Governor Reynolds Talks About Vaccine Hesitancy During News Conference
(Des Moines) — Governor Kim Reynolds addressed the issue of vaccine hesitancy during her weekly news conference held Wednesday morning. She says the trend toward vaccine hesitancy is occurring not only across the state, but also
across the nation.
Reynolds says vaccine supplies are being re-allocated to more populous communities where there is still a high demand for the COVID vaccines.
The Iowa governor informed the media that statistics from a survey show younger people are the demographic most likely to choose not to become vaccinated.
Reynolds says what ever the reasons for choosing not to become vaccinated, it is important to understand, so health officials can take a more targeted approach at trying to convince those that getting the vaccine is the right thing to do to protect themselves and their community. She says what may work best is to have these individuals speak to someone they trust, and who has
received the COVID vaccination.
Senate Republicans Want Limits, Income Verification for Iowa Benefits
(Des Moines, IA) — Iowa households with more than one vehicle could be ineligible for food stamps if a Senate G-O-P proposal in a budget bill becomes law. The plan also calls for a new system to investigate an Iowan’s financial situation to determine if they’re eligible for food assistance or Medicaid
coverage. Republican Senator Mark Costello from Imogene said the goal is to more quickly find out who is and who is not eligible for public assistance, “to help people that need the resources to have them and not waste them on people that are really not eligible and do not need them so much.” Tom Chapman of the Iowa Catholic Conference told senators the proposed asset limit
is very low. Chapman said, “just the fact of owning two cars, especially in rural Iowa, doesn’t mean that people don’t need help getting food.”
Board of Regents Names 4th Finalist for University of Iowa President
(Urbandale, IA) — The Board of Regents is going in-house as the search continues for the next University of Iowa president. The fourth finalist is Daniel Clay, Dean of the College of Education at the University of Iowa. Clay will meet with U-I faculty, staff and students Thursday and Friday. He will
take part in a public forum Thursday afternoon which will be streamed live.
The other three finalists are Penn State Dean Hari Osofsky, University of Illinois Senior Vice President Barbara Wilson, and Georgia State University Provost Wendy Hensel. The Board of Regents is expected to pick the next U-I president by April 30th. Current President Bruce Harreld retires next month.
Trial Underway For South Carolina Man Accused of Killing Mother in Sioux City
(Sioux City, IA) – – Trial is underway for a South Carolina man accused of fatally stabbing his mother and wounding his sister in Sioux City. Paul Belk is charged with the first-degree murder of 55-year-old Lisa Belk and willful injury for seriously stabs wounds to his sister. Witnesses testified Tuesday that Lisa was excited to see her son when he came home but Paul would not hug her. The 28-year-old sister was not named in court.
Southwest Iowa Man Saves 2 People From Burning Car
(Council Bluffs, IA) — A good Samaritan is credited with pulling two women from a burning car in southwestern Iowa on Tuesday after the vehicle was hit by a truck. Police in Council Bluffs say the accident happened when a vehicle stopped in the middle of Interstate-80 was struck. The impact sent the
vehicle across the lanes of traffic before it hit a metal barricade and caught fire. Runk Wood of Avoca was on his way to work in Lincoln, Nebraska when he came upon the scene and pulled over. He heard a girl screaming and pulled the driver to safety before realizing there was someone else in the car. He
rescued the second woman as well. Both the driver and passenger were transported to the University of Nebraska Medical Center for treatment. They were reported to be in critical but stable condition. Wood suffered from some minor burns during the rescue.
