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KXEL Morning News for Mon. Jan. 18, 2021

By Tim Martin Jan 18, 2021 | 5:41 AM

The number of people hospitalized with the coronavirus in Iowa has dipped below 500 for the first time since October. The Iowa Department of Public Health said 474 people were being treated for COVID-19 in hospitals Saturday, down from 505 on Friday. The last time the number of people hospitalized was below 500 was on Oct. 18. The state reported 730 new cases and two deaths yesterday to give Iowa a total of 304,852 cases and 4,323 deaths since the pandemic began. Over the past week, Iowa has been reporting an average of more than 940 new cases per day.

The Powerball jackpot will grow to an estimated $730 million after there were no winners Saturday for the lottery’s top prize. The results come as there was also no winner of the Mega Millions jackpot on Friday. That top prize is now estimated at $850 million. It’s been nearly two years since a lottery jackpot has grown so large. The Powerball’s $730 million top prize would be the fifth-largest ever if a lottery player strikes it rich in Wednesday’s drawing. The Mega Millions’ $850 million jackpot would be the third-largest ever for the drawing tomorrow.

Iowa First District Congresswoman Ashley Hinson was sworn in on January 3rd…and her first two weeks have been quite eventful. She talked about it on KXEL Live & Local last Thursday. She also discussed the topic of censorship of conservative voices on social media and the internet this month, which has led to a number of calls for government intervention. You can hear the full interview by going to the podcast page of kxel.com.

Authorities say a Clinton County sheriff’s deputy was shot and wounded while responding to a 9-1-1 call. The Sheriff’s Office said in a media release posted on Facebook that gunfire came from inside a home in the town of Charlotte as deputies approached it Friday morning. The deputy who was hit was taken to a hospital, where he underwent surgery for non-life threatening injuries. A woman inside the home also was taken to the hospital. 29-year-old Jesse Doran was arrested and charged with violation of a no-contact order; officials indicated that additional charges are pending. 

The federal government faces a second lawsuit over flooding along the Missouri River after it was ordered last month to pay some landowners for damages. Attorney R. Dan Boulware filed the new class-action lawsuit on behalf of 60 plaintiffs who experienced damages during flooding on five occasions between 2007 and 2014. Boulware successfully argued in the earlier case that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers knowingly flooded some farmland when it made changes to protect endangered species. The attorney says he is currently waiting for the class-action lawsuit to be certified. If that occurs, there could be additional plaintiffs added to the case. He estimates the current claim of damages exceeds $50 million.