SOME PEOPLE MAY HAVE A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY ABOUT COVID-19. AT THE SAME TIME SOME TYPICAL ROUTINES HAVE BEEN RE-ESTABLISHED, POSITIVE CASES OF THE CORONAVIRUS HAVE ALSO INCREASED NOTICEABLY. LINN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS CHAIRMAN BEN ROGERS WAS AMONG THOSE WHO PROVIDED AN UPDATE DURING A WEDNESDAY BRIEFING. ROGERS SAYS LINN COUNTY WILL PROVIDE INFORMATION LATER THIS WEEK ABOUT HOW SCHOOLS CAN REOPEN SAFELY IN THE FALL. AS OF THIS MORNING, LINN COUNTY HAD MORE THAN 12 HUNDRED CASES OF COVID-19, RANKING AMONG THE TOP FIVE TOTALS IN THE STATE.
CEDAR FALLS RESIDENTS WILL LOUDLY MAKE THEIR PREFERENCES KNOWN IN AN AT-LARGE CITY COUNCIL ELECTION FOR ONE SEAT. AHEAD OF VOTING SCHEDULED FOR NEXT WEEK, THE BLACK HAWK COUNTY AUDITOR’S OFFICE SAYS APPROXIMATELY 23 PERCENT OF REGISTERED VOTERS HAVE REQUESTED AN ABSENTEE BALLOT. THAT IS NEARLY THE SAME AS THE PERCENTAGE OF ELIGIBLE VOTERS WHO TURNED OUT FOR THE CITY’S MUNICIPAL AND SCHOOL ELECTIONS LAST NOVEMBER, WHEN RESIDENTS VOTED FOR MAYOR, SEVERAL CITY COUNCIL SLOTS, AND THE SCHOOL BOARD. ALL IN-PERSON VOTING NEXT TUESDAY WILL HAPPEN AT THE GALLAGHER-BLUEDORN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER. MORE THAN 1,000 ABSENTEE BALLOTS HAVE NOT YET BEEN RETURNED AND NEED TO BE POSTMARKED BY MONDAY.
A SWIMMING POOL ACCIDENT SENT A THREE-YEAR-OLD CEDAR RAPIDS GIRL TO UNIVERSITY OF IOWA HOSPITALS SUNDAY. DETAILS ABOUT THE CRITICAL INJURIES BECAME PUBLIC WEDNESDAY. THE GIRL WAS FOUND UNRESPONSIVE AFTER FALLING INTO THE POOL WHEN SHE WALKED AWAY FROM A FAMILY GATHERING.
THE LAWYER FOR FIRED CEDAR RAPIDS POLICE SERGEANT LUCAS JONES IS TALKING ABOUT HIS CLIENT’S SIDE OF THE STORY. SKYLAR LIMKEMANN REPRESENTS JONES; HE SPOKE TO OUR COVERAGE PARTNERS AT TV-9 ABOUT WHAT THE CEDAR RAPIDS POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS REVEALED ABOUT JONES’ TERMINATION. CEDAR RAPIDS POLICE SAY DURING AN INTERNAL INVESTIGATION, JONES LIED ABOUT TURNING OFF A MICROPHONE WHILE MAKING A TRAFFIC STOP. THAT 2016 STOP HAPPENED DAYS BEFORE JONES WAS INVOLVED IN ANOTHER INCIDENT WHICH ENDED WITH THE SHOOTING AND PARALYZATION OF JERMIE MITCHELL.
THE INDEPENDENCE DAY WEEKEND WILL BEGIN FOR MANY TOMORROW, AHEAD OF THE 4TH OF JULY ON SATURDAY. THE BLACK HAWK COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS URGING PEOPLE TO BE CAUTIOUS ABOUT SPREADING OR CONTRACTING COVID-19 DURING THE HOLIDAY. A REMINDER SENT OUT ON WEDNESDAY REITERATED THAT STAYING HOME IS THE BEST WAY TO STAY SAFE, BUT THAT WEARING A FACEMASK AND MAINTAINING SOCIAL DISTANCING CAN HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT. BLACK HAWK COUNTY IS ONE OF THREE PLACES IN THE STATE WITH MORE THAN 2,000 CASES SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC.
STATE OFFICIALS HAVE RECEIVED AN UNEXPECTED SHIPMENT THEY HOPE WILL NOT BE NEEDED…A COMPANY THAT MAKES UNIFORMS FOR MEATPACKING WORKERS SENT A FREE SUPPLY OF 500 BODY BAGS. DICKSON INDUSTRIES IS DONATING THE BODY BAGS AS THE STATE PREPARES FOR A WORST-CASE SCENARIO IN WHICH THE CORONAVIRUS OR ANOTHER HEALTH EMERGENCY WOULD OVERWHELM HOSPITALS AND MEDICAL EXAMINERS. THEY WILL BE ADDED TO A STATE STOCKPILE.
QUARZONE MARTIN WILL RECEIVE A NEW TRIAL AFTER BEING CONVICTED FOR THE MURDER OF ANDREW MEEKS IN CEDAR RAPIDS DURING 2017. AN APPEALS COURT DETERMINED THAT IMPROPER JURY INSTRUCTIONS MEAN THAT MARTIN’S ORIGINAL CONVICTION IS INVALID. MARTIN CLAIMED THAT THE SHOOTING WAS IN SELF-DEFENSE AFTER A DISPUTE AROSE DURING A MEETING WITH MEEKS AND ANOTHER MAN. THE THREE WERE TOGETHER IN A STORE PARKING LOT AND HAD MET TO EXCHANGE ELICIT PRESCRIPTION DRUGS. THE OVERTURNED SENTENCE WOULD HAVE SENT MARTIN TO PRISON FOR UP TO 50 YEARS. DETAILS ABOUT MARTIN’S NEW TRIAL HAVE NOT YET BEEN DETERMINED
HEALTH OFFICIALS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS HAVE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT COVID-19 DURING THE LAST THREE MONTHS. DURING A CORONAVIRUS BRIEFING ON WEDNESDAY, LINN COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS CHAIRMAN BEN ROGERS REINFORCED THE MESSAGE THAT THE PANDEMIC IS CONTINUING, AND WILL HAVE IMPACTS BEYOND MAKING PEOPLE SICK FOR AS LONG AS IT IS SPREADING IN ANY COMMUNITY. HEALTH OFFICIALS IN LINN COUNTY AND ELSEWHERE ARE REMINDING PEOPLE TO WEAR MASKS, OBSERVE SOCIAL DISTANCING, AND WASH THEIR HANDS DURING THE EXTENDED INDEPENDENCE DAY WEEKEND.
THE UNI PANTHER VOLLEYBALL SCHEDULE WAS RELEASED WEDNESDAY. VISITING OPPONENTS COMING TO THE MCLEOD CENTER INCLUDE IOWA STATE, MINNESOTA, MISSOURI, AND UTAH. NEWS/TALK 1540 KXEL IS YOUR HOME OF THE PANTHERS, INCLUDING LIVE COVERAGE OF MANY UNI VOLLEYBALL GAMES.
