COMMUNITY SPREAD OF THE COVID-19 VIRUS HAS NOW OFFICIALLY BEEN IDENTIFIED IN BLACK HAWK COUNTY. SHERIFF TONY THOMPSON SAYS HEALTH AND EMERGENCY OFFICIALS HAD ALREADY BEEN OPERATING AS THOUGH COMMUNITY SPREAD WAS A REALITY, WITH SOME RESIDENTS HEEDING PROPPER PRECAUTIONS AND OTHERS NOT. DURING AN INTERVIEW ON KXEL LIVE & LOCAL TUESDAY, THOMPSON TALKED ABOUT THE IMPLICATIONS OF AN OVERLY CASUAL ATTITUDE. HEAR MORE FROM BLACK HAWK COUNTY SHERIFF TONY THOMPSON AT KXEL.COM
LAST WEEK, STATE OFFICIALS REPORTED THAT TRAFFIC IS DOWN APPROXIMATELY 50 PERCENT ON IOWA ROADWAYS AS PEOPLE ARE ENCOURAGED TO STAY AT HOME. THAT MEANS LESS GAS AND DIESEL ARE BEING USED, AND LESS FUEL TAX IS BEING COLLECTED AT THE PUMP. MONEY FROM FUEL TAXES REPRESENTS ABOUT 40 PERCENT OF THE DOLLARS USED FOR ROAD MAINENTANCE AND CONSTRUCTION. TRANSPORTATION OFFICIALS SAY PROJECTS THIS YEAR ARE UNLIKELY TO BE IMPACTED, BUT LONGTERM ROAD IMPROVEMENTS MAY BE SLOWED BY THE DIP IN FUNDING.
THE ARCHDIOCESE OF DUBUQUE OFFICIALLY CANCELED UPCOMING HOLY WEEK AND EASTER SERVICES ON TUESDAY. IN A STATEMENT, ARCHBISHOP MICHAEL JAY-CKELS ECHOES CALLS FROM OFFICIALS FOR SOCIAL DISTANCING, HANDWASHING, AND OTHER HEALTH RECOMMENDATIONS. JAY-CKELS ENCOURAGED NORTHEAST IOWA’S CATHOLIC COMMUNITY TO PRAY, DO PENANCE, AND MAKE CHARITABLE CONTRIBUTIONS. THE ARCHDIOCESE HAS – AND WILL CONTINUE TO – LIVESTREAM MASSES THROUGH ITS WEBSITE.
IOWA’S FOUNDATION AS AN AGRICULTURAL STATE WILL PULL THE LOCAL ECONOMY THROUGH THE COVID-19 CRISIS AND ITS AFTERMATH. THAT’S THE WAY IOWA AGRICULTURE SECRETARY MIKE NAIG SAW THE SITUATION WHEN HE VISITED KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL THIS MORNING. NAIG TOLD LISTENERS THAT WEATHER WILL LIKELY BE MORE IMPACTFUL THAN COVID-19 WHEN IT COMES TO IOWA’S AG ECONOMY AND THE STATE’S PERFORMANCE IN 2020. NAIG ALSO SAID IOWA’S SUPPLY CHAIN HAS SEEN MINIMAL EFFECTS OF THE VIRUS.
TORNADO SIRENS IN BLACK HAWK COUNTY DID NOT GO OFF ON SATURDAY AFTER THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ISSUED A TORNADO WARNING. COUNTY OFFICIALS ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WENT WRONG. THE TORNADO SIRENS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE TRIGGERED AUTOMATICALLY WHEN THE WEATHER SERVICE SENDS A SIGNAL. EMERGENCY OFFICIALS SAY THEY WILL HAVE STAFF IN PLACE TO MANUALLY SOUND THE SIRENS WHEN THERE IS A THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER, UNTIL THE PROBLEM IS SOLVED. THE STORM WHICH AFFECTED EASTERN BLACK HAWK COUNTY SATURDAY DID DAMAGE TO SOME BUILDINGS IN OELWEIN.
ALTHOUGH IN-PERSON STORM SPOTTER TRAINING HAS BEEN CANCELED DUE TO COVID-19, THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN DES MOINES WILL HOLD ONLINE VIRTUAL SPOTTER TRAINING. THE FIRST OF FOUR SESSIONS WILL BE HELD ON THURSDAY AFTERNOON. REGISTRATION AND ADDITIONAL DETAILS ARE AVAILABLE THROUGH THE WEATHER SERVICE WEBSITE: WEATHER.GOV.
IOWA HOSPITALS AND HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS ARE MOVING RESOURCES IN PREPARATION FOR AN ANTICIPATED SWELL IN COVID-19 CASES. MERCY ONE MANAGES FACILITIES IN WATERLOO, CEDAR FALLS, AND MORE THAN A DOZEN OTHER COMMUNITIES. THE SYSTEM’S DR. MATTHEW SOJKA SPOKE ABOUT PREPARATIONS IN THE CEDAR VALLEY DURING A BLACK HAWK COUNTY COUNTY COVID-19 BRIEFING TUESDAY. SOJKA SAYS MERCY ONE IS CROSS-TRAINING MEDICAL PERSONNEL FOR SERVICE IN INTENSIVE CARE UNITS.
A FALLING STOCK MARKET HAS RATTLED THE IOWA PUBLIC EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT SYSTEM OR “I-PERS”. FROM VALENTINE’S DAY THROUGH MARCH 20TH, THE SYSTEM LOST MORE THAN SIX BILLIONS DOLLARS OF FROM ITS PREVIOUS VALUE OF APPROXIMATELY 36 BILLION. I-PERS OFFICIALS SAY THE FUND HAS BOUNCED BACK SLIGHTLY. MORE THAN 360-THOUSAND PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS, STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNEMENT EMPLOYEES HAVE RETIREMENT PLANS THROUGH I-PERS.
WALMART WILL SOON BE TAKING TEMPERATURES OF ITS WORKERS AS THEY ARRIVE FOR THEIR SHIFTS. ANY WORKER WITH A TEMPERATURE OF 100 DEGREES OR MORE WILL BE SENT HOME, WITH PAY. WALMART WILL ALSO BE ISSUING MASKS AND GLOVES TO THOSE WHO WANT THEM.
THE START OF THE CEDAR VALLEY COURT KINGS SEASON HAS BEEN DELAYED FURTHER. THE OFFICIAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION HOPES TO START MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND. THE SCHEDULED START DATE WAS ORIGINALLY THIS WEEKEND, BUT HAD BEEN PUSHED BACK ALREADY DUE TO COVID-19.
