IOWA GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS CLOSED BARS, LIMITED ALCOHOL SALES AT RESTAURANTS, AND STRONGLY ENCOURAGED MASKS IN SIX IOWA COUNTIES YESTERDAY. BLACK HAWK, LINN, AND JOHNSON COUNTIES ARE AMONG THE HALF DOZEN WITH ENHANCED RESTRICTIONS. THURSDAY’S ANNOUNCEMENT CAME AFTER AN INCREASE IN POSITIVE COVID-19 TESTS OVER THE LAST TWO WEEKS. STATE OFFICIALS SAY THE RISING NUMBERS ARE AMONG YOUNG ADULTS IN COMMUNITIES NEAR COLLEGES OR UNIVERSITIES.
FIFTY THOUSAND REQUESTS FOR ABSENTEE BALLOTS SUBMITTED BY VOTERS IN LINN COUNTY HAVE BEEN INVALIDATED. JUDGE IAN THORNHILL GRANTED AN INJUNCTION SOUGHT BY THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE. BALLOT REQUEST FORMS HAD BEEN SENT TO LINN COUNTY VOTERS WITH INFORMATION ALREADY ENTERED, IN BREACH OF A LAW PASSED BY THE IOWA LEGISLATURE THIS SUMMER. VOTERS WILL HAVE TO FILL OUT NEW FORMS. ELECTION OFFICIALS IN LINN COUNTY SAY THOSE – INCLUDING A POSTAGE-PAID ENVELOPE – WILL BE SENT TO EACH AFFECTED VOTER BY MID-SEPTEMBER.
A CONFRONTATION BETWEEN NEIGHBORS STARTED A CHAIN OF EVENTS WHICH LED TO A SEVEN-YEAR PRISON SENTENCE FOR A WATERLOO MAN. LEVI MILLER ENTERED A PLEA OF GUILTY TO BEING A FELON IN POSSESSION OF A FIRE ARM. THE CASE AGAINST MILLER BEGAN WHEN HE DISPLAYED A SAWED-OFF SHOTGUN DURING A NEIGHBORHOOD DISAGREEMENT. INVESTIGATORS LATER FOUND THE GUN IN HIS HOME.
MORE RESTRICTIVE RULES FOR SOCIAL GATHERINGS WERE ISSUED FOR BLACK HAWK, LINN, JOHNSON, STORY, POLK, AND DALLAS COUNTIES THURSDAY BY IOWA GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS. BARS IN THOSE COUNTIES WERE CLOSED THROUGH SEPTEMBER 20TH. REYNOLDS ANNOUNCED THE DECISION AT A NEWS CONFERENCE WHERE HEALTH OFFICIALS REVEALED A RECORD DAILY COVID-19 COUNT OF 14-HUNDRED, 75 POSITIVE TESTS. THE RECENT INCREASE IS ATTRIBUTED LARGELY TO GATHERINGS IN COLLEGE COMMUNITIES.
IOWA ATTORNEY GENERAL TOM MILLER SAYS HIS OFFICE IS ON THE LOOKOUT FOR PRICE GOUGERS AFTER THE DERECHO STORM WHICH DID DAMAGE ACROSS THE STATE. MILLER SAYS A MULTISTATE, CENTRAL IOWA-BASED ELECTRICAL COMPANY HAS COME UP REPEATEDLY AMONG THE 50 COMPLAINTS RECEIVED. MILLER SAYS HIS OFFICE IS STILL INVESTIGATING AND THAT THEY ARE CURRENTLY SEEKING WIRE ONE’S SIDE OF THE STORY. MILLER’S ADVICE FOR ANY PROJECT: TRY TO WORK WITH A LOCAL COMPANY GET AN ESTIMATE, AND PUT ARRANGEMENTS IN WRITING.
THE AMERICAN RED CROSS PLANS TO CLOSE IT’S EMERGENCY SHELTER AT VETERAN’S MEMORIAL COLISEUM IN CEDAR RAPIDS ON SATURDAY. THE ORGANIZATION SAYS ITS SHELTERS ARE INTENDED FOR SHORT TERM USE. THE VETERANS MEMORIAL COLISEUM LOCATION WAS ONE OF THREE THE RED CROSS OPERATED AFTER THE AUGUST 10TH DERECHO.
IOWA COULD EASILY REACH 11 HUNDRED COVID-19 DEATHS BEFORE THE END OF AUGUST. THURSDAY, THE STATE REPORTED THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF POSITIVE CORONAVIRUS TESTS SINCE THE PANDEMIC BEGAN IN MARCH. THAT PROMPTED BLACK HAWK COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH DIRECTOR DR. NAFISSA CISSE-EGBUONYE TO OFFER THIS REMINDER. IN DES MOINES ON THURSDAY, BLACK HAWK COUNTY WAS ONE OF SIX LISTED FOR STRICTER COVID-19 MITIGATION EFFORTS. THE OTHERS ARE LINN AND JOHNSON COUNTIES IN EASTERN IOWA AND POLK, STORY, AND DALLAS COUNTIES IN CENTRAL IOWA. GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS IS CLOSING BARS IN THOSE AREAS, LIMITING ALCOHOL SALES IN RESTAURANTS, AND TELLING LAW ENFORCEMENT TO ENFORCE THOSE RULES. THE GOVERNOR SAYS, THAT MAY NOT BE ALL. THURSDAY’S PROCLAMATION WILL RUN THROUGH SEPTEMBER 20TH.
NEARLY THREE DOZEN FOOD PANTRIES AROUND THE STATE ARE GETTING SOME HELP FROM THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES. YESTERDAY, THE DNR ANNOUNCED OVER 200 THOUSAND DOLLARS IN FOOD STORAGE CAPACITY GRANTS FOR 35 ORGANIZATIONS. MUCH OF THE MONEY WILL BE USED FOR ENERGY-EFFICIENT REFRIGERATORS OR FREEZERS. A FOOD PANTRY AT WESTMINSTER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN WATERLOO AND ANOTHER AT HAWKEYE COMMUNITY COLLEGE WILL RECEIVE A COMBINED TOTAL OF OVER 74-HUNDRED DOLLARS. THE DNR IS SENDING EIGHT LINN COUNTY ENTITIES APPROXIMATELY 47 THOUSAND DOLLARS IN GRANTS.
