FORMER UNIVERSITY OF IOWA MEN’S BASKETBALL COACH LUTE OLSON HAS
DIED. HIS FAMILY SAY HE PASSED AWAY ON THURSDAY EVENING. HE LED THE
HAWKEYES FROM 1974 THROUGH THE SPRING OF 1983. IN THAT TIME, IOWA
QUALIFIED FOR THE NCAA TOURNAMENT FIVE TIMES, INCLUDING A FINAL FOUR
APPEARANCE IN 1980. OLSON THEN MOVED ON TO ARIZONA FOR THE NEXT 24
YEARS, WINNING A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP IN 1997. LUTE OLSON WAS 85.
IOWA ATTORNEY GENERAL TOM MILLER WAS IN CEDAR RAPIDS ON THURSDAY.
HE TALKED ABOUT AVOIDING SCAMS AND PRICE GOUGING IN THE AFTERMATH
OF THIS MONTH’S DERECHO. MILLER ESTIMATED THAT NUMBER
AT AROUND 50 COMPLAINTS OF DRAMATIC PRICING CHANGES FOR NECESSITY
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES AFTER THE DESTRUCTIVE AUGUST 10TH WIND STORM.
THE STATE’S PRICE GOUGING RULES GO INTO EFFECT AUTOMATICALLY WHEN A
DISASTER IS DECLARED.
OVER THREE THOUSAND IOWANS HAVE TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19 SINCE
THE WORK WEEK BEGAN. AMID RECORD CASE NUMBERS, BLACK HAWK
COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH DIRECTOR DR. NAFISSA CISSE-EGBUONYE SHARED THIS
THOUGHT THURSDAY. BLACK HAWK COUNTY AND FIVE OTHERS
BEGAN OPERATING UNDER A STRICTER CORONAVIRUS PROCLAMATION FROM
THE STATE OF IOWA WHICH WENT INTO EFFECT YESTERDAY.
YESTERDAY IOWA GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS CLOSED BARS AND LIMITED THE HOURS WHEN ALCOHOL CAN BE SERVED AT RESTAURANTS IN SIX COUNTIES. WHILE MAKING THE ANNOUNCEMENT, REYNOLDS WAS ASKED WHY HER COVID-19 PROCLAMATION DID NOT INCLUDE A MASK MANDATE. MEANWHILE, BARS IN BLACK HAWK, LINN, AND JOHNSON COUNTIES – AS WELL AS POLK, DALLAS, AND STORY – WILL BE DESERTED UNTIL SEPTEMBER 20TH. RESTAURANTS WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SERVE ALCOHOL AFTER 10 P.M. IN THOSE PLACES.
MANY IOWA COUNTIES IMPACTED BY SEVERE WEATHER THIS MONTH ARE TAKING THEMSELVES OUT OF CONTENTION FOR FEDERAL DISASTER RELIEF. STATE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS SAY NINE OF THE 27 COUNTIES THAT REQUESTED HELP FROM THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DAMAGE TO HOMES OR PROPERTY HAVE WITHDRAWN THEIR APPLICATIONS. THOSE AREAS DIDN’T APPEAR TO MEET FEDERAL GUIDELINES FOR THE NUMBER OF PROPERTIES WITH MAJOR DAMAGE. ASSESSMENTS ARE NEARLY COMPLETED FOR THE REMAINING 17 COUNTIES.
THE FORMER IOWA BRAILLE AND SIGHT SAVING SCHOOL HAS OFFICIALLY BEEN TRANSFERRED TO THE CITY OF VINTON FROM THE STATE OF IOWA. IN ADDITION TO RENOVATING HISTORIC BUILDINGS, NEW PUBLIC SAFETY FACILITIES ARE EXPECTED TO BE BUILT ON THE PROPERTY. THE SITE IS ALSO ANTICIPATED TO BE A NEW LOCATION FOR SENIOR HOUSING IN VINTON.
LAST NIGHT, NEON SIGNS WERE DARK IN HUNDREDS OF IOWA BARS. RESTAURANTS IN SIX IOWA COUNTIES HAD THEIR LAST CALL BEFORE 10 P.M. THOSE CHANGES CAME AFTER NEW CORONAVIRUS-RELATED RESTRICTIONS WERE ISSUED BY IOWA GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS. SHE SAYS HIGHER NUMBERS OF COVID-19 POSITIVE TESTS ARE CORRELATED WITH THE RETURN OF STUDENTS TO COLLEGE CAMPUSES. THE AREAS AFFECTED BY THURSDAY’S PROCLAMATION GENERALLY HAVE LARGE COLLEGE POPULATIONS, INCLUDING BLACK HAWK, LINN, AND JOHNSON COUNTIES. REYNOLDS SAYS SHE IS PREPARED TO ISSUE ADDITIONAL RESTRICTIONS IF PRIVATE PARTIES OR OTHER ACTIVITIES CONTINUE TO PUSH CORONAVIRUS NUMBERS HIGHER.
EVEN THOUGH THE IMPACTS OF COVID-19 ARE OFTEN MINIMAL FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS, BLACK HAWK COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH DIRECTOR DR. NAFISSA CISSE-EGBUONYE HAS THIS WARNING. THE CITY OF WATERLOO VOTED FOR A MASK MANDATE IN PUBLIC PLACES EARLIER THIS MONTH. REYNOLDS’ THURSDAY PROCLAMATION STOPPED SHORT OF A FACE COVERING REQUIREMENT.
THERE IS A CHANCE OF SEVERE WEATHER IN EASTERN IOWA TONIGHT. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAYS THE PRIMARY RISKS ARE FOR LIGHTNING AND DAMAGING WINDS. LINN COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS SAID THIS WEEK THAT THEY WILL SOUND WARNING SIRENS FOR ANY WINDS OVER 40 MILES PER HOUR DUE TO THE CHANCES FOR BLOWING DEBRIS.
