MERCY MEDICAL CENTER IN CEDAR RAPIDS IS SENDING SOME OF ITS WORKFORCE TO THE SIDELINES. APPROXIMATELY SIX PERCENT OF THE HOSPITAL GROUP’S NEARLY 3,500 WORKERS WILL BE FURLOUGHED. MERCY SAYS THE CHANGES ARE NEEDED DUE TO DISRUPTIONS CAUSED BY BOTH COVID-19 AND THE AUGUST 10TH DERECHO. THE ALTERATIONS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO AFFECT CRITICAL CARE OR CORONAVIRUS SERVICES, FOCUSING INSTEAD ON AREAS WHICH HAVE BEEN SEEING LESS-THAN-NORMAL PATIENT TRAFFIC DURING 2020.
TEACHERS AND OTHER EDUCATORS ARE WORKING HARDER THAN EVER DURING THE FIRST MONTH-AND-A-HALF OF THIS SCHOOL YEAR, ACCORDING TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE STATE’S LARGEST TEACHERS UNION. MIKE BERANEK OF THE IOWA STATE EDUCATION ASSOCIATION WAS A GUEST OVER THE WEEKEND DURING KXEL’S IOWA THIS WEEK PROGRAM. BERANEK NOTED THAT COVID-19 PRECAUTIONS VARY WIDELY FROM DISTRICT TO DISTRICT, CREATING SPECIAL CHALLENGES FOR SHARED STAFF AND EDUCATORS WITH WIDE GEOGRAPHIC COMMITMENTS WHO WORK FOR AREA EDUCATION AGENCIES.
CEDAR FALLS AND WATERLOO SCHOOLS WILL BE TALKING ABOUT FINANCES TONIGHT. IN CEDAR FALLS, THE DISTRICT WILL HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING RELATED TO PROPERTY TAX LEVY RATES. WATERLOO’S BOARD OF ED WILL LOOK FOR FUNDS TO COVER SPENDING ON SPECIAL EDUCATION AND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNER PROGRAMS.
SHOOTING IN CEDAR RAPIDS NEAR MIDDAY ON SUNDAY BROUGHT POLICE TO AN APARTMENT BUILDING ON THE CITY’S SOUTHEAST SIDE. WHEN THEY ARRIVED, OFFICIALS FOUND DAMAGE TO THE BUILDING IN THE 1200 BLOCK OF 15TH STREET SOUTHEAST. OTHER EVIDENCE FROM THE INCIDENT WAS ALSO COLLECTED, AND POLICE ARE LOOKING THROUGH AN IMPOUNDED VEHICLE AS THEY GATHER MORE INFORMATION. ARREST DETAILS WERE NOT IMMEDIATELY ANNOUNCED.
WATERLOO COMMUNITY SCHOOLS ARE CONTINUING TO ADD PROGRAMS AVAILABLE AT THE DISTRICT’S CAREER CENTER. THIS MORNING DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL, WATERLOO SCHOOLS SPOKESPERSON TARA THOMAS FOCUSED ON VOCATIONAL EDUCATION. IN ADDITION TO WATERLOO STUDENTS, THE CAREER CENTER’S PROGRAMS ARE ALSO AVAILABLE TO HIGH SCHOOLERS IN SEVERAL NEIGHBORING DISTRICTS. MUCH OF THE CAREER CENTER CURRICULUM WAS CREATED IN COOPERATION WITH HAWKEYE COMMUNITY COLLEGE.
ETHANOL BLENDS AT MANY IOWA GAS STATIONS WERE BELOW TWO DOLLARS A GALLON OVER THE WEEKEND. OVER THE PAST TWO WEEKS, AVERAGE NATIONWIDE REGULAR GRADE PRICES SLID ABOUT A HALF CENT TO $2.25. ACCORDING TO INDUSTRY ANALYSTS, RECENT HURRICANES IN THE GULF ARE NOT LIKELY TO AFFECT SUPPLY ENOUGH TO OFFSET REDUCED DEMAND RELATED TO COVID-19. THE AVERAGE PRICE OF DIESEL FUEL IS $2.50 PER GALLON NATIONALLY.
UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA STUDENTS AND STAFF WILL GATHER AT 7:30 TONIGHT TO REMEMBER ISAAC ROERIG. THE FIRST-YEAR MUSIC STUDENT WAS KILLED IN A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT ON FRIDAY NEAR THE INTERCHANGE BETWEEN HUDSON ROAD AND U.S. 20. ROERIG HAD GRADUATED FROM SIOUX CITY’S BISHOP HEELAN CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL EARLIER THIS YEAR. IN ADDITION TO TONIGHT’S MEMORIAL AT LAWTHER FIELD, UNI OFFICIALS ARE ENCOURAGING STUDENTS TO REACH OUT FOR SUPPORT FROM THE SCHOOL’S COUNSELING CENTER, IF NEEDED.
MAKING 18 VOCATIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS AVAILABLE AT THE WATERLOO CAREER CENTER REQUIRES INPUT FROM CEDAR VALLEY BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY. TARA THOMAS OF THE WATERLOO COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT SPOKE ABOUT THAT THIS MORNING DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL. THE CAREER CENTER’S MISSION IS TO PROVIDE HANDS-ON EXPERIENCES, HELPING STUDENTS DEVELOP A COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE AS THE ENTER THE WORKFORCE. HEAR THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH TARA THOMAS AT KXEL.COM.
HOLIDAY SHOPPING AND PARTY SEASON IS ONLY WEEKS AWAY, AND SOME BUSINESSES ARE WORRIED. MANY RESTAURANTS, EVENT PLANNERS, AND CORPORATE GIFT MANUFACTURERS COULD SEE WEAKER SALES DUE TO CHANGES CAUSED BY THE CORONAVIRUS. REDUCED SEATING CAPACITIES IN RESTAURANTS COULD MEAN THAT CORPORATE CHRISTMAS PARTIES ARE HELD ELSEWHERE OR NOT AT ALL. SOME BUSINESSES ARE OFFERING NEW HOLIDAY-THEMED PRODUCTS OR SERVICES RELATED TO THE CHANGING ENVIRONMENT CAUSED BY COVID-19.
