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Friday AM Daily | April 24, 2020
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VIDEOS
Coping w/COVID: Leader Updates
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NEWS BRIEFS
Broadlawns establishes disaster relief fund, seeks community support
Broadlawns Medical Center is launching the Broadlawns COVID-19 Disaster Relief Fund and seeking additional community aid to support medical workers during COVID-19 response. The Disaster Relief Fund has been established to purchase personal
protective equipment and other necessities to safeguard Broadlawns’ medical staff and patients; donations can be made online. Broadlawns is also selling CommUNITY shirts, mugs and tote bags; 40% of the proceeds will support the Broadlawns Disaster Relief Fund. The hospital is also accepting handmade masks and other personal protective equipment; specifications are available online, along with more information on Broadlawns’ Hearts for Healthcare Workers campaign and donation information for catered meals to staff.
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs distributes emergency grants for artists and nonprofits
The Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs announced today that it has awarded $191,000 in grants to Iowa artists and small nonprofit arts organizations reeling from financial impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. The first-round relief grants were limited to artists and small nonprofit arts organizations. In total, 156 Iowa artists each received a $1,000 award; 14 nonprofit arts organizations each received a $2,500 grant to support operations. The department received a total of 285 applications, which cited a range of financial losses from canceled performances, festivals, teaching opportunities, gift-shop sales and more. The Iowa Arts Council will accept applications for a second round of emergency grants April 24 through May 1 from all Iowa arts and cultural organizations that have existed for at
least three years, maintain a 501(c)3 nonprofit status and had an operating budget of at least $10,000 during the past fiscal year. More information is available online.
2020 Governor’s Volunteer Awards are postponed
The 2020 Governor’s Volunteer Awards will be postponed, Volunteer Iowa announced this week. Volunteer Iowa asks that entities planning to nominate an individual this year instead nominate them for a 2021 award. Ongoing updates are available online.
United Way of Central Iowa donated 87,189 hours in 2019
As part of National Volunteer Week, United Way of Central Iowa announced that in 2019, 10,787 volunteers donated over 87,189 volunteer hours in opportunities sponsored by United Way of Central Iowa, producing an economic impact of $2,217,216 in Central Iowa. Though volunteer opportunities
might not look the same as they did before the COVID-19 pandemic, the is still in need of volunteer support. Find in-person and virtual volunteer opportunities to improve our community during National Volunteer Week at the United Way of Central Iowa Get Connected volunteer portal: volunteer.unitedwaydm.org/need.
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YESTERDAY IN INNOVATION IOWA
Vendor managing Fareway payroll reports server data breach
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Fareway is alerting current and former employees about a data security event after its payroll vendor PaperlessPay Corp. reported a server breach by an unauthorized individual. PaperlessPay notified Fareway on March 20 that an individual had accessed the server one month earlier, Feb. 18, which held data of current and former Fareway employees, according to a letter sent by Fareway to employees. Read more
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up for the Business Record's weekly innovationIOWA e-newsletter.
Read more at innovationia.com.
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CORONAVIRUS UPDATE
Actor Ashton Kutcher tipped Reynolds to COVID testing program
Iowa Capital Dispatch: Actor Ashton Kutcher was the first person to suggest that Iowa look into Utah’s expanded testing program for COVID-19, Gov. Kim Reynolds said Thursday. Iowa this week launched TestIowa, the result of a $26 million contract with some Utah-based companies that will provide 540,000 COVID-19 tests to Iowans at drive-through testing sites. "It has an Iowa touch is how
I actually found out about it," Reynolds said. "I was talking to Ashton Kutcher on the phone about doing the PSA, and in the conversation, talking with him, he asked if I was familiar with what was happening with TestUtah and some of how it looked very promising, and it looked like other states should potentially take a look at that," Reynolds said during her daily news conference. Kutcher is a Cedar Rapids native.
Advocates push Johnson County cities to forgive residents' utility bills
Iowa City Press-Citizen: Three Johnson County organizations are calling for Iowa City, Coralville and North Liberty to forgive utility bills for households feeling the greatest financial pressures of the economy's downturn amid the pandemic. The Johnson County Affordable Housing Coalition, the Center for Worker Justice of Eastern Iowa and the Iowa City Federation of Labor wrote a letter calling for those cities to forgive water, sewer and refuse bills for households where one or more adults are unemployed.
House passes relief for small businesses and aid for hospitals and testing
New York Times: The House gave resounding approval on Thursday to a $484 billion coronavirus relief package to restart a depleted loan program for distressed small businesses and to provide funds for hospitals and coronavirus testing,
and it moved to ramp up oversight of the sprawling federal response to the pandemic. President Donald Trump said he would quickly sign the measure — the latest installment in a government aid program that is approaching $3 trillion.
- Durable-goods orders plunge 14% in March; automakers, Boeing hit hard (MarketWatch)
See updated coronavirus news at businessrecordcovid19.com.
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ONE GOOD READ
The NFL draft shows just how much America needs sportsBY EMILY BARSKE: Talk about a big virtual meeting. The first night of the virtual 2020 NFL draft went off without any major technical difficulties, which many of us with five or more virtual meetings a day know isn’t easy. Although, the jury is still out on whether it was too boring or not. But just like our own virtual meetings, a lot of people on social media seemed equally curious about interior design and the football players getting their chance to go pro. Nonetheless, "America, it seems, is longing for the kind of shared communal experiences that sports can deliver," Sean Gregory writes in Time magazine about the viewership.
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KCCI TOP STORIES
With COVID-19 concerns, will the Iowa State Fair still happen in August?
A big question is on the minds of Iowans as so many events are being canceled: Will there be an Iowa State Fair this year? Iowa State Fair CEO Gary Slater told KCCI he isn't ready to cancel the festivities yet. The Iowa State Fairgrounds have canceled multiple events including World Pork Expo. Slater said the fair's staff has been watching Gov. Kim Reynolds' updates closely. He said with the changing nature of the coronavirus, they aren't willing to commit to canceling or continuing with the event. Read more
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Today:
Cloudy this morning. A few showers developing during the afternoon. Thunder possible. High near 60. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 30%.
Tonight:
Cloudy. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 46. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph.
Get the latest KCCI weather.
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BUSINESS RECORD IOWA INDEXThe Iowa Index is an unweighted average of all 20 Iowa-based public companies. Below is a live look at those 20, plus 15 additional companies with large operations in Iowa.
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