IOWA GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS COMMENDED BUSINESSES FOR THEIR EFFORTS DURING THE PERIOD OF TIGHTEST COVID-19 LIMITATIONS EARLIER THIS SPRING. SHE TALKED ABOUT THE SPECIAL EFFORTS BY COMPANIES TO PROTECT BOTH CUSTOMERS AND EMPLOYEES. YOU CAN HEAR MORE OF GOVERNOR REYNOLDS’ FRIDAY KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL INTERVIEW AT KXEL.COM. AS OF SUNDAY, OVER 225 THOUSAND COVID-19 TESTS HAVE BEEN ADMINISTERED IN IOWA WITH TEN-AND-A-HALF PERCENT BEING RETURNED AS POSITIVE.
TWO PEOPLE RECEIVED SERIOUS INJURIES FROM A SATURDAY AFTERNOON CRASH IN LINN COUNTY. THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED WHEN A CAR LEFT A ROADWAY NEAR MOUNT VERNON. THE VEHICLE WENT THROUGH A DITCH AND THEN HIT A UTILITY POLE. 44-YEAR-OLD SHANNON STOUT WAS THE DRIVER. SHE AND A 13-YEAR-OLD FEMALE PASSENGER WERE BOTH TAKEN TO THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA HOSPITAL. THE GIRL WAS TRANSPORTED BY HELICOPTER. INJURIES TO BOTH WERE CHARACTERIZED AS SERIOUS.
A UNIVERSITY OF IOWA FOOTBALL PLAYER WAS HURT IN A WATER-CRAFT ACCIDENT IN MISSOURI OVER THE WEEKEND. DEFENSIVE BACK JACK KOERNER WAS ON A JET SKI THAT COLLIDED WITH A BOAT ON THE LAKE OF THE OZARKS. ACCORDING TO A POLICE REPORT, KOERNER AND ANOTHER PASSENGER BOTH WENT TO THE HOSPITAL AFTER THE INCIDENT, WHICH HAPPENED AROUND 6:30 FRIDAY EVENING. KOERNER’S INJURIES WERE NOT LIFE-THREATENING. THE DES MOINES NATIVE WILL BE A JUNIOR IN THE FALL.
AN INCREASING NUMBER OF BUSINESSES AND OTHER PUBLIC FACILITIES HAVE BEEN RE-OPENING SINCE EARLY MAY. THE STATE CONTINUES TO MOVE THROUGH PHASES OF ITS CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE. ON FRIDAY, IOWA GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS TALKED ABOUT RETURNING TO MORE FAMILIAR CIRCUMSTANCES AS SUMMER BEGINS. REYNOLDS ADDED THAT MORE PEOPLE ARE CONFIDENT RESUMING THEIR ROUTINE ACTIVITIES, AND SHE SAYS THAT IS A POSITIVE SIGN.
CEDAR RAPIDS MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS ARE LOOKING OUT FOR OTHERS IN THE MEDICAL FIELD WHO HAVE BEEN STRETCHED TO THE LIMIT BY COVID-19 STRESSES. OUR COVERAGE PARTNERS AT TV-9 TALKED WITH THERAPIST LINDSEY PIPER OF COVENANT FAMILY SOLUTIONS ABOUT A NEW PROGRAM CALLED “HELPING THE HELPERS: A SUPPORT GROUP FOR MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS”. THE SIX-WEEK “HELPING THE HELPERS” PROGRAM WILL HELP DOCTORS, NURSES, AND OTHER PROFESSIONALS WITH BURNOUT, ANXIETY, AND OTHER CHALLENGES RESULTING FROM WORKING IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE CORONAVIRUS IS A DAILY REALITY.
A DRAKE UNIVERSITY STUDENT WHO WAS ACCIDENTALLY SHOT BY ONE OF THE SCHOOL’S BASKETBALL PLAYERS SAYS A COACH TOLD THE PLAYER TO LIE TO POLICE. THE ALLEGATIONS ARE PART OF A LAWSUIT FILED LAST WEEK BY NATHANIEL MILLER JR. THE UNIVERSITY, BULLDOGS FORWARD TREMELL MURPHY AND THE MANAGERS OF THE PROPERTY WHERE THE SHOOTING HAPPENED IN AUGUST WERE ALL NAMED IN THE SUIT. THE DOCUMENTS SAY AN UNIDENTIFIED COACH SHOWED UP BEFORE OFFICERS ARRIVED AND TOLD MURPHY TO DENY ANY INVOLVEMENT.
ONE OF THE PRIORITIES WHICH THE IOWA HOUSE AND SENATE ADDRESSED DURING THEIR BRIEF RETURN TO DES MOINES WAS LEGISLATION RELATED TO POLICE REFORM AND CONCERNS ABOUT SOCIAL JUSTICE. WATERLOO HOUSE MEMBER RAS SMITH PLAYED A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN CREATING THE RESULTING BILL. ON FRIDAY, IOWA GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS TALKED ABOUT THE FAST TRACK EFFORT AT THE CAPITOL. REYNOLDS SIGNED THE RESULTING LEGISLATION ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON. HEAR MORE FROM THE GOVERNOR AT KXEL.COM.
GAS PRICES CONTINUE TO RISE IN IOWA AND AROUND THE COUNTRY. THE AVERAGE REGULAR-GRADE COST PER GALLON WAS UP 11 CENTS OVER THE PAST TWO WEEKS, TO $2.16 PER GALLON. CRUDE OIL PRICES HAVE ALSO BEEN INCREASING. ACROSS THE COUNTRY, THE AVERAGE PRICE OF DIESEL IS $2.55, THAT’S THE SAME AS IT WAS TWO WEEKS AGO.
PARKING YOUR VEHICLE COULD BECOME A LITTLE EASIER IN CEDAR FALLS. TONIGHT, THE CITY COUNCIL WILL LOOK AT AN IDEA TO BUILD A NEW PARKING RAMP A BLOCK OFF MAIN STREET AT THIRD AND STATE. THE PLAN WOULD ALSO INCLUDE NEW BUSINESS SPACE AND WOULD BE THE LATEST PROJECT FOR A DEVELOPER WHICH HAS PUT UP SEVERAL OTHER BUILDINGS IN THE SAME AREA. THE ESTIMATED COST FOR THE STRUCTURE WOULD BE OVER FIVE-ANDA-HALF MILLION DOLLARS, WITH EXPECTED COMPLETION AS EARLY AS THE END OF 2022. THE RAMP COULD ADD AS MANY AS 100 NEW PARKING SPACES IN DOWNTOWN CEDAR FALLS.
