WATERLOO FIRST RESPONDERS WERE ON THE SCENE OF A FIRE WHICH CHASED AT LEAST A HALF DOZEN PEOPLE FROM THEIR HOME OVERNIGHT. THOSE SIX PEOPLE WERE TREATED FOR FIRE-RELATED CONDITIONS AT LOCAL HOSPITALS. THE FIRE HAPPENED IN THE 400 BLOCK OF SUNNYSIDE AVENUE, JUST SOUTH OF WATERLOO’S DOWNTOWN DISTRICT. CREWS WERE ON THE SCENE SHORTLY AFTER MIDNIGHT AND HAD THE FIRE EXTINGUISHED WITHIN 20 MINUTES.
AS PRESIDENT-ELECT JOE BIDEN ANNOUNCES HIS CABINET PICKS, IOWA REPUBLICAN SENATOR CHUCK GRASSLEY TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THE CHARACTERISTICS HE WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN THE COUNTRY’S NEXT AGRICULTURE SECRETARY. THOSE COMMENTS DURING AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH KXEL’S JEFF STEIN. SOME OF THE POSSIBLE AG SECRETARY NOMINEE CANDIDATES HAVE BEEN RUMORED TO INCLUDE FORMER IOWA GOVERNOR TOM VILSACK, WHO SERVED IN THE ROLE AS PART OF THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION, AS WELL AS FORMER NORTH DAKOTA SENATOR HEIDI HEITKAMP AND HOUSE AGRICULTURE CHAIRMAN COLLIN PETERSON OF MINNESOTA.
WATERLOO NATIVE DAN GABLE WAS PRESENTED WITH THE PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM MONDAY BY PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP. GABLE WON GOLD DURING THE 1972 MUNICH OLYMPICS, BEFORE A LONG CAREER AS WRESTLING COACH AT THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA.
COVID-19 RELIEF COULD STILL BE COMING FROM WASHINGTON. THE TIME TO FINALIZE ANY CONGRESSIONAL DEAL IS WANING. IOWA SENATOR CHUCK GRASSLEY SIZED UP THE POSSIBILITIES. THE TENTATIVE PROPOSAL GRASSLEY REFERENCED WOULD EXTEND THE PAYROLL PROTECTION PROGRAM FOR SMALL BUSINESSES, BACK UNEMPLOYMENT AID, AND PROVIDE MONEY FOR COVID VACCINE DEPLOYMENT. GRASSLEY HIMSELF WAS QUARANTINED LAST MONTH AFTER TESTING POSITIVE FOR THE CORONAVIRUS.
IN WASHINGTON 79 YEARS AGO TODAY, PRESIDENT FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT DUBBED DECEMBER 7TH THE “DAY THAT WILL LIVE IN INFAMY” AFTER THE JAPANESE ATTACK ON AMERICAN TERRITORIES. NOW A FIVE-YEAR EFFORT TO IDENTIFY SAILORS AND MARINES WHO WENT MISSING WHILE SERVING ON THE USS OKLAHOMA IS WRAPPING UP. WITH MANY IOWANS ON BOARD, THE OKLAHOMA CAPSIZED DURING THE ATTACK ON PEARL HARBOR. THE DEFENSE POW/MIA ACCOUNTING AGENCY IS WORKING TO IDENTIFY REMAINS WITH DNA TECHNOLOGY AT OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE NEAR OMAHA. OF 315 SERVICEMEN WHO HAD INITIALLY BEEN RECORDED MISSING, REMAINS OF 281 HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED.
THE LAST TIME THE NORTH CAROLINA MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM WAS IN IOWA, THE TAR HEELS WERE STUNNED THE UNI PANTHERS IN 2015. TONIGHT, UNC IS BACK IN THE STATE. NORTH CAROLINA VISITS THE IOWA HAWKEYES THIS EVENING; TIP OFF IN IOWA CITY IS SCHEDULED FOR JUST AFTER 6:30.
IOWA IS CHANGING HOW IT COUNTS FATAL CASES OF COVID-19. THE NEW METHOD MEANS NEARLY 200 ADDITIONAL DEATHS WERE ADDED TO THE STATE’S TOTAL ON MONDAY EVENING. 28 OF THOSE WERE IN LINN COUNTY. THE NEW FACTORS BRING IOWA IN LINE WITH OTHER STATES AS WELL AS FEDERAL PRACTICES. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT ALTERATION: A DOCTOR’S DETERMINATION THAT A DEATH WAS TIED TO COVID-19 IS ADEQUATE ON ITS OWN TO ADD TO THE STATE COUNT. PREVIOUSLY, THE STATE OF IOWA ALSO NEEDED TO HAVE A POSITIVE CORONAVIRUS TEST RECORD.
AFTER LAYOFFS AT COLLINS AEROSPACE EARLIER THIS YEAR, ANOTHER LARGE CEDAR RAPIDS COMPANY HAS SHED DOZENS OF EMPLOYEES. TRANSAMERICA SIDELINED OVER 50 WORKERS LAST MONTH, ACCORDING TO STATE FILINGS. THE INSURANCE AND INVESTMENT COMPANY IS BASED IN BALTIMORE, WITH MAJOR OPERATIONS CENTERS IN CEDAR RAPIDS AND DENVER, COLORADO. MEANWHILE, COLLINS AEROSPACE HAS ANNOUNCED NEW LAYOFFS IN BELLEVUE AND DECORAH PLANNED FOR EARLY NEXT YEAR.
DAN GABLE’S ACHIEVEMENTS WERE COMMEMORATED WITH THE PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL OF FREEDOM ON MONDAY. THE FORMER NCAA AND OLYMPIC CHAMPION FROM WATERLOO REFLECTED ON HIS ACHIEVEMENTS DURING A CEREMONY AT THE WHITE HOUSE. AFTER HIS TIME ON THE MAT, GABLE CONTINUED TO MAKE PROMINENT CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE SPORT AS WRESTLING COACH AT THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA. THE NATIONAL WRESTLING HALL OF FAME DAN GABLE MUSEUM OPENED IN WATERLOO IN 2006.
