Oskaloosa News Recap For February 12th, 2021
Local News
Plans Are Getting Hammered Out To Help Make A Southeast Connector A Reality
Ecumenical Cupboard Helping Individuals Impacted By Pandemic
Iowa hospitals’ financial losses mount amid COVID-19
United Way Of Mahaska County Playing Role In COVID-19 Help
2021 Eggs And Issues Set
Oskaloosa Fire Chief Talks Fire Safety
Local Sports
Indians Network
Statesmen Sports Network
North Mahaska Warhawks
Oskaloosa News Links
Obituaries
Radar and Road Conditions
Local Traffic Cameras
National and World News
New applications for unemployment benefits dropped to 793,000 last week from 812,000 the week prior, according to figures from the US Department of Labor.
The latest batch of initial jobless claims brought the total for the COVID pandemic to about 78 million — equivalent to nearly 49% of the American workforce.
Jobless claims have remained above the pre-pandemic record of 695,000 for 47 consecutive weeks.
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Fully vaccinated people will no longer be required to quarantine following exposure to coronavirus, the CDC stated this week.
The agency noted that those who have been exposed should still monitor for symptoms for 14 days and those who develop symptoms should be evaluated and tested.
Oh, and keep wearing a mask. No wait, two masks. Or is it three now?
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Vaccines will be available for everyone by April, according to Dr. Fauci.
The nation’s leading expert told NBC “Today” that a “multi-faceted approach” will accelerate the country’s vaccination pace into the spring.
He called the phenomenon “open season.”
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Prosecutors announced charges yesterday against Gregory Paul Ulrich, the 67-year-old who opened fire at a Minnesota health clinic earlier this week.
Ulrich has been charged with second-degree murder, four counts of attempted murder and one count each of felony use of an explosive device and carrying a pistol without a permit.
The murder charge carries a maximum sentence of 40 years, while the other charges carry fines and sentences of up to $100,000 and 20 years, respectively.
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A sanitation worker from Louisiana helped police track down a missing 10-year-old girl.
An alert was sent out Sunday night for missing child Jalisa LaSalle, whose abductor was seen driving a gray Nissan sedan.
On Monday, Dion Merrick spotted the vehicle described in the alert parked in a field in St. Martin Parish. He called 911 and parked his truck to block the exit until deputies arrived.
The child was rescued and her abductor, Michael Sereal, a registered sex offender, was taken into custody.
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More than 100 vehicles were involved in a deadly pileup on an icy highway in North Texas on Thursday morning.
The slick roads spelled disaster as an 18-wheeler barreled into dozens of cars already stopped on Interstate-35W. At least 36 people were rushed to local hospitals with serious injuries and at least 5 deaths occurred in the mile-long wreck.
Authorities said freezing rain and sleet that fell overnight were to blame.
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As of Thursday, over 46 million COVID vaccinations have been administered nation wide.
More than 34 million people have received at least one dose, while over 11 million people have been fully vaccinated.
The total number of cases in the US sits at just over 27 million, while the death count is nearing 500,000.
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Market were mostly flat on Thursday and finished mixed. The Dow lost 7 points while the Nasdaq added 53 points and the S&P gained 6 points. Both the Nasdaq Composite and S&P 500 ended at all-time records highs by the closing bell.
First job jobless claims were higher than expected as 793,000 claimants applied the week ending February 6th. A total of 757,000 claims were expected.
Oil prices fell on Thursday after seeing gains for eight straight sessions. West Texas intermediate crude was trading at $58.24 per barrel – down by 0.75 percent from Wednesday.
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A former Wisconsin pharmacist has pleaded guilty to spoiling dozens of doses of a COVID vaccine.
Steven Brandenburg, 46, who believed the vaccine would mutate human DNA, was charged earlier this year with two counts of attempting to tamper with consumer products.
He faces up to 10 years in prison.
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Dr. Anthony Fauci revealed this week that about 20,000 pregnant women have received the COVID vaccine “with no red flags.”
Guidance for pregnant women receiving the vaccine has varied as they were not part of either vaccine trial. The CDC suggests pregnant women talk to their healthcare provider, while the WHO says pregnant women should not get it, unless they are at high risk of exposure.
Clinical trials for pregnant women and children are underway, according to Fauci.
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Tube Talk
Here’s what’s new on TV tonight:
MacGyver / CBS / 7:00 pm
Shark Tank / ABC / 7:00 pm
The Blacklist / NBC / 7:00 pm
Friday Night SmackDown / FOX / 7:00 pm
Magnum P.I. / CBS / 8:00 pm
20/20 / ABC / 8:00 pm
Dateline NBC / NBC / 8:00 pm
Blue Bloods / CBS / 9:00 pm
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Showbiz News
Taylor Swift announced a midnight release of a re-recording of her 2008 hit “Love Story.”
The singer said yesterday that she has finished re-taping “Fearless” after the rights to her album were purchased by music manager Scooter Braun.
The record, which will be released on April 9, will also feature six never-before-heard tracks.
Fans celebrated the news on Twitter with #TaylorsVersion.
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The firing of actress Gina Carano from “The Mandalorian” over some of her past Twitter posts sparked a backlash on Thursday.
The former MMA fighter, who played Cara Dune in the series, was confirmed to have been booted this week after a since-deleted tweet compared the current political climate to being Jewish in Nazi Germany.
Her ousting had fans lashing out on social media, calling the move “another example of cancel culture,” with #CancelDisneyPlus quickly trending.
Right-wing commentator Jack Posobiec commented that Disney fired Carano, yet re-hired director James Gunn despite horror over old posts he made that joked about pedophilia and rape.
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Production on HBO’s “Game of Thrones” prequel titled, “House of the Dragon,” will begin in April.
HBO chief content officer Casey Bloys confirmed the news this week saying “we are excited to get going.”
“House of the Dragon” will be set 300 yers before the events of “GoT.”
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NBC’s “Brooklyn Nine-Nine” will end with its upcoming eighth season.
The series premiered in 2013 on FOX before being cancelled in 2018. A massive outcry from fans paved the way for NBC to scoop it up and order a sixth season.
The final 10-episode series is set to air during the 2021-2022 season, the network announced Thursday.
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The family board game “Clue” is getting an animated series.
The project has been picked up at Fox Entertainment, which is developing the series with Hasbro’s content studio Entertainment One.
Few details have been shared about the series, but an inside source told Deadline that it will “encapsulate the thrilling and suspenseful dynamics that have made Clue a global sensation for more than seven decades.”
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These albums are being released today:
The Pretty Reckless, “Death by Rock and Roll”
Florida Georgia Line, “Life Rolls On”
Bodies of Water, “Is This What It’s Like”
Claud, “Super Monster”
Django Django, “Glowing In The Dark”
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Morgan Wallen asked his fans not to defend him a new Instagram post addressing the scandal surrounding him using a racial slur.
In the five-minute video, the country singer said he has had some “very real and honest conversations” with leaders of various Black organizations that have offered him a chance to “learn and grow.”
“Our actions matter. Our words matter and I just want to encourage anyone watching to please learn from my mistake,” he told his followers.
Wallen said he plans to go “off the gird” for while as he chooses his “next steps in repair.”
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Jeep has pulled its Super Bowl commercial featuring Bruce Springsteen from its YouTube channel after reports surfaced of the singer’s DWI arrest last November.
As noted yesterday, The Boss was busted for DWI, reckless driving and consuming alcohol in a closed area in his home state of New Jersey.
The commercial is still available on Jeep’s official Instagram account.
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A film from the producers of “The Bible” is heading to Disney+ next month.
In “Resurrection,” Jesus’ followers are desperately searching for understanding and when Jesus rises from the dead, they realize that their hope didn’t die on the cross, but lives on in them.
The movie was produced using footage from MGM and LightWorkers’ library of biblical material in place of filming during the pandemic, Deadline reports.
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Fox News is expanding “The Greg Gutfield” show to weeknights.
The show will take the place of “Fox News @ Night,” anchored by Shannon Beam, which will be bumped back an hour.
Gutfield’s new time slot will launch in the second quarter.
The network did not share who will replace the weekend spot left vacant by the move.
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Sports
Mike Pettine is heading south.
The former Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator has been hired as a senior defensive assistant for the Chicago Bears.
Pettine served three years as the Packers defensive coordinator. His contract expired after the 2020 season and it wasn’t renewed.
Meanwhile, the Packers have selected Joe Berry as his replacement.
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Britt Reid is no longer a member of the Kansas City Chiefs coaching staff.
The son of head coach Andy Reid was placed on leave through the duration of his contract, which has now expired, according to ESPN.
The Chiefs announced this week that Britt was placed on administrative leave during the investigation into a traffic accident that left two young children injured — one critically.
The NFL is investigating whether he violated the league’s personal conduct policy.
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List of the Week
Top 10 Best Love Songs Of All Time
(Courtesy of Smooth Radio)
10. George Michael, “Careless Whisper”
9. Elvis Presley, “Always on my Mind”
8. The Righteous Brothers, “Unchained Melody”
7. Andy Williams, “Can’t Take My Eyes off You”
6. Lonestar, “Amazed”
5. Bryan Adams, “(Everything I Do) I Do it For You
4. Seal, “A Kiss from a Rose”
3. ABBA, “The Winner Takes it All”
2. The Beach Boys, “God Only Knows”
1. Elton John, “Your Song”
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Day of the Year
Chinese New Year
Darwin Day
National Freedom to Marry Day
National Plum Pudding Day
No One Eats Alone Day
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On This Date
1898 – The first automobile fatality is recorded.
Henry Lindfield lost control of his car in Surrey, England. The car tumbled down a hill and crashed through a wire fence and into a large iron post.
The accident caused a huge gash in his leg. Had it happened today, he likely would’ve survived; instead, doctors had to amputate the whole leg.
The driver died of shock the day following his surgery.
His son was a passenger during the accident. This was before seat belts and roofs, so he was tossed completely out of the vehicle, but was unharmed.
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1973 – The first metric road signs in America are put up along Interstate 71 in Ohio.
It was part of the National Metric Conference’s efforts to convert America to use a decimal system.
Congress would pass the National Metric Conversion Act in 1975, which encouraged the voluntary switch to the metric system. This failed.
Today the military often uses metric units, in order to communicate with other nations’ militaries.
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1999 – Bill Clinton is acquitted by the Senate of perjury and obstruction of justice.
The vote sharply followed party lines.
In a civil settlement, Clinton would pay Paula Jones $850,000 to settle the harassment suit brought upon him by her.
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2002 – Deposed Yugoslavian president Slobodan Milosevic begins his trial at The Hague, charged with genocide and other war crimes.
Milosevic served as his own lawyer during the trial.
A verdict was never reached; he died of a heart attack four years into the proceedings.
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2008 – General Motors offers a mass buyout of all 74,000 United Auto Workers employees.
The move came after the company hemorrhaged nearly $40 billion during 2007, largely in part to huge union demands. The average base wage for a GM-employed UAW worker was $28.12 an hour — but after luxurious benefits, workers earned nearly $78 an hour.
Meanwhile, gas prices were also rising, and GM wasn’t offering sustainable cars.
The company filed for bankruptcy the following year, and restructured.
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2013 – North Korea announces its third successful nuclear test, a follow-up to a test in 2006.
The underground detonation triggered earthquake-magnitude tremors, but after a study by Chinese, Japanese, and South Korean investigators, no radiation was detected.
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Birthdays
Robert Griffin III – NFL quarterback – 31
DeMarco Murray – former NFL running back – 33
Mike Posner – pop singer – 33
Christina Ricci – actress, “The Addams Family”, “Casper” – 41
Gucci Mane – rapper – 41
Jesse Spencer – TV actor, “House”, “Chicago Fire” – 42
Tara Strong – voice actress, “The Fairly OddParents”, “The Powerpuff Girls” – 48
Scott Menville – voice actor, “Teen Titans”, “Captain Planet and the Planeteers” – 50
Josh Brolin – actor, “The Goonies”, “Deadpool 2” – 53
Lochlyn Munro – actor, “Tomorrowland”, “Riverdale” – 55
Judy Blume – children’s author – 83
Bill Russell – former basketball player – 87
Born On This Date
Lee Byung-chul – businessman and founder, Samsung – 1910 (d. 1987)
Omar Bradley – American WWII General – 1893 (d. 1981)
Abraham Lincoln – former US President – 1809 (d. 1865)
Charles Darwin – biologist – 1809 (d. 1882)
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Deaths
Katherine Creag has died.
The veteran NBC New York reporter passed away suddenly Wednesday night, the network announced yesterday. No further details were shared.
She was 47.
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Larry Robbins has died.
The longtime music manager and producer, who most recently worked on Netflix’s “Sex/Life,” passed away on Jan. 23 in Los Angeles of multiple myeloma.
He was 75.
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Happy Hour
FRENCH MARTINI
(Courtesy of BBC goodfood)
INGREDIENTS:
2 tbsp. vodka
1.5 tbsp. raspberry liqueur
4 tbsp. pressed pineapple juice
pineapple wedge, to serve
DIRECTIONS:
Shake the vodka, raspberry liqueur and pineapple juice with ice really hard until the pineapple juice froths up a bit, then strain into a glass.
Garnish with the pineapple wedge.
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