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KXEL Midday News for Wed. Jan. 27, 2021

By Tim Martin Jan 27, 2021 | 5:10 PM

IOWA AND NEIGHBORING STATES HAVE FARED REASONABLY WELL DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC’S ECONOMIC REVERBERATIONS. CREIGHTON ECONOMIST ERNIE GOSS ANALYZES THE MIDWEST ECONOMY. HE WAS A RECENT GUEST ON KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL AND SPOKE ABOUT THE FINANCIAL HEALTH OF THE REGION. GOSS EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT SOME FEDERAL EFFORTS TO SUPPORT STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS WILL MEAN MIDWEST STATES ARE SUBSIDIZING THEIR COUNTERPARTS TO THE EAST AND WEST.

FEDERAL SUPPORT FOR SMALL BUSINESS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC CAME TO MANY THROUGH THE PAYROLL PROTECTION PROGRAM. A NEW ROUND OF PPP IS AVAILABLE NOW. CHRIS MUELLER OF OHNWARD BANK AND TRUST TALKED TO OUR COVERAGE PARTNERS AT TV-9 AND SAYS THE REQUIREMENTS THIS TIME ARE A LITTLE STRICTER. PPP LOANS ARE AVAILABLE FOR UP TO TWO MILLION DOLLARS FOR BUSINESSES AND ORGANIZATIONS WITH FEWER THAN 300 EMPLOYEES.

THE UNI PANTHER WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM VISITS IN-STATE RIVAL DRAKE TONIGHT IN DES MOINES. THE PANTHERS ARE A GAME ABOVE .500 GOING INTO THE MATCHUP, WHILE THE BULLDOGS ARE ONE GAME BELOW. PREGAME COVERAGE STARTS TONIGHT AT 5:45 HERE ON YOUR HOME OF THE PANTHERS, NEWS/TALK 1540 KXEL.

AN ALERT OBSERVER PREVENTED A CEDAR RAPIDS FIRE FROM BECOMING EVEN MORE DESTRUCTIVE ON TUESDAY. AUTHORITIES SAY: AT THE TIME NO ONE WAS IN A HOME IN THE 600 BLOCK OF 18TH STREET SOUTHEAST. A RESIDENT IN ANOTHER HOUSE NEARBY SAW SMOKE AND CALLED 911. CEDAR RAPIDS FIRE FIGHTERS ARRIVED TO FIND THE FIRE BUILDING. THEY WERE ABLE TO PUT IT OUT. DAMAGE IS STILL BEING ASSESSED. THE HOME IS NOT CURRENTLY INHABITABLE.

IOWA DRIVERS CAN BE TICKETED AND FINED IF THEY ARE TEXTING BEHIND THE WHEEL OR USING APPS ON THEIR SMART PHONES WHILE IN TRAFFIC. THE IOWA LEGISLATURE IS CONSIDERING A BILL TO FURTHER LIMIT PHONE USE. IF APPROVED, DRIVERS WOULD ONLY BE ABLE TO INTERACT WITH THEIR DEVICES USING HANDS-FREE COMMANDS. THAT WOULD BRING THE STATE IN-LINE WITH 24 OTHERS THAT HAVE SIMILAR RULES FOR PHONE USE BEHIND THE WHEEL. THE LEGISLATION IS WORKING ITS WAY THROUGH THE IOWA HOUSE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE.

THE U.S. TRADE RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINA IS OF SPECIAL IMPORTANCE TO AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS. CREIGHTON ECONOMIST ERNIE GOSS SAYS THAT CIRCUMSTANCE COULD BE EVEN MORE SIGNIFICANT IN THE WAKE OF DISRUPTIONS CAUSED BY THE CORONAVIRUS. GOSS SUGGESTED THAT THE DOLLAR’S STRENGTH COULD BE FUTHER REDUCED BY INFLATION AS THE U.S. TRIES TO PROVIDE BACKING FOR THE ECONOMY. HEAR THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH ERNIE GOSS ANYTIME IN THE PODCAST SECTION AT KXEL.COM.

AN 89-YEAR-OLD IOWA INMATE DIED TUESDAY AT THE IOWA MEDICAL AND CLASSIFICATION CENTER IN CORALVILLE. CORRECTIONS OFFICIALS SAY HAROLD DUNCAN WAS A CORONAVIRUS PATIENT. DUNCAN’S DEATH MAKES HIM THE 14 PERSON IN STATE CUSTODY TO SUCCUMB TO COVID-19. HE HAD BEEN IN PRISON FOR 17 YEARS, SERVING A LIFE SENTENCE FOR A MURDER IN NORTHWEST IOWA.

THE U.S. ECONOMY SWOONED IN 2020, BUT IT MADE A STRONG RALLY FROM LAST YEAR’S LOW POINT. CREIGHTON ECONOMIST ERNIE GOSS FOCUSSES ON MIDWESTERN TRENDS; RECENTLY DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL, HE TALKED ABOUT INFLATION DURING THE YEAR AHEAD AND THE TROUBLE THAT MIGHT CAUSE. GOSS SAYS CONDITIONS IN THE MIDWEST ARE STRONGER THAN IN OTHER PARTS OF THE NATION. HE CREDITS THAT TO DEMAND FOR AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS. HEAR MORE FROM GOSS DURING NEXT HOUR’S KXEL NEWSCAST.

THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES IS HOPING THAT MORE TAXPAYERS WILL CONSIDER SHARING THE WEALTH WHEN FILING THEIR INCOME TAX RETURNS. THE DNR SAYS NEARLY 150 THOUSAND DOLLARS WAS CONTRIBUTED TO THE STATE’S FISH AND WILDLIFE FUND THROUGH A TAX CHECK-OFF OPTION. THAT FINANCIAL BOOST CAME FROM JUST ONE-HALF OF ONE PERCENT OF THOSE WHO FILED. THE MONEY GOES TO SUPPORT A WIDE RANGE OF NON-GAME WILDLIFE SPECIES. THE DNR SAYS THE FUND WOULD BE TEN TIMES LARGER IF EACH IOWA TAXPAYER CONTRIBUTED ONE DOLLAR WITH THEIR RETURN.