LINN COUNTY AUDITOR JOEL MILLER AND IOWA SECRETARY OF STATE PAUL PATE PUBLICLY CLASHED AHEAD OF THE 2020 ELECTION. IN 2022, THEY MAY BE ON THE BALLOT RUNNING AGAINST EACH OTHER. OUR COVERAGE PARTNERS FROM TV-9 SPOKE WITH MILLER, WHO IS SAID TO BE CONSIDERING A RUN FOR SECRETARY OF STATE. AMONG OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES, THE SECRETARY OF STATE IS IOWA’S TOP ELECTION OFFICIAL. LAST FALL, MILLER AND PATE WERE ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF A LEGAL BATTLE OVER THE ABSENTEE BALLOT REQUEST FORMS MILLER’S OFFICE SENT TO LINN COUNTY VOTERS. THOSE FORMS ALREADY INCLUDED VOTERS’ PERSONAL INFORMATION.
AUTHORITIES IN DUBUQUE RECEIVED A REPORT YESTERDAY THAT A BODY HAD BEEN DISCOVERED. AROUND MIDDAY, THEY BEGAN INVESTIGATING THE SCENE AT THE DUBUQUE ARBORETUM AND BOTANICAL GARDENS. ONLY LIMITED DETAILS ABOUT THE INVESTIGATION WERE INITIALLY AVAILABLE.
WATERLOO MAYOR QUENTIN HART HAS DISCRETION TO DECIDE HOW LONG MASKS WILL BE REQUIRED IN THE CITY. ON MONDAY, THE WATERLOO CITY COUNCIL EXTENDED THE CITY’S PUBLIC FACE COVERING REQUIREMENT UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE AND GAVE HART THE AUTHORITY TO MAKE ADDITIONAL MODIFICATIONS AS HE DEEMS NECESSARY. COUNCIL MEMBERS CITED DANGER FROM NEW VARIANTS OF THE COVID-19 VIRUS WHICH HAVE BEEN FOUND IN NEARBY COUNTIES. WATERLOO HAS REQUIRED MASKS SINCE AUGUST.
IN SPORTS, THE HAWKEYE AND THE CYCLONE MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAMS ARE BOTH PLAYING AT HOME TONIGHT. IOWA STATE HAS A TALL TASK AGAINST THE MOUNTAINEERS OF WEST VIRGINIA STARTING AT 6. AT THE SAME TIME IN IOWA CITY, IOWA WILL TRY TO SLOW DOWN THE SPARTANS OF MICHIGAN STATE.
A MONDAY MORNING ACCIDENT ON HIGHWAY 218 BETWEEN WAVERLY AND PLAINFIELD KILLED A 33-YEAR-OLD NEBRASKA MAN. THE IOWA STATE PATROL SAYS JENRRY MADRID-SOTO WAS THE UNFORTUNATE VICTIM WHEN A FREIGHTLINER TRUCK DID NOT STOP WHERE COUNTY ROAD C-33 INTERSECTS WITH HIGHWAY 218 AROUND 10 AM YESTERDAY. MADRID-SOTO WAS DRIVING A SMALLER VEHICLE TOWARD PLAINFIELD. HE WAS PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE. 22-YEAR-OLD TREVOR BYRAM WAS BEHIND THE WHEEL OF THE LARGER TRUCK AND WAS NOT INJURED ACCORDING TO THE STATE PATROL.
A WATERLOO MAN CONVICTED FOR THE MURDER OF HIS WIFE MORE THAN 40 YEARS AGO HAS DIED IN PRISON. ROBERT FRANK TAYLOR WAS 72. IN THE SPRING OF 1979, TAYLOR FATALLY SHOT HIS 24-YEAR-OLD WIFE, LACIE MAE TAYLOR IN THE COUPLE’S HOME. HE WAS ARRESTED IN INDEPENDENCE AND CONVICTED FOR THE KILLING LATER THAT YEAR. AUTHORITIES HAVE LINKED ROBERT TAYLOR’S DEATH TO COVID-19, ASSOCIATED WITH PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS. IOWA CORRECTIONS OFFICIALS SAY HE IS THE 17TH PRISONER TO DIE IN CUSTODY AS A RESULT OF THE PANDEMIC.
THE INCORPORATION OF BLACK LIVES MATTER PRINCIPLES INTO BLACK HISTORY MONTH COMMEMORATIONS IN ONE CENTRAL IOWA SCHOOL DISTRICT IS ROILING SOME FAMILIES AND COMMUNITY LEADERS. PASTOR MARK VANCE OF CORNERSTONE CHURCH IN AMES WAS A RECENT GUEST DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL. THE AMES COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS DUBBED THIS THE “BLACK LIVES MATTER AT SCHOOL NATIONAL WEEK OF ACTION.” SCHOOL OFFICIALS SAY INCORPORATED LESSONS WILL BE AGE-APPROPRIATE.
MEATPACKING OPERATIONS LIKE THE TYSON PORK PLANT IN WATERLOO WILL BE SCRUTINIZED BY CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVES. TYSON FOODS, AS WELL AS SMITHFIELD AND JBS WERE NOTIFIED MONDAY THAT THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES WILL REVIEW EMPLOYEE PROTECTIONS AS PART OF EACH COMPANY’S RESPONSE TO COVID-19. ACCORDING TO A LETTER SENT BY SOUTH CAROLINA REPRESENTATIVE JAMES CLYBURN, WELL-OVER 50 THOUSAND MEAT INDUSTRY WORKERS TESTED POSITIVE FOR THE CORONAVIRUS. MORE THAN A THOUSAND OF THOSE CASES WERE IN WATERLOO LAST SPRING. CLYBURN SAID IN HIS LETTER, AT LEAST 270 PACKING PLANT WORKERS DIED NATIONWIDE. AS THE VIRUS SPREAD IN THE UNITED STATES, MEAT PROCESSING CAME INTO FOCUS DUE TO THE ESSENTIAL NATURE OF THE BUSINESS ACCOMPANIED BY THE CONGREGANT SETTINGS EMPLOYEES WORK IN.
IN AMES, SOME RESIDENTS HAVE EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT THIS BEING DUBBED “BLACK LIVES MATTER AT SCHOOL NATIONAL WEEK OF ACTION.” DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL RECENTLY, PASTOR MARK VANCE OF CORNERSTONE CHURCH SHARED HIS RESERVATIONS ABOUT THE DECISION BY THE AMES COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT. HEAR THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH VANCE AT KXEL.COM.
CARS NEED TO BE OFF WATERLOO’S DOWNTOWN STREETS BY 6 P-M TONIGHT. CITY CREWS WILL BE CLEANING UP AFTER LAST WEEKEND’S BIG SNOW STORM. VEHICLES THAT ARE IN THE WAY WILL BE TOWED. THE CLEANUP MAY CONTINUE THROUGH EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING. DURING THAT TIME, FREE PARKING WILL BE AVAILABLE IN CITY PARKING RAMPS.
