A SHOOTING INVESTIGATION IN WATERLOO EARLY THIS MORNING COVERED SEVERAL BLOCKS IN A WEST SIDE NEIGHBORHOOD NEAR DOWNTOWN. THE INCIDENT REPORTEDLY HAPPENED ABOUT 4 O’CLOCK. ALTHOUGH THE CRIME SCENE WAS NEAR THE 100 BLOCK OF WELLINGTON STREET, THE WOUNDED VICTIM APARENTLY ATTEMPTED TO LEAVE THE SCENE, TRAVELING SEVERAL BLOCKS TO SERGEANT ROAD. POLICE WERE STILL IN THAT AREA HOURS LATER COLLECTING EVIDENCE.
IOWA ELECTION POLICY IS BEING REVIEWED BY LEGISLATORS. HOUSE SPEAKER PAT GRASSLEY TALKED ABOUT THAT THIS WEEK DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL. NEARLY 700 THOUSAND IOWA VOTERS WENT TO THE POLLS ON NOVEMBER 3RD, WITH ANOTHER ONE MILLION PEOPLE CASTING ABSENTEE BALLOTS. MORE THAN 75 PERCENT OF REGISTERED IOWA VOTERS PARTICIPATED IN THE 2020 ELECTION.
LOCAL AREA AGENCIES ON AGING ARE ASSISTING SENIORS LOOKING FOR ANSWERS ABOUT COVID-19 VACCINATIONS. OUR COVERAGE PARTNERS AT TV-9 SPOKE WITH HARRISON MARCH OF THE HERITAGE AREA AGENCY ON AGING IN CEDAR RAPIDS. MARCH EMPHASIZED PATIENCE AS MORE VACCINE DOSES ARE DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
EARLY IN THE 2021 LEGISLATIVE SESSION, IOWA LAWMAKERS PASSED A BILL REQUIRING SCHOOLS TO OFFER A 100 PERCENT IN-PERSON LEARNING OPTION. HOUSE SPEAKER PAT GRASSLEY OF NEW HARTFORD TALKED ABOUT THAT RECENTLY DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL AND COMPARED HIS LOCAL DIKE-NEW HARTFORD DISTRICT WITH SCHOOLS IN SOME LARGER COMMUNITIES. THE 100 PERCENT IN-PERSON LEARNING OPTION DEADLINE FOR IOWA SCHOOL DISTRICTS IS NEXT MONDAY.
AN INCREASINGLY FAMILIAR LOGO IS LEADING A CEDAR VALLEY BUSINESS TO OPEN A NEW LOCATION. THE “IOWA LOVE” DESIGN FEATURES THE STATE’S NAME ON SCRIPT OVER AN OUTLINE OF THE IOWA BOARDER. THE LOGO FIRST APPEARED IN SHIRTS IN 2019. IOWA LOVE WILL NOW HAVE AN OFFICE IN DOWNTOWN WATERLOO. THE LOCATION WILL FILL ONLINE ORDERS AND SHIP THE COMPANY’S PRODUCTS TO IT’S RETAIL PARTNERS.
A FATAL ACCIDENT IN OREGON KILLED A YOUNG MAN FROM NORTHEAST IOWA. 20-YEAR-OLD ERICK FADNESS OF DECORAH WAS REPORTEDLY ONE OF THREE PEOPLE WHO DID NOT SURVIVE A TWO-VEHICLE WRECK NEAR PORTLAND ON WEDNESDAY MORNING. ALL THREE OF THOSE WHO WERE KILLED WERE AGE 21 OR YOUNGER.
ALTHOUGH THE ICE MAY BE HERE FOR AWHILE, THE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES SAYS ICE FISHING SEASON IS ALMOST OVER. SHELTERS MUST BE REMOVED FROM PUBLIC LANDS BY FEBRUARY 20TH. THE DNR SAYS THAT IF SHELTERS FALL THROUGH THE ICE WHEN IT EVENTUALLY MELTS, OWNERS WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR FISHING IT OUT.
A NEW DISCOUNT RETAIL LOCATION CONTINUES TO PROGRESS TOWARD REALITY ON THE SOUTH EDGE OF WATERLOO. A DOLLAR GENERAL STORE IS PLANNED FOR THE AREA NEAR THE ISLE CASINO AND THE NEW LOST ISLAND THEME PARK UNDER CONSTRUCTION. EARLIER SOME AREA RESIDENTS HAD EXPRESSED CONCERNS OVER TRAFFIC ACCESSABILITY FOR THE PROPOSED STORE. ZONING CHANGES TO MAKE WAY FOR THE RETAILER WERE APPROVED THIS WEEK. ROADWAY AND TRAFFIC CONTROL UPGRADES WILL MAKE IT EASIER FOR VEHICLES TO ENTER THE STORE’S PARKING AREA FROM SHAULIS ROAD.
IOWA HOUSE SPEAKER PAT GRASSLEY SAYS, HE BELIEVES SOME DEBATES IN THE LEGISLATURE DURING THE CURRENT SESSION HAVE GONE OFF COURSE [AUDIO :18]. THE NEW HARTFORD REPUBLICAN IS REFERING TO CRITICISM FROM DEMOCRATS THAT MASK REQUIREMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN PUT IN PLACE IN THE HOUSE AND SENATE CHAMBERS. DEMOCRATS HAVE NOTED THAT COATS AND TIES ARE REQUIRED AND DENIM JEANS ARE BANNED, WHILE NO FACE COVERING RULES WERE CONSIDERED DURING THE PANDEMIC. HEAR ALL OF SPEAKER GRASSLEY’S COMMENTS FROM HIS RECENT KXEL INTERVIEW ON DEMAND AT KXEL.COM.
IN SPORTS, THE IOWA STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM IS MIRED IN AN EIGHT-GAME LOSING STREAK. TONIGHT THEY ARE THE UNDERDOGS AT KANSAS WITH A 6 P-M TIP OFF IN LAWRENCE. THE CYCLONES AND JAYHAWKS ARE THEN SCHEDULED FOR A REMATCH IN AMES ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON. ALSO TONIGHT, THE IOWA HAWKEYE WOMEN ARE ON THE ROAD AT NEBRASKA. LISA BLUDER’S TEAM HAS LOST THEIR LAST TWO. THAT GAME TIPS AT 7 O’CLOCK.
