FLAMES WERE SHOOTING THROUGH THE ROOF OF A SMALL EVANSDALE HOME WHEN FIREFIGHTERS ARRIVED ON THE SCENE JUST AFTER MIDNIGHT. EVERYONE ESCAPED THE BURNING STRUCTURE WITHOUT INJURY. EVANSDALE POLICE REPORTEDLY NOTICED THE SITUATION AND ASSISTED IN THE RESPONSE. HOURS AFTER THE FIRE WAS UNDER CONTROL, CALM OVERNIGHT WEATHER CONDITIONS MADE IT POSSIBLE TO STILL SMELL THE SMOKE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CEDAR VALLEY.
MANY DIFFERENT STEPS HAVE HELPED IMPROVE THE COVID-19 SITUATION IN IOWA. THAT’S THE ASSESSMENT OF IOWA GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS. SHE SPOKE WEDNESDAY ABOUT POSITIVE TRENDS WHICH MEAN REVISED AND SLIGHTLY RELAXED CORONAVIRUS PRECAUTIONS. WEDNESDAY’S ANNOUNCEMENT MEANS BARS AND RESTAURANTS WILL BE ABLE TO STAY OPEN LATER. MASKS AND SOCIAL DISTANCING IS STILL REQUIRED IN THOSE ESTABLISHMENTS. REYNOLDS SAYS SHE BELIEVES IOWANS ARE MAKING THOUGHTFUL DECISIONS ABOUT THEIR SAFETY AND THE HEALTH OF OTHERS.
THE IOWA BUSINESS COUNCIL WILL HAVE NEW LEADERS FOR THE NEW YEAR. TIM YAGGI OF PELLA CORPORATION WILL BE THE GROUP’S NEW CHAIRMAN. PHIL JASPER – AN EXECUTIVE AT COLLINS AEROSPACE – WILL BE VICE CHAIRMAN. THE IOWA BUSINESS COUNCIL REPRESENTS NEARLY TWO DOZEN LARGE EMPLOYERS, WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ONE OF EVERY SIX JOBS IN THE STATE.
A CEDAR RAPIDS FREIGHT COMPANY IS PART OF THE LOGISTICAL EFFORT FOR THE CORONAVIRUS VACCINE. CRST INTERNATIONAL IS MOVING TRUCKLOADS OF THE MEDICINE BETWEEN MANUFACTURERS AND MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS. CRST EXECUTIVE CHAD BRUECK TALKED TO OUR COVERAGE PARTNERS AT TV-9 ABOUT THE NUMBER OF VIALS THE COMPANY IS DELIVERING. BRUECK SAYS CRST HAS INVESTED A LOT OF TIME MAKING SURE THE PROPER TEMPERATURES AND CONDITIONS ARE MAINTAINED IN ITS TRUCKS, AS WELL HEIGHTENED SECURITY FOR VACCINE SHIPMENTS.
DURING THE FALL SEMESTER, THE COLLEGE HILL PARTNERSHIP, THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA, AND THE CITY OF CEDAR FALLS WORKED TOGETHER ON CONSISTENT MESSAGING TO STUDENTS. COLLEGE HILL PARTNERSHIP EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR KATHRYN SOGARD TALKED ABOUT THE COLLABORATION. SOGARD WAS A RECENT GUEST ON KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL. THE FULL UNTERVIEW IS AT KXEL.COM.
CEDAR FALLS IS THE PLACE TO PLAY…VIDEO GAMES THAT IS. ACCORDING TO P-C-MAG.COM, CEDAR FALLS UTILITIES IS THE BEST INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER FOR GAMING. EARLIER IN 2020, C-F-U HAD BEEN NOTED AS HAVING THE FASTEST INTERNET IN THE COUNTRY.
IOWA GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS CREDITS THE STATE’S CITIZENS FOR IMPROVEMENTS IN COVID-19 INFECTION RATES DURING DECEMBER. IN A WEDNESDAY PRESS CONFERENCE, REYNOLDS SHARED THESE THOUGHTS. THE LATEST UPDATE TO STATE COVID-19 POLICIES ALLOWS RESTAURANTS AND BARS TO RETURN TO THEIR NORMAL HOURS. CAPACITY IN ESTABLISHMENTS REMAINS LIMITED TO WHAT IS POSSIBLE AS PART OF SIX-FOOT SOCIAL DISTANCING GUIDELINES BETWEEN GROUPS.
MARIANNETTE MILLER-MEEKS DOES NOT WANT A LEGISLATIVE REVIEW OF THE 2020 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION. HER CAMPAIGN EMPHASIZED THAT ON WEDNESDAY AFTER THE CONGRESSWOMAN-ELECT FOR IOWA’S SECOND DISTRICT WAS INITIALLY INCLUDED IN A LETTER CALLING FOR AN INVESTIGATION SENT BY SEVERAL OTHER REPUBLICANS HEADED TO CONGRESS. A REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE MILLER-MEEKS CAMPAIGN CALLED THE SITUATION AN ERROR. THE SECOND DISTRICT RACE STILL HAS A DEGREE OF ELECTORAL UNCERTAINTY. MILLER-MEEKS DEFEATED RITA HART BY SIX VOTES, BUT HART PLANS TO FILE A CHALLENGE TO THAT RESULT IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
THE CEDAR VALLEY COURT KINGS HAVE A NEW OWNER. THE MINOR LEAGUE BASKETBALL FRANCHISE WAS FOUNDED BY GARY RIMA IN 2016; YOU KNOW HIM AS THE ANNOUNCER FOR THE UNI PANTHERS HERE ON NEWS/TALK 1540. TOMMY MCCELLAN-BEY IS BUYING THE CLUB. MCCELLAN-BEY OPERATES OTHER BUSINESSES IN WATERLOO AND HAS BEEN AN ASSISTANT COACH FOR THE COURT KINGS.
