The Waterloo Police Department posted a new Use of Force Policy on its website Tuesday. The document says officers must be guided by “reverence and respect for the dignity of all persons and sanctity of all human life.” Choke holds are specifically listed as being an unauthorized use of force by Waterloo police, as are force techniques that intentionally apply pressure to a person’s neck in a way that restricts blood flow. Other highlights include that a taser should only be used if a subject is “violently resisting,” baton strikes are not to be used to strike a person’s head, and that police must use the minimum amount of force necessary to protect the sanctity of life. Police Chief Joel Fitzgerald is set to present a plan for police reform to the city council next week. He says he believes the policy is an indicator of where the department is heading. We’ll learn more when we visit with Mayor Quentin Hart on KXEL Live & Local this Friday morning.
The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) reported an additional sixteen deaths and 260 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the previous 24 hours. The state reports a total of 22,179 positive COVID-19 tests and 622 deaths related to the virus. The total number of Iowans tested is now nearly 200,000.
The city of Coralville says it’s planning to move forward with its 4thFest Fireworks, despite most events associated with 4thFest being canceled as a result of COVID-19, including a concert, parade and other events, because social distancing measures could not be worked out.
U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa chaired a hearing of his Senate Banking Committee yesterday to discuss ideas to help the economy during the postpandemic reopening. Grassley said earlier efforts to provide financial support, especially through enhanced unemployment insurance benefits, were necessary given the situation at that time.
Two women have died while tubing on the Turkey River in northeast Iowa. The Fayette County Sheriff’s Office says 64-year-old Sharon Kahn and 44-year-old Vicki Hodges, both of West Union, drowned Monday after going over a small dam in Clermont. Someone heard a cry for help from the tubers and called the sheriff’s office shortly after 3:30 p.m. Monday. Emergency crews pulled the women from the water and attempted life-saving efforts before taking them to a hospital in West Union, where they were pronounced dead.
The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office has released the name of the person who died from drowning at Lake MacBride on June 7th. Officers recovered the body of 21-year-old Makeda Scott of Iowa City after they resumed their search Monday. The investigation is ongoing and an autopsy is pending.
Mount Mercy University announced it plans to offer both in-person and blended/hybrid classes this fall. The campus will have safety measures in place for students returning for in-person classes. The hybrid model allows some students to attend class on one day while others participate virtually. The university says this approach allows them to go to fully remote classes if necessary. MMU plans to have students back in campus housing and will offer student activities and athletics.
The Des Moines City Council has unanimously advanced a proposal to ban racial profiling by police in the wake of protests and civil unrest concerning racial injustice…but the head of the Iowa NAACP urged the council to postpone action to allow more time to study the ordinance. Of the 45 people who spoke before the council Monday in an online meeting addressing the ban, most said more oversight is needed when racial profiling complaints are lodged against Des Moines police. The proposal would ban racial profiling and biased policing. Violations could lead to an officer’s firing. The proposed ordinance will be back before the council at its June 22 meeting for the second of three readings before it can become law, and the mayor urged interested parties to suggest amendments to make the ordinance better.
Iowa Republican legislators are fast-tracking a bill that offers businesses including meatpacking plants and nursing homes broad immunity from coronavirus lawsuits, but there is criticism that it would also enable those entities to ignore workplace safety requirements. A bill passed the Iowa House on Friday after brief debate; it awaits likely approval in the GOP-led Senate before moving to the Republican governor. Oklahoma, Utah and Wyoming enacted similar laws and several other states are considering them. Similar measures have also been discussed at the federal level.
The Cedar Rapids Museum of Art will reopen to the public beginning Saturday. Anybody entering the building will be required to wear a mask, with disposable masks being available for purchase at the facility for visitors that don’t have one. A temporary exhibition, “Across the Atlantic: American Impressionism through the French Lens,” has been extended by the museum through August 30. Plexiglass barriers will be installed at the gift shop and information desk to help protect employees. Museum staff will be executing enhanced cleaning procedures throughout the facility, according to officials.
