A CHURCH LOCATED BETWEEN GLADBROOK AND GREEN MOUNTAIN WAS DESTROYED BY FIRE ON MONDAY EVENING. IN WINDY CONDITIONS, THICK BLACK SMOKE FROM CHAPEL UNITED METHODIST CHURCH WAS BLOWN OVER SURROUNDING FARM FIELDS. CREWS FROM SEVERAL NEARBY COMMUNITIES RESPONDED TO THE RURAL FIRE SCENE. INITIAL INDICATIONS SUGGEST THAT CHEMICALS BEING USED TO CONTROL PESTS CONTRIBUTED TO THE FIRE’S INITIAL IGNITION.
THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTHEN IOWA COMMUNITY GATHERED TO REMEMBER A FRESHMAN KILLED IN AN OFF-CAMPUS ACCIDENT LATE LAST WEEK. ISAAC ROERIG WAS IN HIS FIRST SEMESTER IN CEDAR FALLS. THE MUSIC STUDENT MADE AN IMPRESSION DURING HIS SHORT TIME WITH THE UNI PANTHER MARCHING BAND. OUR COVERAGE PARTNERS AT TV-9 SPOKE WITH BAND DIRECTOR JUSTIN MERTZ. ROERIG’S FAMILY WAS IN ATTENDANCE FROM SIOUX CITY AND MEMBERS OF THE PANTHER BAND PERFORMED DURING LAST NIGHT’S MEMORIAL. ROERIG’S WAS STRUCK BY TRAFFIC WHILE OUTSIDE OF HIS VEHICLE WHICH WAS ON THE SHOULDER NEAR THE INTERCHANGE BETWEEN HUDSON ROAD AND U.S. 20.
IOWA CASINOS RECEIVED A BOOST LAST MONTH. WITH ALL OF THE MAJOR SPORTS LEAGUES IN ACTION, PLUS SOME COLLEGE GAMES, SEPTEMBER WAS THE BIGGEST MONTH YET FOR LEGAL SPORTS WAGERING IN THE STATE. OVER 72 MILLION DOLLARS WAS PUT ON THE LINE ATTEMPTING TO PICK THE WINNERS. MORE THAN TWO-THIRDS OF THAT MONEY WAS WAGERED THROUGH MOBILE APPS. OVERALL, IOWA CASINO WAGERING WAS DOWN DURING THE THIRD QUARTER, COMPARED TO 2019.
IOWA SENATOR CHUCK GRASSLEY IS A MEMBER OF THE SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE. THAT BODY IS IN FOCUS AS IT WEIGHS THE NOMINATION OF SUPREME COURT JUSTICE AMY CONEY BARRETT. DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL, GRASSLEY CAUTIONED DEMOCRATS ABOUT ANY NOTIONS OF PACKING THE COURT WITH ADDITIONAL JUSTICES IF JOE BIDEN IS ELECTED NEXT MONTH. ARTICLE THREE OF THE CONSTITUTION DEFINES THE ROLE OF FEDERAL COURTS BUT DOES NOT STIPULATE THE NUMBER OF JUSTICES WHO MAKE UP THE SUPREME COURT.
LAST MONTH, A NON-PROFIT GROUP DISTRIBUTING HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS CONTRIBUTED BY FACEBOOK FOUNDER MARK ZUCKERBERG MADE A GRANT TO THE BLACK HAWK COUNTY AUDITOR’S OFFICE TO DEFRAY ELECTION EXPENSES. NOW THE AUDITOR’S OFFICE IS BEING SUED FOR ACCEPTING THE MONEY. A GROUP CALLED THE IOWA VOTERS ALLIANCE FILED THE SUIT IN FEDERAL COURT. AFFILIATED ENTITES HAVE ALSO INITIATED LEGAL ACTIONS IN OTHER STATES WHERE THE MONEY WAS DISTRIBUTED. BLACK HAWK COUNTY OFFICIALS ARE NOT COMMENTING ON THE SUIT.
POLICE ARE INVESTIGATING SHOOTING REPORTS IN WATERLOO. HOUSES WERE HIT BY BULLETS FIRED IN SEPARATE INCIDENTS. THE FIRST CALL TO POLICE WAS MADE ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND RELATED TO AN ADDRESS IN THE 1100 BLOCK OF LEAVITT STREET. THE SECOND INCIDENT WAS IN THE EARLY HOURS OF MONDAY MORNING, WHEN A BULLET HIT A PIECE OF FURNITURE INSIDE A HOUSE IN THE 600 BLOCK OF COLUMBIA STREET. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED IN EITHER SITUATION.
WATER OFFICIALS IN WATERLOO HAVE PROVIDED AN UPDATE ON AN EFFORT TO BRING AN EAST SIDE WELL BACK ONLINE. THE CITY STOPPED DRAWING WATER FROM THE WELL IN 2015 DUE TO HIGH NITRATE LEVELS. WATER WORKS OFFICIALS SAY THEY ARE TESTING MITIGATION STRATEGIES, AND HOPE TO USE WATER FOR TYSON AND OTHER INDUSTRIAL CUSTOMERS IN WATERLOO’S NORTHEAST INDUSTRIAL PARK. THAT PLAN WAS ANNOUNCED EARLIER THIS MONTH; THE WELL IS CAPABLE OF PUMPING OVER FOUR MILLION GALLONS PER DAY, EQUIVILENT TO APPROXIMATELY ONE-THIRD OF WATERLOO’S TOTAL WATER USE.
A NEW COVID-19 RELIEF BILL IS UNLIKELY AHEAD OF THE NOVEMBER ELECTION. IOWA SENATOR CHUCK GRASSLEY TALKED ABOUT THAT DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL THIS MORNING AND SAID REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS ARE FAR APART. HEAR ALL OF GRASSLEY’S COMMENTS FROM THIS MORNING’S INTERVIEW ANYTIME AT KXEL.COM.
THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA SAYS IT IS EXPANDING ITS PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MESKWAKI. ON MONDAY, UNI ANNOUNCED NEW SCHOLARSHIPS FOR MESKWAKI STUDENTS. A PROGRAM TO PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR TEACHERS AT THE MESKWAKI SETTLEMENT SCHOOL IN TAMA COUNTY IS ALSO IN THE WORKS. UNI SAYS IT ALSO HOPES TO ESTABLISH A STUDENT GROUP FOCUSED ON ENGAGEMENT WITH THE MESKWAKI AND OTHER INDIGENOUS PEOPLES.
