The Gazette Daily News Podcast

Featured Stories:– Cedar Rapids schools back to the drawing board on Harrison Elementary plans– Here's how Cedar Rapids is working to address Hy-Vee's closure of First Avenue store– ‘Swine Republic' makes Library of Congress' ‘Great Reads' listSign up for Gazette newsletters here or listen to the award-winning On Iowa Politics Podcast.This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.

Featured Stories– Lisa Bluder announces retirement as Iowa women's basketball coach– Iowa DNR asks Attorney General to seek penalties against co-op that caused massive fertilizer spill– Iowa AG Bird attends Trump trial in NYC, expresses support for former presidentThis episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.

Featured Stories- Seeking long-term mental health treatment in Iowa- Iowa schools draw fewer candidates for superintendentjobs- Motherhood takes Cedar Rapids native to highest highsand lowest lows

Featured Stories:– Authorities seek Iowa sex trafficking victim who killed alleged abuser– Budget cuts, homelessness among topics in annual Linn County address– Orchestra Iowa among area organizations receiving Inspire Iowa grants– Consider taking the Daily News Podcast SurveyThis episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.

Featured Stories– Justice Department, civil rights groups sue to block Iowa immigration law – First Avenue Hy-Vee to close, leaving urban grocery gap in northeast Cedar Rapids– Bud & Mary's to sell cannabis vapes in Missouri– Mucha artistry on display at Cedar Rapids museum– Consider taking the Daily News Podcast SurveyThis episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.

Featured Stories– West Union loses over $60K to email scam– Iowa facility that mistreated residents with intellectual disabilities nears closure– Two annual Cedar Rapids beer festivals merge into Cedar Rapids Brewing Society Benz Fest, debuting this weekConsider taking the Daily News Podcast Survey. Find a full transcript of this episode at thegazette.com. This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.

- Mount Mercy, St. Ambrose considering becoming ‘one institution'- Second autopsy of David Schultz to proceed without body- Reynolds signs new law to bolster early reading- Consider taking our Daily News Podcast Survey

Featured Stories:Iowa universities propose tuition increases for next yearCedar Rapids teachers get 3% base wage increase next yearIowa Republicans call to rally around Trump at state conventionConsider taking our Daily News Podcast Survey - we're considering changes but want to hear from you first!Find episode transcripts on thegazette.com. This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.

Featured Stories- Why Iowa struggles to pass hands-free driving laws- New law protects bikers, mobile pedestrians in crosswalks- Time Check Neighborhood- Daily News Podcast SurveyEpisode TranscriptWelcome to The Gazette's Daily News Podcast for Monday, May 6, 2024. This podcast provides the latest headlines from the Gazette newsroom. I'm Becky Lutgen Gardner.First, despite broad support, Iowa struggles to pass hands-free driving laws. Bills mandating hands-free technology to limit cellphone use while driving have been introduced in the Iowa Legislature since 2019, but all attempts at passage have been unsuccessful. More than 30 other states have passed such laws. Why doesn't Iowa?Advocates, fueled by personal tragedies like Ellen Bengtson's death in 2020, have relentlessly urged lawmakers to follow suit. Ellen was fatally struck by a distracted driver who was checking an app on his phone while doing over 55 miles an hour.The absence of a hands-free law in Iowa resulted in the judge dismissing the case against the driver. Despite bipartisan and law enforcement backing, the latest distracted driving bill faced staunch resistance, notably from a libertarian faction within the GOP, citing concerns about individual liberties.Rep. John Wills believes the focus should be on broader measures to curb distracted driving, not solely on phoneuse. He argues, "Let's not make the phone the enemy... Let's cure thedisease rather than putting a Band-Aid on it."Such arguments are drawing criticism. Luke Hoffman, executive director of the Iowa BicycleCoalition rejects the idea of a false choicebetween freedom and safety. "What is the first responsibility ofgovernment? It is to protect the people," Hoffman asserts.Ellen's mother, JoAnn Bengtson, urgesdrivers to prioritize safety and emphasize personal responsibility: "Putyour phone away... Turn your notifications off."Despite these pleas, the legislative impassepersists, leaving families like the Bengtsons grappling with profound loss."Justice in this case doesn't bring our daughter back," PeterBengtson laments. "As a parent, you want to protect your daughter. It'ssomething we'll never get over."Next,advocates say a new law signed Fridayby Gov. Kim Reynolds will make Iowa's roads and crosswalks safer.The legislation extends the state's crosswalk protection law. Drivers in Iowa are now required to yield to pedestrians in crosswalks.The new law expands that requirement by requiring vehicles to yield tobicyclists and pedestrians using mobility devices in crosswalks. Iowa Bicycle Coalition executive director Luke Hoffman said, “Whether youare out on the trails as a cyclist, a person with disabilities in a wheelchair,a senior citizen on an electric scooter, a kid on a...

Featured Stories:– Iowa's graduation rates have been incorrectly calculated for the last 10 years– Justice Department intends to sue to block Iowa immigration law– 300 tornadoes hit U.S. in April, second-most everConsider taking our Daily News Podcast SurveyWe're considering some changes to the Gazette Daily News Podcast, but we want to hear from you before doing so. This episode's description has a link to a brief survey or you can visit thegazette dot com slash survey. We hope you take a few minutes to share your thoughts on this show. Thank you!This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.

Featured Stories:Boy charged with firing gun at Hiawatha police officersBelle Plaine gets $500K to boost water retention amid drought'School of Rock' ready to roll through Theatre Cedar RapidsThis episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.

Featured Stories– Herkys land across community in dark of night– Iowa income tax rates head lower and faster under new law– Abelardo's opens second fast food Mexican restaurant in Cedar RapidsThis episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.

Featured Stories:– U.S. drug control agency will move to reclassify marijuana in a historic shift, AP sources say– Shellsburg man told police he helped Traer woman kill her husband in 2021– Iowa City native returning to Hancher stage with ‘Chicago'This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.

- Court order moves fatal crew club lawsuit against ISU to trial- Here's how closing Hills Elementary saves the Iowa City School District $1.66 million- Western Iowa man dies as spate of tornadoes hits the state

- Google data center would be among Cedar Rapids' largest water and energy users- Cedar Rapids City Council advances Higley Mansion rezoning- Local Farmer's Markets getting underway

- Iowa athletes file federal lawsuit against DCI over sports betting probe- Iowa Supreme Court sides with UI in Children's Hospital spat, reversing $12.8M judgment- LaSalle, Regis middle schools to share leadership under Xavier Catholic Schools- Linn County weather radios back on the air

Featured Stories- Relief but sorrow after missing Iowa trucker's body found- Iowa State, UNI closing DEI offices after regent directives, legislation- Universities balance retention with lawmaker concerns as tenure numbers slide- Heavy rain, severe storms possible Friday through Sunday

Featured Stories– Cedar Rapids awards incentives to proposed $21M commercial park– You can vote on coolest thing made in Iowa– Learn about renters' rights through free workshop Thursday in Cedar RapidsThis episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.

Featured Stories– Caitlin Clark is set to sign a new Nike deal valued at $28 million over 8 years, reports say– Iowa City man sentenced to 12 years for illegally possessing gun that toddler found– Audit finds risk, consequences within UNI's Compliance and Equity Management OfficeThis episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.

Featured Stories– Iowa's 2024 legislative session is over, here are the major changes passed– Cedar Rapids man faces charges he tried to kill fiancee– Three dogs found dead on Cedar Rapids trails– Lansing's Black Hawk Bridge reopens after emergency repairsThis episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.

Iowa Senate doesn't extend pause on new casinos, opening door for C.R. to seek licenseHere's why half of Latino immigrants are chronically homeless in Johnson CountyBill Quinby, community builder and moral compass, dies at 92

Featured Stories:Cedar Rapids police respond to hoax threat at Harding Middle SchoolEPA again will allow summer sales of higher ethanol blendLinn-Mar's declining enrollment contributing to $2.5 million budget cutsThis episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.

Featured StoriesLawmakers approve overhaul of Iowa's mental health system. Here's what it would do.Willis Dady to host annual Hops for Housing fundraiserIowa saw 8 tornadoes TuesdayThis episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.

Featured Stories:– University of Iowa eyeing $40M hydraulics facility in Coralville– Cedar Rapids woman to plea to stealing from Madison Elementary PTA– Iowa lawmakers revive effort to advance social studies concepts developed by conservative group This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.

Featured Articles– Hawkeyes downsize baseball field renovation, for now, due to ‘cost concerns'– Trails turn small towns into cyclist sanctuaries– Proposed state tax incentives for billion-dollar projects passed, sent to governorView the full Gazette Cycling Guide here.This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.

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 closesThis episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.

- Iowa retailers warn of unintended consequences of capping THC content in hempproducts- Settlement brings transparency to real estate market but not necessarily lower prices- Clarkonomics: Caitlin Clark's rising star brings economic jolt to Iowa

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 dentistThis 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-ownerThis 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 RapidsThis episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.

Featured Stories:Gov. Kim Reynolds signs law boosting oversight of foreign ownership of Iowa farmlandEsports facility to be built in CoralvilleHills school closure prompts city to consider changing districtsThis 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 storefrontThis episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.

- Despite Hawkeye championship loss, there's no denying a newera for women's basketball- Cedar Rapids receives $56 million federal grant to fund EighthAvenue Bridge replacement - What Iowans can expect from today's solar eclipse

Featured Stories Cedar Rapids secures $56 million federal grant to fund Eighth Avenue Bridge replacementIowa women's basketball returns to national championship game with comeback win over UConnHigley Mansion in Cedar Rapids could become residential rehab house for substance use treatmentThis 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 yearThis episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.

Featured Stories:Former University of Iowa Hospital employee uses fake identity for 35 yearsIowa's government boards no longer are required to have gender balanceLive Stream: The 2024 Total Solar Eclipse April 8 This episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.

Featured StoriesIowa House passes bill bolstering early literacy standardsIowa City student wins prize in C-SPAN's national video documentary competitionKingdom Community Center awarded $100,000 at third-annual Grand Impact luncheonThis episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.

Featured StoriesCedar Rapids' Harrison Elementary to stay open this fallCedar Rapids police respond to swatting call at Jefferson HighCzech Village museum's Clock Toer to add Prague-style astronomical clock features, figurinesThis 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 planEpisode TranscriptWelcome to The Gazette's Daily News Podcast for Monday, April 1, 2024.This podcast provides the latest headlines from the Gazette newsroom. I'm BeckyLutgen Gardner.First, Cancer in Iowa: Iowa is changing how it looksfor cancer clusters. That includes screening tests, proposed policies, andpersonal advocacy to help move the needle in the fight against Iowa's highcancer rates.In 2023, Iowa's cancer rates soared to the second highest in the country.The Iowa Cancer Registry has investigated 150 suspectedcancer cluster cases since 1994.But only one investigation near Wellman resulted in aconfirmed cluster finding.Researchers now want to reverse the clusterinvestigation process by identifying locations with known contamination and thenstudying cancer rates nearby.The CDC also has new cancer cluster guidelines recommendingtracking communities to see if the disease develops over time.Gary Streit helpedco-found the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network in 1977. And then wasdiagnosed in 2016 with prostate cancer.Within months, he had surgery to remove his prostate. Every year, heparticipates in the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life to fundraise forfighting 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 formore screening tests to detect and treat cancer earlier. Though few are gainingtraction with lawmakers, they're proposing policies that help prevent cancer.And they're assuming another powerful role: advocates who can raise awarenessand demand change, all in the name of keeping Iowa's population safer andhealthier.Finally, Iowa's state parks will no longer have park rangers undera new alignment plan being executed by the Iowa Department of NaturalResources.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 toa specific state park or parks. Iowa DNR spokeswomanTammie Krausman said, “Under alignment, State Park Managers and NaturalResource Technicians will exclusively handle state park operations, allowingDNR's sworn peace officers to solely focus on law enforcement tasks,” But park advocates say the change will mean reduced lawenforcement presence at state parks, which, in the summer, become hubs ofactivity that can involve overconsumption of alcohol, unsafe boating andcriminal 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 planManchester examining options after $4.25M verdictAdults get in on Eastern Iowa Easter funThis 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 AnamosaThis 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 decidesAnamosa releases sewage into Wapsipinicon after equipment failureAEA changes, education funding and teacher pay boosts signed into law by Iowa Gov. ReynoldsThis episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.

Featured Stories:Coralville woman charged with stealing thousands from youth softball associationIowa Gov. Reynolds' education director pick praised, criticized during public hearingNew chicken chain is planning first Iowa restaurants in Cedar Rapids, CoralvilleThis episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.

Featured StoriesNew exhibit showcases old connection between pop artist Keith Haring and Iowa City elementary schoolMarion teen guilty of first-degree murder in 2023 shooting deathThe Iowa Gardener: Iowa's changing weatherThis episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon. Find the latest Eastern Iowa news at thegazette.com

- Cancer in Iowa: What you need to know about Iowa's soaring cancer rates- Cancer in Iowa: What role does agriculture play in Iowa's high cancer rates?- Future of Hills Elementary to be decided Tuesday by Iowa City school board

Featured storiesHouse GOP budget plan would raise Social Security retirement age, ban abortionCedar Rapids fire that killed man was accidentalCardboard Boat Regatta returning to Cedar Rapids Freedom Festival lineupThis episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon.

Featured Stories:Google named as company behind proposed $576M Cedar Rapids data centerEric Marshall named Orchestra Iowa CEOIowa City 12-year-old found safeThis 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 IowaThis 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 2040This 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 enactedWater taxi starts Monday at closed Black Hawk BridgeRed Hot Chili Pipers bringing ‘bagrock' to Paramount Theatre in Cedar RapidsThis episode was hosted and produced by Bailey Cichon. View the latest Eastern Iowa news at thegazette.com.

Featured Stories– Report: Iowa's state parks need 100M in infrastructure repairs, updates– Iowa DNR finds no living fish in fertilizer-contaminated river– Johnson County sheriff working on plan for new jail