IOWA GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS LOOKED AHEAD WHILE SUMMING UP THE STATE’S COVID-19 EXPERIENCE DURING A PRESS CONFERENCE YESTERDAY. DURING TUESDAY’S CORONAVIRUS UPDATE, STATE OFFICIALS CONFIRMED THAT NURSING HOME RESIDENTS WILL BEGIN RECEIVING THE COVID-19 VACCINE NEXT WEEK. AN ERROR IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF VACCINES HAD THREATENED TO DELAY THE PROCESS.
UNDER FEDERAL RULES, THE STATE HAD TO HAVE AT LEAST 50% OF THE VACCINE NEEDED FOR ITS NURSING HOME POPULATION HELD IN RESERVE. THOSE REGULATIONS WERE EASED, SINCE IOWA WAS SHORTED ON ITS INITIAL VACCINE SHIPMENT. THE INNOCULATIONS FOR MANY CARE FACILITY RESIDENTS WILL BE DELIVERED BY PHARMACIES. OUR COVERAGE PARTNERS AT TV-9 TALKED ABOUT THAT WITH KATE GAINER, CEO OF THE IOWA PHARMACY ASSOCIATION. THERE ARE 486 NURSING AND LONGTERM CARE FACILITIES IN IOWA PARTICIPATING IN THE PHARMACY VACCINATION PROGRAM.
IN SPORTS, THE UNI PANTHER WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM GETS BACK TO ACTION AFTER MORE THAN A WEEK OFF. EARLIER THIS MONTH, THE PANTHERS DEFEATED SOUTH DAKOTA STATE, KNOCKING THE JACKRABBITS OUT OF THE WOMEN’S TOP 25. THE TEAMS MEET AGAIN THIS AFTERNOON IN BROOKINGS. TIP OFF IS AT 2, WITH LIVE COVERAGE HERE ON YOUR HOME OF THE PANTHERS.
YOU MAY REMEMBER BURL IVES SINGING ABOUT THE SPECIAL MEANING OF SILVER AND GOLD AT CHRISTMASTIME. THE SONG WAS ABOUT HOLIDAY DECORATIONS, BUT THE SALVATION ARMY OF WATERLOO/CEDAR FALLS HAS BEEN FINDING SILVER AND GOLD COINS IN ITS COLLECTION KETTLES OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF WEEKS. YESTERDAY, THE ORGANIZATION NOTED THAT AT LEAST 11 GOLD COINS HAVE BEEN GATHERED, EACH ESTIMATED TO BE WORTH BETWEEN 18 AND 19 HUNDRED DOLLARS. SEVERAL OTHER RARE SPECIMENS HAVE BEEN FOUND IN THE KETTLES TOO. THOSE GIFTS, TOGETHER WITH OTHER CONTRIBUTIONS, PUT THE SALVATION ARMY 85 PERCENT OF THE WAY TOWARD REACHING ITS LOCAL GOAL OF 601 THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR THE HOLIDAY RED KETTLE CAMPAIGN.
IOWA CHURCHES ARE PREPARING FOR A CHRISTMAS WHICH WILL BE DIFFERENT FROM ANY IN RECENT MEMORY. OUR COVERAGE PARTNERS AT CBS-2 TALKED TO PASTOR HARRIS HOLSAPPLE FROM FIRST OPEN BIBLE CHURCH IN CEDAR RAPIDS ABOUT HOW MANY HAVE BEEN FINDING COMFORT AS THE CONGREGATE REMOTELY. HOLSAPPLE SAYS LIVE ONLINE SERVICES WHICH HIS CHURCH HAS OFFERED IN 2020 HAVE REACHED A LARGER, MORE DIVERSE AUDIENCE THAN THOSE IN ATTENDANCE FOR MORE TRADITIONAL WORSHIP.
BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED FOR THE NORTHWESTERN THIRD OF THE STATE. A NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLIZZARD WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THAT CORNER OF IOWA PLUS PARTS OF NEBRASKA, SOUTH DAKOTA, AND MINNESOTA FROM THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH MIDNIGHT. SNOW AND WIND GUSTS OF OVER 50 MILES PER HOUR ARE EXPECTED IN NORTHWEST IOWA.
WHEN THE IOWA GENERAL ASSEMBLY SESSION BEGINS IN JANUARY, LEGISLATORS WILL WEIGH HOW AND WHETHER TO PUT STATE RESERVES TOWARD CORONAVIRUS RELIEF. IOWA GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS SOUNDED A CAUTIOUS TONE ON THAT FRONT WHILE SPEAKING TO THE MEDIA TUESDAY. IOWA CURRENTLY HAS AN ESTIMATED BUDGET SURPLUS OF MORE THAN 300 MILLION DOLLARS. MUCH OF THE STATE’S COVID-19 RESPONSE SO FAR HAS BEEN FUNDED OR REIMBURSED BY FEDERAL MONEY.
UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD TRACKS WRAP ACROSS IOWA’S MIDSECTION AND SERVE INDUSTRY AND AGRICULTURE IN COMMUNITIES FROM CLINTON TO COUNCIL BLUFFS. ONE OF THE RAILROAD’S MAIN UNIONS IS THREATENING TO STRIKE IF UNION PACIFIC DOESN’T DO MORE TO PROTECT ITS EMPLOYEES FROM THE CORONAVIRUS. THE BROTHERHOOD OF MAINTENANCE OF WAY EMPLOYEES DIVISION UNION SAYS THE U-P NEEDS TO OFFER ITS MORE THAN 30,000 EMPLOYEES FULL PAY IF THEY HAVE TO QUARANTINE BECAUSE OF EXPOSURE TO THE VIRUS, AND IT WANTS UP TO BOLSTER SAFETY PRECAUTIONS IN THE WORKPLACE. UNION PACIFIC MAINTAINS THAT IT IS TAKING APPROPRIATE PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT WORKERS FROM THE VIRUS.
A WATERLOO HOME INVASION IN 2019 WILL SEND JOSHUA TRUAX TO PRISON FOR MORE THAN 10 YEARS. TRUAX ENTERED A PLEA OF GUILTY TO WEAPONS CHARGES RELATED TO THE OCTOBER 2019 INCIDENT EARLIER THIS YEAR. SHOTS WERE FIRED DURING THE ASSAULT AND ATTEMPTED KIDNAPPING. TRUAX’S SENTENCE WAS AUGMENTED BY PREVIOUS CRIMINAL CONVICTIONS.
