A CEDAR RAPIDS OFFICE BUILDING SUSTAINED MAJOR DAMAGE AND MIGHT BE UNSALVAGABLE AFTER A FIRE WEDNESDAY EVENING. FLAMES WERE BURNING THROUGH THE ROOF WITH A GIANT COLUMN OF BLACK SMOKE COMING FROM THE STRUCTURE NEAR EDGEWOOD AND GLASS ROADS. FORTUNATELY, NO ONE WAS INJURED IN THE FIRE RESPONSE. FOR A TIME FOLLOWING 2008 CEDAR RIVER FLOODING, THE BUILDING HAD HOUSED CEDAR RAPIDS’ CITY OFFICES. IT WAS CURRENTLY BEING USED BY UNITY POINT HEALTH, HOWEVER MOST OF THE EMPLOYEES THAT WOULD TYPICALLY BE ON-SITE HAD BEEN SHIFTED TO WORK-FROM-HOME STATUS DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.
IOWA STUDENTS AND TEACHERS ARE INTO THE FINAL QUARTER OF THIS CORONAVIRUS-ALTERED SCHOOL YEAR. IOWA GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS SPOKE ABOUT EDUCATION DURING THE PANDEMIC AS PART OF A WEDNESDAY NEWS CONFERENCE. DURING NEXT HOUR’S KXEL NEWSCAST, HEAR FROM GOVERNOR REYNOLDS ABOUT THE IMPACT OF COVID VACCINES ON SCHOOL ACTIVITIES.
SCHOOL LEADERS IN IOWA CITY SAY 127 STUDENTS AND FIVE STAFF MEMBERS TESTED POSITIVE FOR THE CORONAVIRUS OR ARE PRESUMED POSITIVE. THAT HAS PROMPTED THE DISTRICT TO CLOSE AT LEAST 11 CLASSROOMS AND QUARANTINE MORE THAN 600 STUDENTS DUE TO EXPOSURE. A SCHOOL DISTRICT SPOKESWOMAN SAYS RECENT CONTACT TRACING FOR CONFIRMED CASES IN SCHOOL BUILDINGS HAS REVEALED AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS IDENTIFIED AS CLOSE CONTACTS.
STORMY WEATHER LAST NIGHT IN CEDAR RAPIDS LED TO SHATTERED WINDOWS AND FLATTENED STREET SIGNS WHILE SHREDDING THE ROOFS AND SIDING ON SEVERAL MOBILE HOMES. THE DAMAGE WAS CONCENTRATED IN THE SUMMIT VIEW MOBILE HOME PARK ON THE CITY’S SOUTHWEST SIDE. A WEATHER SYSTEM MOVED THROUGH BETWEEN 8 AND 9 P.M. OFFICIAL WEATHER SERVICE READINGS SHOW THAT APPROXIMATELY ONE-THIRD OF AN INCH OF RAIN FELL IN CEDAR RAPIDS DURING THE HOUR WHEN THE DAMAGING STORM WAS IN THE AREA. WEATHER SERVICE OFFICIALS ARE TRYING TO DETERMINE IF THE EVIDENCE IS CONSISTENT WITH A TORNADO.
AT THIS TIME LAST YEAR, HIGH SCHOOL AND YOUTH SPORTS HAD COME TO A STANDSTILL DURING THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC. IOWA BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL PLAYERS WERE AMONG THE FIRST SCHOOL-SPONSORED ATHLETES TO GET BACK ON THE FIELD ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY. GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS TALKED ABOUT EXPANDING SPORTS OPPORTUNITIES AS CORONAVIRUS SHOTS BECOME MORE WIDELY AVAILABLE. EARLIER THIS YEAR, REYNOLDS LIFTED RESTRICTIONS ON SPECTATORS ATTENDING YOUTH SPORTING EVENTS.
SINGLE-DOSE JOHNSON & JOHNSON VACCINES WILL BE AVAILABLE DURING AN EVENT AT THE WATERLOO CENTER FOR THE ARTS SATURDAY. BLACK HAWK COUNTY HEALTH OFFICIALS WILL ADMINISTER THE SHOTS BY APPOINTMENT FROM 9 TO NOON. SIGN-UPS FOR SATURDAY’S VACCINATIONS ARE UNDERWAY ON THE BLACK HAWK COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH WEBSITE.
DURING THE OFFSEASON, YOU MAY HAVE SEEN THE SO-CALLED HAWKEYE EXPRESS PASSENGER TRAIN PARKED IN A RAIL YARD ON WATERLOO’S SOUTH SIDE. ON IOWA FOOTBALL GAME DAYS, THE TRAIN SHUTTLED PASSENGERS BETWEEN REMOTE PARKING AREAS AND KINNICK STADIUM. NOW THE HAWKEYE EXPRESS HAS BEEN RETIRED BECAUSE OF THE LIKELIHOOD OF CONTINUED SOCIAL DISTANCING THIS SEASON AND INCREASES IN OPERATING EXPENSES. THE IOWA NORTHERN RAILWAY PARTNERED WITH THE IOWA ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT TO RUN THE HAWKEYE EXPRESS STARTING IN 2004.
THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION AND AUTO INDUSTRY LEADERS BELIEVE THERE WILL BE A GIGANTIC SHIFT TO ELECTRIC VEHICLES IN THE COMING DECADE. HOWEVER BIOFUELS PRODUCERS AND AG GROUPS ARGUE THE U.S. SHOULD INCREASE SALES OF ETHANOL AND BIODIESEL. PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN’S PROPOSED INFRASTRUCTURE PLAN INCLUDES INCREASED FUNDING TO PROMOTE A SHIFT TO ELECTRIC VEHICLES. AT THE SAME TIME, PRODUCERS OF ETHANOL AND BIODIESEL CONTEND THAT EVEN IF THE U.S. DRAMATICALLY INCREASES SALES OF ELECTRIC CARS AND TRUCKS, LIQUID-FUELED VEHICLES WILL BE IN THE MAJORITY FOR MANY YEARS.
THE WATERLOO-CEDAR FALLS SYMPHONY IS PLANNING IT’S FIRST FULL IN-PERSON CONCERT IN MORE THAN A YEAR DURING JUNE AS PART OF “MY WATERLOO DAYS.” SYMPHONY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR RICH FREVERT TOLD KXEL LISTENERS THAT HE EXPECTS THE ORGANIZATION TO ANNOUNCE FUTURE EVENTS THREE TO FOUR MONTHS IN ADVANCE. WATERLOO-CEDAR FALLS SYMPHONY PERFORMANCES THIS SUMMER WILL BE OUTDOORS AND OFFERED AT NO CHARGE.
