SHERIFFS DEPUTIES IN BLACK HAWK COUNTY SPENT THE OVERNIGHT HOURS LOOKING FOR A PAIR OF SUSPECTS WHO ALLEGEDLY STOLE A TRUCK BEFORE BEING INVOLVED IN A VEHICLE CHASE. THE DEPARTMENT SAYS THE TRUCK WAS REPORTED STOLEN IN URBANA EARLIER IN THE DAY. THE CHASE BEGAN AFTER A TRAFFIC STOP JUST OUTSIDE OF CEDAR FALLS AROUND 5:40 P.M. LAST NIGHT. A MAN AND WOMAN ABANDONED THE VEHICLE AND RAN INTO THE WOODS, WHERE THEY ELUDED AUTHORITIES FROM SEVERAL DEPARTMENTS, INCLUDING A POLICE DOG AND AN AERIAL DRONE.
IOWA HEALTH OFFICIALS ARE CONTINUING TO INCREASE COVID-19 TESTING CAPACITY, ACCORDING TO GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS. REYNOLDS SPOKE DURING A THURSDAY MEDIA CONFERENCE. MORE THAN 20 PERCENT OF ALL PATIENTS CURRENTLY IN IOWA HOSPITALS ARE THERE FOR CONDITIONS RELATED TO THE CORONAVIRUS. REYNOLDS NOTED THAT TESTING WHICH POSITIVELY IDENTIFIES COVID-19 IN PATIENTS EARLIER LEADS TO BETTER OUTCOMES FOR THE SICK.
A THREATENED SUIT AGAINST THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA FOOTBALL PROGRAM IS NOW A REALITY. THE RACIAL DISCRIMINATION CLAIM ON BEHALF OF 13 FORMER HAWKEYES HAS NOW FORMALLY BEEN FILED. THE ATTORNEY REPRESENTING THE GROUP CLAIMS HARASSMENT OF BLACK ATHLETES WAS PERVASIVE IN THE HAWKEYE PROGRAM. PRIOR TO THE SUIT, THE FORMER PLAYERS SUGGESTED A $20 MILLION OUT-OF-COURT SETTLEMENT.
A GARBAGE TRUCK AND A PICKUP COLLIDED IN A FATAL FAYETTE COUNTY ACCIDENT ON THURSDAY MORNING. THE COLLISION HAPPENED AT A RURAL INTERSECTION NORTHEAST OF OELWEIN. THE STATE PATROL SAYS THE GARBAGE TRUCK BROADSIDED THE OTHER VEHICLE, SENDING BOTH OFF THE ROAD AND PUTTING THE PICKUP TRUCK ON ITS SIDE. THE DRIVER OF THAT VEHICLE – 48-YEAR-OLD CODY BUSHAW OF ARLINGTON – WAS KILLED. 32-YEAR-OLD PATRICK SCHANBECK WAS DRIVING THE GARBAGE TRUCK AND WAS ALSO INJURED IN THE CRASH.
IOWA GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS OFFERED SOME GUIDANCE FOR THOSE WORKING IN HEALTH CARE, LAW ENFORCEMENT, EDUCATION, FOOD SERVICE, AND OTHER CRITICAL JOBS AS COVID-19 COUNTS QUICKLY GROW IN THE STATE. THIS WEEK, THE SPREAD OF THE PANDEMIC PUSHED HOSPITALIZATIONS IN THE STATE OVER 1,000 PATIENTS. AS OF OCTOBER 1ST, FEWER THAN 400 HOSPITALIZATIONS HAD INVOLVED CORONAVIRUS INFECTIONS. SEVENTY PERCENT OF THOSE WHO ARE IN A HOSPITAL WITH A POSITIVE CASE ARE AT LEAST AGE 60.
THE CEDAR RAPIDS PUBLIC LIBRARY IS RETURNING TO DRIVE-UP-ONLY SERVICE NEXT WEEK. LIBRARY LEADERS SAY PATRONS CAN PICK UP RESERVED MATERIALS BEGINNING AT 9 A.M. MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. LIBRARY STAFF WILL BE ON SITE UNTIL 7:30 EACH NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY AND UNTIL 4:30 IN THE AFTERNOON ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAYS. BOOK AND MEDIA RESERVATIONS CAN BE MADE ON THE CEDAR RAPIDS LIBRARY WEBSITE.
TUITION AT IOWA UNIVERSITIES HAS BEEN FROZEN BY THE PANDEMIC, BUT THAT SITUATION CAN’T BE MAINTAINED FOREVER, ACCORDING TO UNIVERSITY OF IOWA PRESIDENT BRUCE HARRELD. IN A SPEECH YESTERDAY, HARRELD SAID UNIVERSITY BUDGETS HAD BEEN STRAINED BEFORE THE ARRIVAL OF COVID-19 INTERRUPTED A PLANNED SERIES OF TUITION INCREASES. THE PANDEMIC ALSO RAISED COSTS WHILE REDUCING ENROLLMENT. THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA PRESIDENT ARGUED IN HIS REMARKS THAT HIS SCHOOL, AS WELL AS IOWA STATE AND THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA HAVE BEEN UNDERFUNDED BY THE IOWA LEGISLATURE FOR MANY YEARS, WHICH WAS THE ORIGINAL CAUSE FOR THE TUITION INCREASE PLAN WHICH HAD BEEN APPROVED BY THE BOARD OF REGENTS.
TESTIOWA LOCATIONS HAVE A CAPACITY TO SCREEN OVER 6,000 PEOPLE WITH SYMPTOMS PER DAY. IOWA GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS HAS NOTED THAT THERE ARE ALSO SEVERAL OTHER OPTIONS FOR TESTING IN THE STATE. DURING A NEWS CONFERENCE YESTERDAY, SHE EMPHASIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF IDENTIFYING THE VIRUS EARLY AMONG THOSE WITH SYMPTOMS OR WHO MIGHT HAVE BEEN EXPOSED. ON TOP OF THE 140 THOUSAND TESTIOWA KITS WHICH ARE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE, THE GOVERNOR SAID THE STATE IS PURCHASING ANOTHER 360 THOUSAND WITH MONEY FROM THE FEDERAL CARES ACT.
THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES HAS GRANT MONEY TO TURN FOOD WASTE INTO RESOURCES FOR THE POOR. YESTERDAY, THE DNR ANNOUNCED IT WILL TAKE GRANT APPLICATIONS FROM NON-PROFITS TO BUY COLD STORAGE EQUIPMENT. THE COMPETITIVE FOOD STORAGE CAPACITY GRANTS WILL BE AVAILABLE UNTIL ALLOTTED FUNDS HAVE BEEN USED UP.
