LAST WEEK, IOWA GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS DREW ATTENTION FOR SAYING THE STATE WOULD NOT ACCEPT UNACCOMPANIED MINOR CHILDREN WHO HAVE BEEN CROWDED INTO INADEQUATE HOLDING FACILITIES NEAR THE SOUTHERN BORDER. U.S. SENATOR CHUCK GRASSLEY OFFERED HIS THOUGHTS ON THAT STANCE YESTERDAY DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL. GRASSLEY DID NOTE THAT HE WAS UNCERTAIN WHAT RIGHTS OR RESPONSIBILITIES THE STATE HAS UNDER FEDERAL LAW IN THIS SITUATION. HEAR THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH GRASSLEY IN THE PODCAST SECTION AT KXEL.COM.
A 60-YEAR-OLD CEDAR RAPIDS MAN WILL SPEND THE NEXT TWO-AND-A-HALF DECADES IN FEDERAL PRISON FOR HIS ROLE IN A METHAMPHETAMINE DISTRIBUTION RING. TONY BROWN ENTERED A PLEA OF GUILTY TO CONSPIRACY TO SELL THE DRUG AFTER BEING CAUGHT IN POSSESSION OF AT LEAST A POUND OF METH IN 2019. HE ALSO HAD MULTIPLE FIREARMS. CEDAR RAPIDS POLICE INITIALLY ARRESTED BROWN IN CONNECTION WITH A VEHICLE ROBBERY.
CEDAR FALLS SCHOOLS WILL INCREASE THEIR PROPERTY TAX LEVY SLIGHTLY FOR THE COMING FISCAL YEAR. THE CHANGE WILL BE WORTH ABOUT 22 DOLLARS ON A HOME VALUED AT 100 THOUSAND DOLLARS. THE RATE OF INCREASE VARIES BASED ON THE TYPE OF PROPERTY BEING TAXED. THE CEDAR FALLS SCHOOLS TAX RATE IS SLIGHTLY LOWER THAN THE FIGURE IN WATERLOO, WHICH MAINTAINED ITS FISCAL YEAR 2021 LEVY RATE FOR NEXT YEAR’S BUDGET.
THE DECISION TO SUSPEND USE OF THE JOHNSON & JOHNSON CORONAVIRUS VACCINE LEFT SOME HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS IN AN UNENVIABLE POSITION ON TUESDAY. CONCERNS ABOUT RARE BLOOD CLOTS LED TO THE PAUSE. VACCINATIONS USING PFIZER AND MODERNA PRODUCTS WERE NOT AFFECTED. WORKERS AT THE EASTERN IOWA HEALTH CENTER IN CEDAR RAPIDS SPENT YESTERDAY MORNING CALLING DOZENS OF PATIENTS WHO WERE SCHEDULED TO RECEIVE THE JOHNSON & JOHNSON SHOT. OUR COVERAGE PARTNERS AT TV-9 TALKED WITH JOE LOCK, WHO IS EIHC PRESIDENT AND CEO; LOCK SAID THE SINGLE-DOSE J-AND-J PRODUCT CAN BE PARTICULARLY VALUABLE FOR SOME PATIENTS. LOCK TOLD TV-9 THAT MOST OF THE CENTER’S SCHEDULED PATIENTS WILL NOW RECEIVE THE MODERNA VACCINE.
WORTH COUNTY OFFICIALS PLAN TO PUT APPROVAL OF ANY NEW WIND FARMS ON HOLD FOR MORE THAN A YEAR. THE FAR NORTH CENTRAL IOWA COUNTY IS ALREADY HOME TO MANY WIND TURBINES. THE COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS WILL CONSIDER WHAT, IF ANY, ZONING RULES SHOULD BE APPROVED FOR LAND USE, INCLUDING MINIMUM BUFFERS BETWEEN WHERE TOWERS ARE LOCATED AND HOMEOWNERS. CURRENTLY, WORTH COUNTY DOES NOT HAVE ZONING RULES IN UNINCORPORATED AREAS. THIS WEEK’S RESTRICTION ON NEW WIND FARMS IN WORTH COUNTY WILL RUN OUT IN JULY OF NEXT YEAR.
WATERLOO’S TAVIS HALL HAS WON AN IOWA TOURISM HONOR. HALL IS THE FIRST RECIPIENT OF THE JOE TAYLOR VISION AWARD FROM IOWA TRAVEL INDUSTRY PARTNERS. THE GROUP NOTES THAT THE RECOGNITION IS GIVEN TO THOSE WHO ADVANCE THEIR COMMUNITY AND IOWA’S TOURISM INDUSTRY. HALL IS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF EXPERIENCE WATERLOO.
IOWA SENATOR CHUCK GRASSLEY RECENTLY VISITED THE UNITED STATES’ SOUTHERN BORDER. DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL TUESDAY, GRASSLEY SPOKE ABOUT WHAT HE SAW. INCREASING NUMBERS OF UNACCOMPANIED CHILDREN HAVE BEEN ARRIVING AT THE BORDER FROM CENTRAL AMERICA IN RECENT MONTHS. LAST WEEK, IOWA GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS SAID IOWA WOULD NOT ACCEPT THOSE MIGRANTS AS PART OF AN EFFORT TO RELIEVE OVERCROWDED BORDER FACILITIES. HEAR GRASSLEY’S REACTION TO THAT STANCE DURING NEXT HOUR’S KXEL NEWSCAST.
AN ORGANIZATION IS LOOKING FOR HELP PLACING THOUSANDS OF FLAGS IN INDEPENDENCE THIS AFTERNOON, AHEAD OF MEMORIAL SERVICES FOR STATE PATROL SERGEANT JIM SMITH. THE GROUP IS CALLED “THE FLAGMAN’S MISSION CONTINUES.” STARTING AT 3:45 TODAY, THEY INTEND TO INSTALL APPROXIMATELY 2,000 AMERICAN FLAGS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY. VOLUNTEERS ARE ASKED TO GATHER AT INDEPENDENCE HIGH SCHOOL AND BRING WORK GLOVES. THE FLAGS WILL THEN BE COLLECTED SATURDAY MORNING. SMITH WAS FATALLY SHOT DURING A CONFRONTATION WITH A SUSPECT IN GRUNDY CENTER LAST FRIDAY.
THE ARRIVAL OF SPRING MEANS SNOW IS GONE, BUT THERE ARE STILL OTHER ROAD HAZARDS. IN TAMA COUNTY THIS WEEK, THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION RECOVERED 50 POUNDS OF NAILS FOUND ON THE PAVEMENT AND SHOULDER OF STATE HIGHWAY 21. THE DOT SPECULATES THE NAILS MAY HAVE OFF A VEHICLE GOING TO A CONSTRUCTION SITE.
