×

Briefly

Accident kills two teens

CHARITON, Iowa (AP) — Two teenagers have died after a car accident near Chariton.

The Iowa State Patrol said the accident happened just after 5 p.m. Sunday when a Jeep turning from Highway 34 onto a street struck a pickup truck, ejecting everyone in the Jeep.

Two Jeep passengers died. They were identified as 15-year-old Katilynn Spicer of Des Moines and 16-year-old Chase Lavely of Chariton. The 18-year-old driver is hospitalized with life-threatening injuries.

Both occupants of the pickup, both age 55, are hospitalized. Their conditions were not immediately released.

The patrol’s investigation is ongoing.

Iowa virus deaths pass 2,200

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa surpassed 211,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and 2,200 deaths on Monday, and the state remains ranked third-highest in the nation for virus positivity rate.

There were 1,661 new confirmed cases in the past 24 hours and 13 additional deaths, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health. That raised the total number of cases identified in the state to 211,722, and the number of deaths rose to 2,205.

The seven-day rolling average of daily deaths in Iowa has risen over the past two weeks from nearly 18 deaths per day on Nov. 8 to 29 deaths per day on Nov. 22, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins University.

The daily number of cases has been ranging between 3,000 to 5,000 on most days this month and the low daily count Monday is likely due to a significant decrease in test results posted in the past few days.

Iowa’s seven-day rolling average of the positivity rate was 44.7% on Nov. 22, ranking third-highest third in the nation behind Wyoming and South Dakota, according to Johns Hopkins data.

Those hospitalized with COVID-19 fell slightly to 1,333 but the 273 patients in intensive care was up 18 patients from Sunday.

South Dakota reports first flu death

SIOUX FALLS, S..D. (AP) — South Dakota has reported its first flu death of the season, saying the person was in their 80s and lived in Potter County.

Additional information about the individual was not released in order to protect patient confidentiality, the South Dakota Department of Health said Friday.

“Our sympathy is with the family. Their loss serves as a reminder to us all that influenza can be a very serious illness,” said state epidemiologist Josh Clayton.

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

Starting at $4.65/week.

Subscribe Today