THE LINN COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE SAYS A POSITIVE COVID-19 CASE WAS DISCOVERED IN A MAN HELD IN LINN COUNTY JAIL. IN A STATEMENT, THE DEPARTMENT SAID A MAN WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL ON WEDNESDAY FOR AN UNRELATED CONDITION. THE VIRUS WAS DISCOVERED DURING TESTING. THE UNNAMED INMATE IS BACK IN LINN COUNTY JAIL IN ISOLATION. HE HAS NOT SHOWN ANY SYMPTOMS OF COVID-19 RELATED ILLNESS SINCE HIS INITIAL ARRIVAL BACK ON JULY 15TH. THE SHERIFFS OFFICE SAYS OTHER INMATES WITH POTENTIAL EXPOSURE HAVE ALSO BEEN ISOLATED.
HUDSON LAND DEVELOPER HAROLD YOUNGBLUT INTRODUCED HIMSELF TO KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL LISTENERS RECENTLY. YOUNGBLUT IS THE REPUBLICAN NOMINEE FOR THIS NOVEMBER’S ELECTION IN IOWA SENATE DISTRICT 30, WHICH COVERS WESTERN PORTIONS OF BLACK HAWK COUNTY. HE TALKED ABOUT WHAT BROUGHT HIM INTO THE RACE. IOWA SENATE DISTRICT 30 INCLUDES HUDSON, CEDAR FALLS, AND PARTS OF WATERLOO. MORE OF YOUNGBLUT’S COMMENTS ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN ARE AVAILABLE AT KXEL.COM.
TWO CEDAR FALLS ARTS ORGANIZATIONS ANNOUNCED GRANTS FROM THE IOWA ARTS COUNCIL ON THURSDAY. UNI’S GALLAGHER BLUEDORN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER WILL RECEIVE $10 THOUSAND TO SUPPORT A LONG-RUNNING SERIES OF THEATER PERFORMANCES FOR CHILDREN. THE KALEIDOSCOPE SERIES BEGAN IN 2000. MEANWHILE, THE HEARST CENTER IS CLAIMING A $37 HUNDRED AWARD RELATED TO LIFELONG ARTS PARTICIPATION.
THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA WILL MISS OUT ON OVER SIX MILLION DOLLARS THIS YEAR AS THE RESULT OF HAVING FEWER STUDENTS ON CAMPUS AND DUE TO HAVING LESS SUPPORT FROM THE STATE. THAT IS THE LATEST ESTIMATE, AND PROJECTIONS FOR IOWA AND IOWA STATE ARE HIGHER. UNI PRESIDENT MARK NOOK’S SALARY WILL BE REDUCED BY MORE THAN $42 THOUSAND, WHILE THE SCHOOLS VICE PRESIDENTS WILL SEE THEIR COMPENSATION CUT BY FIVE PERCENT. UNI ATHLETICS HAS ALSO ANNOUNCED PAY REDUCTIONS FOR MOST COACHES AND STAFF. THE IOWA BOARD OF REGENTS WILL LOOK AT UPDATED BUDGET PLANS FROM UNI, IOWA, AND ISU DURING A VIRTUAL MEETING NEXT WEDNESDAY.
A CLAYTON COUNTY COMPANY IS DEVELOPING AGRICULTURAL DRONES WHICH CAN SEED COVER CROPS FROM THE SKY. THIS MORNING, TOM LEITGEN WAS A GUEST DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL. LEITGEN FOUNDED AEROSEEDER, AND SAYS IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THE MIDWEST CONTINUES TO LEAD IN TECHNOLOGY RELATED TO AGRICULTURE. LEITGEN SAYS AN AEROSEEDER DRONE CAN SOW ABOUT 100 ACRES WITH COVER CROP SEED IN EIGHT HOURS AND OPERATORS NEED ONLY MINIMAL TRAINING. THE COMPANY RECENTLY RECEIVED AN INNOVATION GRANT FROM THE IOWA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY.
WATCH OUT FOR SPEEDERS THIS WEEKEND. IN BUCHANAN COUNTY, THE SAME DUPUTY PULLED OVER VEHICLES CLOCKED AT OVER 100 MILES PER HOUR ON HIGHWAY 20 TWICE IN THE SAME SHIFT. THE TOTAL FINES FROM THE TWO CITATIONS ADDED UP TO NEARLY $800.
PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIALS FROM ACROSS IOWA WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE MASKS. IN A STATEMENT RELEASED THURSDAY, THE IOWA PUBLIC HEALTH ASSOCIATION ARGUED FOR A STATEWIDE MASK MANDATE. IN LIEU OF THAT, THE GROUP SAYS LOCAL OFFICIALS SHOULD HAVE THE POWER TO ENFORCE THEIR OWN MASK ORDERS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. THE STATEMENT WENT ON TO SAY SCHOOL DISTRICTS SHOULD HAVE MORE FLEXIBILITY IN THEIR RETURN TO LEARN PLANS, WHICH MIGHT INCLUDE MORE ONLINE LEARNING THAN IN-PERSON CLASSES. SOME SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS HAVE MADE SIMILAR CALLS, SAYING GUIDELINES FROM THE STATE OF IOWA DON’T MATCH THE SITUATION IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.
IOWA SENATE CANDIDATE HAROLD YOUNGBLUT IS THE REPUBLICAN NOMINEE IN DISTRICT 30. THAT’S CEDAR FALLS, HUDSON, AND PART OF WATERLOO. HE TALKED ABOUT THE POLITICAL BALANCE IN THE DISTRICT RECENTLY DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL. YOUNGBLUT IS RUNNING AGAINST ERIC GIDDENS, WHO TOOK OVER THE SEAT LAST YEAR WHEN LONGTIME PREDECESSOR JEFF DANIELSON RESIGNED TO TAKE A DIFFERENT JOB OUTSIDE THE DISTRICT. BOTH GIDDENS AND DANIELSON ARE DEMOCRATS.
GRAFFITII AT CEDAR RAPIDS’ CITY HALL CAME DOWN ON THURSDAY. THE MESSAGES ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE BUILDING WERE RELATED TO RECENT PROTESTS AFTER THE DEATH OF GEORGE FLOYD IN MINNEAPOLIS WHILE IN POLICE CUSTODY. CEDAR RAPIDS FIREFIGHTERS WERE ABLE TO USE THEIR EQUIPMENT TO CLEAN UP THE MESSAGES. A GROUP REPRESENTING CEDAR RAPIDS DEMONSTRATORS HAS BEEN NEGOTIATING LOCAL REFORMS WITH CITY LEADERS THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER.
