IOWA CHURCHES HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO REOPEN FOR EACH OF THE LAST TWO SUNDAYS. MANY HAVE CHOSEN NOT TO HOLD SERVICES IN PERSON YET. PASTOR TODD HART OF CEDAR RAPIDS ALLIANCE CHURCH SPOKE TO OUR COVERAGE PARTNERS AT TV-9. HART’S CHURCH HAS BEEN CONDUCTING ONLINE SERVICES AND PLANS TO CONTINUE WITH THAT APPROACH THROUGH THE REST OF THIS MONTH. HE NOTED THAT MANY CHURCH MEMBERS WERE AT HIGHER RISK OF SEVERE COVID-19 COMPLICATIONS DUE TO THEIR AGE.
THREE PEOPLE IN WATERLOO WERE TAKEN INTO CUSTODY ON GUN CHARGES AFTER A SUNDAY TRAFFIC STOP. THE ARRESTS HAPPENED WITHOUT INCIDENT WHEN THE OFFICER WHO HAD PULLED OVER THE VEHICLE NOTICED A GUN IN THAT WAS VISIBLE. THREE MORE WERE FOUND AFTER A SEARCH. THE SUSPECTS ARE ALL IN THE AGE RANGE BETWEEN 20 AND 22. TWO OF THEM ARE PROHIBITED FROM HAVING FIREARMS BECAUSE OF PREVIOUS LEGAL ISSUES.
IOWA SENATOR CHUCK GRASSLEY SAYS THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT SHOULD HAVE DROPPED CHARGES AGAINST FORMER GENERAL MICHAEL FLYNN, AND SHOULD HAVE DONE IT EVEN SOONER THAN LAST WEEK. FLYNN TALKED WITH A RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR BETWEEN DONALD TRUMP’S ELECTION IN NOVEMBER OF 2016 AND THE INAUGURATION IN JANUARY OF THE FOLLOWING YEAR. HE WAS NOT FORTHCOMING ABOUT THE MEETING WHEN INITIALLY QUESTIONED BY THE FBI AND PLED GUILTY TO CHARGES OF LYING TO INVESTIGATORS. FLYNN LATER SOUGHT TO REVERSE THAT PLEA.
A FIVE MILLION DOLLAR PROJECT TO IMPROVE THE SEWER SYSTEM ON THE EAST SIDE OF WATERLOO WILL BE THE SUBJECT OF A PUBLIC HEARING TONIGHT WHEN THE WATERLOO CITY COUNCIL GATHERS REMOTELY. COUNCIL MEMBERS WILL CONSIDER THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STUDY RELATED TO THE PROJECT WHICH IS INTENDED TO CUT OUT A SOURCE OF UNTREATED WASTE WHICH WAS MAKING ITS WAY INTO THE CEDAR RIVER DURING HEAVY RAIN EVENTS. CITY OFFICIALS ARE ENCOURAGING PUBLIC COMMENTS VIA EMAIL DUE TO THE REMOTE NATURE OF THE MEETING.
COULD THERE BE AN OVERSUPPLY OF VENTILATORS? APPROXIMATELY 200-THOUSAND ARE EXPECTED TO BE PRODUCED AND DELIVERED TO FEDERAL OFFICIALS BEFORE THE END OF 2020. HOWEVER, THE USE OF VENTILATORS IS DROPPING. MANY DOCTORS ARE ONLY USING THEM FOR COVID-19 PATIENTS AS A LAST RESORT DUE TO COMPLICATIONS AND HIGH DEATH RATES. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORTS THAT MANY OF THE EXTRA VENTILATORS MAY BE SHIPPED OVERSEAS.
STATE REPRESENTATIVE SANDY SALMON WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE OF IOWA OPEN SOON. SHE CITED SEVERAL EXAMPLES OF INDIVIDUAL AND BUSINESS STRESSES CAUSED BY STATE MANDATED-SOCIAL DISTANCING THIS MORNING DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL. WHEN IT COMES TO BRINGING LEGISLATORS BACK TO DES MOINES TO FINISH THE CURRENT SESSION, THE JANESVILLE REPUBLICAN SAYS THE TIMING NEEDS TO GIVE THE HOUSE AND SENATE THE RIGHT FRAME FOR UNDERSTANDING THE BUDGET IMPLICATIONS. HEAR MORE FROM REPRESNTATIVE SANDY SALMON ONLINE AT KXEL.COM.
IN ADDITION TO SWABBING POTENTIAL COVID-19 PATIENTS TO DETERMINE IF THEY HAVE THE VIRUS, HEALTH OFFICIALS ARE ALSO USING OTHER METHODS TO UNDERSTAND THE PANDEMIC. BLOOD TESTS HAVE BEEN ADMINISTERED AMONG MEAT PACKING EMPLOYEES AND RESIDENTS AT CARE FACILITIES. THOSE SAMPLES ARE KNOW AS SEROLOGY TESTS AND SHOW ANTIBODIES IN THE BLOODSTREAM WHICH INDICATE THAT THE BODY’S IMUNE SYSTEM HAS ACTIVELY BEEN RESPONDING TO COVID-19. THAT IS PART OF THE REASON BLACK HAWK COUNTY’S FIGURE FOR THE NUMBER OF TYSON EMPLOYEES WITH THE CORONAVIRUS WAS OVER 1,000 LAST WEEK WHILE THE INITIAL FIGURE RELEASED BY THE STATE FIGURE WAS 444 FOR THE SAME OUTBREAK.
A THIRD SUSPECT IN A FATAL IOWA CITY SHOOTING HAS BEEN ARRESTED IN TEXAS. THE LUBBOCK COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE BROUGHT IN REGINALD LITTLE FRIDAY. LITTLE IS EXPECTED TO FACE FIRST DEGREE MURDER CHARGES IN CONNECTION WITH THE DEATH OF KEJUAN WINTERS LAST MONTH. A CODEFENDANT TOLD POLICE THE SHOOTING HAPPENED DURING AN ATTEMPTED ROBBERY.
