Home News Monday Afternoon News, November 30th

Monday Afternoon News, November 30th

Iowa Department Of Transportation Closes Lone Tree Road For Highway 75 Paving Project

(Hinton) — The Iowa Department of Transportation Closed Lone Tree Road on Monday morning in order for the Highway 75 paving project could continue.  The road is expected to remain closed for at least a week.

 

 

 

Grassley Discusses Possible Cabinet Appointees With Biden’s Administration

(Washington) — U-S Republican Senator Chuck Grassley is back at work in our nation’s capital after having to quarantine himself for the past two weeks due to testing positive with the COVID-19 virus. Grassley, at 87 years of age, says he never had any of the typical symptoms associated with the virus, and is feeling fine. Grassley participated in an exclusive interview with KLEM news Monday afternoon. He was asked about when or if, President Trump should concede the election to Democrat Joe Biden?

Grassley then spoke of names he has heard that are being circulated to be part of president-elect’s Joe Biden’s cabinet. Grassley says, so far, he has heard of only a few names.

As for who may be in line for the U-S Secretary of Agriculture position, Grassley says he has heard of a North Dakota connection, that being former Senator Heidi Heitkamp.

Grassley was asked about his opinion if former Iowa Governor and USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack would return to the cabinet post?

 

 

 

Grassley Talks About Possible Second COVID Relief Bill And Democrats Split

(Washington) — During his conversation with KLEM news on Monday, Iowa U-S Republican Senator Chuck Grassley spoke about the likelihood of a second COVID-19 relief package. Grassley says negotiations for a second package are occurring between the House and the Senate, as well as with the White House. He says many in Washington are hoping a successful relief package bill will emerge before Congress takes its holiday recess.

Grassley says you don’t hear much about it, but he says there is an internal battle going on among the Democrats in Congress between the far progressive leftists and the moderates.

The Iowa Republican senator says the progressives, which are being lead by New York Democratic Congresswoman, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are not pleased.

 

 

 

Software Used For Iowa Contact Tracing Causing Problems

(Des Moines, IA) — The software being used for contact tracing in Iowa is apparently causing some big problems. Users report crashes, lag times when entering records, and security issues. The Iowa Department of Health has a contract with DOMO cloud services for the software. Some users complain the software wasn’t created by experts in contact tracing. The Cedar Rapids
Gazette reports the software asks questions like, “Have you had exposure to a dog with COVID-19?” They say that information is unnecessary. The software is also said to be not very user-friendly.

 

 

 

Restaurant Association Says 1,000 Bars, Restaurants Will Close By March

(Des Moines, IA) — The president of the Iowa Restaurant Association has a dire warning for the future of the industry. Jessica Dunker says a thousand bars and restaurants will close by March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
She says the industry will lose a billion dollars in revenue. Dunker says her organization wants Congress to approve another 10 weeks of a payroll protection program to help those bars and restaurants pay their employees and cover rent or mortgage payments.

 

 

 

Grand Jury Determines Altoona Officer, Polk County Deputy Used Justifiable Force

(Des Moines, IA) — A grand jury has determined an Altoona police officer and a Polk County deputy used justifiable force when they shot a man to death last September. The finding was issued Friday although the grand jury ruled two weeks before that. Fifty-one-year-old Jeffrey Meyer was killed at the
Motel Six in Altoona when he failed to drop the loaded gun he was holding.
The officers used beanbag rounds in an effort to disarm Meyer, but that’s when he pointed his weapon at them and was shot.