IOWA GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS SAYS CHANGES TO STATE ELECTION RULES ENSURE FAIRNESS. EARLIER THIS WEEK, REYNOLDS SIGNED A BILL PASSED BY THE IOWA LEGISLATURE WHICH SPECIFIES WHO CAN DELIVER ABSENTEE BALLOTS ON BEHALF OF A VOTER. LINN COUNTY AUDITOR JOEL MILLER CRITICIZED THE NEW MEASURES WHEN HE SPOKE TO OUR COVERAGE PARTNERS AT CBS 2 AND MILLER NOTED THAT LOCAL ELECTION OFFICIALS ARE WATCHFUL FOR POTENTIAL BALLOT PROBLEMS. THE LATEST MEASURE FOLLOWED ANOTHER NEW LAW EARLIER IN THE SESSION WHICH SHORTENED THE WINDOW WHEN ABSENTEE BALLOTS CAN BE CAST.
REPUBLICAN SENATOR JONI ERNST CRITICIZED THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION’S BUDGET PRIORITIES IN A SPEECH ON THE SENATE FLOOR ON WEDNESDAY. SHE CHARACTERIZED THE PROPOSAL THIS WAY. WHILE ERNST NOTED SEVERAL AREAS OF CONCERN ABOUT SPENDING PRIORITIES, SHE ALSO POINTED OUT A NUMBER OF FUNDING REDUCTIONS FOR BRANCHES OF THE ARMED FORCES.
THE FORMER SCHOITZ HOSPITAL IN WATERLOO MAY BE ABOUT TO DISAPPEAR. A PLAN TO TEAR DOWN THE BUILDING AND REPURPOSE THE LAND NEAR THE INTERSECTION OF KIMBALL AND RIDGEWAY IS EXPECTED TO BE REVIEWED BY THE WATERLOO CITY COUNCIL. THE FORMER HOSPITAL WAS USED FOR SOME TIME AS A SENIOR AND ASSISTED LIVING SITE.
TWO PRE-TEEN BOYS WERE SERIOUSLY INJURED WHEN THE ELECTRIC SCOOTER THEY WERE RIDING WAS HIT BY A CAR IN CEDAR RAPIDS WEDNESDAY. THE ACCIDENT HAPPENED IN THE LATE AFTERNOON NEAR MOUNT VERNON ROAD SOUTHEAST AND 15TH STREET. BOTH OF THE BOYS WERE TAKEN TO UNIVERSITY OF IOWA HOSPITAL IN IOWA CITY.
DETAILS ARE BECOMING AVAILABLE ABOUT AN EASTERN IOWA WOMAN WHO DIED IN A WEEKEND PLANE CRASH. AUTHORITIES SAY 28-YEAR-OLD KRISTEN GREEN OF SWISHER AND A MAN FROM INDIANA WERE KILLED WHEN THEIR SMALL AIRCRAFT WENT DOWN NORTHWEST OF INDIANAPOLIS. THE TWO WERE FLYING ON SUNDAY MORNING; THE AIRCRAFT BELONGED TO AN INDIANA FLIGHT TRAINING SCHOOL.
CEDAR FALLS CITY COUNCILWOMAN KELLY DUNN WILL SEEK TO KEEP HER SEAT FOR ANOTHER FOUR YEARS. DUNN WAS FIRST VOTED ONTO THE COUNCIL LAST SUMMER TO SERVE IN THE POSITION ORIGINALLY HELD BY MAYOR ROB GREEN. CEDAR FALLS RESIDENTS SUCCESSFULLY PETITIONED FOR A SPECIAL ELECTION AFTER THE COUNCIL INITIALLY APPOINTED NICK TAIBER TO THE VACANCY. T.J. FREIN HAS ALSO ANNOUNCED HIS CANDIDACY FOR THE AT-LARGE SEAT CURRENTLY HELD BY DUNN.
SENATOR JONI ERNST SPOKE AGAINST BIDEN ADMINISTRATION BUDGET PROPOSALS ON CAPITOL HILL WEDNESDAY. ONE ELEMENT OF THE ADMINISTRATION PROPOSAL IS NEW FUNDING FOR THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, WHICH WOULD HIRE MORE EMPLOYEES TO ENFORCE TAX LAW.
A WOMAN WAS APPARENTLY PUSHED OUT OF A VEHICLE ON A BUSY STRETCH OF COLLINS ROAD IN CEDAR RAPIDS WEDNESDAY NIGHT. THE 30-YEAR-OLD VICTIM WAS TAKEN FROM THE SCENE BY AMBULANCE. THE INCIDENT CAUSED SOME TRAFFIC TO BE REROUTED BEFORE 10 P.M. LAW ENFORCEMENT IN CEDAR RAPIDS CONTINUES TO INVESTIGATE THE INCIDENT.
AN EASTERN IOWA MAN WAS KILLED IN AN AGRICULTURAL ACCIDENT ON TUESDAY. LIMITED DETAILS WERE RELEASED YESTERDAY ABOUT THE FATALITY IN SCOTT COUNTY NEAR NEW LIBERTY. THE UNNAMED VICTIM WAS CAUGHT IN A MANURE TANK AND HAD TO BE EXTRACTED BY FIRST RESPONDERS.
UNION COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT SAYS IT IS STILL TRYING TO DETERMINE THE EXTENT OF A DATA BREACH EARLIER THIS YEAR. SCHOOL OFFICIALS INDICATED THAT THEY HAVE AND WILL CONTINUE TO NOTIFY INDIVIDUALS WHOSE PERSONAL INFORMATION MAY HAVE BEEN COMPROMISED. THE DISTRICT SAYS IT HAS PROVIDED INFORMATION TO LAW ENFORCEMENT AS WELL AS WORKING WITH A CYBERSECURITY COMPANY IN ITS RESPONSE. THE HACK CAME TO LIGHT IN APRIL.
MY WATERLOO DAYS FESTIVITIES HAVE BEGUN. THE FESTIVAL WILL HIT ITS STRIDE WITH THE ARRIVAL OF THE WEEKEND. JESSICA RUCKER OF MAIN STREET WATERLOO SAYS THERE IS STILL A LOT TO DO. RUCKER WAS A GUEST THIS MORNING DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL. SHE SAYS FESTIVAL ORGANIZERS ARE STILL SEEKING VOLUNTEERS, WITH SIGNUP CONTINUING AT MYWATERLOODAYS.ORG.
