(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds says there is “no cause for panic” about the rise in Covid cases in Iowa, especially among children and teenagers, and no need to change the state law which prevents mask mandates in schools. “The virus — it’s here to stay,” Reynolds said late this morning, “which means we have to find a way to live with it in a responsible, balanced and sustainable way.”

During a news conference in her statehouse office, Reynolds said “it’s obvious” vaccines are the best tool to counter Covid-19 and that’s why she got a Covid shot this spring, but she said some Iowans may have “really justified reasons” for not getting vaccinated. “I believe the government’s role in a public health crisis is to provide the public reliable information so that they can make their own informed decisions, “Reynolds said. “I also believe this approach is more effective than mandates that attempt to dictate other people’s behavior.”

The governor told reporters Iowa’s Covid vaccination rate is rising — by about “a tenth” of a percent per day — and Reynolds said she’s leaving it up to Iowans to decide how to manage the virus under the normal course of their daily lives. “Over 18 months, Iowans have come to understand that this is a long game,” Reynolds said. “We know that virus activity can and does fluctuate. We have shown we can respond and adapt without abandoning the reasonable and balanced approach that has proven effective.”

Gov. Kim Reynolds (RI Photo)

Twenty-two percent of Covid cases confirmed by testing in the past week were among Iowans under the age of 18. Another 20% were among Iowans between the ages of 18 and 29. According to Reynolds, 99% of new cases in the state are linked to the more contagious Delta variant of Covid. Reynolds said resources in some Iowa hospitals are being stretched by Covid cases as well as other kind of health emergencies and workforce issues.

“In November of last year when Covid was surging, hospitalizations rose to an all time high of 1527. We don’t want to relive that experience and thankfully it’s unlikely that we will,” Reynolds said. “The situation is different now, most notably because we have a vaccine.” The governor cited federal data indicating 66.4% of Iowans above the age of 12 have had at least one dose of a Covid vaccine. The Iowa Department of Public Health’s website shows 49.2% of Iowa residents are fully vaccinated.

(Radio Iowa) – A central Iowa man arrested for his alleged involvement in the January 6th break-in at the U-S Capitol is going back to jail for violating the terms of his release. Forty-two-year-old Doug Jensen of Des Moines was caught using a cellphone to get online and watch videos after a judge had released him to home confinement in July with the provision he was not to get online.

Douglas Jensen (Polk County Jail photo)

The judge says it’s unlikely Jensen will follow the terms of his release, and ordered him to return to jail while awaiting his trial. He faces seven charges — including obstruction of a law enforcement officer during a civil disorder

(Radio Iowa) – Governor Kim Reynolds has issued a written statement of support, but is apparently not adding her name to the list of G-O-P lawmakers who’re asking the Iowa Supreme Court to overturn a 2018 ruling on abortion. The court’s 2018 ruling said women have a fundamental right to an abortion under Iowa’s constitution. The Associated Press reports two groups representing 60 Republican members of the Iowa legislature have filed a legal brief this week. It asks the court to toss out what the document describes as an erroneous ruling.

In a written statement, Governor Reynolds says it was one of the most liberal abortion decisions in the country and should be overturned. The make-up of the court has changed since it ruled three years ago that a 24-hour waiting period before an abortion was unconstitutional. Governor Reynolds has appointed four of the seven justices now serving on the Iowa Supreme Court.

Senate Democratic Leader Zach Wahls says it’s time for Iowans to make their voices heard in opposition to extreme abortion laws, like the one that just went into effect in Texas that bans abortions after the sixth week of a pregnancy. The Texas law gives citizens the right to sue anyone they think is violating the law.

The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office today (Thursday) released a report on arrests spanning from August 18th through Sept. 1st.  In an update to our initial report on August 23rd: 32-year-old Korey Dean Augustine, of Council Bluffs, was arrested early that day, following a multi-county pursuit for failure to stop for a traffic violation.  Augustine was eventually apprehended and brought back to the Shelby County Jail without incident, where he was charged with eluding, reckless driving, driving under suspension, and interference with official acts.   He was held pending initial appearance then held under a $5,000 cash bond.

In other news….

• 35-year-old Hanna Rae Schoemann was taken into custody Sept. 1st, following an execution of a search warrant at her residence in Harlan.  Upon further investigation, Schoemann was charged with child endangerment, prohibited acts, 3 counts of possession of controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.    Schoemann was transferred to the jail where she was held under $7300 cash or surety bond, and released the follow morning and given a future court date for after posting the required bond.
• On Aug. 31st, 46-year-old Michael Joseph Stessman, of Defiance, was taken into custody on a failure to appear bench warrant, and furthermore apprehended and charged with eluding, careless driving, speed, and failure to obey stop sign and driving while license revoked.    Stessman is currently held in the Shelby County Jail under two separate $5000 cash only bonds.
• Shelby County Deputies on Aug. 29th, arrested 46-year-old Amy Jo Jensen, of Harlan, following a traffic stop along Highway 59 in Shelby County.  Upon further investigation, Jensen was charged with Operating while intoxicated 2nd offense, possession of controlled substance, prohibited acts, possession of drug paraphernalia, and cited for lane violation and littering.    Jensen was transferred to jail without incident and released the following morning after posting the required bond.
• On the 28th, Deputies arrested Todd Alan Salmons, of Avoca, for driving while license revoked or denied following a traffic stop on his motorcycle on Highway 59.   Salmons was taken into custody and charged with failure to have interlock device on vehicle.  He was released later that evening after posting the required bond.
• The the 27th, Shelby County Deputies arrested 19-year-old Chance Deshon Marley Manley, for a failure to appear warrant issued out of Shelby County District Court for probation revocation hearing.   Manley is being held on $2000 cash only bond.
• 51-year-old David Dean Anderson, of Council Bluffs, was taken into custody following a traffic stop along Durant Street in Harlan on Aug. 26th.  Deputies charged Anderson with driving while barred and he was taken into custody without incident and transported to jail and released the following morning on his own recognizance.
• On Aug. 20th, 35-year-old Hanna Rae Schoemann, of Harlan, was arrested on a failure to appear district court warrant for failure to show for debtor’s exam court case involving the defendant Schoeman and Myrtue Medical Center.   The defendant was brought to jail without incident and released a short time later after posting the required $300 cash bond.; And, 40-year-old Ronald James Traynham, of Omaha NE, was arrested at a residence in Shelby County following a district court warrant being issued for failure to appear for pre-trail conference in a child endangerment case in Shelby County.  Traynham was being held under a $2,000 cash only bond and awaiting future court date.
• And finally, on Aug. 18th, Shelby County Deputies arrested 26-year-old Jack Ryan Benisvy, of Wall Lake, after a traffic stop for speeding in Shelby.   Benisvy was taken into custody after investigation and charged with possession of controlled substance 1st offense, possession of drug paraphernalia, prohibited acts, and speeding. He was transferred to jail without incident and released the following morning under his own recognizance.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Department of Public Health is shifting from weekly to Monday, Wednesday and Friday updates of Covid related information on hospitalizations, testing data and deaths of Iowans from Covid. Kelly Garcia is the agency’s acting director.

Garcia calls it a refresh. The dashboard highlights how many hospital patients with Covid have not been vaccinated. Today’s number — 90 percent of all Iowa hospital patients with the virus have not gotten a Covid shot. In July, the department had shifted to reporting this kind of information once a week.

The information about Covid-related hospitalizations that will be posted tomorrow (Friday) and three times a week thereafter will be raw data. It will be confirmed by public health department staff and a weekly report will be posted in a different spot on the state website. As of last night, 524 patients in Iowa hospitals had Covid. The latest information on Covid cases statewide shows that in the past week, 22 percent of the Iowans who got a positive result from a Covid test were under the age of 18.