IOWA (IRN) – The Iowa Supreme Court issued an order postponing all jury trials until February 1, 2021, unless the jury is sworn in prior to November 16, 2020. Clerk of court offices throughout the state will remain open and nonjury trials and face-to-face court proceedings and services will continue. WASHINGTON, D.C. – President Donald Trump terminated Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Monday and named an Iowa City native to the post in his stead. Trump named Christopher Miller, the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, as acting defense secretary. Miller, who was born in Platteville, Wisconsin, lived several years of his childhood in Iowa City, where his parents still live. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The lead in Iowa’s extremely tight U.S. House District 2 race has changed hands once again, one week after the election. Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks is now leading Democrat Rita Hart, according to the state Secretary of State’s Office. Miller-Meeks now leads with just 34 votes separating the two candidates. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – UnityPoint Health in Des Moines reports all of its hospitals are at capacity for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began. According to UnityPoint Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. Rossana Rosa, Methodist Medical Center, Lutheran Hospital, Methodist West and Blank Children’s Hospital are full. Rosa said, “this is truly the worst point that we have ever experienced throughout the pandemic.” IOWA (IRN) – Two more Iowa prisons are reporting outbreaks of coronavirus infections. Recent testing has revealed outbreaks at prisons in Clarinda, where 377 inmates and 16 staff members are positive, and Rockwell City, where 254 inmates and four staff members are positive. At Anamosa, updated numbers show 485 infected inmates and 50 staff members have tested positive. PLEASANT HILL, IA (IRN) – A Southeast Polk school bus driver has died from COVID-19. John Wright, 61, died Saturday after testing positive for the coronavirus several weeks ago. CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (IRN) – Doctors at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics said Monday’s report from Pfizer, announcing its COVID-19 vaccine was more than 90% effective, is a promising sign. One Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine trial was at the University of Iowa, and about 270 people participated.

WEST DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – A West Des Moines police officer was seriously injured when a car crashed into his patrol vehicle during a traffic stop. Officer Jon Kaufman pulled over a vehicle on Interstate 35 at 12:08 a.m. Sunday. As Kaufman was sitting in his patrol car behind the subject vehicle, another car hit his patrol car from behind. Kaufman suffered serious injuries. The car that hit Kaufman’s vehicle was driven by 61-year-old John Schwartz of Kellogg, who was also injured. The Iowa State Patrol is investigating. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – On Sunday evening, hospitalizations in Iowa surpassed 1,000 people due to coronavirus. The Iowa Department of Public Health reported that there are 1,034 Iowans currently in the hospital due to COVID-19. A total of 1,843 Iowans have died from the virus. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Des Moines Public Schools will request a waiver to move the district to completely online learning as coronavirus cases spike in Polk County. In an emergency school board meeting on Sunday, the school board voted 6-1 to allow the district to request an online-only learning waiver from the state. The positivity rate is 16%. AMES, IA (IRN) – The College Republicans group at Iowa State University is facing criticism for a tweet on the group’s Twitter account Saturday. Just after President-elect Joe Biden was projected the next president of the United States, the group posted: “Everyone, you must arm up, expect these people to attempt to destroy your life, the elites want revenge on us.”

DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – In Iowa, some people spent Saturday celebrating President-elect Joe Biden’s victory while others said it’s not over yet. Groups gathered at the Capitol and Cowles Commons in Des Moines to voice their feelings about President-elect Joe Biden’s win. The events were peaceful. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Iowa prison officials reported a coronavirus outbreak has infected nearly half of the inmates at an Iowa prison in Anamosa. A total of 476 inmates among 985 at the prison tested positive for the virus. A report provided by the department indicates 37 staff members also tested positive. Across the nine institutions the department manages, 601 inmates are currently infected as of Friday afternoon. AMES, IA (IRN) – Brock Purdy threw three touchdown passes in the second half after throwing three interceptions in the first, and No. 17 Iowa State came from behind to beat Baylor 38-31 Saturday night. IOWA CITY, IA (IRN) – Tyler Goodson ran for 113 yards and two touchdowns as Iowa throttled Michigan State 49-7 on Saturday. Goodson led a balanced Iowa offense that racked up a season-high point total. The sophomore’s outing included a career-long 71-yard scamper, which set the Hawkeyes up for their sixth touchdown of the day.

DYERSVILLE, IA (IRN) – Dyersville police are investigating after a woman was shot and injured by her 2-year-old child. Police determined the child accidentally shot the 21-year-old woman with a handgun that was left unsecured. IOWA (IRN) – Officials at the state’s largest hospital systems are warning Iowans that if the current COVID-19 infection rate continues, they will be overwhelmed with patients. Their preparations for the surge are forcing them to curtail other medical procedures, shift personnel from surgical duties to intensive care and expand ICU beds. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – The Iowa Department of Public Health will hire its third spokesperson since the COVID-19 pandemic began following the departure of legislative liaison Amy McCoy. McCoy took over as the Iowa Department of Public Health’s spokesperson after it fired longtime public information officer Polly Carver-Kimm. Carver-Kimm is suing the state and Gov. Kim Reynolds claiming she was improperly fired for her willingness to respond to media requests. DUBUQUE, IA (IRN) – The Dubuque County Board of Health became concerned after they learned people in one of Dubuque’s low-income neighborhoods have been sharing masks. The board is now passing out free masks in the neighborhood. JASPER COUNTY (IRN) – Democrat Rita Hart has now taken the lead in the race for Congress in Iowa’s 2nd District after Jasper County election officials identified and corrected a data reporting error, according to the County Auditor and Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate.

JASPER COUNTY, IA (IRN) – Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate says there were errors in unofficial election results in one Jasper County precinct. Iowa’s tight race for U.S. House District 2 had shown Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks ahead of Democrat Rita Hart by just 282 votes. The Secretary of State’s website now shows Miller-Meeks’ total has gone down by 328 votes, and Hart’s has increased by 166. The total now stands at 196,603 for Hart and 196,441 for Miller-Meeks, a difference of 162 votes. Hart is now the apparent winner, but there will be a recount. IOWA (IRN) – The number of Iowans hospitalized with COVID-19 topped 900 for the first time last night, pushing the state to another record-high for hospitalizations. There have been 14 additional deaths for a total of 1,815. Of those who’ve died, 879 were residents of long term care facilities. There are currently 87 outbreaks at long term care facilities in Iowa affecting 2,709 residents. DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Medical leaders from the two largest hospitals in the Des Moines metro pleaded with Iowans to do their part to bring the outbreak under control. They say their hospital staffs are in rough shape after eight months of treating COVID-19 patients and they fear some very dark days are ahead with the huge increase of positive cases. Dr. Rossana Rosa, with UnityPoint, says “there will be more deaths, and there will be more suffering from a disease that remains preventable.” DES MOINES, IA (IRN) – Gov. Kim Reynolds on Thursday hosted her first news conference dedicated to Iowa’s coronavirus response in nearly a month. Reynolds pleaded with Iowans to take additional steps to slow the spread of the virus but declined to enact any further mitigation efforts as new cases and hospitalizations continue to spike. AMES, IA (IRN) – Iowa State University athletic officials said Thursday that a “very limited” number of spectators will be allowed to attend men’s and women’s basketball games at Hilton Coliseum due to coronavirus concerns. Seating capacity will be limited to 1,373 fans per game, less than 10% of Hilton’s seating capacity. ARLINGTON, IA (IRN) – Despite the constant calls from health leaders and signs at just about every store to wear a mask, one business in Arlington is discouraging mask wearing. KCRG-TV reports 6 Corners Gas, the only gas station in the Fayette County town, has a sign in the front window that reads “No masks required, please remove before entering. Thank you.”