Gov. Reynolds on Wednesday announced all Iowans will be eligible for COVID-19 vaccination starting on Monday, April 5–so long as the state’s vaccine dose allocation from the federal government increases as expected. The governor said federal vaccine allocations are expected to increase significantly by the end of this month to 20 million doses nationwide, which could include 4-6 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. It is not known how many would be allocated to Iowa. The governor said the state is looking to form partnerships for distribution wherever possible. The eligibility expansion in Iowa is dependent on this significant increase in dose allocations from the federal government. Reynolds encouraged Iowans to get vaccinated as soon as possible.
A groundbreaking effort to document and dismantle institutional racism in Iowa’s most liberal city has been paused after weeks of conflict among leaders derailed its work. The City Council in Iowa City voted late Tuesday to suspend the Truth and Reconciliation Commission until April 15, after new members can be appointed to replace three who resigned from the nine-member commission. The council also plans a special meeting with the commission then to iron out how to move forward. The vote came after hours of public comment that recounted the personality conflicts, generational divides and tactical disagreements that had erupted over the commission. Mayor Bruce Teague says it saddened him to suspend the commission but that it had become an unsafe space for some people.
Sewer rates are set to rise in Waverly beginning in June, in part to help offset the costs for improvements to the city’s wastewater treatment facility. The Waverly City Council Monday unanimously approved a 10% rate increase in each of the next two fiscal years. City Administrator James Bronner said he didn’t think anyone should be surprised by the increases, since Waverly’s treatment facility needs more than $11 million in improvements to come into compliance with new regulations from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. He noted some cities are needing increases of 25-50% in a single year. Construction on the Waverly improvements is set to begin soon, and could be done within two years.
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Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds says all Iowa residents will be eligible for coronavirus vaccinations on April 5 as long as supply projections are met. Reynolds said Wednesday that the federal government is promising a surge in supply in late March that will enable enough vaccinations to meet much larger demand. Until then, vaccinations are only available to adults in certain occupations, people older than 65 or those who have qualifying health conditions. Reynolds says the state doesn’t plan to offer new ways to help people sign up for vaccinations, but she argued the main issue was adequate supply and not issues around scheduling. The governor noted there are a variety of ways for Iowans to learn about scheduling an appointment for a vaccination.
Sheriffs in two central Iowa counties say their offices are investigating after cattle were found killed and dumped along gravel roads in their jurisdictions. Two cows and a calf were found dead in Boone and Greene counties on Wednesday of last week. This may be a bit graphic…investigators said the calf, found in Boone County, had its front legs bound with twine. A red shorthorn cow was found a short distance away in a creek with its throat slashed. The carcass of the other cow, also a red shorthorn, was found in a ditch in Greene County ditch. Authorities say that scuff marks on the animals’ hides indicated they were dumped on the roads from a vehicle.
A jury has convicted a man of first-degree murder in connection with the August 2019 shooting death of another man in a Des Moines home. Stanley Wofford was found guilty this week of killing of 45-year-old John Belcher. Police testified that Wofford called 911 about half an hour after the shooting and claimed to have found Belcher’s body. Police later determined it was Wofford who did the shooting and he was charged nearly three weeks after the murder. Wofford faces a mandatory sentence of life in prison when he’s sentenced on April. 23.
