Officials with the Creston Police Department report the arrest at around 1:30-p.m. Tuesday, of 45-year-old Alisha Marie Peckham, from Creston. Peckham was arrested at her residence on a charge of Failure to Abate [a] Nuisance. She was given a Summons to Appear in court. Authorities said also, a woman residing in the 600 block of N. Pine Street, in Creston, reported Thursday morning, that someone had stolen her Christmas decorations. They included two candy canes one candle stick. The loss was estimated at $60.

And, a man residing in the 11-hundred block of W. Montgomery Street in Creston, reported Thursday, that a package containing 48 exotic tea bags was missing from his front porch. The loss was estimated at $70.

The latest information from State of Iowa’s coronavirus dashboard (10-a.m. Friday, 12/11) shows 77 additional deaths related to COVID have taken place, for a total of 3,197.The IDPH says 2,930 deaths are the result of “Underlying causes,” and 267 have a “Contributing factor.”  The website said 2,932 of the state’s deaths involved Iowans with preexisting conditions.

Long-Term Care (LTC) facility deaths amount to 1,129. In the listening area: Adair, Harrison, Mills and Montgomery Counties each show one more reported death. There are two new deaths to report in Pottawattamie County, and three in Shelby County (See the totals below)

The number of positive COVID-19 cases statewide is up 2,057 to 253,085. Long-Term Care facility outbreaks are down slightly, at 140. State data shows 1,273,664 Iowans have been tested for coronavirus, with a total of 183,213 recovered. Iowa reports a 14-day positivity rate of 15.8% and a 7-day rate of 11.3%. Of Iowa’s 99 counties, 66 report 14-day positivity rates above 15%. Two Iowa counties report a 14-day positivity rate below 10%.

Hospitalization data: show 833 are in hospitals across the state (that’s 30 less than yesterday); 175 COVID patients are in an ICU (down 14 from Thursday); 128 were admitted (an increase of 4); 97 are on a ventilator (down 17 from yesterday). Hospitals in western/southwest Iowa (RMCC Region 4) report: 55 hospitalized (compared to 53 previously); 15 in an ICU (one less than previously reported); five were admitted (three less than yesterday), and eight COVID patients are on a ventilator (one less than yesterday).

In the KJAN listening area, here are the current number positive cases; The # of new cases since yesterday {+}; and the total number of deaths in each county (Configured by the new reporting formula):

• Cass, 906 cases; {+5}; 35 deaths
• Adair, 504; {+4}; 16
• Adams, 208; {+7}; 2
• Audubon, 324; {+3}; 6
• Guthrie, 840; {+10}; 22
• Harrison County, 1,213; {+14}; 49
• Madison County, 816; {+12}; 8
• Mills County, 1,166; {+13}; 11
• Montgomery, 583; {+8}; 13
• Pottawattamie County, 7,308; {+75}; 72
• Shelby County, 846; {+6}; 19
• Union County,  926; {+2}; 9

(Radio Iowa) – The number of unemployment claims shot up in the last week. First-time claims were up by nearly 54-hundred in the last week and the number of continuing claims was up 94-hundred. Iowa Workforce Development says the increase in continuing claims was due primarily to construction and manufacturing claims from Thanksgiving week that were filed last week and were not unexpected.

The information from I-W-D says November through February are typically the months for the most unemployment claims driven by seasonal layoffs. The agency says just more than 59 percent of those who filed claims said those claims were not related to COVID-19.