TYSON’S PORK PRODUCTION FACILITY IN WATERLOO IS SCHEDULED TO REOPEN TOMORROW ON A LIMITED BASIS. THE WATERLOO OPERATION HAS BEEN CLOSED SINCE APRIL 22ND DUE TO A COVID-19 OUTBREAK WHICH LED TO 444 CASES OF THE CORONAVIRUS AMONG WORKERS. EMPLOYEES HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT THE PLANT TODAY SO THEY CAN SEE SAFETY AND SOCIAL DISTANCING MEASURES WHICH HAVE BEEN PUT IN PLACE. TYSON SAYS THOSE WHO HAVE TESTED POSITIVE WILL REMAIN ON SICK LEAVE UNTIL THEY CAN RETURN TO WORK. NEARLY FOUR PERCENT OF THE NATION’S PORK SUPPLY MOVES THROUGH THE WATERLOO FACILITY.
GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS WILL BE IN WASHINGTON TODAY TO MEET WITH PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP. YESTERDAY SHE TALKED ABOUT THE TRIP AND THE INFORMATION SHE PLANS TO SHARE IN THE OVAL OFFICE. REYNOLDS WILL ALSO BE PROVIDING DETAILS ABOUT IOWA’S RESPONSE TO COVID-19 WITH MEMBERS OF THE WHITE HOUSE CORONAVIRUS TASK FORCE. TEXAS GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT IS ALSO EXPECTED TO BE IN WASHINGTON TODAY TO GIVE DETAILS ABOUT WHAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING IN HIS STATE.
GAS PRICES IN IOWA ARE STARTING TO REBOUND. IN THE LAST WEEK, THE STATEWIDE AVERAGE IS UP ABOUT 12 CENTS TO $1.58. ANALYSTS ATTRIBUTE THE CHANGE TO THE REOPENING OF SOME PARTS OF THE NATION AFTER COVID-19 SHUTDOWNS HAVE ENDED AND MORE PEOPLE ANTICIPATED TO BE OUT ON THE ROADS.
THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS COMPLICATED THE U.S.-CHINA RELATIONSHIP. BEFORE THE VIRUS, THE TWO COUNTRIES HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN A TRADE DISPUTE WHICH HAD A DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACT ON DOMESTIC AGRICULTURE. IOWA FOURTH DISTRICT CONGRESSMAN STEVE KING WAS A RECENT GUEST ON KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL AND TALKED ABOUT THE OUTCOME HE EXPECTS. TARIFFS HAVE AFFECTED HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF GOODS EXCHANGED BETWEEN CHINA AND THE U.S. THE RELATIONSHIP SEEMED TO BE IMPROVING IN JANUARY WHEN CHINA PLEDGED TO BUY AT LEAST $12.5 BILLION DOLLARS IN FARM PRODUCTS DURING PHASE I OF A TRADE AGREEMENT.
WHEN THE BLACK HAWK COUNTY COURTHOUSE REOPENS FOR REGULAR BUSINESS, YOU WILL LIKELY NEED A MASK WHEN YOU VISIT A COUNTY OFFICE. BLACK HAWK COUNTY SUPERVISORS ARE LIKELY TO PUT A MASK POLICY IN PLACE DURING THE COMING WEEKS AFTER TALKING ABOUT THE IDEA DURING THEIR REGULAR MEETING YESTERDAY. THE COURTHOUSE HAS BEEN CLOSED FOR ALL-BUT ESSENTIAL ACTIVITIES SINCE LATE MARCH.
A HOUSE FIRE IN CHARLES CITY ON TUESDAY AFTERNOON CAUSED SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AND SENT ONE PERSON TO THE HOSPITAL. OFFICIALS BELIEVE THE FIRE WAS CAUSED BY A PROBLEM IN THE HOME’S ELECTRICAL SYSTEM AND SPREAD THROUGH THE WALLS. THE INDIVIDUAL TAKEN TO FLOYD COUNTY MEDICAL CENTER WAS A BY-STANDER AFFECTED BY SMOKE INHALATION.
AROUND THE SAME TIME IN WALFORD, FIRE CREWS WERE PUTTING OUT A SMOKEY FIRE WHICH STARTED IN A TANK FORMERLY USED TO HOLD MATERIALS FOR WINTER ROAD MAINTENANCE. NO ONE WAS INJURED.
CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS ARE BEING STRETCHED BY THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC AND THE RESULTING ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN. MICHELLE TEMEYER IS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE WATERLOO COMMUNITY FOUNDATION; SHE TALKED ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANT ROLE CHARITIES PLAY, EVEN DURING GOOD TIMES. LAST WEEK, THE WATERLOO COMMUNITY FOUNDATION CREATED A SPECIAL FUND TO SUPPORT FIRST RESPONDERS AND HEALTH CARE WORKERS. TEMEYER SAYS EVEN CONTRIBUTIONS OF A FEW DOLLARS CAN HELP MAKE A POSITIVE IMPACT.
IOWA CITIES ARE TOO SMALL TO QUALIFY FOR FEDERAL MONEY TO HELP OVERCOME MISSED INCOME DURING THE COVID-19 SITUATION. THAT BROUGHT THE MAYORS OF SEVERAL OF THE STATE’S LARGEST COMMUNITIES TOGETHER TO SEND A MESSAGE TO WASHINGTON, ASKING AUTHORITIES TO REVISIT THE FUNDING FORMULA. THE GROUP INCLUDES MAYORS OF WATERLOO, DAVENPORT, DES MOINES AND CEDAR RAPIDS. THE FEDERAL CARES ACT ONLY PROVISIONS MONEY FOR CITIES OF 500 THOUSAND OR MORE.
SENTENCING FOR JERRY BURNS HAS BEEN DELAYED DUE TO ISSUES RELATED TO THE CORONAVIRUS. WITH SOCIAL-DISTANCING LIMITATIONS IN PLACE, JUDGE FAE HOOVER PUSHED BACK THE HEARING UNTIL AUGUST 7TH. BURNS WAS CONVICTED IN FEBRUARY IN THE 1979 CEDAR RAPIDS MURDER OF MICHELLE MARTINKO.
