IOWA CROPS CONTINUE TO LOOK GOOD. THE USDA’S WEEKLY CROP REPORT PUT CORN 10-12 DAYS AHEAD OF LAST YEAR AND 3-4 DAYS AHEAD OF THE FIVE YEAR AVERAGE. SOYBEANS ARE DEVELOPING APPROXIMATELY TWO WEEKS FASTER THAN THE PACE FROM 2019. USDA SAYS SOIL MOISTURE IS SHORT OR VERY SHORT IN MORE THAN A THIRD OF THE STATE, PARTICULARLY WEST CENTRAL IOWA.
IN WATERLOO, FREE PARKING COULD BECOME MORE THAN A SPACE ON A MONOPOLY BOARD. AFTER A MONDAY NIGHT MEETING, THE CITY IS ON TRACK TO MAKE MORE THAN TWO DOZEN PARKING SPOTS AVAILABLE FOR FREE FOR VERY QUICK PICKUPS. LOCAL BUSINESS OWNERS HAVE ADVOCATED FOR PARKING POLICY WHICH WILL ENCOURAGE MORE STORE TRAFFIC. A FORMAL GRAB AND GO PARKING ORDINANCE IS EXPECTED IN THE COMING WEEKS. STARTING TODAY, FACE COVERINGS ARE REQUIRED FOR PASSENGERS TRAVELING THROUGH EASTERN IOWA AIRPORT. THE AIRPORT IS ALSO PLANNING TO BEGIN HEALTH SCREENINGS OF ALL AIRPORT USERS IN COORDINATION WITH MERCY MEDICAL CENTER. THOSE SCREENINGS COULD BEGIN LATER THIS SUMMER.
BETTORS HAVE COME BACK TO CASINO SPORTS BOOKS IN IOWA. OUR COVERAGE PARTNERS AT TV9 TALKED TO RIVERSIDE CASINO GENERAL MANAGER DAN FRANZ, WHO SAYS THERE IS MORE ENTHUSIASM NOW THAT BASEBALL AND OTHER U.S. SPORTS LEAGUES ARE RETURNING TO ACTION. DURING COVID-19, SPORTS BETTING AT RIVERSIDE AND ON THE CASINO’S MOBILE APP WAS DOWN 99 PERCENT AT ONE POINT THIS YEAR.
THE CEDAR RAPIDS-BASED ADVOCATES FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE RELEASED THEIR VISION FOR A CITIZEN REVIEW BOARD YESTERDAY. THE GROUP HAS BEEN ACTIVE SINCE THE DEATH OF GEORGE FLOYD IN MINNEAPOLIS EARLIER THIS YEAR. LINN COUNTY SUPERVISOR STACEY WALKER IS A MEMBER OF THE GROUP AND EXPLAINED THEIR URGENCY TO OUR COVERAGE PARTNERS AT TV9. THE ADVOCATES FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE PLAN FOR A REVIEW BOARD INCLUDES THREE YEAR TERMS FOR 11 MEMBERS, WHO WOULD HAVE THE ABILITY TO INDEPENDENTLY EXAMINE POLICE ACTIONS. THEIR REPORT CALLED FOR AT LEAST HALF OF THE MEMBERS TO BE PART OF MINORITY GROUPS.
A SUBSTANTIAL CEDAR VALLEY EMPLOYER HAS JOINED THE CONVERSATION ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THE PUBLIC. CBE COMPANIES HAS HELPED CREATE A TRAINING FUND FOR WATERLOO POLICE FOCUSSED ON RACIAL TOPICS. TOM PENALUNA IS CHAIRMAN AND CEO OF CBE AND WAS A RECENT GUEST DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL. PENALUNA SAYS THE GOAL IS TO RAISE 250 THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR THE RACIAL EQUALITY TRAINING FUND, WHICH WILL BE ADMINISTERED BY THE WATERLOO COMMUNITY FOUNDATION.
MUSIC TEACHERS ARE TRYING TO WORK THROUGH THEIR OWN SPECIAL COVID19 CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE FALL. THE IOWA HIGH SCHOOL MUSIC ASSOCIATION RECENTLY SHARED RECOMMENDATIONS FOR BAND, ORCHESTRA, AND CHORAL TEACHERS. SOME SCHOOLS ARE MOVING FROM ENSEMBLE TO INDIVIDUAL LESSONS AS THE PANDEMIC PUTS PRESSURE ON ARTS PROGRAMS.
AS FEDERAL LEGISLATORS SIZE UP THE DETAILS ABOUT THE NEXT COVID-19 AID PACKAGE, IOWA HAS SPENT WELL OVER TWO BILLION DOLLARS OF FEDERAL MONEY WHICH HAS PREVIOUSLY BEEN AWARDED. MOST OF THOSE RESOURCES HAVE GONE TOWARD UNEMPLOYMENT SUPPORTS AND SIMILAR WORKFORCE PROGRAMS. THE PREVIOUSLY-PASSED CARES ACT INCLUDED 150 BILLION DOLLARS SPECIFICALLY TO SUPPORT SAFETY NETS FOR OUT-OF-WORK EMPLOYEES, WITH IOWA RECEIVING ABOUT ONE PERCENT OF THAT ALLOTMENT. GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS INDICATED THAT FEDERAL MONEY HAS BEEN LEVERAGED IN A WAY WHICH WILL LIMIT A LARGER UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE BURDEN ON COMPANIES IN THE FUTURE.
KXEL AND OUR NRG MEDIA COMPANION STATIONS ARE SPONSORING A BLOOD DRIVE AT THE CEDAR VALLEY SPORTSPLEX IN WATERLOO BEGINNING ON FRIDAY MORNING. APPOINTMENTS ARE REQUIRED, AS ARE FACE COVERINGS, SAYS JUDI FAAS OF THE RED CROSS. FAAS SAYS ALL DONATIONS WILL BE TESTED FOR COVID-19 ANTIBODIES. DONATIONS WHERE THOSE ANTIBODIES ARE FOUND CAN BE USED FOR SPECIAL TREATMENT FOR CORONAVIRUS PATIENTS. APPOINTMENTS FOR FRIDAY’S BLOOD DRIVE CAN BE MADE BY CALLING 1-800-RED-CROSS.
A 20-FOOT-TALL, 110-TON LIMESTONE STATUE HAS CROSSED THE STREET IN IOWA CITY. THE GIANT STATUE IS CALLED “MAN ON A BENCH.” AFTER BEING IN ONE LOCATION FOR FIVE YEARS, THE STATUE HAD TO BE MOVED DUE TO A CHANGE IN PROPERTY OWNERSHIP. LAST WEEK, A CRANE AND EXCAVATION EQUIPMENT MOVED THE ARTWORK TO ITS NEW HOME IN 11 SEPARATE PIECES BEFORE REASSEMBLING IT.
