Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds says she’ll be go into “modified quarantine” after meeting with Vice President Mike Pence at a time when one of his aides tested positive for coronavirus. Reynolds said Pence’s aide was at the White House when she visited last Wednesday to brief Pence and President Trump. Reynolds met again with Pence on Friday when he visited Iowa to meet with religious leaders and food executives. Reynolds said that she had no contact with Pence’s aide but that “out of an abundance of caution” she will take steps to isolate herself. Reynolds said she tested negative Monday for coronavirus and is feeling healthy.
Lindale Mall in Cedar Rapids plans to reopen Wednesday. The governor allowed malls and other retail stores to reopen with regulations starting last Friday. The mall will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday. Mall officials say reopening dates for stores and businesses will vary but people can call ahead. Social distancing and other procedures will be in effect.
Eleven Goodwill of the Heartland locations in eastern Iowa are reopening for donation acceptance only starting this Friday. Locations include all Cedar Rapids stores, Marion, Iowa City, and Coralville. Hours of operation will be reduced, and Goodwill is requiring all customers to wear facemasks when entering the stores.
The Iowa Department of Public Health reports six more Iowans have died from COVID-19 since Sunday, bringing the total number of deaths to 271. New data on the coronavirus website shows 414 new cases of the virus, pushing the total number of confirmed cases to date to 12,373.
Gov. Kim Reynolds said yesterday she’ll make an announcement at this morning’s daily news briefing about additional re-openings across the state. Her current orders on such matters expire Friday. The governor indicated some additional re-openings will take place at the end of this week, while in other cases, her orders to keep things closed will be extended until the end of the month.
The Butler County Fair Board has canceled all non-youth related activities at the 2020 Butler County Fair. This includes all grandstand events, carnival, commercial exhibits, food vendors and on-grounds free entertainment. The fair board is considering an adapted schedule that would still allow 4-H and FFA youth in Butler County the opportunity to showcase exhibits and livestock, depending on state rules regarding gathering at that point.
The inaugural downtown Waterloo food truck festival has been postponed until next year. Main Street Waterloo announced the June 20th event scheduled for the RiverLoop Expo Plaza, was being delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and concerns about the safety of vendors, community members, local businesses, and those who attend the event. The event is now scheduled for Sept. 4, 2021.
A Mason City man is going to prison for slamming a car door on the hands of a police officer. 28-year-old Jamie McFarland was sentenced Monday to five years in prison for felony eluding and one year in jail for misdemeanor interference with official acts resulting in bodily injury. The sentences will be served one after the other, and also consecutive to another sentence since he violated parole tied to a first degree burglary charge that resulted in a death. Mason City police say when they tried to arrest McFarland on December 4th of last year, he closed his car door on an officer’s hands and sped away, eventually colliding into another vehicle and a tree.
An August trial date has now been set for an Ames man authorities say had at least 50 pounds of marijuana in Floyd County. 22-year-old Clayton Sullivan has entered a plea of not guilty to various charges, including possession with intent to deliver marijuana and methamphetamine. The Iowa State Patrol says Sullivan was pulled over for speeding on U.S. Highway 18 about two miles west of Floyd in mid-February. Investigators say 50 to 60 pounds of marijuana, 1.5 to 2 ounces of meth, two loaded 9 mm handguns, a bottle containing over 200 various prescription pills, and a large amount of cash was found after a search.
Police say three men have been arrested and charged after an 18-year-old was shot in the head near Drake Park in Des Moines. The shooting was reported Sunday evening after an officer heard gunshots in the area and spotted a vehicle speeding away. Police say the vehicle’s driver initially refused to pull over for the officer. When it did stop, police found several people in the vehicle, including the teen who had been shot in the head.
