A NEW COMPANY IS LIKELY TO BRING HUNDREDS OF JOBS TO WATERLOO AS EARLY AS JANUARY. STRATACACHE HAS PURCHASED THE FORMER GMAC MORTGAGE FACILITY AT THE CORNER OF HAMMOND AVENUE AND FLAMMANG DRIVE. STRATACACHE PROVIDES DIGITAL BUSINESS SERVICES TO RETAILERS AND RESTAURANTS AROUND THE WORLD.
AS IOWA GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS ANNOUNCED SEVERAL NEW COVID-19 MITIGATION MEASURES YESTERDAY, SHE SPOKE ABOUT WHAT SHE IS HEARING FROM PARENTS. MANY SCHOOL DISTRICTS WOULD LIKE TO TAKE CLASSES ONLINE DUE TO RISING CORONAVIRUS CASES. HOWEVER, INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS STILL HAVE THE ABILITY TO CHART MUCH OF THEIR OWN POLICY RELATED TO THE PANDEMIC WITH STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION APPROVAL.
IOWA SENATOR JONI ERNST SPOKE RECENTLY ABOUT BEING THE ONLY WOMAN PICKED FOR THE REPUBLICAN SENATE LEADERSHIP TEAM. ON TUESDAY, HER PARTY COLLEAGUES PICKED HER AS VICE CHAIR OF THE SENATE REPUBLICAN CAUCUS. SHE WAS RE-ELECTED TO THE U.S. SENATE LAST WEEK, WINNING A RACE AGAINST TERESA GREENFIELD.
WATERLOO MAYOR QUENTIN HART HAS FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCE WITH COVID-19. DURING A RECENT APPEARANCE ON KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL, HART MADE SOME OBSERVATIONS. HART HAS SAID HIS SYMPTOMS HAVE BEEN MINOR. HE SUPPORTED THE WATERLOO CITY COUNCIL’S DECISION THIS WEEK TO EXTEND A FACE COVERING REQUIREMENT THROUGH THE END OF JANUARY.
SCHOOL DISTRICTS ACROSS IOWA ARE WEIGHING WHETHER TO SHIFT THEIR LEARNING PLANS, WITH MANY ASKING STATE OFFICIALS TO MOVE MORE INSTRUCTION ONLINE. ONE OF IOWA’S MOST PRESTIGIOUS COLLEGES IS DOING JUST THAT STARTING TODAY. DRAKE UNIVERSITY IS GOING DIGITAL FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE FALL SEMESTER. IN A NOTE TO DRAKE STUDENTS AND STAFF YESTERDAY, SCHOOL LEADERS NOTED THERE ARE 46 STUDENTS IN ISOLATION AND ANOTHER 158 IN QUARANTINE. INCREASING COVID-19 RATES THROUGHOUT CENTRAL IOWA WERE CITED AS THE REASON FOR THE DECISION.
A DRUNK DRIVING ACCIDENT WHICH KILLED A 9-YEAR-OLD BOY LAST FALL WILL SEND A CHARLES CITY MAN TO PRISON FOR 25 YEARS. JESSE BLADE WAS SENTENCED THIS WEEK. BLADE ENTERED A PLEA OF GUILTY TO VEHICULAR HOMICIDE WHILE INTOXICATED AND OTHER CHARGES. HE ALSO HAD COCAINE IN HIS SYSTEM LAST OCTOBER, WHEN HE RAN A STOP SIGN AT A RURAL INTERSECTION NEAR RUDD, HITTING A MINIVAN AND KILLING 9-YEAR-OLD ROYCE FISHER.
THROUGHOUT THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, IOWA GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS AND OTHER STATE LEADERS HAVE HIGHLIGHTED CHALLENGES CREATED BY THE CORONAVIRUS SITUATION WHICH ARE OUTSIDE THE IMMEDIATE MEDICAL IMPACT. AS A NEW ROUND OF VIRUS MITIGATION STRATEGIES WAS ANNOUNCED IN DES MOINES YESTERDAY, REYNOLDS CONTINUED TO DRAW ATTENTION TO THOSE MORE OBSCURE IMPACTS.
NEW COVID-19 RULES WILL LIMIT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO CAN BE IN ATTENDANCE AT YOUTH AND HIGH SCHOOL SPORTING EVENTS. AN EXCEPTION IS THE STATE HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS, WHICH RESUME AT THE UNI-DOME IN CEDAR FALLS TOMORROW. THE IOWA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION SAYS THE STEPS TAKEN FOR SOCIAL DISTANCING WITHIN THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA FACILITY WERE DEEMED ADEQUATE. EVERYONE IN ATTENDANCE FOR THE PLAYOFFS – EXCEPT THE PLAYERS THEMSELVES – WILL BE REQUIRED TO WEAR A FACE COVERING DURING THE GAMES.
A COMMITTEE IS IN PLACE TO HELP THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA PICK A NEW PRESIDENT. THE IOWA BOARD OF REGENTS NAMED THE GROUP ON TUESDAY. THE 21-MEMBER COMMITTEE IS MADE UP LARGELY OF FACULTY AND STAFF WITH SOME STUDENT AND ALUMNI REPRESENTATION. STARTING NEXT MONTH, THEY WILL WORK ON THE PROCESS FOR CREATING A LIST OF FINALISTS. THE BOARD OF REGENTS WILL HAVE FINAL SAY ON A REPLACEMENT FOR BRUCE HARRALD, WHO SAID LAST MONTH HE PLANS TO RETIRE AT THE END OF HIS CONTRACT WITH THE SCHOOL.
