(Radio Iowa) — The City of Dubuque is joining the growing list of local governments to issue a face covering mandate, defying the governor’s opinion that local orders are unenforceable. Weeks ago, the White House Coronavirus Task Force labeled Dubuque County as a COVID-19 red zone. Police Chief Mark Dalsing (DOLL-sing) says regardless of officers’ personal views, they will enforce the measure, with a focus on education.

“For the most part, we’re probably going to see compliance. Maybe they go around the corner and stop complying, but we can do what we can do,” Dalsing says. “There is a possibility that somebody is going to try to make a political stand and force the issue, and we’ll see where that goes.”

City council members say they’re very worried about a resurgence as schools reopen, and are deeply troubled by the county’s death toll of 31 people. The mandate will go into effect Saturday (tomorrow) and the city intends to start enforcing it on Monday.

(By Kate Payne, Iowa Public Radio)

(Radio Iowa) – If you need a new shirt, a pair of pants or some sneakers, this is the time to go shopping. What’s known as the State of Iowa’s Sales Tax Holiday is underway today (Friday) and tomorrow. John Fuller, spokesman for the Iowa Department of Revenue, says the rules are fairly straightforward.  “Generally, if they buy any item of clothing or any footwear that’s less than $100 per item, that will not have state sales tax,” Fuller says. “If they have specific items that they’re looking for, they can go to tax.iowa.gov, and there’s a list of what’s taxable and what’s not.”

Iowa shoppers are about to enter their second decade of these sales tax holidays.  “It started about 19 or 20 years ago through a legislative action,” Fuller says. “The lawmakers decided that this would be a good thing for Iowans.” Iowans who prefer to do their browsing for new duds on the computer instead of in the store are also in for a discount. “Online purchases have the same rules,” Fuller says, “so as long as you select your item and pay for it during that time period, there should be no state sales tax on that.”

The tax free weekend is in place from 12:01 a.m. Friday through 11:59 p.m. Saturday.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Finance Authority says more people could now be eligible to receive assistance through their COVID-19 Eviction and Foreclosure Prevention program. Spokesperson Ashley Jared says those who were ineligible because they received the 600 dollars federal unemployment benefit are now eligible for the program.

“So if you have received that benefit in the past, you are now welcome to apply,” she says. “And even if you applied in the past and were denied because of that benefit, you are more than welcome to reapply to
see if you are eligible for rent or mortgage assistance.” She says the program will help those who are having trouble paying their rent during the pandemic. “We have rent assistance You can get up to 32-hundred dollars up to four months for rental assistance. And that is paid directly to your landlord. They have to log in and verify your rental amount at the apartment or home that you are renting,” according to Jared.

And there is help if you own your home. “If you have a mortgage and you are struggling to make your payment due to a COVID loss of income — we can also assist with that — with up to three thousand dollars. Again up to four months to that mortgage servicer directly,” Jared says. She says your eligibility is based on your income. Jared says it is based on 80 percent of the area median income, and that varies by county and household size. “In Polk County for instance, it is roughly 57-thousand for a household of two,” she says.

The federal unemployment assistance expired at the end of July and the attempts in Congress to bring it back have so far stalled. “If something passes we would have to re-examine at that point — but right now we are just really glad we are able to open up eligibility to those who have received that assistance in the past,” Jared says. Jared encourages anyone who may need help to check and see if they are eligible at iowahousingrecovery.com.

“About 11-hundred have received assistance so far. A large majority of that being renters,” Jared says. “We anticipate the home ownership side will come a little later on, hopefully not though. Hopefully, people are keeping up on their mortgage payments.” The money for the program comes from an allocation made by the governor form the Federal Cares Act.

(Radio Iowa) – The Johnson County Board of Supervisors has voted to mandate the use of face coverings in public spaces, while the governor continues to say city and county officials lack the authority to enforce mask mandates. Johnson County’s new policy says face coverings are required in all indoor public settings and outdoors, too, if social distancing isn’t possible. Supervisor Royceann Porter compares it to seat belt laws: initially controversial, but lifesaving.

“It wasn’t something that people wanted, but once you started doing it, it was effective,” Porter said. “So I just want to say that I’m doing this to save lives.” Johnson County Supervisors say their mandate will go into effect once it’s published in the local paper, which is expected to happen on Monday. Governor Reynolds isn’t threatening retaliation, but she says a one-size-fits-all mandate from a city or county government is not the right move.

“Let’s just be clear, though, too…We encourage Iowans to wear a mask when they’re interacting with others and they’re unable to social distance,” Reynolds says. “…Within that, you know businesses have the opportunity to require masks in their establishment, schools can choose to require masks for their students and teachers and governments can choose to require masks in their buildings.” Linn County Supervisors are urging Reynolds to let local governments enforce mask orders.