THE DEATH OF A WATERLOO TYSON EMPLOYEE FROM COVID-19 HAS BEEN CONFIRMED BY THE COMPANY. AXEL KABEYA HAD IMMIGRATED TO IOWA FROM CONGO AND IS AMONG HUNDREDS OF REFUGEES FROM THE COUNTRY MAKING A NEW START IN THE CEDAR VALLEY. KABEYA’S AGE WASN’T AVAILABLE. TYSON HAS SAID THREE OTHER WATERLOO WORKERS HAVE DIED FROM INFECTION, ALL IN THEIR LATE 50’S TO MID 60’S.
IOWA REPUBLICAN LEADER JEFF KAUFMANN CRITIZED A DEMOCRATIC SENATE CANDIDATE AND A SITTING HOUSE MEMBER FOR THE POSITIONS THEY’VE TAKEN REGARDING SEXUAL HARASSMENT ALLEGATIONS AGAINST PRESUMPTIVE DEMOCRATRIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE JOE BIDEN. KAUFMANN COMMENTS APPLIED TO THERESA GREENFIELD AND ABBY FINKENOUR RESPECTIVELY. KAUFMANN IS CHAIRMAN OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY OF IOWA AND WAS A RECENT GUEST DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL.
THE OLD CREAMERY THEATRE IN AMANA IS CALLING OFF ALL PERFORMANCES THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE CALENDAR YEAR. LEADERS CITED THE UNCERTAINTY ABOUT WHEN PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO GATHER FOR THEATER AND OTHER EVENTS AS WELL AS THE NEED TO KEEP ACTORS SAFE FROM THE SPREAD OF CORONAVIRUS DURING PERFORMANCES AND REHEARSALS. THE OLD CREAMERY THEATRE IS A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION. THEY SAY 80 PERCENT OF THEIR REVENUES COME FROM TICKET SALES.
FACEMASKS WILL OFFICIALLY BE MANDATORY AT THE BLACK HAWK COUNTY COURTHOUSE BEGINNING NEXT WEEK. THE ONLY POINT OF DEBATE AMONG THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS YESTERDAY WAS WHETHER THE NEW RULE SHOULD GO INTO EFFECT SOONER. FACEMASK REQUIREMENTS ALSO APPLY TO OTHER BLACK HAWK COUNTY FACILITIES. MOST COUNTY BUILDINGS ARE CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. IT’S NOT CLEAR WHEN THE FACILITIES WILL RE-OPEN.
THE BODY OF A YOUNG MARINE FROM DIKE WHO DIED IN A TRAINING ACCIDENT LATE LAST MONTH IS EXPECTED TO RETURN HOME LATER TODAY. 19-YEAR-OLD TYLER COX DIED IN A TRAINING ACCIDENT AT CAMP LEJEUNE, NORTH CAROLINA, ON APRIL 29TH. A CONVOY OF LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS WILL ESCORT COX’S REMAINS FROM DES MOINES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT BACK TO DIKE AND IS EXPECTED TO ARRIVE AROUND 10 O’CLOCK THIS EVENING. SERVICES FOR THE DIKE-NEW HARTFORD ALUM WILL BE HELD IN THE HIGH SCHOOL AUDITORIUM ON SATURDAY, BUT ATTENDANCE WILL BE TIGHTLY LIMITED DUE TO CORONAVIRUS SOCIAL DISTANCING STANDARDS.
MORE SCHOOL DAYS ARE EXPECTED ON NEXT YEAR’S EDUCATIONAL CALENDAR DUE TO DISRUPTION TO THE FINAL TWO MONTHS OF CLASSES THIS YEAR CAUSED BY COVID-19. YESTERDAY, IOWA GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS WAS ASKED ABOUT FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS EXPECTING ADDED COSTS FROM THOSE EXTRA DAYS. MOST IOWA SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE OFFERING VOLUNTARY ONLINE LEARNING IN LIEU OF IN-PERSON CLASSES, WHICH HAVE NOT BEEN HELD SINCE MID-MARCH.
THE SEARCH CONTINUES FOR THE BODIES OF A WOMAN AND HER STEPFATHER TIED TO A MAN WHO WAS ARRESTED IN BLACK HAWK COUNTY LATE LAST MONTH. NOW 10 THOUSAND DOLLARS IS BEING OFFERED BY OFFICIALS IN ARIZONA FOR INFORMATION IN THE CASE. ELISSA LANDRY AND DAVID BATTEN ARE BELIEVED DEAD. LANDRY’S BOYFRIEND – MITCHELL MINCKS – WAS TAKEN INTO CUSTODY ON APRIL 28TH. THE WOMAN’S VEHICLE IS THOUGHT TO BE SOMEWHERE IN THE CEDAR VALLEY. IT IS A BLUE 2013 SUBARU FORESTER WITH AN ARIZONA LICENSE PLATE. CEDAR VALLEY CRIME STOPPERS IS ACCEPTING TIPS ABOUT THE CASE AT THEIR TOLL-FREE NUMBER: 855-300-TIPS
CLERMONT RESIDENT JASON MASSMAN HAS REACHED A PLEA DEAL WITH OFFICIALS ON FORGERY CHARGES. FAYETTE COUNTY INVESTIGATORS DISCOVERED A LARGE AMOUNT OF DO-IT-YOURSELF DOLLARS PLUS PRINTING EQUIPMENT TIED TO MASSMAN IN AUGUST OF 2019. MASSMAN WILL RECEIVE TWO-TO-FIVE YEARS OF PROBATION.
A FOUR-CAR ACCIDENT ON COLLINS ROAD IN CEDAR RAPIDS TUESDAY LED TO ONE PERSON BEING TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL BY HELICOPTER. THE ACCIDENT SNARLED TRAFFIC NEAR INTERSTATE 380 LATE IN THE AFTERNOON. THE ROAD HAD TO BE CLOSED IN BOTH DIRECTIONS AT ONE POINT.
YOU’VE NO DOUBT SEEN A LOT OF MASKS IN PUBLIC PLACES OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS. MOST OF THOSE MASKS ARE PROBLEMATIC FOR THOSE WITH HEARING DIFFICULTIES, ESPECIALLY IF THEY READ LIPS. GRANT WOOD AEA TEACHER KIM LESTINA SPOKE WITH OUR COVERAGE PARTNERS AT CBS-2. GRANT WOOD AEA IS ASKING FOR THOSE WITH SEWING CAPABILITIES TO CONTRIBUTE SPECIAL MASKS WITH CLEAR VINYL INSERTS OVER THE MOUTH FOR THE FAMILIES OF THOSE HEARING WITH HEARING IMPAIRMENTS.
