THE DRAMATIC CHANGE TO THE DAILY ROUTINE…CONCERN ABOUT GETTING SICK OR INADVERTENTLY MAKING LOVED ONES SICK…WORRIES ABOUT WORK AND PAYING THE BILLS. THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS CERTAINLY NOT BEEN HELPFUL TO THOSE WITH A PREDISPOSITION TOWARD ANXIETY, DEPRESSION OR OTHER MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES. LAST WEEK, IOWA GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS TALKED ABOUT THAT SIDE OF THE CORONAVIRUS AND SOCIAL DISTANCING. SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR WORKING THROUGH OUR CURRENT CIRCUMSTANCES INCLUDE FOCUSING ON THINGS THAT WE CAN STILL DO WHILE STAYING AT HOME, AND USING TECHNOLOGY TO KEEP CONNECTED WITH FRIENDS AND LOVED ONES.
A WATERLOO MAN WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY ON SUNDAY FOR ALLEGEDLY FIRING A 9 MILIMETER HANDGUN WHILE HE WAS PROHIBITED FROM POSSESSING A FIREARM. 34-YEAR-OLD MARCUS HARMON-WRIGHT WAS ARRESTED FOR THE INCIDENT WHICH HAPPENED NEAR SUMNER AND MOBILE STREETS. A PAST DOMESTIC ABUSE CONVICTION PREVENTS HARMON-WRIGHT FROM HAVING A GUN. CHARGES AGAINST HIM INCLUDE INTIMIDATION WITH A DANGEROUS WEAPON.
INDEPENDENCE, VINTON, AND POINTS EAST ARE UNDER A WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 7 O’CLOCK TONIGHT. THE ADVISORY AREA INCLUDES CEDAR RAPIDS AND IOWA CITY. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAYS NORTHWEST WINDS COULD GUST AS HIGH AS 45 MILES PER HOUR, POTENTIALLY LEADING TO BROKEN AND FALLING TREE LIMBS AND LIFTING UNSECURED OUTDOOR OBJECTS.
CHILD CARE HAS COME INTO FOCUS AS PART OF THE CONVERSATION ABOUT ESSENTIAL WORKERS DURING THE COVID-19 OUTBREAK. IOWA LEGISLATORS WERE ALREADY LOOKING AT THE SHORTAGE OF CHILD CARE OPTIONS IN THE STATE BEFORE THE CORONAVIRUS CHANGED DAILY ROUTINES FOR NEARLY EVERYONE. ANNETTE SWEENEY CHAIRS THE IOWA SENATE’S HUMAN RESOURCES COMMITTEE, AND SAYS CHURCHES, SCHOOLS, AND COMMUNITY CENTERS HAVE BEEN ASKED TO FILL THE VOID. ANNETTE SWEENEY IS FROM BUCKEYE AND REPRESENTS IOWA’S 25TH SENATE DISTRICT; SHE WAS A GUEST THIS MORNING DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL.
WHILE COVID-19 IS THE BIGGEST INFECTIOUS DISEASE CONCERN FOR MOST PEOPLE AT THE MOMENT, IOWA POULTRY AND EGG PRODUCERS MIGHT BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE POSSIBLE RESURGENCE OF BIRD FLU. A SERIOUS STRAIN OF THE DISEASE AND BEEN FOUND IN A COMMERCIAL TURKEY FLOCK IN SOUTH CAROLINA. MORE THAN 32,000 TURKEYS IN THE FLOCK WERE EUTHANIZED. A 2015 AVIAN INFLUENZA OUTBREAK LED TO MORE THAN 30 MILLION BIRDS DYING OR BEING EUTHANIZED IN IOWA WITH A LOSS IN THE STATE OF OVER 1 BILLION DOLLARS.
FORMER CEDAR RAPIDS ROUGHRIDERS DEFENSEMAN SCOTT PERUNOVICH EARNED COLLEGE HOCKEY’S HIGHEST HONOR OVER THE WEEKEND. PERUNOVICH WON THE HOBEY BAKER AWARD. IN 34 GAMES FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA-DULUTH, THE JUNIOR RECORDED SIX GOALS AND 40 TOTAL POINTS. PERUNOVICH SKATED FOR THE ROUGHRIDERS DURING THE WINTER OF 2016/17.
THE ARRIVAL OF EASTER BROUGHT MORE PARISHONERS ONLINE TO HEAR BISHOP MICHAEL JACKELS. WELL OVER SIX THOUSAND PEOPLE VIEWED THE ARCHDIOCESE OF DUBUQUE’S EASTER MASS ONLINE. BISHOP JACKELS USED HIS HOMILY TO TALK ABOUT KNOWING THE WAY OF LIFE JESUS LAID OUT FOR HIS FOLLOWERS. JACKELS MESSAGE FOCUSSED ON PUTTING CHRIST FRONT-AND-CENTER IN THE LIVES OF THE FAITHFUL; HE CONTRASTED TO THE WORDS IN THE EASTER STORY: THEY’VE TAKEN THE LORD, AND WE DON’T KNOW WHERE THEY’VE PUT HIM.
WATERLOO SCHOOLS CHANGE GEARS THIS WEEK. STARTING WEDNESDAY, THE DISTRICT WILL PUT ITS VOLUNTARY ENRICHMENT PLANS INTO PLACE. FAMILIES CAN EXPECT TO SEE MORE DETAILS ABOUT PARTICIPATION AND WHAT THE PLAN LOOKS LIKE FOR THEIR STUDENTS BY TUESDAY. INSTRUCTION DAYS WHICH ARE PART OF THE VOLUNTARY ENRICHMENT EFFORT WILL NOT NEED TO BE MADE UP WHEN CLASSES RESUME. SCHOOLS IN WATERLOO AND ELSEWHERE IN THE STATE WILL BE OUT OF REGULAR SESSION THROUGH AT LEAST THE END OF THIS MONTH.
GAS PRICES AT SOME STATIONS IN THE CEDAR VALLEY HAVE DROPPED DRAMATICALLY. THE RATE FOR E85 FUEL IS EVEN LOWER, AT JUST ABOVE A DOLLAR PER GALLON AT SOME STATIONS OVER THE WEEKEND. ACROSS THE COUNTRY, THE AVERAGE U.S. PRICE OF REGULAR-GRADE GASOLINE FELL 14 CENTS OVER THE PAST TWO WEEKS, DOWN TO $2.01 PER GALLON. THAT AVERAGE HAS DROPPED 52 CENTS OVER THE PAST SEVEN WEEKS AS DEMAND DECLINES MORE PEOPLE STAY AT HOME DURING THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC. THE AVERAGE NATIONWIDE PRICE OF DIESEL IS $2.69.
