A PAIR OF UNRELATED FATAL ACCIDENTS HAPPENED ALMOST SIMULTANEOUSLY JUST AFTER MIDNIGHT SUNDAY MORNING IN CEDAR FALLS AND JESUP. THE CEDAR FALLS ACCIDENT HAPPENED AT THE INTERSECTION OF RIDGEWAY AVENUE AN HUDSON ROAD. CEDAR FALLS POLICY SAY THE DRIVER OF AN SUV WENT THROUGH A STOP SIGN THERE AND COLLIDED WITH A SEMI TRUCK. THE SUV DRIVER’S INJURIES WERE FATAL; THE TRUCK DRIVER WAS NOT HURT.
MINUTES EARLIER NEAR JESUP, A DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF A CAR AND WENT OFF THE ROAD. ACE REAVES – A 9-YEAR-OLD PASSENGER – WAS KILLED. ANOTHER CHILD AND THE 35-YEAR-OLD DRIVER WERE EACH INJURED IN THE CRASH, WHICH IS STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION. THE TWO INCIDENTS HAPPENED JUST DAYS AFTER THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION REPORTED THAT TRAFFIC FATALITIES IN 2020 ARE DOWN BY MORE THAN A THIRD FROM THE SAME POINT LAST YEAR. THE DOT NOTED LATE LAST WEEK THAT IOWA WAS ON PACE FOR THE LOWEST NUMBER OF TRAFFIC DEATHS SINCE THE EARLY DECADES OF THE 20TH CENTURY.
LINN COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH IS THINKING ABOUT SCHOOL RE-OPENINGS. THE DEPARTMENT’S HEATHER MEADOR REMINDED PARENTS AND TEACHERS ABOUT PROPER PRECAUTIONS. GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS SAYS STUDENTS WILL BE EXPECTED TO BE PHYSICALLY PRESENT AT LEAST 50 PERCENT OF THE TIME AS PART OF DISTRICT LEARNING PLANS.
AN EARLY SUNDAY MORNING CONFRONTATION LED TO A FATAL STABBING NEAR CLARANCE. 19-YEAR-OLD CHANTZ STEVENS WAS DEAD WHEN LAW ENFORCEMENT ARRIVED AROUND 3 A-M. 21-YEAR-OLD MILTON SERRANO FACES MURDER AND OTHER CHARGES FROM THE INCIDENT. HE WAS ARRESTED LATER ON SUNDAY. SERRANO IS FROM MUSCATINE; THE VICTIM, STEVENS, IS FROM WILTON. BOTH WERE IN CLARANCE FOR A PARTY; LAW ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITIES HAVE NOT RELEASED ANY ADDITIONAL DETAILS AT THIS TIME.
BRINGING STUDENTS AND TEACHERS BACK TO SCHOOL BUILDINGS THIS FALL WILL BE EXPENSIVE. SCHOOL OFFICIALS ARE NOT OPTIMISTIC THAT FEDERAL MONEY RECEIVED EARLIER THIS YEAR WILL COVER THE COSTS. JOHN SPEER IS CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR FOR THE GRANT WOOD AREA EDUCATION AGENCY. RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION DO NOT REQUIRE STUDENTS OR TEACHERS TO WEAR MASKS WHILE AT SCHOOL. HOWEVER, LOCAL HEALTH OFFICIALS IN LINN COUNTY AND MANY OTHER PLACES ARE RECOMMENDING MASKS IN CLASSROOMS.
ATTORNEYS FROM HUDSON AND OELWEIN ARE UNDER CONSIDERATION TO BE APPOINTED TO A VACANT DISTRICT JUDGE POSITION. MELISSA ANDERSON-SEEBER OF HUDSON AND JOHN SULLIVAN OF OELWEIN ARE THE CANDIDATES GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS IS CONSIDERING. ANDERSON-SEEBER IS A PUBLIC DEFENDER; SULLIVAN WORKS IN PRIVATE PRACTICE. JUDGE GEORGE STIGLER’S RETIREMENT HAS CREATED THE VACANCY.
THE “RETURN TO LEARN” PLANS PRESENTED BY SCHOOL DISTRICTS FOR THE FALL WILL REQUIRE STUDENTS TO BE IN CLASS AT LEAST 50 PERCENT OF THE TIME. ANYTHING LESS THAN THAT WILL REQUIRE A STATE WAIVER. LATE LAST WEEK, HEATHER MEADOR OF LINN COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH SHARED HER DEPARTMENT’S RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SAFELY CONDUCTING CLASSES.
IN-PERSON CLASSES WERE HALTED IN MARCH DUE TO THE SPEAD OF COVID-19. GRANT WOOD AREA EDUCATION AGENCY CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR JOHN SPEER SAYS THAT DISTRICTS NEED AS MUCH INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO THE EFFECTS OF THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC, AND REACTED TO LINN COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH RECOMMENDATIONS. DISTRICTS MAY STILL HAVE SOME ONLINE/OFF-SITE LEARNING AND STAY WITHIN STATE GUIDELINES. HOWEVER, THE 50 PERCENT IN CLASS STANDARD WAS PART OF LEGISLATION PASSED BY THE IOWA GENERAL ASSEMBLY IN ITS ABBREVIATED JUNE SESSION.
IN SPORTS, NATE VANCE IS THIS YEAR’S WATERLOO OPEN AMATUER CHAMPION. THE MARSHALLTOWN NATIVE OUTDISTANCED THE FIELD BY NINE STROKES IN THE THREE-ROUND WEEKEND EVENT. VANCE IS A FORMER HIGH SCHOOL STATE CHAMPION. THE PROFESSIONAL DIVISION OF THE WATERLOO OPEN WAS CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19.
