More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (6.1MB)
Subscribe: RSS
More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (6.1MB)
Subscribe: RSS
(Radio Iowa) – It’s midsummer and Iowans are taking full advantage of their local, county and state parks, with some facilities reporting much heavier use than usual for July. Brian Lammers, director of the Hamilton County Conservation Department in Webster City, says the pandemic has forced people to rethink how they take vacations and many are turning to the great outdoors. “There’s been a large number of new campers,” Lammers says. “Camping sales have been up across the state and that definitely shows inside of our campgrounds. We’ve seen a lot of new campers come in and people asking for assistance because they’ve never camped before.”
A recreational vehicle dealership in Webster City reports its best-ever sales of R-Vs over the past few months. Lammers says it’s encouraging to see so many people enjoying the fresh air and beautiful landscapes our parks systems provide. “We’re also seeing a large increase in our beach areas, swimming at our local lakes,” Lammers says. “A large number of people are turning out and using our bike trails and picnic areas.”
With the upturn in people using our parks, Lammers says there’s always a bit more work involved. “The only downside of things that we’re really seeing is the amount of trash that’s being produced. That stuff’s been hard to keep up with,” Lammers says. “We’ve had to add extra dumpsters in our campgrounds.”
Campers are urged to police their campgrounds before they depart and if garbage cans or dumpsters aren’t handy, to take the trash with them to throw away at home.
The 7:20-a.m. Sportscast with Ric Hanson.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (4.5MB)
Subscribe: RSS
The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:05-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (6.3MB)
Subscribe: RSS
The Harlan Community School District’s Board of Education late this week, approved the District’s Return-to-learn plan. Parents/guardians have received an email with the plans, which call for on-site learning to resume August 24th. (View the plan HERE) The 22-page return-to-learn plan addresses all seven aspects of the state requirements, including the use of face coverings, which the Board declined to make mandatory except in locations where it is not possible to social distance.
HCSD students will be required to wear face masks when they arrive at school and walk through the crowded hallways. Once in the classroom, if physical social distancing is possible the masks may be removed. The plan also includes social distancing at the elementary level, limiting contact, cleaning high touch points. Water fountains and lockers will be closed off to keep traffic flowing in the hallways.
As with the rest of area schools, officials say their goal is to keep students and staff safe, while at the same time providing the best quality education possible. For those students who choose to attend via remote learning, that option is being offered as well.
The number of positive, confirmed COVID-19 cases has topped 1,000 in Pottawattamie County, Cass County has two new cases, and Shelby County has five new cases reported since Friday. The IDPH reports (as of 10-a.m. today [Saturday]) the number of cases in Pott. County is 1,002, with 739 having recovered. In Cass County, there are now 36 confirmed cases, with 28 recovered.
Iowa Department of Public Health data shows an increase of 667 positive coronavirus cases and 6 deaths in the last 24 hours. As of 10 a.m. Saturday, IDPH reported a total of 41,627 Iowans testing positive for COVID-19, while 29,459 have recovered and 826 have died. At 10 a.m. Friday, IDPH reported 40,960 positive cases and 820 deaths.
IDPH reports 447,261 Iowans have been tested for the virus. One of 7 Iowans have been tested, while 1 of 76 have tested positive. IDPH reported 5,539 Iowans were tested Friday.
Recent data has shown an increase in coronavirus hospitalizations in the state. IDPH data showed an early peak of hospitalizations at 417 on May 6. Those numbers dropped to a late June total of 118 hospitalizations. Data has shown an increase since then. On Saturday, IDPH reported 220 hospitalized patients, down from 230 the previous day. There are 72 patients listed in intensive care, unchanged from the previous day. There are 28 patients on ventilators, up from 27 the previous day. IDPH reported 30 patients admitted in the last 24 hours, up from 28 the previous day.
In RMCC Region 4 (southwest/western IA): three more people are hospitalized with COVID-19 for a total of eight; four remain in an ICU, there were three new hospital admissions, and one person remains on a ventilator.
Long-Term Care (LTC) data show 22 outbreaks (1 more than Friday), 603 staff/patients have tested positive for the virus, 146 have recovered and 447 have died (six more than reported Friday).
Here is the latest data for confirmed cases and the number of persons recovered from COVID-19, in Cass and surrounding counties, plus any change in the numbers (Highlighted number indicate a change from Thursday):
An accident involving a Utility Terrain Vehicle (UTV) in southern Iowa’s Davis County, Friday night, left one person dead and three others injured. The Iowa State Patrol reports a 2013 Polaris Ranger driven by 17-year old Isaac Schmucker, of Bloomfield, was traveling west on Jaguar Trail at around 11:30-p.m., when the vehicle left the road and went out of control. The UTV tipped over, ejecting Schmucker, and his passengers: 19-year old Cora Schmucker; 16-year old Noah Schmucker, and 14-year old Amos Schmucker, all of Bloomfield. None of the occupants wear wearing seat belts.
All were transported to the Davis County Hospital by Davis County EMS.
Class 1A Quarterfinals
Friday, July 24
Kingsley-Pierson 3, Martensdale-St. Marys 2 (8 innings)
Kingsley-Pierson pulled off an upset over No. 1 ranked Martensdale-St. Mary’s in the opening game of the tournament thanks to a two-run comeback in the sixth and a run in the eighth inning. The Blue Devils had five hits in the defeat, which came from the bats of Cole Cassady, Isaac Gavin, Carson Elbert, Kasey Carter and Jack Franey. Martensdale’s season comes to a close at 26-2.
Don Bosco, Gilbertville 3, South Winneshiek, Calmar 1
Saturday, July 25
10:30—St. Albert, Council Bluffs vs. Newman Catholic, Mason City
1:30—St. Mary’s, Remsen vs. Notre Dame, Burlington
The 2-A Quarterfinals begin Monday at Principal Park in Des Moines.
The National Weather Service has issued a HEAT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM NOON TODAY TO 8 PM CDT THIS EVENING for the entire State of Iowa. Expect a heat index of up to 105 degrees.
* IMPACTS…Hot temperatures and high humidity may cause heat illnesses such as heat exhaustion or heat stroke to occur.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…
Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun, and check up on relatives and neighbors. Young children and pets should never be left unattended in vehicles under any circumstances.
Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Jack Flaherty pitched seven solid innings, Paul DeJong hit a two-run homer and the St. Louis Cardinals opened the season by beating the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-4. Tyler O’Neill and Dexter Fowler added solo homers for St. Louis in the first game of an unprecedented 60-game season shortened due to the coronavirus pandemic. Flaherty, who went 7-2 with an 0.91 ERA over his final 15 regular season starts last year, did not give up a run until Jacob Stallings hit two-out, two-run single just under the glove of first baseman Paul Goldschmidt in the seventh.
CLEVELAND (AP) — Shane Bieber dominated Kansas City’s hitters, striking out 14 in six innings as the Cleveland Indians beat the Royals 2-0 in their delayed home opener. Bieber has become Cleveland’s ace in no time. The 25-year-old began last season as the club’s No. 5 stater but appears ready to take over as the staff leader after two-time Cy Young winner Corey Kluber was traded last winter. Oscar Mercado and César Hernández drove in runs for the Indians. Cleveland’s players wore their blue road jerseys to make a statement for minorities as the Indians consider changing their name after 105 years.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Offensive lineman Laurent Duvernay-Tardif of the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs became the first player to opt out of the upcoming NFL season due to the coronavirus pandemic. Duvernay-Tardif chose to put his medical degree to use on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic. He has been working to fulfill his requirements to become a doctor in the offseason and has spent this summer working at a clinic in his native Canada. He said that experience helped him decide that if he was going to take any risks with his health, it would be to help patients dealing with the virus.
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — Austin Hill dominated the longest green-flag run all the way to the checkered flag to win the opening race of the first NASCAR Truck Series doubleheader at Kansas Speedway on Friday night. Brett Moffitt won the opening stage before finishing second, nearly three seconds behind the winner. Grant Enfinger was third, reigning series champ Matt Crafton came across fourth and Derek Kraus finished fifth.
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
RSS