ONE PERSON WAS WOUNDED BY GUNFIRE IN WATERLOO ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON. THE INJURY TO THE UNNAMED VICTIM’S LEG WAS CLASSIFIED AS NON-LIFE THREATENING BY WATERLOO POLICE. AUTHORITIES WERE ALERTED ABOUT THE SHOOTING AFTER THE JUVENILE VICTIM ARRIVED AT THE HOSPITAL. SUNDAY’S INCIDENT WAS THE LATEST INSTANCE OF SHOTS FIRED IN THE CITY. MOST NOTABLY, TWO PERSONS WERE KILLED AND NEARLY A DOZEN OTHERS WERE INJURED IN THE EARLY HOURS OF SATURDAY MORNING DURING AN INCIDENT AT AN UNLICENSED CLUB NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF FOURTH AND WASHINGTON, WHICH IS STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION.
OVER THE WEEKEND, PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP NOMINATED FEDERAL JUDGE AMY CONEY BARRETT TO FILL THE OPEN SEAT ON THE U.S. SUPREME COURT. LAST WEEK DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL, LARA TRUMP SPOKE ABOUT THE CONTEXT OF THE NOMINATION. LARA TRUMP IS THE PRESIDENT’S DUAGHTER-IN-LAW. SHE WAS IN DES MOINES LATE LAST WEEK SPEAKING DURING A CAMPAIGN EVENT.
A STATE PANEL HAS APPROVED SEVERAL PROPOSALS TO CUT DOWN ON THE LIKELIHOOD OF A LAST-MINUTE CRUNCH ON ELECTION DAY. THE IOWA LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WILL LET VOTERS USE A DRIVER’S LICENSE FOR THEIR IDENTIFICATION, EVEN IF IT EXPIRED EARLIER IN 2020. SECRETARY OF STATE PAUL PATE WILL ALSO BE ALLOWED TO MOVE A POLLING PLACE IN AN EMERGENCY. ALSO, COUNTY ELECTION BOARDS MAY REMOVE MAIL BALLOTS FROM THEIR OUTER ENVELOPE STARTING ON THE SATURDAY BEFORE ELECTION DAY TO MAKE IT FASTER TO COUNT THEM BEGINNING NOVEMBER 2ND.
WATERLOO HAS NAMED A 16-MEMBER COMMITTEE TO CONSIDER QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW THE CITY’S POLICE DEPARTMENT SHOULD BE REBRANDED. A LOGO FEATURING A GRIFFIN HAS BEEN USED BY POLICE FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS. THE NEW COMMITTEE INCLUDES CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS DAVE BOESEN AND SHARON JUON, FORMER MAYOR TIM HURLEY, FOUR POLICE OFFICERS, AND NAACP REPRESENTATIVE LATANYA GRAVES. MAJOR JOE LEIBOLD OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND TAVIS HALL OF EXPERIENCE WATERLOO ARE THE CO-CHAIRS. THE MYTHICAL GRIFFIN REPRESENTS VIGILANCE.
SOME TYPES OF DIVERSITY TRAINING ARE OFF FOR COMPANIES LIKE COLLINS AEROSPACE AND OTHER DEFENSE CONTRACTORS. THAT’S AFTER AN EXECUTIVE ORDER FROM THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION WAS SIGNED LAST WEEK. THE POLICY CHARACTERIZES WORKPLACE PROGRAMS FOCUSING ON SUPPOSEDLY LATENT RACIST OR SEXIST POLICIES QUOTE “A MALIGN IDEOLOGY.” AS A RESULT, CONCEPTS WHICH THE ADMINISTRATION DEFINES AS DIVISIVE CANNOT BE PART OF TRAINING FOR FEDERAL EMPLOYEES OR FEDERAL CONTRACTORS. COLLINS AEROSPACE HAS THOUSANDS OF EASTERN IOWA EMPLOYEES, WORKING ON TECHNOLOGY FOR MILITARY AND AVIATION APPLICATIONS. THE COMPANY HAS NOT COMMENTED ON THE EXECUTIVE ORDER.
IN IOWA LAST WEEK FOR A CAMPAIGN RALLY, THE PRESIDENT’S DAUGHTER-IN-LAW TALKED ABOUT HER PERSPECTIVE ON THE ECONOMY IN THE WAKE OF COVID-19 DISRUPTIONS. LARA TRUMP WAS A KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL GUEST. THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR PUT IOWA’S NUMBER OF CONTINUING UNEMPLOYMENT CLAIMS AT A LITTLE MORE THAN 63 THOUSAND LAST WEEK. THE FIGURE WAS OVER 157 THOUSAND IN APRIL.
A FORMER UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA STUDENT SAYS SHE WAS SEXUALLY ASSAULTED AND HARASSED WHILE SERVING AT AN ARMY POST IN MARYLAND. SPECIALIST CAMERINA GONZALEZ HAS SINCE BEEN TRANSFERRED TO FT. RILEY IN KANSAS. SPECIALIST GONZALEZ’S FAMILY SAY THEY ARE CONCERNED FOR HER SAFETY AND THAT SHE WAS THREATENED BY SUPERIOR OFFICERS. GONZALEZ GRADUATED FROM UNI AFTER STUDYING ACCOUNTING AND MARKETING. IN THE ARMY, SHE HAS BEEN A BIOMEDICAL EQUIPMENT TECHNICIAN.
LATE LAST WEEK, THE WATERLOO COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ANNOUNCED GRANTS OF NEARLY 7 THOUSAND DOLLARS APIECE FOR UNITY POINT AND MERCY ONE MEDICAL GROUPS. THE MONEY CAME FROM THE FOUNDATION’S FIRST RESPONDER FUND. WATERLOO COMMUNITY FOUNDATION BOARD PRESIDENT MICKEY JOHNSON SPOKE ABOUT HOW THE HOSPITALS HAVE WORKED TOGETHER DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. THE WATERLOO COMMUNITY FOUNDATION’S FIRST RESPONDER FUND WAS SET UP TO SUPPORT THE PURCHASE OF PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT AND OTHER GEAR RELATED TO THE CORONAVIRUS.
IOWA IS ONE OF SEVERAL STATES WHICH RECEIVED DRIED MUSHROOMS THAT MAY HAVE BEEN TAINTED WITH SALMONELLA. NATIONWIDE, MORE THAN 40 PEOPLE HAVE GOTTEN SICK AND FOUR HAVE BEEN HOSPITALIZED. WOOD EAR MUSHROOMS SUSPECTED IN THE OUTBREAK WERE DISTRIBUTED BY WISMETTAC ASIAN FOODS. THE COMPANY HAS RECALLED ALL OF ITS SHIRAKIKU BRAND IMPORTED MUSHROOMS THAT WERE DISTRIBUTED TO RESTAURANTS IN SIX PACKS OF FIVE-POUND BAGS. SOME OF THOSE WHO GOT SICK ATE AT RESTAURANTS SERVING RAMEN.
