THE IOWA OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION CLOSED ITS INVESTIGATION INTO WATERLOO’S TYSON PORK PLANT WITHOUT NOTING ANY VIOLATIONS BY THE COMPANY. DURING MARCH AND APRIL, COUNTY OFFICIALS AND WORKERS ALLEGED THAT EMPLOYEES DID NOT HAVE ADEQUATE PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT TO STOP THE SPREAD OF COVID-19 AND WERE NOT SOCIAL DISTANCING. THE COMPANY TOOK NUMEROUS SAFETY STEPS SINCE THEN. BLACK HAWK COUNTY HAS SAID MORE THAN 1,000 OF THE WATERLOO PLANT’S 2,800 WORKERS HAD TESTED POSITIVE FOR THE VIRUS, OR ANTIBODIES, BY EARLY MAY. AT LEAST FIVE OF BLACK HAWK COUNTY’S FIRST 56 CORONAVIRUS DEATHS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH TYSON WORKERS
THE REPERCUSSIONS OF THE PANDEMIC ARE CHANGING THE SCHEDULE FOR SOME CAPITAL PROJECTS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA. UNI PRESIDENT MARK NOOK RECENTLY TALKED ABOUT THE ALTERED TIMELINES DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL. UNI PLANS TO RESUME IN-PERSON CLASSES AT THE START OF THE FALL SEMESTER ON AUGUST 17TH.
IOWA’S TWO LARGEST COLLEGE TOWNS ARE SEEING INCREASED COVID-19 CASES AMONG YOUNG ADULTS. THE TREND IS PROMPTING SOME IOWA CITY AND AMES BUSINESSES TO CLOSE AGAIN. MANY BUSINESS OWNERS IN IOWA WELCOMED THE EASING OF RESTRICTIONS IMPOSED OVER THE SPRING TO SLOW THE SPREAD OF THE CORONAVIRUS. IOWA’S PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY PROCLAMATION IS SCHEDULED TO END AT MIDNIGHT THURSDAY.
CALLS TO DE-FUND POLICE DEPARTMENTS CARRIED NO SWAY WITH IOWA LAWMAKERS. THAT’S WHAT STATE REPRESENTATIVE SANDY SALMON OF JANESVILLE SAID THIS MORNING DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL. DURING THE CLOSING DAYS OF THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION THIS MONTH, THE STATE BANNED THE USE OF CHOKE HOLDS AND TOOK STEPS TO PREVENT LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES FROM HIRING OFFICERS WITH TROUBLED WORK HISTORIES. SALMON SAYS THOSE AND OTHER CHANGES WERE SUPPORTED BY POLICE GROUPS.
A MAN CONVICTED OF BUCHANAN AND DELAWARE COUNTY CRIMES, AND SERVING TIME AT THE FORT DODGE CORRECTIONAL FACILITY, HAS NOW BEEN CHARGED WITH KILLING A FELLOW INMATE. ERIC TODD HALL FACES A COUNT OF FIRST DEGREE MURDER IN THE JUNE 14TH PRISON STRANGULATION. HALL WAS ALLEGEDLY IN THE VICTIM’S CELL IN THE TIME BEFORE THE BODY WAS DISCOVERED AND REPORTEDLY ADMITTED TO THE KILLING. THE 44-YEAR-OLD WAS ORIGINALLY SENT TO FORT DODGE FOR SEVERAL BUSINESS ROBBERIES DURING LATE 2018.
WINNEBAGO INDUSTRIES SWUNG FROM A PROFIT LAST YEAR INTO THE RED DURING ITS MOST RECENT FISCAL QUARTER. THE RESULTS ANNOUNCED THIS MORNING INCLUDED A LOSS OF 37 CENTS PER SHARE OR 12.4 MILLION DOLLARS. THAT FIGURE WAS ACTUALLY BETTER THAN ANALYST ESTIMATES. THE MAKER OF RECREATIONAL VEHICLES IS BASED IN FOREST CITY STOPPED PRODUCTION FOR SEVERAL WEEKS THIS SPRING DUE TO THE CORONAVIRUS.
EARLIER THIS MONTH, THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA ANNOUNCED AN ALTERED SEMESTER SCHEDULE AND SOME CHANGES TO HOW IT WILL CONDUCT CLASSES. SCHOOL PRESIDENT MARK NOOK SAYS THOSE OBVIOUS CHANGES COME WHILE UNI IS WORKING ON THE FLY TO MAKE SURE ALL ITS BASES ARE COVERED. AS A RESULT, NOOK SAYS SOME RESIDENCE HALL IMPROVEMENTS ARE ON HOLD. HEAR MORE FROM NOOK IN THE PODCAST SECTION AT KXEL.COM
A FORMER MEMBER OF THE IOWA HOUSE FROM MARION IS LEAVING THE STATE. NICK WAGNER SERVED TWO TERMS IN DES MOINES AND IS A FORMER MARION CITY COUNCIL MEMBER. MORE RECENTLY, HE HAS BEEN ON THE IOWA UTILITIES BOARD SINCE 2013. WAGNER WILL RESIGN THAT POST AND BECOME A VICE PRESIDENT WITH BLACK HILLS ENERGY IN COLORADO NEXT MO.
THE SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION PROGRAM AT THE WATERLOO CAREER CENTER HAS RECEIVED A 23 THOUSAND DOLLAR GRANT. THE FUNDS WILL GIVE STUDENTS THE CHANCE TO PUT THEIR SKILLS TO USE BUILDING OUTBUILDINGS FOR LOW-INCOME FAMILIES. THE MONEY COMES FROM CARDINAL CONST. THROUGH THE MASTER BUILDERS OF IOWA ENDOWMENT PROGRAM.
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS GIVING $840,000 TO IOWA AND 11 OTHER STATES SEEKING WAYS TO REDUCE THE SIZE OF THE OXYGEN-STARVED “DEAD ZONE” THAT FORMS EVERY YEAR OFF LOUISIANA. THE GULF OF MEXICO HYPOXIA TASK FORCE WAS CREATED IN FALL 1997. THE AREA WHERE THERE’S TOO LITTLE OXYGEN TO SUSTAIN MARINE LIFE HAS REMAINED ABOUT THE SAME IN THAT TIME.
