One of Iowa’s largest senior living providers will require the COVID-19 vaccine as a condition of employment starting November 1. Western Home Services made the announcement yesterday. Officials there say 65% of employees have already been fully vaccinated. Employees may apply for a waiver based on medical issues or strongly held religious beliefs. Otherwise, they must show proof of a first dose by October 1 and be fully vaccinated by November 1 to comply with the policy, which also applies to volunteers. Western Home Services includes Western Home Communities in Cedar Falls; Creekside Living in Grundy Center; and Winding Creek Meadows Assisted Living in Jesup. The non-profit organization employs 1,100 people who work with 1,400 residents.
The end of two decades of U.S. military presence in Afghanistan was at best chaotic. U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst is a combat veteran, and told the Fox News Channel yesterday despite the way the mission is ending, she was grateful to all those who served in the region. A total of 6,000 more troops was sent to the area in the past few days; the original withdrawal of all troops was to be completed by the end of this month.
The latest Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report released Monday shows that 58% of Iowa’s corn crop is rated good to excellent…the state’s soybean crop was at that same 58% level. Corn and beans were both slightly ahead of the five-year average. Given the drought, topsoil moisture levels in Central and East Central Iowa were the lowest in the state, with more than 80% rated short to very short on moisture.
Linn County will host two more public engagement forums regarding Linn County’s allocation of federal American Rescue Plan Act funding. The next forum is Monday from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Jean Oxley Linn County Public Service Center in Cedar Rapids. The final scheduled forum will be held Thursday of next week from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Lynn Dunn Memorial Building on the Linn County Fairgrounds in Central City. Monday’s forum will be livestreamed on Linn County’s Facebook page. The forums are designed to explain the purpose of the American Rescue Plan Act and help identify broad community priorities on the best use of the funding in Linn County. The format includes a presentation by county staff, a Q&A session, and the opportunity for public input. The first public engagement forum was held last Wednesday at the downtown Cedar Rapids Public Library.
Concerns are being raised about the future of women and girls in Afghanistan, now that the Taliban is back in charge. One of those expressing alarm is combat veteran and U.S. senator from Iowa Joni Ernst. Sen. Ernst spoke on the Fox News Channel program “America’s Newsroom” yesterday morning; she is scheduled to be in Waterloo and to visit our studios for an in-depth conversation Thursday.
Police have arrested the brother of a Creston man whose body was found last month in rural Adair County. The Iowa Department of Public Safety announced Monday that police had arrested 43-year old Dustin Seley of Creston in connection with the death of 58-year-old Timothy Fechter, who was reported missing to Creston police on June 20. Adair County deputies found Fechter’s body July 1 just off a rural road about 10 miles northeast of Creston. Following an autopsy, the medical examiner determined Fechter had died from blunt force trauma and a gunshot wound. Seley has been charged with first-degree murder and is being held in the Union County Jail. Police have not said what may have led to the killing.
