THERE’S ANOTHER DATA PROBLEM WITH COVID-19 STATISTICS IN IOWA. A WEBSTER COUNTY CLINIC FAILED TO REPORT UP TO 3,000 NEGATIVE CORONAVIRUS TEST RESULTS. WEBSTER COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH SAYS THE AGENCY UNCOVERED THE CLINIC’S FAILURE TO REPORT THE NEGATIVE TESTS LAST WEEK. THE NEW INFORMATION DRAMATICALLY REDUCED THE COUNTY’S 14-DAY POSITIVITY RATE. AN UNRELATED ISSUE WAS UNCOVERED EARLIER THIS WEEK WHEN A GLITCH IN THE STATE’S RECORD-KEEPING SOFTWARE WAS ATTRIBUTING NEW POSITIVE TESTS TO EARLIER MONTHS OF 2020.
PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICIALS IN AREAS DAMAGED BY LAST WEEK’S DERECHO ARE URGING PROPERTY OWNERS TO BE CAREFUL WHEN CLEANING UP THE AFTER-EFFECTS OF THE STORM. THERE HAVE BEEN 15-HUNDRED CALLS TO THE CEDAR RAPIDS FIRE DEPARTMENT SINCE LAST TUESDAY’S WEATHER EVENT, AND MANY HAVE BEEN RELATED TO INJURIES FROM CLEARING DEBRIS. EVEN CLEARING LARGE BRANCHES MIGHT BE BEST HANDLED BY EXPERTS.
THE 2020 RURAL IOWA SUMMIT BEGINS TOMORROW AS AN ONLINE EVENT. THIS WILL BE THE FIFTH YEAR THAT PEOPLE FROM COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE STATE HAVE COME TOGETHER, AND IOWA RURAL DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR BILL MENNER TALKED ABOUT THE TOP CHALLENGE TO BE DISCUSSED DURING THE VIRTUAL GATHERING. HEAR MORE OF MENNER’S COMMENTS AT KXEL.COM.
THE UNITED STATES HOCKEY LEAGUE ANNOUNCED IT INTENDS TO START ITS SCHEDULE ON FRIDAY NOVEMBER 6TH. HOWEVER, THE USHL STATEMENT MADE NO MENTION OF CONTINGENCIES FOR SEVERE STORM DAMAGE TO HOCKEY RINKS IN CEDAR RAPIDS AND DES MOINES.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP TALKED ABOUT IOWA SCHOOLS WHEN HE VISITED THE STATE ON TUESDAY. SPEAKING IN CEDAR RAPIDS FOLLOWING A BRIEFING ON LAST WEEK’S STORM DAMAGE TO CENTRAL AND EASTERN IOWA, TRUMP NOTED THAT FEDERAL DISASTER AID WILL BE PART OF THE EFFORT TO BRING STUDENTS BACK TO CLASS. MONDAY’S APPROVAL OF EMERGENCY AID TO THE STATE IS WORTH 45 MILLION DOLLARS FOR REPAIRS TO PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND INFRASTRUCTURE. IT IS A PORTION OF NEARLY FOUR BILLION DOLLARS IN RELIEF REQUESTED BY IOWA GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS, INCLUDING MONEY FOR HOME OWNERS AND FARMERS AFFECTED BY THE STORM.
WHEN IT COMES TO AGRICULTURAL PRODUCERS AND THE AFTERMATH OF LAST TUESDAY’S DERECHO, A SIGNIFICANT CONCERN IS ABOUT WHERE HARVESTED CROPS WILL GO. THE LATEST INFORMATION FROM THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE SUGGESTS THAT THE STORM DESTROYED OVER 57 MILLION BUSHELS OF STORAGE CAPACITY IN THE FORM OF DAMAGED CO-OP GRAIN BINS. THAT DOESN’T COUNT UNITS ON PRIVATE FARMS WHICH WERE TWISTED OR TORN APART BY THE STORM. IOWA AG OFFICIALS ARE LOBBYING THE USDA TO ALLOW SOME FARMERS TO RECEIVE CROP INSURANCE PAYMENTS WITHOUT HAVING TO HARVEST THEIR HEAVILY DAMAGED FIELDS.
THERE WERE NO INJURIES TO FOUR PEOPLE IN A WATERLOO HOME WHICH CAUGHT FIRE ON TUESDAY. THE OCCUPANTS WERE SAFELY OUTSIDE WHEN FIREFIGHTERS ARRIVED AT THE SCENE IN THE 1900 BLOCK OF EAST 4TH STREET AROUND SIX O’CLOCK YESTERDAY AFTERNOON. FIRE OFFICIALS SAY THERE WAS SMOKE DAMAGE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE STRUCTURE.
MANY ITEMS HAVE BEEN COLLECTED FOR IMMEDIATE RELIEF IN CEDAR RAPIDS AFTER LAST WEEK’S DERECHO WIND STORM. NOW LINN COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS ARE SUGGESTING THAT THOSE HOPING TO HELP DONATE CASH. IN A TUESDAY STATEMENT, THE LINN COUNTY EMA HIGHLIGHTED FUNDS WHICH HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED BY THE UNITED WAY, THE RED CROSS, THE GREATER CEDAR RAPIDS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, AND THE MARION CHAMBER FOUNDATION. THE STATEMENT SAYS OFFICIALS ARE STILL COLLECTING AND WAREHOUSING ITEMS LIKE FOOD AND OTHER PRODUCTS WHICH HAD BEEN INITIALLY REQUESTED. VOLUNTEERS ARE ALSO STILL NEEDED FOR MANY PROJECTS RELATED TO CLEAN UP AND RECOVERY.
THE AGENDA FOR THE 2020 RURAL IOWA SUMMIT HAS BEEN ALTERED, AS THE EVENT HAS BEEN SHIFTED TO AN ONLINE PLATFORM. BILL MENNER IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE IOWA RURAL DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL. MENNER WAS A RECENT GUEST ON KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL.
DEMOCRATIC IOWA ATTORNEY GENERAL TOM MILLER HAS BEEN BLOCKED FROM JOINING A LAWSUIT TO PREVENT CHANGES TO THE U.S. POSTAL SERVICE. MILLER ANNOUNCED TUESDAY THAT HE WANTED TO JOIN MORE THAN 20 STATES INVOLVED IN THE LEGAL ACTION. THEIR EFFORT WOULD REVERSE OPERATIONAL CHANGES DISRUPTING MAIL DELIVERIES, AND POTENTIALLY IMPACTING ABSENTEE VOTING MATERIALS. MILLER DID NOT RECEIVE GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS’ CONSENT TO JOIN THE OTHER STATES.
