A FATAL SHOOTING NEAR MARTELLE IN RURAL JONES COUNTY TUESDAY MAY HAVE BEEN AN INSTANCE OF “SUICIDE BY OFFICER.” THE CEDAR RAPIDS GAZETTE SPOKE TO THE FAMILY OF 45-YEAR-OLD JEREMY BERG. SOME RELATIVES SAY THEY BELIEVE BERG REFUSED TO DROP A KNIFE WITH THE INTENT THAT POLICE AND DEPUTIES WOULD SHOOT HIM AS THEY RESPONDED TO AN EMERGENCY CALL. A FIRE IN A FARM OUTBUILDING HAD BROUGHT FIRST RESPONDERS TO THE SCENE. BERG REPORTEDLY HAD ENCOUNTERED PREVIOUS SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES.
THE COVID-19 DELTA VARIANT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ALMOST ALL OF AN INCREASING NUMBER OF RECENT CORONAVIRUS POSITIVES IN IOWA. DURING A THURSDAY NEWS CONFERENCE, GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS TALKED ABOUT THE STATE’S PANDEMIC TRENDS, AND EXPLAINED WHY STATE AND CDC GUIDELINES VARY ON SOME POINTS. REYNOLDS ATTRIBUTED A PORTION OF THE INCREASING CASE COUNT TO THE LEVEL OF TESTING IN THE STATE. OFFICIALS ALSO ANNOUNCED THEY WILL PROVIDE THREE WEEKLY CORONAVIRUS UPDATES MOVING FORWARD, UP FROM ONCE-A-WEEK BRIEFINGS IN RECENT MONTHS.
WATERLOO MAYOR QUENTIN HART AND CEDAR RAPIDS MAYORAL CANDIDATE AMARA ANDREWS HAVE EACH BEEN ENDORSED BY “THE COLLECTIVE” POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE. THE GROUP SAYS ITS GOAL IS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF AFRICAN AMERICANS IN ELECTIVE OFFICE TO A LEVEL THAT IS PROPORTIONAL TO NUMBERS IN THE BROADER POPULATION. HART IS SEEKING HIS FOURTH TERM AS MAYOR OF WATERLOO, WHILE ANDREWS’ CEDAR RAPIDS BID WOULD PUT HER INTO A POLITICAL OFFICE FOR THE FIRST TIME.
INCREASING NUMBERS OF CORONAVIRUS POSITIVE TESTS IN THE STATE CAME AS A NEW SEMESTER BEGAN AT IOWA SCHOOLS. GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS INDICATED SHE BELIEVES THAT IS NOT A COINCIDENCE, PARTICULARLY AS COLLEGE STUDENTS RETURN TO CAMPUS [AUDIO :13]. REYNOLDS’ REMARKS CAME DURING A THURSDAY NEWS CONFERENCE.
LEGISLATIVE DEMOCRATS SAY THE STATE SHOULD GIVE LOCAL AUTHORITIES A FREE HAND TO ADDRESS THE PANDEMIC. IOWA SENATE DEMOCRATIC LEADER ZACH WAHLS OF CORALVILLE. THIS SPRING, THE IOWA LEGISLATURE PROHIBITED CITIES, COUNTIES, AND SCHOOLS FROM IMPLEMENTING FACE-COVERING REQUIREMENTS. THE BILL WAS PASSED ON A PARTY LINE VOTE, PROMPTING WAHLS TO DESCRIBE IT AS A “REPUBLICAN BAN.”
IOWA’S AIR QUALITY WAS COMPROMISED BY SUMMER FIRES HUNDREDS OF MILES AWAY. THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES SAYS DRIFTING SMOKE IN SOME PLACES PUSHED PARTICULATE READINGS TO TWICE THE LEVEL RECOMMENDED BY NATIONAL STANDARDS. WILDFIRES IN THE WESTERN U.S. AND CANADA LED TO THE REDUCED AIR QUALITY, PARTICULARLY IN NORTHWEST IOWA.
THE FORECAST FOR WAPSIPINCON RIVER FLOODING IN ANAMOSA HAS BEEN DOWNGRADED. A CREST OF 17.9 FEET IS EXPECTED EARLY TOMORROW. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CATEGORIZES THAT LEVEL AS A MINOR FLOOD.
AUTHORITIES ARE SEEKING A 44-YEAR-OLD MURDER SUSPECT FOLLOWING A SHOOTING IN CEDAR RAPIDS LAST WEEKEND. A WARRANT WAS ISSUED FOR NESTOR LAGUNES DOMINGUEZ. HE IS CONSIDERED ARMED AND DANGEROUS. DOMINGUEZ ALLEGEDLY SHOT AND KILLED A MAN IN A SOUTHWEST CEDAR RAPIDS PARKING LOT. THE VICTIM WAS LATER IDENTIFIED AS JOSE RAMIREZ LANDIN. DOMINGUEZ IS 5′ 7,″ 180 POUNDS, WITH BLACK HAIR AND BROWN EYES.
CORONAVIRUS TESTS CAN BE DIFFICULT TO FIND IN SOME PLACES. WITH AN INCREASING NUMBER OF CASES COMPOUNDED BY OTHER SEASONAL ILLNESSES WITH SIMILAR SYMPTOMS, MANY PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR TEST-AT-HOME KITS. OUR COVERAGE PARTNERS AT TV-9 SPOKE TO HEATHER MEADOR OF LINN COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH. SOME OFFICIALS ARE CONCERNED PEOPLE MAY BE HOARDING KITS. MEADOR SAID THERE IS NO REASON TO STOCK UP ON TEST SUPPLIES, NOTING THEY ARE AVAILABLE FROM MANY SOURCES.
A WATERLOO PHARMACIST IS LOOKING FOR A SEAT ON THE CITY COUNCIL. ROB NICHOLS SAYS HE HAS FILED ELECTION DOCUMENTS IN A BID TO CLAIM AN AT-LARGE SEAT. NICHOLS WORKS AT GREENWOOD PHARMACY AND IS A GRADUATE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA COLLEGE OF PHARMACY. HE IS SEEKING THE COUNCIL SEAT BEING VACATED BY SHARON JUON AS SHE RETIRES AT THE END OF HER TERM.
THE UNI PANTHER VOLLEYBALL TEAM FACES CHALLENGING OPPONENTS IN A TOURNAMENT THIS WEEKEND. TONIGHT, THE PANTHERS MEET THEIR HOSTS – THE KENTUKY WILDCATS – IN A MATCH YOU CAN HEAR ON KXEL. LIVE COVERAGE FROM THE BLUEGRASS BATTLE BEGINS AT 6:15.
