THE WATERLOO CITY COUNCIL VOTED 6-1 IN FAVOR OF A RESOLUTION ENCOURAGING GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS TO ISSUE STATEWIDE SHELTER IN PLACE ORDERS. RESOLUTION SUPPORTERS CITE WHAT THEY DESCRIBE AS A DRAMATIC INCREASE IN CASES AND SAY THAT STATEWIDE RESTRICTIONS WOULD CARRY MORE WEIGHT. A VERSION OF THE RESOLUTION WAS DRAFTED AT THE COUNTY LEVEL. MEANWHILE IN CEDAR FALLS, THE CITY COUNCIL THERE VOTED UNANAMOUSLY AGAINST A COMPARABLE MEASURE.
IN CEDAR FALLS, A RED CROSS COMMUNITY BLOOD DRIVE IS SCHEDULED FOR 11 O’CLOCK THURSDAY MORNING AT HILTON GARDEN INN. BLOOD SHORTAGES HAVE BEEN REPORTED DUE TO COVID-19 SOCIAL DISTANCING CONCERNS, AND JUDI FAAS OF THE RED CROSS SAYS: THAT’S WHY IMPORTANT CHANGES WILL BE IN PLACE THURSDAY. AND THOSE APPOINTMENTS CAN BE MADE ONLINE OR BY CALLING 1-800- RED-CROS.
MANY EASTERN IOWA TEACHERS ARE WORKING THROUGH THE CANCELATION OF CLASSES TO PREPARE ONLINE LESSONS FOR THEIR STUDENTS. OFTEN, THOSE STUDENTS ARE NOT REQUIRED TO PARTICIPATE, BECAUSE THE LEARNING PROGRAMS ARE VOLUNTARY. IT’S THE OPTION MANY DISTRICTS HAVE CHOSEN, BECAUSE OF CONCERNS ABOUT EQUAL ACCESS TO LEARNING MATERIALS. ONE CONCERN IS THAT VOLUNTEER LEARNING PARTICIPATION WILL NOT COUNT TOWARD GRADUATION OR ADVANCEMENT TO THE NEXT GRADE.
FEDERAL LEGISLATION TO PROTECT EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE BEEN PUT OUT OF WORK BY COVID-19 MAY HAVE LEFT OUT A BIG GROUP: THOSE WHO MAKE THEIR LIVING AT CASINOS. WES EHRECKE IS PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE IOWA GAMING ASSOCIATION AND SAYS CASINO EMPLOYEES HAVE BEEN DEALT A LOSING HAND FROM THE SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION. IOWA HAS 19 COMMERCIAL CASINOS. HEAR THE REST OF EHRECKE’S INTERVIEW WITH KXEL’S JEFF STEIN AT KXEL.COM.
THE FEDERAL RESERVE SAYS IT WILL SUPPORT THE GOVERNMENT’S $349 BILLION SMALL BUSINESS LENDING PROGRAM, WHICH HAD A ROCKY START FRIDAY. THE FED SAYS THAT IT WILL BUY LOANS THAT BANKS MAKE TO SMALL BUSINESSES UNDER THE ARRANGEMENT. BUYING THE LOANS SHOULD FREE UP MORE CASH FOR BANKS TO LEND. MANY BANKS WERE NOT PREPARED TO START LENDING FROM THE PROGRAM WHEN IT BEGAN LAST WEEK.
TYSON FOODS SUSPENDED OPERATIONS AT A COLUMBUS JUNCTION PORK PROCESSING PLANT MONDAY; MORE THAN TWO DOZEN WORKERS THERE HAVE TESTED POSITIVE FOR THE CORONAVIRUS. WORK WILL BE HALTED FOR AT LEAST THE REST OF THE WEEK. THE PLANT’S 1,400 WORKERS WILL REPORTEDLY CONTINUE TO BE PAID.
THE WATERLOO CITY COUNCIL VOTED 4-3 TO APPROVE THE FIRST STEP TO BRING A DISCOUNT STORE TO THE CITY’S SOUTH SIDE. SOME CITY OFFICIALS RECOMMENDED THAT DEVELOPERS OF THE DOLLAR GENERAL STORE JUST OFF HIGHWAY 218 MAKE IMPROVEMENTS BEFORE THE NEXT COUNCIL READING.
THE CEDAR FALLS CITY COUNCIL IS HAPPY TO LET GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS DICTATE IOWA’S RESPONSE TO COVID-19. CEDAR FALLS COUNCIL MEMBERS UNANAMOUSLY VOTED DOWN A RESOLUTION MONDAY NIGHT WHICH WOULD HAVE ASKED THE GOVERNOR TO ISSUE A STATEWIDE “SAFE AT HOME ORDER.” THE CITY COUNCIL EXPRESSED CONCERNS ABOUT STEPPING OUTSIDE THEIR JURISDICTION AND SOME NOTED THEIR SUPPORT FOR CURRENT MEASURES. IN WATERLOO, A SIMILAR RESILUTION WAS APPROVED, 6-1.
FORMER CLARKSVILLE MAYOR, PASTOR VAL SWINTON IS IMPROVING IN A WATERLOO HOSPITAL. HIS COVID-19 CASE PUT THE 67-YEAR-OLD INTO INTENSIVE CARE NEARLY TWO WEEKS AGO. FAMILY MEMBERS SHARED DETAILS ABOUT SWINTON’S PROGRESS BUT NOTE HE HAS A LONG WAY TO GO.
UNIVERSITY OF IOWA HOSPITALS ARE JOINING AN INTERNATIONAL CLINICAL TRIAL FOR A COVID-19 TREATMENT. SEVERAL PATIENTS HAVE ALREADY BEEN ADDED TO THE LIST OF THOSE WHICH WILL TEST REM-DES-I-VIR. THE DRUG HAS PREVIOUSLY SHOWN EFFECTIVENESS AGAINST OTHER MEMBERS OF THE CONORAVIRUS FAMILY.
GETTING THROUGH THE CHANGES CREATED BY SOCIAL DISTANCING DOES INVOLVE SOME SELF-CARE. DR. ANTHONY SANTIAGO OF IOWA STATE EXTENSION NOTED THAT WHILE PREVIEWING A SERIES OF COUPLES WEBINARS WHICH WILL BEGIN TOMORROW. THE EXTENSION WEBINARS WILL BE OFFERED MOST WEDNESAYS THROUGH THE END OF MAY. HEAR MORE FROM DR. SANTIAGO ABOUT THE SERIES AT KXEL.COM.
