IOWA GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS DELIVERED HER CONDITION OF THE STATE SPEECH LAST NIGHT IN DES MOINES. SHE REFLECTED ON THE WIDE-RANGING VARIETY OF DIFFICULTIES IOWANS EXPERIENCED DURING 2020, PARTICULARLY THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. REYNOLDS ASKED LEGISLATORS TO SEND HER A PLAN OFFERING ALL PARENTS AN OPTION TO HAVE STUDENTS IN SCHOOL FULLTIME. OTHER PRIORITIES INCLUDED AN EXPANSION OF HIGH-SPEED INTERNET, IMPROVEMENTS TO CHILD CARE, AND 30 MILLION DOLLARS TO FUND MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS.
OTHER OPPORTUNITIES ARE BECKONING WATERLOO POLICE CHIEF JOEL FITZGERALD. LAST MONTH, IT WAS REPORTED THAT HE WAS IN THE FIELD OF CANDIDATES TO TAKE THE TOP JOB WITH THE MIAMI, FLORIDA, POLICE. NOW WORD THAT ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO, IS CONSIDERING FITZGERALD AMONG TWO DOZEN POTENTIAL SUCCESSORS FOR THEIR FORMER POLICE CHIEF, WHO RETIRED IN 2020. FITZGERALD BECAME WATERLOO’S POLICE CHIEF LAST SUMMER. WATERLOO MAYOR QUENTIN HART WILL TALK ABOUT OTHER CITIES TRYING TO LURE FITZGERALD AWAY, LATER THIS WEEK WHEN HART IS A GUEST DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL.
THE IOWA DNR REPORTED CATCHING UP WITH SEVERAL PEOPLE INVOLVED IN ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES ON PUBLIC LAND IN NORTHEAST IOWA. MATTHEW WILKINSON OF INDEPENDENCE, GREGG LATHAM OF OELWEIN, AND DUSTIN MILLARD FROM STRAWBERRY POINT WERE ALL FINED FOR ILLEGALLY HARVESTING GINSING LAST FALL. AND A GROUP OF SEVEN PEOPLE FROM WATERLOO WERE CAUGHT JACKLIGHTING DEER IN BUCHANAN COUNTY. JACKLIGHTING IS THE PRACTICE OF SHINING BRIGHT LIGHTS TO DISORIENT THE ANIMALS.
A CEDAR FALLS TRAFFIC ACCIDENT SENT SEVERAL PEOPLE TO MERCY ONE HOSPITAL IN WATERLOO. THE COLLISION HAPPENED AT THE INTERSECTION OF GREENHILL ROAD AND HIGHWAY 58 AROUND 4:30 TUESDAY AFTERNOON. SPECIFIC DETAILS ABOUT INJURIES FROM THE ACCIDENT HAVE NOT BEEN RELEASED. THE CEDAR FALLS POLICE DEPARTMENT IS ASKING ANYONE WHO SAW THE COLLISION TO SHARE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT THEY SAW.
DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL THIS MORNING, IOWA SENATOR CHUCK GRASSLEY RELATED HIS EXPERIENCE OF BEING IN THE CAPITOL LAST WEEK WHEN RIOTERS RUSHED THE BUILDING. GRASSLEY WAS PRESIDING OVER THE SENATE AT THE TIME OF THE INTRUSION. HEAR JEFF STEIN’S FULL INTERVIEW WITH GRASSLEY AT KXEL.COM.
DAMAGE AT WATERLOO’S RIVERFRONT STADIUM FROM AN ELECTRICAL FIRE LAST WEEK COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE. WATERLOO BUCKS GENERAL MANAGER DAN CORBIN WAS DRIVING TO THE BALLPARK WHEN HE SAW SMOKE COMING FROM AN UTILITY PANEL WHICH CONNECTS THE STADIUM TO THE POWER GRID. WATERLOO OFFICIALS ESTIMATE 50 THOUSAND DOLLARS WORTH OF DAMAGE. DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL, CORBIN SAID THE STADIUM GRAND STANDS AND OTHER FACILITIES WERE NOT IMPACTED BY THE JANUARY 4TH FIRE.
CONGRESS IS MOVING THROUGH THE IMPEACHMENT PROCESS AGAINST PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP FOR A SECOND TIME. THIS MORNING DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL, IOWA SENATOR CHUCK GRASSLEY REFLECTED ON WHETHER THAT WAS GOOD FOR THE COUNTRY. PRESIDENT-ELECT BIDEN’S INAUGURATION IS IN ONE WEEK. HEAR THIS MORNING’S COMPLETE INTERVIEW WITH SENATOR GRASSLEY AT KXEL.COM.
CEDAR RAPIDS FIRE FIGHTERS HAD TO PROVIDE OXYGEN TO A PAIR OF DOGS RESCUED FROM AN APARTMENT FIRE TUESDAY AFTERNOON. THE FIRE HAPPENED IN A COMPLEX ON OAKLAND ROAD IN THE NORTHEAST QUADRANT OF THE CITY. THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO ANY PEOPLE LIVING IN THE BUILDING AND DAMAGE WAS LIMITED TO ONE UNIT. THE RESCUED DOGS WERE REPORTEDLY OK.
TWO PEOPLE WITH A HISTORY OF BREAKING INTO CAR WASHES HAVE BEEN ARRESTED FOR A SUNDAY INCIDENT IN HUDSON. KYLE KUCHENMEISTER AND DANIELLE MINEA ARE BOTH FROM MINNESOTA. AUTHORITIES ALLEGE THEY ATTEMPTED TO BURGLARIZE HUDSON’S KAVALIER CAR WASH. THE PAIR HAS PREVIOUSLY BEEN IMPLICATED IN CAR WASH BURGLARIES IN NORTHERN IOWA AND WISCONSIN.
IN SPORTS, THE IOWA STATE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM HOSTS OKLAHOMA STATE TONIGHT. THE CYCLONE WOMEN GO INTO THE 6:30 GAME WITH A 3-1 CONFERENCE RECORD. EARLIER THIS WEEK, THE BIG 12 POSTPONED AN IOWA STATE MEN’S GAME AGAINST KANSAS STATE THAT HAD ALSO BEEN SCHEDULED FOR TONIGHT.
