THE IOWA STATE PATROL SAYS AN UPPER SOUTH AMANA WOMAN WAS NOT WEARING A SEAT BELT WHEN SHE WAS KILLED IN AN ACCIDENT LATE SUNDAY. THE TWO-VEHICLE COLLISION HAPPENED AT U.S. HIGHWAY 151 AND 120TH STREET NEAR AMANA IN IOWA COUNTY. JESSICA SCHULTE WAS A PASSENGER IN ONE OF THE VEHICLES AND DIED AT THE SCENE. ACCORDING TO THE STATE PATROL REPORT, A PICKUP RAN A STOP SIGN AND HIT A SMALL CAR TRAVELING SOUTH ON THE HIGHWAY. IN ADDITION TO SCHULTE’S DEATH, BOTH DRIVERS WERE TAKEN TO LOCAL HOSPITALS.
A GROUP SUPPORTING CONSERVATIVE FEMALE CANDIDATES IS TRYING TO STIR SUPPORT FOR MARIANETTE MILLER-MEEKS. THE REPUBLICAN FROM IOWA’S SECOND DISTRICT EDGED DEMOCRAT RITA HART BY SIX VOTES IN NOVEMBER. HART IS APPEALING TO THE U.S. HOUSE TO REVIEW THE RESULT. OLIVIA PEREZ-CUBAS IS SPOKESWOMAN FOR THE GROUP “WINNING FOR WOMEN”. THE U.S. HOUSE IS EXPECTED TO REVIEW THE IOWA SECOND DISTRICT RACE DURING THE EARLY DAYS OF JANUARY.
THE IOWA HAWKEYE FOOTBALL TEAM WILL PLAY ONE MORE GAME AT KINNICK STADIUM THIS SEASON. YESTERDAY, THE BIG TEN ANNOUNCED THAT IOWA WILL HOST MICHIGAN THIS SATURDAY. WHILE OHIO STATE AND NORTHWESTERN MEET FOR THE CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP, ALL OF THE BIG TEN’S OTHER TEAMS WERE GIVEN ONE EXTRA GAME. A COVID-19 OUTBREAK PREVENTED MICHIGAN FROM PLAYING OHIO STATE LAST WEEK.
IT IS ELECTORAL COLLEGE DAY. CEDAR RAPIDS NATIVE DAVID CHUNG PARTICIPATED IN THE PROCESS BACK IN 2016, CASTING A VOTE THEN FOR DONALD TRUMP. CHUNG IS DOING SO ONCE AGAIN IN 2020. HE SPOKE WITH OUR COVERAGE PARTNERS AT TV-9 ABOUT THE PROCESS AND HOW THE EXPERIENCE IS DIFFERENT THIS ELECTION CYCLE. CHUNG IS ONE OF SIX IOWA ELECTORS. ELECTORAL COLLEGE REPRESENTATION IS PROPORTIONAL TO EACH STATE’S NUMBER OF FEDERAL REPRESENTATIVES IN THE HOUSE AND SENATE.
MORE IOWANS ARE DRINKING MORE OF THE HARD STUFF. THE IOWA ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES DIVISION REPORTED THAT FISCAL YEAR 2020 SET A RECORD WITH OVER 367 MILLION DOLLARS IN LIQUOR SOLD. THAT INCLUDES JUST OVER 20 MILLION DOLLARS IN BLACK HAWK COUNTY, A SIMILAR FIGURE IN JOHNSON COUNTY, AND 32 MILLION DOLLARS WORTH OF LIQUOR IN LINN COUNTY. OFFICIALS SUGGESTED THAT THERE IS LIKELY A CORRELATION BETWEEN INCREASED CONSUMPTION AND THE CHANGES CAUSED BY THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC. IN THE FIRST FIVE MONTHS OF THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR, THE PACE OF ALCOHOL SALES IS EVEN HIGHER.
YOU MAY NOT RECOGNIZE THE NAME OF THE COMPANY, BUT A MAJOR PET FOOD MANUFACTURER IS COMING TO NORTHEAST IOWA. SIMMONS PET FOOD MAKES THE GENERIC DOG AND CAT FOOD SOLD AT MANY STORE CHAINS. THE COMPANY EXPECTS TO OPEN A NEW OPERATION IN DUBUQUE DURING 2021. SIMMONS WILL MOVE INTO A FACILITY BEING VACATED BY FLEXSTEEL INDUSTRIES. AT FULL CAPACITY, THE NEW VENTURE WILL EMPLOY APPROXIMATELY 270 WORKERS.
THERE IS A PRECEDENT FOR A FEDERAL CHALLENGE LIKE THE ONE IN IOWA’S SECOND DISTRICT CONGRESSIONAL RACE. NEARLY FOUR DECADES AGO, A RAZOR-THIN INDIANA HOUSE CONTEST WAS SETTLED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. OLIVIA PEREZ-CUBAS IS SPOKESWOMAN FOR THE CONSERVATIVE GROUP “WINNING FOR WOMEN,” AND DOESN’T WANT TO SEE A REPEAT. MARIANETTE MILLER-MEEKS WON IOWA’S SECOND DISTRICT SEAT BY SIX VOTES IN A RACE AGAINST RITA HART, WHO IS APPEALING FOR A HOUSE REVIEW. PEREZ-CUBAS WAS A RECENT GUEST ON KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL.
AS FORMER IOWA GOVERNOR TOM VILSACK PREPARES TO RETURN TO THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, PRESIDENT-ELECT JOE BIDEN IS TOUTING VILSACK’S PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE AS USDA SECRETARY. BIDEN SAYS VILSACK’S BACKGROUND WILL ENSURE QUICKER HELP TO RURAL AND POOR AREAS THAT ARE “REELING” FROM THE PANDEMIC AND ECONOMIC DOWNTURN. LAST WEEK, VILSACK SAID ONE OF HIS FIRST DUTIES WOULD BE TO “BUILD BACK A VIBRANT AND RESILIENT ECONOMY” AS THE DEPARTMENT AIDS IN THE CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE. THAT INCLUDES ADDRESSING FOOD NEEDS AND SHORTAGES AND GETTING RELIEF TO FOOD WORKERS AND PRODUCERS.
A 53-POINT VICTORY BY ONE OF THE COUNTRY’S BEST COLLEGE BASKETBALL TEAMS AGAINST A WINLESS OPPONENT MIGHT NOT NORMALLY WARRANT MUCH ATTENTION. HOWEVER, SUNDAY’S IOWA HAWKEYE RESULT AGAINST NORTHERN ILLINOIS WAS A MILESTONE. FOR COACH FRAN MCCAFFREY, IT WAS HIS 200TH WIN SINCE COMING TO IOWA CITY.
