JOE BIDEN DELIVERED A WEBSTREAMED MESSAGE TO IOWA DEMOCRATS LAST NIGHT DURING AN ONLINE EDITION OF THE IOWA DEMOCRATIC PARTY HALL OF FAME DINNER. IN THE THREE-AND-A-HALF MINUTE VIDEO, BIDEN URGED SUPPORT FOR THE CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATES ON THE DEMOCRATIC TICKET, AS WELL AS URGING VOTERS TO FLIP THE IOWA LEGISLATURE. THE NOVEMBER ELECTION IS NOW JUST OVER THREE MONTHS AWAY.
TWO PEOPLE WERE INJURED IN A LINN COUNTY MOTORCYCLE CRASH AFTER 10 O’CLOCK LAST NIGHT. THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED NOT FAR FROM INDIAN CREEK NATURE CENTER IN THE 48OO BLOCK OF OTIS ROAD SOUTHEAST. THE INJURIES TO 42-YEAR-OLD ROBERT LANE AND HIS PASSENGER, 40-YEAR-OLD ERIKA PARKER WERE CHARACTERIZED AS NOT LIFE THREATENING BY THE LINN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE. LANE REPORTEDLY LOST CONTROL AND THE MOTORCYCLE WENT INTO A DITCH. NEITHER LANE NOR PARKER WAS WEARING A HELMET WHEN THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED.
CONGRESSMAN DAVE LOEBSACK WANTS TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE WAY DETAILS WERE RELEASED ABOUT A COVID-19 OUTBREAK AT A MEATPACKING PLANT IN COLUMBUS JUNCTION. LOEBSACK SENT A LETTER TO GOV. KIM REYNOLDS REQUESTING INFORMATION ABOUT THE STATE’S RESPONSE AT THE TYSON PORK PROCESSING OPERATION. LAST WEEK, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORTED ON DOCUMENTS SHOWING TYSON OFFICIALS TOLD SAFETY INSPECTORS MORE THAN TWICE AS MANY WORKERS HAD BEEN INFECTED THAN WHAT THE STATE ANNOUNCED A WEEK LATER. A DOZEN WERE HOSPITALIZED AND TWO DIED, AMONG THE MORE THAN 500 COVID-19 CASES AT THE PLANT.
GETTING BACK TO WORK AFTER COVID-19 WILL BE MORE DIFFICULT IF CHILD CARE PROVIDERS ARE STILL FEELING THE AFTER-EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC. LATE LAST WEEK, IOWA SENATOR JONI ERNST TALKED ABOUT THAT ASPECT OF THE ECONOMIC RECOVERY IN WASHINGTON. THOSE COMMENTS CAME DURING A SENATE COMMITTEE HEARING ON SMALL BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP. ERNST IS SPONSORING A BACK TO WORK CHILD CARE GRANT ACT. THE BILL WOULD PROCIDE FEDERAL MONEY TO CHILD CARE PROGRAMS FOR NINE MONTHS, WITH A FOCUS ON MINORITY BUSINESSES.
THE AVERAGE PRICE OF REGULAR-GRADE GASOLINE WAS UP ABOUT A PENNY OVER THE PAST TWO WEEKS TO $2.25 PER GALLON NATIONALLY. THAT’S STILL 56 CENTS BELOW THE AVERAGE FROM A YEAR AGO. STABLE CRUDE OIL PRICES HAVE LIMITED RECENT FLUCTUATION, AND THERE’S REPORTEDLY AN ABUNDANT SUPPLY OF U.S. GAS TO MEET DEMAND.
THE FIRST GAMES OF THE MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL SEASON WERE PLAYED OVER THE WEEKEND. THE CHICAGO WHITE SOX AND ST. LOUIS CARDINALS ARE STILL SCHEDULED TO PLAY IN DYERSVILLE NEXT MONTH. AHEAD OF THE AUGUST 13TH REGULAR SEASON GAME, A NEW SOUVENIR STORE HAS OPENED AT THE FIELD OF DREAMS MOVIE SITE. THE SHOP IS DESIGNED TO LOOK LIKE A RED BARN AND OFFICIALLY OPENED ON FRIDAY. IT IS NOT LIKELY FANS WILL BE ALLOWED AT THE FIELD DURING THE BIG LEAGUE GAME; MATCHUPS OVER THE WEEKEND WERE PLAYED IN FRONT OF EMPTY STADIUMS FOR A BROADCAST-ONLY AUDIENCE.
IOWA DEMOCRATS HEARD FROM PARTY PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE JOE BIDEN IN A VIDEO MESSAGE DURING A VIRTUAL FUNDRAISER LAST NIGHT. BIDEN’S COMMENTS WERE PART OF THE IOWA DEMOCRATIC PARTY’S HALL OF FAME CELEBRATION. IN ADDITION TO COMMENTS ABOUT THE PANDEMIC, BIDEN ALSO SAID A LEGACY OF SYSTEMIC RACISM HAS KEPT MANY PEOPLE FROM REALIZING THEIR FULL POTENTIAL. BACK IN FEBRUARY, BIDEN FINISHED FOURTH DURING THE FIRST-IN-THE-NATION IOWA CAUCUSES, BUT GAINED MOMENTUM DURING THE PRIMARIES AND CAUCUSES WHICH FOLLOWED OVER THE NEXT TWO MONTHS.
LAST WEEK REPRESENTED THE 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF A DAM COLLAPSE WHICH EMPTIED LAKE DELHI. ENGINEER PAT COLGAN TALKED TO OUR COVERAGE PARTNERS AT CBS2 ABOUT THE REPLACEMENT STRUCTURE ON THE MAQUOKETA RIVER. LAKE DELHI RETURNED TO FULL CAPACITY BEHIND THE NEW DAM IN 2017.
IT’S A LITTLE HARDER TO PUT A NEW BOAT ON LAKE DELHI OR ANY OTHER WATERWAY THIS SUMMER. THE MARINE RETAILERS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA SAYS A RECENT SURVEY SHOWS MORE THAN 70% OF BOAT DEALERS ARE EITHER COMPLETELY OUT OF BOATS OR HAVE LOW INVENTORY. UNPRECEDENTED SALES BEGAN IN THE SPRING AS SOCIAL DISTANCING GUIDELINES TOOK EFFECT. MARINAS AND BOAT REPAIR SHOPS HAVE BEEN SCRAMBLING TO KEEP UP WITH THE UNPRECEDENTED INTEREST. THERE ALSO ARE WAITING LISTS FOR SLIPS FOR BOATS.
