BEFORE THE MONEY RAN OUT, IT DID A LOT OF GOOD. 350 MILLION DOLLAR
OF INITIAL FEDERAL FUNDING WAS USED UP LAST WEEK AS PART OF THE
GOVERNMENT’S PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM. JOHN SORENSEN IS
PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE IOWA BANKERS ASSOCIATION. HE SIZES UP WHAT
IOWA GOT OUT OF THE CARES ACT. THE SMALL BUSINESS
ADMINISTRATION OPERATED THE FORGIVABLE LOAN PROGRAM THROUGH
BANKS.
WHILE SOME WORKERS ARE BEING MADE-GOOD BY THE CARES ACT, CITIES,
COUNTIES, AND OTHER LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ARE LOOKING AT THE
POSSIBILITY OF TOUGH TIMES AHEAD. SALES TAX REVENUES AND MONEY
FROM OTHER SPECIALTY TAXES LIKE THOSE ON FUEL OR HOTEL STAYS ARE
LIKELY TO BE DOWN. THAT WILL MEAN TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS WHICH
WON’T BE THERE IN CITIES THE SIZE OF CEDAR RAPIDS AND WATERLOO. AND
CITY LEADERS WON’T KNOW THE ACTUAL SHORTFALL UNTIL WELL AFTER THE
NEW FISCAL YEAR BEGINS ON JULY FIRST. THE IOWA LEAGUE OF CITIES SAYS IT
AND SIMILAR ORGANIZATIONS IN OTHER STATES WILL BE LOBBYING FOR
FEDERAL HELP.
SHORTLY BEFORE FOUR O’CLOCK, CEDAR RAPIDS POLICE WERE INVOLVED IN A
CHASE WHEN THEY TRIED TO PULL A DRIVER OVER. THAT DRIVER ULTIMATELY
LOST CONTROL OF HIS VEHICLE, ENDING THE CHASE NEAR THIRD AVENUE AND
7TH STREET SOUTHWEST. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND THE DRIVER WAS
ARRESTED.
WATERLOO COULD OFFICIALLY HAVE A NEW POLICE CHIEF AS EARLY AS
TONIGHT. DR. JOEL FITZGERALD SR. WAS ANNOUNCED AS THE CITY’S PICK FOR
THE POST LAST WEEK; HIS APPOINTMENT GOES BEFORE THE CITY COUNCIL THIS
EVENING, WITH AN ON-THE-JOB START DATE OF JUNE FIRST. VISITING KXEL
LIVE AND LOCAL LAST WEEK, MAYOR QUINTON HART SPOKE IN ANTICIPATION
OF TONIGHT’S COUNCIL VOTE. FITZGERALD WORKED MOST
RECENTLY IN THE PHILADELPHIA SHERIFFS OFFICE. TONIGHT’S WATERLOO CITY
COUNCIL MEETING BEGINS AT 5:30.
EFFIGY MOUNDS NATIONAL MONUMENT NEAR MARQUETTE CLOSED OVER THE
WEEKEND DUE TO NEW LIMITATIONS IMPOSED TO STOP THE SPEAD OF COVID19. THE FEDERAL PARK WILL STAY CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. EFFIGY
MOUNDS OFFICIALS NOTED THAT SOCIAL DISTANCING REQUIREMENTS WOULD
HAVE BEEN DIFFICULT ON THE PARK’S TRAILS AND NATURAL AREAS.
RELAY FOR LIFE WILL BE HELD IN BREMER COUNTY THIS SUMMER…JUST NOT
OUTDOORS IN A GROUP SETTING. THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY
FUNDRAISER HAS BEEN ALTERED TO BECOME AN ONLINE EVENT. BREMER
COUNTY’S VIRTUAL RELAY FOR LIFE WILL BEGIN JUNE FIRST AND CONTINUE
THROUGH THE FIFTH.
MEANWHILE IN IOWA CITY, THE EPILEPSY FOUNDATION IS CHANGING ITS
ANNUAL FUNDRAISING WALK TO AN ONLINE ACTIVITY. IT’S PLANNED FOR JUNE
SIXTH AND WILL BE HELD VIA VIDEO CONFERENCE SOFTWARE. THE EPILEPSY
FOUNDATION WALK HAD TYPICALLY ATTRACTED AROUND 600 PEOPLE.
SOME DOWNTOWN BUSINESS COMMUNITIES ARE GETTING CREATIVE TO KEEP
SMALL SHOPS OPEN. EVEN WHERE SOME BUSINESSES HAVE BEEN FORCED TO
CLOSE DUE TO COVID-19 AND PROCLAMATIONS FROM THE STATE OF IOWA,
BUSINESS GROUPS ARE OFFERING INCENTIVES. BETSY PORTER OF THE IOWA
CITY DOWNTOWN DISTRICT TALKED ABOUT THEIR PROGRAM WITH OUR
COVERAGE PARTNERS FROM TV-9. PORTER SAYS 13-THOUSAND
DOLLARS FROM AN AVAILABLE POOL OF 22-THOUSAND HAS ALREADY BEEN
GIVEN AWAY AND IS EXPECTED TO PROMOTE FURTHER SPENDING WHEN
NORMAL BUSINESS CONDITIONS RETURN. OVER 10 THOUSAND DOLLAR FOR
THE IOWA CITY INCENTIVE PROGRAM WAS DONATED BY A LOCAL BANK.
NEW FEDERAL GUIDELINES REQUIRE NURSING HOMES TO REPORT TO PATIENTS,
THEIR FAMILIES AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WHEN THEY HAVE
CORONAVIRUS CASES. THE EFFORT IS AIMED AT INCREASING TRANSPARENCY
ABOUT THE SPREAD OF THE VIRUS AT FACILITIES WITH VULNERABLE RESIDENTS.
NATIONWIDE, THERE HAVE BEEN MORE THAN 7,100 DEATHS AT LONG-TERM
CARE FACILITIES.
ONE GUNSHOT IN IOWA CITY JUST BEFORE 3 O’CLOCK THIS MORNING
BROUGHT OUT POLICE TO INVESTIGATE. THE SHOT WAS REPORTED IN THE
2100 BLOCK OF TAYLOR DRIVE. POLICE DIDN’T FIND MUCH IN THE AREA…
THERE WERE NO INJURIES, NOR WAS ANY PROPERTY DAMAGE IMMEDIATELY
FOUND. HOWEVER, $1,000 IS AVAILABLE FOR TIPS THAT LEAD TO AN ARREST
THROUGH IOWA CITY AREA CRIMESTOPPERS. INFORMATION CAN BE
SUBMITTED THROUGH I C CRIME STOPPERS.ORG.
