Oskaloosa News Recap For October 20th, 2020
Local News
Oskaloosa Fire Chief Talks Fire Safety
Young Ambassadors Contest 2020 – Register Now!
Chamber Seeks Award Nominations
School Board presses forward with building additions
Mahaska County Lawsuit Attempt To Dissolve EMA/911 Proceeding Through Court System
Legion To Collect For Those In Need
Enrollment Growth at William Penn University
Exterior Building Hopes To Help During COVID-19
‘Light The Night’ To Honor Cancer Victims
Oskaloosa Main Street to Hold “Twinkling Twenties” Lighted Christmas Parade in Reverse
National and World News
People are ready for a vacation!
According to a new survey from the Travel Leaders Group and World Travel & Tourism Council, 70% of US and Canada travelers said they plan to take a vacation in 2021.
Of those planning to travel, 45% have already booked their plans, while 54% are still in the planning stage.
The top three destinations are: Europe (38%), the Caribbean (34%) and Mexico (15%), according to the survey.
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Authorities in Arizona report that a one-year-old child is in critical condition after being shot during a drive-by shooting.
Families were gathered for a pop-up event with food trucks and tents in a strip mall parking lot in Mesa over the weekend, when someone in an SUV drove by and shot at them, according to multiple reports.
Along with the child, seven others were injured.
No arrests have been made.
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A 12-year-old boy in Canada discovered fossils that paleontologists are calling a “significant” dinosaur discovery.
The Nature Conservancy of Canada reports that the partially exposed bones were discovered by Nathan Hrushkin and his father Dion while they were hiking at the Horseshoe Canyon in the Alberta Prairies.
The bones belong to a young hadrosaur, commonly known as a duck-billed dinosaur and are believed to be 69 million years old.
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A Brooklyn nursing home placed a casket display out front filled with over 6,500 copies of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s new book to represent the number of people who’ve died from coronavirus due to his administration’s policies.
Back in March, Cuomo prevented nursing homes from turning away COVID patients to protect the more medically feeble among them.
On Sunday he addressed the issues admitting that he “could’ve done a better job protecting those in nursing homes from the harmful effects of the disease.”
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A woman was attacked by a deer at London’s Richmond Park over the weekend after she tried to feed the animal during rutting season.
The Royal Parks Police tweeted a photo of the incident as a reminder to visitors that “they are wild animals and can cause you injury.” Adding, “We are not Bambi.”
A park manager confirmed to Fox News that the woman was “jumped on” after getting “far too close” to the animal.
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The Mayor of Salem, Massachusetts is urging travelers to stay away this spooky season.
The city has cancelled the majority of its annual Halloween events, which draws in tens of thousands of visitors to the historic city each year, yet people are still flocking to the town, according to the Associated Press.
Salem is currently in the “moderate risk” category for COVID spread and the mayor does not want to see that move into the “high-risk” category.
The city’s popularity stems from the dark history of witch trials in the late 1600s.
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A zoo employee in China was mauled to death by bears Saturday in front of horrified visitors.
The attack occurred in the park’s “wild beast area” where animals roam freely. The area is only accessible to visitors by specialized tourist buses, according to zoo officials.
Authorities and the park are investigating the incident, according to the BBC.
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Southern Alaska was under a tsunami warning Monday after a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck off Sand Point.
The National Tsunami Warning Center (NTWC) alerted residents to stay away from the coast until given the all-clear. They explained that “hazardous tsunami waves are possible for coasts located within 300 km (186 miles) of the earthquake epicenter.”
“The first wave may not be the largest,” the NTWC said. “Each wave may last 5 to 45 minutes as a wave encroaches and recedes.”
There were at least six aftershocks in the area with a magnitude of at least 5.0 after the initial quake, according to the US Geological Survey.
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The person—or child, rather—responsible for finding the endangered ring-tailed lemur stolen from the San Francisco Zoo will receive a lifetime zoo pass.
Five-year-old James Trinh spotted Maki the lemur at a local park, about 5 miles from the zoo, on his way home from preschool, according to The Associated Press. His teacher phoned officers, who then notified the zoo.
As previously reported, Maki went missing Wednesday after being snatched from his enclosure at the zoo. He was safely recaptured Thursday thanks to the child.
A 30-year-old man was arrested in connection to the animal-napping.
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Markets dipped on Monday as the Dow sank 410 points, the Nasdaq fell 192 points and the S&P traded 56 points lower. All 11 major sectors were down as investors coped with diminishing hopes of a stimulus deal before the election, and worldwide virus cases surpassed 40 million.
Airline stocks were a bright spot as the TSA announced they had completed over one million security screenings on Sunday. That mark was last attained in March before travel slowed. United Airlines led the way gaining 4.7 percent while Southwest and American both added more than 1 percent. Screenings are still down more than 65 percent month-to-date compared to October of 2019.
AMC Entertainment added more than 3.3 percent after New York announced movie theatres can reopen in most of the state on October 23rd.
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Tube Talk
Here’s what’s new on TV tonight:
• The Bachelorette / ABC / 7:00 pm
• The Voice / NBC / 7:00 pm
• World Series: Game 1 / FOX / 7:00 pm
• Supermarket Sweep / ABC / 9:00 pm
• Transplant / NBC / 9:00 pm
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Showbiz News
George Clooney said he was “shunned” by Hollywood after his film “Batman & Robin” flopped.
The actor, who starred alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger, Alicia Silverstone, Chris O’Donnell and Uma Thurman in the 1997 superhero flick, said the movie nearly ruined his career as directors refused to work with him.
Clooney said his “fortunes changed” when he teamed up with Steven Soderbergh to make the 1998 crime comedy “Out of Sight” with Jennifer Lopez.
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MTV has acquired the worldwide rights to the coming-of-age flick “Pink Skies Ahead.”
Set in L.A. in 1998, the film follows Winona, who after dropping out of college and moving back home to live with her parents, is diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. Skeptical of her doctor’s opinion — she hasn’t had a panic attack after all — Winona carries on with her wild lifestyle. Only when things begin to truly unravel around her, does she reluctantly decide to see a therapist and face her truths, according to Deadline.
The film stars Jessica Barden, Mary J. Blige, Marcia Gay Harden, Michael McKean, Lewis Pullman, Devon Bostick, Evan Ross Cameron, Rosa Salazar, Odeya Rush and Henry Winkler.
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Eva Mendes is itching to get back to acting.
The 46-year-old, who hasn’t appeared on the big screen since 2014’s “Lost River,” told The Sunday Morning Herald that after a few years at home with her kids, she’s coming around to the idea of getting back to it.
As for what project could bring her back, Mendes said “Disney. That’s all that’s left.”
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Filming on the Netflix flick “The Harder They Fall” has been halted after a member of the production crew tested positive for coronavirus.
The movie was just weeks into shooting in New Mexico and has hopes to get back to it next week.
None of the cast—including Idris Elba and Regina King—tested positive, according to Variety.
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Giuliana Rancic and her family are feeling much better after their bout with coronavirus.
The TV personality updated fans over the weekend on Instagram, saying “we are through it and all better now.”
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Bruce Willis reprised his role as John McClane for a new commercial for Advance Auto Parts.
In the ad, the actor sets out to buy a new DieHard battery from the auto parts retailer after his car battery dies.
There are several nods to the original movie, including John’s witty demeanor and his escape through the air vent.
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Harrison Ford and Ed Helms will star in “The Miserable Adventures of Burt Squire Aboard The Horn High Yo.”
Based on a true story, the film centers around a family man in the midst of a midlife crisis who embarks on what he hopes would be a dream sailing vacation, but ends up shipwrecked in the Atlantic Ocean with a charming but unhinged sea captain, according to Deadline.
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Billie Eilish revealed that she has new music coming ahead of the release of the documentary chronicling her debut album.
The singer confirmed she has a new song during a Q&A session on Instagram. During the exchange she was asked about any music to which she replied “November.”
The new track will be Eilish’s third to be released in 2020.
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Queen Latifah, Robert Duvall and Ben Foster will star opposite Adam Sandler in “Hustle.”
The Netflix basketball movie is being produced under Sandler’s Happy Madison banner, with LeBron James’ The SpringHill Company.
Sandler stars as a down on his luck basketball scout who discovers a once-in-a-lifetime player with a rocky past abroad and takes it upon himself to bring the phenom to the States without his team’s approval. Against the odds, they have one final shot to prove they have what it takes to make it in the NBA, according to Variety.
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A sneak peek of Chadwick Boseman’s final role was released Monday.
The “Black Panther” star, who passed away in August, appears in Netflix’s upcoming “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” along with Viola Davis.
The flick, which hits select theaters in November, is based on August Wilson’s 1982 Broadway play. It will be available to stream on December 18.
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The Daily Kardashopus
Kim Kardashian-West revealed to David Letterman on his Netflix show “My Next Guest Needs No Introduction” how she makes her millions.
The mom-of-four said that she is able to make more money from her paid Instagram posts than she did filming an entire season of “KUWTK.”
After renewing their contract for five seasons in 2017, each family member made about $4.5 million per season—after momager Kris Jenner’s 10% cut that is. Brands and advertisers pay Kim up to $500k per Instagram post, according to US Weekly.
Needless to say, Kim won’t be struggling without her “KUWTK” paycheck.
Letterman’s third season of his show premieres on October 21.
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Sports
Three NFL teams are undefeated after Week 6.
They are: the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Tennessee Titans and the Seattle Seahawks.
Meanwhile, the New York Jets have yet to get their first win and are sitting at 0-5.
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Day of the Year
Birth of the Bab
Community Media Day
Information Overload Awareness Day
International Chefs Day
National Call-in Day For Health Reform
Miss America Rose Day
National Day on Writing
National Brandied Fruit Day
National Youth Confidence Day
National Pharmacy Technician Day
Office Chocolate Day
National Suspenders Day
The International Day of the Air Traffic Controller
Pro-Life Day of Silent Solidarity
World Statistics Day
World Osteoporosis Day
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On This Date
1803 – Congress approves the Louisiana Purchase.
The 828,000 sold for a paltry 3 cents an acre, or $15 million. That’s about $219 million today, or only 42 cents an acre.
Napoleon decided to sell the land to America, rather than risk it falling into British control. It also helped the French dictator secure funds for his wars in Europe.
At the time, President Jefferson received criticism that the Constitution did not provide the Executive powers to make such a purchase, but persuaded the legislature otherwise. One controversial move was Jefferson’s allowance of slavery in the territory, which would impel the civil war less than 60 years later.
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1944 – 130 people die when two gas tanks explode in Cleveland, Ohio.
Natural gas tanks at the East Ohio Gas Company near Lake Erie had been leaking, and were later ignited, shooting flames more than 2,000 feet into the air. The explosion radius was a half-mile; everything was leveled.
10,000 residents and workers were evacuated from the surrounding area. The damage inflicted $10 million in damages.
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1947 – A Congressional committee begins its investigation of communists in Hollywood.
The House Un-American Activities Committee called a number of witnesses to the stand, famously asking directly whether they had affiliations with the American Communist Party.
Under pressure from Congress, 325 actors, writers, and directors were blacklisted. Among them were Dashiell Hammett, Dorothy Parker, and Orson Wells.
In the 1960s, Senator Joe McCarthy became famous for looking into bureaucrats with alleged communist ties.
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1968 – Dick Fosbury high-jumps 7-feet 4-and-one-quarter inches at the Olympic Games in Mexico City.
The feat gave the U.S. its first gold medal in the event since 1956.
Fosbury’s style was known as the “Fosbury Flop,” in which he landed on the back of his head over the high-bar, rather than on his feet or torso.
The record remains unbroken.
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1977 – The plane carrying Lynyrd Skynyrd bandmates crashed en route to Baton Rouge.
Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines, and Cassie Gaines all died, along with their assistant road manager and the pilot and co-pilot. Twenty others survived.
The crash was attributed to insufficient fuel and came just three days after the release of the band’s fifth studio album.
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1990 – Rappers from the group 2 Live Crew are acquitted of obscenity charges after a trial for performing songs filled with explicit lyrics in Hollywood, Florida.
The evidence used against the group was shoddy to begin with; the recording used in court was fuzzy and barely audible. One officer on the stand tried to decipher the tapes, much to the amusement of the jury.
Naturally, the trial sparked a national debate over how First Amendment rights applied to music lyrics. The case did much of the work to encourage record labels to put the Explicit Content sticker on objectionable material.
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Birthdays
John Bell – movie actor, “Wrath of the Titans”, “Outlander” – 23
Jennifer Freeman – TV actress, “My Wife and Kids”, “Johnson Family Vacation” – 35
Alona Tal – TV actress, “Supernatural”, “Veronica Mars” – 37
John Krasinski – movie actor, “The Office”, “A Quiet Place” – 41
Dannii Minogue – pop singer – 49
Eddie Jones – former basketball player – 49
Snoop Dogg – rapper – 49
Chavo Guerrero Jr. – wrestler – 50
Scott Hall – wrestler – 62
Viggo Mortensen – movie actor, “The Lord of the Rings franchise”, “Green Book” – 62
Born On This Date
Mitch Lucker – American vocalist – 1984 (d. 2012)
Tom Petty – American singer-songwriter – 1950 (d. 2017)
Mickey Mantle – American baseball player – 1931 (d. 1995)
Jelly Roll Morton – composer – 1890 (d. 1941)
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