THE WHITE HOUSE CORONAVIRUS TASK FORCE SEES COVID-19 EXPANDING IN IOWA. THE GROUP’S LATEST REPORT COVERS THE WEEK ENDING LAST FRIDAY, AND INDICATED THAT THE RATE OF POSITIVE TESTS WAS UP COMPARED WITH THE WEEK BEFORE. THE NUMBERS ALSO SHOW NEARLY 20 PERCENT MORE ACTIVE CASES IN THE ONE-WEEK TIMESPAN. POLK, WOODBURY, AND DUBUQUE COUNTIES ARE THE AREAS OF GREATEST CONCERN AND CURRENTLY HAVE THE HIGHEST RATE OF NEW CASES. ACCORDING TO THE WHITE HOUSE TASK FORCE, IOWA HAS THE EIGHTH-HIGHEST RATE OF INFECTION IN THE U.S.
IOWA SENATOR JONI ERNST TALKED ABOUT HER HOPES TO SEE A NEW COVID-19 STIMULUS PACKAGE FROM WASHINGTON. ERNST SAYS ANOTHER ROUND OF SUPPORT FOR SMALL BUSINESS NEEDS TO BE A KEY COMPONENT. THERE ARE QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER ENOUGH TIME REMAINS FOR ANY NEW STIMULUS PACKAGE TO MOVE THROUGH THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS BEFORE NOVEMBER 3RD. ELECTION DAY IS NOW LESS THAN TWO WEEKS AWAY.
WATERLOO OFFICIALS SHARED DETAILS ABOUT AN AIRPORT EMERGENCY DRILL WHICH IS PLANNED FOR TOMORROW. THE EXERCISE IS REQUIRED BY THE FAA EVERY THREE YEARS. AIRPORT AUTHORITIES WILL BE WORKING WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT AND FIRST RESPONDERS DURING A SIMULATION OF A COLISSION BETWEEN TWO PLANES. THE DRILL WILL BEGIN THURSDAY AFTERNOON AROUND THREE O’CLOCK. OFFICIALS SAY THERE WILL NOT BE ANY IMPACTS ON SCHEDULED ARRIVALS OR DEPARTURES AND THAT THEY ARE TRYING TO SPEAD THE WORD ABOUT TOMORROW’S EXERCISE TO PREVENT UNDUE PUBLIC CONCERN.
REPUBLICAN RYAN HOWARD IS SEEKING THE IOWA HOUSE SEAT IN DISTRICT 60, COVERING PORTIONS OF BLACK HAWK COUNTY. THIS MORNING DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL, HOWARD TALKED ABOUT AN AREA OF PARTICULAR INTEREST: CHILD CARE. HOWARD’S FAMILY OPERATES A LICENSED IN-HOME DAYCARE SERVICE, AND HE IS A MEMBER OF THE BLACK HAWK COUNTY CHILD CARE COALITION. HOWARD IS RUNNING AGAINST REPRESENTATIVE DAVE WILLIAMS, WHO WILL BE A KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL GUEST THURSDAY.
A DATA BREACH MAY IMPACT STUDENTS IN DOZENS OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS ACROSS THE STATE. TIMBERLINE BILLING SERVICE SPECIALIZES IN SCHOOL-RELATED MEDICAID PROGRAMS. THE COMPANY SAYS ITS NETWORK WAS BREACHED EARLY THIS YEAR. SOME FILES WITH PERSONAL INFORMATION COULD HAVE BEEN ACCESSED. TIMBERLINE IS NOTIFYING THE FAMILIES OF STUDENTS WITH DATA THAT MAY HAVE BEEN COMPROMISED.
THE IOWA DNR IS HOLDING A VIRTUAL PUBLIC MEETING TOMORROW MORNING TO TALK ABOUT THE SALE OF TIMBER AT WAPSIPINICON STATE PARK SOUTH OF ANAMOSA. THAT SALE WOULD INCLUDE DERECHO DAMAGED TREES AND OTHERS BEING REMOVED FOR A CONSTRUCTION PROJECT. THE ONLINE MEETING BEGINS AT 10 A.M. TOMORROW VIA ZOOM.
THE MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE HAS REVEALED SOME DETAILS ABOUT THIS YEAR’S REVISED MVC VOLLEYBALL SCHEDULE. THE UNI PANTERS WILL BEGIN PLAY ON FEBRUARY 7TH AT EVANSVILLE, WITH THE CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT SCHEDULED FOR THE FIRST DAYS OF APRIL. KXEL IS YOUR HOME FOR PANTHER ATHLETICS.
WHITE HOUSE OFFICIALS AND LEGISLATIVE DEMOCRATS APPEAR TO BE GETTING CLOSER ON A SECOND ROUND OF FEDERAL STIMULUS RELATED TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. AFTER MONTHS OF DEADLOCK, THE TWO SIDES CONTINUE TO NEGOTIATE ON ADDITIONAL SUPPORT FOR PROGRAMS LIKE THE PAYROLL PROTECTION PROGRAM, EXPANDED UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF, AND POSSIBLY A NEW ROUND OF DIRECT PAYMENTS. IOWA SENATOR JONI ERNST SHARED OPTIMISM ABOUT NEW FEDERAL MONEY COMING TO THE STATE. IOWA HAS SEEN A FIVE-MONTH TREND OF HIRING AFTER THE INITIAL ARRIVAL OF COVID-19; YESTERDAY IOWA WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT REPORTED THAT UNEMPLOYMENT DROPPED TO 4.7 PERCENT IN SEPTEMBER.
WHERE SCHOOL BUILDINGS ARE OPEN IN CEDAR RAPIDS, MORE STUDENTS ARE AT THEIR DESKS. SIX SCHOOLS ARE STILL CLOSED FROM AUGUST STORM DAMAGE. HOWEVER, ON THE DISTRICT’S OTHER CAMPUSES, 70 PERCENT OF STUDENTS ARE ATTENDING IN PERSON, RATHER THAN ONLINE. IN THOSE BUILDINGS, CEDAR RAPIDS SCHOOLS REPORT THAT THERE ARE OVER THREE THOUSAND REMOTE LEARNERS IN PRIMARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL GRADES.
YOU MIGHT SEE FARM KIDS AT VOTING SITES DURING THE NOVEMBER ELECTION. AGRICULTURE SECRETARY MIKE NAIG AND SECRETARY OF STATE PAUL PATE JOINTLY ENCOURAGED FFA MEMBERS TO SERVE AS POLL WORKERS. IN A STATEMENT, PATE SAID HE HOPED MANY FFA MEMBERS WILL STEP UP. ELECTION OFFICIALS HAVE EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT ELECTION STAFFING, BECAUSE MANY POLL WORKERS ARE SENIORS AND AT INCREASED RISK FOR COVID-19.
