Iowa State Fair Is Cancelled
(Des Moines) — The 2020 Iowa State Fair has been cancelled due to the pandemic. The Fair Board met Wednesday afternoon and voted 11-to-two to make the decision. Iowa State Fair Manager and C-E-O Gary Slater says it’s only the sixth time in the fair’s history that the annual summertime event has been cancelled.
Slater says he sympathizes with people who’re upset with the decision, because he’s upset, too.
Slater and his staff tried to devise a plan to have fewer vendors, fewer attractions and limited attendance to address public health concerns about spreading COVID-19 among crowds.
Fair officials conducted a general survey in May and then in June surveyed the general public as well as people who’d shown an interest in fair activities by signing up for email notices. Slater says in the end the decision was clear.
Slater says a scaled-back, socially-distanced fair would have lost about as much money as they’ll lose by not having a fair at all. The decision about having a 2020 fair had to be made by mid-June, according to Slater, because they have to hire hundreds of temporary workers to put on the 11-day-long event.
The Fair Board directed Slater to work up a plan for a potential event the state fairgrounds in August, for 4-H and F-F-A members to show their livestock. Slater says he and his staff will meet over the next couple of days to evaluate the financial implications and the health precautions they’d have to take.
Slater has been the fair’s manager since 2001 and he’s made contingency plans for all sorts of events, like fires, storms and brutally high temperatures during the fair.
Earlier Wednesday, Governor Kim Reynolds said she would support whatever decision the Fair Board made. The cancellation of the Minnesota and Wisconsin State Fairs had no bearing on the Iowa State Fair’s cancellation, according to Slater.
This is the first time since World War II that the Iowa State Fair been cancelled. The 11-day event bills itself as the state’s largest tourist attraction and has been drawing more than a million visitors annually since 2002.
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Hoffman Comments On Decision To Cancel Iowa State Fair
(Le Mars) — On Wednesday, officials with the Iowa State Fair decided to cancel the 2020 Iowa State Fair. Dave Hoffman of Le Mars serves as the president of the Iowa State Fair Board and told KLEM news the decision was difficult to make.
Plymouth County Fair Board To Meet Thursday To Make Decision
(Le Mars) — On a related note, the Plymouth County Fair Board is scheduled to convene on Thursday evening, and they too will be making the decision about the county fair, slated as the “best five days of summer.” Other neighboring county fairs, such as Sioux, O’Brien, and Lyon county fairs have decided to offer a 4-H and FFA only fair, allowing for the youth to exhibit their projects, but not offering any grandstand or entertainment events.
Reynolds To Lift Capacity Restrictions On Friday
(Des Moines) — Governor Reynolds has decided to lift the restrictions relating to capacity beginning on Friday. She informed the news media of her decision during the Wednesday COVID-19 briefing. Reynolds says Iowans are heading in the right direction with regards to the virus. She says we still
need to make decisions regarding the coronavirus based on measured and responsible approach that is driven by data.
Reynolds continued by offering some guidelines businesses must follow when allowing for additional capacity. She is also lifting the restrictions with community swimming pools and senior centers.
Governor Reynolds says Iowans will still need to implement safeguards against the spread of the coronavirus.
In response to the governor’s lifting of additional restrictions for swimming pools, Le Mars YMCA officials have said the Le Mars outdoor community swimming pool will open to the general public beginning on Monday, June 15th.
275 More COVID-19 Cases in Iowa, 7 Deaths
(Des Moines, IA) — The Iowa Department of Public Health is reporting 275 more confirmed cases of COVID-19, increasing the state total to 22-thousand-454. Seven more Iowans have died of coronavirus which brings the death toll to 629. Two-hundred-45 Iowans are hospitalized with COVID, 73 patients are in intensive care units and 49 are on ventilators. More than 52-hundred
people were tested between Tuesday and Wednesday. State health officials say 202-thousand-594 have been tested for COVID-19 since the pandemic began.
Northern Iowa, Iowa State Announce Fall Semester Plans
(Cedar Falls, IA) — The University of Northern Iowa and Iowa State University plan to start classes early this fall semester. U-N-I President Mark Nook said fall classes will run from August 17th to November 20th.
There will be class on Labor Day and final exams will be November 21st through 25th. Classes at both schools will be a mix of in-person, online and hybrid formats. Students will be expected to wear face coverings. I-S-U President Wendy Wintersteen says classes in Ames will also start August 17th
and end November 25th – the day before Thanksgiving. Iowa State is reducing the number of students in classrooms and also asking students and staff to wear face coverings.
Sioux City Mother Charged With Attempted Murder On Son
(Sioux City, IA) — Authorities in Woodbury County have charged a 56-year-old woman who shot her son with attempted murder. The incident happened Friday at 7:00 p-m. Georgia Grau is accused of shooting her 27-year-old son Thomas in the stomach and the upper arm. Investigators say she used a 38
caliber revolver. Police say there has been a history of domestic violence and disturbances between the two at that address in recent years.
Democrats: Iowa Republicans Giving Governor Too Much Leeway On Budget
(Des Moines, IA) — Democratic lawmakers say they are concerned that Republicans are giving Republican Governor Kim Reynolds too much leeway on state budget questions. State Representative Chris Hall of Sioux City says the plan for the next fiscal year is a case of the Legislature “entirely abdicating its responsibility to make a budget.” Hall says it allows the
governor’s office to have an unheard-of amount of authority – whether during emergency times or not. He says lawmakers are “punting” the tough spending decisions to the governor. Republican Gary Mohr rejects Hall’s comments. He is the chairman of the Iowa House Appropriations Committee.
Bill Would Limit Secretary Of State’s Authority To Change Election Process During Pandemic
(Des Moines, IA) — The Iowa Senate has passed legislation that would limit the ability of the secretary of state to change the election process during an emergency. Mail-in ballot applications were sent to all registered voters before the June primary election – leading to a record turnout. Republicans supporting the bill say it’s needed to put checks and balances on Secretary
of State Paul Pate’s power. Democrats say the measure could put voters at risk and limit voting access in the November election because coronavirus is still expected to be a problem then.
Governor Okay With Sending Absentee Ballot Request to All Voters
(Des Moines, IA) — Governor Kim Reynolds says she had no problem with Secretary of State Paul Pate sending absentee ballot request forms to every registered voter in April. The move led to led to record turn-out for last week’s June Primary. A bill being debated in the Iowa Senate today would forbid the secretary of state from doing that in the future. The measure
also forbids county auditors from sending out absentee ballot request forms and it would limit the consolidation of polling places on Election Day. The governor is not sending a public signal of whether she approves of these changes. More than half-a-million Iowans voted in the June 2nd primary, the vast majority by mail-in ballots. President Trump and some Republicans oppose mail-in ballots, claiming they are susceptible to voter fraud.
