WATERLOO RESIDENTS ARE ORGANIZING A VIGIL IN RESPONSE TO THE DEATH OF A MINNEAPOLIS MAN WHICH HAS SPARKED VIOLENCE IN MINNESOTA THIS WEEK. THE GATHERING IN WATERLOO IS PLANNED FOR SIX O’CLOCK THIS EVENING. DEMONSTRATORS WILL CROSS THE 6TH STREET BRIDGE AND GATHER NEAR CITY HALL BEFORE MOVING ON TO LINCOLN PARK. THE EVENT WILL INCLUDE A PRAYER AND COMMENTS FROM STATE REPRESENTATIVE RAS SMITH.
THERE WAS A PROTEST IN CEDAR RAPIDS THURSDAY OVER THE DEATH OF GEORGE FLOYD AND THE INCENDIARY VIDEO WHICH HAS SPREAD WIDELY ON SOCIAL AND TRADITIONAL MEDIA. CEDAR RAPIDS POLICE CHIEF WAYNE JERMAN SHARED HIS REACTION TO THE VIDEO WITH OUR COVERAGE PARTNERS AT TV-9. JERMAN STRESSED THAT POLICE WORK IS FAR MORE EFFECTIVE WHEN THERE IS A HIGHER LEVEL OF TRUST BETWEEN OFFICERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
A-C-T C-E-O MARTEN ROORDA IS DEPARTING FROM THE IOWA CITY-BASED ACADEMIC TESTING COMPANY. ROORDA MAY BE FOLLOWED BY A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF OTHER EMPLOYEES. A-C-T IS OFFERING SEVERANCE PACKAGES TO TRY AND REDUCE ITS WORKFORCE OF APPROXIMATELY 800 IN EASTERN IOWA. THE COMPANY IS LOOKING TO SAVE MONEY AFTER THE DISRUPTIVE EFFECTS OF THE CORONAVIRUS.
THE HEARST CENTER FOR THE ARTS IN CEDAR FALLS WILL REOPEN ON TUESDAY, JUNE 9TH. ALL VISITORS WILL BE ASKED TO WEAR MASKS AND OBSERVE SOCIAL DISTANCING GUIDELINES. IOWA MUSEUMS AND GALLERIES HAVE HAD THE OPTION FOR LIMITED REOPENINGS SINCE LAST WEEK.
MINOR FLOODING IS EXPECTED ON THE CEDAR RIVER IN CEDAR FALLS, FOLLOWING SIGNIFICANT RAIN THIS WEEK. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ADVISES THAT RIVER LEVELS ARE EXPECTED TO BE SEVERAL INCHES OVER FLOOD STAGE WITH A CREST AROUND MIDNIGHT. THE CEDAR SHOULD BE BACK BELOW FLOOD STAGE IN CEDAR FALLS TOMORROW.
THE TEST IOWA SITE IN WATERLOO WILL STAY OPEN THROUGH AT LEAST JUNE 12TH. ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO BE TESTED FOR COVID-19 CAN VISIT A TEST IOWA SITE AFTER FIRST COMPLETING AN ONLINE SCREENING QUESTIONNAIRE. BLACK HAWK COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH DIRECTOR DR. NAFISSA CISSE-EGBUONYE OFFERED A CRITIQUE OF TEST IOWA THURSDAY, SAYING THE RESOURCES FOR THE PROGRAM WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE EFFECTIVE IF THEY HAVE BEEN USED TO BUILD OUT TESTING CAPABILITIES OF LOCAL HEALTH PROVIDERS. BLACK HAWK COUNT’YS RATE OF POSITIVE TESTS IS ALMOST TWICE AS HIGH AS THE STATEWIDE RATE.
STUDENTS IN THE DENVER COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT COMPLETED CLASSES REMOTELY LAST WEEK. SUPERINTENDENT BRAD LAURES TALKED ABOUT THE NEXT STEPS AFTER COVID-19. HEAR MORE BY LISTENING TO THE PODCAST AT KXEL-DOT-COM.
AN ALLEGEDLY DRUNKEN DRIVER TOOK CEDAR RAPIDS POLICE ON AN OVERNIGHT CHASE FROM DOWNTOWN TO PAST WESTDALE MALL. OFFICERS FIRST TRIED TO PULL OVER ANTONIO HILL ON 1ST AVENUE. AFTER 10 MINUTES, HE WAS EVENTUALLY STOPPED IN THE YARD IN FRONT OF AN APARTMENT BUILDING. BESIDES CHARGES OF OPERATING WHILE INTOXICATED, HILL WAS ALLEGEDLY IN POSSESSION OF COCAINE AND DRUG PARAPHERNALIA.
THE IOWA LEGISLATURE IS EXPECTED TO BRING ITS COVID-19 RECESS TO AN END NEXT WEDNESDAY. THE 2020 SESSION WAS INTERRUPTED BY CORONAVIRUS CONCERNS IN MID-MARCH. DURING THE LATTER PART OF NEXT WEEK, STATE REPRESENTATIVES AND SENATORS ARE EXPECTED TO WORK THROUGH POLICY BILLS. THE MAIN FOCUS WILL BE SPENDING LEGISLATION, WITH THE STATE’S BUDGET DEADLINE ON THE HORIZON AT THE END OF JUNE. THIS MORNING, CEDAR FALLS LEGISLATOR BOB KRESSIG WAS A GUEST DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL AND TALKED ABOUT TAPPING INTO EMERGENCY FUNDS TO HELP DEAL WITH REPERCUSSIONS OF THE PANDEMIC. KRESSIG ALSO HIGHLIGHTED CONCERNS ABOUT THE IMPACT OF THE SHUTDOWN ON EDUCATION AND MENTAL HEALTH, AND EXPRESSED HIS HOPE THAT THE LEGISLATURE WILL SPEND TIME THINKING ABOUT THOSE TOPICS.
IN SPORTS, IOWA ATHLETIC DIRECTOR GARY BARTA HAS A VISION OF THE HAWKEYE FOOTBALL TEAM BACK ON THE FIELD IN THE FALL, PLAYING IN FRONT OF A FULL STADIUM, WITH TAIL-GATERS IN THE PARKING LOT. HE SAYS 75 PERCENT OF FOOTBALL SEASON TICKETS HAVE BEEN RENEWED. SPEAKING ABOUT THE STATE OF IOWA ATHLETICS YESTERDAY, BARTA SAID MUCH HAS YET TO BE DETERMINED AND THAT THE SITUATION COULD PLAY OUT IN INNUMERABLE WAYS.
