Gov. Kim Reynolds is extending the current emergency declaration another week, leaving many of the current mitigation efforts in place to combat the pandemic. The governor’s current order was previously set to expire later today…it included a mask requirement in public places when Iowans cannot social distance, and limits on some social gatherings. Bars and restaurants are also required to close to indoor patrons at 10 p.m. The governor said during a news conference yesterday the state is seeing some signs of downward trends in cases and hospitalizations, but that efforts need to continue to keep virus activity on this trajectory. As of yesterday morning, nearly 250,000 Iowans have been confirmed infected with COVID-19 since the pandemic began and 3,000 Iowans have died.
The Cedar Rapids Kernels have announced they have received an invitation from the Minnesota Twins to remain an affiliate in the new alignment of pro baseball minor league teams. The Kernels had been a Twins partner for seven seasons at the Low-A level. As part of the realignment, the Kernels will now be the Class A Advanced team, which is one step up from where they previously have been.
The Cedar Rapids Police Department is accepting applications for police officer positions through January 7, 2021. Police officer positions are full-time and offer a starting salary of $56,513 annually along with a benefit package. A comprehensive list of qualifications, salary and benefit information and the application may all be found on the police department website.
The Iowa City Community School District is planning to welcome some students back to a hybrid learning model on Monday. But school leaders are asking the state for an extension to stay 100% online, as a precaution. The district says asking for the waiver gives them the flexibility in case COVID-19 cases spike again in the community. They say, for now, the positivity rate in Johnson County dropped low enough to have students back in the classroom.
UnityPoint Health is increasing its minimum wage to $15 per hour starting next month. The increase will impact roughly 33 percent of its more than 30,000 employees. The move will impact eligible team and union members in Iowa and Illinois. Those who are most likely to see their hourly rate increase are in roles such as housekeeping, food service, and nursing assistants. While UnityPoint was planning this move since before the pandemic, COVID-19 has reinforced the need for an increase in a minimum pay rate amongst employees, especially front line workers dealing with the pandemic.
Linn County Crime Stoppers announced yesterday it received a donation of $7,500 to be offered for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the KeyShawn Allers murder case. That will combine with the $2,500 Linn County Crime Stoppers was offering to bring the reward total up to $10,000. The 19-year-old Allers was shot and killed on July 12 in an incident in the 100 block of Curtis Street SW in the Summit View Village. The investigation remains ongoing.
Police in south-central Iowa are searching for a suspect in what they say was an intentional hit-and-run that left a man seriously injured. Albia police are looking for 44-year-old Joshua Burk of Lovilia. Police say he is suspected of intentionally using his vehicle to hit and run down a 36-year-old man around 9:30 p.m. Sunday. Investigators say a nearby security camera captured the incident on video and showed Burk driving away from the scene. Officials say Burk’s vehicle was later spotted, and Monroe County sheriff’s deputies tried to stop it, but police say that Burk drove away at speeds of more than 100 mph.
Gov. Kim Reynolds said Iowa’s long-term care facilities can expect the first shipments of coronavirus vaccines as early as Dec. 28, and said more help is on the way. The governor said at a news conference yesterday the state is prioritizing health care workers and care facility residents for the initial rounds of Pfizer vaccine allocation. Reynolds announced the state will provide Iowa’s 432 long-term care facilities with personal protective equipment for 30 days at no cost to those facilities. She also announced the state is providing temporary medical workers for some facilities. Reynolds said more than 80 nurses have already started and she anticipated that a total of 104 nurses would be assigned throughout the state through Dec. 30.
Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller announced yesterday that Iowa is joining 48 attorneys general in suing Facebook. The lawsuit alleges that the company illegally stifles competition to protect its monopoly power. Miller said the lawsuit alleges Facebook illegally acquired competitors or potential rivals, including Instagram and WhatsApp…and that deprived users from the benefits of competition and reducing privacy protections and services. The lawsuit alleges Facebook violated the Sherman and Clayton antitrust acts. The lawsuit, filed in D.C. District Court, asks the court to halt Facebook’s illegal, anticompetitive conduct and block the company from continuing this behavior in the future.
Dubuque officials responded to a report of a house fire in the 1600 block of White Street just before 8 a.m. on yesterday. Firefighters said they found heavy fire and smoke on the second floor of a masonry house. The fire extended out a rear window on the second floor. Crews were able to confirm there were no occupants in the building but there was heavy fire damage in one bedroom and smoke damage throughout the second floor. Power lines to the building were burned off, as well. The cause of the fire remains under investigation. No injuries were reported.
