Oskaloosa News Recap For January 6th, 2021
Local News
Supervisors establish operating procedures for 2021
City Council prepares for 2021
Congresswoman Miller-Meeks’ Statement Upon Being Sworn Into Congress
Mahaska County Preparing Budget For 2021-2022
Emergency Radio System Looks For 2021 Activation Date
Mahaska County Preparing Budget For 2021-2022
Emergency Radio System Looks For 2021 Activation Date
Plans Are Getting Hammered Out To Help Make A Southeast Connector A Reality
Ecumenical Cupboard Helping Individuals Impacted By Pandemic
Oskaloosa Elementary And Emergency Services Continue Training For Worst Case
Iowa hospitals’ financial losses mount amid COVID-19
United Way Of Mahaska County Playing Role In COVID-19 Help
Big Brothers And Big Sisters Closes Door In Mahaska County
2021 Eggs And Issues Set
Staff At Mahaska Health “We’re Doing Well”
Oskaloosa Fire Chief Talks Fire Safety
Local Sports
Indians Network
Statesmen Sports Network
North Mahaska Warhawks
William Penn Claims Season Sweep of Mount Mercy
Statesmen Rise to #2
WPU Wins Sloppy Game in OT
Big Runs Push WPU to Big Win Over Park
Health Practices and Restrictions at Little Hawkeye Conference Athletic Events
Statesmen Garner 11 All-Heart Honors
Defense Stands Out in Second Win Over MMU
Huge Run Helps Statesmen to Road Win
Oskaloosa News Links
Obituaries
Radar and Road Conditions
Local Traffic Cameras
National and World News
The Wisconsin pharmacist who was arrested for destroying more than 500 doses of the COVID vaccine was a “conspiracy theorist” who believed the “shots would mutate human DNA,” according to prosecutors.
Steven Brandenburg, 46, allegedly took the vials out of refrigeration overnight on Christmas Eve and then again on Christmas night. He initially said it was on accident, but then later admitted to doing it intentionally. The spoiled doses were worth as much as $11,000.
Brandenburg was arrested last week and held on $10,000 bond.
Prosecutors need to determine the extent of the damage before filing criminal charges in the case.
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The owner of a cancer-clinic in Arkansas has forgiven nearly $650k in unpaid bills from about 200 patients.
Over Christmas, oncologist Omar Atiq told his former patients that he has “decided to forego all balances owed to the clinic by its patients,” adding, “Happy Holidays.”
Atiq told “Good Morning America” that he was “torn” when he realized how many were genuinely “unable to pay” their bills. He explained that he hopes it “made it a little bit easier for them” especially during “the absolute devastation that the pandemic has wrought.”
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A salmonella outbreak at a Jamaican resort ruined vacations for dozens of travelers.
The Post reports that most of the vacationers who fell ill suffered abdominal discomfort, cramps and diarrhea, but some were struck so severely that they needed to be hospitalized.
Iwaspoisoned.com, which tracks food borne illnesses, reports that the number of guests who became ill at the resort last month is close to 100.
The general manager of the resort offered online apologies — and little else — to guests who complained about their ordeal and said “the situation” was being investigated.
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Head lice drug ivermectin is being explored as a potential treatment for coronavirus after a new study showed an 80% reduction in hospitalized COVID patient deaths.
The study, conducted in April, showed that the anti-parasitic drug removed all viral RNA within 48 hours of a single dose. The findings, based on the data of over 1,400 patients were made public on YouTube. The research is currently awaiting peer review before being published.
Critics of the study call the conclusion “premature,” citing further research needs to be conducted before declaring ivermectin an “effective treatment.”
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Two grocery shoppers in Washington DC were surprised with an impulse item while waiting to checkout.
David MacMillan and his friend were at a supermarket on New Year’s Day when a pharmacist flagged them down and asked if they wanted to get the COVID vaccine. The pharmacist explained that she had two doses left and would have to throw them away if she didn’t give them to someone before the store closed — which was happening in 10 minutes.
MacMillan, who filmed himself getting the shot, said he was “super grateful for the opportunity.”
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Sarge is off the market.
After spending 628 days at Foothills Animal Rescue in Scottsdale, Arizona, the shepherd-pit bull mix was finally adopted.
The rescue announced the good news on their Facebook page writing, “That’s right! Our boy Sarge is officially getting adopted.” The shelter’s staff threw him a big going-away party, which they streamed live.
FOX 10 reported that Sarge had to be adopted by the “right family” who would “meet his needs” as he is not a “dog park dog, and he’s not great with every single dog.”
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A California hospital rushed to distribute hundreds of COVID vaccine doses after a freezer storing them broke down.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Adventist Health Ukiah Valley Medical Center discovered power failure in a freezer containing 830 Moderna doses, sending staff into a mad rush to salvage the vials.
The state’s guidelines were disregarded in a heat of the moment attempt to save all the doses. Many were sent to the county and a nearby nursing home, leaving 600 left to be distributed. Employees were told to tell everyone they knew to come get a shot. Lines quickly formed and the entire freezer full was distributed in 2 hours.
Hospital spokesperson Cici Winiger told the outlet that the silver lining in the chaos is that should there be a need for a “massive vaccination later, we are golden. We can do this.”
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Kyle Rittenhouse formally entered a plea of not guilty Tuesday, four months after being charged with killing two protestors and wounding a third during civil unrest in Kenosha, WI.
During the hearing held via Zoom, Rittenhouse’s attorney, Mark Richards, entered the not guilty pleas to all counts for his client, who was also on the call but did not speak.
Rittenhouse, who turned 18 on Sunday, is charged with five felonies: first degree intentional homicide in the death of Joseph Rosenbaum, 36, first degree reckless homicide of Anthony Huber, 26, attempted first degree intentional homicide of Gaige Grosskreutz, 22, and two counts of recklessly endangering safety, for shots fired at others.
He was released on $2 million bail in November.
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Prosecutors revealed Tuesday that none of the Kenosha, WI officers involved in the 2020 shooting of Jacob Blake will face criminal charges.
Kenosha County District Attorney Michael Graveley said the decision was based on “evidence that was not captured on cellphone footage” and added that Blake was armed with a knife — which he admitted to — at the time of the shooting.
Graveley also announced that Blake will not faces charges.
The shooting left Blake paralyzed and sparked several nights of protests.
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Markets bounced back on Tuesday after a slow start to the new week. The Dow added 167 points, while the Nasdaq surged 120 points and the S&P climbed 26 points.
The energy sector had its best day in over a month. This came after Saudi Arabia agreed to production cuts for February and March. The news sent oil futures above 50 dollars a barrel for the first time in almost a year.
Markets have historically performed better when government is split and all branches are not controlled by the same political party. Many analysts believe a short-term selloff will occur if the Democratic Party wins both Georgia senate runoff elections on Tuesday.
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It’s happening: Kim Kardashian-West has reportedly filed for divorce from husband Kanye West.
Kardashian-West has retained Hollywood power divorce attorney Laura Wasser, according to the New York Post.
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There are no crystal clear winners in the Georgia Senate runoff — and things are close.
Heading into the evening, several key Georgia counties said they would stop the count and resume at 8:00 am this morning, so those numbers will have to be finalized until a winner can be named.
But as it stands, there were mere hundreds of votes separating David Perdue and Jon Ossoff.
Raphael Warnock had a lead on Kelly Loeffler by less than one percentage point.
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Congress makes Joe Biden’s win official as it tallies the electoral college’s vote.
While a handful of GOP Senators are expected to raise questions and vote against certification, it’s expected to go cleanly for Biden and Kamala Harris.
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Tube Talk
Here’s what’s new on TV tonight:
The Price Is Right At Night / CBS / 7:00 pm
Who Wants To Be A Millionaire / ABC / 7:00 pm
Chicago Med / NBC / 7:00 pm
The Masked Dancer / FOX / 7:00 pm
Who Wants To Be A Millionaire / ABC / 8:00 pm
Chicago Fire / NBC / 8:00 pm
Name That Tune / FOX / 8:00 pm
Who Wants To Be A Millionaire / ABC / 9:00 pm
Chicago P.D. / NBC / 9:00 pm
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Showbiz News
Alex Trebek’s final episode as host of “Jeopardy!” — set to air Friday — will honor the late game show host.
Sony Pictures, which produces the show, revealed that Friday’s episode will feature a “special tribute to the life and work of the man who captained America’s Favorite Quiz Show with skill, style, and sophistication for 36+ years.”
The last week of episodes was supposed to air during the week of Christmas, but Sony pushed them back, so fans could enjoy their “final moments with Trebek.”
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Craig Ferguson made his return to TV this week as the host of “The Hustler.”
The trivia game show features five contestants, one of which is a ringer trying to fool his/her competitors in a murder-mystery-type setting.
Ferguson, 58, said even he doesn’t know who the “The Hustler” is and that’s “one of the things [he] loves about the show.”
“The Hustler” airs on Thursdays on ABC.
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Halsey announced her new makeup line, about-face, this week.
The 26-year-old singer modeled the ultra-colorful eyeshadow sticks, matte lip color, liquid highlighter and other products from the new line on the brand’s website.
All 40 about-face beauty products are currently available for pre-order as the line officially launches Jan. 25.
The site also notes that on Feb. 1 an anti-Valentine’s day collection of limited products will be available.
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James Corden and Jimmy Kimmel will go back to filming remotely as COVID numbers surge on the West Coast.
Corden is leaving Television City to film in his garage, while Kimmel is moving from El Capitan Theater to his home.
Meanwhile, the NY-based shows hosted by Seth Meyers and Jimmy Fallon will continue to film on their socially distanced sets.
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Michael C. Hall is hoping to make up for the lackluster “Dexter” finale with the show’s upcoming revival.
Showtime announced a revival was happening in October of last year, with Hall — after some convincing — reprising his lead role. The network handed the series a 10-part run that is set to get into production soon, with a tentative premiere date for later this fall.
No word on who else from the original cast has signed on to the revival.
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“Virgin River” has ended “The Crown’s” lengthy run atop Nielsen’s weekly streaming rankings.
From November 30 to December 6, the show racked up almost 1.8 billion minutes of viewing, knocking the royal drama to No. 2 with 1.5 billion minutes.
The remaining top ten are:
3. The Office (1.3 billion)
4. The Mandalorian (994 million)
5. Selena: The Series (823 million)
6. Grey’s Anatomy (734 million)
7. Supernatural (694 million)
***CAREFUL WITH THIS ONE*** 8. Schitt’s Creek (659 million)
9. The Christmas Chronicles (639 million)
10. Criminal Minds (628 million)
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One of Gwyneth Paltrow’s resolutions for the new year is to swear less.
The Goop founder, vowed to utter less profanities in 2021 after she accidentally dropped an F-bomb while promoting face oil on Instagram.
In the clip, Paltrow accidentally drops the bottle of oil, which she follows up with the F-word. She captioned the video “We are committed to making the BEST clinical skincare on the market, and I am committed to swearing less in 2021. Whoops.”
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Pilou Asbæk is heading back to HBO.
The Danish star, who played evil Euron Greyjoy on “Game of Thrones,” plays a prosecutor in “The Investigation,” a series focused on the bizarre 2017 murder of Swedish journalist Kim Wall by inventor Peter Madsen, according to Variety.
The series is set to premiere Feb. 1.
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It’s safe to say Joy Behar did not miss co-host Meghan McCain while she was on maternity leave.
McCain, who returned to “The View” on Monday, went toe-to-toe with Behar on Tuesday over hot political topics.
During their heated chat, Behar snapped at McCain for interrupting her, to which McCain said “You missed me so much, Joy. You missed me so much when I was on maternity leave. You missed me so much. You missed fighting with me.”
Behar responded, “I did not. I did not miss you. Zero.”
The pair have a long-running history of fighting-on camera.
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The 2021 Grammys have been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The New York Times reports that the show, which was slated to take place at the end of the month, will now take place sometime in March.
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Sports
The winner of the Heisman Trophy for 2020 is Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith — the first WR to take home the award since 1991.
Smith beat out fellow Heisman finalists Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence (second), Alabama QB Mac Jones (third) and Florida QB Kyle Trask (fourth).
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Day of the Year
National Bean Day
National Cuddle Up Day
National Shortbread Day
National Technology Day
Memento Mori Day
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On This Date
1759 – George Washington marries Martha Dandridge Custis. She was a widow who had two children from a previous marriage.
Washington adopted the kids, but never had any of his own.
Almost 200 years later on the same day, George HW Bush marries Barbara Pierce, in 1945.
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1777 – With the Continental Army on the move pushing the British out of New Jersey, General Washington sets up a camp and headquarters for the winter in Morristown.
The spot at the top of a large series of hills gave Washington and his Army the high ground to see any approaching attack. The British camps were clearly visible below, across the Hudson River.
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1838 – Inventor Samuel Morse shows off his telegraph invention.
The device sent electric pulses across a wire. Letters and numbers were coded in a series of beeps. Before the telephone, it was one of the quickest forms of communication.
The code, of course, would soon be called Morse Code, and be used to send secret messages especially in wartime.
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1919 – President Teddy Roosevelt dies at age 60.
He had even survived an assassination attempt earlier in his life, but it was the diseases of the tropics that likely finally caught up with him.
In his final years, Roosevelt wanted a commission to lead troops into World War I, but Woodrow Wilson shot him down. TR had been an opponent of Wilson’s League of Nations idea.
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1958 – The Soviets announce a reduction in the size of their army, in an attempt to peacefully coexist with the rest of the world.
It was an initiative of premier pushover Nikita Krushchev. He hoped for a thaw in the icy relations between the Soviet Empire and the United States.
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1994 – Nancy Kerrigan is attacked while practicing for Olympic tryouts near a Detroit ice rink.
A man clubbed Kerrigan in the back of her knee. It later turned out the attack was coordinated by Tonya Harding, whose ex-husband ordered the attack to help bump Kerrigan off the team and have Harding take her place.
At first Harding denied her involvement in the attack. But later it was revealed she knew her ex did have a role.
Both women eventually landed spots on the team. Harding took eighth. Kerrigan took home silver
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2016 – “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” breaks the North American box office record for highest grossing film earning $936 million. It surpassed “Avatar” which raked in $760.5 million.
The film also set opening weekend records in several other countries including the UK, Germany, Australia and Russia.
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Birthdays
Jameis Winston – NFL quarterback – 27
Lil Reese – rapper – 28
Nicky Romero – music producer – 32
Alex Turner – rock singer – 35
A.J. Hawk – former NFL linebacker – 37
Kate McKinnon – comedian – 37
Eddie Redmayne – movie actor, “The Theory of Everything” – 39
Norman Reedus – movie actor, “The Walking Dead” – 52
Ree Drummond – chef – 52
Rowan Atkinson – movie actor, “Johnny English”, “Mr. Bean” – 66
Darlene Hard – former tennis player – 85
Born On This Date
John Singleton – director – 1968 (d. 2019)
Malcolm Young – guitarist – 1953 (d. 2017)
Syd Barrett – rock singer – 1946 (d. 2006)
Joan of Arc – war hero – 1412 (d. 1431)
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Deaths
Tanya Roberts has died.
The actress passed away Monday evening at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, where she’d been hospitalized since Christmas Eve after collapsing in her home. According to NBC News, she died from a “urinary tract infection, which spread to her kidney, gallbladder, liver and then bloodstream.”
The news of her death comes after a premature announcement was made Sunday — and then backtracked Monday morning — by her publicist.
She was 65.
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