THE DEFINITION OF INFRASTRUCTURE HAS BEEN A MATTER OF DEBATE IN WASHINGTON DURING 2021. A BILL RELATED TO ROADS, BRIDGES, POWER, AND WATER SYSTEMS CLEARED THE SENATE EARLIER THIS MONTH. NEXT SO-CALLED HUMAN INFRASTRUCTURE WILL BE IN FOCUS ON CAPITOL HILL. IOWA THIRD DISTRICT DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSWOMAN CINDY AXNE OFFERED THIS SIDE-BY-SIDE COMPARISON OF HARD INFRASTRUCTURE VERSUS HUMAN INFRASTRUCTURE. SPENDING PRIORITIES ARE EXPECTED TO TOP THE CONGRESSIONAL AGENDA NEXT WEEK AS THE U.S. HOUSE SESSION RESUMES.
PUBLIC COMMENTS WILL LIKELY COVER A RANGE OF PERSPECTIVES ON WAVERLY’S THIRD STREET BRIDGE DURING A HEARING PLANNED FOR OCTOBER 4TH. BETWEEN NOW AND THEN, CITY OFFICIALS WILL BE SEEKING PROPOSALS TO TEAR DOWN THE CENTURY-OLD STRUCTURE. THE BRIDGE HAS BEEN DEEMED UNSAFE FOR TRAFFIC. HOWEVER, IT ALSO APPEARS ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES. A COMMEMORATION OF THE BRIDGE IS PLANNED IN PLACE OF THE STRUCTURE, WHICH COULD BE REMOVED BEFORE THE END OF 2021.
MOUNT MERCY UNIVERSITY IN CEDAR RAPIDS WILL REQUIRE MASKS IN CLASSROOMS AND OTHER COMMON AREAS AS STUDENTS RETURN IN ONE WEEK. THE RULES ALSO APPLY TO FACULTY AND STAFF. MOUNT MERCY OFFICIALS SAY THEY ARE ENCOURAGING INSTRUCTORS AND STUDENTS TO BE VACCINATED AGAINST COVID-19 BUT WILL NOT REQUIRE THE SHOTS AT THIS TIME. THE NEW TERM BEGINS NEXT WEDNESDAY.
THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS ARE BACK ON CAMPUS AT IOWA’S REGENTS UNIVERSITIES. AS RESIDENCE HALLS BEGAN TO FILL UP, OUR COVERAGE PARTNERS AT CBS-2 TALKED WITH VON STANGE, WHO IS ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT OF STUDENT LIFE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA. STANGE SHARED DETAILS ABOUT HOW THE SCHOOL IS TRYING TO DISCOURAGE SITUATIONS WHICH COULD SPREAD THE CORONAVIRUS AS STUDENTS SETTLE INTO THEIR DORMS. MANY STUDENT LIFE LIMITATIONS WILL BE LIFTED FOR THE COMING SCHOOL YEAR, ALTHOUGH A HIGHER-THAN-USUAL NUMBER OF COURSES WILL BE CONDUCTED ONLINE. STANGE TOLD CBS 2 THAT SEVERAL HUNDRED STUDENTS HAVE RECEIVED RELEASES FROM THEIR HOUSING AGREEMENTS.
AUTHORITIES CLAIM A WATERLOO MAN WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN FRAUD WHEN HE PICKED UP A LOST WALLET AT A CASINO IN THE QUAD CITIES. TYRONE THOMPSON JR. FACES IDENTITY THEFT AND OTHER CHARGES. THE ALLEDGED ILLEGAL ACTIVITY BEGAN JUNE 12TH WHEN THOMPSON RECOVERED THE WALLET AND PERSONAL INFORMATION OF AN UNNAMED VICTIM AT THE RHYTHM CITY CASINO. ANOTHER WATERLOO MAN – JAMAR JENKINS – IS CHARGED RELATED TO THE CASE.
ONE OF THE FIRST STOPS FOR AFGHAN REFUGEES COULD BE A PLACE IOWA NATIONAL GUARD SOLDIERS KNOW WELL. HUNDREDS OF AFGHANS COULD BE HEADED TO FORT MCCOY IN WESTERN WISCONSIN. PENTAGON OFFICIALS SAY THE U.S. ARMY IS WORKING TO SET UP REFUGEE RECEPTION CENTERS AT FORT MCCOY AS WELL AS AT FORT BLISS IN TEXAS AND FORT LEE IN VIRGINIA. FORT MCCOY IS LOCATED BETWEEN LACROSSE AND TOMAH AND HAS BEEN A DEPLOYMENT POINT FOR MANY IOWA NATIONAL GUARD UNITS OVER THE PAST TWO DECADES.
AN ALLEGED ROBBERY ATTEMPT LED TO THE ARREST OF A 35-YEAR-OLD MAN IN SOUTHEAST CEDAR RAPIDS LATE MONDAY. DANTE MARTIN FACES ROBBERY CHARGES. HE WAS ALSO INJURED JUMPING OFF THE ROOF OF A BUILDING AS AUTHORITIES ATTEMPTED TO CAPTURE HIM. CEDAR RAPIDS POLICE SAY MARTIN SHOWED A WEAPON AFTER A CONFRONTATION OVER DRUGS OUTSIDE A CONVENIENCE STORE. THE SUBJECT OF THE ATTEMPTED ROBBERY WAS ABLE TO ESCAPE UNHARMED. THE VEHICLE MARTIN HAD BEEN DRIVING HAD ALSO ALLEDGEDLY BEEN STOLEN FROM A WATERLOO ADDRESS.
A NEBRASKA MAN HAS PLED NOT GUILTY IN THE DEATH OF A MASON CITY WOMAN. CHRISTOPHER RATHFON IS CHARGED WITH HOMICIDE BY VEHICLE. POLICE SAY HE STRUCK 62-YEAR-OLD DAWN MERRICK WHILE DRIVING IN MASON CITY ON JUNE 8. MERRICK WAS HOSPITALIZED AND DIED TWO DAYS LATER. RATHFON WAS INITIALLY CHARGED WITH OPERATING A VEHICLE WHILE INTOXICATED, AND OTHER COUNTS. A TRIAL IS SCHEDULED TO BEGIN SEPT. 21 IN CERRO GORDO COUNTY.
IOWA THIRD DISTRICT CONGRESSWOMAN CINDY AXNE ADDRESSED CONCERNS THAT STEPPED UP BASIS ALLOWANCES COULD BE REMOVED FROM FEDERAL TAX CODE AS PART OF REVISIONS TO HOW INVESTMENT INCOME IS CALCULATED. STEPPED UP BASIS IS A KEY TAX CONSIDERATION, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO AGRICULTURAL ASSETS. WHEN APPLIED, THE PRINCIPLE REDUCES THE CAPITAL GAINS TAX ON INHERITTED PROPERTY.
