A man was killed in a two-vehicle accident in Black Hawk County Saturday morning. Shortly after 11 a.m., officials were sent to a report of a collision along southbound Interstate 380, near mile marker 68. Deputies believe that a pickup driven by 63-year-old Robert Schmaltz of Raymond attempted to merge left, from the right lane, and hit an auto on the back end. Both vehicles then spun out and landed in the ditch. Schmaltz was killed in the accident; the driver of the other vehicle was not hurt. Sheriff’s Deputies believe weather may have been a factor in the incident, as a heavy downpour was occurring at the time.
Alliant Energy has continued working to restore power to the tens of thousands of Iowans who were affected by the derecho which struck two weeks ago today. Restoring power to those final few thousand residents often means others lose power again for a short time to create a connection. Cindy Tomlinson is a spokesperson for Alliant Energy who described the process to me on KXEL Live & Local this past Friday. You can hear the full conversation by listening to the podcast at kxel-dot-com.
Those driving in downtown Waterloo have noticed a lot of construction activity at the city-owned Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center downtown, and a remodeling of the privately-owned hotel across the street…this after an effort to sell both properties to a Nebraska company failed to yield results. That’s Waterloo Mayor Quentin Hart, from a conversation in our studio on KXEL Live & Local earlier this month. The full interview is a podcast at kxel-dot-com.
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Iowa’s unemployment rate dropped significantly in July but remained far higher than the rate before the coronavirus pandemic led to an economic slowdown. Iowa Workforce Development reported Friday a 6.6% unemployment rate, down from 8.4% in June. The rate was more than twice as high as July 2019, when the state recorded a 2.7% rate. The number of Iowa residents without jobs dropped from 137,700 in June to 107,300 in July.
With all the attention given to the pandemic and recent storms, not much attention has been paid to the U.S. Census being conducted this year, and Waterloo Mayor Quentin Hart told me citizens cannot forget that. The census is taken every ten years and helps apportion government funding, and determines population for elections, as well.
It’s been two weeks since the massive record-setting derecho tore through Iowa, leading Alliant Energy to call in workers from around the country to help restore power. That’s Cindy Tomlinson, an Alliant spokesperson, who spoke to me Friday on KXEL Live & Local; the full conversation is a podcast at kxel-dot-com.
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The Iowa landscape was forever changed by a derecho two weeks ago today that hammered Iowa with winds topping 140 miles per hour in some locations. Unfortunately, some have been trying to take advantage of storm victims. This is Cindy Tomlinson of Alliant Energy. Hear the full conversation from Friday’s KXEL Live & Local program by going to the podcast section of kxel-dot-com.
Many are just hoping the year 2020 ends…because of the unique nature of unforeseen challenges it’s presented so far. But despite all that, Waterloo Mayor Quentin Hart remains optimistic. You can hear my full conversation with Mayor Hart from earlier this month on KXEL Live & Local by going to the podcast section of kxel-dot-com.
Organizers of the Republican National Convention has announced their list of speakers over the four nights beginning today. Among the speakers are Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds and Iowa Senator Joni Ernst. Senator Ernst also spoke in prime time during the 2016 GOP convention. Governor Reynolds is scheduled to speak on Tuesday night while Senator Ernst is scheduled to address delegates and the nation on Wednesday night.
