A Cedar Rapids man has been arrested by federal agents on suspicion of being among those who demonstrated at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. The FBI in Omaha announced the arrest yesterday of Leo Christopher Kelly on a federal warrant charging him with three counts: knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building without lawful authority, violent entry with the intent to disrupt the orderly conduct of official business, and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. Kelly is the second Iowa man to be arrested in connection with the incident. Douglas Jensen surrendered to police in his hometown of Des Moines on Jan. 8.
The number of people hospitalized with the coronavirus in Iowa has dropped over the weekend and into this week, remaining below the threshold of 500 that plagued the state since October. The Iowa Department of Public Health said 427 people were being treated for COVID-19 in hospitals as of yesterday morning, down from 484 on Sunday. Saturday’s number was the first time since Oct. 18 that the number of people hospitalized was below 500. The most recent positivity rate was under 30 percent.
A Cedar Rapids tradition will return later this year. You’ll recall that the 2020 edition of the Saint Patrick’s Day Parade Society’s event was called off due to COVID-19. This year, the SaPaDaPaSo Parade will be held, but in a different format. A drive-thru parade will be held at the Hawkeye Downs racing grounds on Saturday, March 13. Instead of floats parading on downtown streets, people can drive themselves through the line of floats and other displays. Planners hope to have more than 50 entries in this year’s event and those who drive thru will receive treats and more.
Passengers departing from the Eastern Iowa Airport in Cedar Rapids will soon be required to undergo a form of health screening before being allowed to proceed to their flight. Officials said yesterday the airport will implement its “Travel Well” program, which was developed in coordination with Mercy Medical Center. It will require that passengers on outbound flights, as well as staff that work beyond the checkpoint, answer a short health questionnaire and undergo a temperature check. If the passenger is determined to not have a fever, outward signs of illness, or recent exposure to COVID-19, they will be allowed to proceed to the normal security screening procedures. Officials said that the initial screening will take around 10 seconds to complete. The plan was originally drawn up last July, and officials said yesterday that the airport’s efforts were delayed while waiting for direction from the Federal Aviation Administration. Funding for the initiative will come from CARES Act resources.
Iowa’s three Regents universities have extended the cancellation of study abroad programs through at least Aug. 1 based on guidance from the Iowa Board of Regents. The University of Northern Iowa, University of Iowa, and Iowa State University all canceled international travel last spring due to COVID-19 safety precautions. Officials say that to date, conditions for international travel have not improved since the original ban last spring.
A new trial likely won’t be held until late this year for a man whose murder conviction in the 2017 stabbing of his ex-girlfriend was overturned. Prosecutors and attorneys for 30-year-old Gregory Davis agreed last week that a new trial won’t be possible until October or November. Davis’ new trial had been set to begin Feb. 1, after the Iowa Supreme Court vacated his original murder conviction last November, ruling that he didn’t get a fair trial. Davis was convicted in 2018 of first-degree murder and other counts in connection with the death of 29-year-old Carrie Davis, whose body was found rolled in a blanket inside a trailer in Marion.
The Waterloo Black Hawks begin a seven-match home stand tonight, after skating to a 1-4 record on their recent five-match road trip. Puck drops just after 7 tonight as the Black Hawks host the Omaha Lancers.
