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Griswold School Board meeting preview

News

May 17th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

The Griswold School District’s Board of Education is set to meet 5:30-p.m. Monday, in the Griswold Elementary School Library. Old business on their agenda includes:

  • 300-Series Board Policies
  • Approval of a Resolution to set a Public Hearing for issuance of approximately $1.8-million in Sales Tax Refunding Bonds
  • and a COVID-19 update.

New Business during Monday’s meeting will cover:

  • Establishing for 2020-21: A Convenience charge of On-Line Deposits; Nutrition Prices; Registration Fees, and an Activity Pass fee.
  • Approval of: Fuel bid specifications; Technology Support Bid specs; a Spanish 3/4 Spanish Waiver for 2020-21, and a Consortium Agreement for Academic and Therapeutic services.

The Griswold School Board will also act on the first reading of additional Series 300 Board Policies.

Investigation results in a man’s arrest on assault charge; his 18th arrest

News

May 17th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

An investigation into an assault May 9th in Hamburg has culminated in an arrest. The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office reports 25-year old Joseph William Haughton, of Hamburg, was arrested Friday for Assault while displaying a weapon, an Aggravated Misdemeanor and a Class-C Felony charge of Willful Injury. Haughton was being held on a $3,000 10% bond, following an initial appearance with the Fremont County Magistrate.

Joseph Haughton (Fremont Co. S/O photo)

On May 9th, deputies with the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office, were called to a gas station in Hamburg for a report of a male who was bleeding in the parking lot.  The man advised he was assaulted by two males, using a blunt object.  He was transported to Grape Community Hospital for treatment of severe injuries.

At the time of the alleged assault, Haughton was out of jail, released on his Own Recognizance, after violating a No Contact Order. Authorities say his arrest on May 15th was Haughton’s 18th arrest by the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office since November of 2016. More charges are pending in this case.

CAM School Board meeting set for Monday: Hearing on Cert. Budget

News

May 17th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

The CAM School Board will hold a Public Hearing 6:30-p.m,. Monday, May 18th, in the CAM High School Superintendent’s Office. First-up on their schedule is a Public Hearing on the 2020-21 Certified Budget (as published). Afterward, the Board will move into their regular agenda, with discussion and/or action on, but not limited to:

  • Any resignations
  • Contracts
  • Approval of the Certified 2020-21 Budget
  • Approval of requests for move on the salary schedule.
  • Consider/Act on lunch prices & a fee schedule
  • Approval of Board Policy revisions and an updated list of ICA (Iowa Connections Academy) graduates
  • Approval of an updated list of ICA graduates
  • And discussion/action on a Health report.

 

Child Inflammatory Syndrome reported in eastern Iowa

News

May 17th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

KCCI-TV in Des Moines is reporting that the Polk County Pediatric Medical Collaborative has confirmed Iowa’s first confirmed case of Pediatric Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome (PMIS). The positive case is said to have occurred in an eastern Iowa child. The State had not officially confirmed the case though, as of the last daily update.

Health officials said a relatively small number of children will be affected by and suffer from the condition, which creates a persistent fever, inflammation and poor functions in organs such as the kidneys or heart. Some children may also show evidence of blood vessel inflammation such as red eyes, a bright red tongue and red cracked lips.

PMIS is rare, but can be deadly. Doctors said the syndrome seems to develop week after a child was possibly infected with COVID-19. The new disease is similar to Kawasaki and Toxic Shock syndrome. Doctors said the infection can lead to inflammation of the heart muscle and arteries. Doctors say your child should be seen by a physician if they have a fever for more than 48-to 72-hours.

Skyscan forecast from the NWS: for Atlantic & the area,, 5/17/20

Weather

May 17th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

Today: A 40 percent chance of showers after noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 60. Windy, with a northwest wind 14 to 22 mph, with gusts as high as 33 mph. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Tonight: A 20 percent chance of showers before 8pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 49. Breezy, with a north wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph.
Monday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 65. Breezy, with a north wind 14 to 16 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph.
Monday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 47. North northeast wind 6 to 14 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph.
Tuesday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 72. Northeast wind 6 to 10 mph.
Tuesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 52.
Wednesday: Partly sunny, with a high near 74.

Saturday’s High in Atlantic was 73. Our Low was 48. We received .52″ rain overnight Saturday into Sunday morning. Last year on this date, the High in Atlantic was 85 and the Low 64. The record High for May 17th in Atlantic, was 92 in 1908 & 1939, and the record Low was 32 in 1973.

Iowa early News Headlines: Sunday, May 17 2020

News

May 17th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Iowa has rebuilt its stockpile of personal protective equipment after a dire shortage that prompted the state to buy replenishments from some unusual sources. Records show Iowa’s executive branch has signed $45 million worth of emergency purchase orders for isolation gowns, masks, face shields, goggles and other equipment from mid-March through April. That includes $7.2 million in contracts for gowns and goggles with a Des Moines business that has never previously sold either and is known for making Republican campaign signs. The deals include 590,000 masks that were purchased directly from China and to be flown to an Ankeny warehouse.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — University of Iowa researchers privately warned that the coronavirus would continue spreading through the state even before Gov. Kim Reynolds relaxed social distancing policies, a move they said would exacerbate the problem. In a report to the Iowa Department of Public Health on April 27, the university experts said that Iowa had not reached a peak and reopening the state economy before then would “result in a rapid rise of cases.” In a paper dated May 4, they found that the virus was still likely growing. They said that Iowa’s school and business closures and other steps had strongly mitigated the spread of infection but nonetheless were not “sufficient to prevent uncontained spread.”

FORT DODGE, Iowa (AP) — A California farm animal sanctuary is spending a small fortune to send two cargo planes to north-central Iowa to rescue 1,000 chickens from an egg farm. Animal Place workers loaded the planes Saturday morning at the Fort Dodge, Iowa, airport with more than 60 crates of the hens to fly back to the group’s sanctuary near Grass Valley in northern California. The organizations’ director, Kim Sturla, said Friday that the hens came from a nearby egg farm that is going out of business. The farm had planned to simply kill the chickens, but agreed this week instead to give them to the California rescue, which will in turn rehabilitate the hens and adopt them out to people throughout California.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — Authorities are investigating a deadly shooting in Waterloo. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that police were called to UnityPoint Health-Allen Hospital about 8:30 p.m. Friday on a report of a shooting victim. The man was taken to the hospital in a private vehicle. He died a shot time after arriving. Au autopsy has been scheduled at the State Medical Examiner’s Office. No other details were immediately released, including the man’s name.

Police investigate attack of black man in Des Moines

News

May 16th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

DES MOINES, Iowa (The Des Moines Register) — Authorities say three white man attacked a black man in Des Moines and that one of the assailants made racist comments. The Des Moines register reports that police said in a news release that the attack happened around 3:25 a.m. Saturday as the man was headed to his girlfriend’s house.

The victim, who has not been identified, was transported to a hospital with what police described as significant, non-life-threatening injuries to the left side of his face, eye and hands. Court documents say the man did not know his attackers.

Authorities investigate Waterloo shooting death

News

May 16th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

WATERLOO, Iowa (Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier) — Authorities are investigating a deadly shooting in Waterloo. The Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier reports that police were called to UnityPoint Health-Allen Hospital about 8:30 p.m. Friday on a report of a shooting victim. The man was taken to the hospital in a private vehicle. He died a shot time after arriving.

An autopsy has been scheduled at the State Medical Examiner’s Office. No other details were immediately released, including the man’s name.

1st case of confirmed COVID-19 in Adams County

News

May 16th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

Officials with the Adams County Public Health Department, Saturday evening, reported the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Adams County. The individual who contracted the virus is a minor. No other information was released. Joan Gallagher, Administrator for the Adams County Public Health Branch Office said in a new release, “While this is Adams County’s first case, it may not be the last, and that’s why we encourage all residents to continue to make prevention a priority.”

University of Iowa graduates mark commencement virtually

News

May 16th, 2020 by Ric Hanson

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Commencement was bittersweet for University of Iowa graduates who were forced to leave campus early amid the coronavirus pandemic. The Gazette reports that Provost Monsterrat Fuentes addressed upfront the impersonal nature of Saturday’s virtual convocation for the university’s largest College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in a recorded message, noting that people are “heartbroken.”

Ceremonies were also held virtually last week for graduates of Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa amid the pandemic. Johns Hopkins University was reporting 336 deaths and 14,000 cases in the state.