(Des Moines, IA) As Iowa anticipates one million doses administered of the COVID-19 vaccine, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), have issued updated guidance for nursing homes to safely expand visitation options during the COVID-19 pandemic public health emergency (PHE). Nationwide, more than three million doses of vaccines have been administered within nursing homes to staff and residents. To date in Iowa, through the Long Term Care Pharmacy Partnership Program, a total of 139,142 doses have been administered; 75,125 first doses and 64,017 second doses. Resident doses account for 78,204 of the total and 60,963 are staff.

According to the updated guidance, facilities should allow responsible indoor visitation at all times and for all residents, regardless of vaccination status of the resident, or visitor, unless certain scenarios arise that would limit visitation for:

• Unvaccinated residents, if the COVID-19 county positivity rate is greater than 10 percent and less than 70 percent of residents in the facility are fully vaccinated;
• Residents with confirmed COVID-19 infection, whether vaccinated or unvaccinated, until they have met the criteria to discontinue transmission-based precautions;
• or, Residents in quarantine, whether vaccinated or unvaccinated, until they have met criteria for release from quarantine.

“Spending time with loved ones and seeing them in person is critical to overall well-being. This past year has been incredibly challenging and hard on older Iowans and their loved ones. This is great news and one more step closer to normal,” said Kelly Garcia, Director of the Department of Human Services and Department of Public Health interim director. The updated guidance also emphasizes that “compassionate care” visits should be allowed at all times, regardless of a resident’s vaccination status, the county’s COVID-19 positivity rate, or an outbreak. Compassionate care visits include visits for a resident whose health has sharply declined or is experiencing a significant change in circumstances.

CMS continues to recommend facilities, residents, and families adhere to the core principles of COVID-19 infection control, including maintaining physical distancing and conducting visits outdoors whenever possible. This continues to be the safest way to prevent the spread of COVID-19, particularly if either party has not been fully vaccinated. An updated guidance document from the Iowa Department of Public Health and the Department of Inspections and Appeals is forthcoming.

March 12, 2021 – Carrie Petersen, owner of “coffeegirl” in Atlantic, has announced the new location of her shop, effective March 24th, will be 422 Chestnut Street, formerly known as the Tinder Box. coffeegirl has been serving Atlantic for two and a-half years, with coffee, smoothies, specialty drinks, and more. With some recent unexpected changes to her brick-and-mortar location, Peterson says she  has embraced the opportunity to expand her footprint, and square footage, by relocating to 422 Chestnut Street.

coffeegirl will no longer be located in The Franklin Market as of (Saturday) March 13th, but will reopen the doors on March 24th at the new location. These “doors” will be mobile in front of the soon-to-be permanent brick-and-mortar establishment while renovations take place for all that her new location will provide the community of Atlantic. On the docket is the same great drink menu, with aspirations to continue to expand offerings that have long been requested.

In the meantime, if you see the mobile coffeegirl RV, know that she is open for business as usual and eager to continue serving her faithful customers. coffeegirl would like to “Thank you for the outpouring of support the past couple of weeks. coffeegirl’s hours will be 7:00 a.m – 2:00 p.m., Monday – Friday and 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Saturday, once she reopens on March 24th. Stay up-to-date on the renovation process and all future announcements by following coffeegirl on Facebook.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A man has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for a 2019 shooting that killed one man and injured another in a commercial district north of I-235 in Des Moines. Television station KCCI reports that Michael Lyke Jr. was sentenced Wednesday to 10 years on each of three counts in the case. He was ordered to serve the sentences one after the other. In February, Lyke pleaded guilty to reduced charges of voluntary manslaughter, willful injury and a weapons count in the June 2019 killing of 41-year-old Earl Caldwell.

Another man, 39-year-old Des Moines resident Littleton William Clark, was injured. Lyke had been scheduled to go to trial in April on more serious charges and would have received a mandatory life sentence if convicted.

The Iowa Department of Public Health’s Coronavirus dashboard, today (Friday), shows 559 additional positive test results for COVID returned from the labs, for a total of 369,643. There was also 11 additional deaths statewide, for a pandemic total of 5,631. Long-Term Care facility deaths account for 2,213 of the total number of deaths across the state.

Long-Term Care (LTC) facility outbreaks are down to just three. Hospitalization numbers show: 168 Iowans hospitalized with COVID (2 more than Thursday); 36 in an ICU (6 fewer than before); 41 people were admitted to a hospital across the state, and 13 patients are on a ventilator. The state reports 56 positive cases and 38 recoveries among residents and staff within those facilities. Iowa reports 0 positive cases in the last 14 days. Facilities must be free of cases for 28 days before being considered virus-free.

RMCC Region 4 hospitals (those in western/southwest Iowa) show 12 hospitalized COVID patients, six are in an ICU, three persons were admitted since Thursday’s report, and three are on a ventilator.

Nearly one million COVID-19 vaccine doses have now been administered in Iowa and more than 347,000 individuals are fully vaccinated against the virus. Iowa reports 998,054 vaccine doses have been administered in the state, with 347,382 individuals completing the vaccine series.

The 14-day positivity rate remains 3.9%, while the seven-day rate is down to 3.8%.

In the KJAN listening area, here are the current number positive cases by County; The # of new cases since yesterday {+} – if any; and the total number of deaths in each county to date:

• Cass, 1,375 cases; {+2}; 52 deaths
• Adair, 938; {+4}; 31
• Adams, 327 {+0}; 4
• Audubon, 495 {+1}; 9
• Guthrie, 1,184 {+2}; 28
• Harrison County, 1,805; {+5}; 70
• Madison County, 1,602; {+2}; 18
• Mills County, 1,656; {+9}; 20
• Montgomery, 1,042; {+0}; 36
• Pottawattamie County, 10,936; {+10}; 149
• Shelby County, 1,246 {+6}; 34
• Union County,  1,275; {+1}; 31

(UPDATED) – Iowa Auditor of State Rob Sand today (Friday) released an agreed-upon procedures report on the City of Massena, for the period July 1, 2019 through June 30, 2020. Sand reported ten findings related to the receipt and disbursement of taxpayer funds. The findings address issues such as a lack of segregation of duties, the lack of utility system reconciliations, disbursements exceeding budgeted amounts, business transactions that may represent conflicts of interest, a deficit fund balance and transfers that were not approved by resolution.

One issue the popped-up, was a potential conflict of interest in a purchase agreement.

Sand provided the City with recommendations to address each of the findings, including the need for more transparency.

He said the City Attorney is the best source for information, when development agreements are made, to make sure there isn’t the appearance of impropriety.

The City Council he says, has a fiduciary responsibility to provide oversight of the City’s operations and financial transactions. Sand says oversight is typically defined as the “watchful and responsible care” a governing body exercises in its fiduciary capacity. Rob Sand said also, it’s worthy knowing his office still has a “PIE” Program going, that they would like more public entities to participate in, and that promotes efficiency, and those entities are pinching pennies every chance they get. There’s even a reward for being efficient, aside from saving the taxpayers money.

PIE stands for Public Innovations and Efficiencies.

A copy of the agreed-upon procedures report is available for review on the Auditor of State’s web site at https://auditor.iowa.gov/audit-reports.

The Iowa Supreme Court says a District Court erred in ordering a new trial in the case of a man who sued the Glenwood Golf Corporation, owners of the Glenwood Golf Course (GCG, following an accident involving a golf cart. The incident occurred Sept. 14, 2017, during a golf outing by Terry Jones and his son Jeff. The younger Jones was driving a golf cart owned by GCG, when, as they crossed a bridge, the cart started to veer to the left. When Jeff Jones over-corrected, the cart’s left front tire became wedged into the steel structure of the bridge. The impact ejected Jones’ father Terry – who was in the passenger seat -through an opening in the bridge’s safety rail.

Terry Jones fell about 25-feet onto a creek bed below filled with concrete and steel reinforcement bar (Rebar). He suffered life-threatening injuries and was flown by helicopter to the UNMC in Omaha. Terry Jones underwent multiple surgeries and spent months hospitalization and in a rehabilitation facility. He and his wife Christine Jones entered into a settlement agreement with Jeff and his homeowner’s liability insurer which paid the couple and their lawyer a total of $877,500, with the payments in a structured annuity.

The settlement released Jeff Jones from all claims stemming from the accident. Terry and his wife filed a civil action against GCG, based on the premises the bridge was unsafe, and that GCG was liable for the negligence of the driver in a golf cart. The District Court denied related summary judgements, and the case went to a jury, which found GCG was not liable under the premises liability claim, and found Jeffrey Jones (even though he was a released party) was at fault. They awarded damages amounting to $520,000 for past medical expenses.

Terry Jones filed a motion for a new trial on the grounds the verdict was inadequate. The District Court ruled GCG is liable on the owner liability claim, and granted a new trial on the damages only. GCG appealed the case went to the Iowa Supreme Court. The IASUPCO found Terry Jones’ release of his son from liability extinguished GCG’s vicarious liability for damages caused by Jeff Jones. They Justices reversed the District Court ruling and remanded the case for dismissal.