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.

(Radio Iowa) – The D-O-T is now offering the 90th version of a new license plate. D-O-T license plate administrator, Paul Cornelius, says the “Fly Our Colors” plate features the colors of the Iowa and U-S flags.”The top of the plate is blue and then the middle of the plate is white and the bottom of the plate would be red. And then it kind of has an eagle in the middle that is kind of gray that you can see through the plate,” Cornelius says.

Part of the money from the plate will go into the state’s flood mitigation fund. He says you can get the plate at your county treasurer’s office in a standard number version — or you can personalize the plate. “The 35 dollar initial fee would be for the flood mitigation fund…and then there’s a ten-dollar annual registration fee. That’s also for the flood mitigation fund, and that’s at the time of renewal,” according to Cornelius. “Then the personalized plates — it’s a 60-dollar initial fee — so you have your normal 25-dollar plate fee, then 35 dollars of that 60 goes to the flood mitigation fund.”

Cornelius says there are a couple of ways to order the new red, white and blue plate. You can get a standard number plate by going to the treasurer’s office.  “If you want the personalized plate, then you would order that just like you would the blackout or any other one,” he says. “You can do that online. Or there’s a form that we use, there’s a special plate form that you can also fill out. You can get that from your county treasurer and mail that into the D-O-T.”

Cornelius says the hours vary at the 99 county treasurer offices, so you should check ahead to be sure they are open before you go there.

BEIJING (AP) — Outgoing U.S. Ambassador to China (former Iowa Governor) Terry Branstad says he will help Republicans campaigning in his native Iowa after returning home next month. Branstad also told Hong Kong’s Phoenix Television that he considers the “phase one” trade deal between China and the U.S. as the biggest achievement of his three years in China. The deal reached in January amid the ongoing tariff war between the sides represented a truce but did not address the more fundamental complaints of the American side.

Branstad, says he will campaign for President Donald Trump, Senator Joni Ernst and others purely as a volunteer.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Des Moines police say a man has died after being shot at an apartment complex. Officers were called at 12:36 a.m. Thursday to investigate a shooting at the complex. When they arrived, they found people trying to help a 21-year-old man who had been shot. Fire department medics began treating the man and took him to a hospital, where he died. The death was the 19th homicide this year in Des Moines.

A traffic stop Wednesday afternoon in Creston resulted in the arrest of a man on a drug charge. Creston Police report 34-year old Alejandro Jose Alejo, of Del Rey, CA., was arrested at Highway 34 and W. Taylor St., a little after 3-p.m.  Alejo was charged with Possession of Controlled Substance – Marijuana 1st Offense, and Child Endangerment. He was taken to Union County Jail, posted bond, and was released.