ADDITIONAL CHARGES HAVE BEEN FILED AFTER A WEEKEND KNIFE INCIDENT IN CEDAR RAPIDS. 53-YEAR-OLD LAVERN COSBY WAS ORIGINALLY ARRESTED AFTER A SATURDAY EMERGENCY CALL FROM AN APARTMENT ON THE CITY’S SOUTHEAST SIDE NEAR KIRKWOOD COMMUNITY COLLEGE. POLICE SAY COSBY ALLEGEDLY SLASHED A MAN THREE TIMES WITH A KITCHEN KNIFE. SHE WAS INITIALLY CHARGED WITH ASSAULT. AUTHORITIES HAVE ADDED ATTEMPTED MURDER AND OTHER COUNTS. INJURIES TO THE MAN INVOLVED IN THE INCIDENT WERE DESCRIBED AS LACERATIONS.
CLASSES AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA BEGIN IN ONE WEEK. MANY COLLEGE STUDENTS HAVE ALREADY RETURNED TO THEIR ON- OR OFF-CAMPUS HOUSING. KATHRYN SOGARD IS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE COLLEGE HILL PARTNERSHIP. SHE TALKED ABOUT DIFFERENCES IN THE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN PROPERTY OWNERS AND THEIR TENANTS. SOGARD PRAISED THE FLEXIBILITY OF LANDLORDS, BUSINESS OWNERS, AND THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA IN ADJUSTING TO THE CHANGING COVID-19 SITUATION. SHE SAYS HAVING STUDENTS ON CAMPUS SAFELY IS IMPORTANT FOR THE ECONOMIC HEALTH OF THE ENTIRE CEDAR FALLS COMMUNITY.
IOWA CASINOS’ ATTENDANCE STAYED DOWN CONSIDERABLY IN JULY, BUT REVENUE DIDN’T SUFFER AS MUCH AS MIGHT BE EXPECTED. NUMBERS FROM THE STATE, RELEASED LATE LAST WEEK, SHOW 33 PERCENT FEWER PEOPLE WERE GAMBLING COMPARED WITH JULY OF 2019. BY COMPARISON, CASINOS ONLY SAW A FOUR PERCENT DROP IN THE MONEY THEY TOOK IN, COMING WITHIN FIVE MILLION DOLLARS OF MATCHING THEIR TAKE FROM LAST JULY.
FIREFIGHTERS IN LISBON ENCOUNTERED A SMOKEY SITUATION SUNDAY. THEY
SPENT A LARGE PART OF YESTERDAY AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING LOOKING
FOR SMOULDERING MATERIAL AT AN INDUSTRIAL PLANT WHICH MAKES
RAILROAD CROSSING EQUIPMENT. FIRE TRUCKS ARRIVED AT HI-RAIL A LITTLE
AFTER 3 O’CLOCK AND HAD TO MOVE AROUND MATERIAL IN THE COMPANY’S
WAREHOUSE AREA TO FIND THE SOURCE OF THE MINOR FIRE. THERE WERE NO
INJURIES, AND OFFICIALS NOTED THAT A FIRE SPRINKLER SYSTEM HAD
ACTIVATED BEFORE FIREFIGHTERS ARRIVED.
AS IOWA SENATE CANDIDATE TERESA GREENFIELD SEES IT, THE CORONAVIRUS
IS LIKELY TO BE ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS VOTERS ARE THINKING ABOUT IN
NOVEMBER. GREENFIELD WAS A RECENT GUEST ON KXEL LIVE AND
LOCAL. SHE SAYS RENEWED FEDERAL UNEMPLOYMENT SUPPLEMENTS AND
ANOTHER ROUND OF THE PAYROLL PROTECTION PROGRAM MUST BE WORKED
OUT IN WASHINGTON SOON, AND THAT THE COVID-19 SITUATION SHOWS THE
NEED FOR EXPANDED SICK LEAVE. HEAR MORE OF THE INTERVIEW WITH
GREENFIELD AT KXEL.COM.
GAS PRICES HAVE BEEN STEADY OVER THE PAST TWO WEEKS. NATIONWIDE
RATES FOR REGULAR GRADE BLENDS HELD AT $2.25 PER GALLON, 50 CENTS
BELOW THE AVERAGE FROM A YEAR AGO. CRUDE OIL PRICES HAVE MOVED
VERY LITTLE, AND DEMAND FOR GAS HAS STAYED WEAK AS THE TYPICAL
SUMMER DRIVING SEASON APPROACHES ITS END. THE AVERAGE PRICE OF
DIESEL DROPPED ONE PENNY FROM TWO WEEKS EARLIER, TO $2.53 A GALLON.
CAMPAIGN FUNDING HAS BEEN AN AREA OF BACK-AND-FORTH BETWEEN THE
SENATE CAMPAIGNS OF INCUMBENT JONI ERNST AND CHALLENGER TERESA
GREENFIELD. DURING A RECENT APPEARANCE ON KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL,
GREENFIELD STOOD BY HER PROMISE NOT TO TAKE MONEY FROM CORPORATE
POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEES, WHICH HAS BEEN QUESTIONED BY THE ERNST
CAMPAIGN. A JULY FILING SHOWED GREENFIELD HAD OVER FIVEAND-
A-HALF MILLION DOLLARS TO SPEND ON CAMPAIGN EXPENSES, WHILE
ERNST HAD MORE THAN NINE MILLION DOLLARS AVAILABLE. WHEN ERNST
WON HER SEAT IN 2014 AGAINST BRUCE BRALEY, SPENDING ON CAMPAIGN
ADS TOTALED OVER 41 MILLION DOLLARS.
SUN BLOCK AND BUG SPRAY MIGHT BE WORTH ADDING TO THE BACK-TO-SCHOOL
SUPPLY LIST. MANY SCHOOLS ARE PLANNING TO TAKE CLASSES
OUTDOORS, WEATHER PERMITTING. OFFICIALS IN SOME DISTRICTS ARE
TELLING TEACHERS TO HEAD FOR OPEN AIR, WHEN THEY CAN, TO PROMOTE
SOCIAL DISTANCING AND LIMIT THE CHANCES FOR COVID-19 SPREAD. AGING
AIR CONDITIONING AND HEATING SYSTEMS ARE A CONCERN, IF THEY ALLOW
CLASSROOM AIR TO BECOME STAGNANT, MEANING THE VIRUS COULD LINGER.
SOME OF THOSE CLASSROOMS COULD BE EXPERIENCING INTERNET
IMPROVEMENTS. THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION IS REDIRECTING 19
MILLION DOLLARS OF FEDERAL MONEY TO K-THROUGH-12 SCHOOLS FOR
INTERNET EQUIPMENT AND UPGRADES. RURAL DISTRICTS WITH LIMITED WEB
CONNECTION OPTIONS MAY BENEFIT THE MOST. BESIDES THAT TECHNOLOGY
SUPPORT, STATE OFFICIALS SAY NEARLY SEVEN MILLION ADDITIONAL DOLLARS
WILL GO TO HIGHER-ED INSTITUTIONS TO BOOST CONNECTIVITY.
