A PRE-DAWN FIRE IN CEDAR RAPIDS LED TO THE HOSPITALIZATION OF TWO FIRST RESPONDERS YESTERDAY. A HOSE FAILED WHILE FIREFIGHTERS WERE BATTLING THE FLAMES IN AN APARTMENT COMPLEX. ONE FIREFIGHTER WAS STRUCK IN THE HEAD AND KLEFT UNCONSCIOUS AND ANOTHER WAS STRUCK IN THE CHEST AND KNOCKED DOWN IN THE INCIDENT, WHICH HAPPENED AROUND 1:30 A.M. SUNDAY. NEITHER INJURY WAS BELIEVED TO BE LIFE-THREATENING. IT TOOK MORE THAN AN HOUR TO BRING THE FIRE UNDER CONTROL IN THE 3900 BLOCK 20TH AVENUE SW.
THE LONGTERM IMPACTS ARE UNCLEAR WHEN IT COMES TO THE ACADEMIC CAREERS OF STUDENTS WHO HAVE SEEN THEIR LEARNING DISRUPTED BY THE EFFECTS OF THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC. DAN HUFF IS THE DISTRICT ATHLETICS AND ACTIVITIES DIRECTOR FOR WATERLOO SCHOOLS; HE SAYS SPORTS AND OTHER ACTIVITIES ARE MORE IMPORTANT TO STUDENTS THAN EVER RIGHT NOW. HIGH SCHOOL WRESTLING DISTRICT TOURNAMENTS WILL BE SATURDAY AND GIRL’S BASKETBALL REGIONAL TOURNAMENTS GET STARTED IN SOME CLASSES LATER THIS WEEK.
ON SUNDAY, UNI PANTHER VOLLEYBALL COACH BOBBI PETERSEN BECAME THE MOST SUCCESSFUL COACH IN MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE HISTORY. UNI’S FOUR-SET WIN OVER EVANSVILLE WAS THE 510TH OF PETERSEN’S CAREER. THAT SURPASSES THE TOTAL FOR MARISSA STOKES OF MISSOURI STATE. THE PANTHERS ARE BACK ON THE COURT THIS AFTERNOON AGAINST THE PURPLE ACES, WITH PREMATCH COVERAGE STARTING AT 3:45.
A MARSHALLTOWN MAN IS IN CUSTODY AFTER ALLEGEDLY STEALING A CAR FROM A WATERLOO PIZZA PLACE. THE INCIDENT HAPPENED ON SATURDAY EVENING WITH THE THEFT FROM A DOMINO’S STORE. AUTHORITIES CAUGHT UP WITH 26-YEAR-OLD LEONARDO SANCHEZ IN GRUNDY COUNTY. SANCHEZ IS CHARGED WITH POSSESSION OF STOLEN PROPERTY FOLLOWING A TRAFFIC STOP NEAR WELLSBURG.
IOWA HOUSE MEMBER SANDY SALMON SUPPORTS A MEASURE WHICH WOULD MAKE IT EASIER FOR SOME FAMILIES TO LEAVE THEIR LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT. SPEAKING ON KXEL LATE LAST WEEK, SALMON SAID THE MEASURE WOULD LIKELY IMPACT WATERLOO SCHOOLS AND OTHER LARGE DISTRICTS. NEXT THE BILL GOES TO THE STATE SENATE. SALMON REPRESENTS BREMER AND NORTHERN BLACK HAWK COUNTY FROM IOWA HOUSE DISTRICT 63.
WATERLOO SCHOOLS ACTIVITIES DIRECTOR DAN HUFF SAYS THERE ARE MORE WAYS TO FOLLOW THE DISTRICT’S SPORTS EVENTS, EVEN WHILE IN-PERSON ATTENDANCE WAS LIMITED BY THE CORONAVIRUS. HUFF EMPHASIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF SPORTS WHILE MANY OTHER ELEMENTS OF THE STUDENT EXPERIENCE ARE PUT ON HOLD BY COVID-19. HEAR MORE FROM HIS APPEARANCE ON KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL AT KXEL.COM.
A LONGTIME CEDAR RAPIDS TEACHER AND SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER IS BEING MOURNED AFTER HIS UNEXPECTED DEATH LATE LAST WEEK. GARY ANHALT WAS 74. HIS CAREER IN EDUCATION INCLUDES FOUR DECADES AS A SCIENCE AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION TEACHER. ANHALT ALSO LED THE CEDAR RAPIDS’ TEACHERS UNION, AND IS CREDITED WITH BRINGING SOCCER TO THE DISTRICT AS A VARSITY SPORT. HE WAS ELECTED TO THE SCHOOL BOARD IN 2009 AND WAS SERVING HIS THIRD FOUR-YEAR TERM AT THE TIME OF HIS DEATH FRIDAY.
SCHOOL CHOICE IS A REPUBLICAN PRIORITY DURING THE CURRENT LEGISLATIVE SESSION. IOWA HOUSE DISTRICT 63 REPRESENTATIVE SANDY SALMON TALKED ABOUT A BILL ON THAT ISSUE CURRENTLY UNDER CONSIDERATION. SALMON SAYS THE PROGRAM WOULD BE LIMITED TO STUDENTS IN DISTRICTS WITH FEDERALLY DEFINED “STRUGGLING SCHOOLS.” MANY CRITICS OF THE REPUBLICAN EFFORT HAVE ARGUED THAT SCHOOL CHOICE WOULD TAKE MONEY AWAY FROM PUBLIC DISTRICTS THAT NEED IT THE MOST. AN ESTIMATED 54 MILLION DOLLARS COULD BE SHIFTED TO PRIVATE SCHOOLS UNDER THE PLAN.
THERE AREN’T MANY IOWANS WHO REMEMBER WATCHING EMLEN TUNNELL DURING HIS TIME PLAYING FOR THE IOWA HAWKEYE FOOTBALL TEAM IN THE YEARS RIGHT AFTER WORLD WAR II. TUNNELL SERVED IN THE COAST GUARD DURING AND AFTER THE WAR, AND IS CREDITED WITH SAVING THE LIVES OF TWO SHIPMATES IN SEPARATE INCIDENTS. NOW, A COAST GUARD CUTTER AND AN ATHLETIC BUILDING ON THE COAST GUARD ACADEMY CAMPUS ARE BEING NAMED IN HONOR. TUNNELL WENT ON TO A HALL-OF-FAME CAREER IN PRO FOOTBALL.
