Featured Stories
– Eldora teen found dead, 12-year-old taken into custody
– As expected, Caitlin Clark is the WNBA No. 1 pick, by the Indiana Fever
– About 100 trees removed for new road on University of Iowa medical campus
– Without funding, nonprofit that helped students graduate high school closes
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.
Featured Stories
– Iowa Supreme Court weighs reinstating ‘fetal heartbeat’ abortion ban
– 3 dead in Iowa-Wisconsin homicide, suicide
– Bigger clinic means more people can see a dentist
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.
Featured Stories
– Capitol Notebook: Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signs pregnancy program changes, other bills into law
– Seafood restaurant coming soon to former Vivian’s Soul Food building in Cedar Rapids
– Comedy pays homage to Giving Tree Theater’s late co-owner
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.
Featured Stories
– Cedar Rapids fire and police investigate arson at barbershop
– Lawmakers OK rules for clearly labeling meat substitutes
– Boozy doughnut shop opens in Cedar Rapids
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.
Featured Stories:
- Gov. Kim Reynolds signs law boosting oversight of foreign ownership of Iowa farmland
- Esports facility to be built in Coralville
- Hills school closure prompts city to consider changing districts
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.
Featured Stories
– NAIA approves transgender policy limiting women’s sports to athletes whose biological sex is female
– Linn County jury convicts Cedar Rapids man of fatally stabbing Devonna Walker
– Downtown Iowa City opens temporary pop-up storefront
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.
Featured Stories
- Cedar Rapids secures $56 million federal grant to fund Eighth Avenue Bridge replacement
- Iowa women’s basketball returns to national championship game with comeback win over UConn
- Higley Mansion in Cedar Rapids could become residential rehab house for substance use treatment
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.
Featured Stories
– UI police arrest, accuse two of vandalizing promotions of transgender swimmer’s former teammate
– International Banquet in Cedar Rapids celebrates 50 years of diverse flavors at Coe College
– Caitlin Clark repeats as Associated Press national women’s basketball player of the year
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.
Featured Stories:
- Former University of Iowa Hospital employee uses fake identity for 35 years
- Iowa’s government boards no longer are required to have gender balance
- Live Stream: The 2024 Total Solar Eclipse April 8
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.
Featured Stories
- Iowa House passes bill bolstering early literacy standards
- Iowa City student wins prize in C-SPAN’s national video documentary competition
- Kingdom Community Center awarded $100,000 at third-annual Grand Impact luncheon
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.
Featured Stories
- Cedar Rapids’ Harrison Elementary to stay open this fall
- Cedar Rapids police respond to swatting call at Jefferson High
- Czech Village museum’s Clock Toer to add Prague-style astronomical clock features, figurines
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.
Featured Stories
- Cancer in Iowa: Iowa changing the way it looks for cancer clusters
- Cancer in Iowa: Here’s how Iowans are battling the state’s dire cancer rates
- Iowa will no longer have park rangers under plan
Episode Transcript
Welcome to The Gazette’s Daily News Podcast for Monday, April 1, 2024.
This podcast provides the latest headlines from the Gazette newsroom. I’m Becky
Lutgen Gardner.
First, Cancer in Iowa: Iowa is changing how it looks
for cancer clusters. That includes screening tests, proposed policies, and
personal advocacy to help move the needle in the fight against Iowa’s high
cancer rates.
In 2023, Iowa’s cancer rates soared to the second highest in the country.
The Iowa Cancer Registry has investigated 150 suspected
cancer cluster cases since 1994.
But only one investigation near Wellman resulted in a
confirmed cluster finding.
Researchers now want to reverse the cluster
investigation process by identifying locations with known contamination and then
studying cancer rates nearby.
The CDC also has new cancer cluster guidelines recommending
tracking communities to see if the disease develops over time.
Gary Streit helped
co-found the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network in 1977. And then was
diagnosed in 2016 with prostate cancer.
Within months, he had surgery to remove his prostate. Every year, he
participates in the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life to fundraise for
fighting cancer. Last year, he walked 30 miles to raise more than $100,000.
He says of his advocacy, “If I broke my arm, I’d tell people about it.
People need to get past the stigma — have to get past the fear.”
Other Iowans are fighting cancer in their own ways. They’re calling for
more screening tests to detect and treat cancer earlier. Though few are gaining
traction with lawmakers, they’re proposing policies that help prevent cancer.
And they’re assuming another powerful role: advocates who can raise awareness
and demand change, all in the name of keeping Iowa’s population safer and
healthier.
Finally, Iowa’s state parks will no longer have park rangers under
a new alignment plan being executed by the Iowa Department of Natural
Resources.
The department confirmed that rangers at Iowa’s 69 state parks will gradually be classified as conservation officers assigned to one or more counties rather than assigned to
a specific state park or parks. Iowa DNR spokeswoman
Tammie Krausman said, “Under alignment, State Park Managers and Natural
Resource Technicians will exclusively handle state park operations, allowing
DNR’s sworn peace officers to solely focus on law enforcement tasks,”
But park advocates say the change will mean reduced law
enforcement presence at state parks, which, in the summer, become hubs of
activity that can involve overconsumption of alcohol, unsafe boating and
criminal activity.
Dawn Bill is president of Friends of Pilot Knob, a group that supports
Featured Stories:
- Republican states file lawsuit challenging Biden’s student loan repayment plan
- Manchester examining options after $4.25M verdict
- Adults get in on Eastern Iowa Easter fun
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.
Featured Stories:
- Should Iowa bars, restaurants that sell THC drinks face greater liability?
- U.S. changes how it categorizes people by race and ethnicity. It’s the first revision in 27 years.
- Events venue to open near Anamosa
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.
Featured Stories:
- Hills Elementary to close at the end of the school year, Iowa City school board decides
- Anamosa releases sewage into Wapsipinicon after equipment failure
- AEA changes, education funding and teacher pay boosts signed into law by Iowa Gov. Reynolds
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.
Featured Stories:
- Coralville woman charged with stealing thousands from youth softball association
- Iowa Gov. Reynolds’ education director pick praised, criticized during public hearing
- New chicken chain is planning first Iowa restaurants in Cedar Rapids, Coralville
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.
Featured Stories
- New exhibit showcases old connection between pop artist Keith Haring and Iowa City elementary school
- Marion teen guilty of first-degree murder in 2023 shooting death
- The Iowa Gardener: Iowa's changing weather
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon. Find the latest Eastern Iowa news at thegazette.com
Featured stories
- House GOP budget plan would raise Social Security retirement age, ban abortion
- Cedar Rapids fire that killed man was accidental
- Cardboard Boat Regatta returning to Cedar Rapids Freedom Festival lineup
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.
Featured Stories:
- Google named as company behind proposed $576M Cedar Rapids data center
- Eric Marshall named Orchestra Iowa CEO
- Iowa City 12-year-old found safe
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon. Find the latest Eastern Iowa news at thegazette.com.
Featured Stories:
– One dead after Tuesday fire in Cedar Rapids
– Police support builds for proposal to regulate traffic cameras
– Here’s where you can Easter Egg Hunt in Eastern Iowa
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon. Find the latest Eastern Iowa news at thegazette.com.
Featured Stories
– Iowa City police searching for missing 12-year-old
– Iowa House bill would give more protections to police
– Capitol Notebook: Bill ending required periodic hotel inspections in Iowa passes state Senate
– Study: Rural Linn County needs 661 more units by 2040
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon. Find the latest Eastern Iowa news at thegazette.com.
Featured Stories:
- EPA bans asbestos, a deadly carcinogen still in use decades after a partial ban was enacted
- Water taxi starts Monday at closed Black Hawk Bridge
- Red Hot Chili Pipers bringing ‘bagrock’ to Paramount Theatre in Cedar Rapids
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon. View the latest Eastern Iowa news at thegazette.com.
Featured Stories:
- As funnel week ends, Iowa lawmakers leave some significant bills behind
- The Supreme Court upholds mandatory prison terms for some low-level drug dealers
- C.R. St. Patrick’s Day Parade back to March 17
- Going green for St. Paddy’s Day around C.R.
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.
Featured Stories:
- Linn County is receiving naloxone distribution machines
- Cedar Rapids restaurant ordered to pay back nearly $30,000 in tips and penalties
- Going green for St. Paddy’s Day around C.R.
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.
Featured Stories
- U.S. House votes to ban TikTok unless its Chinese parent company sells it. Here’s how Iowa’s reps voted
- Agri Star sends 250K gallons of meat processing wastewater to Postville treatment plant, some enters creek
- Lawmakers hit brakes on bill to ban Iowa DNR form buying land at auction
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.
Featured Stories:
- Lawmakers looking to recreate long-defunct tax incentives for movies filmed in Iowa
- Big Grove is getting bigger with its first Omaha taproom
- Oscar Mayer Wienermobile returns to Cedar Rapids for St. Patrick’s Day Parade 2024
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.
Featured Stories
- Bill to help Iowa’s nursing homes manage costs advance
- Final lane openings on 80/380 interchange expected in April
- Cedar Rapids continuing partnership to give second-grade students free swim lessons, attire
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.
Featured Stories:
- Man injured in small explosion in Linn County
- Repair work needed to reopen Black Hawk Bridge begins
- Iowa House passes bill to block undocumented immigrants from public assistance programs
- Rogue Pianist bringing classical, contemporary sounds to CSPS in Cedar Rapids
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.
Featured Stories
- Linn County seed truck rollover turns fatal
- Johnson County puppy farm owner arrested on animal neglect charges
- Iowa’s Kim Reynolds endorses Donald Trump after Super Tuesday victories
- Jersey Mike’s locations return with charity month
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.
Featured stories
- Nikki Haley suspends her campaign and leaves Donald Trump as the last major Republican candidate
- Voters approve ‘crucial’ capital improvements fund for 3 area school districts
- Jill Weigel narrowly elected to Hiawatha City Council
- Seed truck crash blocks traffic in Linn County Wednesday
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.
Featured Stories
- Biden easily wins Iowa Democrats’ mail-in caucus
- Marion mayor: New mobile library, Central Plaza and more planned for 2024
- Former U.S. ag secretary to keynote Celebration of Ag in Cedar Rapids
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.
Featured Stories:
- Valero, with five Iowa ethanol plants, joins Summit’s proposed CO2 pipeline
- Iowa Republicans celebrate court ruling in favor of Trump
- Independence woman dies in Benton County crash
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.
Featured Stories
- Prosecutors dropping sports betting charges against ISU athletes
- Iowa’s medical cannabis program competing with cheaper, unregulated THC products
- Comedian Tim Cavanagh loves Cedar Rapids audiences
- ‘Facing the Inferno’ brings wildland fire photos to Old Capitol Museum in Iowa City
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.
Featured Stories:
- Caitlin Clark announces she’s turning pro at end of this Iowa women’s basketball season
- Iowa House passes AEA bill to reorganize state's special education structure
- Summit offers year’s free rent at NewBo City Market
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.
Featured Stories:
– Ban on credit card codes for Iowa gun shops heads toward passage
– Child killed in Cedar County UTV crash
– Woman killed in Cedar County fire Tuesday
– Stabilizing Lansing bridge of the Mississippi River could take months
– Sherry Bates elected president of Iowa Board of Regents
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.
Featured Stories
-State closes Lansing bridge over Mississippi River after movement found
-West Liberty stagecoach inn moves to become museum
-University of Iowa seeking new VP for research after resignation
-Government Notes: Comments sought on spending $20M on transportation projects (Amana Magnet School)
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon
Featured Stories
– Kirkwood President Kristie Fisher making $350K
– Iowa researchers advocate for a drought information system, but lack funding
– Largest sycamore in Iowa likely destroyed by suspicious fire
– Postmodern Jukebox cuing up for Iowa City
– Martin Luther King Jr. in Riverside Theatre spotlight
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.
Featured Stories
Two accused in kidnapping, killing of Marion woman, third man arrested on conspiracy charge
UI eyes second new west-side parking ramp near Carver-Hawkeye
Governor appoints Cedar Rapids family law lawyer as next 6th Judicial District judge
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.
Featured Stories:
Iowa bill would make it easier for landlords to evict tenants
University of Iowa to close centers in Cedar Rapids, Quad Cities
Sykora Bakery building purchased by property owner, restaurateur
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.
Featured Stories:
Hiawatha man accused of kidnapping woman found dead in Amana
Iowa House passes bill to block code from tracking gun store purchases
Alcohol could be tied to Iowa’s fastest-growing cancer rate
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.
Linn County Attorney: Officer-involved shooting on New Year’s Day was justified
Iowa City police investigating attempted abduction
Second worker sues C6-Zero over injuries from 2022 blast
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.
– Iowa DOT faces ‘massive workload’ to repair median
– Iowa House Republicans advance new
– Orchestra Iowa announces concertmaster
– Former intern to become Alliant’s Iowa
Featured Stories:
– Caitlin Clark breaks the NCAA women’s basketball scoring record
– Iowa GOP lawmakers move to limit challenge to Trump, ban ballot drop boxes
– UI’s Mayflower still for sale; will house students another year
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.
Featured stories:
- Caitlin Clark’s date with destiny arrives Thursday at Carver
- Income-eligible households can apply to buy new homes through Cedar Rapids program
- Judge to decide rightful owner of $14,800 cash involved in possible fraud scheme
- Drake seeks most ‘beautiful bulldog’ for relays mascot
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.
Featured Stories:
- Cedar Rapids community solar garden begins operations
- Preschool to be offered this fall at every Iowa City elementary
- Cedar Rapids, Iowa City Restaurant Week release menu specials
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.
Featured Stories
– David Dostal to be appointed as Cedar Rapids’ next police chief
– Cedar Rapids man faces charges over explosive devices
– Burlington to open store in Coralville in May
– Government Notes: Marion hosting 30th State of the City address (Domes update)
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon
Featured Stories:
- Shive-Hattery hired as consultant on next Cedar Rapids school facility plan
- Former student accused of threatening University of Northern Iowa Staff
- Barrett’s Quality Eats transforms casual cafe into fine dining for limited dinner series
- Sweet treats in Eastern Iowa for Valentine’s week
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.
Featured Stories
– Speakers decry Iowa bill giving politicians more control over libraries
– Cedar Rapids seeks community-oriented leader as new police chief
– Summit pipeline moves closer to reconsideration in North Dakota
Episode Transcript
You’re listening to The Gazette’s Daily News Podcast on Friday, February 9th,
2024. This podcast provides the latest headlines from the Gazette newsroom. I’m
Becky Lutgen Gardner.
Library officials and supporters spoke out against a proposed bill
Thursday that would give city councils authority over public libraries
including book selection. They warned it would bring partisan, political decision-making
into library operations.
The legislator who managed the bill said his goal
is not to address the selection of books, but instead to provide elected local
officials with more authority over the spending of taxpayer dollars
Under the bill, a city council would be able to
hire a library director, use library funds for library projects and initiatives
by passing an ordinance … all without voter approval.
Wade Dooley, who chairs the library
board in Albion, called the bill a "train wreck."
He says, “It opens up all sorts of
possibilities for very disastrous consequences if you get an activist city
council that starts see-sawing on what they believe for a library to be or not
be. Our city council has barely any training to be a city council. Now, you
also want them to run a library. that’s not a good idea.”
Rep. Carter Nordman, a Republican from
Panora, advanced the bill. He says he’s heard from city council members who
want more direct control over library spending and personnel decisions.
Nordman says, “Ultimately, the library board wasn’t elected; the city
council was. And so, the buck stops with them when it comes to taxpayer
dollars. They should have that authority.”
Nordman said he would be willing to consider an amendment to the bill to
give city councils more authority over library boards but specify that content
selection is with library officials.
Next, In Cedar Rapids’ search for a new police chief, some residents say
they’re looking for a respected leader who focuses on community policing and
fosters a police department culture that promotes citizen equity and trust.
Residents had the opportunity to speak one-on-one with all four police
chief candidates Wednesday night in a meet-and-greet event at the DoubleTree by
Hilton Convention Center.
With the City Council’s consent, City Manager Jeff Pomeranz says he will
decide soon on which candidate will succeed Wayne Jerman. Jerman retired as police
chief last April.
Three candidates — Jennifer Birkhofer, Jeff Coday and David Dostal —
participated in media interviews before the event. Tom Whitten, declined media interviews.
Monica Vallejo is a citizens' review board member and met with all four
candidates. She said it’s important that the next police chief works to establish
more programs that promote diversity and inclusion with all communities.
Vallejo says the community overall feels comfortable and safe with Cedar
Rapids police because of the “wonderful job...
Featured Stories:
- Records: Iowa Atheltics assistant IT director enticed teen
- Linn-Mar school board member Matt Rollinger resigns
- Big’s BBQ and Brew Pub moving to new Mount Vernon location
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.
Featured Stories:
- Bill would add lawmakers to Iowa Board of Regents
- New owners look to transform former GoDaddy building
- First ‘voice writers’ help address Iowa’s court reporter shortage
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.
Featured Stories
–Proposed AEA bill would create ‘more chaotic, less equitable’ system
–After tax reform in Iowa, local governments look to fill budget gaps
–Homeless counts in Cedar Rapids, Iowa City show mixed results
Episode Transcript
You’re listening to The Gazette’s Daily News Podcast on Monday, February
5th, 2024. This podcast provides the latest headlines from the
Gazette newsroom. I’m Becky Lutgen Gardner.
Thousands of Iowans continue to rally to support Iowa’s area education agencies. They’re responding to a bill introduced by Gov. Kim Reynolds that would overhaul the agencies.
But while AEAs provide valuable resources and training to educators and families across Iowa, many say they have room for improvement.
One is how they serve the needs of deaf and hard-of-hearing children. That was just
one message shared with 12 legislators and about 100 parents, students and
educators at a forum at the Educational Leadership and Support Center in Cedar
Rapids on Saturday.
Several of the 30 people who spoke at the forum said deaf and hard-of-hearing children’s needs are not being met — and sometimes are ignored — by AEAs.
Vania Kassouf, a deaf advocate and virtual instructor in American Sign Language, told
legislators that Grant Wood AEA uses limited and outdated expertise for deaf
children. She supports AEAs' services for children with
special needs but says deaf education should be separate from special education
John Speer, chief administrator of Grant Wood AEA says the AEAs are “not a perfect
agency,” and getting people together to discuss additional updates is essential.
But he adds if the governor’s updated bill is enacted, “what we’ll have is a
more chaotic, less equitable and a more expensive system.”
The most recent version of Gov. Reynolds' proposed bill would allow
schools to opt out of the AEAs’ special education services and seek them elsewhere.
A Senate subcommittee advanced the bill last Wednesday. But Republicans
said the bill would likely see changes.
House Republicans declined to advance the bill out of
subcommittee, saying they wanted further conversation before acting on it.
In other news, many Iowa cities and counties are struggling to comply
with a state law signed last May. It was intended to relieve taxpayers from
increasing property assessments driving up their tax bills
The bill passed with bipartisan support after property assessments — increased
by an average of 22 percent statewide in 2023.
The law limits the amount local governments can acquire by taxing a
growing tax base. The law was meant to prevent cities and counties from seeing
a tax windfall from rising assessments.
But those cities with growing populations, new housing, and industries
are trying to figure out how to extend public services to more people without
being allowed to use that money.
Many city projects are being delayed or cut entirely due to the changes.
Swisher City Clerk Tawnia Kakacek says,
“Any time you cut taxes, you have to...
Featured Stories:
- Cedar Rapids police respond to swatting call at Jefferson High School
- Capitol Notebook: Lawmakers advance bill allowing Iowa county attorneys to be armed at all times
- Cedar Rapids woman charged with murder, domestic abuse
- Attorney: Pundits on search for missing trucker have 'demoralizing effect'
- 'Something Rotten!' coming to Theatre Cedar Rapids stage
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.
Featured Stories:
- Cedar Rapids will welcome four candidates for police chief interviews next week
- Thaw from Iowa's winter storms brings latest scourge: potholes
- Iowa City chef wins Pork Producers award
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.
Featured Stories:
- Republican Iowa House lawmakers table Gov. Kim Reynolds’ AEA bill
- Iowa DCI counters allegations that sports betting probe used ‘warrantless search’
- Iowa Amber Alert suspect in custody after standoff
- Country-themed bar opening in Iowa City
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.
Featured Stories:
- Cedar Rapids police identify homicide victim
- Willis Dady Homeless Services opens new supportive apartments building in Cedar Rapids
- 'Inspiring Big Dreams': Capital campaign launches to build westside library in Cedar Rapids
- Ring will no longer allow police to request doorbell camera footage from users
- Jeff Parker bringing innovative sounds to Hancher's Strauss Hall
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.
Featured Stories:
- Cedar Rapids must pay $22k for fish kill caused by main break
- North Linn fined $6k for asbestos violations in school renovation
- Marengo winemaker earns Iowa award
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.
Featured Stories:
- ISU officer fired after hitting two vehicles in car chase
- Iowans speak out against bill making it easier to fund pregnancy centers
- Families could monitor Iowa nursing home residents under bill
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.
Featured Stories:
- Sledding crash turns fatal for Anamosa teen
- A vote to extend a capital projects fund to go to Linn-Mar, Marion voters in March
- Linn County assistant prosecutor appointed next 6th Judicial District judge
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.
Featured Stories
- Burglaries under investigation at scene of fatal C.R. apartment fire
- Iowa educators: Study area education agencies before making changes
- Gov. Reynolds: Iowa does not need all 9 of its area education agencies
- Longest-serving Iowa State Provost Jonathan Wickert stepping down
- Nominate a student for Excellence in the Arts!
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.
Featured Stories:
- Ron DeSantis ends his struggling presidential bid before New Hampshire and endorses Donald Trump
- Week of heavy snowfall wallops Midwest, could bring drought relief
- Curious Iowa: How do cities clear snow?
- Government Notes: Cedar Rapids Public Library launching westside library fundraising campaign
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.
Stories Featured:
- Iowa City woman charged with threatening Mercy clinic
- Iowa's Chuck Grassley released from hospital after being treated for infection
- Man gets 65 years for Des Moines shooting that killed 2
- Beware of the respiratory illnesses infiltrating Iowa
- Dallas company buys former Sears store at Lindale Mall
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.
Stories Featured:
- Iowa City Police investigating threat to Mercy Hospital clinic
- Beth Goetz named University of Iowa's permanent athletics director, losing interim tag
- Eastern Iowa bankers fined $50K for taking customer information from F&M Bank
- Paula Poundstone returning to Englert in Iowa City
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.
Featured Stories:
– Iowa House lawmakers advance stiffer punishments for ‘swatting’ calls
- False threats reported at multiple Eastern Iowa schools
– Harbor Freight Tools eyes Bed Bath Beyond building
– Excellence in the Arts nominations
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.
Stories featured:
Iowa's Chuck Grassley hospitalized, being treated for infection
Iowa lawmakers advance bill to add raw cannabis flower to medical program
With Iowa losing pharmacies, lawmakers advance new rules
This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for January 16, 2024.
According to the National Weather Service it will be sunny and cold Tuesday, with a high near one degree. Wind chill values could drop as low as -35 degrees. On Tuesday evening it will be mostly clear, with a low of around -6 degrees.
Donald Trump’s popularity among Iowa Republicans was on full display Monday night, when the former president seeking a return to the White House won the state party’s presidential precinct caucuses in dominant fashion.
With all of the state’s 99 counties reporting their vote totals late Monday evening, Trump had won 98 counties, securing 51 percent of Iowa Republicans’ support in total. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis won second place with 21 percent, and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley finished third with 19 percent.
Republicans who spoke with the Gazette said they supported Trump because they feel the country is worse off than it was 4 years ago, and they would like a return to a Trump presidency. They said they trust him to secure the southern border and to improve the economy. Many of them also felt that they can’t trust politicians, so they will put their faith in someone from outside the system.
In case you are curious, the one county that Trump did not win was Johnson County, which gave the number one nod to Haley instead by the current margin of one vote.
Trump took the stage at his caucus-night rally at around 10 p.m. and thanked Iowa Republican caucus participants, his family, the Iowa public officials who have supported him, and his fellow candidates: DeSantis, Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy. He then turned his remarks to current Democratic President Joe Biden, and celebrated his historic victory margin.
DeSantis and Haley both proclaimed in their post-caucus speeches that despite not winning the caucus, they felt their finishes had given them enough momentum to stay in the race.
Not so for Ramaswamy. The Ohio biotech entrepreneur, who promised his far-right and anti-establishment policy proposals could unite the country around a shared identity, garnered less than 8 percent in Iowa’s caucuses. He decided Monday evening to drop out of the race and endorse Trump.
The Republican Party of Iowa late Monday night said it projected statewide caucus turnout of roughly 100,000, which was lower than usual for understandable reasons. Temperatures across the state reached historic lows for an Iowa caucus night, with wind chills in the range of minus 30 degrees.
Next up is the New Hampshire Primary on January 23. Enjoy the absence of political commercials and political texts. For a little while, at least.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for January 15, 2024.
It’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Iowa Caucus Day. It also is very, very cold today.
According to the National Weather Service it will be partly sunny with a high near -3 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area. Wind chill values could be as low as -40 degrees.
The one silver lining is it will gradually become slightly warmer as the week goes on, and weather models for the following weeks have temperatures bouncing back into the 20s and 30s.
But until those predictions come to pass, make sure to bundle up.
The Perry High School Principal who put himself in harm’s way to protect students during a school shooting earlier this month died on Sunday,
According to reporting from the Associated Press, Perry High School Principal Dan Marburger was critically injured during the Jan. 4 attack. Marburger was commended by public safety officials for putting himself in danger in an attempt to protect his students.
Likewise, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds issued a statement in reaction to the news.
"Our entire state is devastated by the news of Dan Marburger's death," Gov. Reynolds said in a statement Sunday. "Dan courageously put himself in harm's way to protect his students, and ultimately gave his own life to save them. He will forever be remembered for his selfless and heroic actions. May he rest in peace."
An 11-year-old middle school student was killed in the shooting, and six other people were injured. The 17-year-old student who opened fire also was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
With mounting scientific evidence showing exercise can reduce stress, anxiety and symptoms of depression, one Iowa State University associate professor wants to know why and how, and whether the type and amount of exercise matters.
ISU associate professor of kinesiology Jacob Meyer recently landed two National Institute of Mental Health grants providing him resources to try to answer those questions.
The longer of the two projects — a $3.6 million, five-year study — gives him three years to recruit 200 adults with depression for a 16-week trial to test whether resistance training, also known as weight training, can be as helpful as aerobic exercise like running or biking has been shown to be.
The second, a $1.5 million, two-year study, aims to explore whether exercise might amplify benefits of therapy.
These inquiries are a continuation of Meyer’s research into the impact of exercise on depression,
From 2020 to 2022, Meyer and his ISU team led smaller pilot studies that produced “promising results” about the benefits of exercise. They found — among other things — that 30 minutes of exercise might reduce depression symptoms for at least 75 minutes after the workout and also amplify therapy benefits.
The Gazette’s reporters and photographers will be getting plenty of exercise tonight for the Iowa Caucus. The Gazette will have caucus coverage tonight on thegazette.com, a liveblog featuring on-the-scene photos and thoughts from voters, and will have several pages of coverage in the E-edition of the Gazette for Tuesday morning. Head to thegazette.com for information about how to participate in the caucus, caucus results as they come in and candidate reactions to those results.
Stay warm everybody.
Welcome to the weekend!
This is Stephen Colbert from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for Saturday, January 13th and Sunday January 14th, 2024.
According to the National Weather Service, we’re getting more snow and more cold. Saturday will have a 50% chance of snow, mainly after 11am with widespread blowing snow before 1pm. Otherwise it’ll be cloudy and cold, with a temperature falling to around 6 by 4pm. Wind chill values as low as -15. Total new accumulation should be less than an inch.
Saturday night has a 30% chance of snow, mainly before 7pm. Otherwise it’ll be mostly cloudy, with a low around -10. Wind chill values as low as -30.
Sunday will be mostly sunny and cold, with a high near -4. Wind chill values as low as -35 and Sunday night will be mostly cloudy, with a low around -16.
This week’s second winter storm is upgraded as near-blizzard conditions loom
Compared with the winter storm earlier this week, this round of weather is less likely to bring quite as much snow, although a lot more blustery weather is on the way as wind chills will fall as low as minus 30 by Saturday night into Sunday. Temperatures will be in the negatives for most of Eastern Iowa on Sunday, as well as Monday — when many Iowans will head out to participate in the Iowa caucuses.
The national weather service has issued a wind chill warning from Sunday night through Tuesday evening.
Bondholders seek 96% of Mercy Iowa City sale proceeds as closure nears
With the $28 million sale of Mercy Iowa City to the University of Iowa just over two weeks away from closing, the 150-year-old community hospital’s largest bondholders are seeking court affirmation they will get the vast majority of that money “promptly.”
Computershare Trust Company, serving as master trustee for bonds issued to Mercy in 2011 and 2018, along with Mercy’s largest bondholder, Preston Hollow Community Capital, asked a U.S. Bankruptcy judge to direct Mercy to give them $26.8 million of the sale proceeds “either at closing or as soon as practicable following closing,” which is expected on Jan. 31.
Trump’s Iowa lead huge, unchanged in Iowa State University poll
There was no surprise, and very little movement in the final Iowa State University-Civiqs poll ahead of Monday’s first-in-the-nation Iowa Republican caucuses.
Just like all the ISU-Civiqs polls before it, the final edition, published Thursday, showed former President Donald Trump with a commanding lead over the remainder of the Republican presidential primary field in Iowa.
Trump was the top choice of 55 percent of those surveyed for the ISU-Civiqs poll, well clear of the second-place tie between Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley at 14 percent each.
Have a good weekend everyone, and stay warm.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for January 12, 2024.
According to the National Weather Service it will snow all day on Friday in the Cedar Rapids area, with a high near 31 degrees. The current NWS prediction is for 5 to 11 inches of snow by the end of Friday. It will be windy to start the day, leading to a chance of blowing snow, reduced visibility, and possible blizzard-like conditions. And it will grow even windier throughout the day, with wind gusts as high as 45 mph by Friday evening.
The snow will finally run out of steam on Saturday. After that, it is going to get really, really cold next week.
Instead of the nearly $40 million appropriations increase Iowa’s Board of Regents wanted the Legislature to approve for the next budget year, Gov. Kim Reynolds has recommended a $12.3 million bump — amounting to a 2.5 percent increase for each of Iowa’s public universities.
In making that recommendation as part of her fiscal 2025 budget proposal released this week, Reynolds rejected several specific regent university requests.
Reynolds’ proposal also excluded any funding toward a $1 million request for expanded mental health services on campus that student leaders implored regents to add to their legislative request for funding.
It remains to be seen whether the Iowa Legislature will follow her budget recommendations, but the governor’s proposal is a sign that it may be another year where Iowa’s universities receive far less funding than they asked for.
The city of Cedar Rapids saw a noticeable decrease in shots-fired incidents and other violent crime in 2023, according to the Cedar Rapids Police Department’s annual crime statistics.
Shots-fired incidents have been consistently decreasing in Cedar Rapids since they spiked in 2020 — jumping to 163 reports from 99 in 2019.
In 2023, 81 shots-fired incidents were reported in the city, the first year the total has dropped below pre-pandemic levels. It’s also about 35 percent less than the five-year average of 124.
Violent crime — the category including murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault — dropped to 435 reports in the city in 2023, down from 465 in 2022, but still above the 2018 and 2019 totals, which were 281 and 283, respectively.
Police attribute the decrease to some arrests made early in the year and the city’s Group Violence Intervention Program.
The city of Cedar Rapids has been working to reduce violent crime through its Group Violence Intervention Program since 2019. The program involves police and other community members working with people in the community who may be at high risk of being a victim or a perpetrator of violent crime.
Hundreds of people said goodbye Thursday to a vibrant 11-year-old boy known as “Smiley,” a week after he was shot to death at his school in Perry.
According to reporting from the Associated Press, residents of the small community of Perry packed a Catholic church and spilled over to a nearby church where the funeral for Ahmir Jolliff was televised. They recalled a boy with a “spirit bigger than his 11-year-old body could contain,” as the Rev. Andrea Brownlee put it.
A 17-year-old student named Dylan Butler armed with a shotgun and handgun killed Ahmir before classes began Jan. 4, the first day back from winter break. The high school principal, two other staff members and four students were wounded. Butler later died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
School has been canceled since the shooting, but elementary students will go back to class Jan. 18 and middle school students will return Jan. 19. The shooting started in the cafeteria the middle school shares with the high school, so the repairs must be done there before the middle school can reopen.
In an earlier interview,...
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for January 11, 2024.
According to the National Weather Service it will be mostly cloudy on Thursday in the Cedar Rapids area, with a high near 26 degrees. There is snow in the forecast Thursday night, but it looks like it will mostly start snowing in the early morning hours on Friday. Keep an eye on the forecast because things continue to change as the week progresses.
The entire region should see snow, with heavier snowfall predicted for areas along and north of Interstate 80. Snow accumulation should mostly stay between 4 and 8 inches, although NWS bureau meteorologists have medium confidence that some snow totals could surpass 8 inches. Periods of wintry mix are possible south of I-80.
As of Wednesday afternoon projections, Cedar Rapids and Iowa City are respectively 70 percent and 69 percent likely to see 6 or more inches of snow.
My fearless prediction is it will not be fun for anyone needing to drive or fly on Friday.
A new chief integration officer the University of Iowa Health Care has appointed to manage its complex merger with Mercy Iowa City could earn $780,000 this year, according to her professional services agreement.
The hire follows UIHC’s $28 million bankruptcy acquisition of the community hospital.
Deborah Berini of the Pennsylvania-based Berini Consulting Group — chosen in December without an open search — has signed on to serve as UIHC chief integration officer and interim chief administrative officer from Jan. 2 to Jan. 1, 2025, “unless amended by written mutual agreement.”
Her fee is $65,000 a month, amounting to $780,000 for the year. The agreement doesn’t provide expenses for “on-site activity,” include benefits, or cover moving costs. But Berini is in Iowa City for the task of leading Mercy’s transition into the university’s sprawling health care system, UIHC spokeswoman Laura Shoemaker said.
The university used a “sole source purchase justification” to appoint Berini and use her one-year-old consulting group without conducting a search or issuing a public request for proposals due to “emergency need,” according to UI documents provided to The Gazette in response to a records request.
“With the short timeline for the Mercy Iowa City transition, we needed to onboard executive leadership support as quickly as possible, which is why we expedited the process,” Shoemaker said. “We are fortunate we were able to find the right person at the right time.”
Shortages of court reporters and contract lawyers continue to challenge Iowa’s courts, Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Susan Christensen said Wednesday — as does low pay for Iowa judges, who are paying more of their salaries into their pensions.
Christensen, delivering the annual Condition of the Judiciary address to the Iowa Legislature, said the judicial branch is working to solve the shortages of court reporters and contract attorneys in order to avoid delayed justice. But more investment and action is needed by state lawmakers to address the crisis.
Christensen was appointed in 2018 by Gov. Kim Reynolds to serve on the seven-member Iowa Supreme Court and became chief justice in 2020.
The state faces a growing shortfall of private lawyers willing to contract with the state’s public defender’s office to represent indigent defendants.
Lawmakers last year approved funding to increase the pay of private lawyers who agree to represent indigent defendants by $5 an hour and provide $35 an hour for travel time, plus mileage, as some spend hours driving around Iowa to court hearings. But Iowa still pays below that of every surrounding state.
She said the problem is particularly acute in Eastern Iowa, where the lawyers can now earn nearly twice as much doing contract work across the river in...
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for January 10, 2024.
According to the National Weather Service it will be mostly cloudy in the Cedar Rapids area, with a high of 27 degrees. The wind will be calmer Wednesday, with a 5 to 10 mph wind that could gust as high as 20 mph.
After snowfall totals nearing a foot in Cedar Rapids and Iowa City through yesterday evening, there could be still more snow on Wednesday. There will be a high chance of snow at around 5 to 11 p.m., with a potential of up to two more inches of snow.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds used her seventh Condition of the State speech Tuesday to call for accelerated income tax cuts and to express grief over last week’s deadly school shooting in Perry — and her gratitude for law enforcement and school officials who responded to it.
The Republican governor, in her annual address to a joint session of the Iowa House and Senate, also outlined plans to increase teacher pay, reform the state’s Area Education Agencies that serve children with disabilities and create a network of nonprofits to connect Iowans in need with assistance.
Reynolds began her address by acknowledging the shooting Thursday at Perry High School that killed 11-year-old Ahmir Jolliff, a sixth-grader, and injured seven students and school staff. The 17-year-old shooter, a student there, killed himself.
Reynolds and lawmakers took a moment of silence to honor those affected by the Perry school shooting, and also an Algona police officer and Ionia firefighter who died in the line of duty last year.
Reynolds’ priorities and policy proposals for the year includes accelerating income tax cuts passed in 2022 that started to take effect this year. The law would gradually reduce personal income taxes to a flat 3.9 percent in 2026.
Reynolds’ proposal would expedite that transition. Most working Iowans would pay a 3.65 percent state income tax on their 2024 wages, and then a 3.5 rate in 2025. The proposal would reduce Iowans’ state income taxes, and thus limit future state revenue growth, by $3.8 billion over the first five years.
Reynolds also is asking the Iowa Legislature to invest $96 million in new money to increase starting teacher pay by 50 percent, to $50,000, and to set a minimum salary of $62,000 for teachers with at least 12 years of experience.
Saying they are not overly restrictive of free speech, two of Iowa’s so-called “ag gag” laws — which create penalties for individuals who trespass on agricultural property with intent to create financial harm — are constitutional, a federal appeals court ruled this week.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit delivered similar rulings Monday in two cases, reversing a lower court decision in both. A district-court ruling on a third lawsuit remains pending, the Iowa Attorney General’s Office said.
The appeals court rulings mean those state laws could soon become enforceable. But an attorney for one of the plaintiffs expressed confidence opponents would prevail upon appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.
The Republican-majority Iowa Legislature has made four different attempts since 2012 to pass such laws, which supporters say are needed to protect farmers from individuals who unfairly portray their farming practices in undercover recordings. Animal welfare advocates say the laws restrict the ability of advocates to shine a light on the mistreatment of animals.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for January 9, 2024.
Monday eve ning was just the first round of snow, and what's coming next could come in bunches. The National Weather Service is predicting 6 to 10 inches of accumulation Tuesday in the Cedar Rapids area. It will also be breezy, with a wind of 15 to 25 gusting as high as 40 mph, sometimes leading to blowing snow.
The NWS projections have most of the snow falling before 5 p.m. on Tuesday, with a small chance for more snow through the end of the day.
The high temperature is predicted to be around 32 degrees.
Iowa’s Republican lawmakers promised faster tax cuts and a continuation of the conservative agenda their majority party has enacted as the 2024 legislative session got underway on Monday.
Republican and Democratic leaders made opening speeches laying out their priorities for the 2024 session, with Republicans promising a continuation of policies they have already passed while Democrats asked for an actual seat at the table this session.
Lawmakers took a moment of silence and expressed grief over last Thursday’s shooting at Perry High School. Iowa House Speaker Pat Grassley highlighted it as part of Republicans’ commitment to improving public safety, while Democrats said the shooting shows the need for stronger gun control measures.
Hundreds of students across Iowa walked out of school Monday in protest of gun violence organized by March For Our Lives Iowa, a student-led group advocating for ending gun violence and encouraging youth civic engagement. They have met with Iowa lawmakers to lobby for the legislative priorities of limiting gun access to individuals in crisis and prohibiting gun ownership for perpetrators of domestic abuse.
Despite this, Republicans showed no interest in gun control legislation on Monday.
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed a proclamation that will provide Perry funding as it works to recover from the shooting. Grassley said Republicans would invest in school security, prioritize school resource officers, bolster children’s mental health and teach “resilience over victimhood.”
What Republicans really wanted to talk about was tax cuts.
Republican leaders in the House and Senate promised to accelerate income tax cuts they passed in 2022 and expand business opportunities in the state.
Iowa Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver from Grimes compared Iowa’s policies and fiscal standing with those in neighboring, Democrat-run states Minnesota and Illinois. He highlighted Iowa’s fiscal health, noting the $2.1 billion state general fund budget surplus — which is projected to grow to $3.1 billion in the next fiscal year — plus another $3.7 billion in the state’s Taxpayer Relief Fund.
Besides reiterating a call to speed up the tax cuts, Whitver pledged to reduce the number of state boards and commissions — a process already underway after it was included last year in Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ state government reorganization plan and studied by a legislative committee.
The former GoDaddy building in Hiawatha has been sold to local developers, Hiawatha Economic Development Corp. announced Monday.
The internet hosting and domain-name registrar company’s building at 1 Parsons Dr. has been sold to NGD LLC, Doug & Chris Sevey with ENSEVA LLC, Mike and Andy Hodge with Hodge Construction as well as Bill and Tracy Bennett. The developers have not yet unveiled formal plans for redevelopment, according to a news release. The seller is KKR, Silver Lake Partners and Technology.
The more than 73,000 square-foot building was built in 1991 and remodeled in 2017. It housed more than 400 GoDaddy workers in 2020, before the company shared plans to downsize and move to smaller office space because of workforce changes brought on by the COVID-19
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for January 8, 2024.
According to the National Weather Service it will be cloudy on Monday in the Cedar Rapids area, with a high near 35 degrees. The low will drop down to 30 degrees later on in the evening.
Monday evening will also be when heavy snowfall could arrive, so do your emergency shopping during the day if you want to completely avoid snow. The National Weather Service projections show a 20 percent chance of snow at 5 p.m. that rockets up to a 100 percent chance of snow by 8 p.m.
And the snow could come in bunches, with a potential for up to 3 inches by the end of Monday and a total of 6 inches by the time you wake up Tuesday morning, with the potential with more snow to come on top of that. As a result, a Winter Storm Warning is in effect from 6 p.m. tonight until the start of Wednesday morning.
Cedar Rapids has an 85 percent chance of seeing more than 6 inches of snow by the time the snowfall ends, and a 27 percent chance of more than a foot. Chances increase farther south: Ottumwa has an 88 percent chance of seeing 6-plus inches of snow, and a 36 percent chance of seeing more than a foot.
Just weeks away from “day one” of the University of Iowa-Mercy Iowa City process designed to morph the 150-year-old Mercy Hospital into UI Health Care’s “downtown campus,” job offers are going out to more than 1,100 prospective transitioning employees.
Of more than 90 physicians employed by Mercy when it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Aug. 7, UIHC in the final weeks of December made job offers to a majority of those who remained.
More than half of those offered have accepted to date, and the acceptances continue to come in according to UIHC spokeswoman Laura Shoemaker.
“It is our hope that all Mercy Iowa City physicians will choose to transition to UI Health Care as we grow our team and work to deliver high-quality care to our patients and communities.”
In addition to Mercy physician offers, UIHC is in the process of offering employment agreements to about 1,100 Mercy staff members — including advanced practice providers, nurses, nursing assistants, receptionists, administrators, janitorial workers, and food service providers.
UI Health Care Vice President for Medical Affairs Denise Jamieson told The Gazette that transitioning 1,100 new employees and the Mercy system to fit under the UIHC umbrella, all while dealing with lingering Mercy expenses and investing in the hospital’s aging infrastructure, will be, to put it mildly, a complicated task.
“Change can be very stressful, but I don't think there's any way anybody is going to look back five or 10 years from now and say, ‘We should have just let Mercy close’,” Jamieson said, pointing to worsening overcrowding issues at UIHC in addition to Mercy’s storied history and loyal patient base. “We need the beds to be able to serve the community.”
I will leave you today with a happy thought. It is just one week until the Iowa Caucuses arrive, which means there is just over one week left until political ads stop following you wherever you go.
Think of that as you shovel snow tomorrow, and it might just make your load feel lighter. But remember to use your legs to lift either way.
Welcome to the weekend!
This is Stephen Colbert from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for Saturday, January 6th and Sunday January 7th, 2024.
According to the National Weather Service, there may be some snow from Friday night, but otherwise Saturday will be partly sunny, with a high near 37. Saturday night will have a 20 percent chance of snow and be mostly cloudy, with a low around 27.
Sunday will be partly sunny, with a high near 34, and Sunday night will be mostly cloudy, with a low around 26.
The first winter storm of 2024 is en route to Iowa
The first winter storm of the year will blow across the Midwest early next week, meteorologists are forecasting.
The storm system should charge through southeastern Iowa Monday afternoon into Tuesday evening. It brings a 40 percent to 70 percent chance of at least minor winter travel impacts to Eastern Iowa, with the potential for accumulating snowfall and strong winds.
Be sure to check weather forecasts and road conditions before you travel anywhere, and pack an emergency supply kit for your vehicle.
Iowa Republican caucus results will be posted in real time on caucus night
The results of the first-in-the-nation Iowa Republican presidential caucus will be reported in real time on a public website, the state party said Thursday.
The Iowa Republican caucus results will be displayed online and constantly updated through the evening as they are reported to and confirmed by the state party, Republican Party of Iowa consultant Patrick Stewart told reporters Thursday.
Stewart said the results will be processed in three stages: vote collection at the 1,657 precincts across the state, verification at state party headquarters, and the public reporting to the website.
Iowa Democrats push to reverse state rejection of federal summer food assistance
Iowa Statehouse Democrats will push to reverse a decision from state officials to opt out of a federal food assistance program for low-income children, party leaders said during a forum Thursday.
House and Senate Democratic leaders made the remarks during the Iowa Capitol Press Association’s annual Legislative Session Preview Forum. Republican leaders and Republican Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds declined to attend the forum.
The state Department of Health and Human Services announced in December that it would not participate in the 2024 Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer for Children program. The program would have given $40 per child for each of the summer months to families who qualify for free and reduced lunch during the school year.
Instead, Reynolds said the state would expand existing programs that “leverage partnerships with community-based providers and schools who understand the needs of the families they serve.”
Have a good weekend everyone.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for January 5, 2024.
According to the National Weather Service it will be cloudy on Friday in the Cedar Rapids area, with a high near 35 degrees. The low will drop down to 27 degrees, with a small chance of snow overnight.
Perry High School was terrorized by a school shooting early Thursday.
According to the Associated Press, on the first day of classes in the new year, a 17-year-old student armed with a shotgun and a hand killed a sixth grader and wounded five others. Police found the teen, later identified as Dylan Butler, dead of what they believe to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
An Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation official said Perry High School Principal Dan Marburger was among those hurt in the shooting.
Authorities released no information on what they believe Butler’s motive was, as they continued to investigate as the chaos subsided.
According to reporting from the Associated Press, two friends of Butler and a mother told a reporter that Butler was a quiet person who had been bullied for years.
At a town hall meeting at Kirkwood Community College Thursday morning, U.S. Representative Ashley Hinson was asked about the shooting and whether she would support sensible gun laws.
Hinson said had not been briefed on the shooting, yet, but that “anyone who even threatens this kind of violence has true hate in their heart.”
“These are horrific tragedies and anyone who decides to go to school, a grocery, any public event with this kind of hate in their hearts is an absolute monster, and I think if we could legislate away this kind of hate we would have done it by now,” Hinson said. “I think there is a balance to be had here between protecting our Second Amendment rights in this country, which I've been a firm supporter of, and making sure that we can actually hold the bad guys accountable.”
She said her focus would be on making sure law enforcement has the resources to respond to and prevent such incidents.
With the Iowa Caucuses just over a week way, the race for Republican candidates in Iowa still appears to be a Donald Trump’s race to win, based on polls of likely Caucus goers.
That means all the drama leading up to the vote appears to be on who will get the remaining bragging rights of coming in second place.
Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley is facing backlash from Iowa conservative leaders for telling a New Hampshire crowd that its primary voters have the opportunity to "correct" the results of the Iowa caucuses.
“We have an opportunity to get this right," Haley said at a campaign event Wednesday in New Hampshire. ”You know how to do this. You know, Iowa starts it. You know that you correct it. … And then my sweet state of South Carolina brings it home. That's what we do.“
Haley, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and South Carolina governor, has gained momentum in the Granite State, surpassing GOP primary rival and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis there.
Haley and DeSantis are also neck and neck in Iowa based on polling numbers.
Predictably, DeSantis’ Iowa allies jumped on Haley’s comment.
“I trust Iowans to make their own decisions. No ‘corrections’ needed!” Reynolds, who has endorsed DeSantis, tweeted on X.
Iowa Christian evangelical leader Bob Vanderplaats, who also endorsed DeSantis for president, posted to X that Haley's remarks “are very telling regarding her status in Iowa” and that it is an “admission of getting beat" in the Iowa caucuses.
A spokesperson for Haley’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request from the Gazette to comment about the remark.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for January 4, 2024.
According to the National Weather Service it will be cloudy on Thursday in the Cedar Rapids area, with a high near 33 degrees. The sky will gradually clear during the day and the low will drop down to 22 degrees.
Some more details have been revealed about the officer-involved shooting on Monday.
According to police records, a 20-year-old man, identified Wednesday as Michael Griffin of Cedar Rapids, fired an assault-style rifle at police officers as they pursued him in the events leading up to his death.
A search warrant affidavit filed Wednesday states that Griffin had talked early Monday with the occupants of 414 Longwood Drive NE, while displaying a black AR-15-style rifle. He demanded they tell him the whereabouts of someone he identified only by a street name. They persuaded him to leave, but shortly after, gunfire started hitting the house, the affidavit said.
Police were called to the area at 6:24 a.m. Monday. Witnesses described seeing shots coming from a dark sedan.
As Cedar Rapids police officers were driving to the area, they spotted a car that matched the description — and it had a bag covering its license plate. Police attempted to pull it over, but the car sped up and fled at speeds up to 75 mph.
Two people were inside the car, one of whom got out during the chase and was taken into custody. The driver then continued fleeing, according to the warrant request. Gunshots started coming toward officers through the driver’s side window and also through the back window of the car while the chase was ongoing,
Even after the vehicle was spun to a stop by a squad car, police say they still heard shots being fired from the vehicle, and officers returned fire, according to the search warrant. Griffin was then found dead inside the vehicle.
The five officers who fired on the vehicle have been placed on leave while the DCI investigates the shooting, which is routine for an officer-involved shooting.
Some residents of Westhill Village Apartments in northwest Cedar Rapids were ordered this week to leave their homes by the end of the month after an engineer flagged structural issues in three buildings, including cracks in the drywall and floor unevenness that may lead to a “potential structural failure.”
Residents of the buildings at 1610, 1620 and 1630 Seminole Ave. NW were given 30 days by Waterloo-based EPM Iowa, the private property management company, to vacate the properties.
The city of Cedar Rapids is requiring residents to leave to allow for repairs of structural problems, some stemming from the 2020 derecho.
According to the Building Services Department, the city is in contact with the Westhill Village Apartments’ owner, the owner’s authorized agent and the private property management company.
Under housing and property maintenance codes adopted by the city, the owner or the owner’s authorized agent is responsible for compliance with code violations.
This is Stephen Colbert from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for Tuesday, January 3rd, 2024.
According to the National Weather Service, today will have a slight chance of freezing drizzle between 7am and 8am. Otherwise it’ll be mostly cloudy, with a high near 35 Tonight will be partly cloudy, with a low around 20.
Johnson County, Iowa City governments choose leaders
The seven-member Iowa City Council on Tuesday elected Bruce Teague to continue to serve as mayor for a third time.
Unlike many cities, Iowa City voters do not directly vote for the mayor, so it is the council’s decision. His colleagues first elected Teague to the role in 2020.
Council member Megan Alter, who served as mayor pro tem from 2022-23, nominated council member Mazahir Salih for mayor pro tem — essentially an assistant mayor who fills in when the mayor isn’t available.
No other nominations were put forward for either position, so the council unanimously supported Teague as mayor and Salih as mayor pro tem.
Days before caucuses, GOP candidates hold clashing events
Former President Donald Trump will skip a televised debate five days before Iowa’s caucuses featuring GOP rivals Ron DeSantis and Nikki Haley and will instead hold a competing event at the same time.
And presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, who failed to qualify for the CNN debate stage, also will hold his own event at the same time.
The end result: Three clashing Republican campaign events in Des Moines.
They all are scheduled to start at 8 p.m. Jan. 10. Iowa's Republican caucuses will be held Jan. 15.
Passenger in Cedar Rapids car chase before shootout was a juvenile
The passenger who left a car during a police chase that ended in a shootout Monday is a juvenile, according to the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.
Authorities say police responded to reports of the shooting and quickly began pursuing the suspect vehicle, described by the DCI as being occupied by two males. The driver began shooting with a rifle at police near First Avenue and 12th Street SE and again near Mount Vernon Road and 34th Street SE, investigators said.
“At some point in the pursuit, the passenger in the suspect vehicle exited the vehicle and was taken into custody by officers,” according to a news release from the DCI.
According to Joe Lestina, DCI special agent in charge of the investigation. The identity of the passenger — and any information about any charges he may be facing — will not be released to the public because he is a juvenile
This is Stephen Colbert from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for Tuesday, January 2nd, 2024.
According to the National Weather Service, today’s weather will be mostly cloudy, with a high near 35. Tonight will remain mostly cloudy, with a low around 25.
Shootout with Cedar Rapids police leaves suspect dead
Cedar Rapids police officers responding to reports of a drive-by shooting Monday morning were fired on repeatedly by the driver of the fleeing suspected vehicle — until five officers returned fire and killed the driver, state investigators said.
The names of the officers involved and the person killed were not released Monday by the state Division of Criminal Investigation, which is investigating the shooting. None of the officers was injured.
According to the DCI, the episode unfolded during a police chase that went on for miles on the city’s east side as the driver fired at pursuing officers on at least three occasions.
Iowa outdoor enthusiasts went on the year’s first hike
It was a good day for long-haired dogs, children with puffy coats and Eastern Iowa friends from different cities who met to enjoy nature on the first day of 2024.
Hikers of all ages met at the lodge at noon and took off along the Cedar Cliff trail, which winds along the bluff of the Cedar River. Some people strode the full 2-mile, hilly trail, while others stopped at the gazebo to chat with Ranger Luke Wagner. A couple families with small children spent an hour on the riverbank sandbar, digging with sticks and watching the ducks huddled in the frigid water.
They all met back at the lodge for cocoa, hot dogs and s’mores roasted over a fire in the massive stone hearth of the 1930s building.
Iowa Republicans look to broaden religious freedom
Iowa’s Republican leaders say they are not planning to expand on the list of laws passed last year addressing conservative social issues and regulating gender and sexuality issues in schools, but lawmakers may revive a push for religious liberty protections.
State Sen. Dennis Guth, a Republican from Klemme, said Republicans are going to pursue a bill to strengthen religious liberty protections, mirroring the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
The law, signed in 1993 by Democratic President Bill Clinton, requires that courts apply strict scrutiny, the highest level of judicial review, when considering cases where a person’s religious liberty is burdened. It was passed as a reaction to a 1990 U.S. Supreme Court case that was seen as narrowing religious freedoms.
Welcome to the New Year.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for January 1, 2024.
According to the National Weather Service, your New Year’s Day weather in the Cedar Rapids area will be cloudy with a high near 33 degrees.
We will have articles previewing the Iowa Legislative session in today’s paper and beyond. Here are a few issues I pulled from our coverage.
Most Iowa workers are taking home more money from their paychecks as the state collects less income tax — the result of recent tax cuts enacted by the Republican-majority statehouse.
Those Republican lawmakers, along with advocates for limited taxes, want to continue cutting and reduce Iowans’ taxes even more.
The impact of those tax reductions, though, is beginning to show in the state’s revenues. There essentially will be no revenue growth from the current state budget year to the next: overall state tax revenue is projected to be just shy of $11.5 billion in both the 2024 and 2025 fiscal years, according to the latest estimates from the state’s three-member Revenue Estimating Conference, the panel that projects future state revenues.
Before the recently enacted reductions, the state income tax produced nearly half of the state’s tax revenue that it spends on such things as education, health care, public safety, infrastructure and the environment.
When legislators return Jan. 8 to the Iowa Capitol for the 2024 session of the Iowa Legislature, Republican lawmakers plan to accelerate the state income tax reductions already on the books, with a possible eye toward gradually eliminating the tax altogether.
“Financially here in Iowa, we’re in the strongest position we’ve ever been in. And so that makes possible a conversation about expediting those cuts, bringing them up sooner — quicker — and getting those in place for Iowans,” Jack Whitver, the Republican Senate majority leader from Grimes, told the Gazette.
Iowa’s Republican leaders say they are not planning to expand on the list of laws passed last year addressing conservative social issues and regulating gender and sexuality issues in schools, but lawmakers say they may revive a push for religious liberty protections
State Sen. Dennis Guth, a Republican from Klemme, told the Gazette that Republicans are going to pursue a bill to strengthen religious liberty protections mirroring the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
The law, signed in 1993 by Democratic President Bill Clinton, requires that courts apply strict scrutiny, the highest level of judicial review, when considering cases where a person’s religious liberty is burdened. It was passed as a reaction to a 1990 U.S. Supreme Court case that was seen as narrowing religious freedoms.
The federal law applies only to the federal government, but at least two dozen other states have passed a version at the state level.
Iowa Republicans have considered the bill several times in the past, but it has faced steep opposition from business groups that worried it would discourage people from living and working in the state.
Sen. Guth said that the hope is that the business community will be less opposed to the legislation this time around now that similar bills have spread to more states nationwide.
Welcome to the last weekend of 2023!
This is Stephen Colbert from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for Saturday, December 30th, and Sunday, December 31st, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service, Saturday will have some patchy fog before 8am. Otherwise, it’ll be partly sunny, with a high near 40. Saturday night will be mostly cloudy, with a low around 25.
Sunday will be mostly cloudy, with a high near 35. Sunday night will be partly cloudy, with a low around 22.
Judge temporarily halts new Iowa law on school books, gender identity teaching
Calling it “incredibly broad” and “wildly overbroad,” a federal judge Friday temporarily halted the implementation of most of a new Iowa state law that bans school books and curriculum with depictions of sex acts and prohibits the teaching of gender identity and sexual orientation through sixth grade.
The ruling means most of the new law cannot be enforced while the federal courts continue to hear legal challenges to its constitutionality.
Judge Stephen H. Locher, of the U.S. District Court in Iowa’s Southern District, in a ruling Friday halted parts of the law that prohibit books and curriculum with depictions of sex acts, as well as the prohibition on teaching gender identity or sexual orientation through sixth grade.
Locher left in place the portion of the law that requires educators to notify parents when a student asks to be called by different pronouns. Locher said the plaintiffs in the case lacked legal standing: Because the plaintiffs involved are already publicly LGBTQ, that portion of the law does not apply to them, Locher ruled.
‘Sleeping giant’ being razed to clear way for pedestrian-bike bridge in Cedar Rapids
The railway bridge over the Cedar River that has been an eyesore for years is being removed to clear the way for a new pedestrian-bike bridge that’s part of the $20 million ConnectCR project.
A demolition crew was on the river this week to remove the old CRANDIC Bridge. Demolition is expected to be completed in the spring, with construction of the new bridge scheduled to begin in late 2024.
The new Alliant Energy LightLine pedestrian-bike bridge will be built across the river near Mount Trashmore, connecting the NewBo District on the east side of the river and the Czech Village District on the west.
Iowa City charter review could include revamping voting districts
Iowa City next month will begin the process of reviewing its city charter, which happens every 10 years.
At least one council member says there should be changes to what now is a “broken” system in which some council candidates represent geographic districts but all citizens may vote for all district seats.
The Iowa Constitution gives cities the power to choose among several forms of municipal government, among them the option of establishing a home rule charter to outline how city government is structured.
Most cities in Iowa use a mayor-council form of government in which the mayor and five council members are elected at large, Kemp said.
In Cedar Rapids, also a charter city, the mayor and three council members are elected at large, while the remaining five members are elected by voters who live in their districts.
Iowa City’s 19-page charter defines how the council is elected and sets the group’s responsibilities, which include appointing a city manager, city clerk, city attorney and city boards. The charter also describes the duties of the city manager and how citizens may petition for a referendum.
Have a good weekend, and Happy New Year!
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for December 29, 2023.
There will be No exciting weather happenings on your last day of the week. According to the National Weather Service it will be partly cloudy in the Cedar Rapids area with a high of around 39 degrees.
An investigation has cleared a Delaware County sheriff's deputy who shot and injured an Illinois man who police believe had killed a Fareway employee in Monticello.
Delaware County Attorney John Bernau, in a news release, said Deputy Matt Menard’s actions “were reasonable and legally justified under Iowa law, and he will face no criminal liability.”
Nathan Russell, 39, of East Dubuque, Ill., was charged with first-degree murder, going armed with intent and being a felon in possession of a firearm in relation to the Nov. 7 shooting death of Aaron McAtee, 48, of Monticello. Russell has pleaded not guilty.
McAtee worked at Fareway and was outside near the loading dock early that morning when Russell is accused of driving by and opening fire. According to a criminal complaint, witnesses told police that McAtee was shot from a rifle pointed out the driver’s window of a black sedan with Illinois license plates.
Officers believed Russell was connected with the car because of interactions they’d had with him the night before.
After a search was launched, police say Russell fled into nearby Hopkinton, where he was found by Menard. The complaint states the deputy attempted to arrest Russell, but Russell was uncooperative and the deputy shot and wounded him.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis enlisted the help of conservative South Carolina state Sen. Josh Kimbrell, R-Spartanburg, in Iowa as he scrambles to head off Republican presidential rival Nikki Haley.
Haley, a former South Carolina governor and former United Nations ambassador, has gained ground in Iowa, the leadoff nominating state, pulling even with DeSantis for second place in recent polling of likely Republican Iowa caucusgoers.
DeSantis and Kimbrell stopped Thursday evening at Mr. Beans coffee shop in Marion, where they addressed and took questions from a crowd of less than 100 supporters and media.
“The reason I'm here today is because our state is a red state and it’s redder because of Gov. DeSantis being governor of Florida than Nikki Haley being the governor of South Carolina,” Kimbrell, who represents South Carolina’s deeply conservative Upstate region, told the crowd.
The Haley campaign responded with a verbal eyeroll as the candidates continue to bicker as they jockey for a likely second place..
“It’s sad to see Ron DeSantis stooping to such desperate, lame attacks, but nothing will save his dying campaign,” Haley campaign spokeswoman Nachama Soloveichik told CNN.
According to reporting from the Associated Press, Maine’s Democratic secretary of state on Thursday removed former President Donald Trump from the state’s presidential primary ballot under the Constitution’s insurrection clause, becoming the first election official to invoke the 14th amendment to remove Trump from a ballot.
The decision by Secretary of State Shenna Bellows follows a ruling earlier this month by the Colorado Supreme Court that removed Trump from the ballot there under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. That decision has been stayed until the U.S. Supreme Court decides whether Trump is barred by the Civil War-era provision, which prohibits those who “engaged in insurrection” from holding office.
Bellows made the ruling after some state residents, including a bipartisan group of former lawmakers, challenged Trump’s position on the ballot.
“I
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for December 28, 2023.
We may have a chance for snow again on Thursday. But, for real this time.
According to the National Weather Service there will be an 80 percent chance of precipitation on Thursday in the Cedar Rapids area. Snow that falls will likely be before 5 p.m. and could total as much as a .5 inch of accumulation.
The high temperature is predicted to be 36 degrees. Rain and snow mix is also possible, especially Thursday evening.
More people have died on Iowa roadways this year than in each of the past five years.
There have been 372 traffic deaths so far in the state, up 10 percent from last year. About 70 percent of 2023’s traffic deaths happened in rural areas, in at least 46 percent of fatalities drivers were not wearing seatbelts at the time of the accident, and roughly a third of the deaths came over three summer months.
Iowa State Patrol Sgt. Alex Dinkla told the Gazette on Wednesday that excessive speed, distracted driving, impaired driving, and not wearing seat belts are some of the most common behaviors that police have linked to traffic deaths.
When Dinkla talks about these behaviors he uses the words “choose” and “decide.”
“People are choosing to drive these speeds,” he said, referring to speeds of up to 150 mph. “People are choosing to drive impaired with illicit and prescription drugs.”l
Dinkla cautioned that while New Year’s Eve isn’t the deadliest day of the year for car crashes, it’s still a time when more people drive impaired with alcohol or drugs.
According to reporting from the Associated Press, Michigan’s Supreme Court is keeping former President Donald Trump on the state’s primary election ballot.
The court said Wednesday it will decline hearing an appeal of a lower court’s ruling from groups seeking to keep Trump from appearing on the ballot.
The ruling followed a Dec. 19 decision by the Colorado Supreme Court which found Trump ineligible to be president because of his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. That ruling was the first time in history that Section 3 of the 14th Amendment has been used to disqualify a presidential candidate.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for December 27, 2023.
There will be a slight chance for snow for the first half of the day on Wednesday, mostly before 11 a.m. If it does arrive, it will most likely only be a dusting of snow.
The high temperature in the Cedar Rapids area will be 38 degrees with cloudy skies, according to the National Weather Service.
With a large swath of Eastern Iowa in extreme drought, the Christmas holidays brought a gift to thirsty cities and farms: steady rain.
In a 48-hour period ending at 8 a.m. Tuesday, most locations in Eastern Iowa received at least a half inch of rain — and some considerably more, according to reports to the National Weather Service.
Official readings in Cedar Rapids (.58 inches) and Iowa City (.60 inches) were on the low end of the scale. Reports to the weather service said that Williamsburg received 1.01 inches, and that some communities came close to that level.
Iowa is entering its 189th week in a row of abnormally dry and drought conditions — making it the longest drought in the state since the 1950s.
Mellow Mushroom announced it will be closing its Coralville location at the end of the year.
The Coralville site will close Dec. 31 after almost nine years in business at Coral Ridge Mall.
The quirky, psychedelic-themed restaurant opened at the mall in February 2015, replacing the space previously held by Bennigan’s.
A former elementary school building in the northern Iowa town of Rockford was destroyed by fire last week.
The fire was reported at around 10 p.m. Friday, according to a Facebook post by the Floyd County Emergency Management Agency. First responders found the building, at 205 Second Ave. NW, fully engulfed when they arrived.
Every fire department in Floyd County responded to the scene, as well as sheriff’s deputies, EMS personnel and Floyd County Search and Rescue. The fire also drew the Greene Fire Department from neighboring Butler County.
According to assessor’s records, the school was built in 1900. The emergency management agency wrote that the building replaced another school that was built in 1873 and lost to fire in 1899.
Merry Christmas and Holiday Day Off For Those Who Celebrate
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for December 25, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service there will be an almost certain chance for rain for much of Christmas Monday, with the chance for rain gradually dropping after 5 p.m. The wind also could be a problem with an east wind of 15 to 20 mph, gusting as high as 30 mph. The temperature should peak at 54 degrees, with a low dropping down to 31 degrees.
For holiday travelers, the rain hitting us on Monday is projected to gradually head northeast. As of early Monday morning, most flights with delays appear to be flights coming out of west coast destinations and crossing this large front currently creeping its way through the country’s midsection.
As you gather around your Christmas tree this morning you will feel comfort in knowing that a judge has ruled that a 13th century English legal document does not set legal precedent for stealing trees in Iowa.
According to reporting from the Iowa Capitol Dispatch, last week District Court Judge Derek Johnson denied the request of a new trial for 41-year-old Jason Levant Ferguson, who last month was found guilty by a jury of felony theft and 50 timber violations.
Court records show Ferguson admitted to cutting down and taking dozens of trees from the Stoddard Wildlife Management Area near Rolfe in northwest Iowa over the course of more than a year.
After the jury’s verdict last month, Ferguson asked for a new trial for a variety of reasons, including his alleged protection by the Charter of the Forest, which was first issued by King Henry III at the age of 10 in the year 1217.
Ferguson’s attorney, Kevin Fors of Harcourt, argued that provisions of the charter became part of the United States’ common law when it declared independence from England.
Judge Johnson, however, was not convinced, according to reporting from the Dispatch.
“The court finds that the English common law rights enumerated by the Charter of the Forest of 1217 do not apply to this case,” wrote Judge Johnson. “The Charter of the Forest explicitly applied only to the forests of England, and the laws of the United States have meaningfully and deliberately deviated from the rights granted under the charter.”
The University of Iowa announced this month it is increasing staffing and expanding boundaries for its “Nite Ride” service, which provides students and staff with free rides in the areas in and around the university between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.
Nite Ride uses a small bus to transport several people to their desired destinations in turn. Or for a $1 fee, Nite Ride offers direct rides in smaller vehicles.
The program previously has been staffed by part-time student security officers, but the university will now have one full-time security officer dedicated to driving for Nite Ride. Campus Safety also has created a new adopt-a-weekend program in which student organizations can sign up to staff the program with their members for a weekend.
Have a great Christmas. And, thank you, as always, for making us a part of your daily routine.
Welcome to the weekend!
This is Stephen Colbert from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for Saturday, December 23rd, and Sunday, December 24th, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service, Saturday will have a patchy drizzle before 8am with widespread fog before noon. Otherwise it’ll be a toasty high of 54. Saturday night will still see patchy fog with a low of 46.
Sunday will be a rainy and foggy Christmas eve with an even warmer high of 57. Sunday night will have a low of around 48.
Iowa rejects millions in federal summer food aid for children
Iowa will turn down federal funding to pay for summer food aid to children, opting instead for a state-funded program officials say will provide better nutrition and avoid spending $2.2 million a year on administration.
Family advocates decried the decision, announced Friday, and questioned the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services’ estimate of costs for running the three-month program.
“Federal COVID-era cash benefit programs are not sustainable and don’t provide long-term solutions for the issues impacting children and families,” Gov. Kim Reynolds said in a statement. “An EBT card does nothing to promote nutrition at a time when childhood obesity has become an epidemic.”
Instead, Iowa will continue to support Iowa children eligible for food assistance year-round by enhancing and expanding already existing childhood nutrition programs, she said.
Iowa’s unemployment rate ticks up in November
Iowa’s unemployment rate ticked up to 3.3 percent in November, the state’s workforce development department reported this week.
The jobless rate was 3.2 percent in October, and 3.1 percent last November, according to the department.
The U.S. unemployment rate dropped to 3.7 percent in November, down from October’s 3.9 percent.
The number of unemployed workers in Iowa increased to 57,200 in November, up from 56,000 in October.
The number of working Iowans decreased to 1,672,000 in November from October’s 1,679,900. This November’s total of working Iowans was 3,800 more than last November.
University of Iowa appoints new leader of Mercy Iowa City integration
As the University of Iowa continues its takeover of Mercy Iowa City, administrators are sharing more details about the transition — including the appointment this week of Deborah Berini to lead management and integration with the now-bankrupt community hospital.
Berini — with more than two decades experience leading health systems like Penn State Health, the University of Texas Medical Branch Health System and University of Wisconsin Health — will start as UIHC chief integration officer and interim chief administrative officer Jan. 2.
Have a good weekend, and Merry Christmas everyone.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for December 22, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service it will be mostly rainy on Friday in the Cedar Rapids area, with a high near 49 degrees. The rain is predicted to mostly come after 10 a.m. There also is a possibility of patchy fog in the morning, so keep an eye out for that.
Two major rail crossings in Texas have been temporarily closed to address an influx of migrants crossing into the U.S., and Iowa politicians are not happy about it.
Iowa’s all-Republican congressional delegation sharply criticized this week in a letter to President Joe Biden’s administration, citing concerns about the potential impact on Iowa agriculture exports.
In a letter dated Wednesday, the Iowa delegation expressed “grave concerns” with the Biden administration’s closing of major rail crossings between Eagle Pass and El Paso, Texas.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection said the closures are meant to address “a recent resurgence of smuggling organizations moving migrants through Mexico via freight trains.”
More than a third of U.S. trade with Mexico moves through the two closed crossings, and for every day the crossings are closed, 60 trains sit idle and 4,500 rail cars face delay, the letter notes.
Mexico is the second-largest purchaser of Iowa goods, according to state and federal trade data.
In a response to The Gazette, the White House said the temporary action was needed to address a large number of migrants coming into the U.S. by rail.
“DHS took this temporary action in order to stop a large movement of migrants coming by rail and to protect the health and safety of its personnel,” a White House spokesman said in an email to The Gazette. “We are working closely with the Mexican government in attempt to resolve this issue and also surging personnel to the region. We are communicating regularly with industry leaders to ensure we are assessing and mitigating the impacts of these temporary closures.”
A Johnson County developer has agreed to pay a $4,000 penalty for stormwater violations during construction of Park Place, a 450-acre multiuse development that includes PinSeekers, in Tiffin.
Ders Development LLC agreed to pay the fine within 30 days and stop illegal discharges to the Spencer Creek watershed, according to the enforcement order released Thursday.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources did a routine inspection of the site, south of Forevergreen Road and west of Interstate 380, on July 24. The inspector found erosion in several places and inadequate protections against erosion and sediment migration, the order states.
“Evidence of a discharge of sediment-laden stormwater was observed to have flowed south from the end of the Pin-Seekers facility into the adjacent field,” the DNR reported.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for December 21, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service it will be mostly cloudy on Thursday in the Cedar Rapids area, with the chance for rain increasing after 3 p.m. and heading later into Thursday evening. The high temperature will settle in at around 43 degrees.
Bald eagle surveys in Iowa in 2023 showed a return to normal after 2022, the worst nesting season for many years because of bird flu, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources reported.
Volunteers in January 2023 counted more than 2,900 eagles along 1,663.5 miles of Iowa waterways, which works out to almost two eagles per river mile surveyed, the DNR reported. The most eagles were spotted on the Mississippi and Des Moines rivers but the highest density (eagles per mile) was on the Iowa River.
The H5N1 strain of the bird flu virus has affected both domestic poultry and wild birds in Iowa, and eagles are no exception.
In 2022, the number of young bald eagles fledged per nest in Iowa dropped below the threshold of one per nest for the first time in the survey’s history. Only an average of .88 young were fledged per Iowa nest in 2022.
The DNR numbers indicated that considering the rate of successful nests, a possible 720 young eagles were fledged by Iowa nests in 2023.
If you haven’t gotten your COVID-19 vaccine updated, yet, you are not alone.
According to reporting from the Iowa Capitol Dispatch, the number of Iowans who have up-to-date COVID-19 vaccinations has plummeted in recent months, after federal officials ended a public health emergency declaration and there was a sense that the risk of catching the virus had lowered.
Data from towa Department of Health and Human Services indicated about 10 percent of Iowans were considered immunized against COVID-19. That is calculated using the state’s database of immunization records.
The HHS also now lists the chance of catching COVID-19 in Iowa as Very High, with the number of flu infections also rising during recent months.
More than 60 percent of Iowans were vaccinated during the worst throes of the coronavirus pandemic, but those initial vaccinations have become less effective over time.
As we head into a busy travel week, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is now urging health care providers to vaccinate their patients and to recommend antiviral medications to those with flu or COVID. It has also provided a “vaccination conversation guide” intended to address concerns about the vaccine.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for December 20, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service it will be a pleasant, sunny day in Cedar Rapids on Wednesday, with a high of 46 degrees.
Koch Industries will pay $3.6 billion to buy the Iowa Fertilizer Co., one of the world’s largest modern fertilizer companies, amid surging profits for the industry.
OCI Global, the parent company for the plant located in Wever in southeast Iowa, announced the sale Monday to Koch Ag & Energy Solutions, saying the transaction will reduce debt for OCI, make money for shareholders, and allow future investment for the multinational firm. The sale is pending U.S. antitrust approval.
The Iowa Fertilizer Co. combines nitrogen from the air with hydrogen from natural gas at high pressure and temperature to produce ammonia, which binds the nitrogen to make fertilizer. When the plant opened, owners said they planned to produce up to 2 million metric tons of fertilizer a year.
Koch Industries, based in Wichita, Kan., is one of the largest privately-owned companies in the world. It was founded by Fred Koch, father of brothers Charles and David Koch. The Koch brothers are also very active in political circles, funding many conservative candidates and organizations, including the Americans for Prosperity– a super PAC that has an influential presence in Iowa.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds told a Bettendorf audience this week that former President Donald Trump is "misleading Iowans" with his campaign's recent ads highlighting her past praise.
Reynolds this fall endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for the GOP presidential nomination — and has faced Trump’s ire for it.
Earlier this month, Trump's campaign launched a six-figure ad buy in Iowa that touts Reynolds' past support for Trump. The TV spot features a montage of Reynolds applauding Trump and his administration's policies at previous rallies.
In a Monday campaign event for DeSantis, Reynolds said Trump was "misleading Iowans" and that she has "absolutely endorsed Ron" and is proud of her endorsement.
"He thought he was entitled to my endorsement and nobody is entitled to anything," Reynolds said. "You have to step up. You have to earn it, you have to make your case."
According to reporting from the Associated Press, the Colorado Supreme Court on Tuesday declared former President Donald Trump ineligible for the White House under the U.S. Constitution’s insurrection clause and removed him from the state’s presidential primary ballot.
Colorado’s highest court overturned a ruling from a district court judge. That judge’s ruling stated that Trump was part of inciting an insurrection for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, but it was unclear if the insurrection clause applies to the presidency.
Trump’s legal team has already said they will appeal the ruling to the United States Supreme Court in hopes he can be reinstated on the ballot.
If Trump is the Republican nominee, he would likely have an uphill battle winning in Colorado anyway. The main danger for his campaign would be if other states used Colorado’s decision as precedent to remove him from ballots in their states.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for December 19, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service the sunny sky will have to contend with increasing cloudiness during the day on Tuesday. The high temperature in the Cedar Rapids area is predicted to be 38 degrees. It should be less windy than Monday, however, with gusts only reaching up to 25 mph.
Seventeen days after a crash killed four people -- two teens and a mother and son -- police announced Monday who was driving each of the two vehicles that collided, but said the cause of the crash is yet undetermined.
In an earlier interview, Cedar Rapids public safety spokesperson Mike Battien said speed was believed to be a factor in the crash.
The fatal crash happened about 10 p.m. Dec. 1 on C Street SW between Thomas Edison Boulevard and Beth Page Drive. Police later released the names of the people who died: Casey Krager, 18, of Davenport, Carter Cooper, 18, of Bettendorf, Ruta Tekeste, 52, of Cedar Rapids and a 13-year-old who was not identified. The teen was identified on an online fundraising page as Tekeste’s son, Bruk Mehari.
Monday, police revealed the crash involved a 2006 Chevrolet Impala driven by Cooper and a 2010 Honda Pilot driven by Tekeste.
A GoFundMe page started on behalf of Tekeste and Mehari’s family has been closed after raising almost $60,000.
Christmas light displays in downtown Cedar Rapids, darkened when their power cords were stolen, will be turned back on now that an arrest has been made in the thefts, according to Nikki Wilcox, director of strategic development for the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance.
Several power cords connected to holiday lights in Greene Square, in a MedQuarter pocket park along First Street SE and outside NewBo City Market were stolen during the first couple weeks of December. The cords in Greene Square and the MedQuarter were replaced once, but were stolen again.
Last Wednesday, Cedar Rapids police arrested Scott Alan Clark, 48, of Cedar Rapids in relation to the thefts.
City officials had been waiting for an arrest before paying to replace the cords for the downtown and MedQuarter displays in hopes they wouldn't be stolen a third time. Now that the arrest has been made, the lights will be turned back on.
A contractor was working Monday to replace the cords, with the plan to turn the lights back on again starting Monday night, according to Wilcox.
Michaels, the North American arts and crafts chain, will soon open a location at the Westdale Town Centre as redevelopment of a former southwest Cedar Rapids mall property nears its culmination.
Frew Development Group — which is undertaking the $90 million redevelopment of Westdale Mall into an open-air, mixed-use development with housing, retail, hotels and other uses — announced Monday that Michaels has signed a long-term lease for 16,000 square feet of space. Opening is targeted for mid-2024.
Michaels — North America’s largest provider of arts, crafts, framing, floral and wall décor based in Irving, Texas — has another location in the Cedar Rapids metro in Collins Road Square in Marion. The Collins Road Square store opened in 1993, and closed for several months after sustaining significant...
Stories featured
– Judge who led Linn County drug court retires next month after 34-year career
– Iowa farmers of color gather for first time to form connections, find resources
– Curious Iowa: Why can’t Iowans choose their utilities provider?
Episode Transcript
You are listening to The Gazette’s Daily News Podcast on Monday, December 18, 2023. This podcast brings quick bites from the latest headlines coming out of The Gazette newsroom. I’m Bailey Cichon filling in for Stephen Schmidt.
The Judge who led Linn County drug court is retiring next month after a 34-year career. Sixth Judicial District Judge Fae Hoover said she has enjoyed her career but 20 years on the bench is quote “long enough” end quote. Hoover is 58 years old, which puts her many years ahead of the mandatory retirement age for Iowa judges, which is age 72.
Over her career, Judge Hoover worked for Iowa Legal Aid and Linn County Advocates, worked as a public defender, served as a district judge and lead the Linn County Drug Treatment Court.
While working as an associate district judge, Hoover began creating sentences that would allow someone to “buy down jail time” by completing treatment. Several people did just that and maintained drug-free lifestyles that allowed them to regain custody of children and employment and improve relationships.
Additionally, Hoover was the judge in the trial for Jerry Burns, who was charged in 2018 for the murder of 18-year-old Michelle Martinko in Cedar Rapids in 1979. Burns was sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Hoover said, quote, “It’s been a great honor to serve.The most rewarding part was being the drug court judge. I started in September 2007. But Judge Valerie Clay is taking it over, so I’m leaving knowing the program is in good hands.” End quote.
Hoover will retire Jan. 2. You can read the full story by Trish Mehaffey at thegazette.com
Nearly 100 farmers of color gathered Saturday in Des Moines to help minority farmers succeed in Iowa. The Iowa Farmers of Color conference will become an annual networking event for Iowa’s Black and minority farmers.
The conference was organized by Todd Western III. Western was inspired to start the conference after visiting a national gathering of Black farmers in North Carolina called the Harvest Ball.
Western said, quote, “I was just so overwhelmed with the camaraderie, the community, the networking and the friendships of Black farmers coming together. I said, ‘We have to do this up north.’” End quote.
Western’s family has owned his Iowa farmland for more than 150 years. He is one of about 72 Black farmers in Iowa, according to the 2017 Census of Agriculture.
Conference speakers highlighted federal programs through the USDA and nonprofits that aid minority farmers who have historically been left out of the department’s loan programs. Speakers also touched on the isolation and unique challenges farmers of color face.
Western said he hopes Iowa’s Black farmers lean on the relationships they built at the conference.
This week’s edition of Curious Iowa answers this question: Why can’t Iowans choose their utilities provider? Iowans have customer choice for insurance, groceries and other goods and services, but when it comes to utilities, location dictates which utility provider they can use. In the story,
Welcome to the weekend!
This is Stephen Colbert from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for Saturday, December 16th, and Sunday, December 17th, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service, Saturday will be rainy with areas of fog and a high near 45. Saturday night will have more rain and fog with a low around 36.
Sunday will be cloudy in the morning and gradually clear up with a high near 45. Sunday night will be partly cloudy with a low around 25.
Iowans in Congress renew push for year-round E15
Members of Iowa’s congressional delegation are renewing their push for federal officials to allow the sale of E15 in Iowa year-round.
U.S. Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, along with Reps. Randy Feenstra, Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Ashley Hinson, signed onto a bipartisan letter Thursday urging Biden administration officials to finalize a rule that would allow the sale of E15 — gasoline blended with 15 percent ethanol — during the summer months in some Midwestern states.
It’s the latest beat in a battle stretching over a year from several Midwestern states to make the year-round sale of the fuel permanent. Federal rules limit the sale of E15 between June 1 and Sept. 15 because of concerns that it contributes to smog.
New Cedar Rapids school bond referendum could go to voters in 2025
Cedar Rapids school leaders are planning to go back to district voters in November 2025 with a plan to fund improvements to middle and high schools after a $220 million bond referendum failed last month.
First, however, voters in the district will be asked to consider extending the Physical Plant and Equipment Levy for an additional 10 years. That’s an existing capital projects fund for the purchase and improvement of grounds, construction and remodeling of buildings, major equipment purchases including technology. This vote will go to voters in September 2024.
A Cedar Rapids schools’ master facility plan oversight committee is expected to discuss improvements that would be funded by PPEL and how district officials could work with residents and city officials to develop and educate the community on a new bond plan.
Nikki Haley commits to CNN Iowa debate after Ron DeSantis attacks
Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley’s campaign announced she has accepted the invitation to CNN’s GOP presidential debate in Des Moines on Jan. 10.
The criteria for the debate, just five days before the caucuses, will likely limit eligibility to Haley, former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
DeSantis’ campaign confirmed it will attend, but Trump is not likely to participate.
Have a good weekend, everyone.
Stories featured
– Big Grove Brewery, Pickle Palace ready to open Kingston Yard development in Cedar Rapids
– Arrest made in theft of power cords that kept Cedar Rapids holiday lights dark
– Orchestra Iowa jazzing up Holiday Spectacular in Cedar Rapids
Episode transcript
You are listening to The Gazette's Daily News Podcast on Friday, December 15, 2023. This is the podcast that delivers quick bites from the latest headlines coming out of the Gazette newsroom. I'm Bailey Cichon filling in for Stephen Schmidt.
Big Grove Brewery and Pickle Palace are the first tenants to open for business at Kingston Yard. Kingston Yard is Cedar Rapids' $81.5 million mixed use development located at 1st and 1st West. Big Grove opened yesterday, December 14. This marks the brand's fourth tap room.
The Cedar Rapids location features a large patio for those who want to enjoy fresh air with their beers. Inside, visitors can view open fermentation tanks. This is a technique favored in Germany and the Czech Republic but used by just a handful of U.S. breweries.
Meanwhile, the Pickle Palace entertainment and dining complex is planning a soft opening by invitation at the end of this month. The Pickle Palace is multiple levels. It holds--get ready for this list--a pickle ball court, a casual restaurant, a bar overlooking the court, special event space, a duckpin bowling alley, a British-themed pub and an extensive rooftop patio. For more details and photos, read the story at thegazette.com. There's a link to that story in this episode's description.
An arrest has been made in the theft of extension cords lighting holiday decorations in Cedar Rapids. 48-year-old Scott Allen Clark was arrested Wednesday on three counts of 5th degree theft and one count each of criminal mischief and illegal possession of prescription drugs. Over the last two weeks, extension cords from holiday light displays were stolen from Greene Square Park downtown, NewBo City Market and from a park in the MedQuarter, located at the corner of 3rd Avenue and 8th St. SE.
Next, Orchestra Iowa's Holiday Spectacular will feature the Iowa Women's Jazz Orchestra. Maestro Timothy Hankewich told The Gazette that since there's no Christmas music ever written for big band and symphony orchestra, the groups had to write it themselves. The shows run Friday, December 15th through Sunday, December 17th at the Paramount Theatre in downtown Cedar Rapids. Read more about Orchestra Iowa's addition of Iowa Women's Jazz Orchestra and find out what the jazz band does when it isn't collaborating with the symphonic orchestra at thegazette.com. You can find the link to that story in this episode's description.
Finally, let's take a look at today's weather in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Today will be cloudy with a high of 48 degrees and a low of 37 degrees. Over the weekend, you can expect highs in the forties. Saturday is set to rain while Sunday will be cloudy.
Thank you for listening to The Gazette's Daily News Podcast. I'm Bailey Cichon.
Update: An arrest has been made in the theft of extension cords in Cedar Rapids. Read that update here.
– How the Grinch stole Christmas — one power cord at a time
– Iowa Area Education Agencies face ‘comprehensive review’
– Satanic Temple display at Iowa State Capitol sparks free speech debate
You are listening to The Gazette’s Daily News Podcast on Thursday, December 14, 2023. On this podcast, we give you quick bites from the latest headlines coming out of The Gazette newsroom. I’m Bailey Cichon filling in for Stephen Schmidt.
Extension cord thefts in Cedar Rapids are leaving public holiday light displays dark. Cords have been stolen from downtown’s Greene Square park and at NewBo City Market. The first theft happened after lights were turned on Dec. 1 for the annual city tree lighting. Cords that lit trees around Greene Square were stolen. The Christmas tree in the park has not been touched. The Cedar Rapids Economic Alliance spent $300 to replace the cords, which were chained and zip tied. But the Grinch struck again and new cords were stolen along with a city-owned transformer used to illuminate the large snowflakes around the park.
Between Thursday and Friday last week, extension cords were stolen from two light displays at NewBo City Market. Another theft occurred between 6 and 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday at the parking lot next to the Paramount Theater on Third Avenue and First Street SE.
Cedar Rapids Police Department has been investigating the thefts using security camera footage from areas near where the cords were stolen. Until the thief or thieves have been caught, Greene Square will remain dark.
Next up, changes may be coming to Iowa Area Education Agencies as Governor Kim Reynolds and legislative leaders say improvements must be made to support students with disabilities. Iowa Area Education Agencies are referred to as AEAs and there are nine across the state.
Recent Iowa test results show those with disabilities scored between 33 to 50 percentage points lower on statewide math tests than the overall student population.
In a statement, Reynolds said that a comprehensive review of AEAs will help identify solutions and that children will continue to receive services.
Now, Iowa educators are worrying about the future of the agencies, which provide services from birth to age 21.
Iowa Senator Ken Rozenboom of Pella is the chair of the Senate Education Committee. Rozenboom said quote, “My perception is that AEAs are administratively heavy and performance light,” he said. “We need to refocus and direct our efforts to providing education needs for the education of special needs children, which is extremely important.” end quote.
Grant Wood AEA chief administrator John Speer said about 70 percent of funding for Iowa’s AEAs goes to support special education services, but the agencies also were created to meet schools’ needs in media and technology and educational services including math, science and literacy. By law, AEAs can spend no more than 5 percent of their budget on administrative costs, Speer said. “Every AEA in Iowa is below that threshold,” he said.
Read the full story at thegazette.com. Find a link in this episode’s description.
Now let’s head to news out...
Stories Featured
– Campaign Almanac: Trump’s commanding lead increases in latest Iowa Poll
– Cedar Rapids firefighters put out kitchen fire at Long John Silver’s
– Hawkeye Marching Band back in the halftime lineup after outcry
Episode Transcript
You are listening to The Gazette’s Daily News Podcast on Wednesday, December 13, 2023. This podcast gives quick bites from the latest headlines coming out of The Gazette newsroom. I’m Bailey Cichon filling in for Stephen Schmidt.
Former President Donald Trump’s lead has grown according to the latest Iowa poll from The Des Moines Register, NBC News and Mediacom. Trump was the first choice of 51% of those surveyed. This brings Trump up eight percentage points from the October Iowa poll. Meanwhile, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis polled at 19% and former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley polled at 16% in the new Iowa poll. No other candidates received more than five percent. Both DeSantis and Haley have made recent campaign stops in Iowa to increase their support. This evening, Trump will speak at the Hyatt Regency in Coralville. The first-in-the-nation Iowa Republican caucuses will be held on January 15th. You can find the latest campaign and election news at thegazette.com/elections.
Williams Boulevard SW in Cedar Rapids was closed for about an hour Tuesday morning as firefighters responded to a kitchen fire at Long John Silver’s restaurant. Firefighters were called at 8:19 a.m. to the restaurant located at 2630 Williams Boulevard SW. Crews were able to extinguish the fire in the kitchen area. No one was injured and the building was empty. The building sustained fire, smoke and water damage. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Marching bands will take the field for half time at the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl after all. Plans to only feature Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Gavin DeGraw at halftime have been reversed following a petition led by Hawkeye fans. Both the Hawkeye Marching Band and University of Tennesse’s Pride of Southland band will perform on the field in Orlando before the New Year’s game and at halftime. Hawkeye Marching Band Director Eric Bush told The Gazette, quote, “We are thankful to the Citrus Bowl and Gavin DeGraw for working together to help showcase our bands which are not only an important part of the game day experience but also our university’s cultures and traditions.” end quote. Similar petitions have been assembled for the Cyclone Marching Band which is set to perform prior to the AutoZone Liberty Bowl in Memphis. Memphis funk band Bar-Kays is set to perform at the halftime show. While the bands are focused on the upcoming bowl game performances, both the Hawkeye Marching Band and Cyclone Marching Band announced this week that they’re among five division I colleges named as finalists for Metallica’s marching band competition, which boasts a top prize worth $75,000.
Read the full story by Vanessa Miller at thegazette.com. You can find a link to that story in this episode’s description.
Finally, let’s take a look at today’s weather on Wednesday, December 13. If you’ve been waiting for snow, I have some bad news for you. Today will be mostly sunny with a high of 40 and a low of 22. Tomorrow, temperatures will rise to 45 degrees. Expect sunny skies. Thursday, temperatures will drop to a low of 26 degrees.
Thank you for listening to The Gazette’s Daily News podcast. I’m Bailey Cichon.
Featured Stories
– The Eastern Iowa Airport will pay $1.1M to buy property with PFAS in groundwater
– Northern Iowa faculty seek end to general fund support for athletics
– Iowa man arrested in fatal stabbing of a Nebraska priest
Episode Transcript
You are listening to The Gazette’s Daily News Podcast on Tuesday, December 12, 2023. This is this podcast where you get quick bites from the latest headlines coming out of The Gazette newsroom. I'm Bailey Cichon filling in for Stephen Schmidt.
Eastern Iowa Airport will pay $1.1 million to buy a property with PFAS contamination in the groundwater. This agreement resolves after two years of negotiations after property owners learned that the water from their well had PFAS level 3.5 times more than a lifetime limit set by the federal government at that time. PFAS stands for per-and polyflourinated substances. PFAS can be found in man-made chemicals, like the firefighting foam firefighters at EAstern Iowa Airport used to contain fuel fires. On Monday, the Airport Commission unanimously approved resolutions to buy 3400 Walford Road from Paul and Nikki Hynek, who will continue to rent a house on the property. The couple agreed not to hold the airport liable for the PFAS contamination. According to the purchase agreement, the airport paid to ahve a new, deeper well drilled on the property last year. The airport also supplied bottled water to the Hyneks for two years. For the full story, read the article by Erin Jordan at thegazette.com. Find a link n the episode description.
Union faculty members at Northern Iowa University are seeking to end general fund support for athletics. According to reporting by The Gazette’s Vanessa Miller, UNI has given nearly $4.3 million of the campus’s general university funds to athletics in the 2023 budget year. This was almost $1 million more than planned. In fiscal year 2022, UNI sent $3.5 million to athletics, which adds up to $7.8 million in total over the past 2 years. Now, faculty is urging UNI Athletics to become self-supporting like its counterparts at University of Iowa and Iowa State University.
United Faculty President and jouranlism professor Christopher Martin said the millions of dollars funneled annually to athletics would help the university’s mission. Quote, “On the academic side, we’re really just cut to the bone. We have so many faculty lines that we need to have filled and replaced.” end quote.
Spokesman Pete Moris said although UNI administrators agree that academics, student success and faculty are key to UNI’s mission, athletics play an important role in driving applications, admissions and donations. Moris said UNI administration hears its faculty members and quote, “one of the ongoing directives for our athletics department is to generate more revenue and to identify additional opportunities for our athletics department to be more self-sustaining.” end quote. Find the full story at thegazette.com or at the link in this episode description.
An Iowa man has been arrested in the fatal stabbing of a Nebraska priest. 43-year-old Kierre L. Williams, of Sioux City, was arrested on charges of homicide and using a weapon to commit a felony. According to reporting from the Associated Press, a 911 call was placed around five Sunday morning about an attempted break-in at Saint John the Baptist Catholic Church in Fort Calhoun, Nebraska. When oficers arrived, they found Rev. Stephen...
Stories Featured
– I-380 interchange project receives $57M boost from feds
– Dietitian weighs in on holiday feasting
– Curious Iowa: Are local animal shelters considered no-kill?
Episode Transcript
You are listening to The Gazette’s Daily News Podcast on Monday, December 11, 2023. On this podcast, we give you quick bites from the latest headlines coming out of The Gazette newsroom. I’m Bailey Cichon filling in for Stephen Schmidt.
The reconstruction of the Interstate 380 interchange with Wright Brothers Boulevard is fully funded after receiving $57.3 million in federal infrastructure funding.
According to reporting from The Gazette’s Erin Murphy, the projected $112 million project would widen the interstate to six lanes from the north ramps of the Swisher interchange to south of U.S. Highway 30. Also, the Wright Brothers Boulevard interchange would be reconfigured to include a diverging diamond interchange. This would be a wider but similar interchange to the one that opened at Tower Terrace Road and I-380.
The Wright Brothers Boulevard interchange is the main exit to the Eastern Iowa Airport. The area is rapidly growing due to a boom in manufacturing, warehouses and homes.
Iowa DOT District 6 transportation planner Catherine Cutler told The Gazette earlier this year, quote, “The city plans for industrial and commercial growth around the airport, and we wanted to get ahead of that growth.” end quote.
Bids will be considered in mid-2024 with construction beginning as soon as late summer 2024. Project completion is slated for 2027.
Find the full story at thegazette.com. There’s a link to the story in this episode’s description.
As winter holidays draw near, The Gazette’s Diana Nollen spoke with Hy-Vee dietitian Stephanie Vande Brake about indulging in the festive flavors, managing cravings and understanding the science behind nutrition.
Eating a lot of starches or sweets causes blood sugars to rise and then what feels like a crash happens.
Vande Brake said when blood sugar gets low, quote,”Our body secretes hormones to tell our brain to crave more of those high calories foods. So when we’re having these big swings in blood sugar, biologically, that is why we experience really intense cravings and hunger.” end quote
Vande Brake said balanced blood sugar can prevent intense cravings. She recommends not eating sweets on an empty stomach to avoid having a crash.
Read The Gazette’s full interview with Vande Brake at thegazette.com or follow the link in this episode description.
This week’s edition of Curious Iowa answers a question from Gazette reader Rene Anderson. Anderson has worked and volunteered for multiple animal shelters in the area. Anderson asked The Gazette whether Eastern Iowa’s animal shelters are considered no-kill and how they work toward that goal. The Gazette’s Emily Andersen examined data from Linn and Johnson county shelters and spoke with staff to answer the question. Find that story in today’s copy of The Gazette or online.
Curious Iowa answers your questions about our state, its people and culture. Submit questions at thegazette.com/curious.
Finally, a look at today’s weather on Monday, December 11, 2023. Today will be sunny with a high of 38 and a low of 19. Tuesday will be mostly sunny with a high of 33 and low of 20.
Thank you for listening to The Gazette’s Daily News Podcast. I'm Bailey Cichon.
Welcome to the weekend!
This is Stephen Colbert from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for Saturday, December 9nd, and Sunday, December 10rd, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service, Saturday will be Cloudy, with a steady temperature around 40. Saturday night will be mostly cloudy, with a low around 24.
Sunday will be sunny, with a high near 35. Sunday night will be mostly clear, with a low around 20.
Vivek Ramaswamy says he is not exploring Libertarian presidential bid
Vivek Ramaswamy has been courting Iowa Libertarians in his bid for the GOP presidential nomination, but he denied he is considering a run for president on the Libertarian ticket.
Members of Ramaswamy’s campaign met with the Polk County Libertarians earlier this week, seeking Libertarian support. But at an event in Muscatine on Friday, the Ohio biotech entrepreneur said he is not considering a third-party bid for president.
Ramaswamy’s campaign has had staffers attend Libertarian events to encourage them to register as Republicans and support Ramaswamy in the presidential caucuses, spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin confirmed, but she said Ramaswamy is not considering a run under that party’s banner.
McLaughlin said about half of those attending Ramaswamy campaign events are traditional Republicans while the other half have never caucused before.
November marked one of the driest months on record for Iowa
According to preliminary numbers from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, the average statewide precipitation was just 0.38 inches — 1.44 inches below normal. It marked the eighth month of the year with below-normal precipitation.
The lack of precipitation pushed the state further into drought — particularly the southern half, which has degraded to a “drought warning” rating under the Iowa Drought Plan. Most of the northern half of Iowa currently has a “drought watch” rating, except for the northwest corner, which has a “normal” rating, according to a Thursday Iowa DNR Water Summary Update.
Iowa City providing resources for reducing lead in water
Iowa City has announced a new lead reduction program that will provide resources for home and business owners to reduce the lead in their water supply by updating old plumbing and water fixtures.
The program, announced earlier this month, is mostly focused on educating community members about the possibility of lead in their water, and what to do about it, according to Jon Durst, Iowa City water superintendent.
Reducing lead in the water in individual homes is difficult, because while the city controls the piping and materials used in the public water supply, the individually owned pipes that bring the water from the public supply to houses are the responsibility of homeowners, Durst said. And since many homes were built before federal legislation changed what alloys can be used in plumbing, there are still a lot of homes with lead in the pipes.
Have a good weekend, everyone.
Update: Since the original episode audio was recorded, new information was released about the Wednesday’s crash involving a motorcyclist and bus. The podcast was updated to include the new information.
Stories referenced
– Cedar Rapids motorcyclist who crashed into bus has died
– Canadian National buys Iowa Northern Railway
– ‘Mary Poppins’ ready to work magic in Coralville center
Episode Transcripts
You are listening to The Gazette’s Daily News Podcast on Friday, December 8. I’m Bailey Cichon filling in for Stephen Schmidt.
A Cedar Rapids man has died from his injuries after a Wednesday crash in Cedar Rapids. 29-year-old Lewis McColley crashed his motorcycle into a bus that was turning into a Casey's gas station on the corner of Ellis Boulevard and O Avenue Northwest Wednesday afternoon. A Cedar Rapids police officer had attempted to pull him over for not having a license plate. He had been fleeing police for about a minute before the crash. McColley was taken to Saint Luke's hospital in Cedar Rapids with serious injurie, then transferred to University of Iowa hospitals and clinics where he died Thursday. The bus driver, 63-year-old Mark Campbell of Cedar Rapids, was the only person in the bus at the time and was not injured.
Linn County Sheriff's Office is handling the investigation. The case remains under investigation.
Canadian National is adding 275 miles of track with its purchase of Iowa Northern Railway. Montreal-based Canadian National made the announcement Thursday. The sale is pending regulatory review by the U.S. Surface Transportation Board. Canadian National is one of North America’s six biggest railroads and operates more than 18 thousand miles of track across Canada and the United States. Meanwhile, Iowa Nothern Railroad serves agricultural and industrial markets. The line runs diagonally through Iowa from Manly to Cedar Rapids with branch lines from Waterloo to Oelwein and Forest City to Belmond. Iowa Nothern Railway chairman Daniel Sabin said the Iowa carrier believes Canadian National shares the railroad’s commitment to local stakeholders and that the sale will benefit customers, employees and the local Iowa economy.
The magical musical ‘Mary Poppins’ is coming to Coralville Center for the Performing Arts. City Circle Theatre Company will bring the show to life onstage and in the air December 8 through 17. Allison Dixon of Iowa City plays Mary Poppins, a magical nanny joined by her chimney sweep Bert, played by Cedar Rapids’ Calvin Boman. Boman will defy gravity as Bert in an upside down tap dancing number. Read more backstage details in The Gazette’s story by Diana Nollen, available online. Use the link in this episode description to get there.
Finally, let’s take a look at today’s weather in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Today will be partly cloudy with temperatures reaching a high of 54 and a low of 38. Looking ahead to the weekend, Saturday will be cloudy and colder than the past few days. Expect a high of 39 and low of 23. Sunday, temperatures will continue their downward slide. Expect a high of 32, a low of 20 and mostly sunny skies.
Thank you for listening to The Gazette’s Daily News Podcast. I’m Bailey Cichon.
Stories referenced
– 71-year-old Cedar Rapids woman killed in fire
– Private funding will be key to 5-year plan for revitalizing downtown, Cedar Rapids City Council says
– Big Grove Brewery announces opening date for new Cedar Rapids location
Episode Transcript
You are listening to The Gazette's daily news podcast on Thursday, December 7th, 2023. This is the podcast where we give you quick bites from the latest headlines coming out of the Gazette newsroom.
I'm Bailey Cichon filling in for Stephen Schmidt,
A 71-year-old Cedar Rapids woman is dead after a Tuesday afternoon apartment building fire. Wasfia Elshannaway was one of four people taken to the hospital with smoke inhalation and other injuries. The fire broke out on the third floor of the apartment building at 210 19th St. in Northeast Cedar Rapids. Fire responders were called at 2:13pm. Firefighters and police removed several people from the building. Two cats were killed in the fire and two others were rescued by Cedar Rapids Animal Care and Control according to a news release from the fire department.
The cause of the fire was accidental but what started the fire has not been released due to the ongoing investigation. For more details, read Emily Andersen's story at thegazette.com. Find the link in the episode description.
Cedar Rapids City Council signed off on a 5-year downtown action and vision plan on Tuesday. Now, the Downtown Self-Supported Municipal Improvement District Commission will form a task force to recommend a downtown management structure in 2024. According to the plan, the desired result would be a business plan for the preferred option and a collaboration commitment from the City, Economic Alliance and Downtown Self-Supported Municipal Improvement District Commission. For more details, read Marissa Payne's story at thegazette.com.
Big Grove Fans can now mark their calendars for the opening of Big Grove Brewery's Cedar Rapids location. The brewery announced its fourth and newest location at 170 First St. SW will open Dec. 14. Big Grove is also in the process of opening a new distribution center in Iowa City known as "The Hop Lot". The Gazette's Elijah Decious reports that Big Grove plans to open the hop lot by February. For more details on the new facilities, read the story at thegazette.com.
Stories Referenced
– Eight area Catholic schools uniting under one school system
– Iowa City man sentenced to 35 years for string of burglaries
– Fulfill a child’s holiday wishlist at Goldfinch Tap + Eatery
Episode Transcript
You are listening to the Gazette Daily News podcast on Wednesday, December 6th, 2023. This is the podcast where we give you quick bites from the latest headlines coming out of the Gazette newsroom.
I'm your host, Bailey Cichon Filling in for Stephen Schmidt.
Eight metro area Catholic schools are combining to form a single corporation. That corporation will be called Xavier Catholic Schools as of July 1st, 2024. Regis and LaSalle Catholic middle Schools will consolidate into one location--where that is has not yet been identified.
According to reporting by The Gazette's Grace King, Metro Catholic schools have been operating under the Xavier Catholic schools brand since 2013 though each school has had its own school board.
Xavier Catholic schools are a part of the Archdiocese of Dubuque. The schools consist of eight buildings with a total enrollment of 2,104 students for the 2023-2024 school year.
You can find that full story at thegazette.com. Find the link for that in the episode description.
An Iowa City man was sentenced to 35 years in prison for a string of burglaries and thefts in Iowa City. 40-year-old Joshua Harley Kelley stole items from a list of businesses including McComas, Lacina Construction, Pace Properties, Rogers Shoes, Brandt Heating and Air Conditioning, Pyramid Services, Carousel Motors, Billion Auto Ace Hardware and AM management.
The thefts started in 2021 and continued through January. According to the criminal complaint, the businesses experienced over $100,000 in combined property loss. Kelley was selling or trading the stolen property for financial gain and to support himself. During the investigation, police found the stolen property at Kelley's storage unit and the van stolen from Billion Auto was found at a different location.
Marion restaurant Goldfinch Tap + Eatery is partnering with Marion schools to connect the public with the wish lists of families in need. The giving tree is located inside the restaurant and costs about $50 to fill a child's wish list.
Last year, Goldfinch helped the public support about 45 families in the Marion community. This year, the restaurant hopes to support at least half of the 200 children in need. Gifts must be received by December 12th.
Finally, let's take a look at today's weather in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Today will be partly cloudy with a high of 41 and a low of 24. Looking ahead to Thursday, weather will be mostly sunny with a high of 51 and low of 33.
Thank you for listening to The Gazette's Daily News podcast. I'm Bailey Cichon.
Stories referenced in episode
– Iowa City bus ridership is up 44% since going fare free
– A bar in Cedar Rapids offered free beers until Iowa scored. Then the team got shut out.
– Cedar Rapids man sentenced to 11 years for child porn
Episode Transcript
You are listening to the Tuesday, December 5th, 2023 edition of the Gazette's Daily News podcast. I’m Bailey Cichon filling in for Stephen Schmidt.
This is the podcast where we give you quick bites from headlines coming out of The Gazette newsroom.
Iowa City's bus ridership is up 44% since going fare free in August. The city reports that Iowa City transit has had 45,009 more passenger trips this October than in October 2022. Iowa City decided in June to use pandemic relief money to launch a two-year pilot program of fare free operations. The city's goal is to double ridership during the program but Transportation Director Darian Nagle-Gamm said the city is not yet on track to meet that target.
Nagle-Gamm said the increase in ridership benefits everyone quote, “Each trip on transit reduces traffic congestion reduces greenhouse gas emissions, improves air quality frees up parking spaces and helps connect people to job opportunities which improves the overall economic status of the community. Taking transit also improves public health as customers walk or bike to and from bus stops.“ End quote. You can read the full story by Erin Jordan online at thegazette.com. Follow the link in this episode description to get there.
This college football season a bar in Cedar Rapids offered free beers until Iowa scored. Then the team got shut out on Saturday X-Golf Cedar Rapids, an indoor golf facility and sports bar located near Edgewood Road and highway 100 offered endless free beers during Iowa football games until the Hawkeyes scored. The Washington Post reported that the bar served over 100 free beers during Iowa's big 10 championship game against Michigan. The promotion went viral on social media getting a shout out from ESPN and bringing in a few heckling phone calls from Michigan fans.
A Cedar Rapids man who participated in an online chat group where adult men solicited sexually explicit photos and videos from a 13 year old girl was sentenced to over 11 years in federal prison.
50-year-old Jason Dean Anderson previously pleaded guilty in US district court to one count of accessing child pornography including a depiction involving a minor under the age of 12.
In 2021 and 2022, Anderson participated in a Snapchat group where men sexually exploited the girl. Anderson admitted to requesting the girl take and post sexually graphic photos of herself. Law enforcement encountered Anderson in 2012 after authorities discovered he was having sexually explicit conversations online with a 17-year-old girl who lived in a facility for people with intellectual disabilities. Prosecutors said he had been talking to the 17-year-old for two years and had requested she send him sexually explicit photos of herself. U.S. District Judge CJ Williams sentenced Anderson to 135 months in prison and five years of supervised release following his prison term.
Now, let's take a look at today's weather in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Today will be partly cloudy with a high of 38 degrees and a low of 21. Tomorrow will also be partly cloudy with a high of 41 degrees and a low of 22 degrees. Enjoy the above...
Stories featured in today's edition of The Gazette Daily News Podcast:
Attorney Fees Accumulate in Mercy Iowa City Bankruptcy, and Objections Persist
Centennial Park receives grant
Curious Iowa: How does a convenience store set gas prices?
Find the latest headlines coming out of The Gazette newsroom here.
Welcome to the weekend!
This is Stephen Colbert from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for Saturday, December 2nd, and Sunday, December 3rd, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service, Saturday will be Cloudy, with a high near 38 with a slight chance of rain and snow after 5pm. Snow is likely Saturday night, possibly mixed with rain, particularly after 1am. Otherwise it’ll be cloudy, with a low around 33
Sunday morning snow and rain are likely, otherwise it’ll be mostly cloudy, with a high near 39. Sunday night will be mostly cloudy, with a low around 25.
Vivek Ramaswamy condemns eminent domain, carbon capture pipelines
The Ohio biotech entrepreneur and Republican presidential candidate was joined at the Des Moines rally by state lawmakers who have led efforts to restrict eminent domain authority for the pipelines, as well as activists who have opposed their construction on their land.
Ramaswamy said Iowa’s Republican leaders have supported the pipelines’ construction despite the opposition of voters.
“Why are the Republican puppets that claim to represent you, why are they supporting this issue, or even worse, ignoring it?” he said.
Ramaswamy said the driving force behind his attention to the issue was the possibility of using eminent domain to involuntarily take land — through easements — to build pipelines.
The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Kelo v. New London, which broadened the federal standard for eminent domain, was wrongly decided, he said, adding eminent domain should not be used for private companies.
Linn County Mental Health Access Center now open 24/7
the Linn County Mental Health Access Center is now available around the clock — 24 hours, seven days a week, 365 days a year — taking walk-ins for adults ages 18 and over who are experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis.
Patients can receive services without an appointment and do not have to be residents of Linn County to receive services at the center. People can come to the center on their own or be brought to the center by loved ones, law enforcement or mobile crisis teams. The facility is located at 501 13th St. NW, Cedar Rapids.
Iowa's GOP representatives join bipartisan vote to expel Santos
All four of Iowa’s Republican U.S. representatives voted Friday to expel New York Republican George Santos from Congress, joining the bipartisan vote to oust the representative who has faced a string of scandals and criminal allegations.
The extraordinary move makes Santos just the sixth member of the U.S. House — and first Republican — to be voted out by his peers. He is also the first since the Civil War to be expelled without first being convicted of a crime.
The vote, which required a two-thirds majority, passed 311-114. The “yes” votes included 105 Republicans and 206 Democrats, while the “no” votes included 112 Republicans and two Democrats.
Have a good weekend, everyone.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for December 1, 2023.
There will likely be rain and snow mix in the Cedar Rapids area on Friday. The National Weather Service prediction is for rain and snow before 9 a.m. and snow after. Looking at the day as a whole, the chance for precipitation appears to be most likely in the evening, especially between 4:00 and 9:00 p.m.
The high temperature will be around 37 degrees.
Penguin Random House, the Iowa State Education Association and some bestselling authors are suing the state of Iowa over a new law that bans books with sexual content from public school libraries, arguing the law violates First Amendment free speech rights.
The publishing giant filed the lawsuit in federal court Thursday, naming Iowa State Board of Education President John Robbins, Iowa State Department of Education Director McKenzie Snow and a number of local school districts and officials as defendants.
Bestselling authors including John Green, Jodi Picoult and Malinda Lo are named as plaintiffs. An anonymous high school student and a parent, along with three teachers, also joined the lawsuit.
It is the second lawsuit filed this week against the law. Iowa Safe Schools, an LGBTQ advocacy organization, along with the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa, filed a separate federal lawsuit Tuesday challenging the law.
According to reporting from the Associated Press, U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, a Republican from Iowa, was choking on food during a luncheon Thursday when fellow Republican U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky performed the Heimlich maneuver on her.
The Kentucky senator has some medical experience, as he formerly worked as an eye doctor.
The incident occurred during a closed-door Republican lunch in the U.S. Capitol. Shortly after, Ernst posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, to thank Paul. Ernst joked that she was choking on “woke policies” from Democrats.
All five ousted members of the Benton County Board of Health, who were let go without warning in October, are suing the county and its Board of Supervisors for violating Iowa law by going into improper closed sessions leading up to the terminations.
The board’s former members contend the county supervisors didn’t have any public meetings where they discussed terminating the health board or disbanding the panel, which would be required under Iowa Code Chapter 21, according to the petition.
The health board, whose members are appointed by the supervisors, oversees public health services in the county. For 29 years, those services were provided under an agreement with Virginia Gay Hospital in Vinton.
But last spring, the hospital ended that agreement effective in June.
According to the petition, the board terminations were connected to a county-based medical system the board proposed as an alternative — and that the supervisors had approved. The lawsuit asserts that system came with a higher price tag, but the supervisors blamed the health board for the expense,.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for November 30, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service it will be mostly sunny on Thursday in the Cedar Rapids area, with a high near 43 degrees. On Thursday evening it will be clear, with a low of around 27 degrees.
Grant Wood Elementary School in Iowa City was placed on hold about 9 a.m. Wednesday after an armed parent in the office began to threaten staff members.
According to a criminal complaint, the parent, identified as 31-year-old Brandon J. Jones, of Iowa City, entered the building to confront the principal about sending his son home from school. Staff told police he entered the main office and demanded to see the principal. He threatened to assault the principal and another staff member who tried to de-escalate the situation
Jones had a handgun on his hip and proceeded to hand it to his girlfriend, who had come into the school with him, saying something along the lines of “hold this so I don’t do something stupid with it,” the complaint states. She took the gun outside.
Jones then went into the school hallway, against protests of staff, and began looking for the principal. When staff told him they were calling the police, he went outside where he took the gun back from his girlfriend before being stopped by police, according to the complaint.
Jones faces one count if carrying weapons on school grounds, a Class D felony, and two counts of first-degree harassment, both aggravated misdemeanors.
During the incident, the building was placed on hold, which means classroom doors were closed and locked, and no one was allowed in the hallway or around the building. Classes resumed as normal for the remainder of the day and school counselors were on-site for any staff or student who would like to speak about the incident.
No candidates on the ballot in Nov. 7 city and school elections in Linn and Johnson counties requested recounts, according to county auditors.
Two races came down to just a few votes. Candidates had until Nov. 17 to ask for recounts. No challenges arose, so the winners stand.
In Solon, city council member Daniel O’Neil narrowly unseated incumbent Steve Stange in the race for mayor, receiving 191 votes — nine more than Stange.
In an at-large Alburnett school board race for three open seats, newcomer Mary Bauercamper defeated incumbent Yon Abel by just two votes to secure the third seat. She received 202 votes total — about 14 percent of ballots cast.
With its outgoing athletics director David Harris headed to Tulane University in January, where he’ll assume the same role, the University of Northern Iowa on Wednesday announced former University of Iowa AD and retired Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby will step in as interim AD.
In doing so, Bowlsby will make a return of sorts — as a Waterloo native and UNI athletics director from 1983 to 1991. Inducted into UNI’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 2004, Bowlsby currently is serving on the steering committee for UNI’s $250 million “Our Tomorrow” fundraising campaign.
“Very few opportunities could have lured me out of retirement, even on a short-term basis,” the 71-year-old Bowlsby, currently living in Dallas, said in a statement Wednesday. “Plenty of people have contacted me, but when President Nook called I certainly listened intently.”
After starting in the Northern Iowa athletics department Bowlsby served for 16 years as the athletics director for the University of Iowa.
Bowlsby was appointed Big 12 Conference commissioner in 2012, overseeing the addition of BYU, Central Florida, Cincinnati and Houston to the conference.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for November 29, 2023.
Some warmer weather will return on Wednesday. According to the National Weather Service it will be sunny, with a high near 42 degrees. Wednesday night it will be cloudy, with a low of around 27 degrees.
Seven Iowa students are named as plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday that challenges a new, sweeping state law that places restrictions on LGBTQ students and school materials.
The ACLU of Iowa joined two law firms in filing a lawsuit challenging Iowa Senate File 496, which prohibits the instruction of gender identity and sexual orientation through sixth grade, prohibits books with descriptions of sex acts and requires parental notification when a K-12 student wants to be referred to by a different pronoun or name in school.
The law was passed by Republican state lawmakers and signed into law in May by Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds.
The lawsuit asks the court for an immediate halt to enforcement of the law during the legal challenge. Attorneys said the lawsuit argues the state law violates the First Amendment right to free speech of Iowa’s LGBTQ students, and asks the court to find the entire law unconstitutional.
The federal lawsuit was filed in the Southern District of Iowa. The ACLU of Iowa, Lambda Legal and the law firm Jenner & Block are representing the seven students and Iowa Safe Schools, a nonprofit that advocates for LGBTQ students in Iowa.
A former employee of University of Iowa Community HomeCare has paired up with a former patient to sue the entity on behalf of themselves and 67,000-plus others over a data breach in March they argue could have been prevented, was reported too late and unjustly enriched the university while causing years of risk.
Becky Kaefring, an Iowa City woman who worked for UI Community HomeCare from 2003 to 2019, and Kimberly Sullivan, a Shellsburg mother whose child received UI home care services, this fall sued UI Community HomeCare and UI Community Medical Services — which fall under the UI Health Care umbrella.
In the lawsuit, which seeks class action certification, the women accused the entities of making “calculated decisions to avoid its data security obligations at the expense of plaintiffs and class members by utilizing cheaper, ineffective security measures.”
The breach compelling the lawsuit happened March 23, although the UIHC didn’t report it until May, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
“UI Community HomeCare has determined that the impacted files contained personal information related to patients,” according to the UIHC notice identifying 67,897 affected individuals. “At this time, UI Community HomeCare sees no evidence of misuse of any information related to this incident.”
But the plaintiffs argue they’re now burdened with years of monitoring and anxiety.
The lawsuit comes as a current UIHC patient two weeks ago updated her similar lawsuit, also seeking class status, accusing UI Hospitals and Clinics of the “unlawful and widespread unauthorized practice” of sharing confidential personal protected health information to third parties — like Facebook, also known as Meta.
A portion of First Street NE in downtown Cedar Rapids will be reduced to one lane of traffic starting Wednesday. The closure will make way for construction of infrastructure for the city’s permanent flood control system.
The affected portion of First Street NE will be southbound, from B Avenue NE to First Avenue NE. The lane closures are expected to last through construction, which will be until spring 2025. Drivers should expect...
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for November 28, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service it will become increasingly cloudy during the day on Tuesday in the Cedar Rapids area. It looks like Tuesday may be the coldest day of the week, with a high of 28 degrees and a wind chill of -10 degrees. On Tuesday evening it will be partly cloudy, with a low of 24 degrees.
A Cedar Rapids man, who is accused of trying to kill his wife by stabbing her multiple times in 2020, wants a judge to toss out his confession because of an “existing mental health diagnosis and being in a psychotic state.”
Anthony M. Depolis, 34, in a motion, also said he hadn’t been taking his prescribed medications for an extended time and had used illegal drugs when police interviewed him.
During the interview, he admitted to stabbing his wife, Diana L. Depolis, 37 at the time, with a knife on July 6, 2020, and that he purchased it in anticipation of using it against her, according to court documents.
According to the defense motion, Depolis didn’t voluntarily, knowingly, nor intelligently waive his Miranda rights due to his mental condition at the time.
The Linn County Attorney’s Office is resisting the motion that would remove his confession from consideration.
In a recorded video interrogation Depolis discussed “at length” that he had planned for years to kill his wife, and enlisted the help of a “third party” to cover up the murder and dispose of the body. He said he only regretted not actually killing her.
A judge set a hearing on the motion to suppress Jan. 5 in Linn County District Court. His trial set for this month will be reset.
In 2021, Depolis was found incompetent to stand trial and court proceedings in the case had been suspended for more than a year until he was restored and found competent in September 2022.
Depolis, during evaluations, was suspected of faking his mental health condition to avoid or delay his trial.
After 93 years in business at various locations in Cedar Rapids, Ginsberg Jewelers will soon close. During those decades, it’s been a family-owned business and a mainstay in the city’s retail community.
Steve Ginsberg, 63, is the fourth generation — and the last — to run the family business.
“All of my (three) sons are not interested in coming into the business,” he told the Gazette, adding he’d never pushed them to do so, just as his parents never pushed him or his siblings.
Bringing family members into a business against their will, he said, “would only bring resentment. Why would you want that? So I don't fault them at all.”
Besides not having willing successors to the business, Ginsberg said several factors led to the decision to close the store.
He said the overhead is too expensive compared to the sales that they are bringing in. He is also unwilling to go further into debt to keep the business afloat, especially when lenders are not the willing partners they once were.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for November 27, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service it will be sunny in the Cedar Rapids area on Monday with a high near 27 degrees. A west wind of 10 to 15 mph could gust as high as 25 mph. On Monday evening it will be mostly clear, with a low of around 10 degrees.
Just one year into the public portion of the University of Northern Iowa's $250 million comprehensive fundraising campaign, the Cedar Falls campus already is most of the way to its goal — putting it more than two years ahead of schedule.
But UNI doesn’t plan to wrap its Our Tomorrow fundraising push early — before 2026, when the campaign’s finale is supposed to converge with UNI’s sesquicentennial — especially since unforeseen circumstances have added new projects and fundraising needs.
“The goal is certainly to exceed $250 (million),” UNI President Mark Nook told The Gazette, noting the campus hasn’t set a new specific goal. “We may in the future. But for now, we will run the campaign through June of 2026. And we're using that because 2026 is our 150th anniversary.”
The campaign is funding scholarships, additional majors at UNI, faculty initiatives and research, and the renovation of noted campus spaces, such as the Campanile, the Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center, and the UNI-Dome.
A residence on M Avenue NW had “major” damage after an early morning fire on Sunday.
According to a Cedar Rapids Fire Department media release, firefighters were dispatched at 3:48 a.m. to a residential fire at the 500 block of M Ave NW.
Upon arriving at the scene firefighters reported flames showing from the front of the house. They pulled one water line, and then another, before bringing the flames under control, according to the release.
A search of the interior of the home was done before an all clear was reported, according to the release. No residents appeared to be home at the time of the fire and no injuries were reported. Damage to the residence was listed as “major” in the release but no other information was given.
The fire remains under investigation.
According to reporting from the Waterloo Courier, no one was injured on Saturday evening when there was an explosion at a POET bioethanol plant that sent a fireball into the sky.
Emergency responders were called at around 4 p.m. after the resulting boom caused by the explosion.
Butler County Emergency Management Coordinator Chris Showalter told the Courier that the fire had mostly resolved itself by the time fire crews had arrived. The fire remains under investigation, but Showalter said the current speculation is that combustible dust somehow exploded.
Welcome to the weekend!
This is Stephen Colbert from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for Saturday, November 25th, and Sunday, November 26th, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service, Saturday will be cloudy, with a high near 36. Saturday nightwill be cloudy with a low of 27 and a 60% chance of snow with potential accumulation of around an inch.
Sunday will be mostly cloudy, with a high near 35 and a chance of more snow in the early morning with about a half inch of potential accumulation.
Cedar Rapids picks HACAP to run Wellington Heights affordable housing project
Once rehabilitation work is complete this spring on a once-blighted building in Wellington Heights, Hawkeye Area Community Action Program will own and operate the old Colonial Centre property that the city of Cedar Rapids is transforming into affordable housing.
The Cedar Rapids City Council this week approved HACAP’s proposal to own and manage the building now dubbed “The Heights” at 1500 Second Ave. SE. When construction is complete in March, this city project will offer 25 affordable rental units and be turned over to HACAP to run.
Guaranty Bank site among five Cedar Rapids projects awarded redevelopment tax credits
Among the five Cedar Rapids projects that were recently awarded redevelopment tax credits from the Iowa Economic Development Authority, local developer Steve Emerson’s proposed transformation of the old Guaranty Bank block received a major boost.
The former Guaranty Bank and World Theater building at 222 Third St. SE, as well as the building that once housed the Dragon Chinese restaurant at 329 Second Ave. SE, received brownfield/grayfield redevelopment tax credits from the IEDA board.
These tax credits help transform sites that are abandoned, blighted or underused. Brownfield sites are industrial or commercial properties where there’s environmental contamination. Grayfield sites are public buildings, industrial or commercial properties that have infrastructure in place, but the property is otherwise underused.
Complaints pile up as Iowa ranks 49th among states in nursing home inspectors
A federal report suggests Iowa has one of the nation’s worst ratios of nursing home inspectors to care facilities, and that the state’s use of private contractors to inspect homes is extraordinarily costly to taxpayers.
The report, published in May by the majority staff of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, highlights some of the issues Iowa regulators have acknowledged with regard to nursing home oversight.
One of the Iowa homes that recently caught the attention of regulators is the Pine Acres Rehabilitation and Care Center in West Des Moines. This past July, state officials visited the home to conduct an inspection, but not before the home had racked up 13 complaints — the oldest of which dated back 109 days, to March 3.
Have a good weekend, everyone.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for November 24, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service it will be mostly cloudy Friday in the Cedar Rapids area, with a high near 33 degrees.The wind will pick up a bit as well, with gusts reaching as high as 25 mph.
There’s been a national shortage of ADHD medications for more than a year, and patients have been affected here in Iowa as well. What started with manufacturing delays for a producer of Adderall in October 2022 has turned into erratic availability of methylphenidate, sold under brand named Ritalin and Concerta.
The shortage is caused by multiple factors, including production problems for manufacturers and limits the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency puts on how much controlled substances a company can produce, said Mike Brownlee, chief pharmacy officer for the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics.
Dr. Robin Kopelman, a psychiatrist who works with adult female patients through Meadowlark Psychiatric Services in North Liberty, said the monthly hunt for medications is an additional hardship for adults with ADHD.
Health care providers like Kopelman say they have gotten creative to help patients get needed medications. This might involve prescribing a slightly smaller or larger dose, switching brands or using a different form of the medicine, such as slow release, she said. The FDA in August approved a generic form of ADHD drug Vyvanse, which has created some additional options.
This year’s corn and soybean harvests are virtually complete in nearly every area of the state, with one exception: south-central Iowa.
“Farmers in south central Iowa still have over 10 percent of their corn for grain crop remaining to be harvested,” the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported back Monday.
That region of the state is often the last to finish harvest, according to USDA crop reports that date back more than a decade.
This year, part of that lag might have been caused by some replanting of soybeans, which delayed their maturation and harvest, said Clarabell Probasco, an Iowa State University Extension field agronomist who monitors part of that area.
Despite the delays in that area, Iowa’s soybean harvest is considered complete, and about 97 percent of the state’s corn had been harvested as of the beginning of the week. The work has been aided by a streak of mostly rainless weeks.
EntreFEST, the two-day conference celebrating entrepreneurialism and innovation, returns to Cedar Rapids in 2024 after two years in Iowa City.
The conference will be held June 13-14. Venues will include the Geonetric Building, 415 12th Ave. SE, and the Olympic Theater, 1202 Third St. SE, with more to be announced.
In addition to keynote speakers and panels, EntreFEST features dozens of smaller sessions that cover all aspects of business and entrepreneurship. Attendees are able to ask questions and interact with speakers, while happy hours and live entertainment give attendees the chance to network and unwind afterward.
More information about venues, speakers and tickets will be announced soon
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for November 23, 2023.
Happy Thanksgiving!
According to the National Weather Service it will be sunny Thursday in the Cedar Rapids area with a high near 42 degrees. On Thursday evening it will become cloudier, with a low of around 23 degrees.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has approved a manure plan for Supreme Beef, a cattle feedlot in northeast Iowa, but opponents questioned whether it’s legal for the applicant to tweak the plan midway.
The DNR held a public hearing for Supreme Beef’s nutrient management plan application Oct. 16 and an equal number of people spoke for and against the plan for disposing of manure from up to 11,600 cattle.
The agency accepted revisions to the plan Nov. 8, 16 and 17, before issuing final approval last week, according to the letter the DNR sent Supreme Beef owner Jared Walz.
The plan for how Supreme Beef will apply liquid manure to farmland is in effect through the 2028 crop year. The feedlot must keep records of manure application so the DNR can review them during inspections, the letter says.
Supreme Beef hasn’t been able to apply manure to land since May, a month after Polk County Judge Scott Rosenberg sided with nature groups that sued the DNR and Supreme Beef over a previous plan they said was flawed and would endanger waterways in the Driftless region.
Opponents at the public hearing in October said Supreme Beef’s newest plan still had omissions and inaccurate information. These opponents, who include neighbors of the feedlot and water quality advocates, say they question whether the revisions to the plan after the Oct. 16 public hearing are legal.
Once rehabilitation work is complete this spring on a once-blighted building in Wellington Heights, Hawkeye Area Community Action Program will own and operate the old Colonial Centre property that the city of Cedar Rapids is transforming into affordable housing.
The Cedar Rapids City Council this week approved HACAP’s proposal to own and manage the building now dubbed “The Heights” at 1500 Second Ave. SE. When construction is complete in March, this city project will offer 25 affordable rental units and be turned over to HACAP to run.
“I think a lot of us look at that facility as a gateway into every day improving Wellington Heights,” Mayor Tiffany O’Donnell said. “I’m thrilled about the partnerships all around and even happier that we know there’ll be resources there on-site to have a more comprehensive and holistic support for citizens.”
EntreFEST, the two-day conference celebrating entrepreneurialism and innovation, returns to Cedar Rapids in 2024 after two years in Iowa City.
The conference will be held June 13-14. Venues will include the Geonetric Building, 415 12th Ave. SE, and the Olympic Theater, 1202 Third St. SE, with more to be announced.
In addition to keynote speakers and panels, EntreFEST features dozens of smaller sessions that cover all aspects of business and entrepreneurship. Attendees are able to ask questions and interact with speakers, while happy hours and live entertainment give attendees the chance to network and unwind afterward.
More information about venues, speakers and tickets will be announced soon
To wrap up, I have some nice offers for all of our listeners who love the classic experience of reading a newspaper. If you're in The Gazette's delivery area, you're eligible for our Black...
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for November 22, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service it will be sunny Wednesday in the Cedar Rapids area with a high near 46 degrees. On Wednesday evening it will be mostly clear, with a low of around 31 degrees.
The super PAC backing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is taking Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds to the airwaves in a pair of ads that feature Reynolds encouraging voters to support DeSantis.
The ads are part of a seven-figure ad buy in Iowa from Never Back Down. They are the first to feature Reynolds making a direct-to-camera pitch for DeSantis, who she endorsed for the Republican presidential nomination this month following months of public discord with the GOP front-runner, former President Donald Trump.
That feud continued Tuesday with Trump releasing a video on social media noting that Gov. Reynolds has gone from one of the most popular governors in the country to one of the least popular. He then suggested Reynolds must have been promised a position by DeSantis to back someone so far back in the polls.
Recent polls of likely Iowa caucus goers show DeSantis and former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley jockeying for a distant second place behind Trump. According to an average of polls by FiveThirtyEight, Trump has nearly 45 percent of support of Iowa Republicans, while DeSantis has 17.5 percent and Haley has around 15 percent.
A former softball coach at Solon High School and Clear Creek Amana High School pleaded guilty Tuesday to sexually assaulting a teenage student about 17 years ago.
James Anthony White, 59, of North Liberty, charged with two counts of third-degree sexual abuse and two counts of sexual exploitation by a school employee, pleaded guilty in Johnson County District Court to one count of third-degree sexual abuse and enticing a minor away with intent to assault.
White, during the plea hearing, admitted to sexually assaulting the victim when she was 14- and 15-years-old, from January 2006 through December 2007. He also admitted to enticing away the victim with intent to commit assault.
District Court Judge David Cox said, as part of the plea agreement, the 10- and five-year prison sentences will run consecutively but will be suspended and White will receive probation. The sentencing judge will determine the length of probation.
Johnson County Attorney Rachel Zimmermann Smith said the victim had been consulted about the plea agreement and had agreed to it.
The woman, who was a student of White’s during the 2006-07 school year and was coached by him on the Clear Creek Amana softball team, told police about the past sexual abuse incidents in early 2022, according to a criminal complaint.
She told police she was 15 when White was her teacher and coach, and said she had been groomed by White and they had a sexual relationship.
White was a teacher and softball coach at Clear Creek Amana for several years before leaving in 2012 to coach at Solon High School. He coached softball at Solon until 2017, then returned as an assistant baseball coach for the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
His contract at Solon ended the summer of 2022, according to the Solon School District.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for November 21, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service rain will be likely in the Cedar Rapids area on Tuesday morning, but should come to an end by 8 a.m. It should be cloudy during the day, with a high near 47 degrees. Tuesday evening the low is listed at 27 degrees, with a blustery wind.
Cedar Rapids school leaders are considering ways to reverse the district’s declining enrollment trend, looking at “rich opportunities for growth,” including better marketing preschool and kindergarten in the hopes of capturing and retaining those families.
The district’s certified enrollment for the 2023-24 school year — a count taken by every school district in Iowa in October — is 14,697 students, an increase of 45 students from last year, according to data presented during a Cedar Rapids school board meeting Monday.
“That’s fantastic because that reverses a trend,” said Craig Barnum, chief information officer for the Cedar Rapids Community School District.
This is lower, however, than the 16,140 students within the district’s "attendance footprint,“ who are open enrolled into neighboring public school districts or private or non-public schools, Barnum said. In Iowa, school districts’ enrollment is a driving factor of state funding.
Increasing enrollment is one goal of the district’s strategic plan, approved by the Cedar Rapids school board in September. By June 2027, the district plans to stabilize enrollment and see a 1 percent increase.
There has been a decline of about 1,100 students in Cedar Rapids schools since the 2010-11 school year, according to district data.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said Monday she was in talks with legislative and industry leaders about further reducing Iowa’s income tax rates in the upcoming legislative session.
Reynolds promised another round of income tax cuts when she announced in September the state ended the fiscal year with a $1.83 billion budget surplus.
Speaking with reporters on Monday, Reynolds said she wants to make sure any tax reductions put in place will be sustainable in the long term.
Reynolds pointed to the surplus and the taxpayer relief fund, a separate fund that ended last year with $2.74 billion, as evidence that Iowa is collecting too much in taxes.
Reynolds said she would have more details about the plan in her Condition of the State address in January. Iowa’s 2024 legislative session starts Jan. 8.
At a Cato Institute conference in February, Reynolds said her goal is to eliminate the state income tax by the end of her current term.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for November 20, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service it will be cloudy on Monday with a high near 48 degrees. Rain will become increasingly likely during the day, with a 60 percent chance around 10 p.m. The low will settle in around 37 degrees.
A medical emergency may have caused a 21-year-old man to veer off Highway 30 on Friday evening, where he crashed and was killed, authorities said.
Cedar Rapids police and firefighters responded at 6:21 p.m. Friday to the area near Highway 30 and 21st Street SW to a report of a single-car crash.
They found a vehicle that had gone off the road and struck some railroad property below the bridge that spans railroad tracks and Prairie Creek.
First responders tried to revive the driver, identified by police as Nicholas Pearson, but he died at the scene.
A Cedar Rapids developer has been charged with stealing over $2,000 of goods from a home improvement store in Marion.
Eric Gutschmidt, 39, was charged in Linn County District Court last month with second-degree theft, a felony, according to a criminal complaint. He is accused of committing a “series” of thefts — six separate incidents — over the course of three days from March 5 through March 7 at Menards, 200 Menard Lane, in Marion.
Gutschmidt was arraigned this week and pleaded not guilty to the charge. His trial is set for April 2. He didn’t respond Friday afternoon to a message from The Gazette seeking comment.
According to the complaint, Gutschmidt took 57 packages of vinyl floor planks and three packages of floor tiles from the store without paying for the items, valued at $2,338. He initially was identified as the suspect because he provided his name and phone number for a different order of items he placed on the day the first theft occurred, the complaint stated.
Repairs are being made to deteriorating wood beams at Taft and Harding middle schools in Cedar Rapids after some of the columns were determined last month to be structurally unstable — forcing students out of those areas.
Two domes — one at Taft and one at Harding — are expected to be repaired by the end of December. The domes were closed as a safety precaution, and students were moved to other parts of the buildings.
Crews from McComas-Lacina Construction of Iowa City are working to install metal plates to the wood beam structures, and weld them to metal anchors attached to the concrete footings around the domes.
There are two domes at each of the middle schools with 16 beams supporting each dome.The domes for both schools were closed back in October after inspections found them to be structurally unsound.
The two middle schools were constructed in 1965 using the same design that features two domes.
Chris Gates, buildings and grounds manager for Cedar Rapids Schools, told the Gazette that these designs have stood the test of time in dry states like Arizona. However, in Iowa, a design where wood beams are exposed to precipitation and frequent freeze / thaw cycles, has turned out to not be the most practical choice.
Welcome to the weekend!
This is Stephen Colbert from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for Saturday, November 18th, and Sunday, November 19th, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service, Saturday will be sunny, with a high near 57, cooling to a low around 33 Saturday night.
Sunday will be cloudy with a high of 57, cooling to a low of 41 Sunday night.
deteriorating beams are being repaired at Taft, Harding
Repairs are being made to deteriorating wood beams at Taft and Harding middle schools in Cedar Rapids after some of the columns were determined last month to be structurally unstable — forcing students out of those areas.
The closure of the Taft and Harding domes is impacting more than 1,000 sixth through eighth grade students in the Cedar Rapids district. Outside the schools are fences around the domes with signs that read “do not enter.”
Band and orchestra students at Taft are practicing in the school’s front entryway. Lunch is eaten in the hallway and some classrooms. PE classes also are being held in the library or outside, weather permitting.
Later this month, music classes will move to a portable classroom being put up in front of Taft. There will be two portables with a total of four classrooms.
At Harding, renovations were made to create additional classroom space to accommodate students.
3 Iowa reps among those calling for George Santos to resign
Three of Iowa’s Republican U.S. representatives called on Republican U.S. Rep. George Santos to resign Thursday after a House Ethics Committee investigation found evidence of a string of alleged financial crimes tied to his 2022 campaign.
Reps. Ashley Hinson, Zach Nunn and Mariannette Miller-Meeks called for Santos to resign from Congress, signaling that they would vote to expel him if he does not resign.
The three representatives, along with Republican Rep. Randy Feenstra, all voted against a previous measure to expel Santos from Congress.
The House Ethics Committee’s report says Santos stole from his campaign, deceived donors into paying him personally when they thought they were giving to his campaign, and reported fictitious loans to his campaign he then used campaign funds to pay back.
Panel takes first step to consider restructuring downtown Cedar Rapids’ managing entity
Could another organization host signature downtown events such as the farmers market or decide how to spend public funds on things like murals and lighting?
The Downtown Self-Supported Municipal Improvement District Commission — a mayor-appointed panel that oversees downtown initiatives — took steps this week to explore such questions and consider how to potentially change the management structure of downtown operations.
The move comes as consultant Progressive Urban Management Associates of Denver is slated to bring a refreshed Downtown Vision Plan guiding the future of the urban core to the Cedar Rapids City Council for possible adoption Dec. 5.
The plan will recommend the district put together a task force to make a recommendation on its structure going forward. One section of the draft vision plan examines the downtown entity’s current structure in relation to others in the country.
Have a good weekend, everyone.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for November 17, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service it will be sunny on Friday in the Cedar Rapids area, with a high near 47 degrees. On Friday night it will be clear, with a low of around 27 degrees.
Starting in December, tenants will move into a new affordable housing development in southeast Cedar Rapids that will add 44 rental units to the city’s core, with five units reserved for young people aging out of the foster care system.
The Des Moines-based Hatch Kiernan Galloway Development Group on Thursday marked the near-completion of Cedar Rapids Brickstone, a $12.2 million, four-story multifamily building at 627 Sixth St. SE.
The project will provide supportive services to tenants in partnership with local nonprofit, Foundation 2 Crisis Services.
Of the 44 units, 34 will be reserved for tenants at or below 60 percent of area median income. Ten units will be marked for tenants at or below 30 percent of area median income, according to the city.
The Brickstone housing complex also is in proximity to other nonprofits and service providers, the Ground Transportation Center for bus access and the downtown Cedar Rapids Public Library.
Three of Iowa’s Republican U.S. representatives called on Republican U.S. Rep. George Santos to resign Thursday after a House Ethics Committee investigation found evidence of a string of alleged financial crimes tied to his 2022 campaign.
The House Ethics Committee’s report says Santos stole from his campaign, deceived donors into paying him personally when they thought they were giving to his campaign, and reported fictitious loans to his campaign he then used campaign funds to pay back.
Reps. Ashley Hinson, Zach Nunn and Mariannette Miller-Meeks called for Santos to resign from Congress, signaling that they would vote to expel him if he does not resign.
The three representatives, along with Republican Rep. Randy Feenstra, all voted against a previous me sure to expel Santos from Congress.
Santos said on Thursday he would not seek re-election in 2024 but did not say he would resign from Congress.
House Ethics Committee Chair Michael Guest, a Republican from Mississippi, will move to expel Santos this week, according to CNN.
The Iowa Hawkeye women won’t get to keep their #2 ranking for very long.
Kansas State scored the final 12 points and stunned No. 2 Iowa, 65-58, before a sellout crowd of 14,998 Thursday night at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.
K-State came into Thursday’s game as the third-best defensive team in the nation, at 37 points per game. They held the Hawkeyes 34 points below their average of per game.
Iowa has good company in teams getting upset, though. Of the top 10 teams in the preseason Associated Press poll, Iowa was the eighth to fall so far. And it’s only mid-November.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for November 16, 2023.
It will be our last day above 60 degrees for a while Thursday. According to the National Weather Service there will be increasing clouds in the Cedar Rapids area with a high near 67 degrees. It will also be breezy, with winds of 15 to 20 mph gusting as high as 35 mph.
We should still have highs in the 50s on Saturday and Sunday, but it appears that next week will begin the slide into colder temperatures.
A judge Wednesday sentenced 18-year-old Jeremy Goodale to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years for his role in killing his high school Spanish teacher with a baseball bat.
District Judge Shawn Showers said this wasn’t a “typical” murder case — noting the brutal nature of the killing.
66-year-old Nohema Graber, a teacher at Fairfield High School, was killed in 2021 by Goodale and Willard Chaiden Miller. Both students were 16 at the time of the killing.
Showers, who considered all the juvenile factors required in sentencing a teen, said there were mitigating factors in the case, including Goodale’s genuine remorse, which was unlike “your co-defendant” – referring to Chaiden Miller. He also said Goodale’s plea of guilty and acceptance of responsibility also was a mitigating factor.
State education officials will not provide Iowa school districts with a list of library materials now prohibited under new K-12 book restriction rules, despite calls and suggestions for it to do so by school librarians and administrators and a state board member.
The Iowa Board of Education voted Wednesday to move ahead with proposed rules seeking to clarify restrictions under a new state law that prohibits books and curriculum in K-12 schools that contain descriptions of sex acts. The law also prohibits the teaching of sexual orientation and gender identity through sixth grade.
The law passed solely by the Republican majority also requires school administrators to alert a student's caregiver if a student wants to use pronouns that differ from their sex assigned at birth.
Iowa cornerback and special teams standout Cooper DeJean has suffered a significant lower-leg injury in practice and will miss the rest of the season, the team confirmed Wednesday evening in a news release.
“This is truly heartbreaking for Cooper,” Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz said in a statement. “He has played extremely well and is a real playmaker on our team. We will all support Cooper during his recovery, which will continue into the new year.”
DeJean, an Associated Press midseason All-American, has widely been projected to be a first-round pick in next year’s NFL Draft should he choose to forego his senior season.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for November 15, 2023.
It will be sunny on Wednesday with a high near 67 degrees,according to the National Weather Service. On Wednesday evening it will be mostly clear, with a low of around 45 degrees.
Proposed rules meant to provide guidance to Iowan physicians lack specific penalties they could face for performing abortions under a new law that remains tied up in court.
The Iowa Board of Medicine is set to meet Friday to consider proposed rules that include specific guidance on how medical providers are to implement the exceptions for rape, incest, fatal fetal abnormalities and medical emergencies contained in a new law that would prohibit the vast majority of abortions in the state.
The proposed rules, however, currently do not answer key questions about whether doctors could face fines or licensing repercussions for performing abortions illegally. They simply state: “Failure to comply with this rule or the requirements of Iowa Code section 146E may constitute grounds for discipline.”
The fate of the fetal abortion law remains to be decided. For now abortion in Iowa remains legal up to 20 weeks of pregnancy.
A Door Dash delivery driver killed in an October shooting at a Cedar Rapids apartment complex parking lot was shot six times, according to a criminal complaint against Cameron Leonard, one of the people police believe were involved in the shootout.
Leonard was arrested last week by U.S. marshals in Burlington after he was released from the hospital, where he was taken to be treated for multiple gunshot wounds after the Oct. 5 shooting.
According to a criminal complaint, Leonard’s brother, Maurice Brown — who was also killed in the shooting — placed a Door Dash order that was delivered by Snyder. Brown, 21, of Cedar Rapids, knew Snyder and “there had been a previous conflict between them,” the complaint said without elaboration.
After Snyder arrived a shootout ensued between the men.
KMRY radio host Ricky Bartlett of Iowa City and the band Vibe will be honored with a Danny Award at the fourth annual Danny Awards held Nov. 18 in New York. The awards sponsored by Daniel’s Music Foundation recognizes musicians with disabilities with the purpose of challenging society to think differently about disability.
The Danny Awards is considered an artist pipeline for Just Call Me By My Name, a record label for musicians with disabilities (distributed by The Orchard) that releases compilation EPs timed to key Disability Awareness dates. The label also seeks performance opportunities at festivals, award shows, DEI conferences and corporate events, and promotes artists’ music through listening stations at key venues.
Bartlett is a double amputee who lost his legs to a flesh-eating disease. After he nearly lost his life in addition to his legs, he decided to pursue his dream of acting and has been voice-over work for a Marvel project in the United Kingdom. He also saw a lot of work pour in from international projects during the SAG-AFTRA strikes (the union doesn’t have much of an international presence.) He’s also working on a Korean film, called “Target,” where he is playing a mob boss.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for November 14, 2023.
It will be increasingly cloudy and warmer on Tuesday. According to the National Weather Service there will be a high near 67 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area. The low will come in around 43 degrees.
Police released the identities of the two pedestrians hit by a car Sunday as they were crossing Memorial Drive SE in Cedar Rapids
Bonnie Stover was killed Sunday afternoon just outside of her home by a driver police say was drunk and fled the scene. Shawn Stover, her husband of 35 years, was also hit in the roadway and was hospitalized for his injuries.
Members of the Stover family told the Gazette that Bonnie Stover worked at Linn Area Credit Union and volunteered at various organizations throughout Cedar Rapids
“She does not deserve this. She seriously was like a saint. I’ve always said that she was like a saint on this earth. She was the nicest person,” said Molly Stover, one of her daughters.
Police said the crash was caught on video surveillance and they were able to identify the sport utility vehicle involved. Investigators found it parked about a mile away, at the home of Kyle Kubite, 45, of 2232 Pine Ave. SE.
Kubite was arrested on counts of vehicular homicide while intoxicated, leaving the scene of a personal injury accident and leaving the scene of a fatality accident. He remained Monday in the Linn County Jail.
Local auto salvage company Sunline has cleaned out its property on Sixth Street SW and moved hundreds of cars onto the Hawkeye Downs parking lot, making way for the old property’s sale to Copart, an insurance auto auction.
Roger Cassill, owner of both Hawkeye Downs and Sunline, said Monday he sold the old 40-acre Sunline property at 4400 Sixth St. SW to Copart to be one of its major locations in the Midwest. Copart currently has Iowa locations in Des Moines and Davenport. The sale closed Oct. 31, Cassill said, after the process started about a year ago.
The rezoning took place as Hawkeye Downs looked to refresh its property and explore new ways to draw residents and visitors to the racetrack. It has received thousands of dollars from the city over the years through hotel-motel tax funds the city reaps from overnight guests — for instance, $35,000 last November.
The city also in 2022 awarded the organization $50,000 in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds as part of money given to nonprofits to support recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cassill said there are plans going through the architectural stages for the front side of Hawkeye Downs, on the northeast side of the property. There are plans to develop the land with multiple buildings and a new expo center “to dress that up,” he said.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for November 13, 2023.
The week will start sunny and pleasant on Monday, with a high of 63 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area. The low will drop down to 35 degrees, with clear skies. The National Weather Service projects sunny skies and highs in the 60s for much of the rest of the week.
Pharmacies across Iowa have closed at an alarming rate over the past decade-plus, partly because insurance payouts don't cover drug costs.
Nearly 100 pharmacies across the state have shut their doors since 2008, according to research from a Drake University professor in a recent study.
And it’s still an issue. A survey last month conducted by the Iowa Pharmacy Association of its members found 40 percent of responding pharmacies expect to close within the next 12 months.
Pharmacists, lawmakers, policy experts and patient advocates say pharmacy benefit managers are largely to blame.
Pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, are third party companies that function as intermediaries between insurance providers and drug manufacturers.
Mike Deninger is a co-owner and pharmacist at Towncrest Pharmacy. The group collectively owns eight community pharmacies in Iowa City, Solon, Van Horne, Marengo, Belle Plaine and New Hampton.
Independent pharmacies like his rely on PBMs so that they can take various insurance plans, but those companies also decide how much money the pharmacists receive when reimbursing them.
“They will pay us whatever they feel like paying us, and it can change at any given time,” he said.
Iowa Republican U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks and colleagues this week introduced a bipartisan proposal that would tackle practices used by pharmacy benefit managers that drive up costs for prescription medications.
The bill would use a flat fee to compensate PBMs instead of pegging payments to a percentage of the cost of a drug.
A Cedar Rapids man has been charged with vehicular homicide and operating while intoxicated after his vehicle struck two pedestrians in the road Sunday, killing one and injuring the other.
Kyle Kubite, 45, of Cedar Rapids, was arrested Sunday and charged with the crimes after the pedestrians were struck in the 1400 block of Memorial Dr SE at roughly 4:45 p.m. Sunday
According to a media release from the Cedar Rapids Police Department, investigators determined Kubite was driving while intoxicated on Memorial Drive when he struck the two pedestrians, a man and a woman.
The woman was transported to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead, according to the release. The man had non-life-threatening injuries and was transported to the hospital for treatment.
Police say the investigation is still underway but they are releasing no further information as of Sunday evening. The identities of the two pedestrians are being withheld while police investigate and family members can first be notified of the news.
Welcome to the weekend!
This is Stephen Colbert from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for Saturday, November 11th, and Sunday, November 12th, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service, Saturday will be partly sunny, with a high near 51, cooling to a low around 39 Saturday night.
Sunday will be sunny, with a high near 62, cooling to a low of 37 Sunday night.
Construction to close I-80 in Coralville overnight starting Sunday
Eastbound Interstate 80 in Coralville will be closed overnight starting Sunday and continuing through Thursday, according to a news release from the Iowa Department of Transportation.
A portion of the interstate will be closed from 11 p.m. until 5 a.m. each night for construction at the First Avenue interchange, which is exit 242. A marked detour will take eastbound drivers off the interstate at exit 240 and back onto the interstate at exit 242.
The closures are scheduled for Sunday night through Thursday night, but dates could change depending on the weather, the release states. Construction crews will be performing bridge demolition work in the area.
The work is part of a $35.6 million project will transform the First Avenue interchange with Interstate 80 in Coralville from a traditional diamond to a diverging diamond. The city and state discussed updating the interchange for nearly 20 years. Work began in March this year and is expected to be complete in spring or early summer 2025.
Summit hearing in Iowa ends but decision months away
A monthslong evidentiary hearing for Summit Carbon Solutions’ pipeline permit in Iowa concluded this week with the final remaining testimony of landowners in the path of the company’s proposed project.
That sets the stage for the Iowa Utilities Board to make a decision about whether to grant the company a hazardous liquid pipeline permit, grant it with modifications to the company’s proposal, or deny it.
State law does not dictate when that decision must be made, but those who are participating in the proceedings will have an opportunity to submit substantial written arguments based on the evidence gathered during the hearing.
Gov. Kim Reynolds applauds Iowa’s new school ranking
The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, ranked Iowa ninth in the nation in its recent “Education Freedom Report Card.”
Iowa saw the biggest jump of any state in its ranking between 2022 and 2023, owing largely to the education savings account program that lawmakers passed this year, allowing Iowa families to use public school dollars to pay for private school tuition and expenses.
The new law caused Iowa to jump 13 places in the conservative think tank’s rankings, from 22nd in 2023 to ninth this year. Iowa ranked fourth for Education Choice in the group’s report.
Iowa placed 16th in transparency, 30th in teacher freedom and 25th in return on investment.
During her Thursday remarks, Reynolds thanked the Republican lawmakers who helped pass the bill into law and said the demand for the program has exceeded expectations.
Have a good weekend, everyone.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for November 10, 2023.
It will be sunny and a bit chilly on Friday. According to the National Weather Service the high will be near 47 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area, with sunny skies. Friday evening will be mostly clear, with a low near 29.
Iowa State University’s Catt Hall — honoring the women’s suffrage leader Carrie Chapman Catt, accused by some of holding racist views — will permanently keep its name after an ISU name-removal committee cast a final 11-4 vote.
That Nov. 3 vote — which the university announced Thursday — followed years of investigation, review of 250 historical documents, a dozen interviews and the production of a 46-page report that generated 311 public comments.
“Why are we ignoring all of her accomplishments for women and our college because of a few words she said over 100 years ago,” one ISU student wrote to the committee, according to a collection of the public comments Iowa State released.
Catt — born as Carrie Lane on Jan. 9, 1859, in Ripon, Wis — enrolled at Iowa State in 1877 and was the only woman in the graduating class of 1880, earning a bachelor’s degree in general science.
Among her accomplishments, Catt succeeded Susan B. Anthony as president of the National American Woman Suffrage Association, serving from 1900 to 1904 and from 1915 to 1920. She led the effort culminating in the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution in 1920, giving American women the right to vote.
But, in doing so, Catt used racist arguments — according to historical documents and a standing change.org petition to “Rename Catt Hall” signed by 4,767 people.
“In an attempt to sway Southern states in favor of the 19th Amendment, Catt rallied white politicians by claiming that ‘white supremacy will be strengthened, not weakened, by women’s suffrage,' ” according to the petition. “Catt's racism has often been excused as simply a political strategy to gain Southern support rather than an ideology she actually supported.
More than 50,000 Iowa student loan borrowers have enrolled in a new income-driven repayment plan rolled out by President Joe Biden’s administration this year, the White House has announced.
The Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan was announced by Biden after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down his administration’s efforts to forgive up to $20,000 in student loan debt for low- and medium-income borrowers.
In Iowa, 54,600 borrowers are enrolled in the SAVE plan, White House figures show.
The income-driven plan, which also considers the size of the borrower’s family, caps a borrower’s loan payment based on their income.
Also under the SAVE plan, if a borrower’s monthly payment is lower than the interest that accrues each month, the remaining interest is waived. The plan also makes it easier for borrowers to get their loans forgiven if they make payments on time over a set number of years.
The Congressional Budget Office estimated the plan would cost around $230 billion over the next 10 years because of the increasing number of loans being forgiven. An analysis by the Penn Wharton School pegged the price at $475 billion.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for November 9, 2023.
It will be sunny and breezy on Thursday. According to the National Weather Service there will be a high of 56 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area. Wind gusts could get as high as 35 mph, but should hover lower than that most of the time. The wind will calm Thursday evening, with a low of around 31 degrees.
The day after a $220 million bond referendum that would have funded improvements to Cedar Rapids school buildings was voted down, Superintendent Tawana Grover told the Gazette she is ready to “unify” residents around a new plan created with input from “all corners of the community.”
Grover said educating voters about the district’s facility needs will be critical as the district “goes back to the drawing board.” This includes informing voters of one of the stickier aspects of the bond — how larger school buildings can drive teacher collaboration, which in turn can improve student outcomes.
“Our middle schools are operating at 68 percent capacity. That’s a financial burden that has to be addressed,” she said.
According to unofficial results, about 38 percent of voters in the district were in favor of the measure — far short of the 60 percent needed to pass it. The district has some work to do if they want to change those numbers for a different bond referendum, as the highest approval the failed referendum received in any precinct was 54 percent.
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird on Tuesday filed the legal case her team will present when the Iowa Supreme Court hears arguments around legislation that would prohibit the vast majority of abortions in the state.
A Polk County District Court judge temporarily blocked enforcement of the law back in July until its constitutionality can be considered by the courts.
The law prohibits abortions once a “fetal heartbeat” is detected, usually after around six weeks of pregnancy. In the wake of Iowa and U.S. Supreme Court rulings reversing a fundamental right to abortion, Bird argues a new “rational basis” test now applies in court. To pass the test, laws need only be “rationally related to a legitimate governmental interest.”
The brief also argues that abortion providers have no standing to sue, given that there is no constitutional right to provide abortions.
The NCAA amended its sports wagering reinstatement guidelines, but not in the way many Iowa Hawkeye fans were hoping.
Penalties for athletes who bet on other teams at their own school will start at having to sit out one season while losing that season of eligibility.
Most notably, it means Iowa defensive lineman Noah Shannon’s college football career is indeed over. The sixth-year senior had been suspended for one season for a sports wagering violation. Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz previously said Shannon placed a bet on another Iowa sports team on campus.
Ferentz said in a statement Wednesday he is “heartbroken” for Shannon and said the decision is “just wrong.”
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for November 8, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service it will be mostly cloudy Wednesday with a high near 55 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area. On Wednesday evening the sky will gradually become more clear, with a low of around 36 degrees.
There were mixed results with local bond elections on Tuesday night.
Voters on Tuesday overwhelmingly defeated a $220 million bond referendum that would fund improvements to schools in the Cedar Rapids Community School District, leaving officials to find other ways of addressing needs they say won’t disappear despite the failure.
According to unofficial results, about 38 percent of voters in the district were in favor of the measure — far short of the 60 percent needed to pass it. There was an almost 24 percent voter turnout for the school and city elections in Linn County, with some voters turning up at the polls to vote only on the Cedar Rapids bond referendum.
Ely voters also soundly rejected a $7 million bond referendum for a new Community Center — a facility that would have housed City Hall, the public library and recreational services.
The new facility, proposed to be built where City Hall currently sits at 1570 Rowley St., off State Street, was intended to be more noticeable for residents and visitors, accessible to trails and other amenities.
One bond that made it through with the voters’ seal of approval was a $43 million general obligation bond issue that will fund construction of a swimming pool and wellness center in the College Community School District that will be operated by the YMCA.
The measure passed with 65 percent support, according to unofficial results.
We have results of all the other area city council, mayoral, and school board elections on thegazette.com. Election results also will run with additional analysis in the Thursday print edition of the Gazette.
An East Dubuque man was shot Tuesday by a Delaware County Deputy who was attempting to take the man into custody after the fatal shooting of a Fareway employee in Monticello.
Monticello police responded to the Fareway Meat and Grocery Store at 7:29 a.m. Tuesday for a report of a shooting. There they found a Fareway employee who had been shot.
The employee, Aaron McAtee, 48, of Monticello, was taken to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics where he died, according to a news release from the Monticello Police Department.
McAtee had been outside the store near the loading dock when he was shot, in what police believe was a random act of violence, the release states.
Investigators identified Nathan Russell, 38, as a person of interest in the shooting, and he was located by a Delaware County Deputy in Hopkinton. The deputy attempted to take Russell into custody, but Russell failed to comply with directions and the deputy shot him, according to the release.
Russell was taken to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics with gunshot injuries. The deputy has been placed on leave pending the investigation of the officer-involved shooting.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for November 7, 2023.
Happy election day. Get out and vote if you can. We have an election section with information about how to vote, as well as stories on issues and Q&As with candidates, on the front page of thegazette.com.
According to the National Weather Service it will be mostly sunny in the Cedar Rapids area Tuesday. The high will be about 59 degrees.
After a lot of Mercy hospital drama, the story may at least be moving to the next stage.
A U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge Monday approved the sale of Mercy Hospital, Iowa City’s only community hospital, to the University of Iowa for $28 million.
The university will fund the purchase with its UI Hospitals and Clinics revenue, according to UI spokeswoman Jeneane Beck.
During a relatively brief hearing that left many issues unresolved — including some related to the hospital’s debt and waning cash resources — Mercy attorneys said court approval of the sale marked a “banner day” for the hospital.
According to leaders from both Mercy and UIHC, the university has agreed to invest in improving Mercy’s infrastructure, and have set forth some immediate first steps: offering all Mercy Iowa City employees in good standing jobs with UI health care; allowing community providers not affiliated with UIHC to keep practicing at the hospital, planning for the two organizations to officially join as early as 2024, and encouraging Mercy patients to continue getting care there.
The original winner of the bankruptcy auction, Preston Hollow Community Capital of Texas, did not object to Monday’s sale.
With Ron DeSantis trying to pull out a strong finish in the Iowa Republican caucuses just about two months away, he scored a rare endorsement Monday from a sitting Iowa governor during a presidential primary.
The question now is whether Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ endorsement of the Florida governor will have an impact on the primary in this first-in-the-nation caucus state where, as is also the case nationally, former President Donald Trump has consistently held a commanding lead in polls over DeSantis and the rest of the field.
Reynolds officially endorsed DeSantis during a campaign rally Monday night at an events center in Des Moines.
“To be quite honest, he is one of the most effective leaders I have ever seen,” Reynolds said. “We need someone who will fight for you and win for you, someone who won’t get distracted but will stay disciplined, who puts his country first and not himself. That leader is Ron DeSantis.”
Reynolds said part of the reason she felt compelled to endorse DeSantis is she does not believe Trump can win the election, in spite of recent polling showing the former president crushing his Republican competition and faring well when put against President Joe Biden.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for November 6, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service Monday will likely be the warmest day of the week. The prediction is for 68 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area, with mostly sunny skies. On Monday evening it will be mostly cloudy, with a low of around 41 degrees.
According to reporting from the Associated Press, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds is expected to endorse Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in his bid to secure the Republican nomination for president. DeSantis has been struggling to maintain his claim to be the solid 2nd place alternative to former President Donald Trump, and an endorsement from Gov. Reynolds could give his campaign a boost in momentum as the Iowa Caucuses are rapidly approaching.
The Trump campaign was quick to criticize the news that Gov. Reynolds could endorse a political rival.
“Kim Reynolds apparently has begun her retirement tour early as she clearly does not have any ambition for higher office,” the Trump campaign said in an emailed statement. “Earlier this year, she promised her constituents that she would remain neutral in the race, yet she has completely gone back on that promise. Regardless, her endorsement will not make any difference in this race.”
Trump is the heavy favorite to win in Iowa. DeSantis is competing with former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley to emerge as the second place choice in Iowa and on to New Hampshire.
But we’ve got our local elections to focus on this week.
Tuesday is Election Day in cities and school districts across Iowa. Voters will choose representatives on their city councils and school boards, and they’ll weigh in on ballot issues that could raise property taxes to pay for new schools and community facilities.
But early voting numbers reported in two Eastern Iowa counties show early interest in weighing in on those choices is lagging compared to the last city and school elections in 2021.
As of Thursday, Linn County Auditor Joel Miller said turnout was down about 50 percent from early voting in 2021, totaling 4,785 ballots cast.
Miller said he thinks there are too many other distractions and voter apathy all contributing to a lack of turnout for this election. He estimated 75 to 80 percent of Linn County's registered voters will opt not to vote.
In Johnson County, election technician John Deeth said the county finished the 2021 election with 3,898 absentee ballot requests. Deeth said he did not anticipate turnout climbing as high as 2021, when, like in Linn County, there had been more contested elections.
A 17-year-old faces a felony charge after authorities determined he posted an Oct. 27 social media threat against Metro High School, Cedar Rapids police said Saturday.
The arrest marks the second time in a month that police have detained a teen for posting threats on social media against Cedar Rapids schools.
In the latest arrest, the threat against Metro quickly was determined by police to be unfounded and classes in the district went on uninterrupted. But the threat was then shared by others on social media, police said.
On Friday, a 17-year-old boy “was located by CRPD officers and taken to detention,” according to a police news release. Police said the teen, who they did not name, is not a student in the Cedar Rapids Community School District but they did not say where he is from or where he was located.
Police said the teen will be charged with intimidation with a weapon, a Class D felony. The case, once the teen is charged, will proceed through juvenile court, according to Linn County Attorney Nick Maybanks.
Welcome to the weekend!
This is Stephen Colbert from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for Saturday, November 4th, and Sunday, November 5th, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service, Saturday mostly sunny, with a high near 55, cooling to a low of 35 Saturday night.
Sunday will be partly sunny, with a high near 61, cooling to a low of 53 Sunday night.
Iowa woman one of 4 finalists for top National FFA award in agriscience
University of Iowa sophomore Jasmyn Hoeger is being recognized Friday as one of four finalists for a 2023 top achievement award from the National FFA Organization for her work developing an alternative treatment for livestock using UV light.
Hoeger is the only finalist in Iowa for The American Star Award in Agriscience. This week, she was interviewed by a panel of judges and one of the finalists will be selected as the winner of the award at the 96th National FFA Convention & Expo in Indianapolis.
Arab American caucus asks Iowa Democratic Party to apologize
A day after Iowa Democratic Party leadership condemned University of Iowa student Democrats for an “antisemitic” social media post, the chair of the state party’s Arab American caucus accused his party leadership of misquoting the students and called for an apology.
“The Iowa Democratic Party’s statement misquotes and misconstrues the original statement,” according to an email that Newman Abuissa, of Iowa City, sent Friday morning to state party Chair Rita Hart.
“We call on Rita Hart to correct the quote, and we stand with the IDP’s Progressive Caucus in calling for Rita Hart to apologize to University Democrats at Iowa.”
Democratic state party leadership did not respond Friday to The Gazette’s request for comment.
Vivek Ramaswamy launches $8M ad buy in Iowa, rents apartment in Des Moines
Ohio biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy is launching a multimillion-dollar ad buy in Iowa and New Hampshire as the 38-year-old Republican presidential candidate trails key primary rivals in recent polling.
Ramaswamy’s campaign said so far it plans to spend $8 million in Iowa and $4 million in New Hampshire on an ad buy that will include broadcast, cable, radio, digital and direct mail.
The first ad in the series, “Truth,” begins airing Saturday, according to the campaign.
Ramaswamy has rented an apartment in Des Moines for him and his family. The Washington Post first reported on the apartment, as the entrepreneur and author prepares for more frequent visits and tries to build momentum ahead of Iowa's first-in-the-nation GOP caucuses on Jan. 15.
The campaign said it plans to shift resources to the state after next week's Republican presidential primary debate.
Have a good weekend, everyone.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for November 3, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service Friday will be mostly sunny in the Cedar Rapids area, with a high near 52 degrees. On Friday evening there will be increasing clouds with a low of around 37 degrees.
After state party heads Wednesday called for leaders of a University of Iowa-based student organization of Democrats to resign over a statement deemed offensive related to the Israel-Hamas war, the Iowa State University College Democrats joined the fray by disaffiliating from the Iowa Democratic Party.
“This is not a decision we have taken lightly,” according to the ISU College Democrats statement. “But one that we believe is in the best interest of our club and our commitment to advancing our values and principles.”
The University Democrats at Iowa posted Wednesday on social media a statement expressing support for Palestine amid the Israel-Hamas war. The statement, which since has been deleted, ended with, “May every Palestinian live long and free, from the river to the sea,” according to The Daily Iowan.
The phrase “from the river to the sea” refers to the land between the Jordan River and Mediterranean Sea. Palestinians have used the phrase for decades to call for the restoration of the land where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians once lived before being forced to leave with the establishment in Israel in 1948, Jessica Winegar, a sociocultural anthropologist at Northwestern University who studies political protest and the Middle East, recently told the Chicago Sun-Times.
Late Wednesday, shortly after the University Democrats at Iowa statement was posted, Iowa Democratic Party state Chair Rita Hart issued a statement condemning the college group’s statement and calling for the resignation of any member who signed it.
None of the student leaders for the group responded to questions from The Gazette on Thursday. The group also hasn’t posted on any of its social media channels since pulling down the controversial statement Wednesday.
A Tama woman was sentenced Thursday to more than two years in federal prison for draining nearly all her nephew’s trust fund — more than $380,000 of his Meskwaki per capita funds and Social Security benefits — which was mostly spent on diamond jewelry for herself.
Nancy Lee Johnson, 69, previously pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to one of the seven counts of wire fraud after she was indicted in 2022.
U.S. District Judge C.J. Williams sentenced Johnson to 33 months in federal prison and ordered her to pay $387,213 in restitution.
According to plea agreement, Johnson’s nephew, a member of the Sac & Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Tama, couldn’t manage his finances due to “mental disabilities.” Johnson was appointed as his guardian in 2011.
In 2017, she filed a petition in Meskwaki Tribal Court to become her nephew’s permanent guardian and conservator, the plea stated. In the petition, she said her nephew couldn’t care for himself and make important decisions concerning his finances.
According to the plea, she used her position as guardian and conservator to transfer money from her nephew’s trust fund into an account she opened in her name for the unauthorized purchases. Johnson was able to conceal her scheme based on her guardianship and claimed that she was acting on the nephew’s behalf.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for November 2, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service Thursday will be mostly sunny in the Cedar Rapids area, with a high near 52 degrees. On Thursday evening there will be increasing clouds with a low of around 37 degrees.
Red Star Yeast Company in Cedar Rapids has agreed to pay a $37,705 fine and buy local first responders $35,864 in equipment as part of a settlement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency over hazardous waste violations.
On Jan. 23, EPA inspectors visited the Red Star plant at 950 60th Ave. SW and found three 10,000-gallon tanks of hazardous waste, including one that held selenium-contaminated sludge and two others labeled as “hazardous waste,” according to the consent decree the EPA provided to The Gazette. Selenium is an ingredient added to nutritional yeast.
The fire department and hazmat team prepared a list of equipment that would help in their responses to hazardous waste or other chemical incidents and Red Star submitted that to the EPA as part of a supplemental environmental project. Red Star has 60 days from Oct. 23 to purchase the gear.
Oral-B Laboratories has agreed to buy Kirkwood Community College’s Iowa City campus for $6.4 million — pending 120 days of performing “due diligence” on the deal.
That pending sale, made Aug. 10 for the 6.3 acres at 1816 Lower Muscatine Rd., is about $625,000 under Kirkwood’s asking price of nearly $7 million, according to a Realty.com advertisement promoting the property as a “hard to find” large parcel in “highly-sought after Iowa City.”
In 2018, Procter & Gamble announced it would move its shampoo, conditioner and body wash product lines out of Iowa City — and eliminate hundreds of local jobs as a result. But then two years later, it said it would keep the product lines here after all. Its oral care lines, including Oral B, were not affected under the plans.
In January, Kirkwood announced it was going to sell the 32-year-old campus Former Kirkwood President Lori Sundberg said the move was made to cut costs and consolidate offerings as community colleges face challenges in adapting to the changing educational landscape.
Longtime Iowa head football coach Kirk Ferentz intends to continue coaching beyond the 2023 season, he clarified Wednesday evening on his weekly radio show.
“I hope to keep doing this for quite a while,” Ferentz said. “I’ve always loved being here. … Until they tell me to sit down, I’ll probably keep going.”
The longtime coach’s future came into question after interim athletics director Beth Goetz announced on Monday her intention to not retain offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz after the 2023 season.
Ferentz said on his radio show Wednesday he was “not trying to intentionally cause celebration for some people that would love to see me go start a stamp collection or go birdwatching.”
“That was not the intent,” Ferentz said Wednesday. “The intent was to try to steer this thing back to what is important right now.”
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for November 1, 2023.
It's not quite winter, yet! According to the National Weather Service, Wednesday's weather will mark our ascendancy back to warm temperatures with a high of 42 degrees and sunny skies. Winds will also be a bit calmer than they were on Tuesday.
Iowans can now download an app that can be used as a digital version of their driver's license at businesses across the state.
The Iowa Mobile ID app can be used to verify a person's age for purchasing alcohol and tobacco, as well as for identification at certain TSA PreCheck checkpoints at Iowa airports.
The app was originally slated for release in 2022, but new updates in technology and best practices delayed the development of the app. The app is now available for download on both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
The amount of locations that the Mobile ID can be used in will be limited for a while. The app can be accepted by businesses that use the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division Age to Purchase app. Iowa Department of Revenue Director Mary Mosiman said in the release that integrating the two apps will lead to quicker adoption.
So far, 18 businesses have told the DOT that they are ready to accept the Mobile ID, according to a list on the agency's website. Iowa residents also can use the mobile ID at TSA PreCheck at the Des Moines International Airport, The Eastern Iowa Airport, and many other airports throughout the country.
Farmers in Iowa are routinely harvesting more than 200 bushels of corn per acre this year despite widespread drought as crop harvest reaches its conclusion, according to field agronomists for Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.
“Our corn hybrids are much better adapted to dry conditions now than they were 20 years ago,” said agronomist Angela Rieck-Hinz, who monitors part of north-central Iowa. “Most people were extremely fortunate that they caught a rain or two at the end of June and then they caught some more in August.”
About 77 percent of the state’s corn has been harvested for grain, according to a Monday report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. About 93 percent of soybeans have been harvested.
That is eight days ahead of the five-year average. Crops matured more quickly this year amid the drought and hot temperatures in late August and early September.
President Joe Biden will announce Wednesday more than $5 billion in already-approved money toward projects around renewable energy, land conservation and rural broadband connectivity, including more than $400 million for projects in Iowa.
Biden is headed to Minnesota, where he will visit a family farm as part of a White House push to spotlight his administration’s efforts to bolster rural farm economies. The president will announce new investments to support the adoption of climate-smart agriculture practices and expand access to affordable high-speed broadband internet as well as quality health care, affordable housing and clean water and energy in rural communities.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for October 31, 2023.
Bundle up for your trick-or-treating. According to the National Weather Service there will be scattered snow showers, mainly before noon. It will also be cold and windy, with a high near 38 degrees and winds of 20 to 25 mph gusting as high as 40 mph. It will be mostly cloudy during the morning, then the sky will gradually clear.
New research shows that black individuals make up 4 percent of Iowa’s population but account for 25 percent of its incarcerated population — confirming that the state is one of the worst in the nation for racial disparities in who gets locked up.
The Iowa data from the Prison Policy Initiative also shows Black individuals are sent to prison at a rate of 9.1 times higher than white people in the state, Wanda Bertram, communications strategist with the initiative, told The Gazette. The nonprofit, non-partisan organization provides research about criminal justice reform and mass incarceration in the United States.
A plan created by the ACLU projected Iowa and others could “dramatically” reduce its prison population with a few “sensible” reforms, including decriminalizing drug possession; expanding social services and treatment for mental health and substance use; reforming the pretrial system to enhance constitutional protections and eliminating “wealth-based discrimination” by restricting cash-only bails; and enacting parole reform to expand access to early release.
Iowa lawmakers and Gov. Kim Reynolds worked together to pass significant social justice legislation in 2020, but a year later no bills for racial equity were brought forward, including banning racial profiling by police, which had been proposed by Reynolds.
Reynolds established a committee to discuss social justice proposals between 2020 and 2021. The committee met five times and made three recommendations for reforms to collect data on race and ethnicity from law enforcement stops; analyze and study the data, and provide annual reports on the findings; and ban disparate treatment in law enforcement activities and the delivery of police services.
Another report, filed in December 2020 by the state human rights department, also recommended steps be taken to end racial profiling, and also recommended legislators examine policies designed to eliminate racial disparities in the adult and juvenile criminal justice systems.
None of these recommendations made it into bills in 2021 or after.
Iowa offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz will not be retained after the 2023 season, interim athletics director Beth Goetz said in a news release Monday.
“Our intention is for him to be with us through the bowl game, but this is his last season with the program,” Goetz said in the release. “Making this known today is in the best interest of the program and its loyal fans; it provides clarity during this pivotal time in the schedule.”
Brian Ferentz, in a statement to ESPN on Monday, said he has “always considered and will always consider it an honor” to represent Iowa as a player and coach.
Why did Goetz decide to let Brian Ferentz go? Well the offense’s stats may give a clue.
Iowa ranks dead-last nationally by a wide margin in yards per game with 232.4. The Hawkeyes’ 4.12 yards per play is the worst among Power Five teams, with the next-worst team averaging 4.69 yards per play.
The dire lack of production from Iowa’s offense is not a new problem in Iowa City.
The Hawkeyes finished 110th, or worse nationally, in each of the previous two seasons in...
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for October 30, 2023.
It will be sunny Monday with a high near 39 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area, according to the National Weather Service. On Monday evening there will be increasing cloud cover, with a low of around 27 degrees. The wind will pick up Monday evening to 25 mph, portending a cold and possibly snowy Tuesday morning.
As Nov. 7 elections approach, many Iowa cities will have more open spots on the ballot than candidates to fill them.
Recent local election cycles in Iowa seem to have seen an uptick in open council seats on the ballot, said Mickey Shields, director of membership services for the Iowa League of Cities. He said the main drivers of fewer people stepping up to run for local office seem to be a mix: Longtime council members are looking to fully retire, political polarization is fueling heightened negativity toward city officeholders, and population loss is creating a smaller base of potential candidates.
More recently, Shields said League members have shared there’s more negativity circulating public service that goes beyond the scrutiny that working as a public official entails, worsened by social media or a disputed set of facts on a community issue.
“I always go back to talk to folks, especially people who stopped being a council member, it's kind of like, ‘Why volunteer to get yelled at?’” Shields said.
In the Corridor, publicly available candidate listings with the county auditors’ offices show there are five city councils in Linn County and three in Johnson County without enough candidates running to fill open seats, despite being Iowa’s second and fourth most populous counties, respectively.
Some Iowa communities don’t have anyone filed to run for office. Clayton County, for example, shows at least three communities — Elkport, Osterdock and Saint Olaf — have entirely blank ballots, and several more don’t have enough candidates.
Cedar Rapids students are showing a return to pre-pandemic learning levels on the Iowa School Report Card, with three schools categorized as “high performing” — the second highest rating schools can achieve.
Historically underserved groups of students also are also showing improvement, with Black students, students learning English as a second language and students with Individualized Education Plans (special education) increasing by 5 or more percentage points in math proficiency and 2 percentage points in English and language arts.
Students in Cedar Rapids schools’ learning English as a second language also outperformed their peers in the state by 8 percentage points.
Among many other improvements, the district’s four-year graduation rate rose to 80.3 percent.
This is a “significant milestone,” and the district has made “remarkable progress” on the report card, according to a news release from the district. Elementary and middle schools’ math proficiency rates have returned to pre-pandemic levels, with English language arts only a few percentage points away.
Former Vice President Mike Pence on Saturday dropped his bid for the Republican presidential nomination, ending his campaign for the White House after struggling to raise money and gain traction in the polls despite staking everything on winning...
Welcome to the weekend!
This is Stephen Colbert from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for Saturday, October 28th, and Sunday, October 29th, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service, Saturday will be partly sunny, with a high near 44. Saturday night there’ll be a chance of rain and snow with a low around 33.
Chances of rain and snow will continue Sunday morning, otherwise Sunday will be cloudy, with a high near 39 and Sunday night will be mostly cloudy, with a low around 24.
'Kids are learning’ as Taft, Harding navigate closed domes
On Oct. 11, school officials announced the evacuation and closure of Taft’s east dome after an inspection found it was unstable. Monday, the Cedar Rapids Community School District announced it was closing the second dome at Taft and both domes at Harding Middle School. The two middle schools were constructed in 1965 using the same design that features two domes.
The closure of the Taft and Harding domes is impacting more than 1,000 sixth through eighth grade students in the Cedar Rapids Community School District. Outside the schools are fences around the domes with signs that read “do not enter.”
The domes will be repaired with funds from the district’s Physical Plant and Equipment Levy, a capital projects fund for the purchase and improvement of grounds, purchase, construction and remodeling of buildings and major equipment purchases, including technology.
Two portable classrooms will be installed at Taft in about three weeks. The classrooms are owned by the district and are currently being used at an elementary school.
Mercy reverses auction results; declares University of Iowa winner
The tumultuous and twisting bankruptcy case of Mercy Iowa City took another stunning turn Friday when the hospital revealed it had reopened its assets auction and changed its mind about who won the bidding — declaring the University of Iowa as having made the “higher or otherwise better” offer instead of its largest bondholder, Preston Hollow Community Capital.
In a bankruptcy filing, Mercy declared the UI “the winning bidder” — due, in part, to a “material disagreement” with Preston Hollow, which had topped the university’s final $28 million bid with a $29 million offer at the close of the auction Oct. 10.
UI President Barbara Wilson and UI Vice President for Medical Affairs Denise Jamieson in a letter to campus Friday said the about-face "unfolded quickly“ after Preston Hollow ”determined its previously selected bid was not financially viable.“
Cedar Rapids students returning to pre-pandemic learning levels
Cedar Rapids students are showing a return to pre-pandemic learning levels on the Iowa School Report Card, with three schools categorized as “high performing” — the second highest rating schools can achieve.
Historically underserved groups of students also are also showing improvement, with Black students, students learning English as a second language and students with
Individualized Education Plans (special education) increasing by 5 or more percentage points in math proficiency and 2 percentage points in English and language arts.
Also, the students in Cedar Rapids schools’ learning English as a second language also outperformed their peers in the state by 8 percentage points.
Have a good weekend, everyone.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for October 27, 2023.
There will be a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms Friday morning, but it should be a clear and sunny day according to the National Weather Service. However, the temperatures will continue their decline, with a high of 58 degrees earlier in the day falling to around 46 degrees by 2 p.m.
Iowa voters in 50 counties will be voting Nov. 7 on whether their school districts or local governments can issue bonds to fund projects.
General obligation bonds are a mechanism schools, cities and counties use to borrow money to fund large-scale, long-term infrastructure projects. Forty-five local government and school entities are asking voters to approve the spending.
School districts make up the vast majority of the bond questions on ballots, requesting approval for a combined $1.27 billion in bond issues across 35 districts, according to data compiled by Iowans for Tax Relief.
In comparison, ten cities and counties are asking for a combined $453.7 million in bond issues.
Iowans for Tax Relief, which lobbies for tax reductions at the state and local levels, aggregated the bond issues on its website in an effort to educate voters about what will be on their ballot, according to Chris Hagenow, the group’s president and a former Republican legislator.
While the group acknowledged some projects are necessary in growing districts, it questioned the need for many of the districts in the state to borrow money for new buildings or updated athletic facilities.
Hagenow said voters should look at their local bonds on a case-by-case basis.
The most widespread and third-most severe outbreak on record of a disease transmitted by biting flies is plaguing Iowa deer this fall.
Epizootic hemorrhagic disease, or EHD, is a viral disease spread to deer by biting flies called midges or no-see-ums. The disease has been in the southeastern and northeastern United States for decades, and was first discovered in Iowa in 2012. It’s often but not always fatal. It cannot infect humans.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has received 1,074 reports of suspected EHD-related deer deaths so far this year, said state deer biologist Jace Elliott. Actual mortality may be even higher considering unreported deaths.
Reports are most concentrated in Southeast Iowa around Henry and Van Buren counties, which each have more than 100 reports. Clayton County in Northeast Iowa has topped 100 reports as well. Counties with the most reports typically also have larger deer populations. The vast majority of counties are seeing less than 10 reports each.
EHD is seasonal, peaking in the late summer and early fall. Hard frosts kill the midges. This year’s warmer fall prolonged the lives of the infectious midges and may have contributed to the outbreak, giving extra opportunities for the disease to spread.
The first hard freeze is expected to hit Iowa by early next week, according to the National Weather Service Quad Cities bureau.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for October 26, 2023.
Looks like it could be a rainy one Thursday. The National Weather Service is predicting a chance for rain all day in the Cedar Rapids area, with a 90 percent overall chance of precipitation. The high will settle in at around 69 degrees.
U.S. Rep. Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican conservative who has been a devoted follower of former President Donald Trump, was elected Wednesday as the 56th speaker of the House — reopening the chamber for legislative business after a 21-day paralysis.
Johnson was the GOP's fourth speaker nominee in three weeks, but the only one able to achieve a majority of votes, including from Iowa’s four-member congressional delegation, to clinch the speakership
Superintendent Tawana Grover said Tuesday that the land on which Harding Middle School sits is an “opportunity we should keep our eye on” when it comes to considering where a new 1,200-student middle school could be built under a proposed $220 million bond referendum going to voters in the Cedar Rapids Community School District Nov. 7,
The district, however, has not identified a site for the middle school that would be built on the north side of Cedar Rapids under a facility master plan, Grover said during a forum on the proposed bond. The event was hosted by The Gazette with school district representatives and members of groups that support and oppose the bond.
“The goal is to make sure the school is in proximity to the students,” Grover said.
The two domes at Harding Middle School were closed to students and staff Monday because of the deterioration of several support beams. This displaced students from the school’s gym, cafeteria and performing arts classrooms. Taft Middle School — built in the same style as Harding — is in a similar situation.
Gov. Kim Reynolds on Wednesday defended a new state law that requires schools to pull books with descriptions of sex acts from library shelves as the Iowa Department of Education said it may provide more guidance to schools trying to navigate the restrictions.
Passed by Iowa’s legislative Republicans and signed into law by Reynolds this year, the measure requires that school libraries include only "age-appropriate" material and specifically bans any book that describes or depicts any of a list of defined sex acts.
Reynolds read the list of sex acts written in law that would warrant a removal from libraries, and said the standard should be clear on what is and is not allowed in schools.
Education and library advocates have argued an overly broad interpretation of the law by school districts trying to avoid legal repercussions will lead to schools pulling materials off library shelves that should not be removed, depriving students of the opportunity to read books they otherwise would.
Speaking about the removal of commonly assigned books, Reynolds suggested school districts are implementing broad restrictions because they don’t like the law. She said the books that fall under the definition of a sex act in the law should be clear.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for October 25, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service it will be cloudy Wednesday with a high near 70 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area. Rain is predicted again for Wednesday evening, with a 100 percent chance of precipitation. New rainfall could reach as much as half an inch.
As the 2023 harvest comes to a close, farmers in east-central Iowa are seeing variable but overall lower than normal crop yields.
Lower yields concentrate in areas hit hardest by drought, like Benton and Linn counties, said Rebecca Vittetoe, an Iowa State University Extension and Outreach field agronomist for east-central Iowa. Earlier this month, that region marked the epicenter of the worst drought on record in Eastern Iowa.
For Iowa as a whole, the USDA forecasts average corn yields to reach 199 bushels per acre — one bushel less than its prediction last month. Its soybean yield forecast held steady at 58 bushels per acre. Forecasts for both crops are marginally less than last year’s yields.
The 10-year average corn yields for Benton and Linn counties hover around 195 bushels per acre. So far, Vittetoe has heard corn yields vary from 130 bushels per acre to more than 200 bushels per acre this year. Last year’s corn yields hovered around 218 bushels per acre.
Soybean yields in Linn and Benton counties will likely also be down this year, Vittetoe said, with early reports varying between 40 to 60 bushels per acre.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds welcomed Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani on a visit to Iowa Tuesday, praising the relationship between the state and country.
Osmani is in Iowa for the World Food Prize Week of Events, an annual conference put on by the global foundation based in Des Moines. She will give the opening keynote at the conference on Thursday.
Kosovo, a Balkan country that borders Serbia and Albania, became Iowa's ninth sister state in 2013 under then-Gov. Terry Branstad. The partnership includes a military partnership between the Iowa National Guard and the Kosovo Security Forces.
Osmani said Kosovo's partnership with Iowa is a reflection of the country's partnership with the U.S. at large.
Kosovo is one of the world's youngest countries, having declared independence from Serbia in 2008. Its independence was supported by the U.S.
Traffic fatalities in Iowa are higher than they’ve been at this time of the year for at least the previous five years — with more than 300 people killed so far, already surpassing the target that officials had hoped not to exceed this entire year.
The average number of traffic fatalities by Oct. 23 in the past five years is 268, but this year there have been 301, according to Iowa’s daily fatality count.
The number of traffic fatalities so far actually could be higher than what’s been recorded online by the state, since roadway deaths are considered traffic-related if they occur within 30 days of a crash. Two deaths also occurred Sunday and Monday in Iowa — one of a firefighter who died after two fire vehicles crashed into each other near Ionia, and the other of a 25-year-old who drove off the road early Monday in Davenport.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for October 24, 2023.
It'll be the hottest day of the week Tuesday, but there will also be a chance for rain. According to the National Weather Service there will be a high of 80 degrees Tuesday in the Cedar Rapids area. There will be a chance for scattered thunderstorms mainly between 3 pm and 4 pm, and it will be breezy, with wind gusts reaching as high as 35 mph.
Clouds will gather throughout the day and there will be a 30 percent chance of precipitation during the day and a 90 percent of precipitation Tuesday evening.
Citing deterioration of several more support beams, the Cedar Rapids school district announced Monday it has closed the domes at Taft and Harding middle schools, displacing students and staff from the buildings’ gyms, cafeterias and performing arts classrooms.
The two middle schools were constructed in 1965 using the same design that features two domes. On Oct. 11, school officials announced the evacuation and closure of Taft’s east dome after an inspection found it was unstable.
The domes will remain closed until repairs can be made. Raker Rhodes Structural Engineering, one of the companies working with the district, will have a structural repair plan ready to present to the district “as soon as possible,” according to the email notifying parents of the closure.
Until the domes can be reopened, the district is working to acquire portable buildings to provide additional classroom space at Taft. At Harding, classrooms will be rearranged to open up space for lunch, performing arts and PE classes.
A motorcyclist was severely injured in a crash that caused a traffic backup Monday afternoon in southwest Cedar Rapids.
The motorcyclist was taken to a hospital with potentially life-threatening injuries, according to Cedar Rapids police.
The crash happened at Third Street SW and Wilson Avenue SW — close to Wilson Middle School — at about 1:20 p.m., police said. The motorcyclist had been traveling east on Wilson Avenue and crashed into a vehicle traveling north on Third Street SW. The driver of the other vehicle was not injured.
Neither the motorcyclist nor the driver of the other vehicle were identified by police.
Over 10 percent more passengers traveled through The Eastern Iowa Airport in September than in the previous record-setting September before the pandemic struck.
The previous September record was set in 2019, with 107,049 total passengers at the Cedar Rapids airport. This September, the number jumped to 118,085. That’s also 22 percent greater than a year ago in the same period.
Airport Director Marty Lenss said in a statement that the strong passenger traffic is promising as the holiday travel season approaches.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for October 23, 2023.
Clouds and potentially thunderstorms will eventually give way to mostly sunny skies on Monday. According to the National Weather Service there will be a high near 72 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area. There will be some breeziness as well during the day, and the temperature will settle in at around 62 degrees Monday evening.
In front of an audience of her fellow Republicans, U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Ottumwa, stood on the bed of a bright-red truck and defended voting against Republican U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan to be the next speaker of the U.S. House last week.
Miller-Meeks held her third annual “Triple MMM Tailgate” on Friday evening in Iowa City. The event featured seven candidates seeking the Republican presidential nomination in 2024.
Miller-Meeks said the decision led to her receiving what her office referred to as “credible death threats,” but she said she would not be swayed by these tactics.
“I am never going to quit fighting for Iowa, and I am never going to quit fighting for this country," Miller-Meeks said to a crowd of hundreds of supporters. "So if you think you can intimidate me, go … suck it up, buttercup!"
We may all have to suck it up, as it looks to be another chaotic week in the U.S. House. After Jordan’s bid for Speaker of the House flamed out late last week,9 different Republican candidates have signed up to vie for the position.
A commercial flock of about 50,000 turkeys in Buena Vista County was recently infected by a highly transmissible bird flu, according to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.
The Iowa Capitol Dispatch has reported that the quickly spreadly avian influenza was last detected in Iowa in March in a small flock in Chickasaw County. It has been a somewhat quiet year for the virus compared to last year, when infections led to the destruction of 16 million birds.
Humans are seldom infected by the virus, but it can spread quickly in domestic flocks and is lethal to the birds. Entire flocks are intentionally culled after the virus is confirmed to prevent it spreading to other birds.
The virus is believed to be transmitted by migrating birds that can carry it without showing symptoms.
If purple street lights have bothered you in recent nightime travels, you have a reason to rejoice.
John Hart, director of the maintenance bureau at the Iowa Department of Transportation, said last week that the state has replaced the vast majority of the LED streetlights that had turned purple.
Many transportation departments, including in Iowa, switched to LED streetlights in 2017 because they are more affordable, last longer and are more environmentally friendly.
But the issue of the off-color lights arose last year when some lights from Acuity American Electric Lighting, installed by the state in 2018, had faulty interior coating. When the inside coating deteriorated, the lights shone with a purple-blue hue.
Initially, Hart believed the state transportation department would have to replace more than 100 streetlights. But it turned out to be “several hundred,” mostly in Eastern and Southeastern Iowa.
Welcome to the weekend!
This is Stephen Colbert from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for Saturday, October 21st, and Sunday, October 22nd, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service, Saturday will be sunny, with a high near 65, cooling to a low of around 39 Saturday night.
Sunday will be sunny, with a high near 61, cooling to a low around 48 Sunday night with a chance of showers after 1am, with chances of showers persisting into Monday afternoon.
Mercy Iowa City pensioners seek ‘official’ status in bankruptcy discussions
As attorneys wrangle over dwindling money available to pay lawyers, bankers, creditors and employees with the now-bankrupt Mercy Iowa City, the hospital’s pensioners are asking for a voice too.
Past and present Mercy employees who joined its now-frozen “church plan” over the nearly 50 years it was accepting new entrants on Wednesday made their payment concerns known — asking the U.S. Bankruptcy Court to establish an official “Committee of Pensioners,” similar to the committee it established for unsecured creditors.
With official status, the growing group of 449 pensioners who’ve requested regular communication would get more case information and a voice, given, “The future of the pension plan, as well as the status of its funding, is at issue.”
Mercy, in continuing to operate through the bankruptcy and transition to new ownership, has sought court approval to use for ongoing operations its “cash collateral” — a shrinking pot of money that could be distributed among the hundreds of creditors still owed many millions, unlike restricted pension funds.
Iowa Utilities Board preapproves more solar generation for Alliant
After nearly two years and several denials, the Iowa Utilities Board has preapproved two Alliant Energy solar projects that total 200 megawatts in capacity.
The decision follows the board’s preapproval of the Duane Arnold Solar facilities earlier this year.
Interstate Power and Light Co., an Alliant subsidiary, originally asked the IUB in November 2021 for preapproval of 400 megawatts of solar and 75 megawatts of battery storage, along with their associated lifetime costs and rates.
The projects included the Duane Arnold Solar projects that Florida-based NextEra is building near Palo.
The additional 200 megawatts have since been identified as the Creston Solar Project and Wever Solar Project.
Don’t miss The Gazette’s school bond forum
The Gazette will host a public forum on the proposed $220 million school bond with school district representatives, members of the vote yes and opposition groups. The forum will feature an overview as well as moderated conversation and audience questions about the upcoming school bond vote, which will appear on the Nov. 7 ballot.
This is a free event but registration is required due to limited seating. This program will be live-streamed on thegazette.com.
Find out more about the live stream or register to attend in person at TheGazette.com/special-events
Have a good weekend, everyone.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for October 20, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service it will be mostly sunny on Friday in the Cedar Rapids area with a high near 67 degrees. On Friday evening it will be mostly clear, with a low around 50 degrees.
The Cedar Rapids school board is upholding its decision to have Harrison Elementary demolished and a new school built on the site after community members implored the board to reconsider.
Residents believe the board’s decision lacks transparency and community input and could jeopardize the $220 million bond referendum going to voters Nov. 7, that would fund additional facility projects.
“I still believe a new facility is in the best interest of students, and I support the decision made back in April,” school board President David Tominsky said. “This recommendation will serve students, is fiscally responsible and will honor historic elements of the Harrison building.”
Ten people spoke during the public comment period of the special board meeting Thursday, all asking the board not to demolish the school, built in 1930.
Most school board members also spoke in favor of the decision. Board member Dexter Merschbrock continued his opposition to the decision, making a motion to not demolish Harrison.The motion was not seconded by any other board member and did not proceed.
Harrison is one of seven public schools built in Cedar Rapids before World War II, opening in 1930. The school contains a mural painted later in the 1930s by William Henning, a contemporary of Grant Wood. School officials have said that mural will be preserved.
President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump would be in a dead heat among likely voters if the 2024 presidential election were held today, according to the latest Grinnell College National Poll.
Both Biden and Trump running as their party’s respective nominee attract 40 percent support among likely voters. Eighteen percent say they would vote for someone else, according to the poll, conducted in collaboration with renowned Iowa pollster J. Ann Selzer.
Support for both men splits along party lines, with 82 percent of Republicans saying they favor Trump and 83 percent of Democrats surveyed backing Biden. Independent voters remain divided, but tilt toward Trump, with 30 percent saying they would vote for someone else.
In other polling areas, a strong bipartisan majority also favors term limits for Congress and the U.S. Supreme Court. Fifty-nine percent support abolishing the Electoral College, and a 49 percent plurality also would do away with birthright citizenship.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for October 19, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service it will be mostly cloudy in the Cedar Rapids area on Thursday with a high near 63 degrees. On Thursday evening it will gradually become clear, with a low of around 46 degrees.
Iowa U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks switched her vote Wednesday for House speaker and joined nearly two dozen Republicans who voted against U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio as he was rejected on his second try at clinching the position.
She was the only Iowa Republican to vote against Jordan, while U.S. Reps. Randy Feenstra, Ashley Hinson and Zach Nunn stuck with the majority of Republicans in supporting the hard-right chair of the House Judiciary Committee. All four had voted for Jordan during the first vote Tuesday.
In announcing her change on social media Miller-Meeks said she had received credible death threats after switching her vote.
Miller-Meeks, who represents Iowa's southeast 1st Congressional District, said in an interview Tuesday she had reservations about Jordan becoming speaker. Those concerns included past opposition to the Farm Bill and biofuel subsidies, as well as the pressure tactics used by Jordan allies to whip votes.
The House is expected to reconvene Thursday for a potential third vote with no clear path forward to unify around a speaker.
Iowa City Police have arrested a man accused of sexually assaulting a woman in an alley in early October.
Anthony Cotner Jr., 25, of Cedar Rapids now faces one count of second-degree sexual assault related to the incident, according to a media release from the Iowa City Police Department.
Police sought the public’s help in finding a suspect after the incident, which police said occurred near the alley of the 200 Block of South Van Buren Street in Iowa City in the morning of October 7th. In the police account, a victim reported being attacked by a man while walking in that area at around 1:40 a.m. that morning.
The Iowa City Police Department thanked the Cedar Rapids Police Department and Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation for their assistance in the arrest.
Save CR Heritage — a nonprofit dedicated to saving historic properties — is appealing to the Cedar Rapids school board to reconsider its decision earlier this year to demolish Harrison Elementary School.
Save CR Heritage submitted over 500 petition signatures of eligible voters within the Cedar Rapids Community School District, which requires the school board to place the request on its agenda within 30 days of receiving the petition, according to Iowa Code.
The school board will hear public comment asking members to “overturn the recommendation to demolish Harrison Elementary School” — the language on the petition — at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the Educational Leadership and Support Center in Cedar Rapids. Anyone is invited to attend and sign up to speak.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for October 18, 2023.
There will be a 20 percent chance of rain for much of the day on Wednesday. Otherwise it will be partly sunny in the Cedar Rapids area with a high near 67 degrees. On Wednesday night it will be mostly cloudy, with a low of around 50 degrees.
A Cedar Rapids man, who just completed his federal sentence for running a large marijuana trafficking ring, was transferred into state custody after being charged Tuesday in the fatal stabbing of Chris Bagley in 2018.
Andrew Thomas Shaw, 34, was charged in Linn County District Court with first-degree murder, solicitation to commit murder and conspiracy to commit a forcible felony. A warrant was issued last year, while he was still serving his federal sentence in prison.
Shaw is accused of aiding and abetting Drew Wagner, 38, and Johnny Blahnik Church, 36, formerly known as Drew Blahnik, both already convicted in Bagley’s slaying, between Oct. 1, 2018 and Feb. 20, 2019, according to the complaint. He also is accused of hiring them to kill Bagley, 31, of Walker, which they did and were paid for the crime, the complaint states.
Wagner, during the trial for Blahnik Church testified how he and Blahnik Church carried out Bagley’s killing on behalf of their mutual drug dealer, Shaw, as revenge because Bagley robbed Shaw of money and drugs and beat him up in one incident.
If convicted, Shaw faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Iowa's all-Republican U.S. House delegation kept to the party line Tuesday and voted for U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan for speaker even as 20 House Republicans voted for others in protest and denied him the gavel in the first round of voting.
Jordan, R-Ohio, the far-right co-founder of the House Freedom Caucus, won the vast majority of Republican votes for speaker in the first vote but was not able to reach the majority vote necessary to become speaker. The House will reconvene at 10 a.m. Iowa time Wednesday to hold another speaker vote.
"I support (Jim Jordan) for Speaker," Rep. Ashley Hinson, who represents Northeast Iowa's 2nd Congressional District, said Tuesday on X, formerly known as Twitter. "We spoke last week about our shared conservative priorities and the needs of Iowans, and I am confident he will advance both."
Without a change in rules, the House cannot pass legislation or budget appropriations until a speaker is elected, and a stopgap funding bill passed last month expires Nov. 17.
Cedar Falls community leader and small-business owner Sarah Corkery announced Tuesday she will seek the Democratic nomination for Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District, setting up a potential challenge to Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson of Marion.
The district includes Cedar Rapids, Dubuque, Waterloo and Grinnell.
Corkery, a first-time candidate and two-time breast cancer survivor, said she is running to expand access to affordable health care, lower prescription drug costs, strengthen gun safety laws and help farmers modernize their business.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for October 17, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service there will be patchy frost before 8 a.m. in the Cedar Rapids area. Otherwise it will be mostly sunny, with a high near 63 degrees. On Tuesday evening there will be increasing clouds, with a low of around 67 degrees.
The University of Iowa’s final bid to purchase Mercy Iowa City’s assets during bankruptcy proceedings was $28 million
UI Health Care Vice President for Medical Affairs Denise Jamieson revealed the amount during a Q&A session about the failed bid to acquire Mercy. Jamieson also said that there was an additional commitment from the university to spend at least $25 million on “immediate facility upgrades,” as well as more money to invest in retaining current staff members.
Jamieson, in her Q&A published on the UI Health Care communications site Monday, did not disclose Preston Hollow’s final winning bid. But, referencing Mercy’s bid procedures outlining its obligation to choose the “highest or otherwise best qualified bid,” Jamieson suggested the university made the best offer.
Mercy’s largest bondholder Preston Hollow Community Capital, in a drawn-out auction that spanned nearly a week, outbid the university by leveraging the debt as part of the bid for Mercy. Preston Hollow will be partnering American Healthcare Systems to run the hospital, and they are committing an – as of now undisclosed – amount of investment into the struggling community hospital to help sustain it into the future.
A judge will not transfer the murder and theft cases of a 17-year-old from adult court to juvenile court because, he wrote in a ruling, there wouldn’t be enough time or resources for rehabilitation and it’s not in the best interest of the community or the teen.
Judge Lars Anderson, in his ruling last week to deny the defense’s motion, said Tramontez Lockett, who is charged with the Feb. 18 fatal shooting of 16-year-old Michael Alexander McCune and stealing a vehicle, demonstrated the ability to do well in a structured environment while earlier in the Boys State Training School in Eldora while in juvenile court. But when outside of that, “problems appear to recur.”
The judge also noted Lockett will turn 18 in about nine months.
If Lockett remains in adult court, a judge would have a full range of sentencing options if the teen is convicted of the charges — first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit a forcible felony, first-degree theft and going armed with intent
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for October 16, 2023.
No rain on the menu for the start of the week. According to the National Weather Service it will be mostly sunny with a high near 56 degrees. On Monday evening it will be partly cloudy, with a low of around 37 degrees.
There was also thankfully no rain in Iowa City Sunday as 55,646 fans packed into Kinnick Stadium for “Crossover at Kinnick,” a scrimmage between the Iowa Women’s Basketball team and the DePaul Blue Demons– played on a court assembled on Kinnick’s field. Iowa triumphed 94-72, with Caitlin Clark recording her now typical triple double, with 34 points,10 rebounds and 11 assists in the windy outdoor conditions.
The game, which set a record for attendance at a women’s basketball game, was played at Kinnick’s north end. With the game beginning at 2 p.m., fans began tailgating before 10 a.m.
Proceeds went to the University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital, and a preliminary check for $250,000 was handed over during a break in the action Sunday.
Republicans are hoping the next vote for Speaker of the House will go better than the last couple of tries.
National outlets are reporting that the next vote for speaker will be around noon on Tuesday.
Republicans have nominated Jim Jordan as their pick for Speaker. While it appears that Jordan still does not have even all the Republican votes needed to be nominated, Iowa’s congressional delegation is lining up in support of him, just as they did with Steve Scalise and Kevin McCarthy before him.
Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson at a fundraiser for Gov. Kim Reynolds on Saturday said her hope is the vote can end the chaos recently in Congress.
Republican Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks was not as forthcoming in supporting Jordan’s leadership bid. She also praised McCarthy’s effort as Speaker in preventing a government shutdown, a move that ultimately led to him being pushed out of the position by his own party.
Welcome to the weekend!
This is Stephen Colbert from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for Saturday, October 14th, and Sunday, October 15th, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service, the rain could continue through early Saturday morning, otherwise it’ll be mostly cloudy, with a high near 57. Saturday night will be mostly cloudy, with a low around 43.
Sunday, will be partly sunny, with a high near 54, cooling to a low around 39 Sunday night.
Matthew 25’s Cultivate Hope Corner Store in Cedar Rapids receives $300,000 grant
$300,000 grant will support the nonprofit Cultivate Hope Corner Store operated by Matthew 25, fueling its mission of offering healthy food in a Cedar Rapids neighborhood where affordable, nutritious food options were scarce.
Matthew 25 has received a grant from the John and Cindy Family Foundation for $300,000 to be paid out over three years to support the store, located at 604 Ellis Blvd. NW in Cedar Rapids, which is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
The corner store, situated in Cedar Rapids’ Northwest Neighborhood that was devastated by the 2008 flood, looks to break barriers to healthy eating. It opened in April 2022 in a part of the city that was classified as a food desert, where little fresh produce and healthy food was available.
Solar developers willing to adapt projects, pay neighbors
Alliant Energy has shifted the location of solar farms to suit neighbors and pays “good neighbor” incentives to encourage open communication about projects.
But the utility that’s in the midst of installing 400 megawatts of solar in Iowa also has found some Iowa counties with ordinances that leave no room for solar development — even with voluntary easements.
Some Iowa farmers “feel like they are forced to toil all day long so people around them can see them driving their tractor and see them growing their crops. If they want to use the land in some other way, they’re being told they can’t do that,” Alliant Spokesman Justin Foss said during a panel discussion Friday as part of The Gazette’s Iowa Ideas conference.
Be sure to check out replays from our 2023 Iowa Ideas conference!
On Thursday and Friday last week, The Gazette hosted our annual Iowa Ideas virtual conference. The free conference is designed to gather Iowans from all perspectives to explore, discuss and offer solutions on issues impacting the state with over fifty sessions across nine tracks. Every panel was recorded and will become available in the coming days on IowaIdeas.com/replays
Have a good weekend, everyone.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for October 13, 2023.
Looks like it will be a rainy morning Friday. According to the National Weather Service there will be a high chance of showers and thunderstorms before noon on Friday, then a little break for rain in the middle of the day, before a chance for more rain Friday evening. The temperature will top out at 63 degrees, with a 15 to 20 mph breeze gusting as high as 30 mph.
Francis Marion Intermediate School in Marion is closed to students the rest of the week after Wednesday’s storm caused several parts of the school’s roof to collapse.
Restoration and construction companies were on-site at the school for third- and fourth-graders in the Marion Independent School District Thursday to survey the damage and determine a cost estimate and timeline for repairs.
Superintendent Janelle Brouwer said a “significant amount of water” overnight Wednesday damaged three classrooms and seeped into other areas of the building. Brouwer said a construction company likely will be working to make repairs to Francis Marion school, 2301 Third Ave., over the weekend.
The district’s other schools will remain open.
The damage was identified by an evening custodian in the school Wednesday, Brouwer said. Notification that the school would be closed Thursday and Friday was sent to families Wednesday around 8 p.m. The closure impacts about 240 students who attend the school.
Alliant Energy’s Iowa utility is proposing a rate increase for its electric and gas customers it says comes to about $150 a year — with more to come later.
Interstate Power and Light Company is requesting a 7.7 percent increase to residential customers’ total electric bills. If approved by the Iowa Utilities Board, the hike would go into effect in October 2024. That corresponds to about $10 extra a month, said spokesperson Morgan Hawk.
An additional rate increase of about 5.7 percent would follow in October 2025, which breaks down to about $7 a month.
There’s only one phase of rate increases for natural gas customers: a 5 percent increase that, if approved, would start in October 2024. It would add about $3 more to customers’ total bills.
The utility is asking to raise its rates to cover added operation costs, support grid resiliency and allow future growth, Hawk said.
IPL is moving overhead power lines underground to decrease the number and the length of power outages. Frequency and duration of Alliant outages have decreased by about 30 percent over the last decade as more lines have moved underground, Hawk said.
Iowa state revenue is expected to decline slightly in fiscal 2024 and 2025, owing largely to recent income tax cuts, a panel of revenue forecasters reported Thursday.
The latest projections from the Iowa Revenue Estimating Conference — which will guide lawmakers on how much money they have to spend — predict state income in the fiscal year that started July 1 will fall by 0.9 percent from the fiscal 2023 level. The state revenues this budget year are expected to be $9.75 billion.
Iowa’s revenue in fiscal 2023, which ended June 30, was $9.85 billion, a 0.4 percent increase from the previous year.
“The state is showing a modest slowdown in revenue. However, those reductions are planned and being driven by the tax rate reductions for Iowa taxpayers,” said Kraig Paulsen, the director of the Iowa Department of Management and chair of the panel.
Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a major tax overhaul law in 2022 that set Iowa's individual income on the course to a flat tax of 3.9 percent for all income brackets, and intended to lower corporate taxes to 5.5 percent if revenues hit a certain target each year.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for October 12, 2023.
More rain is likely for Thursday. And, according to the National Weather Service, showers will become progressively more likely as the day goes on in the Cedar Rapids area, topping out at about 80 percent probability. It will be a little bit warmer, with a high of around 61 degrees. It will also be breezy, with a wind of 20 to 25 mph gusting as high as 40 mph.
In response to the surprise news that the University of Iowa won’t be taking over its longtime community health care competitor Mercy Hospital after being outbid in a bankruptcy auction, UI President Barbara Wilson and UI Health Care Vice President Denise Jamieson expressed disappointment Wednesday.
“We are disappointed in this outcome because we believe there is value in having patient care delivered by an Iowa-based health system,” Wilson and Jamieson said in their statement. “Nevertheless, we are heartened that the selected bidder, the bondholder, has committed to keeping Mercy Iowa City as a hospital.”
According to the statement, the UI participated in the auction “because it is important to protect and enhance access to quality health care and jobs in our community.”
Preston Hollow is a multibillion-dollar investor providing backing for “projects of significant social and economic value to local communities across the United States.”
American Healthcare Systems is a 2-year-old Los Angeles-based health care operator that has made several health system-related purchases since its inception. It started with Asheboro, N.C.-based Randolph Health in 2021 — when American Healthcare received bankruptcy court approval to acquire that community health care system.
The young corporation has a leadership team of four, including Chief Strategy Officer Faisal Gill, who told The Gazette he leads acquisitions and mergers for the company.
“We want to save community hospitals,” Gill said, noting his company looks specifically for community hospitals facing challenges. “We want to turn them around and have them for the community. We did that in North Carolina and in Illinois. And we plan to do that in Iowa as well.”
An inspection of Taft Middle School led to the evacuation of a portion of the building Wednesday because of structural instability.
In a message to families, district officials announced that as a precautionary measure, students and staff will not use the east dome of Taft Middle— which houses the cafeteria, kitchen and performing arts classrooms — until further notice.
District officials did not respond to questions from The Gazette about how much repairs are estimated to cost, the timeline of the repairs and where there will be room for students with a portion of the building closed.
The east dome will not be occupied again until repairs are completed and the district receives an official notification that the use of that dome can be resumed, Taft Principal Gary Hatfield said in a message to families Wednesday.
One of the two men killed in a shooting last week at a Cedar Rapids apartment complex was delivering a DoorDash order at the time of the shooting, according to his mother.
Myron Snyder and Maurice Brown, both 21 and both of Cedar Rapids, were found with multiple gunshot wounds in the parking lot of 3960 Sherman St. NE when Cedar Rapids police responded to reports of gunshots at 8:21 p.m. on Oct. 5.
Brown and Snyder died from their injuries. Another man, who police haven’t identified, also was found with gunshot wounds and was taken to a hospital with serious injuries.
Snyder’s mother, Alicia
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for October 11, 2023.
☔ Rain appears likely for much of Wednesday. Although the National Weather Service has a chance of showers in the morning, the chance for rain in the Cedar Rapids area appears to take a big leap higher after 1 p.m. and then becomes even more likely in the evening. Rain looks like it will possibly continue into Thursday.
The high temperature will settle in around 58 degrees.
Bondholder Preston Hollow Community Capital has outbid the University of Iowa for Mercy Iowa City’s assets as part of the hospital’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy case.
News of the auction results was made public Tuesday evening in a bankruptcy court filing.
In an associated news release, Preston Hollow reported plans to partner with American Health Care Systems to operate a new community hospital — free and clear of the debt, pension liabilities, unpaid dues, and uncured contracts the Mercy operation had accrued over years of financial decline.
Although it shared no details of a new hospital concept, Preston Hollow — as an investment firm — likely would leave the health care piece of the operation to American Health Care Systems, a Glendale, Calif.-based for-profit organization with health care management expertise.
Preston Hollow was able to outmaneuver the University of Iowa for the winning bid by drawing out the auction process with negotiations, and using the $63 million that Mercy owes them as part of a “credit bid” that the University of Iowa was unable to match.
The turn of events was a surprise to administrators from both Mercy and the university, who had already started contacting each other about the transition process to UI ownership in the past few weeks.
Iowa Republican U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst met in person Tuesday with top Israeli leaders, four days after the Iran-backed Hamas militant group launched a surprise assault on Israel from Gaza.
Ernst last week led a bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers, including Iowa GOP U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, of Ottumwa, to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Jordan and Israel to support peace in the region and deter Iranian aggression. The group left on its envoy before the attack over the weekend.
Tuesday, Ernst met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders, as well as American civilians in Israel, as that country bombarded Gaza in response.
Ernst emphasized that the United State fully stands behind Israel in their efforts to eliminate Hamas. The purpose of the delegation’s visit was originally to encourage peaceful relations between the United States, Israel and Saudi Arabia. This was complicated by Saudi Arabia, along with many other Arab countries, publicly supporting Palestine as Gaza is under siege by Israeli forces.
Borlaug Elementary School in Coralville, which is a part of the Iowa City Community School District, was one of five schools in Iowa named a 2023 National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education.
Schools are recognized as National Blue Ribbon Schools for demonstrating effective and innovative teaching and learning, and how teachers and staff are valued and supported through meaningful professional learning, according to a news release from National Blue Ribbon Schools.
Borlaug Elementary is recognized as an Exemplary High-Performing School for being among Iowa’s highest performing schools as measured by state assessments.
This is Stephen Colbert from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for Tuesday, October 10, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service, Tuesday morning will see areas of frost before 10am. Otherwise, it’ll be sunny, with a high near 63. Tonight will be mostly clear, with a low around 39
Gov. Kim Reynolds orders flags at half-staff to honor deaths in Israel
Gov. Kim Reynolds, who has worked to strengthen ties between Iowa and Israel in recent years, Monday ordered flags at half-staff in Iowa to honor lives lost in the attack on Israel by Hamas this weekend.
In a statement, Reynolds said: “Iowans mourn for the families of those killed by Hamas in Israel. Hamas’ brutality knows no bounds, with reports of Holocaust survivors, women, and children taken by Hamas militants from their homes as hostages or brutally murdered. Today and every day, Iowa stands in solidarity with Israel and their right to defend themselves.”
The conflict in Israel and Gaza unfolded after the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a surprise attack Saturday. Israel has responded with rocket strikes in the blockaded Gaza Strip. More than 1,300 people had been killed as of Monday, including at least nine Americans.
Mercy Hospital: Foundation support necessary to keep operating
Mercy Iowa City's philanthropic foundation has — after contentious backroom negotiations — agreed to help fund the hospital’s operations as it navigates Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings.
In asking a U.S. bankruptcy judge to approve a settlement between the hospital, its foundation, and ancillary interested parties — like bondholders and an unsecured creditors committee — Mercy attorneys in court documents Monday said without foundation support, the hospital won’t be able to sustain operations.
Iowa City primary will decide November ballot Today
Voters in Iowa City Council District A vote Today in a primary that will decide which candidates’ names appear on the November ballot.
The district, which covers the southwest portion of the city, has three candidates vying to represent it on the Iowa City Council: Laura Bergus, Tim Borchardt and Pauline Taylor. Voters will be able to select one candidate. The top two vote-getters will advance to the Nov. 7 election.
Primary elections for Iowa City Council are relatively rare. According to Johnson County, the last time Iowa City had a primary for a regular city council election cycle was 2011. A primary was needed for a special election in fall 2018.
If a primary election is necessary for a district seat, only the voters who live in that district can vote in the primary. However, for the November election, all Iowa City voters – regardless of their district – can vote to decide a district winner.
Polling places in District A are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. today. Voters can find their polling places at gis.johnsoncountyiowa.gov/pollingplaces.
Don’t forget to register for our free 2023 Iowa Ideas conference!
Iowa Ideas is an annual virtual conference designed to gather Iowans from all perspectives to explore, discuss and offer solutions on issues impacting the state. Every attendee has the ability to customize their own schedule, with over fifty sessions across nine tracks. The free virtual conference will take place October 12-13. Register for free at IowaIdeas.com.
Have a good weekend, everyone.
This is John McGlothlen with The Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Mon., Oct. 9 — Indigenous Peoples Day.
According to the National Weather Service, Cedar Rapids, Independence, Manchester, Vinton and Anamosa are included in a frost advisory issued for Monday morning. The advisory is in effect from 1 to 9 a.m. Then, temperatures in the area are expected to warm to about 59 degrees under sunny skies. The weather service said the advisory is generally north of Highway 30, but “patchy frost is possible” farther south down to the Interstate 80 corridor. Then, overnight, expect widespread frost, mainly after 5 a.m., with a low around 33.
A Halloween display which seemed to mock inmates was removed Friday from the front entrance of Anamosa State Penitentiary, after state prison officials were alerted. A woman who was visiting her son over the weekend contacted The Gazette because she was offended by the display at the front of the prison, an entrance that visitors use when arriving to see loved ones and friends. The display featured a large cage and inside was a headless scarecrow figure, holding a pumpkin head, and dressed in an orange prison jump suit. The display included a sign — shaped like a pumpkin — that read, “Doing 30 years in the pumpkin patch.” Iowa Department of Corrections Director Beth Skinner said in a statement to The Gazette. “I want to apologize to visiting family members who saw it and for the poor judgment that led to this incident. It was inappropriate and insensitive, and it does not represent the values of our department.”
Former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis blamed President Joe Biden and his administration after Hamas militants launched the deadliest attack in decades on Israel, citing a $6 billion transfer to Iran that administration officials insisted had yet to be spent. DeSantis and Trump, who are running for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, both stopped in Cedar Rapids over the weekend. Trump delivered a speech to about 2,000 people Saturday at the DoubleTree by Hilton Cedar Rapids Convention Complex in downtown Cedar Rapids. DeSantis spoke Sunday to a crowd of a few hundred supporters at Refuge City Church in Cedar Rapids as a guest for a meet-and-greet organized by Never Back Down, the super PAC backing him for the GOP nomination.
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🎹 Podcast music: “Journey” by Emily McGlothlen
Welcome to the weekend!
This is Stephen Colbert from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for Saturday, October 7th, and Sunday, October 8th, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service, Saturday will be mostly sunny, with a high near 60. Saturday night will be mostly cloudy, with a low around 43.
Sunday, will be mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 65, cooling to a low around 39 Sunday night.
Iowa Democrats release details of mail-in caucus plan
Iowa Democrats will wait until Super Tuesday in early March to release the results of its planned mail-in caucus presidential preference contest that begins months earlier.
Iowa Democrats will be able to register for the mail-in absentee process starting Nov. 1, according to new details released by the party. Presidential preference cards will be mailed starting Jan. 12.
Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart briefed reporters Friday ahead of a meeting of the Democratic National Committee's rules committee, which has yet to sign off on Iowa Democrats’ presidential preference plan.
Cedar Rapids considering rules for controlling feral cat population
A proposed ordinance intended to control the population of free-roaming cats in Cedar Rapids is causing concern among animal welfare activists over provisions that include setting a threshold for ceasing to feed to animals.
The changes, if adopted by the City Council, would make Cedar Rapids one of several cities in Eastern Iowa to adopt rules for “trap-neuter-return” — a common way of keeping community cat populations under control without having to euthanize them.
Family farms turning pumpkin patches, orchards into tourist draws
From new pumpkin patches to lavender fields to honey to maple syrup, family farms have become popular destinations for families to enjoy the outdoors, connect with farmers and the local food system, reduce screen time and entertain, educate and stimulate children.
Johnson and Washington counties have teamed up on a new marketing effort to create a regional brand and promote the area as an agritourism destination.
At the state and local level, government and business leaders have sought to promote and leverage Iowa’s natural assets and entrepreneurial farm operations to further grow agritourism and engage the public in Iowa’s agricultural operations, whether through farm or winery tours, cider houses, hay rides, apple- and berry-picking or other activities.
Besides the Johnson and Washington county effort in the Corridor, Linn County also is working to boost agritourism, seeing its potential to attract visitors.
Go to TheGazette.com to read our full interview with with Sarah Thompson, rural development director of Greater Iowa City Inc., about the effort and the potential to increase agritourism in Iowa.
Don’t forget to register for our free 2023 Iowa Ideas conference!
Iowa Ideas is an annual virtual conference designed to gather Iowans from all perspectives to explore, discuss and offer solutions on issues impacting the state. Every attendee has the ability to customize their own schedule, with over fifty sessions across nine tracks. The free virtual conference will take place October 12-13. Register for free at IowaIdeas.com.
Have a good weekend, everyone.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for October 6, 2023.
A chance for rain in the morning, and quite a bit cooler. According to the National Weather Service there will be a 30 percent chance for rain in the Cedar Rapids area Friday morning. The high temperature will crest at 56 degrees with a stiff breeze all day.
A teenager has been charged in connection with threats to Cedar Rapids schools circulating on social media that led to classes across the district being canceled Monday.
Cedar Rapids police announced Thursday night they had worked with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation to arrest a 14-year-old. Authorities said the teen is from Cedar Rapids, but did not say if the teen is a student in the Cedar Rapids Community School District nor say what charges he or she faces.
The district had notified parents last Sunday that district schools would be closed Monday because of the threats, which they did not describe. Cedar Rapids schools reopened Tuesday, although many students — about 40 percent — stayed away.
The district also imposed temporary new rules because of the threats: Students are not allowed to bring backpacks, bags or purses unless they are clear and see-through. Lunchboxes are allowed but will be examined by staff. High school students are not allowed to be released for lunch.
The district said Thursday after the arrest that it would continue with the safety protocols for Friday, but intended to lift them next week.
More than three-fourths of Linn County is now engulfed in exceptional drought — the most severe drought condition — according to a Thursday U.S. Drought Monitor report.
This is the driest the county has been in the history of the U.S. Drought Monitor, which began in 2000. This is also the first year there has been exceptional drought in Eastern Iowa at all.
The average temperature in Cedar Rapids throughout September was 5 degrees higher than the historical norm, according to the National Weather Service Quad Cities bureau. The city received just over an inch of rain that month — 2.33 inches less than normal.
The swath represents the only patch of exceptional drought in Iowa and the Midwest at large. It currently makes up about 3 percent of Iowa’s land. Exceptional drought has historically been contained to central and west Iowa — not Eastern Iowa.
About a quarter of the state is still covered in severe drought, stretching from the northeast corner down to the southeast corner. Northeast Iowa, where exceptional drought plagued farmers and ranchers last month, has improved. The rest of the state is experiencing severe or moderate drought or abnormally dry conditions. None of Iowa is drought-free.
Collins Aerospace, which employs about 9,000 people in Iowa, will lay off 68 employees in Cedar Rapids.
According to a state notice, the layoffs will occur Oct. 13.
A company spokesperson confirmed last month that Collins was planning layoffs across the company -- not in one specific division or location -- totaling less than 1 percent of its total workforce. One percent of its 7,000...
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for October 5, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service there will be a slight chance of showers between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Thursday. There will be increasing clouds during the day in the Cedar Rapids area, with a high near 76 degrees.
There was supposed to be an auction for Mercy Iowa City in Chicago on Wednesday. At least that appeared to be the plan for most of the day.
Then, without explanation, Mercy Iowa City at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday evening announced the historic auction for its assets as part Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings would be continued “to a later date.”
The decision, according to a court filing made public just after 7:30 p.m., was done in “consultation with the official committee of unsecured creditors” — a group formed to represent the more than 400 individuals and companies that Mercy owes more than $17 million.
Although the continuance did not set a new auction date, Wednesday evening’s court filing indicated it would happen before the sale hearing, set for Oct. 10.
Mercy spokeswoman Eileen Wixted said Wednesday evening the auction process was delayed “so the parties can continue negotiations.”
As part of Mercy’s Aug. 7 bankruptcy petition, it announced the University of Iowa was offering a “stalking horse” bid for substantially all its assets of $20 million.
However, that was nowhere near paying off the $63 million in secured debt Mercy Iowa City has to bondholders, including its largest Preston Hollow Community Capital.There were several objections to Mercy accepting the university’s bid, and further negotiations have led things to where they are now.
A Linn County woman is charged with vehicular homicide in the death of a motorcyclist Tuesday evening.
Debra Trimble, 60, collided head-on with the motorcyclist, Chad Craig, 48, of Cedar Rapids, while Trimble was attempting to pass another car in a no-passing zone on Cottage Grove Avenue, near Highlands Court SE.
Trimble was driving north in a Pontiac Vibe just after 7 p.m. when she tired to pass the other car while going uphill on a curve.
A news release from the Linn County Sheriff’s Office states Trimble is from Marion, but a criminal complaint lists her home address in Cedar Rapids.
Craig was pronounced dead at the scene. Trimble has been charged with homicide by vehicle, operating under the influence and unsafe passing.
A large fire broke out in a homeless encampment near South Gilbert Street in Iowa City Wednesday afternoon.
The Iowa City Fire Department quickly extinguished the fire and no injuries have been reported. None of the nearby buildings were damaged, according to Fire Chief Scott Lyon, who spoke with The Gazette at the scene.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for October 4, 2023.
It will be cooler Wednesday with a chance for rain in the morning. According to the National Weather Service there will be a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms in the Cedar Rapids area, mainly before 11 a.m. Other than that, it will be mostly cloudy, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 81 degrees.
According to reporting from the Associated Press, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy was voted out of a job Tuesday in a showdown forced by a contingent of hard-right conservatives, throwing the House and its Republican leadership into chaos. It was the first time this has happened in the nation’s history..
McCarthy’s chief rival, Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, orchestrated the rare vote on the obscure “motion to vacate,” and pushed ahead swiftly into a dramatic afternoon roll call vote.
Stillness fell as the presiding officer gaveled the vote closed, 216-210, saying the office of the speaker “is hereby declared vacant.
Next steps are highly uncertain as the House is in uncharted terrain, and there is no obvious successor to lead the House Republican majority.
Mercy Iowa City has received at least one bid to compete with the University of Iowa’s $20 million offer to purchase substantially all its assets as part of the hospital’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition — triggering an auction Wednesday morning in Chicago.
Attorneys didn’t disclose how many bids Mercy received to compete with the UI offer — which set the minimum at $20 million and required an additional “breakup fee” of $800,000 — or 4 percent — to surpass. That means any competing bid has to be at least $20.9 million — including the breakup fee and a required bid increment of $100,000.
Originally, Mercy wanted to impose both a breakup fee and a $400,000 expense reimbursement for the time UI administrators spent working on their offer. But Mercy’s largest bondholders objected, lowering the bar to compete.
Proactive safety measures put in place Tuesday in the Cedar Rapids Community School District following a threat made on social media will remain in place through Friday.
Captain Charlie Fields, commander of the Community Services Division of the Cedar Rapids Police Department, however, said school would not have resumed if the police department did not think it was safe.
“We are confident in the fact that school is safe for the kids to be in,” Fields said. “We have worked for several years with the Cedar Rapids Community School District to put school safety plans in place for incidents such as what we are experiencing right now.”
There was about 60 percent student attendance at schools Tuesday, and the majority of staff were present and “prepared to support our students,” Superintendent Tawana Grover said during a news conference Tuesday.
The best stock car drivers in the world will compete next summer in Iowa, officials announced Tuesday.
The first-ever NASCAR cup race in the state will be in June at the Iowa Speedway in Newton, a track designed by NASCAR Hall of Fame member Rusty Wallace.
“I was hoping we’d get it. And we got it. It’s going to be a hell of a show, I can tell you that,” Wallace told reporters Tuesday after a news conference on the Iowa Capitol grounds in Des Moines.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for October 3, 2023.
It will be hot again Tuesday, with a hint of the temperature drop to come. According to the National Weather Service there will be a high near 91 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area, with increasing cloudiness during the day. It will also be breezy, with wind gusts as high as 30 mph.
The Cedar Rapids Community School District is resuming classes Tuesday and taking “proactive safety measures” after classes were canceled Monday because of a threat made on social media.
Students are not allowed to bring backpacks, bags or purses unless it is a clear, see-through bag. Lunchboxes are allowed but will be examined by staff. High school students will not be allowed to be released for lunch.
“A serious threat was made over social media by an anonymous person over the weekend,” district officials said in an email to families Monday. “Due to the seriousness of the situation, it was important that we address the issue effectively and responsibly for the safety and well-being of our students, staff and the entire school community.”
District officials are encouraging families to discuss the situation with their students and the importance of reporting any suspicious or potentially threatening activity to an adult as soon as possible.
An investigation into the threat is being conducted by the Cedar Rapids Police Department, state public safety agencies and the FBI.
As of a Sunday night news release, the Cedar Rapids Police Department had not identified any suspects or made any arrests.
Cedar Rapids Police “investigators began working immediately to identify the nature of the threat and its source. This has become a complex investigation and all leads are being examined closely,” the release states.
Could Nascar be coming to the Iowa Speedway?
We do know that Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds will announce “a new major sports and entertainment event to be held in Iowa in 2024” during a news conference scheduled for Tuesday morning at the Iowa Capitol.
Reynolds’ office did not respond to a follow-up by the Gazette email seeking details about the announcement, including the type of event and community where it will be held.
The Athletic reports NASCAR is expected to add the Iowa Speedway to its 2024 Cup Series schedule. The speedway’s website briefly listed a “2024 NASCAR Weekend” for the Cup Series in June 2024, before it was removed Monday, the sports journalism website reported.
After some ups and downs, Hamburg Inn No. 2 will reopen this week under new ownership.
The iconic diner at 214 N. Linn St., rescued by Gold Cap Hospitality in August after turmoil that started in December, will open at 7 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 5. The public is invited to get reacquainted with the Hamburg Inn’s timeless classics like Pieshakes, fried chicken and bottomless coffee as the new owner ushers in a new chapter in the diner’s nearly 90-year history.
Remodeling over the past several weeks has focused on bringing the diner’s vibrant past to its forefront, honoring the essence of
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for October 2, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service it will be sunny in the Cedar Rapids area Monday with a high of 91 degrees. The low will come in at around 63 degrees.
All schools, day care and athletic activities are canceled Monday for staff and students in the Cedar Rapids Community School District because of a social media threat.
In an email to families and staff Sunday evening, district officials declared an all campus closure for the safety of all students and staff. More information will be provided to the public Monday afternoon, according to the email.
An investigation into the threat is being conducted by the Cedar Rapids Police Department, state public safety agencies and the FBI.
Staff who work at the Educational Leadership and Support Center — the district’s offices — are still expected to report to work Monday.
Staff working in school buildings — including administrators, teachers, secretaries, custodians and daycare workers — are not allowed to enter the buildings.
Late Friday evening a pedestrian was killed when he was struck by a vehicle in Fairfax.
Terry Vaske, 49, of Cedar Rapids, died at the scene of the crash in the area of Casey’s General Store, 65 Williams Blvd., Fairfax, at about 9 p.m. Friday, according to a news release from the Linn County Sheriff’s Office.
The driver who struck Vaske has been identified as Theresa Ludeking, 63, of Norway. Ludeking was not injured in the crash, but did go to a hospital as a precaution.
Less than 24 hours before his civil fraud trial in New York, former President Donald Trump spent his Sunday afternoon in Iowa.
Trump was first at a rally that overfilled the Bridge View Center in the blue-collar Wapello County seat of Ottumwa, and later for a small-scale visit with Iowa farmers at a rural Mahaska County farm between Oskaloosa and Pella.
The farm setting leaned into Trump’s focus on agriculture policy during this trip. He repeated long-held claims of how great he was for Iowa farmers on agriculture and trade policy, and railed against electric vehicles of all kinds.
Trump also highlighted, as he often does in Iowa, the $28 billion in federal aid to farmers that he approved as president in order to offset losses they experienced while his administration renegotiated international trade agreements.
Welcome to the weekend!
This is Stephen Colbert from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for Saturday, September 30th, and Sunday, October 1st, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service, Saturday will be Sunny, with a high near 90. Saturday night will be mostly clear, with a low around 66.
Sunday, will be sunny, with a high near 89, cooling to a low around 61 Sunday night.
Grassley, after Feinstein’s death, now oldest sitting U.S. senator
California U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein died Friday at 90. Her passing makes Iowa Republican Chuck Grassley, who turned 90 this month, now the oldest active senator.
Feinstein and Grassley were the top Democrat and Republican, respectively, on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee in 2017 and 2018, when Republicans had the majority.
Grassley and Feinstein clashed on a number of issues over the years, but also worked together on a number of issues and pieces of legislation over the years, including supports for human trafficking victims, combating drug trafficking, and addressing methamphetamine abuse.
House rejects bill to avoid government shutdown as deadline nears
Iowa’s all-Republican U.S. House delegation voted Friday on a failed last-ditch plan to keep the federal government temporarily open as the funding deadline nears.
Federal government funding expires after midnight on Saturday.
The U.S. House on Friday failed to pass a short-term spending measure, known as a continuing resolution, that would have kept the government funded for 30 days while cutting funding by 30 percent for all agencies except the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs.
The resolution also included a Republican measure to codify controversial Trump-era border policies that would make various changes to immigration law, including by imposing limits on asylum eligibility, which are a nonstarter with the Democratically-controlled Senate and White House.
The bill also called for the creation of a commission to study the federal debt. It would recommend changes to improve solvency for some programs, such as Medicare and Social Security.
Iowa police departments warn of phone scams
The Iowa City and Cedar Rapids Police Departments both posted on social media this week warning the public about common phone scams that have been popping up recently.
The post from the Cedar Rapids police says the department has received several calls recently from victims of what’s called a “grandparent scam.” This is a common scam used on older individuals. A caller claims to belong to a law enforcement agency out of town and tells the person being targeted that their grandchild is in trouble and they need money to release them, according to the post.
The scammers usually ask for money in the form of gift card numbers, wire transfers, cryptocurrency, or cash. They make the situation sound urgent so the person being called will be less likely to slow down and think through what’s happening.
The department recommends talking to family members about this scam. If you get a call claiming your grandchild is in trouble, hang up and call your grandchild directly.
Have a good weekend, everyone.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for September 29, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service it will be mostly sunny in the Cedar Rapids area on Friday with a high near 82 degrees.
According to reporting from the Associated Press a government shutdown seems more likely than not as House Speaker Kevin McCarthy rejected Senate legislation on Thursday that would fund the government through November while dealing with House Republicans members who are divided on any potential alternative.
The impasse in congress comes just days before a federal shutdown that would halt paychecks for many of the federal government’s roughly 2 million employees.
In a sign of deepening resistance to assisting Ukraine, more than half of House Republicans voted against providing Ukraine $300 million in military aid, though the money was approved on a bipartisan 311-117 vote.
The House’s most recent movement on the appropriations legislation won’t keep the government from shutting down, but House leadership hoped the progress would persuade enough Republicans to support a House-crafted continuing resolution that temporarily funds the government while boosting security at the U.S. border with Mexico.
A state board determined Thursday that state campaign laws were not violated when Cedar Rapids school district officials used school resources to help collect signatures to get a bond referendum placed on the ballot this fall. However, board members nonetheless expressed their disapproval.
Leaders on the state oversight board criticized Cedar Rapids Community School District officials’ activities, and made plans to express as much in a letter to school leaders while also researching ways the board could more forcefully address similar actions in the future.
Earlier this month — while signatures were in the process of being collected — a complaint was made to the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board, asserting that district officials violated state law when they used school resources to produce literature encouraging the public to sign the petitions.
The complaint highlights emails sent by the district that encouraged people to sign the petitions, informed them where the petitions could be signed and described the various projects the district would undertake if the bond is approved.
Students in the Iowa City Community School District will get to explore courses in career and technical education as early as sixth grade as the district transitions from a junior high to a middle school model by fall 2024.
Iowa City school officials are creating curriculum that aligns with Iowa’s career and technical education service areas — in addition to traditional course offerings such as science and math — to prepare to move sixth-graders into schools with seventh- and eighth-graders.
Middle school is a critical time for students to begin exploring career pathways and developing career-related skills, said Lucas Ptacek, Iowa City schools’ executive director of secondary schools, in a presentation to the school board Tuesday.
Career development education at this age helps students identify their strengths and interests, adds relevancy to their academic classes and eases the transition to high school by supporting more informed educational choices that align with a students’ career goals, according to market research by Hanover Research cited at the board meeting.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for September 28, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service it will be mostly cloudy in the Cedar Rapids area on Thursday. The high will be around 76 degrees. There may be some areas of fog before 9 a.m.
With only a few days left for Congress to avert a government shutdown, Iowa U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley said it is “idiotic” to hold up government funding over certain policy goals and argued a shutdown would hurt American taxpayers.
Grassley, a Republican, joined Senate Democrats and most Republicans Tuesday night to advance a stopgap funding bill to keep the government open until mid-November. The bill, which includes around $6 billion in funding for Ukraine, is not likely to gain enough support in the Republican-controlled House to pass.
Some Republicans have pushed for any government funding package to include key conservative policy items like tighter border security and cuts to Ukraine aid. With a slim Republican House majority, those representatives can tank any budget measures that don’t have support from Democrats.
Without a short-term funding bill agreed to by both chambers, the U.S. federal government will shut down on Sunday. Certain essential workers would still report for work but will not get paid until the shutdown ends. Nonessential workers would be furloughed without pay.
Dozens of University of Iowa graduate students and supporters shut down the Board of Regents meeting Wednesday afternoon with a raucous protest, during which they demanded a 25-percent “emergency” pay raise.
The protesters marched into the regents’ meeting on the UI campus Wednesday afternoon — interrupting a presentation from UI Health Care leadership, including new Vice President for Medical Affairs Denise Jamieson.
The UI student union — which goes by Campaign to Organize Graduate Students, or COGS — demands include not just an immediate wage hike but a “more equitable state university system for all.”
In making their demands, the gradu ate students said a “living wage calculator” produced by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology showed the average UI graduate student worker makes 25 percent below the living wage for a single adult in Johnson County.
Iowa schools’ administrative costs are not significantly increasing nor are they a significant driver of overall K-12 public education spending, according to a new analysis from Iowa Auditor Rob Sand, a Democrat.
Statehouse Republicans pushed back on the report issued by Sand this week.
During the annual legislative debate over public school funding, Republican state lawmakers have at times expressed concerns with how much Iowa’s public K-12 schools spend on salaries for administrators.
Sand’s report acknowledges that debate and suggests administrative spending is not a significant driver of public school expenses.
Using state financial figures and federal inflation rates, Sand’s report shows that statewide, Iowa public K-12 school spending on administrative costs increased 20 percent over six years, but when taking inflation into account, administrative spending over that period decreased 1 percent.
Statehouse Republicans pointed out that Sand’s report covers only a six-year period and questioned how administrative costs are defined.
“Our caucus has heard the same concerns from Iowans as Auditor Sand. Many Iowans have seen...
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for September 27, 2023.
The chance for rain will continue into the early portion of Wednesday but besides that it should be sunny and pleasant. According to the National Weather Service there will be scattered showers in the Cedar Rapids area, mainly between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Otherwise it will be partly sunny, with a high near 73 degrees.
A fatal two-vehicle collision was followed by a single-vehicle accident involving a responding Johnson County Deputy just after noon on Tuesday.
According to a media release from the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, at 12:38 p.m. deputies and emergency responders were called to the scene of a two-vehicle accident in the 2200 block of Black Diamond Road SW in rural Johnson County.
After arriving, they determined that one driver died at the scene and the driver of the other vehicle had minor injuries.
According to an Iowa State Patrol accident report about the accident, a Ford Escape had been traveling west on Black Diamond Road, near the intersection with Hazelwood Avenue, when it crossed the centerline on a curve in the road, striking a Dump Truck head-on.
The identities of both drivers are being withheld pending notification of family members and while an investigation into the accident continues.
Meanwhile, at 12:54 p.m., a Johnson County Deputy who was responding to the accident was involved in a single-vehicle accident at the intersection of Eagle Avenue and Rohret Road SW, according to the release from the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office.
This is about a six-minute drive to the northwest from the scene of the original accident.
According to the release, the deputy was treated for injuries and released from a hospital. The crash is also under investigation by the Iowa State Patrol.
Some low-income households in Cedar Rapids may have some support getting around town with a city-funded program that will subsidize the cost of purchasing a bike or electric bike.
The city of Cedar Rapids is piloting a program to give vouchers to eligible households toward purchasing a bike or e-bike at local shops.
The 78 income-eligible households in the Family Self-Sufficiency Program may seek vouchers. This program offers individualized goal planning and meetings with family specialists to reduce Section 8 tenants’ dependency on welfare and other public assistance programs, improving their economic independence.
The vouchers are $700 for a bike and $900 for an e-bike. The vouchers also may cover safety-related equipment such as helmets and locks. In its fiscal 2024 budget for the year spanning July 1 to June 30, 2024, Cedar Rapids included $215,000 in one-time funding for sustainability initiatives.
Sustainability Program Manager Sara Maples said the program will reduce fuel and maintenance costs for families working toward financial independence while helping them travel to work, appointments and social services.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for September 26, 2023.
Rain is likely on Tuesday. According to the National Weather Service projections there will be a chance of rain all day, but the highest probability in the Cedar Rapids area will come between noon and 7 p.m.
When not raining it should be mostly cloudy, with a high near 71 degrees.
An Iowa City nonprofit will lay off about 100 employees — many who live out of state — after losing a contract to provide backup chat and text support for the national 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
CommUnity Crisis Services and Food Bank still will answer chat and text messages to the 988 Lifeline from Iowans and serve as a backup for Iowa phone calls made to the hotline. CommUnity’s other services, including the food bank and Mobile Crisis Response Program, also will not be affected, CEO Sarah Nelson said Monday.
Starting in July 2022, the phone number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline was cut to three digits — 988 — to make it easier for people to connect with help. When a person with an Iowa area code calls, they are routed to Foundation 2, in Cedar Rapids, or CommUnity.
CommUnity was awarded a one-year, $6.5 million contract in 2022 to serve as a backup provider for chat and text messages to the national Lifeline. CommUnity used the money to ramp up from 88 employees to 272 part-time and full-time employees who worked remotely from 10 states, Nelson said.
Vibrant Emotional Health, a New York company hired by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to administer 988, told CommUnity earlier this month their contract would not be renewed.
A panel tasked with reviewing Iowa’s boards and commissions has reversed its recommendations to eliminate some government boards after Iowans expressed concerns over losing federal funding and public services.
The Boards and Commissions Review Committee unanimously approved its recommendations during its final meeting Monday, proposing to eliminate or consolidate 111 of Iowa’s boards and commissions, leaving 145 in place.
The recommendations would need to be approved by the Republican-controlled Iowa Legislature in next year’s session and signed into law by GOP Gov. Kim Reynolds before they take effect. The committee was created as part of a massive state government reorganization law Reynolds signed this year, which also shrank the number of cabinet-level state agencies and eliminated dozens of unfilled state jobs.
Cedar Rapids will be getting a slice of the state baseball tournament pie.
The Iowa High School Athletic Association announced Monday that Veterans Memorial Stadium will host the Class 3A and 4A portions of the 2024 tourney.
Carroll again will be the 1A-2A host. The tournament is scheduled for July 22-26.
The contract with Cedar Rapids is for one year. This will be the first time since 1974 Cedar Rapids will host state baseball.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for September 25, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service there will be a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1 p.m. on Monday in the Cedar Rapids area. There may also be some patchy fog before 9 a.m. But besides that, it should be another mostly sunny day, with a high near 80 degrees.
There may be a better chance for some rain on Tuesday.
Drought conditions have continued to worsen across Eastern Iowa this summer. Exceptional drought — the most severe drought ranking — covers about 5 percent of the state, the greatest extent Iowa has seen since the start of the U.S. Drought Monitor in 2000. Almost three quarters of the state is experiencing severe drought or worse.
Overall, 2023 ranks in the top 10 driest years for Northeast and East-Central Iowa. Linn and Benton counties each have received less than 50 percent of normal rainfall throughout the summer, marking their record-driest summers. About 80 percent of the state’s topsoil moisture levels ranked below adequate, according to the recently released U.S. Department of Agriculture Crop Progress and Condition report.
“The current drought, which is approaching 170 consecutive weeks of at least moderate drought conditions somewhere in the state, has been the longest in the U.S. Drought Monitor’s nearly 24-year period of record," said Justin Glisan, the state drought coordinator and climatologist, in a statement.
Those conditions have taken their toll on crops and livestock in Eastern Iowa, particularly into the northeast corner of the state. Harvest is just getting started — but many farmers aren’t optimistic about this year’s yields.
At this point, rain won’t make a difference to this year’s crops and grazing conditions. So far, 5 percent of the state’s corn has been harvested, along with 3 percent of its soybeans. Only time will tell how yields may turn out.
Traffic into and out of downtown Cedar Rapids on the First Avenue Bridge will be affected Tuesday during floodgate testing.
The First Avenue Bridge over the Cedar River is set to be closed from Third Street West to First Street East from 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday. Detour signs will be in place.
The city is testing the roller gate that was installed near First Street East outside City Hall to ensure that the wet seal is watertight in the event of a flood. The gate is 12 feet tall, 82 feet long and 6 feet thick.
Besides doing floodgate testing, crews are scheduled to re-stripe the road.
Welcome to the weekend!
This is Stephen Colbert from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for Saturday, September 23rd, and Sunday, September 24th, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service, Saturday will be mostly sunny, with a high near 82 with a 10 percent chance of showers after 5pm. Saturday night will have a chance of showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 1am. Chance of precipitation is 70% and the low will be 61.
Sunday, showers are likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 1pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm with a high near 70. Sunday night will be Mostly cloudy, with a low around 59.
Iowa lowers top corporate income tax rateIowa's top corporate income tax rates will fall for the second year in a row to 7.1 percent.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a tax law in 2022 that included a trigger to decrease corporate tax rates if revenue exceeded $700 million. Taxes in fiscal year 2023 were $838 million, according to the Iowa Department of Revenue.
Based on the 2022 law's formula, corporate tax rates will fall to 7.1 percent in the highest two brackets. The tax rate for those brackets was 8.4 percent last year.
For businesses that bring in up to $100,000, the tax rate will remain at 5.5 percent, which is intended to be the flat tax rate for all businesses by 2028.
The same 2022 law included individual income tax cuts, gradually phasing Iowa's tax rate at a flat 3.9 percent by tax year 2026. Iowa's revenue is expected to drop by $1.89 billion once the tax cuts take full effect.
Lost solar project exposes obstacles to luring big business to IowaA large solar energy manufacturer at one point was looking to build in Iowa but chose Louisiana instead, in part because Iowa could not offer the same public incentives, according to the state’s economic development chief.
Debi Durham, director of the Iowa Economic Development Authority and Iowa Finance Authority, told The Gazette that Iowa lost out on the opportunity to attract the manufacturer that was looking to build in Waterloo. The state “would have won” but “didn’t have enough incentives” to keep the company from looking to Louisiana.
Durham did not provide details of the proposed project or the name of the company. An authority spokeswoman said she could not share more information, and that communications with and about business prospects are confidential.
A bill proposed by the Iowa Economic Development Authority to provide a package of state tax incentives to try to lure a major business development to Iowa stalled in the Iowa House on the final day of the 2023 legislative session.
University of Iowa wants $50M from state to improve rural health careTaking a cue from last year’s Legislature, which tied its full Board of Regents funding increase to specific campus initiatives, Iowa’s public universities for the upcoming session have made significant “special purpose” funding requests — on top of their ask for $14.8 million more in “general” appropriations.
In total, the University of Iowa, Iowa State University, and University of Northern Iowa are seeking $23.5 million more for “special” projects and initiatives in the 2025 budget year that starts July 1. And UI’s $10 million portion of that ask will only start what the campus envisions as a five-year, $50 million “rural Iowa health care partnership.”
When combined with the regents’ request for $14.8 million more in “general” appropriations, the board’s full ask amounts to a $38.3 million bump over this year — for total education appropriations of $599 million in fiscal 2025. The board last year wanted a total increase of $34.7 million — with the vast majority sought in the form of general dollars the universities could use broadly toward their campus missions and operations.
But lawmakers gave them no general
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for September 22, 2023.
Yet again we will have a day with a chance for rain all day, which may or may not actually materialize. Other than that, according to the National Weather Service it will be mostly cloudy in the Cedar Rapids area, with a high near 77 degrees. The chance for rain should increase as we head into Saturday.
Iowa first gentleman Kevin Reynolds, the husband of Gov. Kim Reynolds, has been diagnosed with lung cancer, the governor announced Thursday.
She said in a statement they are optimistic about the treatment he is undergoing. She did not announce details of what led to the diagnosis.
"Our doctor has assured us that significant advancements in lung cancer treatment have been very effective and we have every reason to be optimistic," Reynolds said. "We are confident in our team as we begin treatment, and we will beat this together."
Kevin and Kim Reynolds married in 1982. They have three daughters and 11 grandchildren. He became Iowa's first-ever first gentleman in 2017 when Kim Reynolds became governor.
A $220 million general obligation bond issue that would fund construction of a new middle school and improvements to high schools in the Cedar Rapids Community School District is heading to district voters Nov. 7.
The Cedar Rapids school board unanimously approved a resolution Thursday ordering an election after the district received 6,909 valid signatures. The district needed about 6,300 signatures from eligible district voters to place the issue on the ballot.
School board President David Tominsky said the number of signatures collected is a “real testament” to the community’s support of the resolution. “I’m really excited about the community learning more about what exactly they’re voting on and why,” he said.
Thousands of Iowans may have been wrongly cut from the Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (a.k.a. CHIP) because of an error in determining eligibility as the state works to return Medicaid enrollment to pre-pandemic conditions.
Iowa is one of 30 states where the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services determined eligible individuals — mostly children — were being disenrolled, even though the states had information indicating they remained eligible.
The federal agency estimated 10,000 to 49,999 eligible Iowans were affected by the erroneous process. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, the total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment in Iowa was 699,741 people in 2020.
In a written statement, Iowa Health and Human Services spokesperson Alex Carfrae said the state will change its automatic renewal processes to comply with the new federal expectations.
Iowa’s Swarm Collective will now accept donations for athletes in any of the Hawkeyes’ 22 intercollegiate sports, it announced Thursday morning.
The name, image and likeness collective’s financial support was previously exclusive to football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball since its founding in July 2022.
Those who either make a $1,000-plus one-time donation or a $100-plus recurring monthly donation can now earmark their gift toward any Iowa sport.
The Swarm Collective raises money for Hawkeye athletes through monthly memberships and larger one-time or recurring donations. Athletes then receive the NIL money as compensation for community service.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for September 21, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service there will again be a slight chance of rain all day on Thursday. Besides that it will be mostly sunny, with a high near 78 degrees.
As one the fastest growing metro regions in the Midwest, and second only in the state to Des Moines, Iowa City officials are looking for ways to lessen traffic congestion, provide alternative transportation options and improve commute times.
But which transit style makes the most sense?
Iowa City Council members voted 6-0 Tuesday to hire a consulting firm to explore the feasibility of adapting the existing Cedar Rapids & Iowa City Railway corridor right of way between Iowa City and North Liberty to accommodate a bus rapid transit system.
Bus rapid transit is a high-capacity system designed to deliver fast and efficient service that may include dedicated bus lanes, busways, traffic signal priority, off-board fare collection, elevated platforms and new stations, according to the Federal Transit Administration.
The transit system has advanced throughout the county in the last decade as congestion has increased and community leaders have sought affordable transit alternatives, according to the agency. Such systems operate in big cities like Los Angeles and Atlanta, and are growing in popularity in the Midwest including Cleveland, Omaha and Kansas City.
Because it contains features similar to a light rail or subway system, bus rapid transit often is considered more reliable, convenient and faster than regular bus service, according to federal transit officials. And with the right features, it can avoid the delays that can slow regular buses, like being stuck in traffic and queuing to pay fares on board.
The warden of the Fort Dodge Correctional Facility resigned earlier this month, just six months after starting the job.
“Kris Karberg resigned from his position as warden of the Fort Dodge Correctional Facility effective September 1, 2023,” Department of Corrections Spokesman Nick Crawford said in an email. “Deputy Warden Don Harris became acting warden effective the same day.”
Karberg had been warden at Fort Dodge since Feb. 17, when the Corrections Department transferred him from Anamosa State Penitentiary, where he had been warden since 2021.
The Gazette reached out to Karberg, who declined to comment extensively on why he’d left the Iowa Corrections Department. He said he was likely moving back to South Dakota, where he’d lived before taking the Anamosa job.
Karberg was deputy warden at the Mike Durfee State Prison in Springfield, S.D., for three years before moving to Iowa. Earlier in his career, he spent 10 years providing private security in Southwest Asia, Belize and Afghanistan where he was a contractor for the U.S. State Department, he told the Iowa Board of Corrections in 2021.
On Wednesday night, Emmanuel Rodriguez hit a second-inning grand slam, the Cedar Rapids Kernels built an early 5-0 lead and went on to beat Great Lakes, 7-6, in the winner-take-all Game 3 of the Midwest League Championship Series in front of a boisterous crowd of just over 2,000 at Veterans Memorial Stadium.
Players sprayed each other with bottles of sparkling cider on the field during a massive celebration that began with a victory dogpile around the pitcher’s mound when Rodriguez secured the final out with a catch of a fly ball.
It is the Cedar Rapids franchise's first MWL title since 1994.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for September 20, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service there will be a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 5 p.m. in the Cedar Rapids area. Otherwise it will be partly sunny with a high near 81 degrees. The slight chance for rain will continue into the evening, with a low of around 60 degrees.
The most important qualities a new Cedar Rapids police chief should display, based on a community survey and outreach, are in community engagement, technology advancements, diversity and inclusion, training and education, collaborative partnerships and accountability and transparency.
The city, without a permanent police chief for five months, is hoping to post the job by the end of the week, Assistant to the City Manager Amanda Grieder said during a meeting Monday of the city’s Public Safety and Youth Services Committee.
Cedar Rapids is looking to replace Chief Wayne Jerman, who retired in April after turning 66 and aging out of his certification. Jerman, who spent 10 years with the city, was paid over $188,000 a year and oversaw operations of the department that is made up of 270 full-time equivalent positions, according to the city budget.
After receiving no increase in general education funding from the Iowa Legislature in its last session, the state Board of Regents has more than halved its ask for the upcoming term from a $32 million to a $14.8 million increase.
In its new funding request for the 2025 budget year, which starts July 1, the board is seeking $4.5 million appropriation bumps for both the University of Iowa and Iowa State University, along with a $5.8 million funding increase for the University of Northern Iowa, according to documents made public Tuesday.
If granted that full ask, the regents’ higher education budget would swell from $491.5 million to $506.3 million — but still below the $547.6 million in general operating funds the state appropriated the three public universities over 20 years ago in fiscal 2001.
Iowa Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds pushed back Tuesday on comments former President Donald Trump made over the weekend suggesting state laws banning abortions after six weeks — like the one Reynolds signed in July — are a "terrible mistake."
Trump, the front-runner according to polls in the Republican presidential primary, made the comments in a Sunday interview on NBC’s “Meet the Press” with Kristen Welker, pointing to the policy that a GOP primary opponent — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis — signed into law in April in that state.
"I think what he did is a terrible thing and a terrible mistake," Trump said of DeSantis in the NBC interview.
Trump, whose U.S. Supreme Court appointments were instrumental in delivering the decision that overturned Roe v. Wade and federal abortion protections, did not say whether he would support a national abortion ban or what the cutoff should be. He said he would bring together Republicans and Democrats to find a “number of weeks or months” that’s going to “make people happy.”
The Florida law makes abortion illegal after six weeks with some exceptions. Iowa's law, currently blocked because of a lawsuit, bans abortion after cardiac activity can be detected in an embryo or fetus with some exceptions, which can be as early as six weeks.
"It’s never a 'terrible thing' to protect innocent life," Reynolds posted Tuesday on X, formerly Twitter. "I’m proud of the fetal heartbeat bill the Iowa legislature passed and I signed in 2018 and again earlier this year."
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for September 19, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service there is a 40 percent of showers and thunderstorms in the Cedar Rapids area, mainly before 10 a.m. After this it will be mostly sunny, with a high near 82 degrees. There will be a small chance for rain Tuesday evening as well, with a low of around 62 degrees.
Five Atkins volunteer firefighters were injured Monday when the firetruck they were riding in rolled into a ditch.
The accident happened on a rural road in Benton County shortly before 11 a.m., according to a news release issued by the city.
The firefighters were leaving the scene of one call and responding to the scene of another when the truck drove over an uneven surface on the side of the road, rolled into a ditch and landed on its top.
Five firefighters were taken to local hospitals where they were treated and released.
The truck, a 2022 model, was heavily damaged, the release states, but the department has an older truck that can be used to meet the city’s fire and rescue needs while the damaged truck is being repaired.
A Cedar Rapids woman waved a kitchen knife at a man, stabbing him several times, before leading police on a chase to get away, authorities said Monday.
40-year-old Latoya Taylor faces charges of attempted murder, an operating while intoxicated charge, and several other charges related to ensuing chase with police.
Police were called to the 1500 block of Washington Ave. SE about 6 p.m. Sunday for a report of a stabbing, according to Cedar Rapids police.
Officers found Willey Davis, 63, of Cedar Rapids, suffering from multiple stab wounds, including one to his neck, which was bleeding when police arrived, according to a criminal complaint.
A witness to the stabbing told police Taylor was the aggressor and that she had swung a kitchen knife at Davis, saying “I’m going to kill you,” according to the complaint. The court record did not say what relationship the two had.
When police arrived at the scene, they saw Taylor driving away in her mother’s vehicle. Officers turned on their emergency lights and sirens to initiate a traffic stop, but Taylor led them on a chase, during which she ran a stoplight and a stop sign and drove more than 25 mph over the speed limit, according to the criminal complaint.
Stop sticks — meant to puncture tires — were deployed near the Cedar Rapids Police Department to end the chase and Taylor was taken into custody.
Crews are tearing down a vacant warehouse off First Avenue and 29th Street NE that sustained damage in the 2020 derecho’s hurricane-force winds, but owner Rick Stickle has no immediate plans for repurposing the property.
Stickle, owner of Midwest Third Party Logistics, said it would have cost about $5 million to replace the warehouse’s roof, which was damaged in the August 2020 storm — the costliest thunderstorm in U.S. history. The building at 308 29th Street NE also sustained structural damage.
“We collectively decided talking with the insurance company that we would settle the claim for somewhat less than that and we wouldn't replace the roof, we'd dismantle the building,” Stickle said.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for September 18, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service on Monday it will be sunny with a high near 78 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area. Late Monday night into Tuesday morning there is a high chance of showers and potentially a thunderstorm.
According to the Associated Press a judge found an Iowa man guilty Friday in the murder of a 10-year-old girl who was missing for eight months before her remains were found in a pond.
51-year-old Henry Earl Dinkins was found guilty of first-degree murder and kidnapping in the death of Breasia Terrell, whose disappearance July 10, 2020, led to massive searches by dozens of volunteers and numerous law enforcement agencies. A fisherman found her body in March 2021 in a rural area north of Davenport.
Sentencing was set for Oct. 11, at which Dinkins faces a mandatory term of life in prison.
According to the report, after the decision, as deputies were removing Dinkins from the courtroom, spectators erupted in cheers.
No one was injured after firefighters responded to a fire raging at a farm southwest of Cedar Rapids on Sunday.
According to the Cedar Rapids Fire Department, firefighters from Fairfax and Cedar Rapids were called just after noon on Sunday to a fire at a farm at the 7500 block of 16th Ave SW.
Crews arriving at the scene saw that a corn bin and barn there were fully aflame. The fire had progressed to such a degree on those two structures that firefighters decided that they could not be saved, and they worked to contain the fire and protect nearby structures, according to the release.
Once a perimeter protecting those other buildings had been established, firefighters attacked the fire consuming the barn and silo from multiple positions, quickly bringing the fire under control.
The corn bin and barn were a total loss, according to the release. No firefighter injuries were reported.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Iowa Democrats voted on Saturday to hold their 2024 caucuses on Jan. 15, the same day as Republicans.
The date fills in one detail as the party works to plan its calendar and presidential nominating contest after being booted from being the first-in-the-nation presidential nominating contest by the national party earlier this year.
The date also falls on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a federal holiday.
Under the party’s proposal, the caucuses would only be a party organizing meeting, while the presidential preference count that has historically put the caucuses in the national spotlight will be held via a mail-in process at a different time.
Welcome to the weekend!
This is Stephen Colbert from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for Saturday, September 16th, and Sunday, September 17th, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service, Saturday will have a slight chance of showers between noon and 1pm, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Otherwise it’ll be partly sunny, with a high near 77. Saturday night will have a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 8pm, cooling to a low around 52.
Sunday will be sunny with a high near 75. Sunday night will cool to a low around 49.
Iowa regulators approve renewable energy power lineAn underground high-voltage power line to ship electricity from Midwestern renewable energy projects to Eastern markets this week won approval for the portion of its Iowa route from state regulators.
The 350-mile SOO Green HVDC Link will start in Mason City and run to Plano, Ill. The direct current line will be buried underground mostly following a Canadian Pacific railroad right of way.
On Wednesday, the Iowa Utilities Board signed off on a plan to build about 174 miles of the 525-kilovolt transmission line. While most of the line will be buried on railroad and other public rights of way, the board granted the company eminent domain authority for four parcels in Clayton County and two parcels in Dubuque County.
Iowa City landfill receives $4M from EPA to expand compostingThe Iowa City Landfill and Recycling Center has received a $4 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to help expand its composting efforts, the city announced Friday.
The funding, which stems from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed in 2021, will expand the landfill’s compost area from 5 to about 7 acres. Designs for the expansion will begin this fall, with construction expected to begin in the spring of 2024.
The expansion will increase processing capacity from 15,000 to 20,000 tons per year — an addition big enough to fill about 500 garbage trucks. That compost then will be sold to fertilize area farms, gardens and lawns.
The money also will allow for improved equipment and technology, including updated equipment that can turn compost faster to move through material quicker. Mixing up compost frequently helps the materials breakdown faster.
The extra funding will increase composting efforts in the county for families who don’t have access to the curbside services. For example, it will expand the pilot program, Food Waste Wednesdays, where those families can drop off their food waste.
Thanks to the added capacity, the Iowa City landfill would like to eventually work on diverting food waste from local grocery stores and restaurants to the compost facility.
Potent cannabis drinks and edibles legal to minors in IowaIowans — including minors — can legally buy high-potency marijuana drinks and gummies because of loopholes in state and federal laws, according to leaders in the state’s new Bureau of Cannabis Regulation.
While 5 to 10 milligrams of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, can be intoxicating, some drinkable products have 1,000 milligrams or more per can, according to bureau staff. These products often are marketed as “heavy” because of the large doses of THC by weight of the product.
Iowa’s medical marijuana program, created in 2015 and expanded several times since, allows for people with certain medical conditions to buy products licensed in Iowa with a maximum of 4.5 grams THC per 90-day purchase in most cases. THC is the primary chemical in a marijuana plant that causes the “high.”
Iowa’s consumable hemp program limits the THC in products, including food, drinks and lotions, to 0.3 percent by weight. If you have a 12-ounce beverage, 0.3 percent is 1.02 grams or 1,020 milligrams.
Iowa Cannabis Regulation Bureau Chief Owen Parker said he will talk further with the...
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for September 15, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service it will be sunny on Friday with a high of 81 degrees. On Friday evening the low will be 59 degrees, and a chance for showers and thunderstorms will increase as we head into the morning hours on Saturday.
Collins Aerospace, the North Carolina-based company that employs 9,000 people in Iowa, will lay off less than 1 percent of its total workforce.
The news was confirmed by a company spokesperson this week, who said the layoffs will be made across the company — not in one specific division or location.
Collins, an RTX business, employs about 80,000 people worldwide, of whom 7,000 are based in Cedar Rapids. One percent of the company’s workforce would be about 800 positions.
Erin Callender, director of global media relations for Collins, said the layoffs are part of an alignment effort.
“Collins Aerospace is implementing actions to align its cost structure with the ongoing aerospace recovery,” Callender said in an email. She could not comment on when the layoffs will happen, or how many employees in Iowa may be affected.
According to reportin g from the Associated Press, an Iowa police officer died after being shot while trying to arrest a man who was later captured in Minnesota, officials said on Thursday.
Algona Police Officer Kevin Cram was shot just before 8 p.m. Wednesday as he tried to serve an arrest warrant on 43-year-old Kyle Ricke.
Cram, a 33-year-old husband and father who had been an officer in Algona since 2015, was pronounced dead at a hospital.
Cram was on patrol in Algona, a town of about 5,300 residents, when he learned of an active arrest warrant for Ricke on a charge of harassment, Mortvedt said. The officer saw Ricke and told him he would be arrested. That's when Ricke shot him, Mortvedt said.
In a move to expand equitable access to trees and green spaces nationwide, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Thursday announced an award of $6 million toward Cedar Rapids’ effort to reforest the city after the 2020 derecho toppled most of the city’s tree canopy.
Vilsack, along with other federal officials, announced the major grant on a visit to Greene Square in downtown Cedar Rapids.
Cedar Rapids is among 385 recipients of $1.13 billion in U.S. Forest Service grants that will help communities grow tree cover in urban spaces and provide Americans with the health benefits that trees offer.
The funding, made available through the $740 billion Democrat-backed Inflation Reduction Act that took effect in August 2022
Vilsack told reporters the combination of community leadership, nonprofit organizations, faith-based organizations and other partnerships behind ReLeaf Cedar Rapids made it a compelling application within the state of Iowa and a fitting location to spotlight in unveiling the grants.
The grant goes a long way toward the $37 million Cedar Rapids city officials and non profits are looking to secure to fund a 10-year plan to plant 42,000 trees
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for September 14, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service it will be sunny in the Cedar Rapids area on Thursday with a high near 77 degrees. It will be mostly clear Thursday evening with a low of around 49 degrees.
Mercy Iowa City has arranged tours of its health care facilities next week for potential bidders interested in competing for its assets against the University of Iowa — which last month made an initial “stalking horse” bid of $20 million to buy the 150-year-old community hospital.
During a hearing Wednesday in U.S. Bankruptcy Court — following Mercy’s Aug. 7 filing for Chapter 11 protection — attorney Felicia Perlman, representing Mercy through her Chicago firm, McDermott Will & Emery, said several interested parties have signed nondisclosure agreements in anticipation in learning more about the assets they may potentially bid on.
“We do have several parties who have signed (nondisclosure agreements) and are active in the data room, and we are providing diligence to and these tours for.”
Mercy unveiled the UI as its initial $20 million bidder Aug. 7, the same day it filed for bankruptcy. Two days later, the hospital proposed a Sept. 19 deadline for competing offers and built in “bid protections” for the university — raising concerns among the hospital’s secured creditors, who Mercy owes $63 million.
In response to questions about whether such a truncated timeline would chill competing bids and whether other objectionable provisions — like the UI protections and a caveat implying the facility must remain a hospital — Mercy attorneys this week agreed to sale-procedure amendments, which Judge Thad Collins on Wednesday indicated he’ll approve.
Tiffin voters approved a 1-cent local-option sales tax Tuesday intended to help the city keep up with its rapid population growth.
The city of 5,200 in Johnson County passed the sales tax with 186 votes (63 percent) in favor and 109 (37 percent) opposed. More than 10 percent of registered voters in the city turned out to vote, the Johnson County Auditor’s Office reported.
The sales tax of 1 percent will start Jan. 1 and is expected to generate about $600,000 a year. Half the money will be used to keep Tiffin property taxes from going up much above the current levy rate of $11.80 per $1,000 of taxable value, while the rest will be used to help pay for infrastructure projects in the growing community. In 2021, Tiffin was expected to double in size by 2030.
Tiffin officials have been planning for a rec center since at least 2020, when they envisioned an indoor facility with a gymnasium with a walking track above it, fitness rooms and possibly a pool.
Other priority projects are a new fire station, a park with an inclusive playground, as well as sewer and streets projects, Mayor Steve Berner told the Gazette.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for September 13, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service there may be some patchy fog before 8 a.m. on Wednesday in the Cedar Rapids area, but besides that it will be sunny with a high near 72 degrees.
A dead man who was found last week on the University of Iowa campus has been identified as Gabriel Moliter, 44, of Iowa City, according to university police.
Emergency responders were called to the north patio of the Stanley Hydraulic Laboratory, on Riverside Drive, at 7:15 a.m. Sept. six on a report of an unconscious and possibly deceased male, according to UI police. When they arrived, responders confirmed the death.
Based on a preliminary investigation and help from the Johnson County Medical Examiner, officials don’t believe foul play was involved in the death, a news release states. The release does not say what Moliter’s cause of death was.
Moliter was not a student or employee at the university, authorities said last week.
A magistrate concluded Tuesday, following last month’s non jury trial, that a North Liberty teen driving a sport utility vehicle on May 22 failed to yield to a jogger who he struck in a marked crosswalk on Melrose Avenue and Kennedy Parkway in Iowa City.
Sixth Judicial District Magistrate Mark Neary ruled Jonathan J.F. McCaffery, 16, at the time, “did not comply with the common law requirements under the circumstances.” McCaffery approached the pedestrian crosswalk at a little over the speed limit, according to what McCaffery told a police officer. At the scene, McCaffery said he was driving at “full speed.”
McCaffery is the son of University of Iowa head basketball coach Fran McCaffery.
Neary, in the ruling, said there is no evidence, according to police, that the teen was speeding, driving in a reckless manner, that he was distracted while driving or using his cellphone, or that he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Three witnesses said McCaffery didn’t slow down until the vehicle hit Corey Hite, 45, of Cedar Rapids. Witnesses also testified that another motorist had waved Hite into the intersection before McCaffery’s vehicle arrived.
Hite, an Iowa National Guard soldier, later died from his injuries.
Under Iowa law, there is an enhancement for this misdemeanor when it results in a death, which includes a $1,000 fine, a driver's license suspension of up to 180 days or both, according to police.
The NCAA has denied Iowa defensive lineman Noah Shannon’s appeal of his yearlong suspension for sports wagering, Coach Kirk Ferentz said Tuesday.
The failed appeal essentially marks the end of college football for Shannon, a sixth-year senior and two-year starter on the defensive line.
Ferentz previously said Shannon placed a bet on a different University of Iowa sports team. The NCAA’s updated sports gambling guidelines suggest an athlete who does so “will potentially face permanent loss of collegiate eligibility in all sports.”
“I don’t agree with or understand, quite frankly, the decision, especially when it comes to the severity of the punishment,” Ferentz said Tuesday. “The panel that heard the appeal had an opportunity to really do something, make a decision that to me would...
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for September 12, 2023.
It will be sunny with a high near 75 degrees on Tuesday. According to the National Weather Service there will be a slight chance for rain in the Cedar Rapids area after 5 p.m. Otherwise it will be partly cloudy with a low of around 49 degrees.
Under proposed revisions to bankruptcy procedures for the sale of Mercy Iowa City, the 150-year-old community hospital might not remain a health care facility, might not go for $20 million, won’t give the University of Iowa the “bid protections” it once offered for the purchase and won’t be completed this month.
Responding to arguments that aspects of its initial procedures could deter alternate bidders from competing with the UI’s proposed “low purchase price” of $20 million, Mercy has agreed to change some of its requested rules — including one requiring bidders to “continue operating the project as a hospital.”
While initial procedures that Mercy on Aug. 9 asked a bankruptcy judge to approve required competing bidders to show health care experience in owning or operating comparable facilities, discussions since then have persuaded Mercy to instead simply request information from a bidder if it has health care licensure or “contemplates the ongoing operations of the hospital,” court records made public Monday show.
A bankruptcy hearing to consider this and other issues is set for 10:30 a.m. Wednesday.
A veteran-owned spirit company is recognizing those who have earned the highest honor in serving their country.
Cold Zero Premium Spirits, a whiskey and vodka company founded last year by members of the United States Military Special Operations community, will soon release a special edition of their whiskey honoring Medal of Honor recipients.
The 2,000 bottles, signed by six Medal of Honor recipients, will be available near Veterans Day in November through distributions at Hy-Vee, Fareway, military base stores and their website. Proceeds will benefit the Congressional Medal of Honor Society.
In addition to their signatures, the labels will tell the stories of how each veteran earned the highest decoration in the armed forces. Each veteran’s story also will be highlighted weekly through the company’s social media.
Cold Zero Premium Spirits, founded by CEO Casey Maxted with other veterans, hit the shelves in April 2022 with whiskey and vodka produced in partnership with Cedar Ridge Distillery in Swisher. Rye whiskey, their first product, is aged in repurposed wine bottles from Napa County, California’s wine country.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for September 11, 2023.
There could be some rain to start your Monday. According to the National Weather Service there will be a chance of showers and potentially thunderstorms before 10 a.m. There also will be patchy fog between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. The chance for rain will go down as the day goes on. The high is predicted to be 70 degrees with cloudy skies.
An Indiana man was killed in an accident Saturday morning after his motorcycle collided with the back of a semi, ejecting him into the roadway where he was run over by another semi.
According to an Iowa State Patrol crash report, at 11:37 a.m. on Saturday a motorcycle being driven by Jon Gregory Brian, 57, of West Terra Haute, Ind. was traveling east on Interstate 80 in Poweshiek County when it collided with the back of a semi driven by Sherman Gilbert, 44, of Holbrook, Ariz.
Brian was ejected from his vehicle, landing in the roadway. He was then run over by another semi driven by Sidney Greenlee, 34, of Chicago.
A medical examiner was called to the scene by emergency responders. Brian was declared deceased and his body was transported from the scene.
Police apprehended a Cedar Rapids man on a motorized bicycle Saturday afternoon and accused him of fleeing the scene of a two-vehicle accident on Highway 30.
According to a media release from the Linn County Sheriff’s Office, emergency responders were called at 2:43 p.m. on Saturday for a personal injury accident at the intersection of Highway 30 and Cedar River Road.
According to police, the driver of one of the vehicles, Kenneth Kistener, 61, of Cedar Rapids was not at the scene of the accident. Officers apprehended Kistener heading south on Cedar River Road on a motorized bicycle.
After investigating the incident, they determined Kistener had been at fault for the original accident. According to their account of the report, Kistener had been traveling north on Cedar River Road when he failed to yield upon entering Highway 30, colliding with a vehicle heading east. The driver of that vehicle was listed as Daniel Franks, 44, of Marion.
Franks was uninjured in the accident. Kistener was transported to a hospital by Mount Vernon Ambulance for treatment of his injuries, according to the release.
The accident remains under investigation by the Linn County Sheriff’s Office with charges pending against Kistener, according to the release.
Welcome to the weekend!
This is Stephen Colbert from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for Saturday, September 9th, and Sunday, September 10th, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service, temperatures on Saturday will be sunny, with a high near 82, cooling to a low around 57 Saturday evening.
Sunday will be mostly sunny, with a high near 81. Sunday night there will be a chance of showers and thunderstorms until 4am with a low around 60.
Iowa City Council votes to replace City Park Pool
City Park Pool, an “iconic” facility that has served the needs of the Iowa City community since 1948, will be replaced with a new pool.
The Iowa City Council voted unanimously this week to replace the pool. The vote followed an hourlong presentation of a report prepared by consultants from Williams Associates Architects of Itasca, Ill. The city hired the firm in May to analyze whether the pool should be repaired or replaced.
The 100-page report recommended replacement of the pool and includes a detailed list of the reasons why: water loss, accessibility, health and safety, and sustainability.
The report puts repair costs for the pool at about $10.5 million. A new pool could cost between $10 million and $15 million.
Report: Davenport building collapse had two ‘root causes’
Removed brick and inadequate support structures caused the west wall at a downtown Davenport building to collapse in May, an investigative report released Thursday concluded.
The report is dated Aug. 15, and was completed by two city-hired investigative engineering companies on the causes and origins of the partial collapse of the six-story building at 324 Main St. on May 28. The collapse resulted in three deaths, one person losing their leg, and many more homes and belongings lost.
The 113-page report determined that removing layers of brick during repair work in the three days before the collapse "severely compromised the western bearing wall" and that "the temporary shoring that had been installed was grossly inadequate."
Iowa looks at Florida program connecting needy with nonprofits, churches
Iowa officials are looking into a Florida program that connects people who need assistance with food, housing and other essentials to nonprofits and faith groups after Gov. Kim Reynolds expressed interest in it at a campaign event earlier this year.
Kelly Garcia, director of Iowa Health and Human Services, and a representative from Reynolds’ office attended a Florida conference this week focused on Hope Florida.
The state program uses online tools and state "navigators" to help people who need assistance connect with nonprofits and churches with the goal of getting them off government assistance programs. Members of the conservative Christian advocacy group The Family Leader from Iowa also attended the event.
The program, spearheaded by Florida first lady Casey DeSantis, uses a service called CarePortal, which allows people to submit requests for assistance. Nonprofits and faith groups can see those requests and respond. CarePortal is used in similar programs in other states.
Hope Florida also works with employers to help single parents find schedules that allow them to care for their kids and also with employers who can hire people with developmental disabilities.
Have a good weekend, everyone.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for September 8, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service it will be partly sunny in the Cedar Rapids area Friday with a high near 77 degrees. It will gradually become sunnier as the day goes on. Friday night it will be clear, with a low of around 52 degrees.
All three of Iowa’s public universities have larger student bodies this fall than last — as of their official 10th-day census — including a small bump for the University of Northern Iowa, which has seen its enrollment trend down for more than a decade.
UNI’s total fall enrollment of 9,021 is up 72 students from last fall’s 8,949 — although it’s still below all of the previous falls dating to 1967 and well below its peak of 14,070 in 2001.
The University of Iowa also reported a slight total student body increase from 30,015 last fall to 30,042 this fall, as did Iowa State University — reporting 30,177 students, up 208 from last year’s 29,969.
ISU’s increase makes it — once again — the largest of Iowa’s three public universities, returning it to that position after UI enrollment surpassed that of the Ames campus last fall for the first time in a decade.
Iowa Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley told reporters Wednesday that “I have no question whatsoever” about Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s health and ability to lead the caucus and broker passage of funding bills needed to avert a government shutdown.
McConnell, 81, has faced renewed questions about his health after freezing up twice during news conferences in the last two months since falling and suffering a concussion in March.
McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky, was cleared to work by the Capitol’s attending physician, Dr. Brian Monahan. Monahan, in a letter released Tuesday by McConnell’s office, said there is no evidence the Senate GOP leader has a seizure disorder or experienced a stroke or a movement disorder such as Parkinson’s disease.
McConnell is the longest-serving party leader in Senate history. Questions about his health have sparked intense speculation about who may eventually replace him.
A $43 million general obligation bond issue that would fund construction of a swimming pool and wellness center in the College Community School District that will be operated by the YMCA is heading to district voters Nov. 7.
The College Community school board unanimously approved a resolution Wednesday ordering an election after the district received 1,690 signatures — almost double what is required — to put the referendum on the ballot.
The bond also would fund an expansion of a wrestling practice room and convert existing gym space into an indoor batting facility at the new Ninth Grade Center — opening next fall — and an addition of a concession stand and ticket booth at John Wall Stadium.
The facility, if approved by voters with the district, could open as early as summer 2025.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for September 7, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service there will be a high of 77 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area Thursday. It will be cloudy through mid morning, then the sky will gradually clear. The wind will be calm all day, with the low dropping down to 52 degrees.
A Linn County jury Wednesday convicted Brandon Lee Nelson for attempting to kill one police officer and pointing a gun at another after leading authorities on a high-speed chase on July 30, 2022.
The jury deliberated more than four hours following four and half days of trial. All jurors were polled, as requested by the defense, and all confirmed the 13 guilty verdicts.
The officers, Blair Klostermann Cavin and Matt Jenatscheck, who shot and injured Nelson after he pointed and aimed a shotgun at them, were in the courtroom for the verdict, along with a few family members and other Cedar Rapids officers.
Nelson, during testimony Tuesday, said he planned to have the police kill him because he was depressed over a breakup with his girlfriend and didn’t have the “courage” to kill himself. Nelson told the jury he had no intention of killing or harming the officers.
Nelson was hit three times before being downed by police at the scene. He discharged the shotgun once.
University of Iowa police are investigating a body found on campus Wednesday morning, although “the death is not believed to be suspicious.”
Emergency responders were called to the north patio of the Stanley Hydraulic Laboratory on Riverside Drive. at 7:15 a.m. Wednesday on a report of an unconscious and possibly deceased male, according to UI police. When they arrived, responders confirmed the death.
“Based on the preliminary investigation and assistance from the Johnson County Medical Examiner, the death is not believed to be suspicious,” according to police.
The individual, whose name was not released, isn’t a current student or employee, and the incident does not pose a threat to campus safety, authorities said.
Five current and former Iowa and Iowa State student-athletes have pleaded guilty to reduced charges in the state’s investigation into illegal sports betting, agreeing to pay a fine instead of risking jail time, according to court documents.
Current and former Iowa State University athletes Hunter Dekkers, Jake Remsburg and Dodge Sauser, and former University of Iowa athletes Aaron Blom and Gehrig Christensen, all have pleaded guilty to underage gambling.
That charge carries a $645 fine and no jail sentence. Previously, all five had been charged with tampering, an aggravated misdemeanor that can be punishable with a sentence of up to two years in jail.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for September 6, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service it'll be mostly cloudy Wednesday in the Cedar Rapids area with a high near 75 degrees. It will also be breezy with a northwest wind of 10 - 20 mph with gusts as high as 30 mph.
Two athletes being investigated for illegal sports betting now face felony identity theft charges, the most serious counts filed to date in the ongoing state investigation of gambling on Iowa campuses.
Eyioma Uwazurike, a former Iowa State University football player and current member of the National Football League’s Denver Broncos, and Paniro Johnson, a current Iowa State wrestler, each have been charged with Class D felony identity theft, according to court documents filed in Story County.
In Iowa, a Class D felony carries punishments of up to five years in jail and a fine of between $750 and $7,500. Uwazurike and Johnson also still face an earlier charge of tampering with records, an aggravated misdemeanor punishable by up to two years.
Both men have pleaded not guilty to both charges, and both are scheduled for separate jury trials at 9 a.m. Oct. 24 in Story County District Court.
The new identity theft charges, filed last week, allege Uwazurike and Johnson fraudulently used another person’s identifying information for their benefit in an amount exceeding $1,500. Court records in both men’s cases describe how they allegedly engaged with another individual to create accounts with sports betting companies and then placed bets from those accounts.
A Palo man accused of pushing an 8-year-old boy into a fire pit this weekend is also facing a trial on a charge that he assaulted his girlfriend in June.
According to a criminal complaint released Tuesday, the boy ran Saturday from the home that Christopher Wayne Maas, 42, was staying in on First Street in Palo. After reaching a nearby park, the boy told adults there that Maas, his mother’s boyfriend, had shoved him into a firepit, causing severe blistering to his face and shoulder.
The Linn County Sheriff’s Office said it was looking for Mass, and he turned himself in Sunday at to Cedar Rapids police, where deputies took custody.
Maas was charged with child endangerment causing serious injury. He was released from the Linn County Jail on Tuesday after posting a $5,300 surety bond and a promise to appear in court Sept. 11.
Maas also is facing a previous charge in Linn County Court of assault causing bodily injury in relation to a June incident. He is accused of assaulting his girlfriend by dragging her off a bed, causing her to hit the back of her head on a bench, and slamming a car door in her face after he tried to drag her out of the vehicle, according to a criminal complaint
Former President Donald Trump will be among the thousands in Ames on Saturday to watch the annual Cy-Hawk football game.
Trump's campaign announced Tuesday he would attend the game, but did not say whether the former president and current front-runner for the Republican presidential nomination would hold any public events while in Ames.
Kickoff for the game between the University of Iowa Hawkeyes and the Iowa State Cyclones is set for 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Jack Trice Stadium.
This is John McGlothlen with The Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Tues., Sept. 5.
According to the National Weather Service, it will be mostly sunny and hot today, with a high near 95, and heat index values as high as 100. we’ll have a 10 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 5 p.m. Then tonight, a 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly between 7 p.m. and 1 a.m., with a low around 66.
The real estate owner at the center of multiple lawsuits over the collapsed building in Davenport has filed suit against the engineering firm that inspected the building. Andrew Wold, whose Davenport Hotel LLC owned the apartment building at 324 Main St., is accusing Select Structural Engineering, a company that inspected the building in the months before the collapse, of several things, including negligence and breach of contract. “At no time did Select Structural opine that the defects in the west wall would require an evacuation of the building,” Wold’s suit states. “To the contrary, Select Structural expressly stated that the Davenport Hotel was not in danger of collapse and that no evacuation was necessary.” Select has not yet answered the allegations in Wold’s suit. The new suit was filed last Thursday as part of an answer to another suit in which Wold, Davenport Hotel LLC and Select are among the defendants, according to Scott County court records. The May 28 partial collapse of the building at 324 N. Main St. occurred in the center of the west side of the six-story structure and involved every floor. Three people died, another lost a leg and many people lost their homes and property.
A vehicle traveling on Interstate 380 in Buchanan County Monday morning went off the roadway at a bridge, crashed onto the road below, and burst into flames, causing the death of one inside the vehicle. According to the Buchanan County Sheriff's Office, at approximately 6:25 a.m., several 911 callers reported details about the fiery crash witnessed at 330th Street below I-380, east of Brandon. The name of the person killed has not yet been released. Authorities closed 330th Street underneath I-380 but the entrance and exit ramps for the interstate remained open as they continued their investigation. The closure was expected to last for several hours.
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🎹 Podcast music: “Journey” by Emily McGlothlen
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for September 4, 2023.
It’s going to be a hot one for your Labor Day. According to the National Weather Service it will be sunny in the Cedar Rapids area with a high near 96 degrees. There will be a bit of a breeze, with a wind of 5 to 15 mph gusting as high as 25 mph.
In tallying up assets for its Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing — adding together everything from investments and real estate to office furniture and petty cash — Mercy Iowa City is reporting it’s “doubtful’ or perhaps even impossible for them to collect $161.7 million in patient account receivables.
That nearly $162 million is out of $189 million in currently owed patient fees for services billed or rendered — which could include charges not just to patients, but to insurance providers or government payers.
“The health care industry practice is to state accounts receivable at the gross value of the charges,” Mercy officials told The Gazette when asked about the many millions it won’t collect “Contractual reductions by commercial and government payers, charitable care, and uncollected bad debt substantially reduce the cash collected by the provider/hospital.”
Still, Mercy acknowledged that a deeply flawed rollout of an updated electronic medical record system in March 2022 “created significant operational problems,” including challenges with coding, billing and collecting for patient services.
“Mercy continues to work through the poor implementation of its IT system that negatively impacted its cash collections,” officials said.
We have much more detail on Mercy Iowa City’s recent bankruptcy in the Gazette or on thegazette.com
A Palo man turned himself in to authorities after they said he pushed a juvenile into a fire pit, causing severe burns.
According to a Linn County Sheriff’s Office news release, deputies were dispatched at 10:35 a.m. Saturday to a splash pad in Palo after receiving a report of a juvenile with severe burns to his head and shoulder. The callers said he had come from 1003 First St. in Palo.
After investigating, deputies determined the juvenile — whose age was not released — had gotten the burns when a man had shoved him into a fire pit, according to the news release. Deputies believe that man was Christopher Wayne Maas, 42, of Palo.
Linn County deputies searched the home at 1003 First St. but were unable to find Maas. According to a news release, Maas turned himself in to Cedar Rapids police and was taken into custody by Linn County deputies.
Maas was booked in the Linn County Jail on charges of child endangerment causing bodily injury and interference with official acts. The incident remains under investigation.
The Cedar Rapids Fire Department was called to the scene of a crash in northwest Cedar Rapids Friday night after a stolen car, which was being pursued by police, crashed into a home.
Cedar Rapids police were called to 4515 Martin Ct. NW at 11:24 p.m. Friday on a report there had been a burglary and a vehicle — identified in court filings as a Toyota Scion tC — was stolen. According to a news release issued by the police department, officers located the stolen car being driven in the area.
When officers attempted to stop the vehicle, the driver — Robert William Becker, 37 — lost control and crashed into the house at 909 Wiley Blvd. NW, the release states. Becker reportedly fled the scene, but was apprehended.
Becker has been charged with second-degree theft, in addition to a variety of eluding charges.
This episode was produced by Bailey Cichon and features the following stories from The Gazette:
Dive into Labor Day weekend at Eastern Iowa pools, splash pads by Diana Nollen
Nearly 60% of Iowa beaches had swim warnings this summer by Erin Jordan
Meth traffickers sentenced for bringing 'astronomical quantities' to Iowa by Trish Mehaffey
For the latest news from The Gazette, visit thegazette.com.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for September 1, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service it will be sunny in the Cedar Rapids area on Friday with a high near 87 degrees. On Friday evening there will be clear skies, with a low of around 59 degrees.
No one was injured in a Thursday afternoon fire at the University of Iowa’s Iowa Advanced Technology Lab.
The fire at the lab, 205 N. Madison St., was quickly extinguished and the damage to the building is not expected to impact day-to-day operations, according to a UI news release.
The fire was reported at 1:07 p.m.
When University of Iowa police, UI Fire Safety and the Iowa City Fire Department arrived, people were evacuating the building and pointed the public safety officials to the southwest side of the building, where smoke was coming out of stainless-steel wall panels.
An estimate of the damage is not yet available, and an investigation into the cause of the fire is ongoing.
A body pulled last week from the Cedar River has been identified as Kevin Finch, 53, who authorities said died of natural causes.
A city public safety news release said the last known address for Finch was in Ankeny, but did not say why his body was discovered here.
An autopsy performed by the state medical examiner showed no foul play was suspected in Finch’s death, according to the news release.
All ramps of the Interstate 80 and Interstate 380 interchange opened Wednesday afternoon for the first time in years as the major road project nears completion.
The Iowa Department of Transportation announced the good news for drivers on electronic signs leading up to the interchange.
The $387 million interchange project, which began in 2018, replaced the cloverleaf loops with directional ramps. Iowa DOT widened I-80 on both sides of the interchange, I-380 north of I-80 and Highway 218 south of I-80.
The department expects the makeover to reduce crashes and traffic delays on highways that will see increasing car and semi traffic, officials said last week at a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Crews still are working on median barriers and installing permanent striping and rumble strips. But the Iowa DOT — and Johnson County officials — wanted to get all the ramps open before Friday’s FRYfest in Coralville and before Saturday’s Hawkeye football season opener.
NewBo City Market is preparing to undergo a $2.5 million project that would provide more space for businesses, a grocery store, a stage and a mezzanine that would become a stronger incubator for local entrepreneurs, artists and farmers.
The planned work at the market — a central community gathering space that developed after the devastating 2008 flood — still is in the early stages, according to Julie Parisi, the market’s executive director.
But the vision has been over a year in the making to make improvements that fuel tourism and enhance the market’s role as a community hub.
The new mezzanine would be built over about one-third of the north end of the market space, where seating is now located. Seating and event space will be moved onto the...
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for August 31, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service it will be sunny with a high near 81 degrees on Thursday. On Thursday evening it should be clear, with a low near 52 degrees.
Iowa Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds said she will not reinstate COVID-19 restrictions as hospitalizations across the state increase and cases of a new coronavirus variant prompt masking requirements and other restrictions to reemerge at some colleges and businesses in other parts of the country.
In a statement issued by her office Wednesday, Reynolds said "concerned Iowans have been calling my office asking whether the same could happen here. My answer — not on my watch."
In recent weeks, COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations have been on the rise across the United States. This comes as the omicron variant EG. 5, recently designated as a “variant of interest” by the World Health Organization, became the newly dominant variant in the country.
The World Health Organization said it has not seen evidence of an increase in the severity of illness under omicron variant EG.5, but the appearance of a new "highly mutated" variant dubbed BA.2.86 — which the Washington Post reports threatens to be the most adept yet at evading the body's immune response — has raised questions among virologists and health officials about what the coming months could hold.
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird has appealed a recent district court decision that would allow certain voting materials to be printed in languages other than English.
In a statement, Bird — a Republican — said the move is an effort to “protect election integrity and defend state law.”
The appeal follows a June court decision in which a district court judge ruled that county election officials could provide voters with non-English voter materials, like registration forms.
“The Iowa English Language Reaffirmation Act is clear; all official documents are to be written in English — including voter registration forms,” Bird said in a statement. “We look forward to arguing our case in court to uphold the Act and secure the integrity of our elections.”
The June decision overruled a long-standing interpretation of Iowa law that barred the state and counties from providing voter registration forms and other materials in languages other than English. The lawsuit was brought by the League of United Latin American Citizens of Iowa against Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate, the Iowa Voter Registration Commission and four county auditors.
The Supreme Court will either take up the appeal or send it to the state Court of Appeals to decide.
A Hiawatha man was sentenced to two and a half years in prison Monday on federal charges that he left threatening voicemail messages threatening to lynch an Arizona county election official and the Arizona Attorney General
Mark A. Rissi, 64, pleaded guilty in April to two counts of sending a threatening interstate communication.
Despite the Justice Department’s request for a 24-month sentence, U.S. District Judge Dominic Lanza, a Trump nominee, sentenced Rissi to 30 months in prison.
In court on Monday, Rissi’s attorney, Anthony...
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for August 30, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service it will be sunny Wednesday with a high near 81 degrees. It will be clear Wednesday evening with a low of around 49 degrees.
Witnesses testified Tuesday they saw a North Liberty teen driving a sport utility vehicle hit a jogger — “flipping him up in the air,” one said — as the jogger ran across a marked crosswalk on Melrose Avenue and Kennedy Parkway in Iowa City.
Three witnesses said the SUV, driven by Jonathan J.F. McCaffery, 16 at the time, didn’t slow down May 22 until the vehicle hit the jogger, Cory Hite, 45, of Cedar Rapids, in the crosswalk. There is no stop sign or signal at the crosswalk, but there is a sign warning drivers in advance of the walkway.
Police officers who testified Tuesday said they determined that McCaffery could not have stopped in time to avoid the collision with Hite.
Sixth Judicial District Magistrate Mark Neary heard testimony during a bench — or non jury — trial Tuesday and will file his written ruling later. McCaffery didn’t attend the hearing. He waived his personal appearance, which was granted by the judge, as long as he stipulated he was the driver in the fatal crash.
Of the 131 dogs removed Thursday, nine have died, officials said Tuesday.
Eight dogs died from health issues, including heat stroke and canine parvovirus. The other was “euthanized because of temperament issues related to ongoing pain and the neglect endured prior to being in our care,” according to Lee Hermiston, the public safety information officer for Iowa City.
The dogs were surrendered to Iowa City Animal Services after an inspection of the puppy farm, 3027 540th St. SW, near Riverside, by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. Inspectors found the dogs on the property were being kept in hot, dirty conditions, and many of the dogs were in a “state of distress.”
Some of the dogs taken from the farm are being kept at the Iowa City Animal Care and Adoption Center, and others are being housed at other locations in Iowa City. Animal services was able to borrow several dog pens from Cedar County, and other supplies were donated by community members after news about the dogs was reported.
The Bissell Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports animal welfare, is taking 60 of the dogs to an adoption agency in Michigan on Wednesday, and 30 of the dogs will go to other adoption agencies
The Iowa City Public Library was evacuated Tuesday afternoon after receiving a bomb threat, according to a Facebook post from the library.
The threat was received around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday. The Iowa City Police Department responded and the library was evacuated out of an abundance of caution, according to the police department. The library stayed closed for the rest of the day Tuesday.
“We understand that this situation may cause concern and inconvenience to our patrons. Please know that we are doing everything we can to address the situation as quickly and safely as possible,” the Facebook post stated.
The library is scheduled to be open Wednesday with regular hours, according to the post.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for August 29 2023.
According to the National Weather Service it will be sunny, with a high near 87 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area on Tuesday. The low will clock in at around 56 degrees.
A motorcyclist who was involved in a crash on Interstate 380 in Cedar Rapids last week has died in the hospital from injuries related to the crash.
Ramius Hardiman, 30, of Cedar Rapids, was injured on Tuesday, Aug. 22 when he rear-ended an SUV on I-380. Cedar Rapids police told The Gazette last week that Hardiman’s injuries were not life-threatening, but a news release issued by the department Monday morning states that the motorcyclist has now died.
Hardiman was reportedly spee ding for several miles before colliding with the SUV. The occupants of the SUV were not injured.
The interstate was closed for more than two hours Tuesday after the crash, which happened just before 5 p.m., causing a large backup of traffic.
Hardiman was arrested in 2010, when he was 17, on charges of vehicular homicide after a crash on Nov. 8, 2010 that killed 17-year-old Jose Mendoza. The counts alleged Hardiman was operating a vehicle, in which Mendoza was a passenger, under the influence of alcohol and that he was driving recklessly when the car rolled and hit a utility pole in the 3300 block of Cottage Grove Avenue SE, Cedar Rapids.
The city of Cedar Rapids has opened a new skatepark. And, as with many things in the downtown area, the park has been cleverly worked into the city’s massive flood protection system.
Last weekend the city opened the facility, in the park at 1501 A St. SW, after building a detention basin as part of its permanent flood control system. The skatepark is now entirely made of concrete and features 28 obstacles — a variety of quarterpipes, wedges, ledges and more.
The reopening comes after the city demolished the original skatepark at Riverside Park.
The city replaced elements of the skatepark with concrete instead of steel parts, in line with current standards. California-based Spohn Ranch, a global skatepark designer, worked on the new design along with Alburnett-based Pirc-Tobin Construction.
Stage two of the Rochester Avenue reconstruction project is nearly complete, the city of Iowa City announced last week.
Stage two has included work on Rochester Avenue between Rochester Court and Rita Lyn Court. Paving was scheduled to start last week.
Once paving is complete, sidewalks and driveways between the two streets will be installed. This work is anticipated to wrap up in mid-September, which is when the project area will open to traffic.
Until then, drivers should still use the detour of First Avenue, Court Street and Seventh Avenue.
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for August 28, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service it will be mostly sunny Monday with a high near 84 degrees. It looks at first blush like it will be nice through Thursday, with it heating back up above 90 degrees on Friday.
More than 100 dogs were surrendered last week to Iowa City Animal Services after an investigation of a dog breeder in rural Johnson County, according to a news release from Iowa City Animal Services.
The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship performed a random inspection Thursday at Sunset Valley Farm, 3027 540th St. SW near Riverside, which found the 131 dogs on the property were being kept in hot, dirty conditions, and many of the dogs were in a “state of distress.”
According to the report, the exhaust fan in the whelping building — where the dogs give birth — was not running when the unannounced inspection started. With the exhaust fan running, the indoor temperature was still 91 degrees Fahrenheit, with 64 percent humidity.
The whelping area was not clean, and nearly all the 16 female dogs and pups were found with matted coats and dirty fur.
Johnson County Sheriff Brad Kunkel said no arrests have been made, but the investigation at the dog breeding operation is ongoing.
Loren Yoder, the owner of the farm, was cited multiple times by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2022. A call to Yoder Friday afternoon requesting comment was not returned.
The Iowa City Animal Shelter has been asking for donations from the community over the weekend to help care for the dogs. Their most recent request of Sunday night was for a freestanding, outdoor kennel.Measuring at least 6x8' and have a gate.They also were asking for canned wet food.
You can check with the Iowa City Animal Shelter what their latest needs are on Facebook or by calling 319-356-5295.
Drivers will be happy to know the massive reconstruction of the Interstate 80/380 interchange is ahead of schedule and nearing completion.
The goal is to get the last two ramps open by the end of the month, Hugh Holak, resident construction engineer with the Iowa Department of Transportation, told The Gazette.
Those two ramps are the Highway 218 northbound ramp to I-80 westbound and the I-80 westbound ramp to Highway 218’s southbound ramp.
The remaining work on the ramps includes shoulder grading, signage and other finishing work, Holak said.
Opening the ramps by the end of August, he said, should help traffic flow over the Labor Day weekend and for FRYfest in Coralville and Hawkeye football games.
The $387 million interchange project, one of Iowa DOT's top priorities, is at the junction of I-80, I-380 and Highway 218 in Johnson County.
Welcome to the weekend!
This is Stephen Colbert from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for Saturday, August 26th, and Sunday, August 27th, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service, temperatures on Saturday will be partly sunny, with a high near 83, cooling to a low around 54 Saturday evening.
Sunday will be sunny, with a high near 81. Sunday night will remain clear, with a low around 57.
Bondholders, bankruptcy trustee seek slowdown in Mercy hospital sale
Although Mercy Iowa City wants an expeditious sale of its assets — after the 150-year-old hospital filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy this month — its bondholders and creditors this week asked a judge to tap the brakes to give them time for due diligence and to maximize the “value of the sale.”
“(Mercy’s) proposed bidding procedures are premised upon an exceptionally abridged timeline,” the hospital’s primary bondholders argued in court filings Thursday, referencing Mercy’s request for a Sept. 19 deadline for other bids to compete with the University of Iowa’s $20 million opening offer.
Chief Judge Thad Collins on Friday agreed to move a hearing on the timeline and sale process from Aug. 31 to Sept. 13 — which is just a week before the Sept. 19 bid deadline Mercy wants him to approve.
Mercy didn’t object to the new hearing date, but Mercy attorney Dan Simon said his client still will be pushing for an expedited process.
Extreme drought develops in northeast Iowa
Drought conditions in Iowa have worsened amid a lack of rainfall and a heat wave that has stretched for days.
A large area of extreme drought has developed in several northeast Iowa counties, according to a U.S. Drought Monitor weekly report on Thursday. That is the second-worst classification of four the agency uses to denote drought conditions.
The counties included in the new severe drought classification include Black Hawk, Grundy, Butler, Bremer, Chickasaw, Floyd, and a small eastern portion of Allamakee County.
The typically wettest months of the year have passed, and relatively heavy rainfall in the first half of August did little to improve the drought in Iowa. That led the federal Climate Prediction Center to reverse its rosier outlook for drought and predict that a similar dryness will persist in the state for the next two months.
About 47 percent of the state’s topsoil had sufficient moisture for growing crops as of Sunday, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
President Biden approves Iowa disaster declaration for Mississippi River flood damage
President Joe Biden on Friday approved a disaster declaration and relief for seven Iowa counties that sustained a combined estimated $6.3 million in damages from spring flooding along the Mississippi River.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds requested the major disaster declaration earlier this month. Rapid snow melt caused severe flooding in the seven Iowa counties between April 24 and May 13, resulting in significant damage to public infrastructure and private property.
Seven gauges measuring river height along the Iowa side of the river broke top five record crests.
The declaration makes available federal funding to state, tribal, and eligible local governments and certain nonprofits on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by flooding in Allamakee, Clayton, Des Moines, Dubuque, Jackson, Lee, and Scott counties.
Have a good weekend, everyone.
