The number of new COVID-19 cases in Linn County dropped by half in the past week…from 304 last week to only 117 in the current week, reversing an upward trend over the past three weeks. Officials say 53.7 percent of Linn County residents are fully vaccinated…of those 65 and older, the vaccination rate is 84.7 percent.
An Evansdale small business owner has announced her candidacy for city council there. Kelly Parker, owner of Grace Note Piano Studio, made the announcement this week. She noted she understands the importance of fiscal responsibility as a small business owner, and says her main priority as a council member will be protecting constitutional freedoms. She encourages contact at her campaign Facebook page.
Iowa high school basketball games will look a little different starting in the 2022-2023 season. A joint statement from the Iowa High School Athletic Association and the Iowa Girls’ High School Athletic Union this week said both boys and girls would soon use a 35-second shot clock. Sub-varsity programs may use the shot clock, but it will only be required at the varsity level. For comparison, the shot clock for college basketball is 30 seconds, and 24 seconds in the NBA.
The Iowa State Fair begins today, and inspectors have been hard at work checking rides on the Midway for the past two weeks. The Iowa Division of Labor and a third-party inspection team check each ride at the Iowa State Fair for safety. As the rides arrive at the fairgrounds by trailer, the Iowa Division of Labor checks the nuts and bolts. Then the setup begins and inspections continue every day during the fair, including giving each ride a test run to ensure it is error-free. The Iowa State Fair will have fewer rides in 2021 due to staffing shortages.
A 45-year-old Fort Dodge man has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for shooting and killing his estranged wife last year. Justin Christopher Hurdel was convicted in July of first-degree murder in the death of 38-year-old Maggie Flint. During his sentencing this week, he was also ordered to pay $150,000 in restitution to Flint’s estate. Authorities said Hurdel shot Flint because she had asked for a divorce after years of abuse from Hurdel. Attorneys for Hurdel said he intended to kill himself in front of his wife but his gun malfunctioned and she was shot. He then shot himself but survived.
Authorities say two Iowa men accused of using bad checks to buy more than $800 in lottery tickets saw a total profit of $134 after winning on some of the tickets. Authorities say the pair now face a dozen felony charges between them and must come up with thousands of dollars in bail money to be released from custody. 29-year-old Richard Lee Pierce II of Ventura faces charges of attempting to defraud the Iowa lottery and forgery, while 31-year-old Joey Henry Allen of Clear Lake faces similar charges plus a felony theft count. Allen is being held in Cerro Gordo County Jail on a $30,000 cash bond. Pierce is being held on a $5,000 cash bond.
The Waterloo Black Hawks will host both the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders and the Des Moines Buccaneers for preseason games at Young Arena during the week prior to the United States Hockey League’s season-opening USHL Fall Classic…the team announced yesterday the RoughRiders would visit on Wednesday, September 15, while Des Moines comes to town Saturday, September 18. Waterloo’s regular season home opener is against Cedar Rapids on Friday, October 1.
