CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – New data published by the Iowa Department of Public Health showed a spike in alcohol-related deaths in 2020. 836 people died in 2020. That was nearly 75 more than 2019, almost double that of 2011. “The number has been going up over the last decade,” said UI College of Public Health Professor Dr. Paul Gilbert. Dr. Gilbert said stress brought on by the pandemic isolation happened for many. He also said parents of young children were drinking more, and the age gap was narrowing. “Women’s drinking patterns look more and more like men’s,” he said. “We don’t see the traditional gender difference.” Gilbert said he wanted this new data to show the need for more resources, public ad campaigns, or on the state or local level.
SIOUX CITY (KTIV) – More transparency is coming to third-party delivery apps, thanks to a new Iowa law. Those delivery app companies now must come to an agreement with the restaurant before food can be ordered on the app. Before this law went into effect, a delivery app could have customers place orders from a restaurant without the restaurant’s consent, commonly known as pirating. Critics say this “pirating” led to price gouging because some delivery apps were marking up prices inside of their own app without asking the restaurant for the real price of the food. That practice is now outlawed.
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) -Many will celebrate the 4th of July with fireworks but they are already sparking stress for some. ”The noise it sounds like an attack with weapons,” explained Jim Neal, Board President at the Freedom Foundation in Cedar Rapids. The organization helps veterans in the community and while Neal is a Navy veteran himself and isn’t bothered by fireworks, he says several other veterans are. And fireworks aren’t just stressful for people, some pets struggle with them as well. While fireworks are sold in town, it is illegal to shoot them off inside Cedar Rapids city limits. Cedar Rapids Police have received more than 100 calls related to fireworks in recent weeks.
INDEPENDENCE, Iowa (KCRG) – Plans are in the works to build a statue at Independence High School in honor of a fallen state trooper, according to the Mustang Foundation. It’s part of a project to improve the entrance to Leinbaugh Field. It will create a new plaza outside the front entrance. The entryway will feature two memorial sections, one honoring Coach Lyle Leinbaugh and on honoring Sergeant Jim Smith. Sgt. Jim Smith was shot and killed during a standoff last year in Grundy Center. Smith’s hometown is Independence. His funeral was held at the high school. The Smith family donated the funds for the mustang statue to the Independent School District. The statue would go up at the entrance of Leinbaugh Field at the high school. The project is expected to cost $150,000. The district’s school board has already approved $50,000 from a one cent sales tax. But the district will rely on private donations to cover the rest of the cost. Work is set to start next month and finish up in the fall.
