LARGE HAIL CAUSED DAMAGE IN CEDAR RAPIDS AND ELSEWHERE IN EASTERN
IOWA ON TUESDAY EVENING. IT WAS A QUICK CHANGE TO WHAT WAS
OTHERWISE A WARM, PLEASANT DAY. ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE, THE LARGEST HAIL REPORTED WAS AS BIG AS A BASEBALL,
AND SEVERAL VEHICLES WERE DAMAGED, INCLUDING BROKEN WINDOWS OR
WINDSHIELDS. BESIDES CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA CITY AND HIAWATHA, THE
STORM ALSO DROPPED NOTABLY LARGE HAIL IN JONES, CEDAR, MUSCATINE,
AND SCOTT COUNTIES.
THE NATIONAL GUARD IS PART OF IOWA’S RESPONSE TO COVID-19. YESTERDAY
DURING A STATE BRIEFING ON THE CORONAVIRUS, MAJOR GENERAL BEN
CORELL SAID THAT 200 NATIONAL GUARD MEMBERS HAVE BEEN ACTIVE, WITH
MORE READY IF NEEDED. CORELL TALKED ABOUT ONE WAY THEY HAVE BEEN
SUPPORTING MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS. CORELL ADDED THAT THE
NATIONAL GUARD HAS SET UP SIX REGIONAL MEDICAL COORDINATION
CENTERS TO BE READY IF THE VIRUS BECOMES MORE SEVERE IN ONE PART OF
THE STATE.
STATE AUDITOR ROB SAND WANTS MORE DETAILS ABOUT THE ASSESSMENT
METHOD GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS IS USING TO DETERMINE IOWA’S
RESPONSE TO COVID-19. SAND SENT A LETTER TO THE GOVERNOR’S OFFICE
ASKING 12 QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PANDEMIC RESPONSE TOOL AND HOW IT
WAS CREATED. SOME REPUBLICANS CRITICIZED THE DEMOCRATIC AUDITOR
FOR POLITCAL GRANDSTANDING, BUT SAND SAYS THIS IS THE TIME TO BE
ASKING QUESTIONS BECAUSE THE STATE’S COVID-19 RESPONSE TOOL IS
LEADING TO LIFE-AND-DEATH DECISIONS WITH CONSEQUENCES THAT CAN’T BE
CHANGED LATER.
ONCE THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS EBBED, GETTING LIFE BACK TO NORMAL
WILL REQUIRE DIFFERENT STEPS IN DIFFERENT PLACES. THAT’S THE WAY IOWA
4TH DISTRICT CONGRESSMAN STEVE KING SAW THE SITUATION TUESDAY WHEN
HE WAS A GUEST ON KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL. MONEY SET ASIDE
FROM THE RECENT 2.2 TRILLION DOLLAR FEDERAL COVID-19 PACKAGE DIVIDES
OUT TO OVER 67-HUNDRED DOLLARS PER PERSON IN THE U.S. KING SAYS HE
THINKS ANOTHER ONE TO TWO TRILLION DOLLAR LEGISLATIVE PACKAGE IS
POSSIBLE. HEAR MORE OF CONGRESSMAN KING’S INTERVIEW WITH JEFF STEIN
AT KXEL.COM
WHEN IT COMES TO THE CURRENT RESPONSE TO COVID-19, CEDAR RAPIDS
MAYOR BRAD HART HAS WANTED AN IOWA SHELTER IN PLACE ORDER. HE
REPORTEDLY DECIDED AGAINST REQUIRING RESIDENTS OF HIS CITY TO STAY AT
HOME LATE LAST WEEK, BECAUSE GOING BEYOND THE STATE’S GUIDELINES IS
NOT ENFORCABLE. LINN AND JOHNSON COUNTY COVID-19 CASES REPRESENT
APPROXIMATELY ON THIRD OF THE STATE’S POSITIVE TESTS.
SHOPPING MALLS IN WATERLOO AND CEDAR FALLS HAVE BEEN CLOSED DUE TO
THE CORONAVIRUS. THEY WILL REMAIN CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE,
ACCORDING TO MALL MANAGEMENT. SHOPPING MALLS WERE AMONG THE
BUSINESSES ORDERED TO CLOSE BY GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS ON MONDAY;
THAT ORDER EXTENDED THROUGH APRIL 30TH
.
THE COMPANY WHICH OPERATES T.J. MAXX AND HOME GOODS STORES WILL
BE FURLOUGHING THE MAJORITY OF ITS HOURLY WORKERS IN ITS STORES AND
DISTRIBUTION CENTERS IN THE U.S. AND CANADA AFTER SUNDAY. TJX
COMPANIES OPERATES STORES IN BOTH WATERLOO AND CEDAR FALLS.
SOME EMPLOYEES AT THE IOWA VETERANS HOME IN MARSHALLTOWN DON’T
THINK ENOUGH IS BEING DONE TO PROTECT RESIDENTS AND STAFF AFTER
MULTIPLE COVID-19 CASES WERE REPORTED. UNION LEADER DANNY HOMAN
OF AFSCME COUNCIL 61 SAYS EMPLOYEES WERE EXPOSED TO A COLLEAGUE
WHO HAS TESTED POSITIVE FOR CORONAVIRUS. THE GOVERNOR’S
OFFICE RESPONDED THAT THREE EMPLOYEES AT THE HOME TESTED POSITIVE IN
LATE MARCH. THE HOME SAYS IT HAS TESTED 24 RESIDENTS FOR COVID-19 SO
FAR AND ALL HAVE BEEN NEGATIVE. THERE ARE 550 RESIDENTS AT THE IOWA
VETERANS HOME.
IF YOU HAVEN’T ANSWERED CENSUS QUESTIONS ONLINE, THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT IS TRYING ANOTHER WAY TO GET IN TOUCH WITH YOU.
STARTING TODAY, THE U.S. CENSUS BUREAU IS MAILING OUT MILLIONS OF
PAPER FORMS TO HOMES WHERE RESIDENTS HAVEN’T YET ANSWERED THE
QUESTIONNAIRE. THE CURRENT SELF-RESPONSE RATE IS APPROACHING HALF
OF ALL HOUSEHOLDS. IOWA IS ONE OF SIX STATES ABOVE 50 PERCENT. THAT
GROUP ALSO INCLUDES NEIGHBORING STATES MINNESOTA, WISCONSIN AND
NEBRASKA.
NICER WEATHER FOR MUCH OF TUESDAY MEANT MORE PEOPLE WERE ON THE
WATER. IN LINN COUNTY, THAT MEANT TWO SEPARATE WATER RESCUES. ONE
MAN IN CEDAR LAKE WAS INITIALLY UNRESPONSIVE AND REQUIRED CPR FROM
FIRST RESPONDERS. HE WAS REPORTEDLY REVIVED. MEANWHILE A COUPLE
AND THEIR DOG WERE PULLED OUT OF THE CEDAR RIVER BY BESTANDERS
WHEN THEIR BOAT OVERTURNED IN PALISADES-KEPLER STATE PARK. THERE
WERE NO INJURIES FROM THAT INCIDENT.
