SENIOR RESIDENTS IN INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITIES HAVE FAR MORE MOBILITY THAN THOSE IN LONGTERM CARE OR NURSING FACILITIES. THAT ADDED MOBILITY CAN BE A RISK WHEN IT COMES TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, BUT IT IS SOMETHING FRIENDSHIP VILLAGE IN WATERLOO TOOK INTO ACCOUNT, ACCORDING TO EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SHERI TURNER. SHE SAYS MANY INDEPENDENT LIVING RESIDENTS WERE COMING BACK FROM WARMWEATHER DESTINATIONS WHEN COVID-19 BECAME A SERIOUS CONCERN. AS OF YESTERDAY, TURNER SAID FRIENDSHIP VILLAGE HAS HAD NO CASES OF THE CORONAVIRUS.
THE IOWA LEGISLATURE WILL OFFICIALLY BE OUT OF ACTION UNTIL APRIL 30. THE 24-MEMBER IOWA LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL VOTED IN A TELEPHONE CONFERENCE CALL THURSDAY TO EXTEND THEIR RECESS AS CONCERNS REMAIN OVER CORONAVIRUS CASES IN THE STATE. IN MARCH, LEGISLATORS PASSED A RESOLUTION THAT HALTED MEETINGS UNTIL APRIL 15. THIS WEEK, THE NUMBER OF POSITIVE COVID-19 TESTS IN IOWA SURPASSED 1,000.
GUNSHOTS WERE FOLLOWED BY A CAR CHASE IN CEDAR RAPIDS ON THURSDAY. AROUND 11 O’CLOCK LAST NIGHT, CEDAR RAPIDS POLICE WENT TO THE AREA WHERE SHOTS WERE HEARD ON 2ND STREET SOUTHWEST. THEY TOOK A DESCRIPTION OF A VEHICLE, WHICH WAS SOON SPOTTED…AND WOULD NOT PULL OVER WHEN POLICE TRIED TO STOP IT. THE CHASE LASTED FOR ABOUT A MILE NOT FAR FROM WESTDALE MALL BEFORE THE DRIVER RAN FROM THE CAR AND EVENTUALLY WAS ARRESTED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND THE NAME OF THE SUSPECT WAS NOT IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE.
THE STATE’S PRIMARY ELECTION IS LESS THAN TWO MONTHS AWAY. GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS SAYS VOTING IS STILL ON SCHEDULE DESPITE COVID-19. THIS WEEK, SECRETARY OF STATE PAUL PATE ANNOUNCED A PLAN TO MAIL ABSENTEE BALLOT REQUEST FORMS TO ALL ACTIVE REGISTERED VOTERS.
THE BASEBALL GAME BETWEEN THE NEW YORK YANKEES AND CHICAGO WHITE SOX SCHEDULED FOR DYERSVILLE AT THE FIELD OF DREAMS MOVIE SITE IS STILL ON. BUT AS OTHER IMPORTANT DATES ON THE MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL CALENDAR ARE MISSED, CONCERNS ABOUT THE STATE’S FIRST BIG LEAGUE GAME ARE RISING. KEITH RAHE IS PRESIDENT AND CEO OF TRAVEL DUBUQUE, AND HE TALKED WITH OUR COVERAGE PARTNER TV-9. CONSTRUCTION HAS CONTINUED ON THE FIELD WHERE THE YANKEES AND WHITE SOX ARE SCHEDULED TO PLAY IN AUGUST.
SPEAKING OF CONSTRUCTION FOR A SIGNIFICANT ATTRACTION…WATERLOO OFFICIALS APPROVED A HALF-MILLION DOLLAR CONTRACT FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO SHAULIS ROAD. THAT WORK IS PART OF A LARGER 11 MILLION DOLLAR RECONSTRUCTION EFFORT NEAR THE FUTURE SITE OF LOST ISLAND THEME PARK. STATE MONEY IS EXPECTED TO PAY FOR HALF OF THE SHAULIS ROAD RECONSTRUCTION, WITH AN IOWA TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION VOTE ON THOSE DOLLARS PLANNED FOR NEXT WEEK.
HOSPITALS IN CEDAR RAPIDS GO INTO THE WEEKEND WELL-PREPARED FOR ANY POSSIBLE INCREASE IN COVID-19 CASES. DR. DUSTIN ARNOLD OF ST. LUKE’S MEDICAL CENTER GAVE AN UPDATE ON THURSDAY. ARNOLD COMMENDED THE CEDAR RAPIDS COMMUNITY ON ITS SOCIAL DISTANCING EFFORT. HE SAYS BOTH ST. LUKES AND MERCY HAVE TAKEN A VARIETY OF PREPAREDNESS MEASURES.
CEDAR FALLS RESIDENT MARTY POSTEL IS ONE OF TWO DEMOCRATS RUNNING AGAINST THREE PARTY INCUMBENTS FOR A BLACK HAWK COUNTY SUPERVISOR NOMINATION. POSTEL SPENT MOST OF FOUR DECADES WORKING AT GMAC MORTGAGE, WHICH BECAME OCWEN LOAN SERVICING BEFORE THE COMPANY CLOSED ITS WATERLOO OFFICE LAST YEAR. POSTEL’S BID FOR A SUPERVISOR’S SEAT IS HIS FIRST RUN AT THE COUNTY LEVEL. HE IS CHALLENGING INCUMBENTS TOM LITTLE, LINDA LAYLIN, AND CHRIS SCHWARTZ; TERRANCE HOLLINGSWORTH WILL BE THE OTHER CHALLENGER DURING THE JUNE PRIMARY.
EVEN THOUGH THE WATERLOO PUBLIC LIBRARY BUILDING IS CLOSED, IT’S STILL POSSIBLE TO GET A LIBRARY CARD FOR USE ONLINE. THE LIBRARY’S AMY ROUSSELOW EXPLAINED HOW, YESTERDAY DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL. ROUSSELOW SAYS THAT DURING THE LIBRARY’S COVID-19 CLOSURE, SEVERAL NEW RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE; SOME OTHER FEATURES THAT COULD ONLY BE USED IN THE BUILDING HAVE BEEN EXPANDED TO THE LIBRARY WEBSITE.
