Waterloo Police are investigating a shooting Monday night that resulted in the death of a 15-year-old male. Officials said the shooting happened in the 2800 block of East Fourth Street just after 10 p.m. Police said neighbors reported hearing gunshots and seeing someone on the ground, but officers were unable to find anyone there when they arrived. A short time later, a teen went to UnityPoint-Allen Hospital with multiple gunshot wounds; he later died at the hospital. Investigators said they found numerous shell casings at the scene, and a home in the area of the shooting had been hit by a bullet. Police have not made any arrests in the case. The investigation is ongoing.
Cedar Rapids police are investigating two shots fired incidents from Monday night–including one involving gunfire from a truck as it drove down a street on the southwest side. Officers first reported gunshots in the area of the 1400 block of Bever Avenue SE just before 10 p.m. No injuries were reported, but a house in the block reported a window being hit. CRPD also got several calls about a green SUV with black rims driving down 18th Street SW firing a gun. A house in the 2300 block of that street was hit multiple times. There are no reported injuries in that shooting, as well.
Cedar Rapids Police have arrested a man in connection with a July 12th shooting at Oakland Court and Gardens in northeast Cedar Rapids. 24-year-old Keenan Baker faces a number of charges including attempted murder, assault, domestic abuse, and possession of a firearm as a felon. A 23-year old woman was hospitalized after a confrontation between her and Baker led to a shooting. A police spokesperson says Baker turned himself into the Linn County Jail Monday night. The woman remains hospitalized with serious injuries.
The Iowa Department of Public Health is reporting 503 more COVID-19 cases and six more deaths in Iowa over the most recent 24 hour reporting period. As of midday yesterday, the state’s data is showing a total of 39,420 COVID-19 cases and 799 COVID-19 related deaths since the pandemic began. There are a total of 223 patients hospitalized, with 23 of those having been admitted in the previous 24 hours. 74 of those 223 hospitalized patients are in the ICU and 32 are on ventilators.
Gov. Kim Reynolds has advocated in-person instruction in Iowa schools as much as possible this fall, saying online-only learning hurts minority and low income students who may not have reliable access to Wi-Fi and computers…and hurts parents who may not be able to get child care to enable them to return to work.
Multiple marching band competitions and events scheduled for this fall have been canceled, according to organizers who cited concerns about the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic. A group of band directors from Cedar Rapids metro area high schools made the announcement on Monday, saying that events with large groups of students and spectators would not be prudent for limiting the spread of COVID-19. A half-dozen event in the Cedar Rapids metro area were cancelled.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ office has ordered a reduction in coronavirus testing at a site in Dubuque, where infections have been rising. The Test Iowa site in Dubuque now offers only 100 tests per day. The site had been testing between 400 and 550 people per day, three days per week. A spokesperson said the tests were limited to ensure consistency and high quality performance at all Test Iowa sites. Dubuque County has seen daily coronavirus cases more than quadruple in the past month.
Iowa City’s mayor is ordering people to wear masks in public to stop the spread of the coronavirus, defying the state attorney general and governor, who say cities cannot mandate face coverings on their own. Both attorney general Tom Miller’s office and Gov. Kim Reynolds say cities may only issue orders that are consistent with the governor’s proclamations on the topic…and those do not allow mandatory mask provisions. But Iowa City Mayor Bruce Teague yesterday cited authority granted to cities in the state constitution and a law that gives mayors the power to govern by proclamation when an “emergency or public danger exists.”
We’ve told you about various national stores now requiring shoppers to wear masks…but one group has reversed their decision on that. Dollar Tree and Family Dollar, both owned by the same company, will no longer require shoppers to wear masks at their stores…they’ll instead “request” it. Nearly two weeks ago, the retailer’s policies stated shoppers, vendors and employees must wear masks…not any more.
Leaders in the central Iowa city of Indianola have approved a measure to remove Native American imagery from its city logo, including from police cars, badges and patches. The Indianola City Council voted unanimously Monday to remove the depiction of a Native American chief in full feathered headdress. Council members say the logo will be removed immediately, but creating a new logo will take time and cost about $27,000. The move comes as corporations and sports teams around the country face increasing pressure to change nicknames and depictions that reference Native Americans; the high school in Indianola uses “Indians” as their mascot, as well.
