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Briefly

Fund provides COVID-19 relief

FAIRMONT — In late April, Martin County Area Foundation asked the community to help its newly established Martin County COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund make a greater impact by participating in its dollar-for-dollar match fundraising effort.

The community answered the call and helped the foundation raise $34,125. The dollars will be distributed accordingly:

o $13,650 to the Martin County Economic Development Authority to provide local business relief.

o $8,531 to the Community Health & Human Services of Faribault & Martin Counties to use toward COVID-19 needs in Martin County.

o $3,412 to emergency housing relief in Martin County with Committee Against Domestic Abuse (CADA) and the Salvation Army each receiving $1,706.25.

o $8,531 will be awarded in nonprofit relief grants.

The foundation established the Martin County COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund in April utilizing a generous lead gift of $150,000 from the Schmeeckle Foundation. The initial funds were disbursed to provide support to Martin County-based early child care providers, food shelves, health care workers and fire/EMS departments.

Grassley to skip GOP convention

DES MOINES (AP) — Sen. Chuck Grassley will not attend the Republican National Convention for the first time in his 40-year Senate career due to concerns about the coronavirus.

“I’m not going to go, and I’m not going to go because of the virus situation,” the Iowa senator said on a conference call Monday with Iowa reporters.

He said moving the convention was probably the right thing to do since North Carolina officials didn’t feel it was safe to have a large gathering.

“If you want to have a convention, and I think we should have a convention, I think you should do whatever you can to make it as safe as possible, so that would be with face masks and social distancing,” Grassley said.

The convention is now scheduled to begin Aug. 24 in Jacksonville, Florida, where officials began requiring face masks in public a week ago. Florida has seen its positive test rate lately reach more than 18%. The state has been hit especially hard, along with other Sunbelt states such as Arizona, California and Texas.

Grassley, 86, said he plans to continue his tour of all of Iowa’s counties, visiting 29 counties during the current two-week break. He and his staff will wear masks but he doesn’t plan on requiring it for Iowans who come to see him.

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