THE VICTIMS OF A FATAL WEEKEND MOTORCYCLE CRASH IN CLINTON COUNTY HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED. 63-YEAR-OLD DAVID BOETTCHER AND 61-YEAR-OLD VICKIE BOETTCHER, BOTH OF LOWDEN, DIED IN THE SATURDAY ACCIDENT NEAR DEWITT. BOTH WERE PRONOUNCED DEAD AT THE SCENE WHEN THEIR MOTORCYCLE WENT OFF THE ROAD AND HIT A FARM FENCE.
TENS OF THOUSANDS OF IOWANS HAVE HAD COVID-19 TESTS WHICH HAVE COME UP NEGATIVE. DURING MONDAY’S STATE BRIEFING ON THE PANDEMIC, IOWA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH DEPUTY DIRECTOR SARAH REISETTER OFFERED SOME GUIDANCE ON WHAT TO DO IF THOSE ARE THE RESULTS BUT YOU STILL FEEL LOUSY. IN A FOLLOW-UP TO THOSE COMMENTS, GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS SUGGESTED THOSE STILL FEELING ILL AFTER A NEGATIVE TEST – OR WHO BELIEVE THEY HAVE BEEN EXPOSED TO CORONAVIRUS – GET A SECOND OPINION.
WATERLOO WEST HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATE NIKOLE HANNAH-JONES HAS WON THE PULITZER PRIZE. THE HONOR COMES FOR HER COMMENTARY IN THE NEW YORK TIMES INTRODUCING THE 1619 PROJECT. THAT SERIES OF ARTICLES EXPLORES THE IMPLICATIONS AND IMPACTS OF SLAVERY IN AMERICA.
THE ANNUAL HUDSON DAYS CELEBRATION HAS BEEN CANCELED. ORGANIZERS ANNOUNCED THAT DECISION ON MONDAY. THE COMMUNITY EVENT HAD BEEN PLANNED FOR MID JULY. THE DECISION TO CANCEL HUDSON DAYS CAME A WEEK AFTER WATERLOO HAD CALLED OFF ITS SUMMER FESTIVAL, MY WATERLOO DAYS, LAST MONDAY.
THIS SUMMER’S ROUNDUP MUSIC AND BAR-B-QUE FESTIVAL IN CEDAR RAPIDS HAS BEEN POSTPONED UNTIL NEXT YEAR. THE THREE DAY EVENT IS THE LATEST COMMUNITY CELEBRATION TO BE HALTED DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. ORGANIZERS SAY THEY HOPE TO BRING THE SAME MUSICAL ACTS TO DOWNTOWN CEDAR RAPIDS IN JUNE 2021. ANY TICKETS WHICH HAVE BEEN PURCHASED WILL STILL BE VALID NEXT SUMMER.
BLACK HAWK COUNTY OFFICIALS SAY THEY ARE TRYING TO PROVIDE AS MUCH INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE DURING THEIR REGULAR CORONAVIRUS BRIEFINGS. THE 1996 HEALTH INSURANCE PORTABILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT PROVIDES PRIVACY PROTECTIONS FOR PATIENTS. THE FEDERAL DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES HAS GIVEN LOCAL PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS SPECIAL DISCRETION TO BY-PASS NORMAL HIPAA RULES DURING THE PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY.
THE CITY OF WATERLOO WILL HOLD OFF ON COLLECTING LOCAL BUSINESS INSPECTION FEES UNTIL BLACK HAWK COUNTY IS GIVEN THE GREEN LIGHT TO REOPEN. THE CITY COUNCIL VOTED 6-1 TO OFFER THAT RELIEF DURING LAST NIGHT’S REGULAR MEETING. THE FEES ARE STILL EXPECTED TO BE PAID AT A LATER TIME. COUNCIL MEMBERS ALSO VOTED 6-1 TO APPROVE A RESOLUTION ASKING THE STATE OF IOWA TO PRORATE ITS LIQUOR LICENSE FEES, TO ACCOUNT FOR THE TIME BARS AND RESTAURANTS WERE CLOSED FOR SOCIAL DISTANCING PRECAUTIONS.
THE MESSAGE FROM LINN COUNTY HEALTH OFFICIALS IS THAT THE FIGHT TO KEEP COVID-19 UNDER CONTROL IS A LONG WAY FROM OVER. SOCIAL DISTANCING HAS HAD SOME POSITIVE EFFECTS ON THE NUMBER OF CASES, BUT THERE IS CONCERN THAT PEOPLE ARE BEGINNING TO WAIVER IN KEEPING THEIR DISTANCE NOW THAT THE WEATHER IS IMPROVING. HEATHER MEADOR OF LINN COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH GAVE A PEP-TALK OF SORTS ON MONDAY. GATHERINGS OF 10 OR MORE REMAIN PROHIBITED IN LINN AND 21 OTHER COUNTIES THROUGH MAY 15TH UNDER THE STATE’S PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY DECLARATION.
THE BODY FOUND IN THE DES MOINES RIVER OVER THE WEEKEND WAS THAT OF AN 18-YEAR-OLD WHO HAS BEEN MISSING FOR MORE THAN THREE MONTHS. DES MOINES POLICE SAY ABDULLAHI SHARIF WAS REPORTED MISSING JAN. 17. A CAUSE OF DEATH HAS NOT BEEN DETERMINED; OFFICIALS SAY THERE WERE NO OBVIOUS SIGNS OF TRAUMATIC INJURIES.
THE STATE OF IOWA WILL PAY FOR HALF OF A 6.4 MILLION DOLLAR ROAD RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT IN WATERLOO. THE WORK WILL BE DONE ON SHAULIS ROAD NEAR THE ISLE CASINO HOTEL AND THE FUTURE SITE OF THE LOST ISLAND THEME PARK. MONDAY NIGHT, THE CITY OF WATERLOO APPROVED TERMS OF THE STATE’S 3.2 MILLION DOLLAR MATCHING GRANT.
WHEN WATERLOO’S NEW LOWELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL OPENS, IT WILL HAVE MORE SPACE AND MORE PRE-SCHOOLERS. THE DISTRICT’S PLAN FOR THE RECONSTRUCTED BUILDING CALLS FOR 12 PRE-K CLASSES. THAT WILL ALLOW WATERLOO COMMUNITY SCHOOLS TO BETTER BALANCE PRE-SCHOOLERS WITHIN ALL OF THE DISTRICT’S FACILITIES.
