MADISON, Iowa – October 31, 2020 – As the sun started to rise across Iowa and Wisconsin, Saturday, Alliant Energy lineworkers in both states left home to help restore power following Hurricane Zeta. Nearly 200 employees will make their way to Gulfport, Mississippi, where they’ll join mutual aid crews from several other states to help Mississippi Power get the lights back on.  

Alliant Energy is a member of the Edison Electric Institute mutual assistance group which recently provided more than 3,000 nationwide and Canadian crews to assist with power restoration efforts to our customers in Iowa following the August 10 Derecho.     

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Kanzi, who is almost certainly the world’s most famous bonobo, is celebrating a milestone birthday. The Des Moines Register reports that Kanzi turned 40 on Wednesday. He resides at a research center in Des Moines. Kanzi can use abstract symbols to communicate with people, and understands some spoken words.

He has played piano with Paul McCartney, interacted with CNN’s Anderson Cooper and appeared on “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” Bonobos are closely related to chimpanzees and are found in the wild only in the Democratic Republic of Congo in Africa. Genetically, they are among humans’ closest relatives.

ADEL, Iowa – The Iowa Department of Public Safety, Saturday (today) says a Dallas County teen was reported missing Friday to the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office. Authorities say 15-year-old Mackenzie Lyons was last seen at a residence southeast of Adel around 1:50 p.m. on October 30th, when she got into a black/dark blue mid-2000 four-door Honda Accord. Mackenzie is on prescription meds that are not currently in her possession.

If you have any information that can help authorities locate Mackenzie, please call the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office at 515.993.4567 or email Sheriff Chad Leonard at dispatch@dallascountyiowa.gov. Photos of Mackenzie and the vehicle are shown here:

Mackenzie Lyons

Iowa has had an increase of 2,823 positive COVID-19 test results from 10-a.m. Friday through 10-a.m. today (Saturday), and 10 additional deaths, for a total of 1,715. Pre-existing conditions account for 1,121 of the deaths, with 840 of the deaths taking place at a Long-Term Care facility. Among those who died was one person in each of Harrison and Union Counties. The IDPH says a total of 127,357 Iowans have tested positive since the beginning of the pandemic.

Positive (Confirmed) cases of COVID-19 have jumped again in six area counties: In Cass County, there are 33 new cases, for a total of 468, with 305 having recovered thus far; There are 94 more cases in Pottawattamie County; 24 additional cases are reported in Harrison County and 22 in Mills County; Adair County has 16 new cases; Shelby County has 15 more cases, and Audubon County 14 additional positive test results. Montgomery County and Union Counties have 13 new cases, each. Other area counties have 10 or less new cases. (see the list below).

The Individual Positivity rate in Iowa is 13.1% (compared to 12.9% previously), and the 14-day rolling average is 13.4%, compared to 12.5% on Friday. O’Brien County leads the State in the percentage of Positive cases, at 24.5. Harrison County places 5th on the list at 22%, and Cass County is number eight, with 20.8%.

Hospitalizations are up again across the State, from 606 Friday to 630 today – another record. ICU patients are up slightly to 153, admissions are up modestly to 99, and there remain 55 Iowans on a ventilator. Western/southwest Iowa hospitals report 45 hospitalized, 11 in an ICU, five admissions and two on a ventilator.

Long-Term Care facility (LTC) outbreaks are up to 81 (compared to 76 on Friday), there are 2,314 patients/staff at those facilities who have tested positive for the virus, and 940 patients/staff have recovered from the effects of the virus.

There have been 971,807 tests completed to-date, with 841,992 coming back Negative. The IDPH says 93,188 people have recovered from the virus.

In the KJAN listening area, here are the current number positive cases in each county (as of 9-a.m., 10/31), along with the 24-hour change in case numbers {+#}; the number of persons recovered, and the total number of [deaths] (if any), since the pandemic began,

• Cass, 468 cases {+33}; 305 recovered; 3 deaths
• Adair, 215 {+16}; 77; 1
• Adams, 84; 49; 1
• Audubon, 187 {+14}; 103; 1
• Guthrie, 425 {+2); 282; 15
• Harrison County, 727 {+24}; 338; 17
• Madison County, 383 {+7}; 271; 3
• Mills County, 451 {+22}; 221; 3
• Montgomery, 206 {+13}; 155; 7
• Pottawattamie County, 3,499 {+94]; 2,541; 45
• Shelby County, 423 {+15}; 354; 2
• Union County,  281 {+13}; 232; 5