A HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SITUATION INVOLVING HYDROCHLORIC ACID DEVELOPED WEDNESDAY EVENING IN THE SOUTHEAST IOWA COMMUNITY OF EDDYVILLE. AUTHORITIES SAY TWO TANKS OF THE CHEMICAL WERE LEAKING AT AN ANIMAL FEED PROCESSING CENTER. THE SPILLED ACID PROMPTED A SHELTER IN PLACE ORDER FOR EDDYVILLE RESIDENTS. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS EVEN ADVISED CLOSING WINDOWS AND TURNING OFF AIR CONDITIONERS OVERNIGHT. THE SHELTER IN PLACE ORDER WAS CANCELLED EARLY THIS MORNING, AROUND 1 A.M.
SEVENTEEN PERCENT OF POSITIVE COVID-19 TESTS IN IOWA LAST WEEK WERE RECORDED IN THE UNDER-17 AGE GROUP. THAT’S UP FROM 13 PERCENT THE WEEK BEFORE, ACCORDING TO THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH. IN A WEEKLY UPDATE ON THE CORONAVIRUS IN THE STATE, I-D-P-H SAID WEDNESDAY THAT 42 ADDITIONAL DEATHS BRING IOWA’S PANDEMIC TOTAL TO 6,268. HOSPITALIZATION ARE RISING TO LEVELS COMPARABLE TO LAST JANUARY WHEN CORONAVIRUS VACCINES HAD NOT REACHED WIDESPREAD AVAILABILITY.
MUCH OF NORTHERN AND EASTERN IOWA IS STILL WELL-BEHIND THE PACE FOR ANNUAL RAINFALL TOTALS. WARM, WET WEATHER IS EXPECTED IN THE REGIONAL MIDWEST OVER THE SHORT TERM, ACCORDING TO USDA METEOROLOGIST BRAD RIPPEY. COMING UP IN JUST 30 SECONDS, HEAR SPECIFICS ABOUT A POTENTIALLY STORMY FORECAST FOR EASTERN IOWA. THAT INCLUDES THE CHANCE FOR HEAVY OVERNIGHT SHOWERS.
VIDEO WILL BE CRUCIAL TO THE INVESTIGATION OF A TUESDAY SHOOTING IN WATERLOO. AROUND 4:30 TUESDAY AFTERNOON, PASSING MOTORISTS REPORTED THAT A MAN HAD BEEN BROUGHT DOWN BY GUNFIRE AND WAS LYING IN THE MEDIAN OF HIGHWAY 218 NEAR 9TH STREET. WATERLOO POLICE ARE REVIEWING SECURITY FOOTAGE FROM PROPERTY OWNERS AND BUSINESSES IN THE AREA. NEARBY INTERSECTIONS ALSO HAVE TRAFFIC CAMERAS INSTALLED. POLICE ARE ENCOURAGING ANYONE WITH VIDEO FROM THE AREA AROUND THAT TIME TO SHARE THE FILES THROUGH THEIR ONLINE PORTAL.
CEDAR RAPIDS DEVELOPMENT LEADERS HAVE RENEWED HOPES FOR A CASINO IN THE CITY. FORMER MAYOR RON CORBETT TALKED TO OUR COVERAGE PARTNERS AT TV-9 ABOUT WHAT’S DIFFERENT FROM PREVIOUS EFFORTS WHICH WERE DENIED BY THE IOWA RACING AND GAMING COMMISSION. PART OF THE BASIS FOR DENYING A CEDAR RAPIDS CASINO WAS PERCEIVED OVERSATURATION OF THE GAMBLING MARKET.
BOY SCOUTS TROOPS WILL SOON BE UNABLE TO MEET AT IOWA UNITED METHODIST CHURCHES. BISHOP LAURIE HALLER ADVISED UMC CONGREGATIONS NOT TO HOST SCOUT TROOPS DUE TO INSURANCE ISSUES. SHE SAYS NATIONAL BOY SCOUT LEADERSHIP HAS NOT PROVIDED LIABILITY PROTECTIONS THEY HAD PROMISED.
AGTECH COMPANY SYNGENTA SAYS ITS SALES WERE UP 28 PERCENT DURING THE SECOND QUARTER OF THIS YEAR. SYNGENTA POSTED EARNINGS DATA THIS MORNING, NOTING ROBUST PRICES FOR GRAINS THAT HAVE INCREASED SEED DEMAND.
A MARION MAN WHO FRAUDULENTLY COLLECTED CORONAVIRUS UNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE WILL SPEND NINE MONTHS IN FEDERAL PRISON. PROSECUTORS SAY 55-YEAR-OLD BRIAN WHORTON COLLECTED MORE THAN 13 THOUSAND DOLLARS IN CARES ACT RELIEF PAYMENTS LAST YEAR. WHORTON WAS APPARENTLY INVOLVED WITH OTHERS IN A SCAM WHICH SIPHONED THE FEDERAL FUNDS FROM THE STATE OF ARIZONA. IN ADDITION TO HIS PRISON TIME, WHORTON WILL HAVE TO PAY BACK THE MONEY AS PART OF HIS SENTENCE. THIS SPRING, U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT OFFICIALS CREATED A COVID-19 FRAUD ENFORCEMENT TASK FORCE TO INVESTIGATE AND PROSECUTE PANDEMIC RELATED FRAUD.
IN WATERLOO, FEDERAL OFFICIALS HAVE BEEN LOOKING INTO THE ACTIVITIES OF A MAN WHO ALLEGEDLY BOUGHT GUNS WITH THE INTENT OF DISTRIBUTING THEM TO OTHER PEOPLE. 29-YEAR-OLD CODY HUNT IS CHARGED WITH MAKING FALSE STATEMENTS RELATED TO THE PURCHASES LAST YEAR. SEVEN WEAPONS WERE REPORTEDLY INVOLVED. HUNT HAS ENTERED A PLEA OF NOT GUILTY AHEAD OF AN OCTOBER TRIAL.
A DRY SUMMER IS ABOUT TO COME TO AN END. IN EASTERN IOWA, ABOVE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES AND BELOW NORMAL PRECIPITATION HAVE BEEN THE WEATHER THEME DURING 2021. USDA METEOROLOGIST BRAD RIPPEY PROVIDED A BROAD OUTLOOK FOR WHAT MAY BE COMING OUR WAY ON A NATIONWIDE BASIS DURING THE WEEKS AHEAD. EASTERN IOWA IS EXPECTED TO GET VERY WET TONIGHT.
