Jim Field visits with Dustin McLaren, father of Steele McLaren, who gives us an update on the progress his son is making after his traumatic brain injury.
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Jim Field visits with Dustin McLaren, father of Steele McLaren, who gives us an update on the progress his son is making after his traumatic brain injury.
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The 7:20-a.m. Sportscast with Jim Field.
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ATLANTIC, Iowa – Dec 8, 2020 – The Iowa DOT’s District 4 Transportation Office in Atlantic reports debris removal from a previous traffic incident will cause Iowa 2 to be closed in both directions today (Tuesday), east of Sidney between Fremont County roads L-68 (330th Avenue) and M-16 (370th Street). The road will be closed from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. During the closure, traffic will be directed around the work zone using U.S. 275, U.S. 34, and U.S. 59.
The Iowa DOT reminds motorists to drive with caution, obey the posted speed limit and other signs in the work area, and be aware that traffic fines for moving violations are at least double in work zones. As in all work zones, drivers should stay alert, allow ample space between vehicles, and wear seat belts.
The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.
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The Atlantic School Board, at Wednesday’s meeting, will, as planned, re-examine district guidelines for the use of Face Masks/shields.Their meeting begins at 6-p.m. in the High School Media Center, and will be recorded for public viewing once the meeting concludes.
As we have mentioned previously, the School board on October 23rd approved the current policy requiring a face cover in those circumstance when it is impossible to social distance. During their meeting late last month, the board decided to extend the deadline until this Thursday, December 10th. According to Wednesday’s agenda, Superintendent Steve Barber will recommend continuing the mask mandate in locations where a positive case can quarantine many students and staff.
In other business, the Atlantic School Board will act on: Fall 2021 Extracurricular Contracts (See the list of coaches recommended, below); A Technology Purchase of a three-year license for the District’s Sonicwall (Firewall), in the amount of $14,984; They’ll also act on approving a high school parking lot engineering contract with Snyder and Associates Engineers, $89,750 (total project cost estimated at $800,000-$850,000). Consent Agenda items include approving contract recommendations for Matt Smith, Interim Head Boys Soccer Coach, and Mark Vavricek, Substitute Special Education Car Driver.
Following regular business, the Board will enter into a closed session for the Superintendent’s Annual Evaluation.
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Here are Atlantic Activities Director Andy Mitchell’s recommendation for the fall of 2021 extra-curricular coaching contracts:
A change to how the state of Iowa reports coronavirus-related deaths increased Iowa’s COVID-19 death toll to 2,898, today (Tuesday). Until Monday, the Iowa Department of Public Health only reported COVID-19 deaths if the person who died had a positive PCR test result. That method left out deaths in which a person had tested positive using an antigen test and cases in which COVID-19 was listed as the cause of death on a death record without a positive test result. The Iowa Department of Public Health said the federal system for cause-of-death did not include COVID-19 as a cause of death when the pandemic first began. Moving forward, the state of Iowa will report all COVID-19 deaths in which a health care provider reports the cause of death or underlying cause of death as coronavirus.
With that information, here is the latest data from the State: Deaths (as mentioned) total 2,898, an increase of 181 from Monday; 2,650 deaths are from underlying causes; 248 are contributing factor deaths. Positive cases increased 1,393, to 246,237. Long-Term Care facility outbreaks have increased from 137 Monday to 141 today. LTC deaths amount to 1,127.
Hospitalizations stand at 900, with 191 COVID patients in an ICU, 111 admitted since 10-a.m. Monday, and 111 patients are on a ventilator. Hospitals in western/southwest Iowa report 57 COVID patients, 20 of whom are in an ICU, eight were recently admitted, and 10 are on a ventilator. Hospitalization analysis shows 645 patients were hospitalized with a primary COVID-19 diagnosis, while 255 were hospitalized for another reason but tested positive for the virus. State data shows 63% of those hospitalized are 60 or older, with 34% of the total hospitalized over the age of 79.
State data shows 1,255,014 Iowans have been tested for coronavirus. Iowa reports a 14-day positivity rate of 16% and a 7-day rate of 12.1%. Iowa reports 67 of the state’s 99 counties have a 14-day positivity rate at 15% or greater. That’s down from 74 the previous day. There are 18 counties with a rate at 20% or higher, down from 25 a day earlier. There are no longer any counties with a rate greater than 30%. Cass County’s positivity rate has fallen to 13.9%.
In the KJAN listening area, here are the current number positive cases; and the total number of deaths in each county (Configured by the new reporting formula):
A collision Monday night in northwest Iowa between a van and a semi, has claimed one life and resulted in injuries to another person. The Iowa State Patrol says the crash in Cherokee County happened at around 8:42-p.m. on Highway 59. A 2006 Dodge Caravan driven by 50-year old Bradley Donald Herwig, of Cherokee, was traveling south on Highway 59 while a 2009 Kenworth tractor-trailer driven by 28-year old Oscar De Los Reyes Barrera, of Palmdale, CA, was traveling north.
The van and the semi collided head-on on the northbound lane, resulting in fatal injuries to Herwig, who was not wearing a seat belt. Barerra was injured and transported by Cherokee Ambulance to the local hospital. The accident remains under investigation.
(Radio Iowa) – The leader of one of Iowa’s largest agricultural groups says some people wrongly blame farmers for the recent report that finds 750 segments of Iowa’s lakes, rivers and streams are impaired by pollution. Mike Paustian, of Walcott, president of the Iowa Pork Producers Association, says it’s everyone’s responsibility to protect the environment.
“People who live in the urban areas want to point at the farmers and say they need to change what they’re doing,” Paustian says, “and the farmers want point at people in the cities and say, ‘No, you need to change what you’re doing,’ but the reality is, we all need to work together and we all need to do our part to try and solve this problem.” The report released last week by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources shows 61-percent of the state’s rivers and streams and 67-percent of lakes and reservoirs are impaired.
Paustian says most of pork producers are proactive in protecting the state’s waters and they have flow meters on their manure application equipment. “They know exactly how many gallons per acre they’re putting on. It’s really gotten fine-tuned,” Paustian says. “As we look to implement additional practices in the field, above and beyond what we’re already doing, we’ll just continue to get better.” Following the release of the D-N-R report, environmental activists started calling for a moratorium on all large agricultural operations. Paustian says that’s unfair.
“It’s a little bit of a disingenuous argument to try to make it about size,” Paustian says. “We have producers of all sizes in Iowa and it really doesn’t matter what size you are, you can still do a good job with your nutrient management or a bad job. It’s up to the individual. Size doesn’t really have much to do with it.” Paustian says many producers are growing cover crops where they’re able to apply manure and keep the beneficial impacts in the soil.
BOYS BASKETBALL
Boyer Valley 68, West Monona 37
Lewis Central 67, Red Oak 33
Panorama 58, Pleasantville 30
Tri-Center 85, West Harrison 51
Woodbine 64, East Mills 40
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Creston 71, Grand View Christian 39
Lewis Central 65, Red Oak 25
Panorama 65, Pleasantville 30
Tri-Center 55, West Harrison 50
West Central Valley 60, Ankeny Christian Academy 19
Woodbine 54, East Mills 44
Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press
NEW YORK (AP) — Longtime St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright has won the Roberto Clemente Award, given annually by Major League Baseball for community involvement and philanthropy. Wainwright’s Big League Impact foundation and recording artist Garth Brooks’ Teammates for Kids Foundation teamed for a Home Plate Project with Texas pitcher Kyle Gibson, and donated about $5.8 million donated to 94 charities. The effort provided more than 4 million meals to prevent childhood hunger during the coronavirus pandemic and nearly 8 million meals in all.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — It’s a good thing that Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce doesn’t spend much time dwelling on gaudy individual statistics. Looking at his own wouldn’t give Kelce much time for anything else. With a game-high eight catches for 136 yards and a touchdown in their 22-16 win over the Denver Broncos on Sunday night the two-time All-Pro eclipsed 1,000 yards for the fifth consecutive season. He became the 26th player in NFL history with a streak that long, and the only tight end. Eight of those players are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
UNDATED (AP) — Gonzaga and Baylor remain atop the AP Top 25 men’s basketball poll after their hotly anticipated game in Indianapolis was called off about 90 minutes before tipoff last week because of positive COVID-19 tests and contact tracing within the Bulldogs program. Gonzaga received 54 of 61 first-place votes from a national media panel while the Bears had the other seven. Iowa remained third after Luka Garza’s monster week powered the Hawkeyes to a pair of easy victories, Michigan State climbed four spots to No. 4 and Kansas jumped two spots to round out the top 5.
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — The National Women’s Soccer League is returning to Kansas City. An expansion franchise has been awarded to an ownership group led by local businesspeople that includes the fiancee of Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The group is led by the husband-and-wife team of Angie and Chris Long. It will assume all player rights, draft picks and other assets from Utah Royals FC as that club winds down operations. Included in the ownership group is Mahomes’ future wife, Brittany Matthews, a former professional soccer player and fitness entrepreneur.
UNDATED (AP) — A top 10 of The Associated Press college football poll with Indiana and Iowa State is something never before seen. The eighth-ranked Hoosiers and No. 10 Cyclones both moved up two spots in the rankings Sunday, heights those programs have not reached in decades. One of the reasons the AP poll is still relevant in a college football landscape where the champion is crowned through a playoff is that nothing else records the history of the sport so well. Neither Indiana nor Iowa State will win the national championship this season, but their special seasons will forever be honored through the AP Top 25.