Anita Rescue, Cass EMS and other agencies responded to a semi tractor-trailer rollover accident Saturday afternoon on Interstate 80 eastbound, between mile markers 72 and 73. The driver reportedly suffered a head injury and was trapped in the cab for nearly an hour, while crews worked to free him. The accident happened at around 2:22-p.m.

A medical helicopter responded to the scene late Saturday afternoon. Additional details were not immediately available.

The Iowa Department of Public Health today (As of 6:30-a.m.) reports 1,369 new positive COVID-19 cases since 10-a.m. Friday. The IDPH said Friday there had been 33 additional deaths since 10-a.m. Thursday, for a total to-date, of 4,478. Long-Term Care facility deaths are up to 1,857.  In southwest Iowa, one additional death was reported Friday in each of Madison, Mills and Pottawattamie Counties. COVID-19 deaths attributed to Underlying causes amount to 4,076, while COVID was a contributing factor to 402 of the total deaths.

The number of Iowans hospitalized with COVID-19 declined from 450 on Friday to 419 today. The number admitted in the last 24 hours dropped from 66 to 64. There are 76 patients in ICU and 38 patients on ventilators. In RMCC Region 4 (Western/southwest Iowa hospitals): 29 are hospitalized w/Covid; 8 are in an ICU; 2 were admitted Friday, and 3 are on a ventilator. The number of long-term care facilities reporting COVID-19 outbreaks is up a bit, from 69 Friday to 71, today. The state reports 1,901 positive cases and 1,028 recoveries among residents and staff within those facilities.

The health department reports 311,965 total Positive cases, and 273,189 total recoveries since the pandemic began. Positivity rates continue to decline in Iowa. The 14-day Positivity rate declined from 11.1% Friday to 11% today. The 7-day positivity rate is up slightly, from 8.3% to 8.4%. There have been 1,444, 460 Iowans tested for COVID-19, with 3,489,247 tests administered in the state.

Gov. Kim Reynolds said Thursday that Iowa’s vaccination data would be available on the health department website starting next week.

In the KJAN listening area, here are the current number positive cases by County; The # of new cases since yesterday {+} – if any; and the total number of deaths in each county to date:

• Cass, 1,147 cases; {+0}; 43 deaths
• Adair, 696; {+3}; 20
• Adams, 298; {+0}; 3
• Audubon, 422; {+5}; 8
• Guthrie, 1,041 {+5}; 24
• Harrison County, 1,581; {+7}; 62
• Madison County, 1,232; {+5}; 10
• Mills County, 1,384; {+3}; 17
• Montgomery, 882; {+8}; 24
• Pottawattamie County, 9,127; {+34}; 115
• Shelby County, 1050; {+9}; 27
• Union County,  1,107; {+5}; 23

(Radio Iowa) – The top Democrat in the Iowa House is calling for a G-O-P lawmaker to be removed from his committee assignments. The top House Republican says it’s an attempt to stifle free speech. House Democratic Leader Todd Prichard says Republican Representative Dean Fisher of Montour has failed to publicly apologize for comments on Facebook about the election that Prichard describes as false and misleading. Prichard first raised the issue during a speech on the opening day of the 2021 legislature.  “It is up to us, the newly sworn leaders, to protect our country from the fate of further division,” Prichard said.

Fisher wrote on Facebook that there had been quote — “outright cheating” — unquote in Democratic areas of the country, but Fisher said Republicans would prevail because quote “our side has the guns.” Prichard says elected leaders cannot turn a blind eye to that kind of rhetoric, which Prichard says led to rioting at the U.S. Capitol. “For too long, politicians have not only enabled, but served as a willing partner in the spread of misinformation about election fraud,” Prichard said January 11. “…Until you have committed yourself to truth and democratic ideals, you lose any moral high ground that you may try to claim.”

Republican House Speaker Pat Grassley says Prichard is playing the exact partisan politics he denounced. Grassley says Prichard seems to believe that the right to free speech should only belong to those he agrees with.