Gov. Reynolds yesterday announced new efforts to combat Iowa’s childcare crisis. Reynolds said she has established the Governor’s Childcare Task Force, with state departments awarding $13 million to support the expansion of childcare in communities across the state. The Governor’s Childcare Task Force will be chaired by Emily Schmitt, who is General Counsel of Sukup Manufacturing Co.; she also served on the Economic Recovery Advisory Board. The task force is expected to confront and address the childcare crisis in a 100-day work session. Schmitt said her goal is to take an expansive view of childcare needs across the state and to try to find ways to incentivize employers to partner with childcare assistance.
A Cedar Rapids police officer is OK after the officer’s SUV was rear-ended by a drunk driver late Tuesday night. 42-year-old Joseph Weber was taken to the Linn County Jail on charges of operating while intoxicated, failure to maintain control, and failure to change lanes for a stationary emergency vehicle. His injuries did not require hospital treatment. Just after 11 p.m., the officer’s vehicle was hit while its emergency and directional lights were on to divert traffic away from another accident we told you about yesterday, that sent a motorcyclist and their passenger to the hospital.
Yesterday, we told you about RAGBRAI…today, word that the Bix 7 road race in the Quad Cities is set to be held this year. If diminishing coronavirus infection rates and increasing vaccinations continue, a cap of 10,000 runners will be invited back to Brady Street in Davenport. The race is set for July 24th, and the current plan is to space runners six feet apart, stagger the starts and require masks at the beginning and end of the race.
However, North Liberty’s Blues & BBQ announced they will not be holding the festival in 2021. Organizers said it would be irresponsible to host 17,000 guests this soon in the pandemic recovery. They pledge Blues & BBQ will return when the event can return safely in its full capacity.
Gov. Kim Reynolds said the state is anticipating vaccinating the one millionth Iowan by the end of this week. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as of Tuesday, Iowa had administered more than 952,000 doses to those 18 years of age and older. Reynolds said that’s 27% of Iowa’s population and puts Iowa 10th in the nation for vaccination rates. The governor also noted 290,800 second doses have been administered, meaning 13% of Iowans are fully vaccinated, ranking the state 27th in the nation.
As Iowa ramps up vaccinations to include everyone between age 16 to 64 with underlying health conditions, the state has turned to the honor system with no validation required when someone claims to qualify for a shot due to a health issue. The state is allowing adult Iowans to get vaccinated if they have any one of several conditions including cancer, lung disease and heart disease that create a higher risk for severe illness if they get a coronavirus infection. Obesity and smoking also qualify. Iowa health officials say the system is relying largely on Iowans being honest about their health when arranging for a vaccine. Gov. Kim Reynolds says the process is working well.
An Iowa woman and former paralegal working for the federal Justice Department has been sentenced to six months in prison for leaking the identities of informants working with federal authorities in a drug trafficking case. 37-year-old Danielle Taff of Ankeny had entered a plea of guilty in November to one count of fraud and related activity in connection with computers, and had faced up to five years in prison. Investigators said Taff used her position to access sensitive computer files in the drug case that she had no reason and no authority to access, and then shared information about the documents with a friend…who then shared informants’ names, addresses and phone numbers with others, including on a Facebook page outing snitches. Officials said the disclosure of informants’ information hampered the government’s drug-trafficking investigation.
A U.S. House committee voted Wednesday to delay hearing Republican Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks’ motion to dismiss Democrat Rita Hart’s petition to overturn the results of Iowa’s Second Congressional District race. The U.S. House Committee on Administration voted 6-3 on party lines to postpone reviewing Rep. Miller-Meeks’ motion until the committee considers the merits of Hart’s petition. The results, which were certified by a bipartisan state panel, show Rep. Miller-Meeks defeated Hart by 6 votes. Miller-Meeks had asked the committee to dismiss Hart’s petition, saying appealing to Congress before exhausting all options at the state level, is out of order.
