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KXEL Midday News for Tue. Jul. 07, 2020

By Tim Martin Jul 7, 2020 | 2:18 PM

IOWA HAS NO DEATH PENALTY, BUT DUSTIN HONKEN OF BRITT FACES EXECUTION VIA THE FEDERAL JUDICIAL SYSTEM NEXT WEEK. THE STATE’S FOUR CATHOLIC BISHOPS HAVE ASKED PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP TO CHANGE HONKEN’S SENTENCE FROM DEATH TO LIFE IN PRISON. THE BISHOPS’ LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT ARGUES THAT THE DEATH PENALTY DOES NOT DETER CRIME NOR VIOLENCE. HONKEN IS A FORMER DRUG DEALER. HE WAS CONVICTED OF KILLING FIVE PEOPLE, INCLUDING TWO CHILDREN IN THE 1990S. THERE HAS NOT BEEN A FEDERAL EXECUTION SINCE 2003.

FOR THE SECOND TIME IN FOUR MONTHS, FEDERAL BACKGROUND CHECKS FOR GUN SALES HIT A RECORD. IN JUNE, GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS PROCESSED NEARLY FOUR MILLION BACKGROUND CHECKS, INCLUDING 25 THOUSAND IN IOWA. OUR COVERAGE PARTNERS AT TV-9 TALKED WITH MATT SCHRANTZ, WHO MANAGES PALO OUTDOORS. HE POINTS TO A CONNECTION WITH COVID19 DISRUPTIONS. SCHRANTZ SAYS INTEREST IN HUNTING PRODUCTS EXTENDS BEYOND GUN SALES.

TWO ACCIDENTS IN NEARLY THE SAME LOCATION SLOWED TRAFFIC ON INTERSTATE 380 MONDAY AND SENT ONE WOMAN TO THE HOSPITAL. AROUND 10:30 YESTERDAY A SEMI TRAILER CAUGHT FIRE ON THE SHOULDER OF THE SOUTHBOUND LANES BETWEEN CENTER POINT AND URBANA. THERE WERE NO INJURIES IN THAT INCIDENT. THEN AFTER 2 O’CLOCK, IN THE SAME AREA, AN UNNAMED WATERLOO WOMAN LOST CONTROL OF HER VEHICLE AND COLLIDED WITH ANOTHER WHICH WAS OFF THE ROAD. THE WOMAN SUFFERED SERIOUS INJURIES AND HAD TO BE FLOWN TO IOWA CITY FOR TREATMENT.

WATERLOO POLICE ARE LOOKING FOR SOMEONE WHO MAY HAVE SWIPED ITEMS FROM SWIMMERS AT LOST ISLAND WATER PARK. MONDAY, A PHOTO WAS RELEASED OF A MAN IN SWIM TRUNKS WHO APPEARS TO BE CARRYING A PURSE OR WOMAN’S BACKPACK. THE BLOND-HAIRED MAN APPEARS TO BE IN HIS 20S. CEDAR VALLEY CRIME-STOPPERS ARE TAKING TIPS RELATED TO THE CASE AND A REWARD IS AVAILABLE FOR MORE INFORMATION.

IN CEDAR RAPIDS, A GROUP IS PLANNING A WEEKEND EVENT IN SUPPORT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT, AS WELL AS OTHER FIRST RESPONDERS AND THE MILITARY. MICHAEL LAMBERT IS THE ORGANIZER OF THE “BACK THE BLUE, BACK THE GREEN FREEDOM MARCH” AND SPOKE WITH OUR COVERAGE PARTNERS AT TV-9. THE MARCH WILL BEING AT 10 A.M. SATURDAY AT THE INTERSECTION OF FIRST AVENUE AND FIRST STREET.

WITH THE FASTEST INTERNET YOU’LL FIND, CEDAR FALLS UTILITIES IS PROVIDING BETTER CONNECTION SPEEDS THAN SOME OF THE LARGEST PROVIDERS IN THE NATION. C-F-U GENERAL MANAGER STEVE BERNARD WAS A GUEST DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL, AND TALKED ABOUT THE CONSTANT PUSH TO GET FASTER. CEDAR FALLS UTILITIES WAS RECENTLY NAMED THE FASTEST INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER IN THE UNITED STATES BY PC MAGAZINE.

APPROXIMATELY 6,000 IOWA BUSINESSES RECEIVED LOANS OF $150,000 OR MORE FROM THE FEDERAL PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM. THE LIST OF ENTITIES RECEIVING AT LEAST THAT MUCH SUPPORT WAS RELEASED MONDAY BY THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT. IT INCLUDES CHURCHES, MANUFACTURERS, CAR DEALERSHIPS, FARM-RELATED ORGANIZATIONS AND HOSPITALS. ANOTHER 52,500 IOWA BUSINESSES AND NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS RECEIVED LESS THAN $150,000 AND WEREN’T NAMED.

A DUBUQUE MAN AND HIS WIFE HAVE BEEN SENTENCED TO TWO YEARS IN FEDERAL PRISON FOR STEALING MORE THAN $200,000 FROM HIS DISABLED MOTHER. 66-YEAR-OLD DAVID DERBY AND 52-YEAR-OLD PATTI LYNN DERBY WERE SENTENCED AFTER PLEADING GUILTY IN SEPTEMBER TO WIRE FRAUD. DAVID DERBY’S MOTHER SUFFERS FROM MENTAL AND PHYSICAL DISABILITIES AND WAS LIVING IN AN ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY IN DUBUQUE.

FROM FIRST DIPPING A TOE INTO THE INTERNET MARKET A COUPLE OF DECADES AGO, CEDAR FALLS UTILITIES HAS THE FASTEST CONNECTION SPEEDS IN THE COUNTRY. CFU GENERAL MANAGER STEVE BERNARD TALKED ABOUT THE UTILITY’S EVOLUTION RECENTLY DURING KXEL LIVE AND LOCAL. C-F-U’S FASTEST CONNECTIONS ARE NOW MADE AT 10 GIGABITS PER SECOND.

VOTING ENDS AT 8 P.M. THIS EVENING IN CEDAR FALLS’ SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL ELECTION. FIVE CANDIDATES ARE SEEKING ONE SEAT; IF NO ONE EARNS 50 PERCENT, THERE WILL BE A RUNOFF ELECTION NEXT MONTH. ALL IN-PERSON VOTING IN THE ELECTION IS HAPPENING AT THE GALLAGHER BLUEDORN PERFORMING ARTS CENTER.