(Radio Iowa) – Iowans are warned to be careful when scanning Q-R codes with their phones. Those squares with the jumbled black-and-white dots and lines that resemble a game of Tetris can be helpful in getting to menus, websites and coupons, but they can also mean trouble. Consumer protection expert Michael Domke says always check where that link is going before you click “okay” on your phone.

Domke says, “It’s important to make sure when you are scanning those codes that it’s taking you to the location that you wanted to go to, or appears to at least.” Scanning malicious codes could open up your phone to malware, hackers or other problems. If you end up with malware on your phone, Domke says you could have to factory reset your device, in the worst case.

“The loss that you’re going to suffer through maybe one of those previous state restarts is going to be far less than letting the malware run rampant and having somebody steal all your information,” he says. If you’re unsure about a code, use your phone’s Q-R software to scan it or use an anti-malware program. Domke says to treat Q-R codes like any link you might get in an email — if you don’t trust it, don’t scan it.

(Radio Iowa) – The State Board of Education discussed the shortage of teachers this (Wednesday) morning during its meeting in Des Moines. Some districts have had to cancel classes due to a lack of teachers or substitutes, and some are looking at extending the Thanksgiving break due to shortages. Department of Education director Ann Lebo mentioned the issue while updating the board on her webinar with school superintendents. “I think most people would not be surprised that the primary topic this month was on staff shortages, and some of the conversations around what some of the solutions might be available there,” Lebo says.

She says the Ed Department is gathering information on the issue. “What is the experience of shortages, and what are some potential solutions. That is being led a lot by a teacher shortage task force group,” she says. The task force group is expected to report to the Board of Ed in December. Board member Mike May of Spirit Lake says it is an issue that has to be addressed as soon as possible. “We’re at critical mass now — we’re not talking about just a small problem — we are talking about a critical problem. And my question for you, what are we doing about it? How can we contribute to solving that issue?,” May asked. “When we are closing schools now in Iowa because we don’t have enough teachers — we know that some of that is COVID-related — but it is also because of the huge drop in the number of kids who are actually choosing education as a major.”

Lebo says they have to develop solutions on two fronts. “There’s kind of two pieces of it too — it’s the recruitment and retention. So when we talk about some of the recommendations that might come from the teacher shortage workgroup we are focused more on maybe the recruitment and pathways,” according to Lebo. “But then it’s the retention aspect as well and what sort of big ideas do we have that might change the narrative a little bit in terms of the profession, what that looks like and what the deeds are. So, we look forward to continuing to engage in that conversation.”

Lebo says the teacher shortage is also part of the larger labor shortage in the state of Iowa and how to prepare students to fill the shortages.

(Radio Iowa) – The number of Covid patients in Iowa hospitals has increased for the second straight week. The Iowa Department of Public Health’s weekly report shows the Covid patient count in Iowa hospitals is 544. More than a fifth of those patients are in intensive care. In the past 24 hours, 99 Covid-positive patients were admitted to an Iowa hospital. A year ago, Iowa hospitals were dealing with more than 15-hundred Covid patients — the peak during the pandemic.

On November 16th of last year, the governor delivered a rare statewide address, ordering restaurants to close at 10 p.m., limiting the size of crowds and urging Iowans to take precautions to stop the spread of the virus. By November of last year, officials had confirmed more than two-thousand Iowans had died of Covid. Today, the death toll is more than three and a half times higher. By the middle of this week, state officials had confirmed 72-hundred-68 Iowans have died of Covid.

The total number of confirmed Covid cases is on the rise in Iowa, with more than nine-thousand Iowans testing positive this past week. Children under the age of 18 account for more than 20 percent of the week’s positive Covid test results.

ATLANTIC, IA (November 17, 2021) – With Thanksgiving just a week away, Harvest Market 2021 is releasing a full vendor lineup. This year the lineup includes Pomodoro, a homemade fresh Italian food truck that offers homemade pasta, sauces, sandwiches, salads and desserts. Harvest Market is being held at the Cass County Community Center (805 W. 10th St. Atlantic, IA 50022)
on Monday, November 22 from 3-7 pm. The market is held the Monday before Thanksgiving so customers can pick-up local food, decorations, and gifts to enjoy at holiday celebrations. Harvest Market 2021 offers premium local produce, meats, baked goods, desserts including pies, cheesecakes, and cupcakes, and other local foods such as granola, eggs, honey, jams, jellies, and syrups.

The market also offers locally-made craft products including seasonal candles, goat milk soaps, holiday and home decorations, and products that make great gifts, such as doll clothes, children’s books, beauty products, tumblers, and more. Pomodoro Fresh Italian Food and A-Town SmokeShack will be offering prepared food, so hungry shoppers don’t have to make plans for dinner. Harvest Market 2021 offers both in-person shopping and pre-ordering (with an option to drive-through pickup). Pre-ordering is recommended for customers who want to plan on a particular food item at their Thanksgiving celebration, and customers who are exhibiting signs of illness or social distancing to slow the spread of COVID-19. Some vendors, such as Miss NiNi’s Fine Desserts and Claire’s Cinnamon Rolls, are only offering pre-ordered products this year.

Harvest Market Vendor Lineup:
(Visit www.ProduceInTheParkAtlanticIowa.com to pre-order and for the latest information on the vendor lineup.)
Vendors offering pre-ordering ONLY (These vendors offer no in-person shopping):
• Miss NiNi’s Fine Desserts – handmade pies and cheesecakes
• Claire’s Cinnamon Rolls – Frosted cinnamon rolls, caramel pecan rolls
• Harrisdale Farmstead – Produce: Pie pumpkins, butternut squash, garlic
Vendors offering pre-ordering and in-person shopping:
• A-Town SmokeShack – BBQ sandwiches and sides
• Kringle Man – Danish kringle, cream horns, Danish letters, Danish pastries
• Bridgewater Farm (certified organic) – Eggs, Meat, Produce: Squash (acorn, butternut,
spaghetti), Potatoes, sweet potatoes, beets, spinach, greens, garlic, carrots, kohlrabi
• Brun Ko Farm – Pasture-raised meats, pies, granola, and more
• Smudge – Bath and body products, soaps, and candles
• Erickson Foods – Produce: carrots, potatoes, squash (acorn, butternut); syrups, fruit butters,
and jellies
• Ter-Bear Honey – Honey
• TJ’s Kitchen – Wine bread pastries
• The Pet Bistro – Dog and cat food and treats; cat toys and beds
• Sweet Sisters Vegan – Vegan health and beauty products
• Kingwood Farm – Goat milk Soap, detergent, bath shreds, lotion. Pasture-raised pork, eggs,
beef.
• Johnna Joy Designs – Jewelry & more
• Noble Provisions – Beef
Vendors ONLY offering in-person shopping
• Pomodoro Fresh Italian Food Truck -Homemade pasta, sauces, sandwiches, salads and dessert
• Hilltop Creations – Produce: onions, squash (butternut and buttercup); popcorn, crafts, and
plants
• Eblen Embellishments – Decorated kitchen towels, pillows, other soft house goods
• Hygge Cottage – Children’s books and bird/squirrel feeders
• The Chalking Teacher – Holiday decorations including wood, glass, and metal chalked surfaces
• DeLaine’s Designs – Doll clothes
• DezaRae Farm Soaps – Goat milk lotions and soaps
• Sue’s Country Garden – Jams, breads, crisps and cakes, tie blankets for small dogs and cats,
potholder/towel combos, and more
• JD Crafters – A variety of items made using a laser and CNC router and a lathe, including
Christmas ornaments and table ornaments, signage, cutting boards, coasters, trays like serving
trays and catch all trays, and many other items.
• Slightly Sassy Orchid Designs – Tumblers and signs
• Connie’s Creations
• Frosting Inc. – Cupcakes, pies, baked goods, hot cocoa bombs
• Lefty Lucy Soapworks – Handcrafted all natural soaps, lotion bars, shower steamers, and lip
balms

To slow the spread of COVID-19 at Harvest Market, Produce in the Park will be supplying masks to all customers entering the market, and may cap the number of customers shopping in-person. Produce in the Park thanks customers for masking at indoor markets.

For the latest information on Harvest Market, follow Produce in the Park on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ProduceInThePark) or Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/produceintheparkatlanticia/) visit the Produce in the Park website where you can sign up for the Produce in the Park newsletter at www.produceintheparkatlanticiowa.com. Harvest Market is sponsored by the Atlantic Community Promotion Commission, First Whitney Bank and Trust, Camblin Mechanical, Cass County Tourism, Cass County Farm Bureau, the Atlantic Area Chamber
of Commerce, and Lindeman Tractor.