AFTER MONTHS OF DISCUSSION BETWEEN COMMUNITY LEADERS AND CEDAR RAPIDS OFFICIALS, THE CITY WILL FORM A CITIZENS REVIEW BOARD FOR THE CEDAR RAPIDS POLICE DEPARTMENT. THE DECISION WAS APPROVED TUESDAY. THE NINE-MEMBER REVIEW BOARD IS INTENDED TO PROMOTE LAW ENFORCEMENT ACCOUNTABILITY AND EQUITY IN POLICING; IT WILL REVIEW COMPLAINTS AND BE REPRESENTED ON THE COMMITTEE THAT HIRES HIGH-RANKING DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL. CEDAR RAPIDS MAYOR BRAD HART SAID THE CITY WILL BEGIN A CAMPAIGN NEXT WEEK TO ENCOURAGE RESIDENTS TO APPLY.
IOWA GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS TOUTED THE STATE OF IOWA’S PERFORMANCE DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN AN APPEARANCE THIS WEEK ON SEAN HANNITY’S FOX NEWS PROGRAM. LATE LAST WEEK, REYNOLDS ROLLED BACK MANY CORONAVIRUS RESTRICTIONS FOR BUSINESSES AND PUBLIC FACILITIES. CITY AND COUNTY FACE-COVERING MANDATES AND OTHER RULES REMAIN IN EFFECT IN MANY PLACES.
THE DRAKE BULLDOGS MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM HAD A PERFECT SEASON GOING UNTIL A 17-POINT LOSS TO VALPARAISO ON SUNDAY. NOW THE UNI PANTHERS WILL TRY TO SEND DRAKE TO A SECOND CONSECUTIVE LOSS. UNI IS COMING OFF A SUNDAY WIN AGAINST INDIANA STATE, LED BY NOAH CARTER’S 25 POINTS. THE PANTHERS GO TO DES MOINES TONIGHT TO MEET THE BULLDOGS. PREGAME COVERAGE FROM THE KNAPP CENTER ROLLS AT 5:30 THIS EVENING.
WITH IOWA LOOSENING CORONAVIRUS RESTRICTIONS AT THE STATE LEVEL, GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS WAS A GUEST RECENTLY ON THE SEAN HANNITY TELEVISION PROGRAM TO OFFER AN OVERVIEW OF IOWA’S PANDEMIC EXPERIENCE AT THIS STAGE OF THE RESPONSE. THE LATEST 14-DAY AVERAGE FROM COVID-19 TESTING IN THE STATE IS 8-AND-A-HALF PERCENT POSITIVE FOR INDIVIDUALS SCREENED FOR THE VIRUS. IN NOVEMBER, THAT FIGURE PEAKED AROUND 37 PERCENT.
PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES IN THE WATERLOO COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT WILL BE EITHER IN-PERSON OR VIRTUAL NEXT WEEK. THE DISTRICT SAYS ALL CONFERENCES WILL NEED TO BE SCHEDULED. FACE-TO-FACE SESSIONS WILL REQUIRE FACE COVERINGS AND HEALTH SCREENINGS. WATERLOO SCHOOLS IS ALSO ASKING THAT ONLY ONE PARENT ATTEND ANY IN-PERSON CONFERENCES. THE DISTRICT’S PARENT-TEACHER MEETINGS FEBRUARY 16TH AND 18TH MEAN THAT SCHOOL WILL NOT BE IN SESSION NEXT THURSDAY AND FRIDAY (THE 18TH AND 19TH).
AFTER BACK-TO-BACK LOSSES, THE IOWA HAWKEYE MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM PLAYS FOR THE THIRD TIME IN SEVEN DAYS. TONIGHT IN IOWA CITY, THE 13-6 HAWKEYES MEET 11-6 RUTGERS. BOTH TEAMS HAVE SEVEN BIG TEN WINS. IOWA IS 15TH AND RUTGERS IS 25TH IN THIS WEEK’S AP POLL. THE GAME AT CARVER-HAWKEYE ARENA BEGINS AT 6:30.
TWO AIRPORT WORKERS IN CEDAR RAPIDS ARE BEING APPLAUDED FOR THEIR VIGILANCE. LATE LAST YEAR, AN UNACCOMPANIED MINOR WAS ABOUT TO BOARD A PLANE. SIGNS SUGGESTED THE TEENAGE GIRL MIGHT BE A POTENTIAL HUMAN TRAFFICKING TARGET, AND SHE INDICATED HER TRIP INVOLVED MEETING A MAN WITH WHOM SHE HAD AN ONLINE RELATIONSHIP. SAFETY OFFICER TIM GNADE AND AN AIRLINE EMPLOYEE WHO HAS NOT BEEN PUBLICLY NAMED ARE CREDITED WITH INTERVENING. BOTH HAVE BEEN HONORED WITH AN AWARD FROM THE EASTERN IOWA AIRPORT.
ONE OF IOWA’S TOP CRIMINAL PROSECUTORS IS SPENDING HIS LAST WEEK ON THE JOB. UNITED STATES ATTORNEY PETER DEEGAN JR. WILL RETIRE NEXT WEDNESDAY. DEEGAN HAS BEEN A FEDERAL PROSECUTOR SINCE 1998. IN THAT TIME, HE ALSO HAD A STINT WORKING IN THE U.S. ATTORNEY’S OFFICE IN DETROIT. IN ADDITION TO MAKING THE CASE AGAINST VIOLENT CRIMINALS AND DRUG DEALERS, A SYNOPSIS OF DEEGAN’S EFFORTS SENT OUT BY THE U.S. ATTORNEY’S OFFICE FOR THE NORTHERN DISTRICT OF IOWA HIGHLIGHTED HIS EFFORTS TO PROTECT SENIOR CITIZENS FROM FRAUD.
IOWA GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS SAYS SHE HAS BEEN CONSISTANT IN HER PUBLIC HEALTH PROCLAMATIONS RELATED TO THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC. REYNOLDS MADE THOSE COMMENTS THIS WEEK ON FOX NEWS DURING THE SEAN HANNITY PROGRAM. SHE CITED POSITIVE TRENDS LEADING TO A ROLLBACK OF SOME COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS LATE LAST WEEK. HEAR MORE OF REYNOLDS’ ARGUMENT IN FAVOR OF THE STATE’S APPROACH TO THE PANDEMIC DURING NEXT HOUR’S KXEL NEWSCAST.
