After opening their doors earlier this year, the mental health access centers in Linn and Johnson counties are working to make services more accessible and available to patients. Erin Foster, director of the Linn County Mental Health Access Center, told the Board of Supervisors on Wednesday that “a lot has happened in the last three […]
Linn County News
Posted inCommunity/News
Linn County Mental Health Access Center will begin walk-in hours next week
The Linn County Mental Health Access Center, 501 13th St NW, will be open for walk-in hours starting Monday. Adults experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis will be able to receive services at the center without an appointment Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., the county announced in a news […]
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‘This Mental Health Access Center will be a game-changer’: After years of collaboration, Linn County’s center prepares to assist first patients
While it would have been easy to put the opening of the Linn County Mental Health Access Center on hold, director Erin Foster said the challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic only made it more critical for the center to open. “We saw that we cannot stop this from moving forward,” Foster, who has been […]
Posted inCOVID-19
Linn County Supervisors again consider issuing a mask mandate after surge in COVID-19 cases
The Linn County Board of Supervisors is revisiting issuing a mask mandate after recent spikes of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the county and a surge in hospitalizations. The three supervisors first discussed a face-covering resolution in late July after Iowa City and Johnson County issued their respective mandates that required individuals to wear face coverings […]
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Disaster Unemployment Assistance now available for Linn County workers
Individuals who are unable to work or were temporarily laid off in Linn County due to the Aug. 10 derecho may be eligible for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA). DUA is part of the major disaster declaration President Donald Trump approved on Aug. 17. Trump OKed federal assistance for Linn County on Aug. 20 but aid […]
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‘We’ve got to do something’: Linn County officials, mayors call for local control over mandating face masks
The Linn County Board of Supervisors and the Board of Health approved a proclamation during a joint meeting on Wednesday that calls on Gov. Kim Reynolds to allow cities and counties “to enact localized response to the COVID-19 pandemic,” including mandating and enforcing the use of face coverings. The proclamation is backed by the mayors […]
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Linn County Supervisors will meet with Board of Health on Wednesday to discuss face mask proclamation
The Linn County Board of Supervisors will hold a joint meeting with the county’s Board of Health on Wednesday to discuss a proclamation calling on Gov. Kim Reynolds to allow local officials to mandate face masks. County mayors have been asked to sign onto the proclamation, and most mayors are supportive of it, Supervisor Ben […]
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Linn County Supervisor Brent Oleson announces he will not seek reelection
Linn County Supervisor Brent Oleson announced on Monday that he will finish out his current term but is no longer seeking reelection in November. “Given all the life-changing events that are upon us, this year of 2020 in particular has provided me a chance to thoroughly examine and reflect on what is most important to […]
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Linn County Board of Health calls for racism to be addressed as a public health crisis
The Linn County Board of Health is calling for immediate action to address racism as a public health crisis. The board outlined seven actions in a position statement published on Thursday, including establishing an Office of Minority Health at Linn County Public Health; urging businesses to incorporate implicit bias training and offer educational training to […]
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Long-term care facilities are recovering from COVID-19 outbreaks as cases rise in Linn County
Nearly all of Linn County’s long-term care facilities that have had outbreaks of COVID-19 are now considered recovered. Linn Manor Care Center in Marion, the fifth facility to recover, has had no new cases for two consecutive incubation periods, or 28 days, Linn County Public Health announced on Friday. A total of 38 residents and […]
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ATVs are now allowed on some Linn County roads
The Linn County Board of Supervisors approved an ordinance on Wednesday that allows the use of all-terrain vehicles and off-road vehicles on certain county roads. The ordinance had been under consideration since early March, when the board held two public hearings to get feedback from residents. More than 100 residents spoke during the first public […]
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Linn County supervisors extend telework policy for county employees, discuss employee testing and Test Iowa
As the state continues to reopen, Linn County officials are thinking about ways to protect their employees, including extending telework policies and looking into testing county employees for COVID-19. Most county buildings are closed to the general public through June 15. Earlier this month, the Board of Supervisors discussed installing Plexiglas barriers and signs on […]
