FEWER SCOOTERS AND MORE MATURE RIDERS ARE THE EXPECTED RESULTS FROM CHANGES TO WATERLOO RULES FOR THE RENTABLE MOTORIZED DEVICES. CITY CODE COVERING SCOOTERS WAS UPDATED DURING MONDAY’S COUNCIL MEETING. THE NUMBER OF DEVICES AVAILABLE FROM COMPANIES “BIRD” AND “HELBIZ” WAS SLICED TO 150 APIECE. USERS WILL ALSO HAVE TO PROVE THEY ARE 18 OR OVER BY SCANNING THEIR ID THROUGH THE BIRD OR HELBIZ APPS. USING THE SCOOTERS ON SIDEWALKS IS ALSO A VIOLATION OF THE ORDINANCE. MONDAY’S CHANGES WERE MADE WITH THE SUPPORT OF ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS.
AS EVICTIONS BECOME POSSIBLE AFTER THE END OF A FEDERAL MORITORIUM, THE IOWA RENT AND UTILITY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM IS AVAILABLE FOR THE BENEFIT OF BOTH RENTERS AND LANDLORDS. IOWA FINANCE AUTHORITY SPOKESPERSON ASHLEY JARED OFFERED DETAILS TO KXEL. JARED SAYS UP TO 12 MONTHS WORTH OF ASSISTANCE IS AVAILABLE TO EACH ELIGIBLE HOUSEHOLD.
IT’S THE LAST WEEK OF SWIMMING THIS SEASON AT BEVER POOL IN CEDAR RAPIDS. POOL HOURS THERE WILL WRAP UP FOR THE SUMMER THIS WEEKEND. SCHEDULES ARE ALSO BEING ADJUSTED AT CHERRY HILL AND NOELRIDGE AQUATIC CENTERS. CHERRY HILL’S LAST DAY OF SWIMMING IS AUGUST 22ND WHILE THE SUMMER AT NOELRIDGE ENDS LABOR DAY. FULL DETAILS ABOUT CEDAR RAPIDS POOL SCHEDULES ARE AVAILABLE ON THE CITY WEBSITE.
LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND HEALTH AGENCIES IN IOWA CAN’T MANDATE MASKS, BUT MANY OFFICIALS WISH PEOPLE WOULD WEAR THEM. OUR COVERAGE PARTNERS AT TV-9 TALKED WITH SAMUEL JARVIS OF THE JOHNSON COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH DEPARTMENT. JARVIS SAYS MOST NEW COVID CASES ARE AMONG THE UNVACCINATED. AND THE CENTERS FOR DESEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION HAS INDICATED THAT VACCINATED PEOPLE CAN STILL SPEAD THE VIRUS, EVEN WHILE SHOWING NO SYMPTOMS. THAT HAS PROMPTED THE CDC TO RECOMMEND MASKS INDOORS IN HIGH-TRANSMISSION AREAS.
RAIN LATE LAST WEEK WAS A RELIEF FOR FARMERS IN MANY PARTS OF THE STATE. THIS WEEK’S USDA CROP REPORT STILL INDICATES THAT TOPSOIL MOISTURE IS EITHER SHORT OR VERY SHORT ACROSS HALF OF IOWA. 62 PERCENT OF CORN AND 61 PERCENT OF SOYBEANS ARE RATED GOOD TO EXCELLENT IN THE WEEKLY SURVEY.
THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN IOWA IS ACTIVELY SEEKING MORE STUDENTS FROM ILLINOIS. ON MONDAY, UNI ANNOUNCED IT HAS MADE AN AGREEMENT WITH 48 COMMUNITY COLLEGES ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. ILLINOIS STUDENTS WHO HAVE EARNED THEIR ASSOCIATES DEGREE FROM THOSE SCHOOLS WILL HAVE AUTOMATICALLY FULFILLED UNI’S GEN-ED REQUIREMENTS. THEY WILL ALSO BE ELIGIBLE FOR A FIVE THOUSAND DOLLAR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PACKAGE.
THE QUAD CITIES RIVER BANDITS HAVE THE BEST RECORD IN THE LEAGUE; THE CEDAR RAPIDS KERNELS WILL TRY TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT BEGINNING TONIGHT. THE KERNELS OPEN A SIX-GAME HOME SET AGAINST THE RIVER BANDITS AT VETERANS MEMORIAL STADIUM. FIRST PITCH IS 6:35.
MORE THAN 18 THOUSAND IOWANS IMPACTED BY COVID-19 HAVE RECEIVED RENTAL AND UTILITY ASSISTANCE SO FAR. THE SUPPORT COMES FROM NINE MILLION DOLLARS IN FUNDING THROUGH THE FEDERAL CARES ACT. ASHLEY JARED OF THE IOWA FINANCE AUTHORITY SAYS THAT RESOURCE CAN EVEN HELP THOSE WHO HAVE UNPAID BACK-RENT AND ARE NOW ON THE BRINK OF EVICTION. JARED SAYS AUTHORITIES HAVE WORKED THROUGH AN INITIAL BACKLOG OF APPLICATIONS. NEW APPLICATIONS FOR RENTAL ASSISTANCE CAN BE FILED ONLINE AT IOWA-HOUSING-RECOVERY.COM.
HOW ACCURATE ARE THE NUMBERS ABOUT IOWA’S CORONAVIRUS INFECTION RATE? OUR COVERAGE PARTNERS AT TV-9 TALKED WITH SARAH ANNE WILLETTE WHO ANALYZES COVID-19 TRENDS AT IOWA-COVID-19-TRACKER.ORG. AS FEWER IOWANS SOUGHT TESTS IN THE SPRING, STATE OFFICIALS CLOSED TEST IOWA LOCATIONS. CORONAVIRUS TESTS ARE STILL AVAILABLE AT PHARMACIES, MEDICAL FACILITIES, AND THROUGH TEST IOWA BY MAIL. AS OF THIS MORNING, THE STATE’S ROLLING SEVEN-DAY AVERAGE OF POSITIVE TESTS WAS 6.6 PERCENT.
A NUMBER OF PETS DISCOVERED IN FILTHY CONDITIONS RESULTED IN THE ARREST OF TWO PEOPLE IN CEDAR RAPIDS. STEPHEN BOOZELL AND MONICA MOORE-BOOZELL FACE ANIMAL NEGLECT CHARGES. AUTHORITIES IN CEDAR RAPIDS SAY SEVERAL CATS AND TWO DOGS ARE BEING CARED FOR AND ARE LIKELY TO BE AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION.
