The Griswold School Board is set to meet 5:30 this evening in the Elementary School Library. On their agenda is discussion on: Estimated Facility Savings; The first reading of Board Policies, series 400 and 401, IASB Policy updates and an Annual Review of Board Policies in series 505 and 711.

Discussion and Action items on their agenda include (but not limited to) the following:

• Approval of Auditorium Sound System & MS/HS Intercom System repairs.
• The appointment of a Business Manager/Treasurer and Board Secretary, as well as District Attorney.
• Approval of bids for: Bakery; Trash removal; Dairy, and Snow removal.
• A review of the District’s Affirmative Action Plan & appointment of Affirmative Action Coordinator.
• Approval of a Foreign Language Waiver
• Approval of a Resolution: Appointing the Paying Agent, Bond Registrar and Transfer Agent, action on approving paying those person(s)/entities, and, authorizing the execution of an agreement.
• Approval of a Tax Exemption Certificate and,
• a Resolution Authorizing the: Terms of Issuance and Providing For and Securing [of] the Payment of School Infrastructure Sales, Service, and Use Tax Revenue Refunding Bonds.

The latest Iowa COVID-19 dashboard update shows Guthrie County currently has 103 positive cases of the virus (as of 10-a.m., 7/20), and Cass County has one more confirmed case. On Sunday, Guthrie County had 98 positive cases with 62 recovered, but Iowa health officials said a “significant number” of coronavirus tests had not been reported over the weekend due to a backlog in the department’s electronic reporting system. The Iowa Department of Public Health said its COVID-19 website will continue to update, and noted daily case counts from last week will be adjusted as it processes the backlog. In Cass County, the number of positive cases, which was at 30 last week, but then dropped to 29 over the weekend, was back up to 30, as of today (Monday), with one more recovered, for a total of 26.

Audubon County reported one new case, for a total of 21. The number of cases in Pottawattamie County continue to slowly climb, from 916 Sunday to 919 today. In Pott. County, the number of those recovered was unchanged this morning, at 696. Montgomery County reported one new COVID-19 recovery, for a total of 14. There was no recovery data available for Adams and Audubon Counties, and no change in the number of positive cases in Adair and Adams Counties.

Statewide, Iowa health officials report 343 new positive coronavirus cases, for a total of 38,907, and one additional death, for a total of 793.  A total of 419,267 individuals have been tested for COVID-19, to date. Of those, 379, 105 have tested negative for the virus, and 27,950 have recovered.

Iowa’s coronavirus hospitalization numbers have been on the rise since the beginning of July. IDPH report 221 patients hospitalized as of today (Monday), compared to 214 Sunday. There are 76 patients listed in intensive care, 21 patients were admitted to a hospital and 30 are on a ventilator. Region 4 data shows eight people are hospitalized for COVID-19 in western/southwestern Iowa, four are in an ICU, one was admitted to a hospital since Saturday, and one person remains on a ventilator.

There are currently coronavirus outbreaks in 16 of Iowa’s long-term care facilities. IDPH reported 421 positive cases and 92 recoveries within those facilities. There have been 421 deaths in Iowa’s care facilities.

(Radio Iowa) – Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is the latest Republican to speak at an annual gathering of Iowa religious conservatives that presidential candidates like Ted Cruz and Donald Trump have addressed in the past. Pompeo’s remarks to the summit sponsored by The Family Leader emphasized religious liberty concerns. “Right now, four out of five people around the world don’t enjoy full religious freedom,” he said, “and we’re fighting tooth and nail to change that.”

Sec. of State Mike Pompeo

Pompeo specifically criticized the Chinese Communist Party’s actions in Hong Kong and threats against Taiwan. “We’ve called out China’s war on faith, its mass detention of Uighurs,” Pompeo said. “Its godless decisions to replace church displays of the Ten Commandments with word from General Secretary Xi have not gone without being called out.”

Pompeo, a former Kansas congressman, told the crowd the Trump Administration also been focused on a critical mission to bring fairness into U.S. trade relationship with China.According to The Family Leader, Pompeo addressed a crowd of about 650 late Friday afternoon in West Des Moines. Pompeo also met privately Friday afternoon with members of the Iowa Farm Bureau and the Iowa Soybean Association.

Police in Red Oak report the arrest at around 3:10-a.m. today (Monday), of 20-year old Tyler Blaine Baucom. The Red Oak man was arrested at the intersection of Highway 34 and 48th Street, for Harassment in the 1st Degree. Baucom was previously arrested Sunday morning on charges of assault and interference with official acts. Following his latest arrest, he was being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $2,000 bond. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office assisted Red Oak Police in the investigation and arrest of Baucom.

At around 10:20-p.m., Sunday, Red Oak Police arrested 47-year old Rondy Ruby Porter, of Red Oak, following a traffic stop. Porter was taken into custody for driving with a Revoked License. Her bond was set at $1,000.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press at 3:35 a.m. CDT

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa health officials said Sunday that a “significant number” of coronavirus tests were not reported over the weekend due to a backlog in the department’s electronic reporting system. The Iowa Department of Public Health said its COVID-19 website will continue to update, and noted in a news release that reported daily case counts from last week will be adjusted as it processes the backlog. KCCI-TV reported that as of 10 a.m. Sunday, the Iowa website had confirmed 661 additional COVID-19 cases, bringing to 38,564 the number of positive cases since the outbreak began. Seven additional COVID-19 deaths brought the state’s death toll to 792.

UNDATED (AP) — A legislative panel has approved a plan by Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate to send absentee ballot request forms to all registered voters as he did before the June primary to help voters concerned about going to polls in person amid a coronavirus pandemic. In a proposed emergency election directive, Pate sought Friday to use federal funds to mail absentee ballot requests to active registered voters for the Nov. 3 election. Pate says a public health disaster persists. He says he’s consulted with all 99 county auditors and some say they cannot send absentee ballot request forms to voters.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s unemployment rate dropped to 8% in June as the state’s economy continued to recover after being hit hard by efforts to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Iowa Workforce Development reported Friday that the 8% unemployment rate was down from 10.2% in May. The number of unemployed residents dropped from 173,000 in May to 131,200 in June. Iowa’s unemployment rate remains far higher than before the coronavirus pandemic, as the jobless rate was 2.7% in June 2019. The national unemployment rate in June was 11.1%.

The State Fire Marshal was called-in to determine what caused a second fire at the Super Eight Motel on Antique City Drive near Walnut, Sunday. The blaze – the second in less than 36-hours – was reported at around 10-p.m. Ladder trucks from Atlantic and Harlan were among more than a half-dozen called to assist the Walnut Fire Department. Walnut Fire Chief Justen Tooley explains what the found at the scene, upon arrival.

Tooley said the building was not occupied, as there was no power since Saturday’s fire. The second floor of the south side of the hotel sustained substantial fire and water damage, but a dollar amount and complete assessment was not immediately available. There were no injuries reported.

Chief Tooley said in all, 78 Firefighters and several pieces of equipment from Walnut, Avoca, Shelby, Hancock, Marne, Atlantic, Harlan, Minden, and Elk Horn were on the scene, as well as Medivac Ambulance and the Pottawattamie County Emergency Management Agency. Tooley said Walnut Fire was on the scene until about 4-a.m. Monday (today).

Atlantic Fire and Rescue were called to a house fire at around 8:30-p.m. Sunday at 411 Birch Street. Atlantic Fire Chief Tom Cappel explained what they found upon arrival.

The home’s occupant was not inside when the fire was reported, and there were no injuries. Cappel said the home was considered a total loss. The fire was on the south side of the structure when the first crews began their initial attack.

Ric Hanson/photo

The blaze remains under investigation. Atlantic Police, Cass County Sheriff’s Deputies, Cass County EMS and Cass County Emergency Management Coordinator Mike Kennon were on the scene in addition to Atlantic Fire.