AS STUDENTS AND TEACHERS RETURN TO CLASS, THE NUMBER OF CORONAVIRUS CASES AND HOSPITALIZATIONS ARE ACCELERATING IN IOWA. ON WEDNESDAY, STATE OFFICIALS REPORTED 817 NEW CORONAVIRUS CASES AND 13 DEATHS. SOME OF THE RECENT INCREASE IN CASES APPEARS TO BE DUE TO COLLEGE STUDENTS SOCIALIZING IN OFF-CAMPUS SETTINGS, OFTEN IN VIOLATION OF STATE REGULATIONS. DESPITE 167 COMPLAINTS, STATE OFFICIALS HAVE REPORTED NO FINES OR LICENSE SUSPENSIONS.
WHEN IT COMES TO THE EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC ON EMPLOYMENT, MANY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN IN WORK-FROM-HOME SITUATIONS AT SOME POINT DURING THE LAST FIVE MONTHS. TIFFANY O’DONNELL IS CEO OF THE CEDAR RAPIDS-BASED ORGANIZATION, WOMEN LEAD CHANGE, AND TALKED ABOUT THAT SHIFT. O’DONNELL PREDICTS THAT THOSE WHO EXCEL IN THE CURRENT ENVIRONMENT ARE LIKELY TO ENJOY MORE SUCCESS IN THE FUTURE.
CONCERN ABOUT DEBRIS WHICH STILL REMAINS FROM THE AUGUST 10TH DERECHO IS PUTTING THE LINN COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY ON HIGH ALERT FOR POTENTIAL STORMS BEGINNING FRIDAY AFTERNOON. YESTERDAY, COUNTY OFFICIALS SAID THEY WOULD SOUND OUTDOOR WARNING SIRENS FOR ANY WINDS ABOVE 40 MILES PER HOUR. WITH CONSIDERABLE DEBRIS AND MANY BROKEN BRANCHES WHICH COULD FALL, EMERGENCY AUTHORITIES ARE ENCOURAGING GREATER-THAN-NORMAL CAUTION WITH FRIDAY’S WEATHER.
BLACK HAWK COUNTY AUDITOR GRANT VEEDER IS SEEKING TO REASSURE VOTERS ABOUT THE EFFECTIVENESS OF ABSENTEE BALLOTTING THIS NOVEMBER. IN A WRITTEN STATEMENT ISSUED WEDNESDAY, VEEDER NOTED THAT HE HAD BEEN IN CONTACT WITH POSTAL OFFICIALS WHO CONFIRMED THAT ELECTION MAIL IS A TOP PRIORITY. HE ALSO ENCOURAGED VOTERS WITH CONCERNS ABOUT HAVING THEIR ABSENTEE BALLOTS PROMPTLY POSTMARKED TO VISIT ANY OF THE COUNTY’S CONTRACT POSTAL UNITS AT HY-VEE STORES OR AT UNIVERSITY BOOK AND SUPPLY.
CANCER-CAUSING ASBESTOS IS A CONCERN DURING STORM CLEANUP IN AREAS AFFECTED BY THIS MONTH’S DERECHO. BRIAN HUTCHINS IS AIR QUALITY SUPERVISOR FOR THE IOWA DNR SAYS THAT EVEN APPLIES TO NEWER HOMES. HEAR MORE OF HUTCHINS’ RECENT INTERVIEW AT KXEL.COM.
IN THE WAKE OF WOMEN’S EQUALITY DAY, TIFFANY O’DONNELL PROVIDED SUGGESTIONS FOR THOSE WHO ARE IN CHANGING WORK ENVIRONMENTS DUE TO COVID-19. THE CEO OF CEDAR RAPIDS-BASED WOMEN LEAD CHANGE TALKED ABOUT BEING INTENTIONAL WHEN UPDATED COLLEAGUES ABOUT CIRCUMSTANCES, PARTICULARLY FOR THOSE WORKING FROM HOME. O’DONNELL SAYS COVID-19 HAS EXPANDED OPPORTUNITIES FOR SOME AND HAD THE OPPOSITE EFFECT ON OTHERS.
THE NUMBER OF HOMELESS FAMILIES IN CEDAR RAPIDS IS ESTIMATED AT AROUND 400, AND LIKELY GROWING. THAT IS ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT CONSEQUENCES OF THE DEVISTATING WIND STORM WHICH TORE APART HOUSES AND APARTMENT BUILDINGS ON AUGUST 10TH. OUR COVERAGE PARTNERS AT TV 9 RECENTLY TALKED WITH J’NAE PETERMAN OF WAYPOINT, WHICH PROVIDES SOCIAL SERVICES, INCLUDING HOUSING. PETERMAN SPOKE ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION’S EFFORT TO HELP STORM VICTIMS COPE WITH THEIR SUDDEN CHANGE IN CIRCUMSTANCES. PETERMAN ALSO NOTED CHALLENGES CREATED BY DE-CENTRALIZATION OF MANY SERVICES HANDLED BY VARIOUS AGENCIES.
THIS WEEK’S WOMEN’S EQUALITY DAY CELEBRATED 100 YEARS OF WOMEN’S SUFFERAGE. SINCE THE PASSAGE OF THE 19TH AMENDMENT, AN INCREASING PERCENTAGE OF WOMEN HAVE ALSO BEEN WORKING OUTSIDE THE HOME. TIFFANY O’DONNELL SPOKE ON ISSUES RELATED TO THAT TREND ON WEDNESDAY DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL. THE CEO OF “WOMEN LEAD CHANGE” TALKED ABOUT MORE RECENT CHANGE, WHEN IT COMES TO REMOTE WORK DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC [AUDIO :27]. O’DONNELL NOTED THAT 70 PERCENT OF WORKING WOMEN ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR CHILD OR ELDER ADULT CARE.
