Welcome to receive $95,00

ST. PAUL — U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development state director for Minnesota Brad Finstad has announced that USDA is investing $95,000 for public safety equipment in Welcome.

The city will use a $50,000 community facilities grant to replace expired protective equipment for the Welcome Fire Department.

The city also will use a $45,000 community facilities grant to replace expired turnout gear for the Welcome Fire Department’s 26 volunteer firefighters.

USDA Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities and create jobs in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements; business development; housing; community facilities such as schools, public safety and health care; and high-speed internet access in rural areas. For more information, visit www.rd.usda.gov/mn

Iowa deaths, new cases remains high

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa reported another 1,330 confirmed coronavirus infections Friday as the state’s rate of coronavirus deaths, new cases and overall positivity rate indicated that statewide spread of the virus is continuing.

The new confirmed cases in the last 24 hours came as the state reported 16 more deaths.

Iowa now has had 104,552 confirmed positive cases and 1,521 deaths.

Hospitalized patients with COVID-19 fell slightly to 468 after reaching new highs nearly every day this week.

The seven-day rolling average of the positivity rate, daily deaths and new cases all grew over the past two weeks. The positivity rate went from 17.19% on Oct. 1 to 20.18% on Oct. 15, according to an Associated Press analysis of data from Johns Hopkins University. Iowa’s rate is the fifth-highest in the nation.

Police announce arrest in 1999 killing

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) — Police in the western Iowa town of Council Bluffs believe they’ve solved a killing that happened more than two decades ago.

Council Bluff police on Friday announced the arrest of a 52-year-old Montana man in connection with the 1999 death of Kimberly M. Ratliff. Police are seeking first-degree murder charges but court records indicate that formal charges have not been filed.

Ratliff’s body was found inside her vehicle on Jan. 12, 1999. She was 22.

Police say in a news release that the suspect is now a resident of Fairfield, Montana, but was living in Council Bluffs at the time of the killing. He is jailed in Montana pending extradition to Iowa.