COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (March 10, 2020) – The American Red Cross strongly urges healthy, eligible individuals who are feeling well to give blood or platelets to help maintain a sufficient blood supply and prevent shortages as concerns about the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019, or COVID-19, rise in the U.S. Cold and flu season has already impacted the nation’s ability to maintain its blood supply. As the number of coronavirus cases grows in the U.S., the number of people eligible to give blood for patients in need could decrease further.

Chris Hrouda, president, Red Cross Blood Services, says “We’re asking the American people to help keep the blood supply stable during this challenging time. As communities across the country prepare for this public health emergency, it’s critical that plans include a readily available blood supply for hospital patients. As fears of coronavirus rise, low donor participation could harm blood availability at hospitals, and the last thing a patient should worry about is whether lifesaving blood will be on the shelf when they need it most.”

Please make an appointment to donate blood now by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or enabling the Blood Donor Skill on any Alexa Echo device. Blood donors with type O blood and platelet donors are especially needed right now.

Donating blood is a safe process and people should not hesitate to give or receive blood. There are no data or evidence that this coronavirus can be transmissible by blood transfusion, and there have been no reported cases worldwide of transmissions for any respiratory virus, including this coronavirus, from a transfusion.

The Red Cross only collects blood from individuals who are healthy and feeling well at the time of donation – and who meet other eligibility requirements, available at RedCrossBlood.org. At each blood drive and donation center, Red Cross employees follow thorough safety protocols including wearing gloves, routinely wiping down donor-touched areas, using sterile collection sets for every donation, and preparing the arm for donation with an aseptic scrub. These mitigation measures will help ensure blood recipient safety, as well as staff and donor safety in reducing contact with those who may potentially have this respiratory infection.

The Red Cross has also implemented new blood donation deferrals out of an abundance of caution. Individuals are asked to postpone their donation for 28 days following:

Travel to China and its special administrative regions, Hong Kong and Macau, as well as Iran, Italy and South Korea;
Diagnosis of COVID-19, contact with a person who has or is suspected to have the virus.
As the situation evolves, the Red Cross will continue to evaluate all emerging risks in collaboration with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and industry partners to determine if additional intervention strategies are needed.

Some upcoming blood donation opportunities, March 10-31:

Cass County: Atlantic, 3/12/2020: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., Atlantic YMCA; 3/18/2020: 7:30 a.m. – 1 p.m., Atlantic High School.

Audubon County: Exira, 3/23/2020: 12 p.m. – 6 p.m., Exira Recreational Center

Adair County: Orient, 3/30/2020: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., Orient-Macksburg High School

Carroll County: Manning, 3/27/2020: 8 a.m. – 2 p.m., IKM Manning High School

CLINTON, Iowa (AP) — A Clinton man has been charged with vehicular homicide while driving under the influence for the crash death of his wife in July. Clinton County court records say Brandon Clary also is charged with driving with a suspended license and with other crimes. The crash occurred around 1:30 p.m. on July 26 when Clary was driving west on a rural county road. A court document says the vehicle rolled after he over-corrected when it ran off the roadway. Authorities say his wife, 24-year-old Ashley Clary, was ejected and fatally injured.

The City of Atlantic’s Community Protection Committee will meet 5:15-p.m. Wednesday, in the Council’s Chambers at City Hall. First up on their agenda, is a clarification on the objectives of regulating Atlantic Property Conditions. They will also review Property Regulation Policies as an extension of their meeting on Oct. 9, 2019, including:

• The Dangerous Building Code (See the current Code here: file:///C:/Users/KJAN/AppData/Local/Packages/microsoft.windowscommunicationsapps_8wekyb3d8bbwe/LocalState/Files/S0/46260/Attachments/Chapter%20145%20-%20Dangerous%20Buildings[69139].pdf)
• The Minumum Maintenance Code (Current Ordinance: file:///C:/Users/KJAN/AppData/Local/Packages/microsoft.windowscommunicationsapps_8wekyb3d8bbwe/LocalState/Files/S0/46260/Attachments/Chapter%20148%20Property%20Maintenance%20Codes[69140].pdf)
• and, International Property Maintenance Code (Current Code: file:///C:/Users/KJAN/AppData/Local/Packages/microsoft.windowscommunicationsapps_8wekyb3d8bbwe/LocalState/Files/S0/46260/Attachments/2018%20International%20Property%20Maintenance%20Codes[69141].pdf)

The Committee will also discuss and make a recommendation for the full City Council, with regard to which laws should be utilized. Included in the discussion is an Assessment of Resources Required, and a Review of Implementation of Enforcement.

(Corrects time of meeting to 6-p.m., not 5:30)Members of the Atlantic School District’s Board of Education will hold a regular session 6-p.m. Wednesday, in the High School Media Center. Action items on their agenda include approval of resignations for: Abby Becker, Girls Varsity Assistant Track Coach, and Kami Bruck, Washington Elem. Paraeducator. The Board will also act on contract recommendations for the following:

• Noah Widrowicz, Industrial Tech. Teacher
• Derek Hall, Asst. HS Girls Track Coach
• Brooke Newell & Marty Hobson, Volunteer HS Golf coaches.
• Josh Rasmussen, Brad Rasmussen and Bruce Henderson, Volunteer HS Track Coaches.
• Cole Renken and James Northwick, Volunteer Tennis Coaches.
• Derek Handel, Volunteer Softball Coach.

The Board will also act on approving:

• The 2020-21 School Calendar
• An out-of-State trip to Maryville, MO., for the Indoor Track meet March 21st at NW MO State University.
• Schuler Roof replacement (Accept a bid from McDermott & Son Roofing for $98,937.96 altogether, including replacement of 16 skylights)
• High School HVAC project ($104, 985 accept a bid from Camblin Mechanical).
• and Resolutions for: The 2020 Budget Guarantee; 2019-20 Fund Transfer ($7,914 from the General fund to Activity Fund for Protective Equipment (helmet reconditioning & purchase of new helmets/pads); and, the .33-cent per thousand Board Approved PPEL (Physical Plant & Equipment Levy).

The Atlantic School Board will adjourn and then enter into an Exempt Session for the purpose of Strategy Negotiations.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Des Moines City Council plans to work on defining racial profiling and collecting data before enacting an ordinance banning it. On Monday the council backed a proposed ordinance that would make racial profiling an “illegal discriminatory municipal practice.” A violation could lead to a city employee being fired. Some of the dozens of people who filled the council chamber held signs that read “Skin color is not a crime” and “Stop the stops.”

The latter referred to pretextual stops in which officers stop someone for one reason but use it as cause to investigate something unrelated.