COVID-19 OUTBREAKS HAVE BEEN REPORTED AT FOUR DIFFERENT LONGTERM CARE OR NURSING FACILITIES IN LINN COUNTY ADDING UP TO A TOTAL OF APPROXIMATELY 200 INDIVIDUAL CASES. SPEAKING AT A CORONAVIRUS BRIEFING ON THURSDAY, HEATHER MEADOR OF LINN COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH TALKED ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HEALTH OFFICIALS LONG-TERM CARE PROVIDERS AND SAID IT WAS POSITIVE.
IN DES MOINES, IOWA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY DIRECTOR DEBI DURHAM GAVE AN UPDATE ON THE STATE’S SMALL BUSINESS LOAN PROGRAM. LAST MONTH, STATE GRANTS OF UP TO $25,000 BEGAN TO FLOW TO BUSINESSES FORCED TO CLOSE OR ALTER THEIR OPERATIONS. DURHAM SAYS 2,600 BUSINESSES HAVE RECEIVED A TOTAL OF $50 MILLION SO FAR.
LINDA LAYLIN HOPES TO REMAIN ON THE BLACK HAWK COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS FOR A THIRD TERM. LAYLIN OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED THAT SHE WILL SEEK TO DEFEND HER SEAT BEGINNING NEXT MONTH DURING THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY. THERE WILL BE FIVE DEMOCRATS SEEKING THREE SPOTS ON THE NOVEMBER BALLOT.
A SPIRIT AIRLINES PLANE HAD TO MAKE AN UNEXPECTED LANDING IN DES MOINES EARLY YESTERDAY WHEN A FIGHT BROKE OUT ONBOARD. THE INCIDENT STARTED WHEN SOME PASSENGERS WERE REPORTEDLY BEING LOUD AND OTHERS WERE TRYING TO SLEEP. AFTER BEING GROUNDED FOR TWO HOURS, THE FLIGHT CONTINUED ITS ROUTE FROM LOS ANGELES TO DETROIT.
CEDAR RAPIDS POLICE WERE BUSY DURING THE EARLY HOURS OF TODAY. TWO PEOPLE WERE INJURED IN AN OVERNIGHT SHOOTING AT AN APARTMENT COMPLEX IN THE NORTHEAST QUARTER OF THE CITY. POLICE RESPONDED TO THE CALL FROM THE IMPERIAL APARTMENTS ON 30TH STREET. AROUND THE SAME TIME, CEDAR RAPIDS OFFICERS WERE CHASING THREE TEENS IN A STOLEN VEHICLE. THEY EVENTUALLY HAD TO USE STOP STICKS TO END THE NINE MINUTE PURSUIT. THOSE IN THE SUV RANGED FROM AGE 14 TO 16. NAMES OF THE MINORS WEREN’T RELEASED, BUT CHARGES INCLUDE FELONY THEFT AND ELUDING.
IN WATERLOO, A FUND HAS BEEN CREATED FOR FIRST RESPONDERS AND OTHERS HELPING THE COMMUNITY THROUGH THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC. POLICE, FIRE, AND HEALTH CARE WORKERS WILL ALL BENEFIT FROM THE POOL OF RESOURCES BEING SET ASIDE BY THE WATERLOO COMMUNITY FOUNDATION. ORGANIZERS SAY ANY NEW DONATIONS FOR THE EFFORT WILL BE MATCHED UP TO $5,000. ALL MONEY WILL BE GRANTED TO LOCAL FIRST RESPONDER ORGANIZATIONS. MORE INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE WATERLOO COMMUNITY FOUNDATION WEBSITE.
YOU LIKELY HAVE HEARD STORIES ABOUT COVID-19 PATIENTS WHO HAVE DIED ALONE IN HOSPITALS AND CARE FACILITIES DUE TO CONCERNS THAT CONTACT WITH THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS COULD SPREAD THE DISEASE. WHEN IT COMES TO FORMER SERVICEMEN AND WOMEN AT THE IOWA VETERANS HOME, WATERLOO STATE SENATOR BILL DOTZLER SAYS, SPECIAL PROVISIONS AND PROCEEDURES SHOULD BE PUT IN PLACE. DOTZLER SERVES ON THE IOWA SENATE VETERANS AFFAIRS COMMITTEE. HE WAS A RECENT GUEST ON KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL AND SPOKE ABOUT CORONAVIRUS CASES AT THE VETERANS HOME IN MARSHALLTOWN.
THE IOWA BOARD OF REGENTS GOT THE BAD NEWS IN BLACK-AND-WHITE THURSDAY. IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY EXPECTS THE COST OF COVID-19 TO BE $89 MILLION IN EXPENSES AND MISSED REVENUE. FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA, IT’S $76 MILLION. THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA PROJECTS A $28 MILLION HIT. THAT’S A TOTAL OF $193 MILLION DOLLARS AT THE REGENTS INSTITUTIONS. THE BOARD WILL LOOK FOR ADMINISTRATIVE COST SHARING AND EFFICIENCY OPPORTUNITIES. BUT THERE IS GOOD NEWS FOR STUDENTS: PROPOSED TUITION AND FEES WILL BE HELD STEADY FROM LAST YEAR.
THE FORECAST FOR TODAY AND THE WEEKEND INCLUDES HIGH TEMPERATURES IN THE MID-70S. IT’S GREAT WEATHER FOR GETTING OUTDOORS, BUT THAT’S A CONCERN FOR BLACK HAWK COUNTY SHERIFF TONY THOMPSON IN THE CONTEXT OF COVID-19 SOCIAL DISTANCING REQUIREMENTS. BUSINESS CLOSURES IN BLACK HAWK COUNTY AND 21 OTHERS EXTEND THROUGH MAY 15TH. SOME BUSINESSES IN IOWA’S OTHER 77 OTHER COUNTIES BEGIN TO REOPEN TODAY. BLACK HAWK COUNTY SURGED TO THE TOP OF IOWA’S LIST OF COUNTIES AFFECTED BY THE PANDEMIC DURING APRIL.
THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES IS ENCOURAGING FAMILIES TO “CAMP-IN” DURING THIS FIRET WEEKEND IN MAY. IN LIEU OF VISITING A STATE PARK TO “ROUGH IT” FOR A FEW DAYS, THE DNR SUGGESTS PITCHING A TENT IN THE BACK YARD OR MAKING S’MORES IN THE KITCHEN. FAMILIES CAN SHARE PHOTOS OF THEIR “CAMP IN” EXPERIENCE ON THE DNR’S SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES AND FIND KIDS ACTIVITIES ON THE AGENCY’S WEBSITE.
