Montgomery County – As concerns continue to grow and more Iowans are becoming infected, the Montgomery County Auditor’s office is planning for the Primary Election on June 2. Montgomery County Auditor & Commissioner of Elections, Stephanie Burk said “We are confronting COVID-19 head-on with a challenge that requires us to make some changes. Some polling places in Montgomery County will be combined in effort to reduce exposure to our poll workers. Many of our loyal poll workers that have worked for many years fall under the high-risk category and we need to protect them. We will be cutting polling locations from seven to two. By doing this, it will reduce the workers,” Burke explained.

The Auditor’s office will be following guidelines to ensure that voting machines are clean. In addition, the poll workers will be provided with masks, gloves and shields. Voters will each be given a new pen to use. “By doing these practices, we will promote the health and safety of the poll workers needed to run Montgomery County’s elections,” Burke said.  Those voters that usually vote at the Elliott Community Building, Red Oak First Christian Church and the Red Oak Fire Station will be voting at the Red Oak Gold Fair Building. Any voters that vote at the Grant Fire Station and the Villisca Community Room will now be voting at the Stanton Fire Station. Burke said the inconvenience is expected to be minor and emphasized this is a temporary move just for this Primary Election due to COVID-19.

Auditor Burke continues to encourage citizens to vote by mail. The Montgomery County Auditor’s office recently mailed absentee ballot request forms to every registered voter in Montgomery County. “We have had positive feedback and have already received hundreds of requests to be processed,” she said. The Iowa Secretary of State will be following up with an additional absentee request form. They will be mailing a request form to every active registered voter in the state as well. “If you already mailed a request form to the Auditor’s office, you do not need to submit another one. Your request will already be processed.” Burke explained. She also assured that only one ballot will be mailed to the voter. Absentee voting has security measures that are followed. Those request forms sent by the Secretary of State will be mailed to the voter at the end of the month.

“We are going to try to comply with all the recommendations from the Iowa Department of Public Health while providing in-person absentee voting. We want to minimize public health risks to voters and those election and courthouse staff.” Burke said. If the courthouse is closed to the public, curbside voting will be offered in the courthouse parking lot and by appointment only. If the courthouse is open to the public, voters will vote absentee in the courthouse as normal and curbside voting will still be available. In-person voting will begin on May 4.

For more information about the 2020 Primary Election or absentee voting, please call the Auditor’s office at 6235127. You can also follow Montgomery County Auditor & Elections Facebook page and at www.montgomerycountyiowa.com.

DES MOINES, Iowa (The Des Moines Register) — Magazine publisher and multimedia company Meredith Corp. has announced it will temporarily reduce pay for nearly two-thirds of its employees as it copes with plummeting advertising revenue caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The Des Moines Register reports that the pay reductions will begin May 4 and last through Sept. 4. The company said about 45% of its employees will see a 15% pay cut. The highest-paid employees will have pay reduced between 20% and 40%.

Company spokesman Art Slusark says no corporate or national media group employees earning less than $75,000 a year will have their pay cut. That includes employees in Des Moines, where Meredith is based.

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds today (Tuesday), held her daily COVID-19 press conference. Over the past 24-hours, she said there were:

• 482 NEW, positive COVID-19 cases, for a total of 3,641. 33% of the positive cases are related to the surveillance testing conducted at meat processing facilities. The IDPH has not yet released the age and location of the people who most-recently tested positive for COVID-19.
• Two new counties, though (Cherokee & Humboldt), were added to the list of counties with New cases of COVID-19, for a total of 84 counties.
• 1,313 new negative cases, 23, 974 total negative cases.
• There are 214 currently hospitalized coronavirus patients. The IDHP says 1,293 patients have recovered. The recovered patients account for 35% of all positive tests thus far.
• 27,615 total people have tested (or 1 out of every 113 per capita)
• 1,293 confirmed cases of Iowans who have recovered (for a recovery rate of 35%)
• The State Hygienic Lab has 7,273 tests available.
• Four additional deaths related to Long Term Care Facilities were also reported, for a total of 83. According to IDPH the additional 4 deaths were reported in the following counties.
  • Linn County, 1 elderly adult (81+)
  • Polk County, 1 older adult (61-80 years), 2 elderly adults (81+)

Ten percent of all the positive cases in Iowa are still related to long-term care facility outbreaks. 51% of all deaths in Iowa are among residents of those facilities. These cases represent the newest diagnosed cases and not all of the cases statewide. Across the State’s six Regional Medical Coordination Centers, there are: 214 COVID-19 patients hospitalized; 23 were admitted in the last 24-hours; 89 COVID-19 patients are being treated in an ICU; 60 are on ventilators. There are 4,200 in-patient beds available, 553 ICU beds and 696 venilators available for patient care.

Reynolds also officially announced the launching of “Test Iowa,” a program she alluded to last week.

(It’s a public-private partnership that makes available 540,000 COVID tests, to increase the State’s testing capacity up to 3,000 additional tests per day, in addition to what is currently taking place. It’s also designed to help gather critical information from Iowans that will help health officials better target and fight the virus.)

Iowa is only the second State in the nation to deploy the ambitious initiative.

(It includes an online health assessment to determine if a person SHOULD be tested, and drive-thru testing locations for swabbing. The swabs are sent to a lab with the results returned within 48-to 72-hours.)

The process, Reynolds said, “Is as easy as three simple steps.”

She said the State is also working to connect individuals who test positive to health care providers through a tele-health visit. In the meantime, a hotline has been established for questions about COVID-19 in Iowa. It is available 24/7 by calling 2-1-1 or 1-800-244-7431.

The Cass County Sheriff’s Office reports two recent accidents. At around 3:27-a.m. Monday (April 20), a single-vehicle rollover accident took place off Interstate 80 near mile marker 62. Officials say a 2004 Chevy Express van driven by 20-year old Tearra Marie Guevara, of Lincoln, NE, was westbound on I-80 when the woman lost control of the vehicle, which then flipped then onto its passenger side. There were no injuries were reported. Damage to the van was estimated at $4,500.

And, on April 15th, Cass County Deputies responded to a report of a motor-vehicle accident on 610th Street. A 2007 Jeep Commander driven by 25-year old Kyle Lynn Wilson, of Atlantic, was northbound on 610th Street when the vehicle left the roadway and entered the west ditch. It rolled over and eventually caught fire. Wilson and his passenger, 40-year-old Laurie Kay Parrott, suffered minor injuries, and were transported by Medivac Ambulance to the Cass County Memorial Hospital. The vehicle was estimated to be a total loss. The incident remains under investigation.

The Harlan Police Department has released a report on arrests and citations from April 9th through the 19th.

• On Sunday (4/19), 51-year old John Anthony Wyatt, of Harlan, was cited for Driving While Suspended.
• On April 17th, 59-year old Patrick Alan Cooper, of Irwin, was cited for Driving While Suspended.
• April 16th, 25-year old Kylie Sierra Kleffman, of Harlan, was cited for Driving While Suspended following an investigation into a property damage accident at 12th and Durant Streets.
• On April 14th, Harlan Police cited Austin Lee Thomas Dusenberry, for Driving While Suspended & Carrying Weapons.
• April 12th, 36-year old Brett Edward Lee Howard, of Harlan, was arrested for Sexual Abuse in the 3rd Degree.
• And, on April 9th, 24-year old Austin Michael Parker, of Harlan, was cited for Driving While Barred, Improper rear lamp, no proof of insurance, and improper registration plate lamp.

The Adair County Board of Supervisors will hold an electronically conducted meeting 9-a.m., Wednesday.  On their agenda is a response to Wind Turbine complaints, and appointments for Grand River Township Trustees. The Board will hear from Midwest Partnership Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Sarah Gomez, with regard to potential grant opportunities for County businesses.

The Board will then hold a Public Hearing on the authorizing of a Loan Agreement and the Issuance of General Obligation Capital Loan Notes “Not to Exceed $4.5-million,” and a Resolution to take additional action. They’ll also hold a Public Hearing on the issuance of G.O. Urban Renewal Bonds, followed by a Resolution to take additional action.

Toward the end of their meeting, the Adair County Supervisors will receive updates on, and discuss COVID-19, along with COVID-19 Sick Leave. The meeting can be accessed by calling 605-313-6157, and using Access Code 526272#.

The Griswold School Board met Monday evening and spent some time talking about Prom and Graduation. Superintendent Dave Henrichs told KJAN News the Board Directed MS/HS Principal Katie Elwood to work with the Junior Class and those parents to find a date and time to reschedule Prom for June. If circumstances continue to prohibit the event from being held in June, Henrichs says it will be cancelled for this year. As for graduation, there are a couple of different options being explored. The first is a “Virtual graduation,” whereby different sections could be videotaped individually, have “Pomp and Circumstances” playing on the video and schedule times for each Senior to pick-up their diploma, which would also be on the video for the graduate and their family. The final product would also be distributed on social media, including YouTube and Facebook.

The virtual graduation would take place on the original, May 17^th Graduation date. The other option…like Prom….is to wait and see what happens with the COVID-19 restrictions and if they will be allowed do, hold a real – live- graduation in June. Henrichs said they’ll do the best they can to make the event memorable. In other business, the Griswold School Board approved resignations and contracts. Henrichs said Jeri Orstad was hired as a full-time school nurse for the 2020-21 School Year. Orstad is the school nurse, but was on a one-year leave of absence. Brooke Palmer was hired as Dance Instructor. Alex Wulfekuhle resigned as Elementary Teacher. Teresa Engler resigned as MS/HS Paraeducator/Head Cross Country Coach and Assistant5 HS Girl’s Track Coach.

Both resignations are effective a the end of the current school year. The Griswold School Board also approved Master Contracts for a School-Based Interventionist, Technology Coordinator, and Non-Certified Staff, and contract renewals for other individuals. The Board has previously agreed to a 2.5% total package increase for those persons.

The Atlantic City Council will hold a special electronic meeting 5:30-p.m Wednesday (April 22nd). The session will be conducted via ZOOM (at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86252926528?pwd=RFo1aVNQQlN0ZDJlbEk1SUR1QXJtdz09), and will begin with a Public Hearing on a proposal to “Enter into a General Obligation Refunding Loan Agreement and to borrow money thereunder in a principal amount not to exceed $200,000.”

The Hearing will be followed by action on passing a Resolution “Taking additional action on Proposal to Enter into a General Obligation Refunding Loan Agreement, Combining Loan Agreements, Providing for the Issuance of $3,685,000 General Obligation Refunding Bonds, Series 2020, and Providing for the Levy of Taxes to Pay the same.”

Over the course of next eight-years, the move (if approved) is expected to save the City almost $93,194 in interest.