FIRST DISTRICT CONGRESSWOMAN ABBY FINKENAUER IS FRUSTRATED THE LATEST COVID-19 RELIEF PACKAGE HAS STALLED IN NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN THE SENATE AND THE WHITE HOUSE. SHE TALKED TO OUR COVERAGE PARTNERS AT CBS2. FINKENAUER TOLD CBS2 THAT A HOUSE PLAN CONSIDERED OVER THE SUMMER WAS NOT BIPARTISAN ENOUGH TO SATISFY BOTH THE WHITE HOUSE AND SENATE DEMOCRATS. SHE SAW PROGRESS IN MORE RECENT HOUSE EFFORTS BEFORE THIS WEEK’S SETBACK.
SOYBEAN PRICES HAVE BEEN RISING THIS FALL. GRANT KIMBERLY OF THE IOWA SOYBEAN ASSOCIATION WAS A RECENT GUEST DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL. THE HIGHER PRICES COME AS IOWA’S SOYBEAN HARVEST PROGRESSES BRISKLY. WELL OVER HALF OF THE STATES SOYBEANS HAVE BEEN GATHERED, THANKS IN PART TO FAVORABLE WEATHER CONDITIONS.
FOUR CEDAR RAPIDS SCHOOLS DAMAGED BY AUGUST’S DERECHO NOW HAVE REOPENING DATES. STUDENTS AT MCKINLEY ACADAMY, FRANKLIN MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND BOTH JEFFERSON AND WASHINGTON HIGH SCHOOLS ARE LIKELY TO BE BACK IN THEIR BUILDINGS BY NOVEMBER 16TH. STUDENTS FROM THOSE SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN TAKING ONLINE CLASSES. TWO OTHER BUILDINGS WILL NOT REOPEN UNTIL LATER IN THE SCHOOL YEAR.
ONE CURRENT AND ONE FORMER STATE SENATOR ARE EACH SEEKING THE SAME U.S. HOUSE SEAT. ON THURSDAY, REPUBLICAN MARIANNETTE MILLER-MEEKS AND DEMOCRAT RITA HART MET IN A DEBATE HOSTED BY OUR COVERAGE PARTNERS AT TV-9. BOTH CANDIDATES WERE TRYING TO PURSUADE VOTERS IN SOUTHEAST IOWA’S SECOND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT. HEALTH CARE WAS A POINT OF CONTENTION: MILLER-MEEKS CRITICIZED LEGISLATION SHE SAYS HART SUPPORTED IN THE IOWA SENATE. HART RESPONDED THAT MILLER-MEEKS’ POSITION ON FEDERAL HEALTH LEGISLATION WOULD TAKE PATIENTS BACKWARDS. THE SECOND DISTRICT CONGRESSIONAL RACE IS FOR AN OPEN SEAT. INCUMBENT CONGRESSMAN DAVE LOEBSACK IS RETIRING AFTER SEVEN TERMS IN THE HOUSE.
A WELL ON THE EAST SIDE OF WATERLOO COULD BE PUT BACK INTO SERVICE AFTER BEING RETIRED IN 2015. WATER PUMPED FROM THAT LOCATION WOULD BE DIRECTED PRIMARILY TO INDUSTRIAL USERS ON THE NORTHEAST SIDE OF THE COMMUNITY. ACCORDING TO THE WATERLOO WATER WORKS, THE WELL IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING THE EQUIVALENT OF ABOUT ONE THIRD OF WHAT WATERLOO WATER USERS CONSUME IN A TYPICAL DAY.
WOODLAND AREAS IN BENTON COUNTY COULD RECEIVE FEDERAL SUPPORT AFTER THE AUGUST 10TH DERECHO. THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE IS ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR THE EMERGENCY FOREST RESTORATION PROGRAM. THE APPLICATION PROCESS NEEDS TO BE COMPLETED BY DECEMBER 6TH.
TWO PEOPLE INVOLVED IN METHAMPHETAMINE DISTRIBUTION ARE GOING TO PRISON AFTER BEING ARRESTED IN THE MARION HIGH SCHOOL PARKING LOT. FEDERAL OFFICIALS ANNOUNCED THE SENTENCES FOR CHRISTIN CAMPBELL-MARTIN OF AMES AND ADAM LEIVA OF MARSHALLTOWN. THEY WERE CAUGHT DURING THE SPRING OF 2018 WITH APPROXIMATELY TWO POUNDS OF METH. CAMPBELL-MARTIN WILL SERVE OVER 16 YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON, WHILE LEIVA’S SENTENCE IS JUST SHY OF 20 YEARS. THE U.S. ATTORNEY’S OFFICE SAYS BOTH ALREADY HAD LONG CRIMINAL RECORDS BEFORE THEY WERE ARRESTED IN THIS CASE.
RENEWABLE FUELS HAVE BEEN IN FOCUS DURING THE 2020 ELECTION SEASON AND THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. WITH FEWER DRIVERS ON THE ROAD FOR MUCH OF THIS YEAR, THE IMPORTANCE OF BLENDING REQUIREMENTS FOR AG-BASED FUELS HAS GROWN IN PROMINENCE. GRANT KIMBERLY OF THE IOWA SOYBEAN ASSOCIATION IS ALSO EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE IOWA BIODIESEL BOARD AND COMPARED THE DEMAND SITUATION FOR THE SOY-BASED PRODUCT WITH REDUCTIONS IN THE MARKET FOR CORN-BASED ETHANOL. KIMBERLY WAS A RECENT GUEST DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL. HEAR MORE OF HIS COMMENTS AT KXEL.COM.
IOWA SENATOR JONI ERNST WOULD LIKE TO MAKE AN ESSENTIAL COMMODITY EASIER TO GET. ERNST REPORTEDLY IS WORKING ON LEGISLATION TO SUPPORT DIAPER BANKS IN VARIOUS CORNERS OF THE UNITED STATES. SHE SAYS THE EFFORT IS INSPIRED BY NATURAL DISASTERS LIKE IOWA’S AUGUST DERECHO.
