U.S. SENATOR CHUCK GRASSLEY OF NEW HARTFORD WANTS A REVIEW OF AMERICAN MONEY SPENT AT A VIRUS RESEARCH CENTER IN WUHAN, CHINA. GRASSLEY APPEARED ON FOX’S “YOUR WORLD WITH NEIL CAVUTO” TO MAKE HIS CASE FOR HEARINGS. PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN HAS ORDERED U-S INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES TO INVESTIGATE THE ORIGINS OF COVID-19, WHICH WAS FIRST REPORTED NEAR THE WUHAN SITE IN LATE 2019.
A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF FLOYD COUNTY RESIDENTS WOULD LIKE TO CHANGE THE PROCESS FOR ELECTING THE COUNTY’S BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. MORE THAN 11-HUNDRED SIGNATURES HAVE BEEN GATHERED, REQUESTING THAT FLOYD COUNTY MOVE FROM AN AT-LARGE FORMAT TO GEOGRAPHIC REPRESENTATION IN SUPERVISOR DISTRICTS. THAT NUMBER OF PETITIONERS IS LARGE ENOUGH TO PUT THE QUESTION UP FOR A COUNTY-WIDE REFERENDUM. DURING A RECENT MEETING, FLOYD COUNTY SUPERVISORS REJECTED THE REQUEST ON A TECHNICALITY ABOUT HOW THE PETITION WAS LAID OUT. THAT DECISION COULD LEAD TO A LEGAL CHALLENGE FROM THE GROUP ADVOCATING FOR THE CHANGE.
NEXTERA ENERGY PLANS TO OPEN AN OFFICE IN PALO NEXT WEEK WHICH WILL TAKE QUESTIONS ABOUT A PLANNED LINN COUNTY SOLAR FARM. SPOKESMAN CONLAN KENNEDY TALKED ABOUT THE PROJECT WITH OUR COVERAGE PARTNERS AT TV-9 [AUDIO :11]. MANY DETAILS ABOUT NEXTERA’S PLAN HAVE NOT BEEN FORMALLY ANNOUNCED.
MORE CHANCES TO GET A COLD ONE AT KINNICK. THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA WILL EXPAND ALCOHOL SALES AT ITS ATHLETIC VENUES AS PART OF A PILOT PROGRAM BEGINNING THIS FALL. BEER AND WINE WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE THROUGHOUT KINNICK STADIUM WITH THE EXCEPTION OF AREAS IMMEDIATELY NEXT TO THE STUDENT SECTION. BASKETBALL AND BASEBALL FACILITIES ARE ALSO AMONG THOSE INCLUDED IN THE PROGRAM. THIRTY PERCENT OF NET ALCOHOL SALES WILL BE DIRECTED TOWARD RESEARCH-BASED INITIATIVES INTENDED TO DECREASE HIGH-RISK DRINKING.
CHINA’S ACTIVITIES DURING THE INITIAL STAGES OF A CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK IN THE CITY OF WUHAN HAVE BEEN SCRUTINIZED FOR MORE THAN YEAR. SPECULATION HAS BECOME BROADER THAT THE VIRUS MIGHT HAVE ESCAPED FROM A LAB BEFORE BECOMING A GLOBAL PANDEMIC. IOWA’S SENIOR U.S. SENATOR CHUCK GRASSLEY IS AMONG THOSE WHO WANTS TO KNOW MORE AND WANTS CHINESE COOPERATION. GRASSLEY’S COMMENTS WERE MADE DURING FOX’S “YOUR WORLD WITH NEIL CAVUTO” PROGRAM.
NINE IOWA VETERANS AND THE WIDOWS OF TWO OTHERS DID NOT HAVE A FINAL RESTING PLACE. THAT WILL CHANGE SOON. OUR COVERAGE PARTNERS AT TV-9 TALKED WITH FUNERAL DIRECTOR LANAE STROVERS, WHO IS PLANNING BURIALS NEXT WEEK IN VAN METER. STOVERS SAYS A MEMORIAL SERVICE WILL BE HELD ONE WEEK FROM TODAY BEFORE BURRIAL OF THE UNCLAIMED REMAINS.
MID-SUMMER TEMPERATURES HAVE ARRIVED WEEKS BEFORE THE ASTRONOMICAL START OF SUMMER. THE LONGEST DAY OF THE YEAR IS STILL MORE THAN A WEEK AWAY. NONETHELESS, HEAT THIS WEEK HAS CONSISTENTLY PUSHED THERMOMETERS ABOVE 90 IN EASTERN IOWA. ORGANIZATIONS RESPONSIBLE FOR VULNERABLE GROUPS ARE ASKING FOR HELP DEALING WITH THE CONDITIONS. DENINE RUSHING IS THE DIRECTOR OF SHELTER AT WILLIS DADY HOMELESS SERVICES IN CEDAR RAPIDS AND SHE SPOKE WITH OUR COVERAGE PARTNERS AT TV-9. IN ADDITION TO DRINKING WATER, OTHER ORGANIZATIONS ARE TRYING TO PROVIDE FANS TO HELP THOSE IN NEED DEAL WITH THE HEAT.
SOME CEDAR FALLS RESIDENTS TRYING TO KEEP COOL AT THE FALLS AQUATIC CENTER HAVE EXPRESSED CONCERNS OF A DIFFERENT KIND. TWO SIZABLE AND POTENTIALLY ANTAGONISTIC GROUPS OF YOUNG PEOPLE WERE REPORTEDLY GATHERED OUTSIDE THE FACILITY AT ONE POINT EARLIER THIS WEEK. A RESULTING SOCIAL MEDIA THREAD INCLUDED PICTURES OF THE CONGREGATION AND AN ARRAY OF COMMENTS. CEDAR FALLS OFFICIALS RESPONDED THURSDAY EVENING. A WRITTEN STATEMENT NOTED A ZERO-TOLERANCE POLICY AGAINST PROFANITY, THEFT, VIOLENCE, AND DISRESPECTFUL ACTIONS TOWARD STAFF. THE CITY SAYS THERE WILL BE AN INCREASED POLICE PRESENCE AT THE FALLS AQUATIC CENTER.
DOG-NAPPING IS JUST ONE OF THE THINGS A DUNKERTON MAN IS ACCUSED OF AFTER A DOMESTIC DISPUTE. CLAYTON FETTKETHER WAS ARRESTED THIS WEEK. HE ALLEGEDLY SWIPED A DOG FROM HIS FORMER GIRLFRIEND. FETTKETHER IS ALSO CHARGED WITH ARSON AND CRIMINAL MISCHIEF RELATED TO THE MATTER. THE MISSING DOG WAS SUCCESSFULLY LOCATED.
