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Iowans break record for highest-grossing liquor sales in December 2020
Iowa saw its highest-grossing liquor sales in the history of the Alcoholic Beverages Division in December 2020. Liquor sales increased 18.5% or about $36 million in comparison to December 2019, according to the ABD. Since the start of COVID-19, liquor sales nationally and in Iowa have reached historic levels as more people stay at home […]
Iowa school districts to lawmakers: Don’t penalize us for COVID-19 enrollment losses
Education advocates are calling on the Iowa Legislature to hold school districts that lost enrollment due to COVID-19 financially harmless. Iowa’s public schools experienced a 1.2% reduction in enrollment, totaling nearly 6,000 students in fall 2020 as families chose to send their kids to private school or keep them at home instead. But the state’s […]
Reynolds says CVS, Walgreens not moving fast enough to immunize nursing homes
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said she’s “not happy” with the speed of COVID-19 immunizations in the state’s long-term care facilities. During a meeting with reporters on Thursday, she acknowledged the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s partnership with CVS and Walgreens to immunize Iowans in nursing homes isn’t moving quickly enough. Reynolds said she is participating […]
Iowa Democrats renew calls to legalize, regulate marijuana like alcohol
Iowa Democrats said Wednesday they want to legalize cannabis and regulate it at the same level as alcohol. So far, no Republicans, who hold the majority in the Legislature, have publicly supported the measure. Nearly 40 Democrats, ranging from city council members to Iowa state senators, signed on in support of legalizing the possession of […]
Rep. Cindy Axne gets first dose of COVID-19 vaccine
U.S. Rep. Cindy Axne, D-Iowa, received her first dose of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine on Wednesday, according to a news release. Congressional members are some of the first people eligible to receive the vaccine under continuity of government requirements. Axne said she was not able to “redesignate” her dose for a frontline worker or at-risk […]
Teachers, grocery workers, are next on Polk County’s COVID-19 vaccine timeline
Police officers, teachers and grocery store workers are on the list of essential workers who will be eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine following long-term care residents and health care personnel, according to the Polk County Health Department. On Tuesday, the Polk County Health Department released a tentative immunization timeline for central Iowa. Polk County is […]
Grassley suggests he may preside over Senate debate on Electoral College votes
Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said he would preside over the U.S. Senate debate surrounding disputes of the 2020 election results if Vice President Mike Pence does not show up. He suggested Pence was not expected to attend but Grassley’s staff later said that was a “misinterpretation” and that Pence was expected to be there. On […]
Iowa has a critical shortage of rural pharmacies needed for COVID-19 vaccination
Leslie Herron, owner of Sumpter Pharmacy in Adel, has done everything she can to prepare for the expected demand in COVID-19 vaccines next year. She purchased digital data recorders to monitor her fridges. She hired an additional person dedicated to COVID-19 testing and eventually, immunization. She ordered a carport, a covered structure that provides rain […]
Iowa’s college enrollment dropped in 2020. Trends point to a continuing decline.
Faced with a spectrum of uncertainties, student enrollment declined across the board at Iowa’s colleges and universities in 2020, according to Iowa College Aid, a state agency that promotes higher education. From on-campus living arrangements to questionable financial security, COVID-19 shook the traditional college experience potential students came to expect this last year. That variability […]
Local pharmacies question if Walgreens, CVS, have staff power to vaccinate nursing homes
Some local pharmacists question whether CVS and Walgreens have enough staffing to quickly administer COVID-19 vaccinations to Iowa’s nursing home residents by themselves, especially in the state’s hard-to-reach rural areas. Iowa state officials and company representatives said they believe there are enough pharmacists and technicians to equitably reach all of the state’s long-term care facilities. […]
Iowans get mixed messaging on COVID-19 vaccine distribution
The Iowa Department of Public Health announced Thursday the state will receive nearly 20% fewer COVID-19 vaccine allocations than initially expected this month. The Centers for Disease Control advised that Iowa will receive enough Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for 138,300 people, according to IDPH. State officials were initially told they would have enough for 172,000 […]
Iowa’s vaccine allocation could be reduced by as much as 30%
The federal government announced that Iowa, along with other states, will not receive the volume of vaccines they initially expected, Iowa Department of Public Health reported late Wednesday. No specific reason was provided. The state was expected to receive enough Pfizer and Moderna vaccines to provide shots for 172,000 people, beginning the week of Dec. […]