A SHOOTING IN THE NORTHWEST QUADRANT OF CEDAR RAPIDS INJURED ONE MAN ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT. POLICE VISITED THE SCENE IN THE 900 BLOCK OF C AVENUE NORTHWEST AFTER THE WOUNDED MAN ARRIVED AT A HOSPITAL IN A PRIVATE VEHICLE. A DISPUTE BETWEEN AT LEAST TWO PEOPLE LED TO THE SHOOTING, WHICH IS CHARACTERIZED AS A “TARGETED INCIDENT.” AN INVESTIGATION CONTINUES; INJURIES TO THE VICTIM WERE DESCRIBED AS NOT LIFE THREATENING.
WATERLOO’S RAGBRAI STOP CREATED A FESTIVE MIDWEEK ATMOSPHERE DOWNTOWN. BANDS PLAYED ON TWO STAGES WEDNESDAY AND VENDORS LINED SEVERAL STREETS CLOSED TO MOTOR VEHICLE TRAFFIC. EXPERIENCE WATERLOO EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TAVIS HALL TOLD KXEL THAT EVEN ON ONE OF THE HOTTEST DAYS OF THE YEAR, THE TIMING WAS RIGHT FOR THE RAGBRAI VISIT. WATERLOO’S RAGBRAI PREPARATIONS WERE MADE OVER NEARLY TWO FULL YEARS AFTER LAST SUMMER’S TOUR WAS POSTPONED BY THE CORONAVIRUS. ANAMOSA IS THE NEXT STOP THIS EVENING AFTER RIDERS TRAVEL MORE THAN 80 MILES. AFTER STARTING IN BLACK HAWK COUNTY, TODAY’S ROUTE WILL MEANDER SOUTHEAST THROUGH BUCHANAN, LINN, AND JONES COUNTIES.
FOR THE SECOND TIME THIS WEEK, FIRST RESPONDERS IN WATERLOO MADE HEADLINES FOR RESCUING A PET. A SIX-YEAR-OLD FAMILY DOG NAMED ROSCOE WAS SAVED FROM A BURNING HOME ON BURBANK AVENUE WEDNESDAY. THE DOG NEEDED OXYGEN, BUT APPEARED TO BE OK. ON MONDAY, RESCUERS HAD FISHED A STRAY KITTEN OUT OF THE CEDAR RIVER.
A BIKE-VERSUS-VEHICLE ACCIDENT IN SOUTHERN BUCHANAN COUNTY SENT THE CYCLIST TO UNIVERSITY OF IOWA HOSPITALS AND CLINICS IN IOWA CITY WEDNESDAY. AUTHORITIES SAY THE COLLISION HAPPENED ON A COUNTY HIGHWAY SOUTH OF QUASQUETON. A MEDICAL HELICOPTER TRANSPORTED THE VICTIM FROM THE SCENE. THE RIDER AND THE DRIVER WERE NOT NAMED PUBLICLY, AND DETAILS ABOUT THE CAUSE OF THE ACCIDENT WERE NOT RELEASED.
RAGBRAI RIDERS ARE ON THE WAY TO THEIR NEXT STOP AND WILL, WRAP THEIR UP THURSDAY IN ANAMOSA. BUT TOURISM LEADERS IN WATERLOO HOPE CYCLISTS WILL VISIT AGAIN AFTER WEDNESDAY’S OVERNIGHT STAY. EXPERIENCE WATERLOO EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TAVIS HALL. HALL ESTIMATED THAT RAGBRAI’S ECONOMIC IMPACT FOR WATERLOO WOULD BE OVER TWO-AND-A-HALF MILLION DOLLARS. THAT’S WITHOUT COUNTING ANY POSITIVE IMPRESSIONS THE COMMUNITY MIGHT MAKE WHICH COULD BRING RIDERS BACK.
THE WATERLOO BUCKS MADE AN IMPRESSION DURING A TRIP TO NORTH DAKOTA. COMING OFF A FOUR-GAME SWEEP OF THE BISMARCK LARKS AND AN OFF-DAY WEDNESDAY, THE BUCKS TRY TO KEEP A GOOD THING GOING TONIGHT IN MANKATO. WATERLOO VISITS THE MANKATO MOONDOGS. IF THE BUCKS CAN PICK UP ANOTHER WIN, IT WILL PULL THEIR SECOND-HALF RECORD UP TO .500. TONIGHT’S MATCHUP IN MINNESOTA BEGINS AT 6:35.
TUITION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA – AS WELL AS IOWA AND IOWA STATE – WILL BE ON THE RISE DURING THE COMING SCHOOL YEAR. THE IOWA BOARD OF REGENTS APPROVED THE NEW RATE WEDNESDAY. LAST YEAR, TUITION WAS FROZEN DUE TO THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC. FOR IN-STATE FULLTIME UNI STUDENTS, THE INCREASE IS $115 OR ABOUT ONE-AND-A-HALF PERCENT. THE NEW RATES AT IOWA AND IOWA STATE ARE MORE THAN THREE PERCENT HIGHER. ENROLLMENT AT UNI SAGGED LAST SCHOOL YEAR RELATED TO THE PANDEMIC. UNOFFICIAL ESTIMATES SUGGEST THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS ON CAMPUS MAY NOT COMPLETELY REBOUND THIS YEAR.
LOCAL K-12 SCHOOL DISTRICTS CANNOT MANDATE MASKS DURING CLASSES. A STATE LAW PASSED IN MAY SUPERSEDES LOCAL CONTROL ON THE ISSUE. HOWEVER, THE IOWA STATE EDUCATION ASSOCIATION IS ENCOURAGING PARENTS TO HAVE STUDENTS WEAR MASKS WHEN THE RETURN NEXT MONTH. THE PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS UNION SAYS THERE IS CONCERN THAT COVID-19’S DELTA VARIANT COULD SPREAD IN CLASSROOMS. THIS WEEK, THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION RECOMMENDED INDOOR FACE COVERINGS IN HIGH TRANSMISSION AREAS, EVEN FOR THOSE WHO HAVE RECEIVED A COVID SHOT.
EARLIER THIS WEEK, WATERLOO FIREFIGHTERS HAD THEIR FIRST CHANCE TO USE A NEW WATER RESCUE TOOL. BATTALION CHIEF BILL BECK TOLD KXEL ABOUT THE RAPID DEPLOYMENT CRAFT USED TO PULL A KITTEN FROM THE CEDAR RIVER MONDAY. BECK SAYS THE DEPARTMENT RECEIVES ABOUT A DOZEN EMERGENCY WATER RESCUE CALLS EACH YEAR.
