AFTER EIGHT YEARS LEADING THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE DURING THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION, REPORTS FROM WASHINGTON INDICATE TOM VILSACK IS LIKELY TO RETURN TO THAT ROLE AS PART OF PRESIDENT-ELECT JOE BIDEN’S CABINET. THIS FALL ON KXEL, THE FORMER IOWA GOVERNOR TALKED ABOUT THE CHANGING U.S. RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINA. CHINA REMAINS A MAJOR AG TRADING PARTNER. AN EFFORT TO REBALANCE THE U.S.-CHINA RELATIONSHIP DREW CONSIDERABLE ATTENTION FROM THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION.
PLANNED ROUNDABOUTS IN WATERLOO, CEDAR FALLS, AND CEDAR RAPIDS WILL RECEIVE CONSTRUCTION FUNDING FROM THE D-O-T’S TRAFFIC SAFETY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. THE WATERLOO PROJECT IS AT WEST 9TH AND SOUTH STREET, AND IN CEDAR FALLS, THE INTERSECTION IN QUESTION IS SOUTH MAIN AND GREENHILL. TWO CEDAR RAPIDS TROUBLE SPOTS ARE GETTING STATE DOLLARS: FIRST AVENUE AT WILEY, AS WELL AS ELLIS BOULEVARD AT F AVENUE. THE TRAFFIC SAFETY IMPROVEMENT PROGAM WILL DISTRIBUTE MORE THAN SEVEN-AND-A-HALF MILLION DOLLARS FOR 26 TOTAL PROJECTS AROUND THE STATE, AS APPROVED BY THE IOWA TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION YESTERDAY. IN BREMER COUNTY, D-O-T MONEY WAS TABBED FOR SOLAR L-E-D STOP SIGNS AT A NUMBER OF RURAL INTERSECTIONS.
NEXT SUMMER’S WATERLOO BUCKS’ SCHEDULE WAS RELEASED YESTERDAY. THE FIRST BUCKS HOME GAME WILL BE JUNE 3RD AGAINST ROCHESTER.
EARLIER THIS FALL ON KXEL, FORMER IOWA GOVERNOR AND U.S. AG SECRETARY TOM VILSACK TALKED ABOUT THEN-CANDIDATE JOE BIDEN. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS IS NOW REPORTING THAT VILSACK IS LIKELY TO RETURN TO HIS FORMER USDA POST AS PART OF THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION. VILSACK HELD THAT POSITION FROM CONFIRMATION IN 2009 TO JUST BEFORE PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP’S INAUGURATION IN 2017.
IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR HOLIDAY CHEER, THE CEDAR FALLS TOURISM AND VISITORS BUREAU MIGHT HAVE JUST WHAT YOU NEED. THIS MORNING DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL, BUREAU DIRECTOR KIM MANNING TALKED ABOUT THE CEDAR VALLEY TOUR OF LIGHTS. THE MAP FOR THE CEDAR VALLEY TOUR OF LIGHTS WILL BE REVEALED TOMORROW ON THE CEDAR FALLS TOURISM AND VISITORS BUREAU WEBSITE. IF YOU HAVE A HOLIDAY DISPLAY YOU ARE PROUD OF, MANNING SAYS IT CAN STILL BE INCLUDED IN THE TOUR.
THE UNI PANTHERS LOOK FOR THEIR FIRST ROAD WIN OF THE SEASON TONIGHT. UNI VISITS THE RICHMOND SPIDERS. LAST TIME OUT, BEN JACOBSON’S SQUAD CRUISED PAST NAIA ST. AMBROSE AT THE MCLEOD CENTER. COVERAGE OF TONIGHT’S PANTHER GAME IN RICHMOND BEGINS AT 4:30 HERE ON KXEL.
IOWA SENATOR CHUCK GRASSLEY SAYS TOM VILSACK IS ONE OF THE BEST CHOICES FOR AG SECRETARY THAT PRESIDENT-ELECT JOE BIDEN WAS LIKELY TO MAKE. GRASSLEY EXPRESSED THAT SENTIMENT RECENTLY DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL [AUDIO :25]. VILSACK SERVED TWO TERMS AS IOWA GOVERNOR, THEN EIGHT YEARS LEADING USDA. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORTS THAT BIDEN WILL BRING VILSACK BACK TO THE AGENCY AS PART OF HIS CABINET. LAST WEEK, THE PRESIDENT-ELECT BEGAN ANNOUNCING MANY OF HIS INTENDED APPOINTMENTS.
DIKE-NEW HARTFORD, VINTON-SHELLSBURG, AND 34 OTHER IOWA SCHOOL DISTRICTS WILL BE GETTING SOME NEW KITCHEN EQUIPMENT. THOSE SCHOOLS ARE RECEIVING GRANTS FROM THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. THE NEW FIXTURES WILL HELP THEM SERVE MORE FRESH FOOD IN THEIR LUNCH ROOMS. APPROXIMATELY 100 MORE SCHOOLS WILL RECEIVE FUNDING TAGGED FOR BUYING LOCAL FARM PRODUCTS RANGING FROM DAIRY TO PROTEIN TO PRODUCE. YESTERDAY THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE ANNOUNCED A TOTAL OF 750 THOUSAND DOLLARS IN GRANTS STEMMING FROM THE FEDERAL CARES ACT.
MEGAN GUSTAFSON AND BRIDGET CARLETON ARE LONG GONE BUT THEIR FORMER TEAMS MEET TONIGHT IN IOWA CITY. THE IOWA HAWKEYE WOMEN ARE 4-0. IOWA STATE IS 2-2 AND JUST OUTSIDE THE WOMEN’S TOP 25. GAMETIME IS 6:30. DON’T FORGET COVERAGE OF UNI MEN’S BASKETBALL BEGINS AT 4:30 HERE ON KXEL.
