Des Moines, Iowa —The Iowa Department of Public Health, today (Monday) released new COVID-19 data. Officials say there were 9,506 positive tests in the last seven days, down from 9,630 at the last report on Friday. The state’s 14-day positivity rate dropped to 10.6% from 10.7%.

There are currently 706 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in Iowa, down from 724 at last report. Of those hospitalized with the virus, 81.6% are unvaccinated, while 85.5% of those listed in intensive care with COVID-19 are unvaccinated.

There have been 4,556,310 vaccine doses administered in Iowa, with 70.1% of those 18 and older fully vaccinated and 73.9% of those 12 and older with at least one dose.

The Glenwood Police Department reports 24-year-old De’One De’Vell Quylis, of Glenwood, was arrested early last Thursday morning, following a single-vehicle accident at Elm and 6th Streets. Officials say the 2013 Nissan Juke he was driving was traveling north on Elm Street at around 3:55-a.m., when the vehicle ran through the stop sign and crashed into a chain-link fence in the backyard at 100 Glenbrook Drive. When Police arrived on the scene, Quylis was passed out in his vehicle. He was charged with OWI/2d offense. Bond was set at $2,000.

On Friday, Glenwood Police arrested 23-year-old Jordan Salmons, of Glenwood, for Contempt-Violation of a No Contact Order. Bond was set at$500. And, Monday morning (12/27), 36-year-old Delton Lyden, of Emerson, was arrested for OWI/1st offense, and Possession of dangerous weapons. His bond was set at $2,000.

(Radio Iowa) – A report by Iowa State University Extension says some type of incentives are needed to help schools districts in obtaining fresh local food for students. I-S-U field specialist Teresa Wiemerslage says pandemic grants totaling 250-thousand dollars in 2020 led to 57 schools working with food hubs to get fresh food. That changed when the grant money went away the next year. “Food hubs and schools had to try and make the purchases work on their own. Certainly, some of the schools made that happen — we definitely saw a big drop off in the amount of sales that occurred,” Wiemerslage says.

The drop off was more than 50 percent. She says money was a big part of the issue, along with experience. “The schools that we saw that dropped off were largely the schools that had never tired the farm to school before. They wanted to be able to access that money to help purchase food for their schools during the pandemic. But then didn’t necessarily see it as a priority, or didn’t have time this year with all the other things that were happening to continue to make those purchases,” according to Wiemerslage.  She says they recommend timing future incentives so that schools, farms, and food hubs can plan menus and local purchases in advance. “It’s also a strong recommendation that we’ve had over the last ten years of experience in working with schools — is schools do not become experts at farm to school the first year,” she says, “they need several years to work on their plans and to work things into their system.”

Wiemerslage says schools could buy direct from farmers — but she believes it is worth it for schools to work with food hubs to source food. What a food hub does is they are able to access the dairy farm, and the lettuce grower, and the apple grower, so the school has to just make the one call in order to get that product to them,” she says. Wiemerslage says the food hubs can save districts time. “The other advantage that the food hubs have is that many of them have backup growers. So, for some of these larger schools where they need ten to 15 cases of something to serve their meals — the food hub may need to pull in two or three growers,” Wiemerslage says.

She says they are continuing to work on ways to connect schools with locally grown food.

COUNCIL BLUFFS, IA, December 27, 2021 – On December 22, Ameristar Casino Hotel helped shine a light on the darkness of Alzheimer’s and dementia by presenting a check for $13,000 to the Alzheimer’s Association for The Longest Day®. These funds were raised through guests donating their unwanted change, tickets and chips to the casino floor donation box. The Longest Day is a do-it-yourself fundraising event to help advance the care, support and research efforts of the Alzheimer’s Association. Ameristar’s The Longest Day fundraiser was part of the Ameristar Cares program which has been held for the last two years to donate funds to Council Bluffs area nonprofits.

Today, an estimated 50 million people worldwide are living with Alzheimer’s or other dementias, including more than 6 million Americans. In Iowa alone, over 66,000 individuals are living with Alzheimer’s or dementia and more than 73,000 family members and friends are caring for them.

About the Alzheimer’s Association®:

The Alzheimer’s Association is a worldwide voluntary health organization dedicated to Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Its mission is to lead the way to end Alzheimer’s and all other dementia — by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and maximizing quality care and support. Visit alz.org or call 800.272.3900.