BLACK HAWK COUNTY SHERIFF TONY THOMPSON SAYS A NURSE WORKING IN THE COUNTY JAIL HAS TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID-19. THE NURSE HAS BEEN QUARENTINED. THOMPSON INDICIATED THAT EMPLOYEE TYPICALLY WORKS OVERNIGHT, WITH MINIMAL INTERACTION WITH JAIL STAFF AND INMATES.
STARTING FRIDAY, IOWA DINE-IN RESTAURANTS COULD BEGIN TO RE-OPEN IN MANY PARTS OF THE STATE. IOWA GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS APPROVED THE STATUS CHANGE FOR 77 COUNTIES THIS WEEK. REYNOLDS ALSO SAYS THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH AND STATE INSPECTORS WILL BE WORKING TO ASSURE THAT SAFETY STANDARDS ARE MET TO PROTECT BOTH CUSTOMERS AND RESTAURANT WORKERS.
CEDAR RAPIDS HAS A CITY BUDGET, BUT UNDER THE CURRENT COVID-19 CIRCUMSTANCES, IT MIGHT ALL JUST BE NUMBERS ON PAPER. THE FINANCIAL BLUEPRINT FOR THE COMING YEAR IN CEDAR RAPIDS OUTLINES $637 MILLION IN SPENDING. CITY OFFICIALS ARE HOPING FOR ADDITIONAL STATE AND FEDERAL RESOURCES TO HELP COVER INCREASED EXPENSES FROM THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC.
SHORT ON TYPICAL VOLUNTEERS, THE NORTHEAST IOWA FOOD BANK IS GETTING HELP FROM THE VOLUNTEER MILITARY. IOWA NATIONAL GUARD MEMBERS BASED IN WATERLOO HAVE BEEN FILLING THE VOID WITH MANY REGULAR VOLUNTEERS STAYING HOME DUE TO THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC. THE SOLDIERS WILL BE PROVIDING THEIR LABOR REPACKAGING AND MOVING LARGE QUANTITIES OF FOOD WELL INTO NEXT MONTH. THE FOOD BANK HAS SEEN A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE USING ITS SERVICES AS UNEMPLOYMENT HAS INCREASED .
PUBLIC HEALTH RESEARCHERS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA ARE SAYING “TAKE IT SLOW.” THEY SUGGESTED THE STATE SHOULD NOT RELAX SOCIAL DISTANCING RULES, WARNING OF A SECOND WAVE OF COVID-19 INFECTIONS. IN A RESEARCH PAPER RELEASED YESTERDAY, THE IOWA PROFESSORS SAID THEY SAW “CONSIDERABLE UNCERTAINTY” REGARDING THE NUMBER OF DEATHS IOWA COULD EXPECT. 77 IOWA COUNTIES WILL TAKE INITIAL STEPS TOWARD NORMALCY THIS WEEKEND AS MANY BUSINESSES WILL HAVE THE OPTION TO RE-OPEN. MUCH OF EASTERN IOWA, INCLUDING BLACK HAWK, LINN, AND JOHNSON COUNTIES WILL REMAIN UNDER MORE RESTRICTIVE GUIDENCE THROUGH MAY 15TH.
IN CEDAR RAPIDS, COMMUNITY LEADERS HAVE FORMALIZED MORE CORONAVIRUS CHANGES FOR ANOTHER COUPLE OF WEEKS. CITY HALL, THE LIBRARY, AND OTHER PUBLIC BUILDINGS WILL STAY CLOSED, ALONG WITH BATHROOMS IN CEDAR RAPIDS PARKS. THE CITY’S BUSSES HAVE BEEN IDLE SINCE LATE MARCH AND WILL STAY PARKED THROUGH MAY 15TH. THE NUMBER OF RIDERS WAS DOWN DRAMATICALLY BEFORE THE SERVICE SUSPENSION. ON THE UP SIDE, CEDAR RAPIDS CITY GOLF COURSES WILL BE BACK OPEN IN THE COMING DAYS, ALTHOUGH SOME POLICY CHANGES WILL BE IN PLACE TO ENCOURAGE SOCIAL DISTANCING.
IN THE WAKE OF JOB LOSSES AND OTHER HARDSHIPS CREATED BY THE COVID19 PANDEMIC, CHARITIES ARE STRETCHED FARTHER THAN EVER. IOWA ATTORNEY GORDON FISCHER TALKED ABOUT THE NEED WHICH IS LEADING TO URGENT FUNDING APPEALS BY SOME NON-PROFITS. FISCHER SUGGESTS GIVING TO ORGANIZATIONS YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH TO ASSURE GIFTS ARE USED PROPERLY AND EFFICIENTLY.
FOR THE SECOND TIME IN A WEEK, AN OVERNIGHT CEDAR RAPIDS SHOOTING IN THE AREA BETWEEN CLEVELAND PARK AND ROOSEVELT MIDDLE SCHOOL HAS INJURED A YOUNG PERSON. CEDAR RAPIDS POLICE SAY THEY WERE CALLED TO THE 1300 BLOCK OF B AVENUE NORTHWEST BEFORE 3 A.M. THE GIRL WHO WAS WOUNDED IN THE INCIDENT HAD A MINOR INJURY. A WEEK EARLIER, 16YEAR-OLD JUDEAH DAWSON WAS SHOT AND KILLED AND JUST BLOCKS AWAY.
EVEN THOUGH SOME PARTS OF IOWA ARE ABOUT TO TAKE THE FIRST STEPS TOWARD REOPENING BUSINESSES, STATE OFFICIALS SAY NOT EVERYONE SHOULD RUSH BACK TO THEIR NORMAL ROUTINE. SARAH REISETTER IS THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH. STARTING FRIDAY, RESTAURANTS IN 77 COUNTIES WILL HAVE THE OPTION TO RE-OPEN AT 50 PERCENT CAPACITY. IOWA CHURCHES WILL ALSO BE ABLE TO HOLD SERVICES, WITH SOCIAL DISTANCING MEASURES IN PLACE.
AN IOWA CITY COMPANY THINKS DRONES – LIKE THE ONES USED FOR SPRAYING ROW CROPS – MIGHT BE THE SOLUTION FOR SANITIZING STADIUMS AND OTHER PLACES WHERE LARGE CROWDS GATHER. RANTIZO HAS BEEN TESTING THE PROCESS. THE COMPANY SAYS IT BEGAN LOOKING INTO THE IDEA AFTER SOME SPORTS LEAGUES EXPRESSED INTEREST.
ALSO IN SPORTS, THE IOWA STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM IS ADDING MEMPHIS TRANSFER TYLER HARRIS. THE 5’ 9” JUNIOR WAS TENNESSEE’S HIGH SCHOOL PLAYER OF THE YEAR IN 2017. HARRIS JOINS THE CYCLONES AFTER PLAYING IN NINE GAMES FOR THE TIGERS LAST SEASON.
