safety issues go beyond coronavirus problems.

Did you know, there’s no need to drive to New York City to see Lady Liberty. You can simply stop by the Atlantic City Park to see our very own Lady Liberty, at the top of the monument. She has been looking down and watching over us since 1919. Officials with ARISE (The Atlantic Rock Island Society Enterprise), say you can learn all about Atlantic’s Lady Liberty, when Steve Livengood tells her story this Sunday, Nov. 15th, beginning at 2-p.m.  The event takes place at the American Legion Memorial Building, in Atlantic (formerly known as “The Armory”). There is no fee to attend.

Atlantic’s Lady Liberty sits on top of a monument in the downtown City Park.

Livengood will give you the scoop on how she got to Atlantic, who owns her and a connection to a train wreck. And, while lady usually isn’t asked her age or weight, we know that she is over 100 years old and weighs 460 pounds. She also had reconstructive “surgery” in 2009. She is guarding a box of information in her base.There is no fee to attend.

Please plan to help keep everyone healthy by wearing a mask which will be provided if necessary. Attendance is limited to 25 people so seating can be social distanced. No refreshments will be served. The building is handicapped accessible.

The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office Friday (Today), reports as the result of a narcotics investigation, at around 9:20-p.m. Thursday, Deputies arrested 45-year-old Amber Lynn Muchler, of Shenandoah. She was charged with one count Delivery of Methamphetamine, and transported to the Montgomery County Jail. Her cash bond was set at $25,000. Also as a result of the same investigation, at around 8:15-a.m. today (Friday), Montgomery County Deputies arrested 64-year old John Wayne Goodall, of Red Oak, on the same charge as Muchler (1 count Delivery of Meth). Goodall was also being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $25,000 cash only bond.

The Iowa Supreme Court has tossed out a murder conviction and ordered a new trial for a man accused of the gruesome 2017 stabbing death of his girlfriend. The state’s high court in a split decision Friday ordered a new trial for 30-year-old Gregory Michael Davis. The court found his trial attorney’s failure to object to confusing jury instructions cost Davis a fair trial.

Davis was convicted in 2018 of first-degree murder and other counts in the September 2017 death of 29-year-old Carrie Davis, whose body was found rolled in a blanket inside a trailer in Marion. She had been stabbed 26 times.

The Mills County Sheriff’s Office today (Friday), reports two arrests. At around 1:20-a.m. (Friday), 47-year old William Joseph Weis, of Glenwood, was arrested on 189th Street, for Driving While Barred. Bond was set at $2,000. And, at around 4:30-p.m. Thursday, 41-year old Christina Mae Robbins, of Glenwood, was arrested near 195th Street and Highway 34, for OWI/3rd offense, Eluding, Driving While Barred, Failure to Obey a Traffic Control Device, and Failure to Maintain Control. Robbins was being held in the Mills County Jail on $9,300 bond.

Atlantic, IA – Officials with the Cass County Memorial Hospital/Cass County health System, report work on the CCHS main entrance parking lot is progressing quickly. The southeast half of the parking lot is already completed and is open to patients and visitors. The north section is now under construction and should be open during the first week of December. CCHS also offers free valet parking for patients Monday through Friday from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm.

Caption: The red shaded area is currently under construction. The other half of Parking Lot A is already completed and open for patients and visitors.

Mills County Emergency Management Agency Public Information Officer Nick Johnson, Friday (today), reports “To date, Mills County has 712 positive cases on record. There are 333 recovered cases leaving 53% of [the] total positive cases currently under isolation guidance.” Johnson says “Our 14-day rolling positivity rate is now at 25.4%. Mills County Public Health (MCPH) is receiving emergency assistance with contact tracing from the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH). IDPH is conducting contact tracing on all community-based cases and is only able to contact trace with immediate family members of a positive case due to the surge in cases across the state. MCPH is continuing to contact trace all positive cases within the schools and long-term care facilities.”

Johnson adds, “We continue to work with our partners to slow the spread of COVID-19 but everyone in Mills County has a large part in making this happen. Anyone of any age can get the disease. If you have been exposed to COVID-19, it is important to stay home for 14 days, self-isolate and monitor for symptoms to slow the spread of the disease. People who are infected with COVID-19 can give it to others, even when they do not show symptoms. Others with COVID-19 only show mild symptoms while some experience severe illness.”

Symptoms include, but are not limited to:
✓ Cough
✓ Fever
✓ Chills
✓ Sore throat
✓ Shortness of breath
✓ Headache
✓ Muscle pain
✓ Loss of taste and/or smell
✓ Stomachache, vomiting, and/or diarrhea (though less often)

Get tested if you have symptoms. Go online to TESTIOWA, call you doctor, or MCPH about getting tested. MCPH is available to answer your questions or discuss your symptoms by calling (712) 527-9699. Protect yourself and your community from COVID-19 by doing the following:
✓ Stay 6 feet away from other people when you leave your home.
✓ Wear a facemask or cloth face cover when you go anywhere.
✓ Stay home when you are sick.
✓ Wash your hands often.
✓ Cover your cough.
✓ Clean and disinfect surfaces and things that are touched a lot.

For further statistical data available, in near real time, visit the Iowa Coronavirus webpage at:
https://coronavirus.iowa.gov