BLACK HAWK COUNTY IS NOT AMONG THE PARTS OF IOWA WHICH WILL SEE A QUICK REOPENING FROM THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. PUBLIC HEALTH DIRECTOR NAFISSA CISSE-EGBUONYE ON MONDAY SAID THAT TYSON FOODS HAD COMPLETE TESTING OF EMPLOYEES AT ITS CLOSED WATERLOO PORK PROCESSING FACILITY.
SOME BUSINESS RELIEF COULD BE COMING FROM THE WATERLOO CITY COUNCIL. DURING MONDAY’S MEETING, COUNCILWOMAN MARGARET KLEIN OFFERED THE IDEA TO GIVE SOME SMALL BUSINESSES AN EXTRA 30 DAYS TO PAY CITY FEES. A SPECIFIC PROPOSAL IS ANTICIPATED TO COME UP FOR A VOTE AT A FUTURE CITY COUNCIL MEETING.
ROCKWELL AUTOMATION REPORTED IT’S QUARTERLY FINANCIALS THIS MORNING. WHILE SALES WERE UP ONE-AND-A-HALF PERCENT, PROFITS FELL TO $1.13 PER SHARE AFTER BEING $2.88 DURING THE SAME QUARTER LAST YEAR. THE CHANGE WAS ATTRIBUTED TO A $1 BILLION DOLLAR ROCKWELL INVESTMENT IN DESIGN COMPANY PTC. TAKING THAT TRANSACTION OFF THE TABLE, ROCKWELL’S ADJUSTED EARNINGS WOULD HAVE BEEN UP 19 PERCENT. IN A STATEMENT, COMPANY CEO BLAKE MORET SAYS ROCKWELL AUTOMATION IS WELL-POSITIONED TO RIDE OUT THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, BECAUSE THE COMPANY AND ITS CUSTOMERS ARE CONSIDERED ESSENTIAL BUSINESSES.
IOWA’S RIDE IS OFF. AFTER RAGBRAI ANNOUNCED THE CANCELLATION OF ITS EVENT LAST WEEK, THE NEW EAST-TO-WEST GATHERING OF CYCLISTS ALSO SAYS CONDITIONS WILL MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO HOLD THEIR EVENT. THE INAUGURAL IOWA’S RIDE ROUTE WOULD HAVE BEGIN IN DUBUQUE, WITH OVERNIGHT STOPS INCLUDING MONTICELLO, VINTON, ELDORA, AND CLARION.
WHILE SOME AREAS OF THE STATE LOOK FORWARD TO THE RE-START PROCESS AFTER COVID-19, MANY PARTS OF EASTERN IOWA WAIT FOR INFECTION RATES TO IMPROVE. IOWA GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS TALKED ABOUT WORKING THROUGH THE DIFFERENCES WHICH HAVE BEEN NOTED FROM ONE COUNTY TO THE NEXT. 77 OF IOWA’S 99 COUNTIES WILL SEE A PHASED REOPENING THAT STARTS FRIDAY. BUSINESS LIMITATIONS IN THE OTHER 22 COUNTIES HAVE BEEN EXTENDED THROUGH MAY 15TH.
IN AREA’S WHERE BUSINESSES WILL BE REOPENING, SOME EMPLOYEES MAY NOT BE BACK AT WORK IMMEDIATELY, AND THERE CAN BE STATE UNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE FOR THEM IN SOME CASES. THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES INCLUDE EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE HAD A POSITIVE COVID-19 TEST, OR A FAMILY MEMBER IN THE SAME HOUSEHOLD WITH A CASE OF THE VIRUS, OR THOSE WHO DO NOT HAVE CHILD CARE OR TRANSPORTATION. IN THOSE SITUATIONS, IOWA WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ADVISES WORKERS TO BEGIN BY ATTEMPTING TO MAKE ARRANGEMENTS WITH EMPLOYERS.
STARTING FRIDAY, THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION IS CUTTING HOURS AT THE WATERLOO REGIONAL AIRPORT CONTROL TOWER. THE REDUCTIONS ARE ATTRIBUTED TO THE CORONAVIRUS. FOUR HOURS ARE BEING TRIMMED FROM THE DAILY SCHEDULE, WITH THE OPERATIONS DAY NOW BEGINNING AT 8 EACH MORNING AND WRAPPING UP AT 6 IN THE EVENING.
MEAT PRICES ARE EXPECTED TO GO UP SLIGHTLY, WITH THE POSSIBILITY THAT SOME CUTS OR VARIETIES COULD TEMPORARILY BE UNAVAILABLE. CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAKS AT MEAT PROCESSING PLANTS ARE CAUSING A KINK IN THE SUPPLY CHAIN; THE SITUATION HAS ALSO HURT PRODUCERS WHO HAVE NOWHERE TO GO WITH THEIR STOCK.
IN PAST ELECTION YEARS, YOU’VE HEARD ABOUT TAKING THE PORK OUT OF POLITICS, BUT 2020 IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT. THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE HAS INTRODUCED AN INITIATIVE IT IS CALLING THE “PASS THE PORK” PROGRAM. AG SECRETARY MIKE NAIG SAYS PROCESSING HOGS FOR THE PROGRAM WILL HAPPEN DURING MAY. FINANCIAL DONATIONS TO HELP THE EFFORT CAN BE MADE THROUGH THE IOWA FOOD BANK ASSOCIATION.
THE ANNUAL MY WATERLOO DAYS CELEBRATION WILL NOT BE HELD IN JUNE DUE TO THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC. JESSICA RUCKER IS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF MAIN STREET WATERLOO. DURING TODAY’S EDITION OF KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL, RUCKER TALKED ABOUT THE DECISION WHICH WAS ANNOUNCED YESTERDAY. SOME MY WATERLOO DAYS EVENTS WILL BE HELD VIRTUALLY, ONLINE.
BUSINESS GROUPS ARE PUSHING CONGRESS TO LIMIT LIABILITY FROM POTENTIAL LAWSUITS FILED BY WORKERS AND CUSTOMERS INFECTED BY COVID-19. TRUMP ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS HAVE SAID BUSINESSES SHOULDN’T BE HELD LIABLE AND SPECULATED MANY CASES WOULD LIKELY BE THROWN OUT BY COURTS.
