AN ACCIDENT ON BLACK HAWK BUCHANAN AVENUE EAST OF WATERLOO SENT TWO PEOPLE TO ALLEN HOSPITAL ON SUNDAY EVENING. THE BLACK HAWK COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT SAYS A SOUTHBOUND VEHICLE WENT OFF THE ROAD AND INTO A DITCH. THE UNNAMED DRIVER IS FROM ROBBINS. HE AND A MINOR WHO WAS A PASSENGER WERE EACH TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL BY AMBULANCE. THE SHERIFF’S OFFICE DID NOT CLASSIFY THE NATURE OF THE INJURIES.
THE IOWA LEGISLATURE IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS. REPUBLICANS HOLD LARGE MAJORITIES IN THE STATE HOUSE AND SENATE AND HAVE HAD FULL CONTROL OF THE LEGISLATURE SINCE 2016. THE GOP TO-DO LIST IS EXPECTED TO INCLUDE EFFORTS TO REDUCE TAXES, MAKE CHANGES TO VOTING RULES, EXPAND GUN RIGHTS AND REQUIRE IN-SCHOOL ATTENDANCE DESPITE CONCERNS ABOUT THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC. THE 150 LAWMAKERS ARE GATHERING IN THE STATEHOUSE WITH NO MASK REQUIREMENTS; LEGISLATIVE RULES DO NOT REQUIRE ANY DISCLOSURE OF A POSITIVE COVID-19 TEST.
FOR THE SECOND STRAIGHT QUARTER, THE IOWA BUSINESS COUNCIL SAYS A SURVEY OF ITS MEMBERS SHOWS A POSITIVE OUTLOOK DESPITE THE CHALLENGES CREATED BY THE CORONAVIRUS. I-B-C REPRESENTS 22 MAJOR EMPLOYERS IN THE STATE. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JOE MURPHY SPOKE ABOUT THE SURVEY’S IMPLICATIONS RECENTLY DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL. ACCORDING TO THE SURVEY, OVER 80 PERCENT OF I-B-C MEMBERS EXPECT TO INCREASE THEIR WORKFORCE OR HOLD EMPLOYMENT STEADY IN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS.
THIS WEEKEND MARKED AN UNFORTUNATE MILESTONE IN THE SEARCH FOR A MISSING EASTERN IOWA GIRL. TEN-YEAR-OLD BREASIA TERRELL OF DAVENPORT DISAPPEARED SIX MONTHS AGO YESTERDAY. DAVENPORT POLICE AND THE FBI ARE INVESTIGATING THE CASE. OVER 170 TIPS HAVE BEEN OFFERED BY THE PUBLIC AND AUTHORITIES ARE STILL SEEKING INFORMATION. IN JULY, THE FBI OFFERED A TEN THOUSAND DOLLAR REWARD FOR TIPS WHICH HELP THEM SOLVE THE CASE.
THOUSANDS OF DOGS AND CATS HAVE FOUND NEW HOMES DURING THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC WITH MORE FAMILIES LOOKING FOR COMPANIONSHIP. ANIMAL SHELTERS ARE HOPING THAT PEOPLE HAVE TAKEN TIME TO THINK ABOUT CARE FOR THOSE PETS ONCE THE ROUTINE CHANGES. RONALD SCHLABS OF CEDAR RAPIDS ANIMAL CARE AND CONTROL RECENTLY SPOKE WITH OUR COVERAGE PARTNERS AT TV-9. BESIDES PET ADOPTIONS, CEDAR RAPIDS ANIMAL CARE AND CONTROL PLANS TO RESTART VACCINATION AND MICRO CHIP CLINICS LATER THIS YEAR AFTER THOSE EVENTS WERE HALTED BY THE PANDEMIC IN 2020.
72 MIGHT BE THE MAGIC NUMBER FOR THE UNI PANTHERS TONIGHT. THE PANTHER MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM HASN’T WON THIS SEASON WHEN THEY’VE BEEN HELD UNDER 72 POINTS. YESTERDAY AT THE MCLEOD CENTER, UNI MADE IT TO 78 IN A SIX-POINT WIN OVER BRADLEY; THE TWO TEAMS MEET FOR A REMATCH THIS EVENING AS UNI HOPES TO MOVE TO .500 IN THE MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE. PREGAME COVERAGE ON NEWS/TALK 1540 KXEL STARTS AT 6:30.
YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED FLAGS LOWERED TODAY. ON SUNDAY, IOWA GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS ORDERED FLAGS TO HALF STAFF IN REMEMBRANCE OF THE TWO U.S. CAPITOL POLICE OFFICERS WHO DIED IN THE AFTERMATH OF VIOLENCE IN WASHINGTON D.C. LAST WEEK. REYNOLDS SAYS THE ACTION HONORS WHAT OFFICERS BRIAN SICKNICK AND HOWARD LIEBENGOOD STOOD FOR. STATE OFFICES ARE FLYING LOWERED FLAGS, AND REYNOLDS ENCOURAGED LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, SCHOOLS, BUSINESSES, AND INDIVIDUALS TO DO THE SAME THROUGH SUNSET WEDNESDAY.
A STATE PRISON INMATE FROM BUCHANAN COUNTY HAS DIED IN CUSTODY. THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS SAYS 70-YEAR-OLD WILLIAM GIBSON DIED LATE LAST WEEK AT THE IOWA MEDICAL AND CLASSIFICATION CENTER IN CORALVILLE DUE TO NATURAL CAUSES–NOT COVID-RELATED. GIBSON WAS SERVING A 30-YEAR PRISON SENTENCE. HE HAD BEEN IN STATE CUSTODY SINCE DECEMBER 20, 2019 FOR BEING A HABITUAL OFFENDER FROM BUCHANAN COUNTY.
SALES, CAPITAL SPENDING, AND EMPLOYMENT ARE ALL LIKELY TO BE UP OR AT LEAST HOLDING STEADY IN 2021, ACCORDING TO A SURVEY OF IOWA’S 22 LARGEST EMPLOYERS. LAST WEEK, THE IOWA BUSINESS COUNCIL NOTED A HIGH DEGREE OF OPTIMISM ABOUT THE ECONOMIC CLIMATE. JOE MURPHY IS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE IBC AND SAYS THE LEVEL OF OPTIMISM HAS MADE A SUSTAINED REBOUND SINCE EARLY 2020. AS THE NEW LEGISLATIVE SESSION OPENS, MURPHY SAYS THE IBC LOOKS FORWARD TO WORKING WITH STATE LEADERS TO GROW IOWA’S ECONOMY.
