RELIEF IN DECORAH AFTER THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL LED TO HOURS OF CONCERN. MORE THAN 100 VOLUNTEERS ANSWERED THE CALL TO LOOK FOR A MISSING SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENT. BRANDON QUAM DISAPPEARED FROM DECORAH HIGH SCHOOL MONDAY MORNING. SEARCHERS CANVASSED THE COMMUNITY, ASSEMBLED BY LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS. QUAM WAS SUCCESSFULLY LOCATED SHORTLY BEFORE 8:30 LAST NIGHT.
THREE VIRTUAL PUBLIC HEARINGS IN SEPTEMBER WILL PROVIDE A FORUM FOR COMMENT ON NEW IOWA ELECTORAL MAPS. THE FIVE-MEMBER IOWA TEMPORARY REDISTRICTING ADVISORY COMMISSION VOTED YESTERDAY TO HOLD THE HEARINGS SEPTEMBER 20, 21 AND 22. THE COMMISSION IS REQUIRED BY LAW TO THEN PRESENT A REPORT TO THE LEGISLATURE SUMMARIZING PUBLIC COMMENTS. THE FIRST REDISTRICTING MAPS ARE EXPECTED SEPT. 16, AND WILL ACCOUNT FOR POPULATION CHANGES REPORTED IN THE 2020 CENSUS.
U.S. SENATOR TOM COTTON OF ARKANSAS HAD A MESSAGE FOR VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES WHEN HE SPOKE WITH KXEL DURING A RECENT VISIT TO IOWA. COTTON WAS IN INDEPENDENCE LAST FRIDAY. A FORMER ARMY OFFICER, COTTON HIMSELF SERVED IN AFGHANISTAN.
THE AFTER-EFFECTS OF A 2020 CRIME SPREE IN WATERLOO CONTINUE TO PLAY OUT. YESTERDAY JUSTINA DAVIS ENTERED A PLEA WHICH COULD SEND HER TO PRISON FOR AS LONG AS 10-YEARS. THE 30-YEAR-OLD HELPED TWO MEN FLEE AFTER A FAILED ARMORED CAR ROBBERY OUTSIDE A WATERLOO BANK IN MARCH OF 2020. A THIRD ROBBER WAS SHOT DEAD. THE GROUP WAS IMPLICATED IN SEVERAL OTHER ROBBERIES AND ARSON INCIDENTS WHICH HAD HAPPENED IN PRECEDING MONTHS.
A SMOKEY KITCHEN FIRE BROUGHT EMERGENCY RESPONDERS TO A HOME IN THE NORTHWEST QUADRANT OF CEDAR RAPIDS LATE MONDAY. SHORTLY BEFORE 11:30, A STOVETOP GREASE FIRE GOT OUT OF CONTROL. FOUR PEOPLE WERE HOME AT THE TIME. ALL OF THEM – ALONG WITH THEIR PETS – ESCAPED SAFELY. FIREFIGHTERS DID NOTE DAMAGE IN THE KITCHEN AND THE EFFECTS OF SMOKE THROUGHOUT THE HOME.
IOWA FIRST DISTRICT CONGRESSWOMAN ASHLEY HINSON WAS JOINED BY A WASHINGTON COLLEAGUE WHEN SHE VISITED THE INDEPENDENCE VFW LAST WEEK. IN ADDITION TO SPEAKING WITH VETERANS THERE, ARKANSAS SENATOR TOM COTTON SPOKE TO KXEL, FOCUSING ON THE U.S. WITHDRAWAL FROM AFGHANISTAN. COTTON’S FULL KXEL INTERVIEW IS AVAILABLE AT KXEL.COM.
USDA OFFICIALS REPORT THAT 2.8 MILLION ACRES OF LAND HAS BEEN ACCEPTED INTO THE CONSERVATION RESERVE PROGRAM THIS YEAR. FARM SERVICE AGENCY LEADERS SAY CRP IS ABOUT FOUR MILLION ACRES SHORT OF ITS ENROLLMENT TARGET.
COUNTIES ALONG AND SOUTH OF U.S. HIGHWAY 30 FACE A HEAT ADVISORY THIS AFTERNOON. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WARNS THAT DAYTIME TEMPERATURES, COUPLED WITH HIGH HUMIDITY COULD CAUSE HEAT-RELATED ILLNESS. THE HEAT ADVISORY LASTS INTO THIS EVENING.
CEDAR RAPIDS SCHOOL OFFICIALS ARE CONSIDERING NEW POLICIES FOR SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS. THE S-R-O’S ARE UNIFORMED POLICE, BUT THEY COULD HAVE A MORE CASUAL DRESS CODE, AND THEY COULD DISAPPEAR ENTIRELY FROM SOME CEDAR RAPIDS MIDDLE SCHOOL BUILDINGS. DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT NICOLE KOOIKER SPOKE DURING LAST NIGHT’S CEDAR RAPIDS SCHOOL BOARD MEETING. OUR COVERAGE PARTNERS AT TV-9 REPORT THAT THE BOARD WILL DECIDE IN THE FUTURE WHAT ACTION TO TAKE ON MONDAY’S PROPOSALS.
WATERLOO SCHOOLS ARE LOOKING FOR WAYS TO KEEP SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS. CURRENT PAY FOR SUBS RANGES FROM 130 TO 150 DOLLARS PER DAY. ON MONDAY, THE BOARD DISCUSSED AND APPROVED BONUSES OF TWO TO SIX THOUSAND DOLLARS WHEN SUBSTITUTES WORK AT LEAST 80 PERCENT OF CLASSROOM DAYS. MONEY FOR THOSE BONUSES WILL COME FROM FEDERAL CORONAVIRUS RELIEF FUNDS.
THE CEDAR RAPIDS KERNELS PLAY THE FIRST OF SIX STRAIGHT ROAD GAMES IN BELOIT TONIGHT. THE SERIES IS SCHEDULE TO INCLUDE THE 100TH GAME OF THE SEASON. THE KERNELS BRING A 53-43 RECORD INTO TONIGHT’S 6:35 MATCHUP.
