THE BLACK HAWK COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT UPGRADED THE LOCAL COVID-19 RISK DESIGNATION TO “HIGH” WEDNESDAY. DURING AN ONLINE VIDEO PRESENTATION, PUBLIC HEALTH DIRECTOR DR. NAFISSA CISSE-EGBUONYE SAID THERE HAS BEEN A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN CORONAVIRUS ACTIVITY, UP TO THE HIGHEST CASE COUNT SINCE APRIL. SHE ALSO SPOKE ABOUT THE IMPLICATIONS FOR THIS HALLOWEEN WEEKEND. ON A STATEWIDE BASIS, IOWA HAS BEEN SEEING SOME OF THE HIGHEST NUMBERS OF HOSPITALIZATIONS SINCE THE CORONAVIRUS FIRST ARRIVED EARLIER THIS YEAR. THAT IS LEADING SOME MEDICAL CENTERS TO CONSIDER PLANS FOR TRANSFERRING PATIENTS TO OTHER FACILITIES WITH MORE CAPACITY.
RESIDENTS OF AN APARTMENT BUILDING IN CASCADE WERE LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO STAY AFTER A SIGNIFICANT FIRE THERE LAST NIGHT. FIRST RESPONDERS ARRIVED SHORTLY AFTER 9 P.M. THERE WERE NO REPORTED INJURIES, BUT THE FIRE DID CAUSE AN ESTIMATED 100 THOUSAND DOLLARS IN DAMAGE. THE FIRE WAS REPORTEDLY STARTED BY AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM.
A CHASE THROUGH PARTS OF BUTLER AND BREMER COUNTY THIS WEEK ENDED WHEN THE SUSPECT HIT A POLICE CAR. THE BREMER COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE RELEASED A REPORT ON THE MONDAY INCIDENT YESTERDAY. NICHOLAS SCHWARTZ ALLEGEDLY CRASHED INTO A TRIPOLI POLICE CAR WHILE DRIVING A TRUCK WHICH DID NOT BELONG TO HIM. SCHWARTZ HAS BEEN CHARGED WITH SEVERAL TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS, INCLUDING OPERATING WHILE INTOXICATED AND TAKING THE VEHICLE WITHOUT THE OWNER’S CONSENT.
A MAN WHO WAS ALLEGEDLY A KEY FIGURE IN A CEDAR VALLEY CRIME SPREE EARLIER THIS YEAR WOULD LIKE HIS TRIAL MOVED OUT OF BLACK HAWK COUNTY. A REPRESENTATIVE FOR 29-YEAR-OLD KEVIN CRUZ SUGGESTS COVERAGE OF THE VARIOUS INCIDENTS WILL MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR CRUZ TO RECEIVE A FAIR TRIAL IN WATERLOO. CHARGES AGAINST CRUZ INVOLVE BURGLARY AND ARSON; HE WAS IMPLICATED IN FIRES WHICH DESTROYED MAPLE LANES BOWLING ALLEY AND THE WISHBONE RESTAURANT. IN MARCH, CRUZ WAS ARRESTED AFTER AN ATTEMPTED ARMORED CAR ROBBERY AT A U.S. BANK LOCATION ON WATERLOO’S WEST SIDE.
THE DEADLINE FOR ONE ROUND OF FEDERAL SUPPORT FOR DERECHO DISASTER RECOVERY WILL ARRIVE JUST BEFORE MIDNIGHT ON MONDAY. THE U.S. SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION SAYS LOW-INTEREST DISASTER LOAN APPLICATIONS NEED TO BE RECEIVED BY NOVEMBER 2ND. MORE THAN 19 MILLION DOLLARS HAS ALREADY BEEN APPROVED THROUGH THE PROGRAM FOR HOMEOWNERS AND RENTERS, AS WELL AS SMALL BUSINESSES. NEARLY ANOTHER 10 MILLION DOLLARS HAS BEEN AWARDED THROUGH COMPLIMENTARY INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANCE GRANTS. MORE INFORMATION IS AVAILABE FROM DISASTER-RECOVERY-DOT-IOWA.GOV.
THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY HAS RELICENSED DICAMBA. DUSTIN HOFFMAN OF THE IOWA AGRIBUSINESS RADIO NETWORK TALKED ABOUT THE DECISION TO GIVE THE HERBICIDE A GREEN LIGHT FOR FIVE YEARS, INSTEAD OF TWO. DICAMBA IS BROADLY USED BY COMMODITY CROP FARMERS BUT IS ALSO BELIEVED TO HAVE CARCINOGENIC EFFECTS. A NUMBER OF AGRI-CHEMICAL MANUFACTURERS MAKE PRODUCTS WITH THE WEED-KILLER DICAMBA. HOFFMAN OF THE IOWA AGRIBUSINESS RADIO NETWORK SAYS THAT EPA DECISION DOESN’T MEAN THAT DICAMBA WON’T BE EXAMINED BY COURTS IN THE IMMEDIATE MONTHS AND YEARS AHEAD. THE NEW EPA LICENSE DOES HAVE DIFFERENT STANDARDS THAN THE ONE WHICH WAS PREVIOUSLY STRUCK DOWN, INCLUDING NATIONAL REGULATIONS, RATHER THAN STATE-BY-STATE RULES. HOFFMAN SAYS THE LONGER FIVE YEAR TERM WITH THIS EPA LICENSE OFFERS MORE CERTAINTY THAN PREVIOUS TWO-YEAR APPROVALS.
WITH RISING COVID-19 RATES IN BLACK HAWK COUNTY, THE SALVATION ARMY OF WATERLOO/CEDAR FALLS IS ONCE AGAIN OFFERING TAKE-AWAY STYLE MEALS AS PART OF ITS COMMUNITY FOOD PROGRAM. FREE HOT MEALS ARE AVAILABLE FROM THE ORGANIZATION ON MONDAYS, WEDNESDAYS, AND FRIDAYS. SALVATION ARMY OFFICIALS SAY THEY WILL OFFER TAKE-AWAY STYLE MEALS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE TO MINIMIZE VIRUS SPREAD AMONG VOLUNTEERS AND THOSE PARTICIPATING IN THE MEAL PROGRAM.
SEVERAL ROADS IN LINN COUNTY COULD BE RENAMED. LAST MONTH, LINN COUNTY CONSERVATION OFFICIALLY CHANGED THE NAME OF SQUAW CREEK PARK. A HALF DOZEN ROADS WITH THAT TERM IN THEIR NAMES COULD ALSO NOW BE RECHRISTENED. THE FIRST STEP IN THAT PROCESS WILL BE A PUBLIC HEARING SCHEDULED FOR NOVEMBER 23RD.
