DEERE AND COMPANY EARNINGS BEAT ANALYST ESTIMATES. THE
MANUFACTURER MADE $2.11 PER SHARE DURING THE QUARTER WHICH ENDED
EARLIER THIS MONTH. EXPECTATIONS HAD BEEN PEGGED LOWER AT $1.72.
BOTH THE PROFIT EXPECTATIONS AND THE REALITY WERE WELL BELOW THE
NUMBERS FROM THE SAME PERIOD IN 2019 WHEN DEERE MADE $3.52 PER
SHARE. THE COMPANY’S STOCK PRICE LAGGED DURING THE QUARTER, BUT
THAT PERFORMANCE HAS BEEN LARGELY IN-LINE WITH THE DOW JONES
INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE. FOR THE FULL FISCAL YEAR, DEERE PROJECTS A PROFIT
OF BETWEEN 1.6 AND TWO BILLION DOLLARS.
EARLIER THIS WEEK, IOWA GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS GAVE MANY BUSINESSES
THE OPTION TO RE-OPEN. MORE RE-OPENING GUIDELINES ARE EXPECTED NEXT
WEEK. BLACK HAWK COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH DIRECTOR DR. NAFISSA CISSE EGBUONYE
SUGGESTS CAUTION, BUT SAYS HER OFFICE IS THERE TO PROVIDE
ASSISTANCE RESTAURANTS AND BARBER SHOPS BEGAN OPENING
EARLIER IN MAY…MOVIE THEATERS AND MUSEUMS HAVE THE SAME OPTION
TODAY…MANY BARS ARE LIKELY TO BEGIN SERVING AGAIN BEFORE THE END OF
THE MONTH.
ROMIE LETTUCE DISAPPEARED FROM STORE SHELVES FOR A SIGNIFICANT
PERIOD IN 2019. FEDERAL OFFICIALS NOW SAY COWS GRAZING NEAR FIELDS IN
CALIFORNIA’S CENTRAL VALLEY MAY HAVE CAUSED OUTBREAKS OF E. COLI
THAT SICKENED 188 PEOPLE IN THE U.S. AND CANADA. AN FDA REPORT
THURSDAY SUGGESTED THAT CONTAMINATION COULD HAVE HAPPENED
THROUGH WATER RUNOFF, WIND OR WHEN TAINTED SOIL WAS TRACKED TO
THE FARMS BY PEOPLE OR ANIMALS.
A FARM ACCIDENT KILLED A PERSON DRIVING A TRACTOR NEAR THE EASTERN
IOWA AIRPORT ON THURSDAY EVENING. SHORTLY AFTER FIVE O’CLOCK,
EMERGENCY CREWS WERE CALLED TO THE SCENE. THE LINN COUNTY SHERIFF’S
DEPARTMENT SAYS THE FATAL INJURIES WERE CAUSED WHEN A TRACTOR
ATTACHMENT COLLAPSED. THE NAME OF THE VICTIM WAS NOT IMMEDIATELY
AVAILABLE.
WATERLOO FOURTH GRADE TEACHER RYAN CHRISTOPHER SHARED HIS
EXPERIENCES IN ELECTRONIC LEARNING WITH THE REST OF THE STATE
THURSDAY. THE HIGHLAND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL EDUCATOR WAS A GUEST
DURING GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS’ COVID-19 NEWS BRIEFING.
DURING YESTERDAY’S EVENT, REPORTERS AND STATE OFFICIALS ALSO HEARD
FROM WATERLOO WEST FRESHMAN ISIAH MCDONALD ABOUT HIS PERSPECTIVE
ON E-LEARNING. THE FULL NEWS BRIEFING, INCLUDING ALL THE COMMENTS
OF THE WATERLOO PARTICIPANTS, IS A PODCAST AT KXEL.COM.
THE EXPERIENCE AT SECURITY CHECKPOINTS IN IOWA AIRPORTS AND
ELSEWHERE AROUND THE COUNTRY WILL BE CHANGING SOON. BY MID-JUNE,
THE TSA SAYS IT WILL NO LONGER HAVE SCREENERS TOUCH BOARDING PASSES.
PASSENGERS WILL PUT THEIR PASS ON ELECTRONIC READERS THEMSELVES,
AND THEN HOLD IT UP FOR THE SCREENER TO INSPECT. TRANSPORTATION
SECURITY OFFICIALS WILL ALSO BEND RULES ON LIQUIDS…ALLOWING ONE
LARGER BOTTLE OF HAND SANITIZER, UP TO 12 OUNCES, IN CARRY-ON BAGS.
SCREENERS WILL ALSO CHANGE GLOVES AFTER EACH TRAVELER PAT-DOWN.
THE TSA RECENTLY ORDERED ITS EMPLOYEES TO WEAR FACE COVERINGS, BUT
IT’S NOT REQUIRING TRAVELERS TO WEAR MASKS AT THIS TIME.
WATERLOO’S TESTIOWA SITE WILL SHUT DOWN TODAY AND MOVE TO
MARSHALLTOWN. IT IS ONE OF SEVERAL GEOGRAPHIC SHIFTS FOR THE STATE
COVID-19 SCREENING PROGRAM. BLACK HAWK COUNTY SHERIFF TONY
THOMPSON WAS ASKED ABOUT THE CHANGE YESTERDAY. ON
THURSDAY, IOWA GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS SAID TESTIOWA SERVICES
WOULD BE EXPANDED TO ANYONE WHO THINKS THEY SHOULD BE SCREENED.
SOME SENATORS ARE PUSHING NOTED COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES TO HELP
THEMSELVES RECOVER FROM THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC. IOWA’S JONI
ERNST MENTIONED HARVARD AND YALE BY NAME IN DESCRIBING THE
INSTITUTIONS SHE HAD IN MIND FOR THE “USE YOUR ENDOWMENT ACT.”
ERNST POINTED TO BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN INVESTMENTS HELD BY THOSE
SCHOOLS. ERNST IS A CO-SPONSOR OF THE SENATE LEGISLATION
INTRODUCED BY MISSOURI SENATOR JOSH HAWLEY. HEAR MORE FROM
ERNST’S APPEARANCE ON KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL AT KXEL.COM.
FLEXSTEEL’S UNION WORKERS IN DUBUQUE SAY THE COMPANY DID NOT
FOLLOW THROUGH ON PROMISES IT MADE TO THE COMMUNITY. THE
DUBUQUE OPERATION WAS INITIALLY CLOSED DUE TO THE CORONAVIRUS, BUT
THE COMPANY LATER ANNOUNCED THAT THE PLANT WOULD CLOSE
PERMANENTLY. UNION LEADERS CLAIM WORKERS WERE PROMISED
INCENTIVES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXTRA INCOME WHICH NEVER
MATERIALIZED. THE FLEXSTEEL CLOSURE MEANT THE LOSS OF 200 JOBS.
