Reynolds says state could see 16% bump in vaccines next week
BY CHUCK VANDENBERGPCC EDITOR DES MOINES – Iowa got some good news from the Biden…
Coronavirus
IDPH director adds Capitol officials, staff to Phase 1b of vaccine rollout
BY CHUCK VANDENBERGPCC EDITOR LEE COUNTY – Iowa’s Interim Director of the Iowa Department of…
Vaccines easing pressure on health care providers
Officials still expect spike in local numbers after holiday season BY KATIE SCOVILLEPCC INTERN LEE…
Lee County health officials update vaccine protocols
(Editor’s Note: The following was received by the Pen City Current Wednesday afternoon and is…
Games look the same, but they’re still different
Melrose Avenue is one of the main arteries into the area around Iowa’s Kinnick Stadium.For…
States shorted on vaccine allocations
DES MOINES – According to a late release from the Iowa Department of Public Health,…
COVID vaccines to hit state next week
BY CHUCK VANDENBERGPCC EDITOR LEE COUNTY – Local health officials are encouraging residents to get…
Area care centers fighting stiffer battle with COVID
Several administrators say federal agencies were more help than state BY CHUCK VANDENBERGPCC EDITOR LEE…
Partners urges everyone to help keep us safe – Letter to the Editor
Dear Editor: As we move forward into 2021 amid the COVID-19 shadow, we must do…
Lee County COVID rate back over 20%
Seven-day positivity rating is 4th highest in the state. BY CHUCK VANDENBERGPCC EDITOR LEE COUNTY…
Reynolds calls on Congress to “step up and do their job”
BY CHUCK VANDENBERGPCC EDITOR DES MOINES – Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds called on Congress Tuesday…
Things aren’t so different this year – Beside the Point
So… how are the leftovers? I read a lot before Thanksgiving about people celebrating in…
Former Iowa State Senator Gene Fraise dead at 88
BY PCC STAFF FORT MADISON – Former southeast Iowa State Senator Gene Fraise has passed…
Schmitz Funeral Home obituary – Eugene S. Fraise, 88, Fort Madison
Eugene Stace Fraise, 88, of Fort Madison, Iowa, passed away at 3:34 p.m. Friday, November 27,…
LCHD officials offer tips for holidays during virus surge
Submitted article LEE COUNTY – When records are broken, we often celebrate. But when that…
Great River Health CEO asks for resiliency
BY CHUCK VANDENBERGPCC EDITOR BURLINGTON – Great River Health System CEO Matt Wenzel said discussion…
FMCH CEO says accountability will ease health care pressures
BY CHUCK VANDENBERGPCC EDITOR FORT MADISON – Iowa is closing in on 200,000 positive cases…
Moving forward is better than alternative
I get it.If you’re the parent of a high school athlete, I understand if you’re…
County health board issues new strongly worded directives
BY CHUCK VANDENBERGPCC EDITOR LEE COUNTY – Following Monday’s live televised address to the state…
Reynolds makes passioned plea for Iowans help
Governor takes more limited steps to try to rein in rampant virus DES MOINES –…
Reynolds to give live COVID address to Iowans tonight
BY PCC STAFF DES MOINES – With the coronavirus spreading at record levels across the…
Central Lee to transition to hybrid model starting Friday
BY CHUCK VANDENBERGPCC EDITOR DONNELLSON – Due to increased positive testing and staff shortages, Central…
Reynolds nudges mitigation as COVID washes over state
YMCA halts youth programming through November; Central Lee District status quo BY CHUCK VANDENBERGPCC EDITOR…
FM schools to revert to virtual learning Wednesday
BY CHUCK VANDENBERGPCC EDITOR FORT MADISON – With more than 130 new cases of COVID-19…
COVID forces changes to community Thanksgiving
BY CHUCK VANDENBERGPCC EDITOR FORT MADISON – The committee that puts on the annual Community…
FMCSD central office closed due to COVID
BY CHUCK VANDENBERGPCC EDITOR FORT MADISON – The Fort Madison Community School District administration office…
Ferentz: Nothing about this year is normal
Kirk Ferentz dreads hearing the “bing.”It’s never been something the Iowa football coach wanted to…
Reynolds says election shows Iowans approve of state’s handling of COVID crisis
BY CHUCK VANDENBERGPCC EDITOR DES MOINES – Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds said Thursday that election…
Virus activity continues to climb in Lee County
BY CHUCK VANDENBERGPCC EDITOR FORT MADISON – Coronavirus activity is almost at an all-time high…
Reynolds commits $2 million to nanovaccine partnership
DES MOINES – Governor Kim Reynolds today announced she has set aside $2 million in…
County surpasses 1,000 positive COVID cases
BY CHUCK VANDENBERGPCC EDITOR FORT MADISON – Lee County surpassed 1,000 positive cases of coronavirus…
County sees 165 news COVID cases in the past 14 days
BY CHUCK VANDENBERGPCC EDITOR FORT MADISON – Despite a 14-day average that is fluctuating between…
County hits 700 positive cases over weekend
BY CHUCK VANDENBERGPCC EDITOR LEE COUNTY – Positive COVID tests in Lee County surpassed the…
Donnellson Marine home after five-month COVID battle
BY CHUCK VANDENBERGPCC EDITOR DONNELLSON – Jerry Krogmeier is a 71-year-old Marine who just fought…
School districts seeing variety of COVID impacts
BY CHUCK VANDENBERGPCC EDITOR FORT MADISON – The two public schools in Lee County are…
County’s COVID positivity rate slides for second day
State shows 0 positive cases for the county for Tuesday, but LCHD shows 28 over…
Supervisors broach idea of county mask mandate
BY CHUCK VANDENBERGPCC EDITOR LEE COUNTY – Lee County officials are carefully eyeing a potential…
“The Virus” is very real to area woman – Empty Nest, by Curt Swarm
Families gotta start back getting together for Sunday dinner and family reunions…not just funerals. –…
Central Lee’s pod classes are unique in Return to Learn
BY CHUCK VANDENBERGPCC EDITOR DONNELLSON – With the state of Iowa now reporting more than…
YMCA director addresses COVID-19 case at facility
The following is a letter from the leadership at the Fort Madison YMCA regarding a…
FMHS to limit attendance at Friday’s football game
Vouchers given to band students, cheerleaders, and football players for two guest admissions each BY…
Board of health again urges cancelling all large events
BY CHUCK VANDENBERGPCC EDITOR LEE COUNTY – The Lee County Board of Health released a…
FMCH tightens visitor rules as COVID surges locally
BY PCC STAFF FORT MADISON – In an effort to protect the health and safety…
LCHD turns to state as COVID surges locally
BY CHUCK VANDENBERGPCC EDITOR LEE COUNTY – With Lee County seeing an additional 35 new…
Few glitches as fall sports season opens this week
BY CHUCK VANDENBERGPCC EDITOR FORT MADISON – With the kick off of fall sports starting…
Five children positive for COVID in latest LCHD report
BY CHUCK VANDENBERGPCC EDITOR LEE COUNTY – With the county surpassing 200 positive COVID-19 cases…
State DOC halts IMCC admissions as COVID cases rise
Lee County Jail officials say move could hamper operations locally BY CHUCK VANDENBERGPCC EDITOR LEE…
County hits new high with 22 positives reported Wednesday
The following is a press release in it’s entirety from the Lee County Health Department….
LCHD reports one death, six more positives Friday
BY PCC STAFF LEE COUNTY – Today the Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) and…
County sees 11 new COVID cases Thursday
LEE COUNTY – According to the Lee County Health Department’s daily data release on the…