Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, Wednesday (today) announced FDA approval of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine is expected by the end of this week, and regional hospitals that have been approved to carry a stockpile of the supplies have been notified of their role in immunizing persons in the highest risk categories, including Long-Term Care facility patients.  Reynolds says patients at those facilities are expected to receive their vaccinations beginning Dec. 28th. As more vaccines become available, those groups will broaden until anyone who wants to receive the vaccine can get it.

Reynolds announced the state will provide the state’s 432 long-term care facilities with personal protective equipment for 30 days at no cost to those facilities. She also announced the state is providing temporary medical workers for some facilities. Reynolds said more than 80 nurses have already started and she anticipated that a total of 104 nurses would be assigned throughout the state through Dec. 30.

Reynolds noted that in the two weeks following Thanksgiving, COVID-19 hospitalizations and case positivity rates have shown steady downward trends. Reynolds said she will extend her emergency health disaster proclamation with some changes, which was set to expire Thursday night. Reynolds said venues that serve alcohol, such as bars restaurants and casinos, will have last call for service at 10 p.m. Additionally, the governor said that due to decreasing hospitalization rates, that proclamation will ease restrictions on elective procedures for our hospitals from 50, from a 50% reduction to a 25% reduction.

“Organized sports and recreational events including bowling leagues may resume for youth and adults, but spectators are still limited to two per participant. The same two-spectator rule that also applies to high school athletes will be extended to spectators for cheerleaders, band members and others performing at high school sporting events,” she said. Reynolds added  “We will continue to monitor virus activity over the next several days, and we’ll assess whether additional changes may be possible a week from now.”

The extension of the proclamation will last through Dec. 16th.

WATERLOO, Iowa (AP) — Fire officials in northeastern Iowa say one person has died and five others were injured in a townhouse fire in Waterloo. Officials say the fire was reported early Tuesday morning, and firefighters arrived to flames coming from the home and several people trapped in and around the home. The Courier reports that six people — three adults and three children — were taken to a hospital, and one adult later died.

Officials said five of those who were injured were removed from the burning house by firefighters. Officials have not released the names of the victims or the cause of the fire.

Two firefighters suffered minor injuries when they fell through a floor into the basement of a home in Oakland, Tuesday. According to a statement from Fire Chief Brant Miller on the Oakland Fire and Rescue Facebook page, “Oakland, Carson and Hancock fire departments were requested at approximately 9:40 PM [Tuesday] for a residential fire on Gates St. in Oakland. Crews encountered heavy fire at the rear of the residence on arrival. The fire on the exterior of the structure was knocked down and crews Entered the residence to attack the fire on the inside.

“It was during this time that a portion of the floor collapsed, and two firefighters went into the basement. A Mayday was called and rescue For the firefighters was initiated. They were fortunately able to self rescue for the most part and were able to exit the structure. Both were transported to the hospital for evaluation and they suffered only minor injuries.”

The house was a total loss. The cause of the blaze was under investigation.

ALBIA, Iowa (AP) — Police in south-central Iowa are searching for a suspect in what they say was an intentional hit-and-run that left a man seriously injured. Television station KTVO reports that police in Albia are looking for 44-year-old Joshua Burk, of Lovilia, whom police say is suspected of intentionally using his vehicle to run down and hit a 36-year-old man. Albia police say the incident happened around 9:30 p.m. Sunday.

Investigators say a nearby security camera captured the incident on video and showed Burk driving away from the scene. Officials say Burk’s vehicle was later spotted, and Monroe County sheriff’s deputies tried to stop it, but police say that Burk sped away driving faster than 100 mph.

The Greene County Sheriff’s Office Wednesday (Today), reports a narcotics investigation in three counties resulted in the confiscation of methamphetamine, marijuana, heroin, cash and weapons. The search warrants were executed in and around Jefferson, Waterloo, and Van Horne.

The evidence seized included 82 pounds of methamphetamine, 10 pounds of marijuana, 1.5 pounds of heroin, $28,000 in cash, and two guns, according the Greene County Sheriff Jack Williams. No arrests have been made so far, in connection with the raids.

The Tri-County Drug Enforcement Task Force, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement and the Federal Bureau of Investigation continue to investigate a drug distribution case.

(Radio Iowa) – A grill stolen from the Manchester American Legion Post has been recovered. Legion Commander Larry Tibbott says he received a phone call from the Manchester Police Chief on Tuesday telling him the grill had been found in Newton, thirty miles east of Des Moines. “It’s hard to explain the feeling you get — it’s a prized possession that had been lost and then found — it’s just a happy feeling,” Tibbott says.

Manchester American Legion grill

The grill was missing last Thursday morning – and had last been seen behind the Legion in downtown Manchester on Saturday, November 28th. The grill is worth around 12-thousand dollars and is used in the Legion’s steak fry fundraisers that raise money for a variety of projects. Some local Manchester businesses had banded together to come up with a 600 hundred dollar reward for whoever was responsible for returning the grill. They’re be sifting through the details to find out who the reward will go to, but Tibbott says he really needs to thank the community, which has shown the Legion incredible support throughout this situation. He says the community has been amazing in getting the message out as it was shared over and over on social media. Tibbott says it’s a good feeling knowing that the community is supporting them.

The grill will need some minor repairs due to damage — and police are still investigating and trying to determine who took the grill and how it ended up in Newton.

(Radio Iowa) – A Webster County man faces a federal prison sentence on a drug charge. Seventy-two-year-old Thomas Hendrickson of Lehigh has been sentenced to seven years for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Court documents say he was involved in a meth distribution operation most of 2019. In October of last year, Hendrickson was found with nearly a pound of meth during a traffic stop.

This will be Hendrickson’s second stint in federal prison as he previously served 14 years on a federal weapons charge.

(Radio Iowa) – Iowa Senator Joni Ernst says it’s clear there’s a need for additional relief to individuals and businesses struggling financially during the pandemic, but Ernst is not yet signaling which plan that’s emerged she might support. “We’ve heard a lot about the Covid relief package and the discussions that are ongoing,” Ernst says, “and I do continue to hear from Iowans as well on the importance of getting something done.”

The latest twist in negotiations came from the White House yesterday (Tuesday). President Trump’s treasury secretary unveiled a package that would provide a six-hundred dollar direct payment to most Americans, but would not extend unemployment benefits. A bipartisan group of senators has developed a plan that would provide an extra three-hundred dollars a week to unemployed Americans, plus send more federal aid to states, cities and counties. Ernst is part of the G-O-P leadership team in the Senate, but she is not among the bipartisan group of senators working on that package. “Regardless of how we end up getting this done, I do think it is important that we get this done,” Ernst says.

The Senate’s Republican leader has said the senate will not adjourn until a pandemic relief package has been enacted.