NORTH CENTRAL IOWA IS RECEIVING MORE ATTENTION FROM IOWA HEALTH OFFICIALS. GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS SAYS MORE PERSONNEL ARE HEADED THAT DIRECTION TO CHECK THE SPREAD OF COVID-19. STATE OFFICIALS ARE TRYING TO TEST MORE PEOPLE WHO LIVE AND WORK IN LONGTERM CARE FACILITIES BASED ON FEDERAL RECOMMENDATIONS. LAST WEEK DURING A CONFERENCE CALL WITH STATE GOVERNORS, VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE SUGGESTED STATES SHOULD FOCUS TESTS ON NURSING HOMES AND HAVE ALL RESIDENTS AND STAFF SWABBED BEFORE MONTH’S END.
THREE PEOPLE HAD REPORTEDLY MINOR GUNSHOT WOUNDS FROM A MONDAY NIGHT INCIDENT IN CEDAR RAPIDS. THE SHOOTING HAPPENED ON THE CITY’S SOUTHEAST SIDE AROUND 11 O’CLOCK. CEDAR RAPIDS POLICE RESPONDED TO THE 700 BLOCK OF 16TH STREET SOUTHEAST AND FOUND TWO PEOPLE WITH INJURIES. A THIRD HAD GONE DIRECTLY TO THE HOSPITAL. POLICE EFFORTS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE SHOOTING CONTINUE.
SPRING FIELD WORK IS OFF TO A PROMISING START. THE STATE’S FARMERS HAVE PLANTED MOST OF THEIR CORN AND ARE MOVING CLOSER TO SEWING UP THEIR SOYBEAN FIELDS. THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE SAYS THAT THROUGH SUNDAY, FARMERS HAD FINISHED WITH 96 PERCENT OF THE EXPECTED CORN CROP. THAT’S NEARLY A MONTH AHEAD OF LAST YEAR AND ALMOST THREE WEEKS AHEAD OF THE FIVE-YEAR AVERAGE. FARMERS HAD PLANTED 86% OF THE SOYBEAN CROP, ALSO PUTTING THEM AHEAD BY ABOUT THE SAME RATES. THEY WERE HELPED BY GOOD WEATHER THAT MADE IT POSSIBLE TO TAKE EQUIPMENT INTO THE FIELD BEFORE WIDESPREAD RAIN LATE LAST WEEK AND INTO THE WEEKEND.
SENATE REPUBLICAN LEADERS MADE IT CLEAR THAT THEY WERE NOT INTERESTED IN THE LATEST COVID-19 RELIEF BILL PASSED BY THE DEMOCRATIC HOUSE LAST WEEK. THIS MORNING DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL, IOWA SENATOR CHUCK GRASSLEY EXPLAINED THAT STANCE. GRASSLEY WENT ON TO ECHO THE SENTIMENT EXPRESSED BY OTHERS IN THE SENATE LAST WEEK…THAT MORE TIME SHOULD BE TAKEN TO SEE THE IMPACTS OF THE EARLIER FEDERAL CARES ACT. GRASSLEY SAYS HE DOES EXPECT MORE FEDERAL COVID-19 HELP, BUT ON A SMALLER SCALE THAN THE THREE BILLION DOLLAR HOUSE BILL.
A JANUARY DRUG DEAL-TURNED-ROBBERY LED TO THE DEATH OF ONE TEENAGER IN CEDAR RAPIDS AND CONTINUES TO REVERBERATE IN THE LIVES OF OTHERS. 16-YEAR-OLD TYRELL GASTON ACCEPTED A 2ND DEGREE ROBBERY PLEA DEAL MONDAY. GASTON AND HIS COUSIN ANDREW WERE BOTH SHOT DURING THE INCIDENT; ANDREW GASTON’S INJURIES WERE FATAL. POLICE SAY, THEY WERE ATTEMPTING TO ROB KYLER CARSON OF 900 DOLLARS WORTH OF MARIJUANA WHEN THE SHOOTING BROKE OUT. CARSON IS CHARGED WITH VOLUNTARY MANSLAUGHTER.
ROAD, SIDEWALK, AND TRAIL PROJECTS WILL BE THE PRIMARY PLACES WHERE THE CITY OF CEDAR FALLS EXPECTS TO SPEND THREE-AND-A-HALF MILLION DOLLARS IN MUNICIPAL LOAN MONEY APPROVED MONDAY. THE CITY COUNCIL VOTED FOR THE PLAN, 6-1. THE BIGGEST PROJECT THE BONDS WILL COVER IS A RECONSTRUCTION OF CEDAR HEIGHTS DRIVE, WHICH REPRESENTS OVER ONE-FIFTH OF THE DOLLARS WHICH WILL BE SPENT. CITY EXECUTIVES SAY THE MONEY IS BEING BORROWED AT A RATE OF 1.6 PERCENT.
INCREASING CONCERNS ABOUT AN INFLAMITORY ILLNESS IN CHILDREN IS LEADING HEALTH OFFICIALS TO TEST MORE KIDS FOR COVID-19. LAST WEEK, THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION NOTED THAT THERE SEEMS TO BE AN ASSOCIATION BETWEEN THE CORONAVIRUS AND MULTISYSTEM INFLAMITORY SYNDROME IN CHILDREN. AS A RESULT, THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH PLANS TO BOOST TESTS FOR KIDS WITH FEVER AND RESPIRATORY DIFFICULTY. CHILDREN WITH SYMPTONS IN DAY CARE CENTERS, AND THE STAFF THAT SUPERVISE THEM, WILL NOW BE AMONG THOSE PRIORITIZED FOR TESTING.
EVICTIONS AND FORECLOSURE SALES IN LINN COUNTY WILL BEGIN AGAIN NEXT WEDNESDAY. THOSE ACTIONS HAD BEEN SUSPENDED DURING THE COVID-19 PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY. IN A STATEMENT RELEASED MONDAY, THE LINN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE SAID THE DECISION WAS MADE ON THE EXPECTION THAT THERE WOULD BE NO NEW EMERGENCY PROCLAMATIONS. FORECLOSURE SALES WILL BE HELD OUTSIDE THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE FOR SOCIAL DISTANCING PURPOSES. PROPERTY UP FOR AUCTION CAN BE REVIEWED ON THE LINN COUNTY WEBSITE.
THE WATERLOO CITY COUNCIL VOTED ON MONDAY TO SEEK FEDERAL MONEY THAT WOULD ADD MORE FIREFIGHTERS. A FEMA GRANT PROGRAM WOULD PAY THE COSTS FOR ADDED FIREFIGHTERS FOR UP TO THREE YEARS. HOWEVER, IF WATERLOO NEEDED TO CUT ITS FIRE STAFF FOR BUDGET REASONS DURING THAT TIME, THE CITY WOULD NEED TO PAY BACK THE GRANT FUNDS. PREVIOUSLY, THE PROGRAM REQUIRED SOME LOCAL MATCHING DOLLARS, BUT THAT CONDITION WAS RECENTLY ELIMINATED.
