FREDERICK RUMBLE WAS THE IOWA CITY MAN WHO DIED EARLY SUNDAY AFTER BEING SHOT AND DRIVING A VEHICLE INTO A TREE. POLICE ANNOUNCED RUMBLE’S IDENTITY TUESDAY AND SAID INVESTIGATORS ARE NOW OFFICIALLY CLASSIFYING THE INCIDENT AS A HOMICIDE. THE 45-YEAR-OLD’S DEATH WAS ORIGINALLY CHARACTERIZED AS “SUSPICIOUS.” AN AUTOPSY INDICATED THAT WOUNDS FROM THE SHOOTING ARE WHAT PROVED TO BE FATAL. IOWA CITY POLICE ARE SEEKING FURTHER INFORMATION IN THE CASE.
THE CITY OF WATERLOO IS PLANNING A COMMUNITY VISIONING EVENT NEXT MONTH. ON JUNE 8TH, RESIDENTS WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DESCRIBE WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN THE COMMUNITY DURING THE YEARS AHEAD. WATERLOO MAYOR QUENTIN HART TALKED ABOUT THE 2030 WATERLOO SPARK PROGRAM. THE JULY 8TH COMMUNITY VISIONING EVENT WILL BE AT RIVERLOOP AMPHITHEATER DOWNTOWN.
SEATING CAPACITY LIMITS HAVE BEEN REMOVED AHEAD OF IOWA’S STATE HIGH SCHOOL TRACK MEET. DRAKE UNIVERSITY OFFICIALS HAD PLANNED TO LIMIT ATTENDANCE EARLIER THIS MONTH, DESPITE GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS URGING THE SCHOOL TO PROVIDE MORE SEATING. TUESDAY, THE DRAKE ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCED IT WAS REVERSING COURSE DUE TO CHANGES IN GUIDANCE FROM THE CDC. MASKS ARE STILL STRONGLY ENCOURAGED. COMPETITION AT DRAKE STADIUM BEGINS TOMORROW.
VACCINATED BLACK HAWK COUNTY RESIDENTS ARE NO LONGER REQUIRED TO WEAR MASKS IN COUNTY BUILDINGS. SUPERVISORS UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED THE POLICY CHANGE TUESDAY. NEW RULES URGE PEOPLE TO FOLLOW UPDATED CDC GUIDELINES. COUNTY LEADERS SAY THE NEW POLICY IS BASED ON THE “HONOR SYSTEM”—AND HOPE THAT UNVACCINATED PEOPLE WILL STILL WEAR MASKS TO PROTECT THEMSELVES AND OTHERS.
PLANS TO FUND MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AT THE STATE LEVEL CONTINUE TO ADVANCE. THE IOWA HOUSE APPROVED A BILL TO SHIFT STATE RESOURCES IN COMBINATION WITH LOCAL PROPERTY TAX RELIEF. PEGGY HUPPERT IS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF IOWA’S CHAPTER OF THE NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL HEALTH AND SPOKE TO OUR COVERAGE PARTNERS AT TV-9. THE BILL ALREADY CLEARED THE IOWA SENATE AND NOW GOES TO GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS.
CLAIMS THAT OUTSIDE GROUPS INFLUENCED NEW IOWA VOTING RULES HAVE LED DEMOCRATS FOR CALL FOR AN INVESTIGATION. DURING A FUNDRAISING EVENT THIS SPRING, A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION AND HERITAGE ACTION FOR AMERICA CLAIMED TO HAVE HELPED CRAFT THE LEGISLATION. STATE DEMOCRATS WOULD LIKE THE IOWA HOUSE ETHICS COMMITTEE TO LOOK INTO THE MATTER. REPUBLICAN LEGISLATORS HAVE DENIED THAT HERITAGE REPRESENTATIVES HAD ANY INVOLVEMENT WITH THE BILL.
JOHN DEERE IS PROVIDING 2.7 MILLION DOLLARS IN RESOURCES TO INDIA AS THAT COUNTRY GRAPPLES WITH A MASSIVE WAVE OF COVID-19 INFECTIONS. DEERE SAYS IT WILL HELP PROVIDE OXYGEN CONCENTRATORS, AMBULENCES, VENTILATORS, AND OTHER CRITICAL MEDICAL EQUIPMENT.
OFFICIALS FROM THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD PROVIDED DETAILS ABOUT A FATAL PLANE CRASH THAT HAPPENED EARLIER THIS MONTH NORTHWEST OF IOWA CITY. THE NTSB SAYS AMATUER PILOT DALE BIEBER WAS PRACTICING LANDING AND TAKEOFF MANEUVERS IN A SMALL AIRCRAFT AT GREEN CASTLE AIRPORT ON MAY 2ND. A WITNESS SAID BIEBER’S PLANE LANDED, BOUNCED AND THEN WENT INTO A FIELD. IT THEN HIT A POWER POLE WHEN BIEBER TRIED TO TAKE OFF AGAIN. BIEBER WAS A UNIVERSITY OF IOWA DOCTOR AND CLINICAL PROFESSOR.
WATERLOO SPARK WILL BE HELD AT THE RIVERLOOP AMPHITHEATER A LITTLE LESS THAN THREE WEEKS FROM NOW. DURING A RECENT KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL APPEARANCE, MAYOR QUENTIN HART TALKED ABOUT THE INSPIRATIONAL STORIES HE IS HOPING RESIDENTS BRING WITH THEM. HEAR MORE FROM HART ABOUT THE WATERLOO SPARK 2030 VISIONING EVENT DURING NEXT HOUR’S KXEL NEWSCAST, AND FIND THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH WATERLOO’S MAYOR ON DEMAND AT KXEL.COM.
FACE COVERING MANDATES ARE ENDING IN BOTH IOWA CITY AND CORALVILLE. IN IOWA CITY, A TUESDAY ANNOUNCEMENT STILL ENCOURAGED UNVACCINATED RESIDENTS TO CONTINUE WEARING MASKS AND MAINTAIN A CAUTIOUS INTERPERSONAL DISTANCE. CITY OFFICIALS ALSO ASKED PEOPLE TO OBSERVE MASK REQUIREMENTS POSTED BY LOCAL BUSINESSES. CORALVILLE LEADERS ALSO TOUTED PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY AMONG RESIDENTS AS IT ANNOUNCED THAT INDOOR COMMUNITY MARK REQUIREMENTS ARE ENDING.
