The first vandalism mirroring that in cities across the country happened in Waterloo overnight. New Waterloo police chief Joel Fitzgerald was sworn in Monday evening, and then spent time along with other city and county leaders in conversation with protestors at Lincoln Park. Early this morning, the protestors made their way to City Hall, where reports are that a windshield of a city vehicle was smashed around 2 o’clock. Police chased a suspect back to Lincoln Park, where police in riot gear formed a shield against demonstrators throwing ice and plastic water bottles. At least two arrests followed. And there were fires in the city…Waterloo Fire Rescue says Molotov cocktails had been thrown at a Dollar General store on West Fifth Street, but no damage was caused by the makeshift bombs. A table umbrella was burned at Newton’s Café downtown. And around 3 a.m., two fires were reported that damaged vehicles. Some stores in the Crossroads complex closed early yesterday as a precaution. All that in Waterloo.
A few hundred people marched through Iowa City last night, with some smashing a glass door on the east side of City Hall in Iowa City. The group also made its way to the Johnson County Sheriffs Office and Courthouse before breaking up on the University of Iowa campus just after midnight.
Law enforcement used tear gas to disperse protestors that gathered at the Iowa Statehouse in Des Moines last night, the fourth night of demonstrators clashing with police in Des Moines.
Several dozen people gathered in front of the Cedar Rapids Police Department Monday night for a demonstration but it was peaceful. Cedar Rapids police investigated a number of non-credible threats of looting and home invasions yesterday afternoon. Walmart locations in the area closed early over looting concerns. Meanwhile, police created a blockade around Coral Ridge Mall in Coralville to prevent a second night of damage to businesses in that area.
During a news conference held outside the State Capitol building yesterday afternoon, Gov. Kim Reynolds praised the thousands who peacefully gathered over the weekend to protest the death of a Minnesota man while in police custody. But she was sharply critical of the violence that happened in some areas. The governor said plans were in place to call out the National Guard if or when it was needed to maintain public order.
The city of Coralville instituted an overnight curfew from 8:00 p.m. until 6:00 a.m. The curfew follows looting and attempts at looting late Sunday night and early Monday morning at about a dozen businesses throughout the city. A number of arrests were made on charges ranging from rioting to burglary.
Following a mandatory stay-at-home curfew issued by Polk County, the American Civil Liberties Union issued a statement calling the move too broad. The curfew was put in place from 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. starting Sunday, in response to multiple nights of violence in Des Moines. The curfew was issued by the Polk County Board of Supervisors and is supported by Governor Kim Reynolds.
A countywide curfew was also in place for Scott County starting Monday at 9 p.m. until Tuesday at 5 a.m. after civil unrest over the weekend including the death of two people and injury to a police officer.
Police say they did not find a legitimate threat after an anonymous caller threatened to blow up the Goodwill in Cedar Falls on University Avenue Monday morning. Investigators say the store was not open at the time the threat was made but all employees present were able to evacuate safely. The bomb threat was called in at 9:18 a.m. The case is under investigation.
Cedar Rapids Police are investigating a stabbing at an apartment complex in southwest Cedar Rapids Monday morning. Officers arrived at 433 4th Avenue Southwest Sunday at 6:46 a.m. to find a 50-year-old male who had a stab wound to the chest. The victim was taken to a hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Police believe the victim was targeted. No arrests have been made so far.
Today is primary election day in Iowa, and Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate says efforts to encourage people to vote via absentee ballot due to the pandemic appear to be paying off with record turnout expected. The polls close at 9 o’clock tonight; connect with News/Talk 1540 KXEL on air and on line for results starting in the 10 p.m. hour during the Jim Bohannon Show.
A new survey suggests business leaders are optimistic the economy will start to recover later this year in a nine-state region of the Midwest and Plains despite the ongoing impact of the coronavirus outbreak. The region’s overall economic index improved in May to 43.5 from April’s 35.1. The confidence index in the survey released Monday improved to suggest that businesses are optimistic the economy will begin to rebound within the next six months. That index improved to 56.6 in May from April’s weak 45.5 reading. Dr. Ernie Goss of Creighton University says any score above 50 suggests economic growth, while scores below 50 suggest decline.
The Cedar Rapids Kernels announced layoffs to their front office staff on Monday. The Kernels laid off seven people, roughly half of their front office staff. The Kernels are a minor league baseball team, affiliated with the Minnesota Twins. The team cited the possible loss of the entire 2020 season as the reason.
