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For King & Country To Premiere New Song 'Together' Today On GMA

CURB/WORD ENTERTAINMENT four-time GRAMMY award-winning AUSTRALIAN duo FOR KING & COUNTRY will make their debut appearance on ABC-TV's GOOD MORNING AMERICA TODAY (5/1) to premiere … more




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KOST/Los Angeles Morning Star Ellen K & Jason Mraz Set To Help Children's Hospital Los Angeles Fundraiser

CHILDREN’s HOSPITAL LOS ANGELES (CHLA) has announced that their WALK & PLAY L.A. event is going virtual this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with proceedings set for SATURDAY … more




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Lisburn actor plays "soundest person in Normal People" says Derry Girls writer

The comedy writer has given the new Irish BBC drama her seal of approval




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Brooke Scullion among The Voice contestants behind tribute song to NHS

Speaking on the current status of the The Voice’s return Brooke said she’s in constant contact with fellow finalists and production




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SPFL board members hit out at Rangers managing director Robertson

Robertson has been accused of making "baseless, damaging and self-serving attacks"




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Alice Knapp, president of the Ferguson Library, wins 2020 Sullivan Award

CHICAGO — The American Library Association (ALA) is pleased to announce the 2020 Peggy Sullivan Award for Public Library Administrators Supporting Services to Children was awarded to Alice Knapp, president of the Ferguson Library (Stamford, Connecticut).  The Sullivan Award is presented annually to an individual in a library administrator role who has shown exceptional understanding and support of public library service to children.  With the cancellation of the ALA Annual Conference, the award will be presented at the Award Ceremony and Reception Sunday, Jan.




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Ingrid Michaelson Inks New Publishing Deal With UMe And Spirit Music Group

INGRID MICHAELSON has signed a pact with UMe, the global catalog company of UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP and SPIRIT MUSIC GROUP. The agreement is a worldwide deal for the physical and digital … more




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UMe And Spirit Complete Distribution Deal For Ingrid Michaelson Catalog

UNIVERSAL MUSIC GROUP's UMe has inked a deal with SPIRIT MUSIC GROUP for worldwide distribution of the majority of INGRID MICHAELSON's catalog. SPIRIT acquired the majority of … more




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International Songwriting Competition (ISC) Announces 2019 Winners

The INTERNATIONAL SONGWRITING COMPETITION (ISC) has revealed its 2019 winners. The top honor for 2019 goes to AUSTRALIAN artist and songwriter TONES AND I for the song "Dance … more




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WDST (Radio Woodstock)/Woodstock Cancels Hangout On The Hudson Event

Due to the ongoing CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) pandemic, CHET-5 Triple A WDST (RADIO WOODSTOCK)/WOODSTOCK, NY has been forced to cancel its 40th anniversary celebration called HANGOUT ON THE … more




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WJCT Public Media Launches The Jacksonville Music Experience

In MARCH, WJCT PUBLIC MEDIA, which operates PBS WJCT TV and NPR WJCT/JACSONVILLE, launched the JACKSONVILLE MUSIC EXPERIENCE (JME).  The new initiative was spearheaded by CEO DAVID … more




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Leesa Brunson-Boland Named Head Of A&R Operations At 300 Entertainment

300 ENTERTAINMENT names industry vet LEESA BRUNSON-BOLAND as Head Of A&R Operations. BRUNSON-BOLAND was previously SVP/A&R Operations at DEF JAM RECORDINGS. “I'm delighted … more




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Court Reverses $9.4 Million Judgement In Quincy Jones - Michael Jackson Estate Case

The CALIFORNIA COURT OF APPEALS has reversed a $9.4 million court judgement in favor of music producer QUINCY JONES. JONES and the estate of MICHAEL JACKSON had been battling over royalties … more




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Katherine Johnson of Hidden Figures Fame Dies at 101

The pioneering NASA mathematician overcame racial barriers to help humans reach the moon

-- Read more on ScientificAmerican.com




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Sony Music

Sony Music Entertainment is a United States music corporation owned and operated by Sony Corporation of America, a subsidiary of Japanese conglomerate Sony Corporation, and includes such music labels as Columbia Records, Epic Records, RCA Records, and numerous Sony Music national companies. Sony Music represents popular music...




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Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African Art

The Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African Art focus is to inspire conversations about the beauty, power, and diversity of African arts and cultures worldwide.




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Lawson Bates

Country Music artist website for Lawson Bates. Lawson released his first full country album in fall 2016; which featured some of Nashville’s top artists and musicians. He wrote and co-wrote eight of the twelve songs on the album. Lawson also...




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Updated cholesterol guidelines offer more personalized risk assessment, additional treatment options for people at the highest risk

Statement Highlights: High cholesterol, at any age, can increase a person’s lifetime risk for heart disease and stroke. A healthy lifestyle is the first step in prevention and treatment to lower that risk. The 2018 guidelines recommend more detailed risk assessments to help health care providers better determine a person’s individualized risk and treatment options. In some cases, a coronary artery calcium score can help determine a person’s need for cholesterol-lowering treatment, if their risk status is uncertain or if the treatment decision isn't clear.




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Alerta de medios de la AHA: El COVID-19 genera preguntas sobre un mayor riesgo para las personas con ECV y los sobrevivientes de accidentes cerebrovasculares

Sala de prensa sobre el COVID-19 de la AHA DALLAS, 3 de abril del 2020 – El COVID-19 está generando preguntas y preocupaciones generalizadas sobre el mayor riesgo que implica para aquellos con cardiopatías y sobrevivientes de accidentes...




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Es menos probable que quienes comienzan a fumar en la infancia o adolescencia dejen el hábito cuando son adultos

Puntos destacados de la investigación: Mientras más joven comience a fumar, es más probable que fume diariamente cuando sea adulto y es menos probable que haya dejado el hábito a los 40 años, según un estudio internacional que incluye a EE. UU. Los ...




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Serving The Whole Person

The Ethiopian Mekane Yesus Church owns and runs Aira Hospital - a small but by Ethiopian standards well equipped health facility - situtated in the far western part of rural Ethiopia. Despite financial hardship and lack of the most basic resources the dedicated surgeon Dr. Erik Erichsen and his team of local colleagues try as hard as they possibly can to serve some of the poorest people in the world




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Free, online health lessons available for all faith communities

DALLAS, April 8, 2020 – Approximately 120 million people in the United States have one or more cardiovascular conditions that may increase their risk for COVID-19 complications and those with hypertension, diabetes or cardiovascular disease are...




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Muévanse a través de los momentos difíciles, juntos, con tWitch y Allison Boss, dúo de bailarines y estrellas de la televisión

Botones para compartir de AddThis Compartir en Facebook Compartir en Twitter Compartir por correo electrónico Compartir para imprimir DALLAS, 20 de abril del 2020 — Debido a que la pandemia del coronavirus (COVID-19) ha cambiado las...




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Move through the tough times, together, with tWitch and Allison Boss, dancing duo and TV personalities

DALLAS, April 20, 2020 — With the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic changing the daily routines of many Americans, the American Heart Association, the leading voluntary health organization focused on heart and brain health for all, is committed to help...




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Antonio Petrucelli’s Maps (Edes Harrison & Artzybasheff)

Antonio Petrucelli’s name is probably unfamiliar to map people, although it shouldn’t be. Petrucelli was one of the artists whose work was commonly found on the cover (and inside) Fortune magazine from the 1930s through the 1950s. Petrucelli collaborated with Richard Edes Harrison and was a contemporary of Boris Artzybasheff. Like Edes Harrison and Artzybasheff, […]




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5 Critical Lessons Learned Organizing WordCamp Ann Arbor for the Third Time

In early 2014 I had just gotten married and recently moved into a new home. With two major life events out of the way, I decided I was ready to lead a WordCamp. I originally planned to organize WordCamp Detroit. I was an organizer twice before and the event had missed a year and I […]

The post 5 Critical Lessons Learned Organizing WordCamp Ann Arbor for the Third Time appeared first on Psychology of Web Design | 3.7 Blog.




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Why personas are antiquated (and what you should use instead)

Personas are antiquated… this coming from someone who has relied on and written about them for years. For years at 3.7 Designs, we’ve created personas during the design discovery phase. I recently realized that the traditional marketing persona is no longer a relevant practice. The keyword here is “traditional.” At 3.7 we’ve adopted a practice […]

The post Why personas are antiquated (and what you should use instead) appeared first on Psychology of Web Design | 3.7 Blog.





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A welcome lesson in Mississippi Bass fishing

WABASHA, Minn. — A couple of times a year, my good friend Mike Wirth invites me to join him for a few hours of Mississippi River bass fishing. For some reason, such invitations are rare, but...




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The Gazette’s 2020 preseason Super 10 softball rankings

The Iowa high school softball season was supposed to start practice Monday. Instead, the coronavirus pandemic has everything delayed until June 1, or maybe longer. Or, perhaps, canceled. But since...




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Cedar Rapids RoughRiders take son of longtime coach with 1st pick in USHL Draft, Phase I

CEDAR RAPIDS — Yes, Mark Carlson is good friends with his father. But make zero mistake here. Cade Littler is a hockey player. That’s the biggest thing and why the Cedar Rapids...



  • Minor League Sports

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Best sports movies: ‘All-Stars’ resonates with anyone involved in youth sports

Editor’s note: The Gazette sports staff has compiled lists of its top 15 favorite sports movies. Each day, a different staffer will share some insight into one of their favorites. Some of them...




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Iowa football lands Nebraska wide receiver Keagan Johnson

For Keagan Johnson and his family, the decision to play football at the University of Iowa was theirs. A personal decision that set a course for a fairly massive three or four or five years. When...




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After 1 season, Matt Lesan resigns as Solon boys’ basketball coach

CEDAR RAPIDS — This was his alma mater, a place he had a ton of success at as a player. The future of the program is clearly bright. But Matt Lesan has a clear plan for his own future, which...




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Best sports movies: 'Brian's Song' is about more than football — it's about friendship

Editor’s note: The Gazette sports staff has compiled lists of its top 15 favorite sports movies. Each day, a different staffer will share some insight into one of their favorites. Some of them...





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Celebrity content marketing lessons from a pandemic

When it comes to content marketing, we live in extraordinary times. With cutting-edge tools such as live video, VR and AI at our fingertips, we can give our community behind-the-scenes access to our...




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Tyson outbreak: Short closure but enduring grief

As the coronavirus spread from the nation’s meatpacking plants to the broader communities where they are located, it burned through a modest duplex in Waterloo. In the downstairs unit lived...




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Dubuque woman pleads to helping buy heroin that led to fatal overdose of another person

CEDAR RAPIDS — A Dubuque woman who helped her boyfriend and another person buy heroin that later led to a fatal overdose was convicted Thursday in federal court. Jacqueline M. Birch, 23,...




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Stephen "Steve" Person

STEPHEN &Quot;STEVE&Quot; MATTHEW PERSON
Tipton

Stephen "Steve" Matthew Person, 71, of Tipton, died suddenly on Sunday, May 3, 2020, while at his home. Private family funeral services will be determined at a later date and all updated service information will be posted on the same website where you are invited to share online condolences: www.fryfuneralhome.com.




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Douglas Robison

DOUGLAS CAREY ROBISON
Cedar Rapids

Douglas Carey Robison, 53, died April 30, 2020. A Celebration of Life will be held later this month in Cedar Rapids.
Survivors include his children: daughter, Kerrie Ann Robison (36), daughter, Jamie Lee Robison (32), and son, Bradley Douglas Robison (31); brothers, Joseph, Steven, Robert and Michael; a sister, Tina Robison; his mother, Rose Gates; and 10 grandkids. Brandon Hugh Robison (22), was the eldest among them, Doug loved to show him off. Doug also had two great-grandkids who he adored.
He was preceded in death by his daughter, Stephanie Lynn Robison; and his father, Robert Hugh Robison.
Doug liked to play pool and cards. He loved to see his grandkids grow and play. He was hardworking, and his last permanent job was doing construction. Doug recently volenteered at Olivet to help pass time. He was loved by many. He was so proud of all of his children and grandkids.
One thing everyone knew about our dad is that he always had a beer in his hand. Rest in paradise, Dad. You are missed and loved by many.We love you!!




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Pulkrabek: Brad Kunkel for Johnson County sheriff

I’ve had the pleasure of serving you as sheriff of Johnson County for the past 15-plus years and the job is not one that I or anyone else should or can take lightly. The office of sheriff requires a balance of both politics and leading a very large law enforcement agency which means sometimes those two worlds can collide. In these tough situations it takes someone that believes in their co-workers, trusts their co-workers and asks them to always perform at a high level.

I’m confident that Brad Kunkel is up to the task. The sheriff must also always follow the Constitution and enforce the laws of Iowa, in addition the sheriff is responsible for the operation and oversight of the county jail. Brad’s career experience including his years working in the jail are valuable for safe and efficient jail management.

The office of sheriff requires a thoughtful approach to what is best for the citizens of Johnson County. I have worked with Brad Kunkel for over 20 years and I know he has the temperament, intelligence and integrity to excel in the office of Johnson County sheriff. I wholeheartedly believe he is the best person to take the office into the challenging time ahead.

Join me and vote for Brad Kunkel on or before June for Johnson County sheriff.

Sheriff Lonny Pulkrabek

Iowa City



  • Letters to the Editor

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Governor preaches ‘personal responsibility.’ But for whom?

Another day, another devastating new uptick in Iowa’s COVID-19 figures.

Several times in the past few weeks, Gov. Kim Reynolds has announced a new daily high in Iowa’s positive COVID-19 tests or deaths. On Tuesday, yet another striking record — 19 deaths in a 24-hour period, or nearly 10 percent of the state’s total COVID-19 deaths to date.

For a governor who says she is staking her pandemic response on data and metrics, those grim numbers don’t seem to weigh heavily on Reynolds’ decision-making.

“The fact is we can’t prevent people from getting the COVID-19 virus,” Reynolds said at her Tuesday news conference. “If we weren’t testing in these areas, people would still have the virus and without being tested, diagnosed and isolated it could spread even further.”

In one breath, Reynolds tells Iowans we are helpless to stop the virus’s spread. In the very next breath, she explains how testing and isolation can help prevent the spread.

It’s just one example of the confusing guidance Iowans are getting from the governor and her team. Iowans looking for answers about how to protect themselves and their families are finding seemingly conflicting answers.

They report we have reached the peak, only to backtrack. They say we’re in this together and there’s a statewide plan to confront the outbreak, but then they tell us it’s really about “personal responsibility.” They tell us to stay home as much as possible, then pivot to emphasizing the need for people who feel sick to stay home.

Sometimes, it almost feels as if Reynolds is blaming Iowans for getting sick.

Early on, Reynolds used a regional strategy to track the virus, based on factors such as hospitalizations and health care resources in six multicounty regions across the state. That approach has been brushed aside with little explanation to the public.

Instead, Iowa now has “open” and “closed” counties — 22 where significant restrictions remain intact, and 77 where businesses can open in a limited manner. After less than a week under the county-by-county strategy, there are early signs that the 77 counties are seeing an uptick in confirmed COVID-19 cases.

Gov. Reynolds is disrupting her own virus response plan

Reynolds’ response in this phase of the pandemic is just as crucial as the initial phase, to prevent a deadlier wave. Shifting to the personal responsibility path also decentralizes leadership, which creates more uncertainty.

If Iowa’s “open” counties see a surge, will Reynolds relent and reimpose restrictions?

We have reason to doubt it. Just this week, Reynolds co-authored a Washington Post guest column with other governors, arguing “our approach worked.”

In Reynolds’ mind, she has already defeated the virus, so she’s retreating from the fight. That’s bad news for Iowans who are still very much on the front lines of this pandemic.

(319) 398-8262; editorial@thegazette.com




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5 Reasons Why Should Hire a Web Design Company (Now!)

Wondering why you should hire a web design company? If so, click here for five reasons why you should hire a web design company now! More





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Celebrity content marketing lessons from a pandemic

When it comes to content marketing, we live in extraordinary times. With cutting-edge tools such as live video, VR and AI at our fingertips, we can give our community behind-the-scenes access to our company, people and products.

We can showcase our best customers and bring our brands to life.

But what if your business had to close all of its physical locations? What if your people couldn’t go anywhere?

And what if your community was distracted by ... something? Not a little something. A very big, pandemic-level something.

These are the questions that content marketers find themselves grappling with in the midst of COVID-19. In the blink of an eye, we went from having the tools to do anything to a hobbling array of limitations. At least, that’s what it can feel like.

But what if we flipped that thinking the other way? Twitter co-founder Biz Stone once said, “Constraints inspire creativity. When are backs are against the wall, we come up with some amazing things.”

Where can we look for inspiration? If you flip the through the opening pages of that famed marketing handbook “Us Weekly” — hey, what else is there to look at in a waiting room? — you’ll find a section titled, “Stars — They’re Just Like Us!”

These pages feature celebrities doing “regular people” things such as walking down the street and getting groceries. However, these days, despite their fame and means, celebrities have our same quarantined constraints.

And some are using this as an opportunity to create some amazing content of their own.

During this odd interlude, we can learn some valuable content marketing lessons from celebrities working within these same limitations.

Create what your audience is looking for

Actor John Krasinski didn’t start a weekly web show in the middle of a pandemic to mug to the camera like his character Jim Halpert from “The Office.” Nor did he do it tout his Jack Ryan action-hero status.

Instead, in the midst of all of the bad news, he saw that what many people were hungry for was some good news. And that’s literally what he’s delivered with his aptly titled video series, “Some Good News” or “SGN.”

Featuring homemade title cards crafted by his children and set in his home office, Krasinski’s weekly show features a roundup of happy stories about creative kids, salutes to health care workers, unique ways to celebrate graduates and more. He also has concise weather reports from the likes Robert DeNiro and Brad Pitt.

While special appearances from famous friends might be out of your reach, you, too, can find ways to serve up more of what your audience needs right now.

Note: This might not necessarily be exactly what you sell. Ask yourself instead, what do they really need right now and how can we help?

For example, Don’t Panic Management is a team of virtual assistants. However, they saw that the small businesses they serve need help applying for government relief programs, so they started creating content around this.

Homemade content can be relevant, special

On a recent episode of his WTF podcast, host Marc Maron talked about watching episodes of “Saturday Night Live At Home,” saying these shows were “touching.”

With segments shot by various individual cast members at home on their laptops and phones and featuring costumes from closets and cameos from kids and pets, SNL “At Home” shows how you can push our quarantined limitations to produce creative content.

In a recent episode, cast member Kate McKinnon shot an installment of her long-running “Whiskers R We” cat adoption sketch at home on her phone. Normally, this would feature several cute cats in studio introduced as McKinnon quips things like, “A cat is a smile with hair.”

The “At Home” installment features McKinnon in a homemade version of her costume with hand-drawn signs and her one pet cat playing nearly a dozen cats thanks to camera filters, mustaches and face masks.

SNL initially announced it would end their season early due to COVID-19. A few weeks later, the cast came back with their first “At Home” show.

They recognized the power of the moment and the outsized impact homemade content can have.

Another example of relevant, homemade branded content is a new ad from L’Oreal Paris, with spokeswoman Eva Longoria dying her gray roots at home in a video she shot on her iPhone. When you get hung up trying to make something polished and perfect, you often miss the opportunity to make something relevant and special.

Get creative with collaboration

Another SNL “At Home” sketch introduces characters struggling with the new normal of Zoom meetings shot with — wait for it — Zoom! The recent “Parks and Recreation” reunion special developed an entire half-hour script around a series of virtual meetings between Leslie Knope, Ron Swanson and others, all shot at home by the actors using iPhones.

We can use the same tools we rely on for virtual meetings to collaborate with others on content. Many already use Zoom and Skype for podcasts and videos.

You also can get creative in your content collaboration as actor and stunt professional Zoë Bell did. She challenged celebrity friends such as Scarlett Johansson, Margot Robbie, Drew Barrymore, Rosario Dawson and Zoe Saldana to help her stage an elaborate fight scene.

The resulting video stitches together individually shot fight scenes from the phones of 38 different actors and stunt workers to create one big knockout fight. The viral video garnered over a million views in just a few short days.

Just because we can’t get together doesn’t mean we can’t collaborate. Whether you’re simply using Zoom or storyboarding out something more elaborate, involving others always expands the reach of your content.

Yes, the content creators profiled here are celebrities. But they’re also more than that. They’re creative artists and problem solvers.

A frequent refrain in the early days of blogging and content marketing was, “think like a publisher.” This served as a reminder to write like a journalist, schedule content and publish regularly. However, with our current lockdown limitations, we should amend this as a reminder to think like creative artists — those who’ve used these limitations to spark bold, interesting new ideas for connecting with others.

What can you create that people need? Can you do it right now — today? From home?

Can you creatively involve others?

Thinking like a creative artist means focusing less on what you can’t do in these unusual times and more on what you can.

Nick Westergaard is a marketing strategist, keynote speaker and author of “Band Now” and “Get Scrappy”; nick@branddrivendigital.com; @NickWestergaard.




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Tyson outbreak: Short closure but enduring grief

As the coronavirus spread from the nation’s meatpacking plants to the broader communities where they are located, it burned through a modest duplex in Waterloo.

In the downstairs unit lived Jim Orvis, 65, a beloved friend and uncle who worked in the laundry department at the Tyson Foods pork processing facility, the largest employer in Waterloo. Upstairs was Arthur Scott, a 51-year-old father who was getting his life on track after a prison term for drugs. He worked 25 miles away at the Tyson dog treats factory in Independence.

The two men were not well acquainted. But both fell ill and died last month within days of each other from COVID-19 — casualties of an outbreak linked to the Waterloo plant that spread across the city of 68,000 people.

Similar spread has happened in other communities where the economy centers on raising hogs and cattle and processing their meat, including the hot spots of Grand Island, Neb., and Worthington, Minn.

The virus is “devastating everything,” duplex owner Jose Garcia, who received notification two days apart from his deceased tenants’ relatives, said recently. “These two guys were here last week. Now they are gone. It’s crazy.”

He said it’s possible one of the men infected the other because they shared an entryway, or that they each contracted the virus separately at their workplaces.

The virus threatens the communities’ most vulnerable populations, including low-income workers and their extended families.

“They’re afraid of catching the virus. They’re afraid of spreading it to family members. Some of them are afraid of dying,” said the Rev. Jim Callahan, of the Church of St. Mary in Worthington, a city of 13,000 that has attracted immigrants from across the globe to work at the JBS pork plant.

“One guy said to me, ‘I risked my life coming here. I never thought something that I can’t see could take me out.’ ”

In Grand Island, an outbreak linked to a JBS beef plant that is the city’s largest employer spread rapidly across the rural central Nebraska region, killing more than three dozen people. Many of the dead were elderly residents of long-term care facilities who had relatives or friends employed at the plant.

In Waterloo, local officials blamed Tyson for endangering not only its workers and their relatives but everyone else who leaves home to work or get groceries.

They were furious with the state and federal governments for failing to intervene and for pushing hard to reopen the plant days after public pressure helped idle it.

“We were failed by people who put profit margins and greed before people, predominantly brown people, predominantly immigrants, predominantly people who live in lower socioeconomic quarters,” said Jonathan Grieder, a high school social studies teacher who serves on Waterloo’s City Council. “This is going to be with us for so long. There are going to be very deep scars in our community.”

Grieder cried as he recounted how one of his former students, 19, lost her father to the coronavirus and has been left to raise two younger siblings. Their mother died of cancer last September.

Black Hawk County Sheriff Tony Thompson said he first became concerned after touring the Tyson plant April 10 and witnessing inadequate social distancing and a lack of personal protective equipment. As hundreds of workers began getting sick or staying home out of fear, Thompson joined the mayor and local officials in asking Tyson to close the plant temporarily on April 16.

But Tyson, with support from Gov. Kim Reynolds, waited until April 22 to announce that step after the outbreak intensified. The company warned of the significant economic consequences even a temporary shutdown would create.

The plant, which can process 19,500 hogs per day, resumed limited production this past week.

First, Tyson invited local officials and some employees inside for tours to show the new safety precautions, including plastic shields and more space between workers.

This time, Thompson said he was “reserved in my optimism” that worker safety would be a priority at the plant.

Although Tyson has declined to say how many of the plant’s 2,800 workers had been infected, state health officials announced last week that 444 — or 17 percent — had the virus.

In three weeks, Black Hawk County’s cases skyrocketed from 62 to at least 1,450, or more than 1 percent of the county population. Deaths because of the virus rose from zero to at least 15. Ninety percent of the cases are “attributed or related to the plant,” the county’s public health director said.

Thompson said the plant’s outbreak decimated the community’s “first line of defense” and allowed the virus to spread to nursing homes and the jail he oversees.

“These are the places we did not want to fight the COVID-19 virus,” he said.

The losses mounted.

A refugee from Bosnia died days after falling sick while working on the Tyson production line, leaving behind her heartbroken husband.

The virus also took an intellectually disabled man who died at 73, years after escaping forced labor at a turkey plant and retiring to Waterloo.

Scott, who went by the nickname Dontae, was planning to reunite in June with two teenage children he had not seen in person since he was incarcerated on federal drug charges in 2011.

A former small-time heroin distributor who suffered from addiction, he and his wife divorced during his prison term, and she moved to Mississippi with the children.

Since his 2018 release, friends said he was doing well and rebuilding relationships.

Scott told his daughter, Destiny Proctor, 18, that he suspected he became infected at the Tyson pet food factory, which has stayed open under federal guidance classifying the industry as critical infrastructure.

Proctor and her 15-year-old brother were looking forward to living with their dad this summer. Instead, their final talk was a video call from a hospital where he struggled to talk.

“It was so, so sad,” Proctor, who described her father as funny and caring and frequently sending her cards and gifts, said of their final call. “He told me he couldn’t breathe.”




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Dubuque woman pleads to helping buy heroin that led to fatal overdose of another person

CEDAR RAPIDS — A Dubuque woman who helped her boyfriend and another person buy heroin that later led to a fatal overdose was convicted Thursday in federal court.

Jacqueline M. Birch, 23, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of aiding and abetting the distribution of a controlled substance.

During the plea hearing, Birch admitted she knew that another person was going to illegally distribute a drug last May, and she aided in that distribution.

Evidence at a previous hearing showed that Birch drove her boyfriend, Mateusz Syryjczyk, 29, of Rockford, Ill., and another person, not identified in court documents, to a residence in Dubuque on May 27. Birch and the other person went into the residence and bought heroin from a dealer. The three drove to a hotel in Dubuque and all used the heroin.

The other person began to overdose in the room, but Birch and Syryjczyk didn’t immediately call 911, according to evidence. Over many hours, Birch occasionally would perform CPR on the person to restore some breathing function, though the person never regained consciousness.

Eventually, Birch and Syryjczyk decided to call 911, and Syryjczyk took the remaining drug paraphernalia from the room to prevent law enforcement from finding it, according to court documents. Birch and Syryjczyk also made false statements to police about the cause of the person’s condition.

Court documents showed the overdose victim died at the scene. An autopsy later determined the cause of death was use of heroin, fentanyl and valeryl fentanyl.

Syryjczyk previously pleaded to misprision of a felony and remains free on bond pending sentencing.

Birch faces up to 20 years in federal prison, a $1 million fine and supervised release for life following her prison term.

Sentencing will be set after a presentencing report is prepared.

The case was investigated by the Dubuque Drug Task Force and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan Chatham.

Comments: (319) 398-8318; trish.mehaffey@thegazette.com




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Second high-speed chase results in prison for Cedar Rapids man

CEDAR RAPIDS — A 32-year-old Cedar Rapids man, who received probation for a high-speed chase that he bragged about as “fun” and attempted to elude again in March, is heading to prison.

Sixth Judicial District Judge Lars Anderson on Friday revoked probation for Travis McDermott on the eluding charge from June 9, 2019, and sentenced him to five years in prison.

McDermott was convicted Tuesday for attempting to elude in March and was sentenced to 90 days in jail, which was run concurrently to the five-year prison sentence.

First Assistant Linn County Attorney Nick Maybanks told the judge that McDermott has a “significant violent history,” including assaults, assault on a peace officer, domestic assault, interference with official acts and child endangerment with bodily injury.

He continues to assault others and “show blatant disregard for authority figures,” the prosecutor noted.

In the eluding incident from last June, McDermott “risked lives” in a southwest neighborhood leading police on chase that began on when police saw his vehicle speeding on Rockford Road SW and run a stop sign at Eighth Avenue SW, Maybanks said Friday. McDermott drove 107 mph in a 30 mph zone and drove the wrong way on a one-way street at Third Street and Wilson Avenue SW.

McDermott ran into a pile of dirt at a dead end, jumped out of his car and led officers on a foot chase, Maybanks said. He wouldn’t stop, and officers used a Taser to subdue him.

McDermott was laughing when police arrested him, saying “how much fun” he had and appearing to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, Maybanks said.

McDermott demanded a speedy trial, but the officer who conducted the sobriety test wasn’t available for trial. A plea was offered, and the drunken driving charge was dropped.

Maybanks also pointed out McDermott wouldn’t cooperate with the probation office on a presentencing report, which was ordered by a judge. He picked up an assault charge last November and was convicted before his eluding sentencing in January.

Maybanks said after McDermott received probation, he didn’t show up at the probation office for his appointment, didn’t get a substance abuse test as ordered and reported an invalid address to community corrections.

McDermott also has a pending charge in Dubuque County for driving while barred March 3, according to court documents.

Comments: (319) 398-8318; trish.mehaffey@thegazette.com




son

I’ve shot at this location a few times but for some reason...



I’ve shot at this location a few times but for some reason I’ve never seen it from the other side. Literal proof that shooting with other creatives gives you new perspective. ???? (at Toronto, Ontario)