THERE WERE INEFFICIENCIES IN THE WAY THE CITY OF CEDAR RAPIDS RESPONDED TO THE AUGUST DERECHO. THE STORM CREATED A WIDE RANGE OF NEEDS AS PEOPLE WERE UNABLE TO RETURN TO DAMAGED HOMES OR LEFT WITHOUT POWER. MEANWHILE, MANY WHO WANTED TO HELP WERE NOT ABLE TO DO SO BECAUSE OF LOGISTICAL SNAGS. OUR COVERAGE PARTNERS AT TV9 TALKED TO CEDAR RAPIDS CITY MANAGER JEFF POMERANTZ. THE SPEED AND POWER OF THE AUGUST STORM CAUSED CHALLENGES CREATING A CITY COMMAND CENTER WHICH WOULD USUALLY BE UP AND RUNNING AHEAD OF A MORE PREDICTABLE DISASTER.
A SMALL CHILD WAS HIT BY A VEHICLE IN MARION WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. POLICE THERE SAY THE FOUR-YEAR-OLD STEPPED INTO A STREET IN THE NORTHEAST PART OF THE COMMUNITY. THE CHILD WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL WITH INJURIES.
FIRST RESPONDERS IN WATERLOO SAY A COOKING FIRE CHASED RESIDENTS OUT OF AN APARTMENT BUILDING WEDNESDAY NIGHT. FIRE CREWS WERE ON THE SCENE IN A COMPLEX NEAR HAWKEYE COMMUNITY COLLEGE AFTER 8 P.M. DAMAGE WAS LIMITED TO THE UNIT WHERE THE FIRE STARTED. EVERYONE WHO LEFT THE BUILDING WAS ABLE TO DO SO SAFELY.
THE CITY OF DES MOINES AND OTHER COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY MAY HAVE HAD DATA COMPROMISED. PLANO, TEXAS-BASED TYLER TECHNOLOGIES TOLD CUSTOMERS THAT IT DISCOVERED AN ELECTRONIC BREACH WEDNESDAY MORNING. TYLER TECHNOLOGIES IS A MAJOR PROVIDER OF SOFTWARE SERVICES TO LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ACROSS THE UNITED STATES, INCLUDING THE CITY OF DES MOINES.
THE LATEST ROUND OF LEGAL DISPUTES OVER VOTING RULES IN IOWA COULD SEE DEVELOPMENTS TOMORROW. A STATE COURT JUDGE PLANS TO DELIVER HIS OPINION ON WHETHER TO HALT ENFORCEMENT OF A NEW IOWA LAW. THAT RULE PROHIBITS LOCAL ELECTION OFFICIALS FROM USING DETAILS IN THE VOTER REGISTRATION DATABASE TO FILL IN MISSING INFORMATION ON A VOTER’S ABSENTEE BALLOT REQUEST FORM. THE LAW WAS PASSED THIS SUMMER AND HAS BEEN CHALLENGED IN COURT BY TWO LATINO ADVOCACY GROUPS. SUPPORTERS SAY IT’S A VOTER FRAUD PROTECTION MEASURE. THE LEAGUE OF UNITED LATIN AMERICAN CITIZENS AND MAJORITY FORWARD ARGUE THAT IT’S AN UNFAIR BURDEN AND UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
WHILE COURTS WORK THROUGH RULES DEFINING THE ABSENTEE BALLOTING PROCESS, SECRETARY OF STATE PAUL PATE IS TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT IN-PERSON VOTING IS SAFE FOR THOSE ON ALL SIDES OF THE PROCESS. THE 2020 ELECTION IS OFFICIALLY ON NOVEMBER 3RD, BUT ABSENTEE BALLOTS WILL BE MAILED OCTOBER 5TH, AND IN-PERSON EARLY VOTING CAN BEGIN AT COUNTY ELECTION OFFICES AND OTHER DESIGNATED SATELLITE LOCATIONS AS SOON AS THAT DAY.
A FIERY CRASH ON INTERSTATE 380 JUST SOUTH OF CEDAR RAPIDS TEMPORARILY CLOSED THE HIGHWAY BEFORE DAWN. THE TRUCK INVOLVED IN THE ACCIDENT TURNED OVER AND CAUGHT FIRE, WHICH ALSO LED SAFETY OFFICIALS TO CLOSE THE WALFORD ROAD BRIDGE OVER THE INTERSTATE. THE ROADWAYS WERE BACK OPEN BY AROUND 4:30. THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED AT APPROXIMATELY 2 O’CLOCK.
ASIDE FROM COVID-19, THERE ARE A VARIETY OF OTHER SITUATIONS WHICH CAN MAKE IT HARD FOR VOTERS TO GET TO THE POLLS. SECRETARY OF STATE PAUL PATE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR VOTING IN IOWA. PATE TALKED ABOUT ACCESSIBILITY AT VOTING SITES. PATE SAYS STATE AND LOCAL OFFICIALS HAVE BEEN REVIEWING VOTING EQUIPMENT AND POLLING PLACES TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE FUNCTIONAL FOR ALL. IOWA HAS EVEN OFFERED CURBSIDE VOTING IN PREVIOUS ELECTIONS.
IN NEIGHBORING WISCONSIN YESTERDAY, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE MIKE POMPEO WARNED THAT CHINA MAY BE AGGRESSIVELY ATTEMPTING TO INFLUENCE STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS. POMPEO DELIVERED HIS ASSESSMENT TO WISCONSIN’S REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS DURING A SPEECH IN THE STATE CAPITOL THERE. THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION HAS HAD A ROCKY RELATIONSHIP WITH CHINA, AND THE DIFFICULTIES HAVE BEEN AMPLIFIED BY THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. EARLIER THIS MONTH U.S. AMBASSADOR TO CHINA (AND FORMER IOWA GOVERNOR) TERRY BRANSTAD RESIGNED FROM HIS ROLE IN BEIJING.
THE IOWA ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE DIVISION CITED TWO WATERLOO ESTABLISHMENTS AND ANOTHER IN IOWA CITY FOR NOT FOLLOWING STATE COVID-19 ORDERS EARLIER THIS MONTH. EDO’S SPORTS BAR AND THE KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS LODGE IN WATERLOO ARE BOTH ACCUSED OF VIOLATING THE EMERGENCY PROCLAMATION, AS IS BO-JAMES IN IOWA CITY. GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS PUT SPECIAL REGULATIONS IN PLACE FOR BLACK HAWK, JOHNSON, AND FOUR OTHER COUNTIES ON AUGUST 27TH.
