SOME OF THE BIGGEST SNOW TOTALS FROM TUESDAY CAME IN THE CORRIDOR. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAD MULTIPLE REPORTS OF A FOOT OF SNOW IN VARIOUS PARTS OF CEDAR RAPIDS. FROM THE DES MOINES METRO AREA TO THE QUAD CITIES, NUMBERS WEREN’T FAR BEHIND. IOWA CITY SITES COMMONLY REPORTED EIGHT OR NINE INCHES. IN THE CEDAR VALLEY, WATERLOO AND CEDAR FALLS GOT THREE TO FIVE INCHES OF SNOW BEFORE THE WINTRY PRECIPITATION PUSHED ON. NUMBERS IN THAT 3-5 INCH RANGE WERE COMMON IN THE U.S. HIGHWAY 20 CORRIDOR MOVING TOWARD CENTRAL IOWA, SLIGHTLY HIGHER GOING EAST TOWARD THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY.
DESPITE WHAT THE SONG SAYS, VIDEO DID NOT KILL THE RADIO STAR. A MEDIA EXPERT SAYS: DON’T EXPECT TODAY’S STREAMING SERVICES TO KILL CABLE. DR. DOM CARISTI FORMERLY WAS A JOURNALISM PROFESSOR AT IOWA STATE, AND HE RECENTLY TALKED ABOUT CURRENT MEDIA TRENDS DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL. CHANGING CONSUMER HABITS HAVE BEEN ACCELERATED BY THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, WITH MORE PEOPLE AT HOME WATCHING MOVIES AND SHOWS ON A VARIETY OF DEVICES.
LAW ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITIES IN FAYETTE ARE SEEKING A WOMAN AND MAN IN CONNECTION WITH A RECENT ROBBERY. ONLY THE WOMAN ENTERED THE PUMPER GAS STATION. THE COUPLE LEFT IN A BLACK 2019 JEEP WITH CALIFORNIA PLATES. ANYONE WITH TIPS SHOULD CALL THE FAYETTE POLICE.
THE CEDAR VALLEY ISN’T EXPECTING ANY NEW SNOW TODAY OR TOMORROW, BUT A WATERLOO SNOW EMERGENCY WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL THURSDAY AFTERNOON. CITY OFFICIALS ARE ASKING RESIDENTS TO MOVE CARS OUT OF THE STREETS SO THAT SNOW PLOWS CAN OPERATE MORE EFFECTIVELY. A THOROUGH SNOW CLEANUP IN DOWNTOWN WATERLOO WILL START AT 6 TONIGHT. THAT MEANS VEHICLES LEFT IN THE SNOW REMOVAL AREA WILL BE TOWED. FREE PARKING WILL BE AVAILABLE IN WATERLOO PARKING RAMPS UNTIL 7 A-M THURSDAY MORNING.
FROM A SNOW EMERGENCY TO A RESTAURANT EMERGENCY CAUSED BY COVID-19. WITH MANY ESTABLISHMENTS PUSHED TO THE BRINK OF BANKRUPTCY BY THE PANDEMIC, THE NEXT ROUND OF FEDERAL AID IS EXPECTED TO PROVIDE MORE FLEXIBILITY. ANDY SCHUMACHER IS CO-OWNER OF COBBLE HILL EATERY IN CEDAR RAPIDS; HE TALKED TO OUR COVERAGE PARTNERS AT TV-9 AND IS THANKFUL FOR NEW OPTIONS FOR RELIEF MONEY BEYOND MEETING EMPLOYEE PAYROLLS. SCHUMACHER TOLD TV-9 THAT THE NEW FEDERAL STIMULUS IS TIMELY AFTER MANY RESTAURANTS HAD TO HALT OUTDOOR DINING WITH THE ARRIVAL OF WINTER.
A STORY COUNTY MAN WILL NOW STAND TRIAL FOR THE 2019 DEATH OF HIS WIFE. A COURT PREVIOUSLY DECLARED 70-YEAR-OLD GARY PILLMAN WAS INCOMPETENT TO AID IN HIS OWN DEFENSE, BUT THAT DECISION HAS BEEN CHANGED AFTER PSYCHIATRIC TREATMENT. PILLMAN HAS PLEADED NOT GUILTY. HIS TRIAL IS SCHEDULED FOR JUNE. BETTY PILLMAN WAS FOUND DEAD OUTSIDE THE COUPLE’S HOME IN ZEARING. SHE HAD BEEN STABBED. COURT DOCUMENTS SAY GARY PILLMAN WENT TO A NEIGHBOR AND ADMITTED TO THE KILLING, SAYING HE ALSO TRIED TO KILL HIMSELF.
A JESUP WOMAN WILL AVOID A HARSHER SENTENCE AFTER TAKING OVER FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS FROMA A CEDAR VALLEY CHARITY. CYNTHIA GRYP WORKED FOR THE WATERLOO-BASED FAMILY AND CHILDREN’S COUNCIL. THE CASE AGAINST HER INCLUDED CHARGES OF FORGERY AND FALSIFIED DOCUMENTS. GRYP COULD HAVE BEEN SENTENCED TO AS MUCH AS 15 YEARS FOR HER CONVICTION. INSTEAD, SHE WILL BE ON PROBATION THROUGH AT LEAST THE END OF 2022. GRYP WILL ALSO NEED TO GIVE BACK THE MONEY AND COVER OTHER EXPENSES RELATED TO THE CASE.
FOR MUCH OF THE 21ST CENTURY, THE WIRES RUNNING FROM HOUSES TO UTILITY POLES HAVE BEEN CARRYING FAR FEWER PHONE CALLS. THE LINES OF COMMUNICATION FOR VIDEO SERVICE ARE ALSO SEEING A SHIFT, WITH MORE PEOPLE USING THE INTERNET, RATHER THAN CABLE, FOR TELEVISION. MEDIA EXPERT DR. DOM CARISTI SAYS THE BALANCE IS UNLIKELY TO TIP COMPLETELY ONE WAY. CARISTI IS A FORMER JOURNALISM PROFESSOR AT IOWA STATE AND WAS A RECENT GUEST DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL.
WITH 2020 ALMOST OVER, THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES SAYS IT SURPASSED A GOAL WHICH WILL HELP THE STATE STAY GREEN FAR INTO THE FUTURE. THIS WEEK, THE DNR SAID IT PLANTED OVER 100 THOUSAND TREES IN 2020. THE YEAR REPRESENTED THE CENTENIAL OF IOWA’S FIRST STATE PARKS. THE DNR TREES WERE PLANTED IN THOSE AREAS, AS WELL AS STATE FORESTS AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREAS.
