DIGNITARIES INCLUDING IOWA AGRICULTURE SECRETARY MIKE NAIG MADE THEIR WAY TO BUCKINGHAM – SOUTH OF WATERLOO – ON WEDNESDAY. THE GROUP WAS THERE TO OFFICIALLY CELEBRATE THE BEGINNING OF THE CEDAR RIVER SOURCE WATER PARTNERSHIP. THE 19.3 MILLION DOLLAR PROJECT IS INTENDED TO PROTECT DRINKING WATER AND LIMIT FLOODING STARTING IN AREAS WHICH DRAIN INTO THE CEDAR RIVER. OTHER EXPECTED OUTCOMES INCLUDE IMPROVED FISH AND WILDLIFE HABITAT. IN COMMENTS MADE DURING THE GATHERING, NAIG NOTED THAT THE PARTNERSHIP SHOWCASED THE STATE’S URBAN AND RURAL INTERESTS WORKING TOGETHER FOR MUTUAL BENEFIT.
GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS WAS A RECENT GUEST ON SEAN HANNITY’S FOX TELEVISION PROGRAM. REYNOLDS SPOKE ABOUT THE STATE’S ECONOMIC CONDITIONS DURING THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC AS PART OF A GOVERNOR’S TOWN HALL SEGMENT. AS CORONAVIRUS VACCINES HAVE BECOME WIDELY AVAILABLE, IOWA HAS BEEN AMONG STATES ROLLING BACK PANDEMIC-RELATED RESTRICTIONS. EARLIER THIS MONTH, THE STATE LEGISLATURE PROHIBITED LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND SCHOOLS FROM IMPLEMENTING THEIR OWN FACE COVERING MANDATES.
A TUESDAY NIGHT SHOOTING IN WATERLOO HAS RESULTED IN CHARGES AGAINST A 29-YEAR-OLD WATERLOO MAN. DAI BATTLES IS ACCUSED OF WILLFUL INJURY AND INTIMIDATION WITH A DANGEROUS WEAPON. TWO PEOPLE WERE HIT BY GUNFIRE DURING AN INCIDENT SEVERAL BLOCKS SOUTH OF ALLEN HOSPITAL. NO UPDATE IS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE ON THE CONDITION OF THE VICTIMS.
IOWA GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS SAYS THAT INFORMATION WAS CRUCIAL TO DECISIONS MADE BY STATE OFFICIALS AT THE HEIGHT OF THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC. SHE MADE HER COMMENTS DURING A REPUBLICAN GOVERNOR’S TOWN HALL ON FOX’S HANNITY PROGRAM. DURING THE APPEARANCE, REYNOLDS SAID THE STATE BALANCED THE LIVES AND LIVELIHOODS OF IOWA RESIDENTS. SHE ARGUES THAT APPROACH HAS MADE IOWA STRONGER IN RECOVERY THAN IT WAS PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC.
A WATERLOO MAN WILL SPEND NEARLY EIGHT YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON AFTER THE LATEST GUN CHARGE AGAINST HIM. JASON EVANS RECEIVED A 94 MONTH SENTENCE AFTER PLEADING GUILTY TO BEING A FELON IN POSSESSION OF A FIREARM. THE CASE STEMMED FROM A SEARCH AND EVANS’ ARREST LAST JULY. AUTHORITIES ALSO RECOVERED DRUGS AT THAT TIME.
IN AN UNRELATED FEDERAL CASE WEDNESDAY, A CEDAR RAPIDS TRAFFIC STOP LED TO A FIVE-YEAR SENTENCE FOR DRUG DISTRIBUTION. LAST SEPTEMBER, CHANORD HAWKINS WAS PULLED OVER AND FOUND TO HAVE VARIOUS TYPES OF OPIOIDS STASHED ON HIS PERSON. AT THE TIME, HAWKINS WAS ALREADY ON SUPERVISED RELEASE FOR PRIOR DRUG CRIMES.
HY-VEE IS WARNING PEOPLE WITH EGG ALLERGIES TO BE CAUTIOUS ABOUT ONE OF ITS PRODUCTS. THE CHAIN’S CHICKEN STREET TACO MEAL KIT HAS A SAUCE WHICH INCLUDES EGGS, ALTHOUGH THEY AREN’T INCLUDED ON THE INGREDIENT LIST. THE PRODUCTS HAVE A “BEST BY” DATE OF TODAY (MAY 27TH). THERE HAVE NOT BEEN ANY REPORTS OF ILLNESS RELATED TO THE RECALL.
THERE IS PLENTY OF SUPPLY BUT NOT ENOUGH DEMAND WHEN IT COMES TO CORONAVIRUS VACCINES IN IOWA. MOST COUNTIES DECLINED ADDITIONAL DOSES THIS WEEK AS VACCINATION RATES PLATEAU. THAT IS CAUSING SOME CONSTERNATION AMONG HEALTH OFFICIALS. THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH SAYS THE STATE ORDERED LESS THAN 8,000 DOSES OF VACCINE. EIGHTY-ONE OF IOWA’S 99 COUNTIES DID NOT REQUEST ANY. ONE SOUTHERN IOWA PUBLIC HEALTH OFFICIAL SAYS SHE HAS STOPPED TRYING TO CONVINCE HESITANT PEOPLE TO GET VACCINATED. AS OF THIS MORNING, 2.7 MILLION DOSES HAVE BEEN ADMINISTERED IN THE STATE, WITH MORE THAN 1.3 MILLION RESIDENTS FULLY VACCINATED.
WITH SWIMMING POOL SEASON ABOUT TO BEGIN, AN ACCIDENT AT WATERLOO’S GATES PARK POOL CREATED A HAZARDOUS SITUATION WEDNESDAY. FIRST RESPONDERS WERE CALLED TO THE PARK AFTER A PUMP FAILED, RESULTING IN A CHEMICAL LEAK. OFFICIALS SAY THERE WAS NO DANGER TO THE PUBLIC AS THE CITY POOL IS NOT YET OPEN. THE SITUATION WAS QUICKLY STABILIZED.
MAKING HIGH-SPEED INTERNET AVAILABLE IN UNDERSERVED PARTS OF IOWA IS SOMETIMES EASIER SAID THAN DONE. OUR COVERAGE PARTNERS AT TV-9 PROFILED WORK TO IMPROVE CONNECTIVITY AT HOTEL MILLWRIGHT IN AMANA. TV-9 SPOKE WITH SOUTH SLOPE COOPERATIVE COMMUNICATIONS SPOKESPERSON SHANE VON HOTLEN ABOUT WIRING UP THE HISTORIC BUILDING. HOLTON AND HOTEL OFFICIALS BOTH NOTED THE IMPORTANCE OF HIGH SPEED INTERNET ACCESS FOR THE BUSINESS TO ATTRACT GUESTS TO THE PROPERTY.
