A WATERLOO MAN DIDN’T WAIT LONG TO CLAIM A WEEKEND LOTTERY PRIZE. THE WINNING POWERBALL NUMBERS WERE SELECTED ON SATURDAY NIGHT; MONDAY, ANTON GARRETT WAS AT THE LOTTERY’S MAIN OFFICE IN CLIVE TO PICK UP A TWO MILLION DOLLAR CHECK. GARRETT IS A FORKLIFT OPERATOR AT TYSON FOODS. HE MATCHED FIVE OF SIX NUMBERS DRAWN IN THE GAME, SAYING HE PICKED THE DIGITS BASED ON FAMILY BIRTHDAYS AND OTHER NOTABLE DATES. GARRETT TOLD LOTTERY OFFICIALS THAT HE DIDN’T KNOW HE HAD WON UNTIL STOPPING AT A STORE TO BUY SUNDAY MORNING COFFEE.
MONEY FROM CHINA FLOWING TOWARD U.S. EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS IS A CONCERN FOR IOWA SENATOR CHUCK GRASSLEY. HE AND SEVERAL REPUBLICAN SENATE COLLEAGUES ARE SPONSORING LEGISLATION WHICH WOULD REQUIRE DISCLOSURE OF MONEY FROM CHINA USED TO FUND STUDENT EXCHANGE PROGRAMS. GRASSLEY PREVIOUSLY ENCOURAGED SCHOOLS INVOLVED IN THE CONFUCIUS INSTITUTE PROGRAM TO SEEK GUIDANCE FROM THE FBI ABOUT POSSIBLE RISKS RELATED TO THOSE RELATIONSHIPS.
THE “INDIANS” NICKNAME OFFICIALLY GOES TO THE BENCH THIS SUMMER AND THE “WOLVES” CHECK INTO THE LINEUP. FIFTY-SEVEN PERCENT OF RESIDENTS IN THE MARION COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT PICKED THE NEW MASCOT OVER TWO OTHER OPTIONS. MARION OFFICIALS HAD INTENDED THAT SCHOOL TEAMS WOULD BECOME THE MAVERICKS, BUT THAT NAME WAS DROPPED OVER CONCERNS ABOUT RACIAL IMPLICATIONS. FORMAL APPROVAL OF “WOLVES” IS EXPECTED DURING A MARION SCHOOL BOARD MEETING IN TWO WEEKS.
THE U.S. TREASURY DEPARTMENT WILL SEND IOWA ALMOST ONE-AND-A-HALF BILLION DOLLARS AS PART OF THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN PASSED EARLIER THIS YEAR. FEDERAL OFFICIALS PROVIDED A STATE-BY-STATE BREAKDOWN OF THE COVID-19 RELIEF FUNDS ON MONDAY. THE MONEY IS INTENDED TO RESTORE JOBS LOST DURING THE PANDEMIC AND BACKFILL TAX REVENUE SHORTFALLS. STATES CAN ALSO SPEND IT ON PREMIUM PAY FOR ESSENTIAL WORKERS AND WATER, SEWER AND BROADBAND INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS.
A HEAD-ON COLLISION INJURED THREE PEOPLE IN FLOYD COUNTY ON MONDAY. ONE DRIVER HAD TO BE TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL BY HELICOPTER. THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED ON A TWO-LANE COUNTY ROAD JUST NORTHEAST OF FLOYD. THE STATE PATROL SAYS A CLOUD OF DUST MAY HAVE REDUCED VISIBILITY AS ONE OF THE VEHICLES INVOLVED ATTEMPTED TO PASS A ROAD GRADER.
MORE THAN TWO-THIRDS OF IOWA CORN AND SOYBEANS ARE IN THE GROUND. THE LATEST USDA CROP REPORT INDICATES MORE OF THE CORN CROP HAS ALREADY EMERGED THAN REMAINS TO BE PLANTED. TWENTY-TWO PERCENT HAS SPROUTED, WHILE JUST 14 PERCENT OF PLANTING REMAINS.
COLLEGE ATHLETIC PROGRAMS ARE SQUEEZING AS MUCH AS THEY CAN OUT OF THEIR BUDGETS. UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA SOFTBALL COACH RYAN JACOBS SAYS HIS TEAM WAS FORTUNATE TO HAVE LAID THE GROUNDWORK FOR FINANCIAL STABILITY AHEAD OF COVID-19. THE PANTHERS FINISHED SECOND IN THE MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE AND ARE PREPARING TO PLAY IN THE MVC SOFTBALL TOURNAMENT ON FRIDAY.
TYSON WORKERS IN WATERLOO – AND THE COMPANY’S OTHER MEAT PROCESSING FACILITIES – MIGHT SOON SEE MORE MONEY. TYSON SAID MONDAY THAT IT’S RAISING WAGES TO COMBAT ABSENTEEISM AND WORKER TURNOVER. U.S. DEMAND FOR CHICKEN IS SOARING, BUT ABSENTEE RATES ARE AROUND 50% HIGHER THAN THEY WERE BEFORE THE PANDEMIC. TYSON ATTRIBUTES THE TREND TO GOVERNMENT STIMULUS PAYMENTS, HEALTH CARE CONCERNS AND CHILD-CARE ISSUES. AROUND 42 THOUSAND WORKERS AT TYSON PLANTS HAVE RECEIVED COVID-19 VACCINATIONS. MORE THAN ONE THOUSAND WATERLOO TYSON WORKERS TESTED POSITIVE FOR THE CORONAVIRUS DURING MASS SCREENINGS LAST SPRING.
COVID-19 IS ONE OF SEVERAL CONCERNS IOWA SENATOR CHUCK GRASSLEY HAS ABOUT MIGRANTS CONGREGATING AT THE NATION’S SOUTHERN BORDER. GRASSLEY SPOKE ABOUT THAT THIS MORNING DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL. GRASSLEY AND OREGON SENATOR RON WYDEN ALSO RECENTLY SENT A LETTER TO HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES OFFICIALS ASKING 15 QUESTIONS ABOUT PROTECTIONS FOR MIGRANT CHILDREN. MORE FROM JEFF STEIN’S EXCLUSIVE CONVERSATION WITH GRASSLEY DURING NEXT HOUR’S KXEL NEWSCAST.
THE CEDAR RAPIDS KERNELS WON FIVE GAMES DURING A SIX-GAME SEASON-OPENING SERIES AT HOME LAST WEEK. TONIGHT THE KERNELS GO ON THE ROAD FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS YEAR. CEDAR RAPIDS OPENS A NEW SIX-GAME SET AT 6:30 VERSUS THE QUAD CITIES RIVER BANDITS.
