MICHAEL JENSEN, THE MAN WHO WALKED AWAY FROM RAVENWOOD SPECIALTY CARE MONDAY, WAS FOUND IN A WATER-FILLED DITCH OFF SAN MARNAN ROAD IN WATERLOO FRIDAY MORNING. HE WAS HOSPITALIZED IN SERIOUS CONDITION AS OF FRIDAY AFTERNOON. JENSEN IS A FORMER COLLEGE PROFESSOR WHO NOW SUFFERS FROM DEMENTIA FOLLOWING A BRAIN TUMOR. SEARCH PARTIES HAD COMBED AREAS OF THE CEDAR VALLEY IN THE SEARCH FOR JENSEN THIS WEEK.
CHAINSAWS WERE PART OF THE THURSDAY EVENING AMBIANCE IN MANY
EASTERN IOWA COMMUNITIES. LARGE LIMBS – AND IN SOME CASES WHOLE
TREES – CAME DOWN DURING STORMS WHICH STARTED YESTERDAY
AFTERNOON. TWO-AND-A-HALF TO THREE INCHES OF RAIN WERE BLOWN INTO
THE CEDAR VALLEY ON WINDS OF UP TO 70 MILES PER HOUR. THE NATIONAL
WEATHER SERVICE HAD REPORTS OF CROP AND PROPERTY DAMAGE IN
ADDITION TO THE DOWNED TREES. AS OF THIS MORNING ALLIANT AND MIDAMERICAN ENERGY REPORTED THE POWER HAS BEEN RESTORED TO NEARLY
ALL AFTER OUTAGES INITIALLY COUNTED IN THE TENS OF THOUSANDS
YESTERDAY.
POLICE IN IOWA CITY HAVE ARRESTED A MAN ACCUSED IN A THURSDAY
MORNING ASSAULT. THE INCIDENT ALSO REPORTEDLY INCLUDED RACIAL
SLURS. IT HAPPENED AROUND 3 A.M. YESTERDAY AT CROSS PARK PLACE, A
BUILDING WHICH HOUSES PEOPLE EXPERIENCING CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS.
POLICE WERE TOLD AN INTOXICATED RESIDENT WAS REFUSING TO LEAVE THE
LOBBY AND WAS BEING “VERBALLY ABUSIVE AND RACIST” TOWARD AN
EMPLOYEE. RESPONDING OFFICERS ALLEGEDLY FOUND 68-YEAR-OLD RONAL
RAREY ASSAULTING THE WOMAN WHILE ARMED WITH A KNIFE. HE WAS
TAKEN INTO CUSTODY.
THOSE HOPING TO FLY IN AND OUT OF WATERLOO ON WEEKENDS HAVE MORE
OPTIONS. WATERLOO REGIONAL AIRPORT DIRECTOR OF AVIATION KEITH
KASPARI CREDITS AMERICAN AIRLINES WITH GOING BEYOND ITS MINIMUM
SERVICE REQUIREMENTS. AFTER CUTTING BACK ON FLIGHTS DUE
TO COVID-19, AMERICAN AIRLINES RETURNED TO A FULL SCHEDULE THIS WEEK.
HEAR MORE FROM KASPARI AT KXEL.COM.
THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE HAS RECEIVED A FORMAL COMPLAINT
THAT MEAT PROCESSORS TYSON AND JBS ENGAGED IN RACIAL
DISCRIMINATION DURING THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC. DOCUMENTS FILED
WEDNESDAY ALLEGE THE COMPANIES HAVEN’T IMPLEMENTED APPROPRIATE
SOCIAL DISTANCING ON PRODUCTION LINES OR SLOWED PRODUCTION SPEEDS.
WORKER ADVOCATES NOTE HISPANIC, BLACK AND ASIAN WORKERS HAVE
SUFFERED AT HIGHER RATES. TYSON AND JBS MAY BE SUBJECT TO GREATER
CIVIL RIGHTS SCRUTINY AS THE RECIPIENTS OF MORE THAN $150 MILLION
DOLLARS IN FEDERAL AID FROM USDA.
TRAVEL NEVER COMPLETELY STOPPED DURING THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC,
BUT IT DID SLOW DRAMATICALLY. NOW MORE PASSENGERS ARE TAKING TO
THE SKIES AS AIR SERVICE STARTS TO RETURN TO REGULAR SCHEDULES.
WATERLOO REGIONAL AIRPORT AVIATION DIRECTOR KEITH KASPARI WAS A
RECENT GUEST ON KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL AND TALKED ABOUT AMERICAN
AIRLINES OFFERING MORE OPTIONS FOR CEDAR VALLEY FLIGHTS.
KASPARI SAYS THE AIRPORT AND AMERICAN AIRLINES HAVE TAKEN A
THOROUGH APPROACH TO CLEANING SURFACES AND THE AIR SUPPLY DURING
FLIGHTS
THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES SAYS 96 PERCENT OF PEOPLE
WHO RECEIVE THEIR WATER FROM A PUBLIC ENTITY ARE GETTING WATER THAT
COMPLIES WITH ALL HEALTH STANDARDS. THE DNR RELEASED ITS ANNUAL
DRINKING WATER REPORT YESTERDAY. THE STATE HAS OVER 18 HUNDRED
PUBLIC WATER SUPPLIERS.
THE TEST IOWA PROGRAM IS MEETING ITS ORIGINAL GOALS. MORE THAN
THREE THOUSAND PEOPLE PER DAY ARE BEING TESTED FOR CORONAVIRUS
THROUGH THE PROGRAM AT SITES THROUGHOUT THE STATE. THAT NUMBER
WAS THE TARGET WHEN TEST IOWA WAS INTRODUCED IN APRIL. MORE THAN
ONE QUARTER OF COVID-19 SCREENINGS IN THE STATE HAVE BEEN PROCESSED
THROUGH TEST IOWA, WHICH COMPLETED ITS 100 THOUSANDTH TEST THIS
WEEK. YESTERDAY, GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS NOTED THAT THE PROGRAM
HAS ALSO PROVIDED MUCH-NEEDED DATA ABOUT CORONAVIRUS SPREAD, IN
ADDITION TO TESTING CAPACITY.
COURTS IN IOWA HAVE A ROAD MAP FOR REOPENING. JURY TRIALS WILL
RESUME IN MID-SEPTEMBER, BUT OTHER PROCEEDINGS ARE EXPECTED TO
BEGIN A MONTH EARLIER. THIS WEEK, THE IOWA SUPREME COURT PROVIDED
GUIDANCE ON A WIDE RANGE OF ISSUES TO BE CONSIDERED BEFORE LOCAL
COURTROOMS ARE REOPENED TO LITIGANTS AND COURT OFFICERS.
EVERYTHING FROM THE TYPE OF FACE COVERINGS WHICH SHOULD BE USED TO
CLEANING PROCEDURES WERE CONSIDERED. STATE, NATIONAL, AND
ACADEMIC PUBLIC HEALTH EXPERTS ALL CONTRIBUTED TO IOWA’S COURT REOPENING PLAN.
THE WATERLOO OPEN GOLF TOURNAMENT WILL BEGIN ONE WEEK FROM
TODAY. WATERLOO MUNICIPAL GOLF COURSE MANAGER J.B. BOLGER TALKED
ABOUT MODIFICATIONS. OVER 130 AMATEURS HAVE ALREADY
SIGNED UP WITH REGISTRATION CONTINUING THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK.
BOLGER WAS A GUEST TODAY DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL.
