FORMER CEDAR RAPIDS MAYOR RON CORBETT HAS A PRESCRIPTION FOR THE CITY AS IT RECOVERS FROM THE SIMULTANEOUS CHALLENGES OF AUGUST’S DERECHO AND THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC. CORBETT SPOKE TO OUR COVERAGE PARTNERS AT CBS-2. CORBETT WAS THE MAYOR OF CEDAR RAPIDS DURING RECORD FLOODING IN 2008. HE CURRENTLY WORKS FOR THE CEDAR RAPIDS METRO ECONOMIC ALLIANCE.
REPUBLICAN SENATORS GATHERED IN WASHINGTON TO EXPRESS THEIR SUPPORT FOR SUPREME COURT NOMINEE AMY CONEY BARRETT. IOWA SENATOR JONI ERNST NOTED BARRETT HAS BALANCED PROFESSIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS WHILE THE JUDGE ALSO RAISES SEVEN CHILDREN; ERNST SAYS BARRETT’S ACHIEVEMENTS ARE INSPIRATIONAL. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP NOMINATED BARRETT FOR THE SUPREME COURT LAST WEEKEND.
THE UNI PANTHER MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM KNEW THEY WERE NOT GOING TO THE CAYMAN ISLANDS NEXT MONTH. THE 2020 CAYMAN ISLANDS CLASSIC HAD BEEN MOVED TO FLORIDA IN JULY. NOW THE TOURNAMENT HAS BEEN CANCELED. UNI IS REWORKING THEIR MEN’S AND WOMEN’S BASKETBALL SCHEDULES AS THE SEASON STARTS LATE DUE TO COVID-19.
HOMEOWNERS JUST A SHORT DISTANCE FROM THE SCENE OF A MONDAY GAS EXPLOSION IN DUBUQUE FEEL FORTUNATE THAT THE SITUATION WAS NOT WORSE. HOLLY SIEFKEN SPOKE WITH OUR COVERAGE PARTNERS AT TV-9 AND DESCRIBED THE DAMAGE. SIEFKEN AND HER HUSBAND WERE AT HOME WHEN THE EXPLOSION HAPPENED ON THEIR BLOCK. IT WAS CAUSED BY A GAS LEAK. THE ONLY REPORTED INJURY WAS TO A FIRST RESPONDER WHO WAS CUT BY DEBRIS.
CORONAVIRUS RATES IN DES MOINES ARE HIGHER THAN THE THRESHOLD JUST APPROVED BY THE SCHOOL BOARD THERE UNDER A PLAN TO BRING STUDENTS BACK TO THEIR CLASSROOMS. THAT MAKES IT UNCLEAR WHEN IN-PERSON LEARNING WILL START. THE BOARD VOTED 6-1 LAST NIGHT TO GRADUALLY IMPLEMENT A HYBRID LEARNING PLAN, STARTING WITH PREKINDERGARTEN ON OCT. 12. SEVERAL METRICS FOR CORONAVIRUS INFECTION RATES ARE PART OF THE DES MOINES PLAN. IF SCHOOL WERE TO BEGIN IMMEDIATELY, THE DISTRICT WOULD NOT BE IN COMPLIANCE.
AND A SAD ENDING. CEDAR BEND HUMAN SOCIETY OFFICIALS HAD BEEN OPTIMISTIC THAT A BADLY UNDERNOURISHED DOG WHICH HAD ARRIVED EARLIER THIS WEEK WOULD BE ABLE TO RECOVER. SHE WEIGHED LESS THAN HALF OF WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN APPROPRIATE FOR HER AGE AND BREED. THE DOG DID NOT MAKE IT. HUMANE SOCIETY OFFICIALS SAY MONEY WHICH HAD BEEN DONATED FOR HER CARE WILL BE PUT TOWARD FUTURE EMERGENCY CASES.
CEDAR RAPIDS POLICE SAY THEY ARRIVED AS A NEIGHBORHOOD CONFRONTATION WAS ESCALATING ON TUESDAY EVENING AND INTERVENED BEFORE THERE WAS ANY VIOLENCE. THE INCIDENT HAPPENED A FEW BLOCKS FROM JEFFERSON HIGH SCHOOL ON THE CITY’S SOUTHWEST SIDE. BOTH MEN APPARENTLY HAD WEAPONS, INCLUDING A KNIFE AND MACHETTES. 45-YEAR-OLD GARY KNEBEL WAS ARRESTED AND CHARGED WITH HARASSMENT AND ASSAULT. THE CONFRONTATION REPORTEDLY INVOLVED THE REMOVAL OF YARD DEBRIS AND INCLUDED RACIAL OVERTONES.
IOWA SENATOR JONI ERNST OFFERED HER ENDORSEMENT FOR SUPREME COURT NOMINEE AMY CONEY BARRETT ON WEDNESDAY. THE DEATH OF JUSTICE RUTH BADER GINSBURG LAST MONTH CREATED THE VACANCY BARRETT HAS BEEN NOMINATED TO FILL. SENATOR ERNST SERVES ON THE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE WHICH WILL REVIEW BARRETT’S NOMINATION BEFORE IT IS DELIVERED TO THE FULL SENATE. REPUBLICANS INTEND TO COMPLETE THE CONFIRMATION PROCESS BEFORE THE NOVEMBER ELECTION.
GROWING SEASON IS LIKELY TO OFFICIALLY END FOR FARMERS AND GARDENERS IN WATERLOO AND CEDAR RAPIDS TONIGHT. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A FROST ADVISORY FOR BOTH COMMUNITIES AND AREAS TO THE NORTH AND WEST. WITH LOW-TO-MID 30S EXPECTED, IT’S TIME TO BRING PLANTS INDOORS IF THEY ARE NOT COLD-TOLERANT.
