THE FBI IS AT A HEIGHTENED LEVEL OF VIGILANCE AHEAD OF THE INAUGURATION OF PRESIDENT-ELECT JOE BIDEN NEXT WEEK. THAT POSTURE INCLUDES KEEPING AN EYE ON WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE IN THE MIDWEST, AS WELL AS IN WASHINGTON. ON THURSDAY, THE BUREAU’S OMAHA OFFICE ISSUED A STATEMENT SAYING THERE ARE NO KNOWN THREATS IN IOWA. HOWEVER, THE FBI IS ASKING FOR INFORMATION THAT COULD HELP THEM DISRUPT ANY ACTIVITY WHICH COULD ENDANGER THE PUBLIC OR GOVERNMENT FACILITIES. TIPS CAN BE PROVIDED ONLINE AT TIPS.FBI.GOV.
IN A WAY, THE FALL CAMPAIGN SEASON CONTINUES FOR SECOND DISTRICT IOWA CONGRESSWOMAN MARIANNETTE MILLER-MEEKS. FOLLOWING HER CONTESTED ELECTION WIN VERSUS DEMOCRAT RITA HART, MILLER-MEEKS TALKED ABOUT HELP SHE IS NOW SEEKING FROM SUPPORTERS. MILLER-MEEKS WAS A RECENT GUEST ON KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL. HER WINNING MARGIN OVER HART WAS SIX VOTE, PROMPTING A RECOUNT AND CLOSE EXAMINATION OF A NUMBER OF DISPUTED BALLOTS.
UNI WOMEN’S BASKETBALL IS SCHEDULED FOR TONIGHT AT THE MCLEOD CENTER AGAINST MISSOURI STATE. THE PANTHER MEN’S TEAM ALSO RECEIVED A SCHEDULE UPDATE THURSDAY. UNI WILL MEET DRAKE AT HOME FEBRUARY 17TH. THE PANTHERS AND BULLDOGS WERE SUPPOSED TO PLAY IN DES MOINES THAT NIGHT, BUT THEY WILL NOW HAVE A CONTEST AT THE KNAPP CENTER ON FEBRUARY 10TH INSTEAD. BACK TO THE PANTHER WOMEN…THEY’VE WON THREE OF THEIR LAST FOUR. PREGAME COVERAGE OF TONIGHT’S GAME STARTS AT 5:45.
TECHNICAL STEPS ARE BEING TAKEN TO BRING A NEW MEDICAL MARIJUANA GROWING OPERATION TO CEDAR RAPIDS. A LICENSE IS BEING PROCESSED BY STATE PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS FOR THE IOWA CANNABIS COMPANY. EARLY IN 2020, A DIFFERENT MEDICAL MARIJUANA FACILITY IN CEDAR RAPIDS WENT DARK. APPROXIMATELY 48-HUNDRED IOWA PATIENTS WITH A VARIETY OF CONDITIONS ARE OFFICIALLY AUTHORIZED BY THEIR HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS TO USE MEDICAL MARIJUANA TREATMENTS.
A TERRIFYING CONFRONTATION IN NORTH CENTRAL IOWA HAS LED TO CHARGES OF FELONY EXTORTION AND DOMESTIC ASSAULT. AUTHORITIES SAY 27-YEAR-OLD ANTHONY MOORE THREATENED TO SHOOT A WOMAN IF SHE DIDN’T GIVE HIM THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. MOORE WAS ARRESTED THIS WEEK, AND CHARGES WERE FILED WEDNESDAY IN CERRO GORDO COUNTY. POLICE SAY HE ADMITTED TO INVESTIGATORS THAT HE HELD A GUN TO AN UNNAMED WOMAN’S HEAD IN A MASON CITY HOME AND THREATENED TO KILL HER IF SHE DIDN’T WRITE HIM A $50,000 CHECK. POLICE SAY MOORE ALSO TOOK A CELLPHONE FROM THE WOMAN AND DISCONNECTED THE 911 CALL SHE WAS TRYING TO MAKE. HE REMAINS IN CUSTODY WITHOUT BOND.
HAWKEYE COMMUNITY COLLEGE BEGINS ITS SPRING SESSION ON TUESDAY. MANY STUDENTS WILL OPEN THE TERM WITH ONLINE CLASSES. EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT DR. DIONE SOMERVILLE SAYS THAT PLAN FOLLOWS A SIMILAR SHIFT THE SCHOOL MADE LATE IN THE FALL TERM. THAT SHIFT WILL LAST THROUGH AT LEAST MID-MARCH. MORE HANDS-ON CAREER AND TECHNICAL CLASSES WILL CONTINUE TO BE HELD IN PERSON AT HAWKEYE.
THIS WEEK, ALL FOUR MEMBERS OF IOWA’S CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION – AS WELL AS CONGRESSMEN FROM OTHER FARM STATES – URGED THE EPA TO REJECT ETHANOL BLENDING WAIVERS. THOSE WAIVERS ALLOW FUEL REFINERS TO DODGE FEDERAL RULES MANDATING MINIMUM AMOUNTS OF ETHANOL TO BE USED IN THE NATION’S FUEL SUPPLY. THURSDAY ON KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL, SECOND DISTRICT CONGRESSWOMAN MARIANNETTE MILLER-MEEKS SPOKE ABOUT THE BIPARTISAN MESSAGE TO THE EPA. IN TOTAL, 23 HOUSE MEMBERS SIGNED THE LETTER SENT TO PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP.
HAWKEYE COMMUNITY COLLEGE OFFICIALS SAY ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE DID NOT SUFFER AS THE SCHOOL TOOK MEASURES TO MINIMIZE THE SPREAD OF THE CORONAVIRUS. HAWKEYE EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT DR. DIONE SOMERVILLE INDICATED GRADES AND OTHER MEASURES OF CLASSROOM ACHIEVEMENT THIS FALL WERE COMPARABLE TO THE FALL OF 2019. HAWKEYE’S NEW SEMESTER BEGINS TUESDAY. DR. SOMERVILLE WAS A RECENT GUEST DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL; THE COMPLETE INTERVIEW IS AVAILABLE ON DEMAND AT KXEL.COM.
THE UNI PANTHER VOLLEYBALL SCHEDULE HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED. BOBBI PETERSEN’S TEAM WILL DEFEND THEIR 2019 REGULAR SEASON MVC TITLE BEGINNING ON THE ROAD AT DRAKE NEXT FRIDAY. MEANWHILE, TONIGHT THE UNI WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM HOSTS MISSOURI STATE; LIVE PREGAME COVERAGE ON KXEL GETS GOING AT 5:45.
