MONDAY, SEPT. 28, 2020 | IN THIS ISSUE
• Johnson County bars ordered to stay shut another week
• Mediacom issues $5.7M in credits following derecho
• CBJ Manufacturing Conference goes virtual in 2020
• Greater CR Community Foundation gives $5M in grants
• Survey indicates 74% of hotels on track for more layoffs
• Corridor events, KCRG-TV9 headlines and First Alert Forecast
The annual CBJ Leaders Survey is now open to CBJ print and digital members. Contact [email protected] if you haven't received the link. Survey closes Oct. 15.
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Johnson County bars ordered to stay shut another week |
Bellying up to the bar and ordering a drink is still off the table in two Iowa counties housing state public universities, with a new proclamation continuing a Public Health Disaster Emergency in Johnson and Story counties.
Restaurants in the two counties are still permitted to remain open but must stop selling and serving alcoholic beverages after 10 p.m.
Bars were originally closed in six counties on Aug. 27 due to a spike in positive COVID-19 cases, primarily among young people. Bars in Black Hawk, Dallas, Linn, and Polk Counties were allowed to reopen on Sept. 16.
“The public health conditions in Johnson and Story counties warrant continuing additional reasonable measures to reduce the transmission of COVID-19,” the proclamation says.
Restaurants in Johnson and Story counties, like bars and restaurants in all other counties, must also continue to follow other mitigation measures. This includes the requirements to ensure six feet of physical distance between each group or individual dining or drinking, to ensure all patrons have a seat at a table or bar and consume alcohol or food while seated, and to limit congregating together closer than six feet.
Look for more coverage of the continued bar closures and their impact on bar operators in the Oct. 5 edition of the CBJ.
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Mediacom issues $5.7M in credits following derecho |
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Mediacom Communications will issue a total of $5.7 million in credits to 340,000 customers in Iowa, Illinois and Indiana whose service was impacted by the Aug. 10 derecho that tore through the Midwest.
The company announced late last week that the largest share of the credits will go to customers in Cedar Rapids and surrounding communities, as those areas sustained the more extensive storm damage affecting Mediacom services. The credits will appear in customers’ October billing statements.
“This was a highly destructive storm,” said Ed Pardini, Mediacom’s senior vice president of field operations in a release. “Unlike a hurricane or blizzard where we get several days of advance notice to prepare, this derecho appeared with almost no warning.”
All told, Mediacom has repaired or replaced more than 70 miles of wireline facilities and approximately 6,500 individual drops to customer homes in the Cedar Rapids area due to the devastating storm.
While Mediacom’s core network is now fully back online, the company estimates there is a small percentage of individual households that will need to have the cable line running from the utility pole to their home replaced due to storm damage. Mediacom brought extra personnel into Cedar Rapids and hoped to complete the bulk of repairs by Sept. 25.
Mediacom Group Vice President Steve Purcell said that customers and the public can expect to see network maintenance crews working in Cedar Rapids and neighboring communities over the next three to four weeks. He explained that network repair crews initially installed temporary lines in many segments of the network to quickly restore services to more customers.
In the weeks ahead, those temporary lines will be replaced with permanent network infrastructure. During short intervals when fiber strands and network lines are spliced into place, brief service interruptions may occur. This network maintenance will be done during daytime hours in smaller pockets or portions of various neighborhoods.
IMAGE: Utility wires stand damaged after the Aug. 10 derecho. CREDIT KCRG
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CBJ Manufacturing Conference goes virtual in 2020 |
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The registration deadline is rapidly approaching for the Corridor Business Journal’s 2020 Manufacturing Conference. Held annually on National Manufacturing Day, the format of this event has changed to a live webinar for the safety of presenters, staff and attendees.
The Oct. 2 half-day event invites industry leaders to network, learn about best practices, and build a stronger talent pipeline.
The conference will begin with a keynote address by Ernie Goss, director of the Institute for Economic Inquiry and a professor of economics at Creighton University. Mr. Goss will share his insights into the state of the manufacturing sector in Iowa, and the Midwest, as we look to the final quarter of 2020 and the new year.
Additional speakers and topics include:
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Manufacturing 4.0, Debi Durham, Iowa Economic Development Authority
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Lessons Learned from 33 Years in Manufacturing, Rue Patel, (Retired) General Mills
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Collins Aerospace Coralville Operations COVID-19 Approach, Charles Hughes Jr., Collins Aerospace
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Shifting Operations Panel Discussion, Moderator: Mike Ralston, Iowa Association of Business and Industry; Panelists: Mike Banowetz, Marion Process Solutions; Mike McVey, CIVCO Medical Solutions; Patrick Patterson, World Class Industries
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Skill Shapes that Define Iowa’s Manufacturing Sector, Josh Wright, Emsi
There is no cost to attend. Registrants are welcome to log in throughout the day as their schedules allow. Sessions will be recorded and available for viewing for those who cannot watch live. Registration ends Wednesday.
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Greater CR Community Foundation gives $5M in grants |
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The Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation board of directors recently approved $5 million in grants to 233 nonprofit organizations. The awards include competitive grants from the Community Foundation’s Funds for the Community, as well as distributions from donor-advised, scholarship and agency funds.
The Community Foundation brings together private philanthropy with impactful nonprofits to support "a healthy and vibrant Linn County." In 2019, the Community Foundation distributed over $11 million in grants and scholarships.
The Community Foundation’s Funds for the Community include gifts from donors who have entrusted the Community Foundation to make grants that address ever-changing community needs and opportunities. In most years, the Funds for the Community provide the funding source for grants from the Program Fund and the Organizational Development Fund, which support efforts related to innovation, maintaining success and building capacity through a competitive grantmaking process.
In 2020, the Funds for the Community have been re-directed to address organizational and community challenges resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic and derecho disaster. These grants will support actions that allow organizations to survive and maintain essential functions, including altering programs and program delivery models, constituency retention strategies and planning for extended closures and/or phased reopening.
During this grant cycle, the Community Foundation received $891,000 in requests for competitive grants from the Funds for the Community. The Community Foundation funded $512,000 or 58% of the requested amount.
A complete list of the nonprofit organizations who received competitive grant awards from the Funds for the Community and Competitive Donor-Advised Funds is available here.
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Survey indicates 74% of hotels on track for more layoffs |
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A new survey of American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) members shows that the hotel industry remains on the brink of collapse due to the pandemic.
Results show 68% of hotels have less than half of their typical, pre-crisis staff working full time. Without further federal governmental assistance, the survey indicates, 74% of respondents will be forced to lay off additional employees.
AHLA conducted the survey of hotel industry owners, operators, and employees from Sep. 14-16, with more than 1,000 respondents. Other key findings include half of hotel owners say that they are in danger of foreclosure by their commercial real estate debt lenders due to COVID-19, and more than two-thirds report that they will only be able to last six more months at current projected revenue and occupancy levels absent any further relief.
To raise awareness for hotel industry priorities, AHLA has rallied members to “Save Hotel Jobs,” a grassroots initiative to urge lawmakers to swiftly pass additional stimulus relief before departing on recess to campaign. This ongoing effort by hoteliers has resulted in more than 200,000 letters, calls, and tweets to members of Congress.
“It’s time for Congress to put politics aside and prioritize the many businesses and employees in the hardest-hit industries, said Chip Rogers, president and CEO of AHLA, in a release. "Hotels are cornerstones of the communities they serve, building strong local economies and supporting millions of jobs. Every member of Congress needs to hear from us about the urgent need for additional support so that we can keep our doors open and bring back our employees.”
Mr. Rogers underlined the urgency of the situation on a call last week with White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, followed by a conference call with business and travel leaders. The most pressing concerns for the industry right now include access to liquidity and debt service, and liability protection.
“These are real numbers, millions of jobs, and the livelihoods of people who have built their small business for decades, just withering away because Congress has done nothing,” said Mr. Rogers on the call. “We can’t afford to let thousands of small businesses die and all of the jobs associated with them be lost for many years.”
Hoteliers can visit hotelsact.org to connect to their elected officials.
IMAGE: A new survey from the American Hotel & Lodging Association reveals that 57% of hotel operators anticipate having to close their doors within six months without further government assistance.
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Connect with the CBJ
The CBJ’s mission of informing and connecting the Corridor’s business community is more important than ever. Our news operations will continue researching and reporting on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic through our multiple distribution channels. Here’s how you can connect with us today and moving forward:
- You can reach our newsroom directly with leads, updates, cancellations, etc. at [email protected].
- Our comprehensive, deep-dive content continues in our weekly CBJ. If you are not a digital subscriber, you can sign up here.
- Our daily news coverage solution is spread throughout the week with our free e-newsletters. If you have not already signed up, you can do so here.
- Updated coronavirus information will also be published on our website, corridorbusiness.com/latest-coronavirus-updates, and through our Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn channels.
- All of our staff members remain available to assist you. You can find our full contact information at www.corridorbusiness.com/cbj-contact.
Remember: Subscribers can access the digital CBJ anytime and anywhere. Don't remember your password? Please email [email protected] for a password reset.
The CBJ print subscribers can also temporarily have the CBJ mailed to their home. To temporarily switch your address, please send your full temporary mailing address to [email protected]. Please include start and stop dates for the temporary address.
Thank you for your continued support of the Corridor Business Journal.
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Short Term Event Planner
Sept. 28-29
Iowa Technology Summit, by Technology Association of Iowa, all day, online. This two-day virtual summit will educate and connect technology professionals from the manufacturing, agriculture, insurance, financial services and health care industries. Free. To register, visit bit.ly/31wQUBG.
Sept. 29-Oct. 1
Financial Management for the Closely Held Business, by Hills Bank, 9-11 a.m., online. This three-day series will provide top finance concepts and their relevance to local community business owners and managers. Presented by Mike Milan, of Elevate Financial Training. Cost: $50. To register, visit conta.cc/34Yh42E.
Sept. 29
Team Coaching Training for Leaders, by Executive Coach Jennifer Zach, 8:15-9 a.m., online. Learn the basis for creating psychological safety among your team, how to observe and respond to your team as a collective group and individual members, and techniques for listening and observing without biases. Cost: $32. To register, visit bit.ly/3h4Pjsi.
Target Marketing … Do or Die!, by SCORE of East Central Iowa, 11 a.m.-noon, online. Discover what target marketing is and why it’s important. Free. To register, visit conta.cc/3hU8mVP.
Attract & Retain Top Employee Talent, by Washington Economic Development Group, 1-3 p.m., online and in person at YMCA, 520 W. Fifth St., Washington. Teri Gibson and Kyle Ray, from TrueNorth, will lead a discussion on how to attract and retain employees. Free. To register, visit bit.ly/2RwOtJF.
Sept. 30
1 Million Cups, by 1MC Cedar Rapids, 8:15 a.m., online. Join for community connections and presentations by entrepreneurs, established companies, experts and more. Free. For more information, visit facebook.com/1MCICR.
1 Million Cups, by 1MC Iowa City, 9 a.m., online. Join for community connections and presentations by entrepreneurs, established companies, experts and more. Free. For more information, visit facebook.com/1MillionCupsIC.
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These news items are provided by KCRG-TV9
Cedar Rapids' FEMA Disaster Recovery Center closed Saturday after being open for nearly a month. The center was established as a place for people to go if they needed help with applying for FEMA funds or had questions after the Aug. 10 derecho. However, FEMA Officials said help wasn’t going away. Willie Farley, owner of Willie Ray’s Q Shack on Cedar Rapids' Northeast side, helped thousands of people with free food after the storm. He took to his community cooking up meat that would have otherwise gone bad. “Helping people and doing what I can for my community has always been a passion,” said Farley. His passion to help people hasn’t stopped, but he said the number of people asking for help has started to wane. “People are getting back on their feet, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t still people in need,” he said. That was exactly what FEMA spokesperson, John Mills said when the center closed Saturday. “These centers are only open for a short time,” said Mills. “When we start seeing only one or two people a day, we start having that conversation with the state and local EMA about closing and potentially opening in a different community.” Mills said people can still call FEMA with questions about applying as well as submit paperwork through its website. He said FEMA has already awarded $7.5 million in disaster relief for 2,000 households. The plan was to continue conversations with city and county leaders. “FEMA is going to continue working with the city of Cedar Rapids and the surrounding areas,” he said. “We’re going to help them get reimbursements from FEMA for at least 75% of eligible disaster-related costs. That would be things like tree removal, emergency protective measures, and work to restore damaged infrastructures in affected areas.” Just like FEMA said it wasn’t going away, Farley said anyone who needed a bite to eat could stop by. “We’ve been taking food to the local shelters, and that wasn’t going to stop,” he said. “We’re going to continue to do our part.”
Iowa City Schools are transitioning to a hybrid learning model starting today. It’s part of its Return-to-Learn plan for the school year. The district originally started the school year with only online learning earlier this month. It cited dropping COVID-19 positivity rates in Johnson County for its decision to change its model. Right now, the Iowa Department of Public Health is reporting Johnson County at 5.4%. This transition only applies to students who opted for standard enrollment during registration. It does not apply to students who have enrolled in the school’s Online Learning Program.
These news items are provided by KCRG-TV9
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Your KCRG-TV9 First Alert Forecast |
A chance of scattered showers is possible today. Northwesterly winds continue to usher in the cooler air, as highs look to only top out in the mid-50s north to the low 60s south. Winds could gust to 30 mph at times. Generally quiet and dry weather is expected for the remainder of the week aside from some breezy days. Low to mid-60s will last through Wednesday when a reinforcing shot of cold air moves in. |
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