THE BLACK HAWK COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS LIKELY TO RECEIVE A SMALLER BUDGET INCREASE THAN EXPECTED. PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS WERE HOPING FOR A MORE THAN FIVE PERCENT BOOST BUT WILL LIKELY BE UP CLOSER TO TWO PERCENT. DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL WEDNESDAY, SUPERVISOR DAN TRELKA EXPLAINED ONE CONSIDERATION. DURING THE PROGRAM, SUPERVISOR CHRIS SCHWARTZ DISCUSSED A REASON WHY HE ADVOCATED FOR THE LARGER AMOUNT, WHICH WOULD HAVE PAID FOR AN EPIDEMIOLOGIST POSITION AS THE DEPARTMENT SEEKS NATIONAL ACCREDITATION. THE COMPLETE BLACK HAWK COUNTY BUDGET WILL BE THE SUBJECT OF A PUBLIC HEARING NEXT MONTH.
YOU’VE HEARD ABOUT FRAUDULENT PHONE CALLS WHERE VICTIMS ARE ASKED TO PROVIDE GIFT CARD NUMBERS OVER THE PHONE IN ORDER TO GET FAMILY MEMBERS OUT OF TROUBLE. NOW SCAMMERS ARE TAKING IT FARTHER. AUTHORITIES IN DUBUQUE COUNTY SAY THEY ARE COMING RIGHT TO HOMES TO COLLECT CASH OR OTHER VALUABLES DIRECTLY, OFTEN FROM CONCERNED GRANDPARENTS. OFFICIALS ARE LOOKING FOR JANUARY 25TH HOME SURVEILANCE VIDEO FROM CASCADE WHICH MIGHT HELP THEIR INVESTIGATION.
CEDAR RAPIDS COULD BE A STEP CLOSER TO BASEBALL TOMORROW. THE CITY COUNCIL WILL LOOK AT BIDS TO REPAIR VETERAN’S MEMORIAL STADIUM ON FRIDAY. BALLPARK INFRASTRUCTURE WAS DAMAGED IN THE AUGUST DERECHO.
IOWA GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS WANTS TO BE CHANGING GEARS IN THE STATE’S COVID-19 VACCINATION EFFORT. DURING A WEDNESDAY NEWS CONFERENCE, THE GOVERNOR TALKED ABOUT HER EXPECTATIONS FOR THE WEEKS AHEAD. IOWA OFFICIALS PLAN TO RECEIVE OVER 25 THOUSAND DOSES OF MODERNA’S COVID-19 VACCINE EACH WEEK, STARTING FEBRUARY 8TH. THAT WILL BE IN ADDITION TO THE CURRENT ALLOTMENT OF PFIZER’S VACCINE, WHICH HAS BEEN COMING IN AT A RATE OF NEARLY 20 THOUSAND DOSES PER WEEK.
ADDING TO THE TRAUMA OF MOLLIE TIBBETTS’ 2018 MURDER WERE THE PHONE CALLS WHICH FOLLOWED THAT AUTUMN. AFTER ALLEDGED KILLER CRISTHIAN RIVERA WAS ARRESTED AND CHARGED, A SERIES OF ANTI-IMMIGRANT ROBOCALLS WERE RECEIVED IN AND AROUND TIBBETTS HOMETOWN OF BROOKLYN. NOW A MONTANA MAN IS FACING A $9.9 MILLION FINE FROM THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION FOR THOSE AND OTHER CALLS. THE FCC SAYS SCOTT D. RHODES REPEATEDLY VIOLATED THE TRUTH IN CALLER ID ACT. HE MANIPULATED THE CALLS TO MAKE THEM APPEAR TO ORIGINATE FROM LOCAL NUMBERS. AUTHORITIES SAY RHODES CALLS WERE MADE TO EIGHT STATES AND CONTAINED A VARIETY OF RACIST AND HARRASSING MESSAGES.
TWO BLACK HAWK COUNTY MEN ALLEGEDLY SWIPED PARTS FROM VEHICLES OWNED BY CHURCHES. BEFORE DAWN ON TUESDAY, CHAD CLARK OF WATERLOO AND BENJAMIN RANEY OF ELK RUN HEIGHTS WERE ARRESTED. THEY WERE REPORTEDLY AFTER CATALYTIC CONVERTERS TO SCRAP SOME OF THE VALUABLE COMPONENTS. AUTHORITIES SAY THE PAIR DAMAGED AT LEAST THREE VANS BELONGING TO VARIOUS CHURCHES IN THE PROCESS.
SUPERVISORS IN BLACK HAWK COUNTY ARE TRYING TO BALANCE PUBLIC HEALTH NEEDS WITH BUDGET LIMITATIONS. THIS WEEK, THE BOARD VOTED TO ELIMINATE A FISCAL YEAR 2022 HEALTH DEPARTMENT LINE ITEM FOR AN EPIDEMIOLOGIST. SUPERVISOR DAN TRELKA SUPPORTED THAT CHANGE, NOTING THAT DEPARTMENT LEADERS CAN SHIFT FUNDS FROM ELSEWHERE IN THE BUDGET. SUPERVISOR CHRIS SCHWARTZ OPPOSED THE MOVE, WHICH HE SUGGESTS COULD AFFECT LOCAL MATCHING MONEY THE DEPARTMENT USES TO GET OTHER FUNDING. HEAR MORE FROM SCHARTZ AND TRELKA DURING NEXT HOUR’S KXEL NEWSCAST.
IOWA GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS IS COUNTING ON A PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP AS MORE CORONAVIRUS VACCINE DOSES ARRIVE IN FEBRUARY. AFTER INNOCULATING THE FIRST HEALTH CARE WORKERS IN DECEMBER, IOWA AND MANY OTHER STATES HAVE NOT RECEIVED VACCINES AT THE RATE INITIALLY ANTICIPATED. MORE THAN TWICE AS MANY DOSES PER WEEK ARE EXPECTED TO ARRIVE BEGINNING NEXT MONTH.
COLLEGE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TONIGHT: THE IOWA HAWKEYES HOST NORTHWESTERN IN IOWA CITY AT 5 O’CLOCK. THE IOWA STATE WOMEN ARE ON THE ROAD AT KANSAS STATE STARTING AT 6:30.
