IOWA FIRST DISTRICT CONGRESSWOMAN ASHLEY HINSON TALKED VACCINES WHEN SHE WAS A GUEST RECENTLY DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL. HINSON SAYS SHE WANTS THE VACCINATION RATE TO CONTINUE CLIMBING AFTER APPROXIMATELY 110 THOUSAND SHOTS WERE GIVEN IN THE STATE LAST WEEK. ACCORDING TO FIGURES FROM THE STATE OF IOWA, OVER 121 THOUSAND PEOPLE HAVE RECEIVED BOTH DOSES OF THE COVID-19 VACCINE, AS THE TOTAL NUMBER OF SHOTS APPROACHES 500 THOUSAND. VACCINE MANUFACTURES RECOMMENT A THREE WEEK GAP BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND SHOT.
SEVERAL COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENTS WERE SENT SCRAMBLING LAST WEEK WHEN THEY WERE INFORMED THAT THEIR VACCINE SUPPLIES WERE BEING CUT FOR NOT INOCULATING ENOUGH PEOPLE IN TIMELY FASHION. UNDER ADMINISTRATIVE RULES, COUNTIES NEED TO USE 80 PERCENT OF THEIR DOSES IN ORDER TO RECEIVE NEW SHIPMENTS. THE AFFECTED COUNTIES INCLUDE CHICKASAW, BUCHANAN, AND POWESHIEK. SOME TABULATION DISCREPANCIES MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE ISSUE IN THOSE AREAS. PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENTS IN EACH COUNTY ANNOUNCED THAT THEY WERE MAKING ALTERNATE ARRANGEMENTS WITH THE STATE AND OTHER HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS.
DON’T BOTHER CHECKING THE MAILBOX. IT’S PRESIDENT’S DAY, SO THERE IS NO MAIL DELIVERY. MANY BANKS ARE ALSO CLOSED. HOWEVER, PRESIDENT’S DAY IS NOT LISTED AMONG STATE HOLIDAYS RECOGNIZED BY THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES.
AN ACCIDENT ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF ROBBINS SENT A MARION WOMAN TO THE HOSPITAL LATE SUNDAY. THE SINGLE VEHICLE WRECK HAPPENED JUST AFTER 8 O’CLOCK NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF QUASS ROAD AND LESLIE COURT. 39-YEAR-OLD CANDY HAVLICK WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL HOSPITAL; THE LINN COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT REPORTED THAT HER INJURIES WERE NOT BELIEVED TO BE LIFE THREATENING. THEY SAY THAT SHE LOST CONTROL OF HER VEHICLE BEFORE GOING OFF THE ROAD AND INTO A DITCH.
FRESHMEN OFTEN NEED TIME TO FIND THEIR PLACE IN NEW SURROUNDINGS. IN CONGRESS, MARION REPUBLICAN ASHLEY HINSON SAYS SHE WAS THE FIRST FRESHMAN LEGISLATOR TO HAVE A BILL REACH THE FLOOR DURING THE CURRENT SESSION. THE REOPEN SCHOOLS ACT WAS VOTED DOWN EARLIER THIS MONTH. FEDERAL AID TO K-THROUGH-12 SCHOOLS IS VALUED AT 54 BILLION DOLLARS. HINSON WAS ELECTED TO THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES FROM IOWA’S FIRST DISTRICT IN NOVEMBER.
A WATERLOO MAN ACTING ERRATICALLY AT A CONVENIENCE STORE WAS ARRESTED ON SATURDAY EVENING. AN INCIDENT REPORT SAYS 44-YEAR-OLD DANA SCOTT WANDERED INTO THE BACKROOM OF THE KWIK STAR STORE ON FRANKLIN STREET AND WAS TALKING TO PEOPLE WHO WEREN’T THERE. POLICE RESPONDED WHEN SCOTT WOULD NOT LEAVE THE SCENE. HE WAS ARRESTED FOR TRESPASSING. A SEARCH ALLEGEDLY PRODUCED DRUG PARAPHERNALIA AS WELL AS MULTIPLE ROUNDS OF AMMUNITION. THAT LED TO ADDITIONAL CHARGES. SCOTT HAS A PREVIOUS CRIMINAL RECORD WHICH PROHIBITS HIM FROM HAVING FIREARMS OR AMMUNITION.
AS A LONG SEQUENCE OF BITTER WINTER WEATHER PERSISTS, A RECENT REPORT FOCUSED ON PEOPLE IN NEED SHELTER FROM SERVICE AGENCIES WHO OTHERWISE WOULD BE OUTDOORS. A WINTER HOMELESS COUNT BY CEDAR RAPIDS-AREA NON-PROFIT WAYPOINT FOUND 19 PEOPLE SLEEPING OUTDOORS ON THE NIGHT OF JANUARY 27TH. MANY WERE HUDDLED IN CARS, BUT SOME DID NOT EVEN HAVE THAT PROTECTION FROM THE COLD. WAYPOINT OFFICIALS SUGGESTS HIGHER HOMELESS RATES ARE AN EFFECT OF THE AUGUST DERECHO AND DISRUPTIONS CAUSED BY THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC. THEY RECOMMEND REACHING OUT TO CEDAR RAPIDS POLICE FOR A WELFARE CHECK ON ANYONE SHELTERING OUTDOORS WHO APPEARS TO HAVE NO OTHER PLACE TO GO.
JUST MORE THAN A MONTH INTO HER FIRST CONGRESSIONAL TERM, REPUBLICAN CONGRESSWOMAN ASHLEY HINSON IS ALREADY GETTING FEEDBACK FROM CONSTITUENTS. HINSON MADE A RECENT APPEARANCE DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL. HEAR MORE OF HER THOUGHTS ON IOWA VACCINATION RATES DURING NEXT HOURS KXEL NEWS AND FIND THE FULL INTERVIEW ON DEMAND ANYTIME ONLINE AT KXEL.COM.
THE UNI PANTHER VOLLEYBALL TEAM SUFFERED A SETBACK ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON. AFTER TAKING TWO SETS FROM MISSOURI STATE, THE BEARS RALLIED TO WIN IN FIVE AT THE MCLEOD CENTER. UNI GETS ANOTHER CHANCE IN A REMATCH LATER TODAY. PREMATCH COVERAGE BEGINS AT 4:45 HERE ON YOUR HOME OF THE PANTHERS, NEWS/TALK 1540 KXEL.
