×

KXEL Midday News for Fri. May 07, 2021

By Tim Harwood May 7, 2021 | 11:56 AM

THE IOWA LEGISLATURE HAS GONE A WEEK PAST THE END OF ITS CALENDAR FOR THIS YEAR’S SESSION. WITH BUDGET WORK YET TO DO, DEBATE ON THE HOUSE AND SENATE FLOORS WILL CONTINUE. IOWA HOUSE SPEAKER PAT GRASSLEY SPOKE THURSDAY ABOUT THE NEXT STEPS FOR HIS CHAMBER. GRASSLEY REPRESENTS GRUNDY COUNTY AND PORTIONS OF BUTLER AND HARDIN COUNTIES FROM HOUSE DISTRICT 50.

CORONAVIRUS VACCINES ARE LIKELY TO BE AVAILABLE FOR YOUNGER TEENAGERS SOON. DR. STEVE RINDERKNECHT IS A PEDIATRICIAN IN THE UNITY POINT SYSTEM AND SPOKE WITH OUR COVERAGE PARTNERS AT TV-9 ABOUT DETAILS HE HOPES PARENTS WILL CONSIDER. FINDINGS ON THE PFIZER VACCINE ADMINISTERED TO YOUNG TEENS SHOWED ONLY MINOR SIDE EFFECTS SIMILAR TO THOSE EXPERIENCED BY OLDER TEENS AND YOUNG ADULTS.

MORE THAN 3.7 BILLION DOLLARS FROM WASHINGTON HAS BEEN PROVIDED TO IOWANS IN THE FORM OF STIMULUS CHECKS. IOWA’S LEGISLATIVE SERVICES AGENCY PROVIDED THOSE NUMBERS. ANOTHER FIVE BILLION DOLLARS WILL BE SENT TO THE STATE, AS WELL AS IOWA’S LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, FROM THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN PASSED EARLIER THIS YEAR.

A WATERLOO FIGHT WHICH SENT A MAN TO THE HOSPITAL WITH SEVERE INJURIES EARLIER THIS WEEK HAS RESULTED IN AN ARREST AND CHARGES. THE INCIDENT HAPPENED ON MONDAY, REPORTEDLY ORIGINATING OVER A DOMESTIC RELATIONSHIP. WATERLOO POLICE ALLEGE THAT MICHAEL HEGGEBO KICKED DERRIUS HOLLIS AFTER HE HAD BEEN KNOCKED TO THE GROUND CAUSING INJURIES WHICH REQUIRED SURGERY FOR HEAD TRAUMA. HEGGEBO WAS ARRESTED WEDNESDAY AND WAS HELD ON 200 THOUSAND DOLLARS BOND FOR CHARGES IN THE CASE. HE ALLEGEDLY WAS ALSO IN VIOLATION OF HIS PAROLE FROM AN EARLIER CRIMINAL CONVICTION.

IOWA REPUBLICANS CONTROL BOTH CHAMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE, AS WELL AS THE GOVERNOR’S MANSION. THAT WAS NO GUARANTEE OF COMPLETE AGREEMENT ON LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES THIS SESSION, AS NOTED BY SPEAKER OF THE IOWA HOUSE PAT GRASSLEY DURING A VIRTUAL PRESS CONFERENCE THURSDAY. GRASSLEY SAYS THE IOWA HOUSE WILL ADVANCE ITS VERSION OF THE BUDGET SOON. THE LEGISLATIVE CALENDAR HAD BEEN SCHEDULED TO WRAP UP AT THE END OF APRIL.

A LAWSUIT BROUGHT BY A GROUP OF FORMER IOWA FOOTBALL PLAYERS HAS CLEARED A LEGAL HURDLE. A MOTION TO DISMISS THE SUIT WAS DENIED. THE ACTION ALLEGES HAWKEYE STAFF MEMBERS MISTREATED BLACK PLAYERS, BUT SOME OF THE ALLEGATIONS HAVE ALREADY BEEN THROWN OUT. OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR BRIAN FERENTZ AND FORMER STRENGTH COACH CHRIS DOYLE REMAIN THE FOCAL POINTS OF THE LAWSUIT. THIRTEEN PLAINTIFFS ALLEGE THEY WERE MISTREATED WITH RACIAL SLURS, FORCED TO ABANDON BLACK HAIRSTYLES, FASHION AND CULTURE AND RETALIATED AGAINST FOR SPEAKING OUT.

THIS WEEK, THE PARTICIPATION OF TRANSGENDER ATHLETES IN GIRLS SPORTS HAS BECOME AN ISSUE ON IOWA’S LEGISLATIVE RADAR. YESTERDAY, STATE HOUSE SPEAKER PAT GRASSLEY TALKED ABOUT COMMENTS BY GOVERNOR KIM REYNOLDS INDICATING HER SUPPORT FOR A BILL ON THE TOPIC. REYNOLDS HAS SAID QUESTIONS OF COMPETITIVENESS AND OPPORTUNITY FOR FEMALE ATHLETES PROMPTED THE DISCUSSION.

MEANWHILE, SEVERAL MEMBERS OF THE INTERFAITH ALLIANCE OF IOWA CRITICIZED PROPOSED LEGISLATION ON THURSDAY. THE GROUP INCLUDED THE REV. BRIGIT STEVENS, WHO IS THE EXECUTIVE CONFERENCE MINISTER FOR THE IOWA CONFERENCE OF THE UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST. IN RELATED NEWS, THE NCAA BOARD OF GOVERNORS HAS ISSUED A STATEMENT SUPPORTING TRANSGENDER SPORTS PARTICIPATION, AND IS MONITORING LEGISLATION IN SEVERAL STATES. FUTURE NCAA REGIONAL TOURNAMENT SITE DECISIONS COULD BE AFFECTED BY LOCAL RULES ON THE ISSUE.

THE CEDAR RAPIDS FREEDOM FESTIVAL HAS A NEW DIRECTOR. KAROL SHEPHERD ACCEPTED THE ASSIGNMENT AND WAS NAMED TO THE POST THURSDAY AFTER FIRST TAKING A POSITION WITH THE ORGANIZATION AT THE BEGINNING OF 2020. FINAL DETAILS ARE STILL BEING ARRANGED FOR THIS YEAR’S FREEDOM FESTIVAL, WHICH WILL BEGIN IN JUST OVER A MONTH AND RUN THROUGH INDEPENDENCE DAY. IN-PERSON FREEDOM FESTIVAL EVENTS WERE CANCELLED LAST SUMMER DUE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.