With three drownings in two days in Eastern Iowa alone, officials are advising Iowans to follow water safety guidelines. Recent heavy rains can make rivers and other waterways particularly turbulent, and dangerous for paddlers and tubers, and with some cities closing municipal pools this summer due to the coronavirus pandemic, more Iowans may be cooling […]
Iowa adds COVID-19 preexisting condition...
Even as Iowa adds more information to its coronavirus “dashboard,” an anomaly continues with reporting the state’s deaths at long-term care facilities. At her final televised coronavirus press conference June 18, 2020, Governor Kim Reynolds announced further plans to help Iowa’s economy recover from the pandemic, while being quick to point out that most Iowans […]
Iowa reports first West Nile virus case ...
The Iowa Department of Public Health reported two firsts on Wednesday, June 17, 2020: the first West Nile virus case of the season and the first-ever Heartland virus reported in Iowa. West Nile virus is a mosquito-borne disease that has been present in Iowa for more than a decade, while the Heartland virus is carried […]
Nothing on a stick; Iowa State Fair on h...
Fans of the Iowa State Fair will have to wait until 2021 for deep-fried Oreos and food on a stick. “Fairwell for now,” fair organizers posted on the State Fair’s website on Wednesday, June 10, 2020. “We’ll see you next year, Aug. 12-22, 2021.” Earlier in the day, Governor Kim Reynolds didn’t indicate that the […]
Business restrictions further relaxed in...
Citing heightened testing capacity and moderation of COVID-19 cases in Iowa, Governor Kim Reynolds is lifting the 50 percent capacity restriction for businesses, effective 8 a.m. Friday, June 12, 2020. More: Some Test Iowa results “not received at all” The 6-foot social distancing requirement will remain in place for certain establishments, such as bars, restaurants […]
Photos: Thousands march for justice in C...
CEDAR RAPIDS — A peaceful protest turned out as planned, as thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of downtown Cedar Rapids. “Please march with us as we peacefully protest the heartbreaking and infuriating racism, inequality, and murder experienced by George Floyd and too many others,” organizers Nicole LeGrand, Tamara Marcus and Leslie Neely posted […]
Linn County Public Health: Some Test Iow...
By Cindy Hadish Test Iowa COVID-19 results to Linn County Public Health are on a more timely track after lengthy delays from the initiative’s outset. Tricia Kitzmann, Community Health Division Manager for Linn County Public Health, said the department is currently receiving positive COVID-19 results from the Iowa Department of Public Health within three to […]
Iowa hits another milestone in COVID-19 ...
Less than three months after reporting its first presumptive positive cases of COVID-19, Iowa has hit another dark milestone, with more than 20,000 confirmed cases. As of 11:30 a.m. Tuesday, June 2, 2020, the state reported 20,017 positive cases of COVID-19, an increase of 329 new cases in approximately 24 hours. Iowa’s first case was […]
NewBo City Market ponders Rock the Block...
CEDAR RAPIDS — The Indian Creek Nature Center postponed its popular Maple Syrup Festival when the coronavirus pandemic hit Iowa, but announced Thursday, May 28, that the festival has been canceled for this year. Originally set for March 21-22, 2020, Nature Center leaders postponed the festival — one of the primary fundraisers for the nonprofit […]
Iowa coronavirus death toll hits 500 as ...
Just one week after surpassing 400 COVID-19 deaths, Iowa hit another grim milestone in the pandemic on May 28, 2020, with a total of 500 Iowans succumbing to the novel coronavirus. Related: Iowa coronavirus death toll reaches 400 Nationwide, the death toll in the United States has surpassed 100,000. At the same time, COVID-19 has […]