(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds says the source of Covid-19 outbreaks will be considered as state officials review school district requests to temporarily shift to remote learning. The guidelines released last week indicate at least 10 percent of students must be absent in a district – AND a rolling, 14-day average of Covid-19 tests must show at least 15 percent of residents in the county or counties in which the district is located must be ill. Seven counties now meet or exceed that 15 percent threshold. Reynolds says Webster County — with a current 22 percent positivity rate — shows why it’s unlikely the state would approve an online-only option for districts in that county.

“They have, as you are very well aware of, an outbreak at the state prison there,” Reynolds said, “and that is in a completely contained environment.” The governor says confirmed outbreaks at businesses or institutions like a state prison are a key metric that may suggest closing a school for 14 days is not the right decision. “The community context will be so important for schools to consider,” she says. And the three school districts in Webster County — Fort Dodge, Prairie Valley and Southeast Webster — should be planning to begin classes in-person this month, according to the governor.

“I think that they should make every effort to get those kids back to school,” Reynolds says. “…We have kids that are practicing football right now…and they’re figuring out a way to do it safely and responsibly.” Reynolds indicated teachers and school staff should be allowed to work if they have been around someone who tested positive for the virus, but are not showing symptoms. “I think it’s the guidelines that we’ve followed all along for essential workforce determined by the federal guidelines,” Reynolds says, “and our teachers absolutely fall into essential workforce.”

Dr. Caitlin Pedati, the state medical director, says if there are teacher shortages, teachers may volunteer to work even if they’ve been potentially exposed to Covid. “We can do things to safely allow some of those critical workers to return to roles,” Pedati says, “but it includes things like monitoring of symptoms and temperature twice a day, using a face mask.”

However, students with or without symptoms will be asked to quarantine for 14 days if they’ve been around someone who tests positive for Covid.

(Radio Iowa) – President Donald Trump’s idea of giving his acceptance speech for the Republican nomination for president from the White House has drawn some criticism. Republican Senator Joni Ernst was asked about it today (Thursday) on her conference call with reporters.

Another reporter asked Ernst again after her first answer.

Ernst was also asked about when another federal coronavirus relief package may get done. She says Democrats don’t want to negotiate — and cited the extension of the federal unemployment as an example.

Ernst says nothing can happen if Democrats don’t want to discuss the issue.

Ernst is from Red Oak and is running for her second term in the U-S Senate.

Two people were arrested on separate charges, Tuesday, in Cass County. Sheriff’s officials say 41-year old Ryan James Cook, of Adair, was arrested on a charge of Driving While Revoked. Cook was taken to the Cass County Jail and released the following day on his own recognizance.

And, 32-year old Joseph Paul Hinton, of Griswold, was arrested Tuesday on a District Court warrant for Probation Violation. Hinton was taken to the Cass County Jail and released later that day on $5,000 bond.

An Iowa appeals court has dismissed a lawsuit challenging a law passed last year that does not require Medicaid to pay for sex reassignment surgeries for transgender residents. The Iowa Court of Appeals posted its ruling Wednesday. It agreed with a lower court finding that the legal challenge was speculative because the two transgender residents who sued hadn’t yet been denied Medicaid coverage for surgeries.

The lawsuit claimed the law violated the inalienable rights to liberty, safety and happiness and equal protection sections of the Iowa Constitution. The American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa says it’s reviewing the ruling.

The Cass County Auditor’s Office reports a third candidate has filed to run for a seat on the Cass County Ag Extension Council: Jody Steffen from Griswold has filed papers for one of four seats on the Council, in advance of the November General Election.

Marcy Jo Dorsey and Darrin Petty were previously announced as having filed for a seat on the Council. Candidates have until August 26th to file for the position on the General Election Ballot.

Sheriff’s Deputies in Page County, Wednesday, arrested a Villisca woman. 43-year old Stephanie Briley was arrested on a Page County Warrant for Failure to appear, and Theft in the 5th Degree. Briley was arrested at the Page County Sheriff’s Office and booked into the Page County Jail, where she was being held on a $300 bond, pending further court proceedings.

DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — Police in Davenport have identified two people killed in a motorcycle crash over the weekend. The Quad-City Times reports that 46-year-old Marvin Cobler, who was driving the motorcycle, and his passenger, 32-year-old Sarah Robertson, died from their injuries in the Saturday afternoon crash. Both were from Davenport.

Police say the crash happened when a Jeep turned in front of the motorcycle around 4:30 p.m. Saturday. Police say Robertson died Saturday night at an area hospital. Coble died Sunday at an Iowa City hospital.

(Radio Iowa) — Unemployment claims are down for the third straight week. Iowa Workforce Development says the number of ongoing unemployment claims dropped by around five-thousand (5,072) in the last week — and are down by nearly 30-thousand claims in the last three weeks. Ongoing claims have dropped by nearly 85-thousand since peaking in the second week of May. First-time unemployment claims dropped around 200 last week to six-thousand-765. First time claims hit a peak of 64-thousand in the first week of April.