OFFICIALS IN BLACK HAWK COUNTY EXPRESSED CONCERN EARLIER THIS WEEK ABOUT THE CHANCES OF SEEING MORE COVID-19 OUTBREAKS IN NURSING AND SENIOR FACILITIES. WATERLOO MAYOR QUENTIN HART PICKED UP THAT THEME WHEN HE WAS A GUEST ON KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL, TALKING ABOUT A STAGED BUSINESS REOPENING THAT BEGINS TOMORROW IN THE CEDAR VALLEY. HEAR MORE FROM QUENTIN HART AT KXEL.COM. EARLIER THIS WEEK, LOCAL HEALTH OFFICIALS SAID POSITIVE TESTS WERE BEING MONITORED AT THREE BLACK HAWK COUNTY CARE FACILITIES WHICH DID NOT MEET THE THRESHOLDS TO BE CALLED OUTBREAKS, YET.
IN LINN COUNTY, APPROXIMATELY 30 OF THE FIRST 334 CORONAVIRUS TESTS AT A STATE DRIVE UP TESTING LOCATION HAVE COME BACK WITH INCONCLUSIVE RESULTS. OFFICIALS ARE SORTING OUT WHETHER THE PROBLEM IS WITH HOW THE TESTS ARE BEING GIVEN OR HOW THE SAMPLES ARE BEING STORED, OR SOMETHING ELSE. THE LOCATION IS ONE OF SEVERAL CAR-SIDE TESTING SITES AS PART OF THE TEST IOWA PROGRAM. IT HAS BEEN OPEN SINCE MAY 7TH TO ESSENTIAL WORKERS WHO HAVE FIRST TAKEN A SYMPTOM AND EXPOSURE ASSESSMENT ONLINE.
CEDAR FALLS UTILITIES AND ITS 72 UNION WORKERS HAVE FINALIZED A FIVE YEAR LABOR CONTRACT. IT INCLUDES A NEARLY THREE PERCENT BUMP IN AVERAGE HOURLY WAGES BEGINNING AT THE START OF THE FISCAL YEAR IN JULY. SIMILAR INCREASES ARE PLANNED FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS, WITH WAGES CHANGES TO BE NEGOTIATED FOR THE FINAL TWO YEARS OF THE AGREEMENT AT A LATER TIME.
BEFORE MAKING HER ANNOUNCEMENT THAT RESTAURANTS WILL BEGIN REOPENING TOMORROW IN 22 IOWA COUNTIES, GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS OFFERED HER PERSPECTIVE ON WHY SHE BELIEVES THE TIMING IS RIGHT. BESIDES RESTAURANTS, HEALTH CLUBS, BARBER SHOPS, AND SEVERAL OTHER BUSINESSES WHICH HAD BEEN SHUT DOWN WILL BE ABLE TO REOPEN ON A LIMITED BASIS IN BLACK HAWK, LINN, JOHNSON, DUBUQUE, AND 18 OTHER COUNTIES. THE REST OF IOWA BEGAN A PHASED REOPENING EARLIER THIS MONTH.
LINN COUNTY PUBLIC BUILDINGS WILL NOT BE REOPENING ANYTIME SOON. YESTERDAY, OFFICIALS SAID THEY WILL CONTINUE CLOSURES OR LIMITED ACCESS MEASURES THROUGH JUNE 15TH BUT THAT DATE IS FLEXIBLE. THE LINN COUNTY COURTHOUSE AND JUVENILE JUSTICE CENTER REMAIN OPEN. RESIDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO TAKE CARE OF ROUTINE COUNTY BUSINESS BY PHONE OR OVER THE INTERNET WHENEVER POSSIBLE.
HERE’S ANOTHER REASON WHY MEAT MIGHT BE COSTING YOU MORE WHEN YOU STOP INTO THE GROCERY STORE: U.S. MEAT EXPORTS ARE SURGING THIS SPRING. THAT’S HAPPENING WHILE THERE IS A STRUGGLE TO MEET DOMESTIC DEMAND BECAUSE OF CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAKS AT MEAT PACKING PLANTS. HOWEVER, SOME INDUSTRY ANALYSTS NOTE MUCH OF THE MEAT SOLD TO OTHER COUNTRIES IS IN THE FORM OF CUTS THAT AMERICANS GENERALLY DON’T EAT. AT LEAST ONE OF THE NATION’S FOUR MAJOR PROCESSORS SAYS IT HAS REDUCED EXPORTS DURING THE PANDEMIC. MEAT PRODUCTION OFFICIALS SAY THAT IF COMPANIES MANAGE TO KEEP PLANTS OPERATING, THERE SHOULD BE PLENTY OF SUPPLY TO SATISFY BOTH THE U.S. AND EXPORT MARKETS.
THE WATERLOO CAREER CENTER IS WORKING THROUGH DISRUPTIONS CAUSED BY THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, JUST LIKE OTHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS. WATERLOO COMMUNITY SCHOOLS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION JEFF FROST WAS ON KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL THIS MORNING. HE SAYS TRAINING PROVIDED BY THE CAREER CENTER IS PREPARING THE PERSONNEL MOST-NEEDED AT THIS TIME. THE WATERLOO CAREER CENTER TRAINS STUDENTS FROM SEVERAL LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN 14 VOCATIONAL PROGRAM AREAS.
IOWA COURTS WILL HAVE A LOT TO DO WHEN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC SLACKENS. JUDGE PATRICK GRADY TOLD OUR COVERAGE PARTNERS AT TV-9 THAT COURT OFFICIALS ARE SORTING OUT HOW CASES WILL BE HANDLED WHEN LEGAL DOCKETS GET BACK ON TRACK. LAWYERS AND JUDGES EXPECT THAT A BACKLOG OF CASES WILL KEEP COURTS VERY BUSY, AND THAT TRIALS BY JURY COULD BE PARTICULARLY PROBLEMATIC UNTIL THE SPREAD OF THE CORONAVIRUS IS STAUNCHED. COURT OFFICIALS HOPE THEY CAN BEGIN WORKING THROUGH THE CASELOAD IN JUNE.
THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION WOULD LIKE TO PUT MORE THAN THREE-AND-A-HALF BILLION DOLLARS INTO THE STATE’S ROADS AND BRIDGES OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. THE DOT HAS PUT OUT ITS PROJECT PLAN FOR THAT TIMEFRAME THIS WEEK. ALMOST A THIRD OF THE MONEY WOULD BE PUT TOWARD BRIDGES. IMPROVEMENTS TO BRIDGES HAVE BEEN AN AREA OF SUBSTANTIAL FOCUS FOR THE DOT FOR MORE THAN A DECADE. THE IOWA TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION WILL CONSIDER THE PLAN IN JUNE.
