ONE WEEK FROM TODAY, RAGBRAI RIDERS WILL BE ARRIVING IN WATERLOO. MAYOR QUENTIN HART TALKED ABOUT THE THINGS HE HOPES VISITORS WILL NOTICE. HART WAS A GUEST THIS WEEK DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL. A DOWNTOWN FESTIVAL AND CONCERT IS BEING PLANNED FOR THE ESTIMATED 10 THOUSAND PEOPLE WHO WILL VISIT WATERLOO NEXT WEDNESDAY NIGHT.
A 20 MILLION DOLLAR FLOOD CONTROL PROJECT IN CEDAR RAPIDS TAKES A STEP FORWARD. BIDS WILL BE ACCEPTED BEGINNING TODAY FOR WORK ON THE CEDAR LAKE NORTH SHORE LEVEE. THE ADDED LAYER OF PROTECTION IS SCHEDULED TO BE COMPLETED IN JUST OVER TWO YEARS. CEDAR RAPIDS OFFICIALS SAY THE WORK WILL ALSO LEAD TO MORE RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES ON CEDAR LAKE.
WATER AMENITIES ON THE CEDAR RIVER ARE A TOPIC OF DISCUSSION IN MITCHELL COUNTY. THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND THE MITCHELL COUNTY CONSERVATION BOARD ARE ACCEPTING COMMENTS ON A WATER TRAIL PLAN THROUGH THE END OF SEPTEMBER. THE PROJECT WOULD ADD RIVER ACCESS POINTS WHILE IMPROVING SAFETY ON THE RIVER.
FORMER UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA OFFENSIVE TACKLE SPENCER BROWN HAS SIGNED A FOUR-YEAR CONTRACT WITH THE BUFFALO BILLS. BROWN STARTED 32 GAMES AS A PANTHER. THE BILLS PICKED HIM IN THE THIRD ROUND OF THE NFL DRAFT. BROWN WAS AMONG BUFFALO ROOKIES WHO REPORTED FOR TRAINING CAMP TUESDAY.
NEW UNIVERSITY OF IOWA PRESIDENT BARBARA WILSON SPOKE TO VARIOUS MEDIA OUTLETS ON TUESDAY. LAST THURSDAY WAS HER FIRST DAY FORMALLY ON THE JOB. OUR COVERAGE PARTNERS AT TV-9 REPORTED ON WILSON’S PERSPECTIVE REGARDING STUDENT COSTS. WILSON NOTED THAT IOWA AND OTHER UNIVERSITIES ARE CONSTANTLY STRETCHED BETWEEN STUDENT AFFORDABILITY AND BEING FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE. THE IOWA BOARD OF REGENTS WILL EXAMINE A THREE-AND-A-HALF PERCENT INCREASE IN TUITION AHEAD OF THE FALL TERM.
TOMORROW WATERLOO LEISURE SERVICES WILL HOST A MEETING ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE CITY’S SWIMMING POOLS. THE CITY IS LOOKING FOR FEEDBACK ON POOL USAGE AND AMENITIES. WATERLOO MAYOR QUENTIN HART. THAT CONSULTANT IS COLORADO-BASED BALLARD KING AND ASSOCIATES. THE GROUP HAS ALREADY BEEN MAKING ASSESSMENTS OF CITY POOLS. THURSDAY’S SWIMMING POOL PUBLIC MEETING WILL BE HELD AT THE CEDAR VALLEY SPORTSPLEX BEGINNING AT 6 P.M.
THE LINN COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT HAS IDENTIFIED A WATERLOO MAN AS THE VICTIM OF A FATAL MONDAY MORNING ACCIDENT. 62-YEAR-OLD LARRY HULLERMANN WAS KILLED IN THE TWO VEHICLE WRECK WEST OF CENTRAL CITY. DEPUTIES SAY HULLERMANN WAS STRUCK ON THE DRIVER’S SIDE BY ANOTHER VEHICLE WHICH ALLEGEDLY FAILED TO STOP AT THE INTERSECTION OF TWO COUNTY HIGHWAYS. THE OTHER DRIVER HAD NON-LIFE THREATENING INJURIES.
A TUESDAY STABBING SENT A WATERLOO MAN TO UNITY POINT-ALLEN HOSPITAL. THE DOMESTIC INCIDENT INVOLVED A JUVENILE SUSPECT ACCORDING TO WATERLOO POLICE. INJURIES FROM THE STABBING WERE NOT LIFE THREATENING, AND THE STABBING VICTIM WAS NOT HELD OVERNIGHT. NAMES OF THOSE INVOLVED WERE NOT RELEASED, BUT CHARGES HAVE BEEN FILED IN THE CASE.
WATERLOO SWIMMING FACILITIES WILL LIKELY SOON HAVE A NEW LOOK. AHEAD OF A THURSDAY INFORMATIONAL MEETING ABOUT PUBLIC POOLS, WATERLOO MAYOR QUENTIN HART SPOKE TO KXEL ABOUT A STUDY THE CITY HAS COMMISSIONED. WATERLOO LEISURE SERVICES OFFICIALS SAY SWIMMING AMENITIES IN THE COMMUNITY ARE LIKELY TO BE IMPACTED FOR DECADES BY THE OUTCOME OF THE ASSESSMENT CURRENTLY UNDERWAY.
MEANWHILE, LOST ISLAND WATERPARK IN WATERLOO HAS ANNOUNCED A SCHEDULE CHANGE. LIMITED STAFFING LEVELS MEAN THAT THE FACILITY WILL BE CLOSED ON TUESDAYS AND WEDNESDAYS BEGINNING AUGUST 3RD. IN THEIR ANNOUNCEMENT, LOST ISLAND OFFICIALS NOTED THAT THE DECISION WAS MADE IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY.
IOWA-BASED WINNEBAGO INDUSTRIES IS EXPANDING THE VARIETY OF BOATS IN ITS PORTFOLIO. KNOWN AS A MAKER OF RECREATIONAL VEHICLES, WINNEBAGO HAS PURCHASED INDIANA-BASED BARTELLA PONTOON BOATS. THE ACQUISITION COMES AFTER WINNEBAGO BOUGHT A POWER BOAT MANUFACTURER IN 2018.
