Officials with the Empowering Adair County Foundation (EACF) report grant funds totaling $84,457.84 for are available for application, with the deadline set for October 15, 2020.  EACF says the grant amount is down 17% from last year’s funding amount, due to Iowa’s casinos shutting down as the result of Covid-19.

Less gambling receipts impacts the amount distributed to counties in Iowa without gaming operations. EACF will accept grant applications not to exceed $10,000. However, for the first time, EACF has created a new simple, one-page application form for grant asks not exceeding $3,000. The original long application forms for larger grant requests, along with the new one-page application forms can be found on the Adair County ISU Extension’s website https://www.extension.iastate.edu/adair (scroll down the home page to find EACF information and links for forms).

Due to the decrease in granting funds, the EACF Committee may not be able to grant total amounts requested. Grant applications are scored and reviewed on the following criteria:

• Completeness of Application
• Benefit to Adair County Residents
• Support of Entrepreneurial Activity, Community and Leadership Development
• and Identification and Addressing of Community Needs.

Once the applications are scored, the Committee’s funding recommendations are sent to the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines (EACF’s affiliate) for final approval of grant disbursements. There is one annual grant cycle with an October 15th application deadline. For more information, visit the website or contact Deena Wells, Adair County Extension at 641-743-8412 or email dwells@iastate.edu.

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EACF was formed in 2005 to coordinate and provide philanthropic support for community betterment and to enhance the quality of life for communities in Adair County. The Foundation is governed by a 9-member board representing all areas of Adair County. EACF has funded $1,410,487.92 in projects and programs in Adair County in the past 14 years.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A new monthly survey of bankers shows the economy making some improvements but remaining weak in rural parts of 10 Plains and Western states. The Rural Mainstreet Survey’s overall index remained negative at 46.9 in September, even though it improved from August’s 44.7 and marked continued improvement since March, when the index bottomed out at 35.5 as the coronavirus pandemic emerged. Any score below 50 suggests a shrinking economy, while a score above 50 suggests a growing economy.

Bankers from Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wyoming were surveyed.

A Cass County man was injured during an accident that took place at around 5-a.m., Wednesday. The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports 22-year old Dakota Lee Sandbothe, of Marne, was driving a 1993 Dodge D-250 pickup northbound on Highway 83/M47 at around 5-a.m., when the vehicle went off the road just before Teakwood Road, in Pottawattamie County. The truck hit an embankment, jumped over Teakwood Road and landed in the northeast ditch.

Sandbothe was trapped in the pickup and had to be freed by mechanical means. He complained of pain and possible injury, and was transported by Walnut Rescue to the Cass County Memorial Hospital, in Atlantic. Deputies cited Sandbothe for Failure to Maintain Control of his vehicle. Damage to his pickup was estimated at $5,000.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa has won a three-point-seven-million dollar federal grant to expand mental health services in the wake of last month’s derecho. The funds will extend an effort already in place to help Iowans cope with the coronavirus pandemic. Karen Hyatt, at the Iowa Department of Human Services, says the program called Covid Recovery Iowa offers crisis counseling over the phone or online, as well as virtual support groups.  “Since the derecho hit, we have seen an increase in all of those ways that people get ahold of us,” Hyatt says, “and the main thing, I would say 90% of the need right now is housing and finances.”

Staff are retooling the program so to will be inclusive for derecho survivors, who report struggling to pay bills and securing long-term housing. Hyatt says the pandemic is changing the program’s rollout.  “We train the staff to go where the people are, and we work very hard at that,” Hyatt says. “In this grant, it’s the flip of that, right? It’s making sure that enough people know about it, but they have to come to us.”

The new grant will extend Covid Recovery Iowa through June of 2021. Services are available online at covid-recovery-iowa-dot-org and by phone at 844-775-9276.

(reporting By Kate Payne, Iowa Public Radio)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Supreme Court is refusing to review lower court decisions that invalidated tens of thousands of voters’ absentee ballot requests at the urging of President Trump’s reelection campaign. The court issued orders Wednesday denying requests to put rulings in Linn and Woodbury counties on hold. The elections commissioners in those counties, an affected voter and Democratic-aligned groups had asked the court to intervene, saying thousands of voters could be disenfranchised and inconvenienced if the rulings stand. The court rejected all of their requests without explanation. Judges have ruled the counties overstepped by sending absentee ballot request forms to voters with their personal information already filled in.

Riverside School District Superintendent Dr. Tim Mitchell, today (Thursday), reports Pottawattamie County Public Health and Riverside Community School District have confirmed that one student in the Middle/High School Building has been confirmed positive for COVID-19.  Mitchell says “Contact and location tracing has been completed by the district and Public Health and limited exposure has been determined.  Any students and staff identified as having primary exposure have been notified and appropriate measures as identified by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), Public Health and the Iowa Department of Education have been instituted.”  The district, he says “Continues to utilize all recommended mitigation measures at school to provide a healthy and safe environment for the students and staff.”

General Mitigation Techniques

• Daily home screening of students and staff-stay home if sick
• Best way to prevent illness is to avoid exposure–Face Coverings required for students and staff-Take frequent face covering breaks when 6ft distancing can be accommodated–with accommodations if needed-Cover your mouth and nose with a cloth face covering when around others
• Social Distancing-Signage throughout the building-when possible-Avoid close contact with others-Put distance (6 Feet) between yourself and others
• Limit large groups and capacity in large spaces (Cafeteria, Gym and Auditorium)
• Routine Hand washing and sanitizing-before you touch and after you touch!!
• Avoid touching mouth and nose with hands
• Cover coughs and sneezes
• Enhanced cleaning every night by custodial staff (CDC Guidance)
• Minimize student movement
• Limit outside visitors during the school day

Atlantic Community School District Superintendent Steve Barber, this (Thursday) morning, issued a statement to Staff and Parents of students in the District. The statement said “We were notified last evening that we had positive COVID test results from individuals in the school district.  We are following our Return to Learn plan and Cass County Public Health procedures in regards to quarantine.  Individuals affected by these positive cases have been communicated with, which is our process.”

Barber says “We continue to follow mitigation strategies of social distancing, handwashing, mask usage, disinfecting, and other strategies.  Although we have experienced a low positive case analysis rate, we must continue to follow our plan with fidelity.”

Mr. Barber told KJAN News if there’s any new information with regard to cancellations of games or events due to student/staff exposure, that information will be disseminated through the media and other sources. But as of today, there are no activities impacted by the positive test results.