Briefs
Biden to keynote Iowa Democrats’ ‘virtual’ Hall of Fame event in July
Two things to know about the Iowa Democratic Party’s summer Hall of Fame event: It’s going to be virtual due to COVID-19. And former Vice President Joe Biden will keynote. The Hall of fame event will be staged at 5 p.m., Sunday, July 26. Biden, the presumptive Democratic Party nominee for president, was trailing President […]
DOT to COVID-speeders: slow down
If you are one of the significant number of Iowans who have used the state’s highways like autobahns as the coronavirus thinned traffic, the Iowa Department of Transportation has a message for you: Slow down. “During the height of the pandemic, traffic was cut in half on some Iowa roads. With fewer cars on the […]
New claims for unemployment benefits hold steady in Iowa
The number of new unemployment claims remained relatively flat in Iowa last week. According to the financial advisory web site WalletHub, which just released its own report on the States Whose Unemployment Claims Are Recovering the Quickest, Iowa’s unemployment recovery currently ranks 14th among the states. The number of initial claims filed between the week […]
Hy-Vee: Des Moines store workers test positive for COVID-19
Hy-Vee confirmed Wednesday that an unspecified number of employees at one of the grocery chain’s Des Moines stores have tested positive for COVID-19. Seven employees of the store, located at 3221 Southeast 14th St., and known as the Park Avenue Hy-Vee, are out sick. Some of them have tested positive for COVID-19, and some are […]
Iowa Department of Public Health director announces retirement
Iowa Department of Public Health Director Gerd Clabaugh is retiring from his position effective July 31, he announced Tuesday. Clabaugh, 58, has served as IDPH director since 2014. He said he is retiring to spend more time with family and seek new opportunities. “It’s been my honor to serve the administrations of former Governor Branstad […]
State officials encourage Iowans to watch for exploitation of seniors
The Iowa Insurance Division is reminding Iowans that heightened isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic has left seniors vulnerable to financial exploitation. While financial abuse can occur at any time, perpetrators will often strike when seniors are more susceptible, such as during a health crisis or after the death of a loved one. They can gather […]
Vice President Mike Pence returns to Iowa Tuesday
Vice President Mike Pence will return to Iowa Tuesday, the White House has announced. Pence is scheduled to participate in a lunch with Gov. Kim Reynolds, according to a White House news release. He’s also scheduled to tour Winnebago Industries and speak afterward with employees of the Forest City recreational vehicle manufacturer. Winnebago Industries announced […]
University student leaders say cuts will ‘fall hardest’ on minorities
Student leaders at Iowa’s public universities are calling the Legislature’s decision to cut $8 million in spending for higher education “short-sighted and deeply disappointing.” Student representatives at the University of Northern Iowa, University of Iowa and Iowa State University say the cuts for the next fiscal year, which begins July 1, coincide with protests over […]
New COVID-19 infections are up nationally but down in Iowa
COVID-19 infection rates are continuing to drop in Iowa, but are rising nationally and in 21 other states. For the week ending June 7, the states of Arizona, New Mexico and Utah posted infection rates that were at least 40% higher than the previous week, according to an analysis by Reuters. In the states of Arkansas, […]
COVID-19 testing sites are moved within Des Moines and Cedar Rapids
COVID-19 testing sites in Des Moines and Cedar Rapids are being moved to new locations within those cities this weekend. The sites will be moved Friday after testing for the day concludes at 6 p.m. The Des Moines site, which has been located at the Iowa Events Center north parking lot, was the first to […]
ISU, UNI to begin classes early, finish by Thanksgiving
Fall classes at Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa will begin a week early and end before Thanksgiving, the schools announced. The idea is to help reduce the spread of COVID-19, which led all three Iowa public universities to switch to online learning at the end of spring semester. ISU and UNI […]
Grassley wants answers on USDA probe into beef profit margins
Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa is asking the U.S. Department of Agriculture to disclose the findings of its investigation into beef processors’ record profit margins in the wake of a 2019 fire at a Tyson Foods plant. Profit margins for beef processors reached record highs shortly after an August 2019 fire shuttered Tyson’s Holcomb, Kansas, […]