ON A WET THURSDAY NIGHT, CEDAR FALLS WAS THE SCENE OF A DEMONSTRATION RELATED TO THE DEATH OF GEORGE FLOYD IN MINNEAPOLIS. PROTESTERS MARCHED IN THE AREA NEAR THE CEDAR FALLS PUBLIC SAFETY BUILDING ON SOUTH MAIN STREET. THE GATHERING WAS PEACEFUL AND INCLUDED APPEARANCES BY SEVERAL CITY LEADERS.
IN WATERLOO, IT HAS BEEN AN EVENTFUL WEEK FOR NEW POLICE CHIEF JOEL FITZGERALD. AFTER BEING SWORN IN MONDAY, FITZGERALD HAS LED WATERLOO’S RESPONSE TO SEVERAL NIGHTS OF PROTESTS, INCLUDING SOME ARRESTS. FITZGERALD WAS A GUEST DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL THURSDAY AND TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE PERCEPTION AND THE REALITY ABOUT POLICE WORK. YOU CAN HEAR MORE OF JOEL FITZGERALD’S INTERVIEW WITH KXEL’S JEFF STEIN ONLINE AT KXEL.COM.
IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY HAS A GROUP OF HOGS WITH A DIMINISHED IMMUNE SYSTEM. THAT HAS ALLOWED RESEARCHERS TO PUT ELEMENTS OF THE HUMAN IMMUNE SYSTEM INTO THE HERD TO CREATE A MODEL FOR HOW DIFFERENT DISEASES AND TREATMENTS IMPACT PEOPLE. I-S-U’S DR. CHRISTOPHER TUGGLE SPOKE ABOUT THE WORK. TUGGLE SAYS THAT COULD INCLUDE TESTING TREATMENTS FOR COVID-19, AS WELL AS CANCER, HEART DISEASE, AND MORE.
PROTESTS IN IOWA CITY DISRUPTED TRAFFIC ON INTERSTATE 80 FOR A SECOND CONSECUTIVE NIGHT. AFTER THE HIGHWAY WAS CLOSED AS A PRECAUTION WEDNESDAY AND POLICE USED TEAR GAS TO KEEP THE CROWD BACK, ON THURSDAY, IOWA CITY AUTHORITIES CLOSED I-80 AND THEN ALLOWED DEMONSTRATORS TO REACH THE ROAD FROM DUBUQUE STREET. SOME INSTANCES OF VANDALISM WERE REPORTED ONCE AGAIN ALONG THE ROUTE PROTESTERS TOOK TOWARD THE INTERSTATE.
CHARGES WERE FILED THURSDAY AFTER AN ATTACK ON COURIER REPORTER JEFF REINITZ, WHILE HE WAS COVERING TUESDAY NIGHT PROTESTS IN WATERLOO. 29-YEAR-OLD IRWIN WADE FACES COUNTS OF DISORDERLY CONDUCT AND RIOTING. SIMILAR CHARGES WERE ALSO ISSUED FOR A MINOR INVOLVED IN THE INCIDENT. CELL PHONE VIDEO OF THE CONFRONTATION SHOW PUNCHES BEING THROWN AS DEMONSTRATORS CROSSED HIGHWAY 218.
WATERLOO AUTHORITIES CONFIRMED THAT THEY BELIEVE THE SAME GROUP CHARGED IN A RESTAURANT FIRE AND AN ATTEMPTED ARMORED CAR ROBBERY WAS ALSO INVOLVED IN ARSON AND BURGLARY AT MAPLE LANES BOWLING ALLEY. KEVIN CRUZ SOLIVERAS HAS NOW BEEN CHARGED IN ALL OF THOSE CRIMES AND OTHERS. THE MAPLE LANES FIRE HAPPENED IN THE EARLY HOURS OF FEBRUARY 4TH; THE ALLEGED SPREE HAPPENED IN WATERLOO AND SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES DURING THE EARLY MONTHS OF 2020.
IOWA HEALTH OFFICIALS REMAIN CAUTIOUS ABOUT ALLOWING LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES TO GET BACK TO THEIR REGULAR ROUTINE. THURSDAY, IOWA’S LONG-TERM CARE REOPENING PLAN WAS ANNOUNCED, FOCUSED ON INITIAL TESTING FOR RESIDENTS AND STAFF.
COMMUNICATION IS AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT OF MODERN POLICE WORK, THE WAY NEW WATERLOO POLICE CHIEF JOEL FITZGERALD SEES IT. DURING HIS FIRST WEEK OFFICIALLY ON THE JOB, FITZGERALD HAS TALKED WITH DOWNTOWN BUSINESS OWNERS, LEADERS OF PROTESTS, AND OTHERS… INCLUDING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL LISTENERS ON THURSDAY. HEAR THE FULL INTERVIEW AT KXEL.COM.
SEVERAL SMALL FIRES WERE SET AT WATERLOO CAR DEALERSHIPS AND SIMILAR BUSINESSES DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS THIS WEEK. POLICE HAVE NOT CONFIRMED A CONNECTION BETWEEN THE INCIDENTS INVOLVING C&S CAR COMPANY, SPRUNG AUTOMOTIVE, AND LIBERTY CAR COMPANY.
GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS WILL RECEIVE A BILL TO EXTEND PREFERENTIAL PRICING FOR ETHANOL AND BIODIESEL. THE IOWA LEGISLATURE PASSED AN EXTENSION OF TAX DIFFERENTIAL RULES WHICH WERE SET TO EXPIRE AT THE END OF THIS MONTH. THE IOWA RENEWABLE FUELS ASSOCIATION SAYS THAT THIS TYPE OF SUPPORT HAS HELPED LEAD TO ETHANOL NOW BEING INCLUDED IN 90 PERCENT OF GAS SOLD IN IOWA. BIODIESEL MIXES REPRESENT OVER 50 PERCENT OF THE STATE’S DIESEL SALES.
A FEDERAL APPEALS COURT HAS RULED THAT THE EPA MUST REVOKE ITS APPROVAL OF WEED-KILLER DICAMBA. THE PRODUCT IS USED ON SOYBEANS AND OTHER CROPS. DRIFTING DICAMBA SPRAYS HAVE REPORTEDLY CAUSED PROBLEMS IN ADJACENT FARM FIELDS. BAYER, BASF, AND CORTEVA AGRISCIENCES PRODUCE THE CHEMICAL HERBICIDE.
