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This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Tuesday, April 27. It should be another sunny, warm day Tuesday, so get out and enjoy it. There is a forecast for rain and slightly cooler temperatures for the days ahead this week. Staying in the immediate present, the National Weather Service is predicting a high of 83 degrees Tuesday with partly sunny skies. The wind will hover around 10 to 15 mph. Then overnight into early Wednesday there will be a chance for rain that will turn into a chance for showers and thunderstorms.  It appears Iowa will hold onto its four U.S. House seats for at least another decade. The first results of the 2020 census released Monday confirm a dramatic shift in population, as Americans are leaving northern Rust Belt states in favor of sunnier venues where economic opportunities are more plentiful. Rapid population growth in Sun Belt states will shift congressional representation to the South and West and away from the Northeast and Midwest. Despite that trend, Iowa's population grew nearly 4.8 percent in the past decade, from 3,046,355 to 3,192,406, the Census Bureau said. Under a bill legislators are slated to take up this week, Iowa governments would be barred from issuing "vaccine passports" to people as proof they have received COVID-19 vaccinations, and businesses and venues open to the public could face penalties if they require immunization proof. The bill comes after Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, along with other Republican governors, has signaled her opposition to vaccine passports. The proposed new state law would prohibit state and local governmental entities from producing identification cards that include whether the cardholder has received a COVID-19 vaccination. Also, government entities and businesses holding a sales tax permit, nonprofit or not-for-profit organizations, or an establishment open to the public at large will not be able to require a patron or other person who is invited onto the premises to furnish proof of COVID-19 vaccination prior to entering. Some pre-pandemic normalcy is starting to come back at the Eastern Iowa Airport. Compared to March 2020. the airport had an 18.9 percent increase in enplaned passengers, which counts travelers who board in Cedar Rapids, and an 11.4 percent increase in total passengers. They're the highest monthly numbers since February 2020, the last month not affected by COVID-19. The recovery varies by airline. Carriers focused more on leisure travel -- and American Airlines had especially high traffic. Spring Break falling in March also had an influence on these numbers. At 5 p.m. Monday, the University of Iowa presidential search committee stopped taking public feedback on the four finalists to succeed outgoing UI President Bruce Harreld. It has several days to tabulate questionnaire results before presenting the findings to the Board of Regents on Wednesday. But the regents are not committing to publicly share the feedback before choosing a new president. The search committee will meet in https://www.iowaregents.edu/meetings/university-of-iowa-presidential-search (closed session Wednesday) to both evaluate finalists and present public feedback to the regents before the board interviews candidates https://now.uiowa.edu/2021/04/board-regents-meet-ui-april-29-30 (Thursday and Friday.) This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com).

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Saturday, April 24 and Sunday, April 25. I feel the need to start the weather off by informing you it is going to randomly jump up to a high temperature of nearly 80 degrees Monday and Tuesday. I mention this both because the weekend's weather will not be as interesting, and because that is roughly a 40 degree jump from some of the highs this past week. I don't mean to undersell this weekend's weather, though. Besides some frost in the mornings it should be rather pleasant. According to the National Weather Service there will be a high near 60 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area Saturday with partly sunny skies. Sunday will feature very similar weather, with partly sunny skies predicted and a very low chance for precipitation.  It is an event that was made to be announced on the radio: Toby Keith is coming to the Xtream Arena. The Xtream Arena in Coralville announced Friday that the country music star will be the venue's first concert. Keith will headline the arena on Oct. 14 with guest Matt Stell. The roughly $70 million arena and sports complex https://www.thegazette.com/government-politics/ahead-of-bittersweet-opening-coralville-arena-backers-express-excitement-for-the-future/ (opened in September 2020) and has hosted sporting events and soon will be home to a USHL hockey team, but this marks the first music event for the venue. The arena has a capacity of 6,600 for concerts. Federal health officials lifted a temporary pause Friday night on the use of the one-dose Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine after a safety review by the CDC and the FDA. The agencies had paused use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine last week because of reports of six cases of blood clots among the millions of people who had received the vaccine. The announcement Friday evening followed a meeting of an independent advisory panel to the CDC that recommended the inoculations with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine resume. The panel said the benefits outweigh the risks even as it was briefed about an additional small group of recipients who had developed blood clots. Rob Sand, the Democratic Iowa state auditor, said Friday he is considering three options for next year's elections: run for re-election as auditor, run for governor or run for the U.S. Senate. Followers of Iowa politics have suspected Sand, a former staffer in the Iowa Attorney General's Office who was elected state auditor in 2018, was likely to run for governor or the U.S. Senate seat in 2022. Sand confirmed that speculation Friday during taping of this weekend's episode of “Iowa Press” on Iowa PBS. In local politics, the vacancy on the Johnson County Board of Supervisors will be filled by special election. Johnson County voters will go to the polls June 8 to fill the seat of former Supervisor Janelle Rettig, who resigned last weekend. The decision to hold a special election was made Friday by a committee consisting of County Auditor Travis Weipert, County Recorder Kim Painter and County Treasurer Tom Kriz. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news? If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Friday, April 23. Friday could start a little rainy and end a little windy, but this should give way to warmer days ahead. According to the National Weather Service there is a 30 percent chance of precipitation before 1 p.m. Friday in the Cedar Rapids area. After that it will be cloudy with a high near 56 degrees. It will be a tad breezy, with a wind of 10 to 15 mph gusting as high as 25 mph. Cargill has started work on a contentious rail yard between the Rompot neighborhood and Prairie Park Fishery in Cedar Rapids, upsetting some residents who are holding out hope for a miracle to put a stop to the construction after court battles against the city have so far failed. The $6.5 million, 12-track, 200-car rail yard will go on 28 acres at Stewart Road SE to provide supply chain stability and protect jobs at Cargill's corn-milling plant, at 1710 16th St. SE, not far from the construction site, company officials said. Residents have railed against the project for fear it would create noise and air pollution, erode property values and pose safety hazards. The rail yard is expected to be operational by November, though residents have appeals pending in the state Supreme Court. Cargill plans to start work on the rail yard portion of the project in the summer, but preliminary work is underway now. The ACLU of Iowa announced Thursday it is again suing over a state law that bans Medicaid coverage for gender-affirming surgeries. The civil liberties organization filed the lawsuit in Polk County District Court on behalf of two transgender Iowans, Aiden Vasquez of Central Iowa and Mika Covington of Southeast Iowa, alleging a law excluding transition-related surgeries from public insurance funds is unconstitutional and a violation of the Iowa Civil Rights Act. The lawsuit seeks to strike down a law passed by the 2019 Iowa Legislature that amended the Iowa Civil Rights act to allow any state or local government entity to decline to use public insurance, including Medicaid, to pay for transition-related surgeries. A previous ACLU lawsuit hoping to do the same was thrown out because the court ruled the plaintiffs had not been denied coverage so the challenge was a speculative one. Vasquez has since been denied coverage under the rule. The number of Iowa high school students earning dual high school and community college credit reached a record high in the 2019-2020 school year. Joint enrollment jumped to 51,800 students from 50,587 in the 2018-19 school year, a 2.4 percent increase, according to a report last month from the Iowa Department of Education. That includes students earning 216 associate degrees, 49 diplomas and 642 certificates while still in high school. High school students participating in joint enrollment programs accounted for 40.8 percent of total community college enrollment during the 2019-2020 school year. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news? If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Thursday, April 22. There will be frost again throughout Eastern Iowa Thursday morning, but we're in for a pretty nice day. According to the National Weather Service, after the frost retreats, it should be sunny with a high near 59 degrees. The wind will be mild, blowing at 5 to 10 mph. There could be a chance of some rain late Thursday night into Friday morning. With worries that demand for COVID-19 vaccines already is slacking off as nearly half of the state's counties have declined new doses, Gov. Kim Reynolds on Wednesday implored Iowans to overcome their hesitancy and get immunized. Forty-three of Iowa's 99 counties last week rejected some or all new vaccine shipments from the state because they have not yet used their previous allotments, state public health officials said. That's up from 20 counties that declined new doses just one week before. Many of those 43 counties are clustered in the state's northwestern region. Reynolds said vaccine hesitancy is not unique to Iowa, and appears to be most prevalent among younger people. Public polls also have shown vaccine hesitancy is more prevalent among Republicans and conservatives.  For their part, several prominent Republican leaders in Iowa have lobbied for Iowans to get vaccinated. However, like many other times during the pandemic where health policy was debated, they have actively balked against anything that would require vaccination either through work requirements or vaccine passports. Iowa is nearing the 1,000,000 mark for completed, eclipsing 900,000 people as of this week. https://www.iowadnr.gov/Places-to-Go/State-Parks/Iowa-State-Parks/Palisades-Kepler-State-Park (Palisades-Kepler State Park), near Mount Vernon, will reopen Friday, nine months after the Aug. 10 derecho felled trees and damaged the lodge. Palisades is the final state park to open after the derecho. Roads, hiking trails, picnic areas and fishing access points are again all usable. Visitors can start making campground reservations through the online reservation site on April 23, the same day the park opens. The lodge will be closed for the 2021 recreation season due to extensive roof damage. The Iowa City Mosque was damaged by fire earlier this week. Iowa City Fire Marshal Brian Greer said crews were called to the mosque, 1812 W. Benton St., at 8:18 p.m. Sunday after someone praying at the mosque smelled smoke and noticed a small fire in the attic space. Crews arrived at 8:22 p.m. and had the fire under control by 8:43 p.m., Greer said. The fire was contained to the attic space, but firefighters had to open up some of the ceiling to attack the fire, Greer said. Damage to the building is estimated at $20,000. The fire is considered unintentional with an undetermined cause, though it is believed to be an electrical fire, Greer said. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news? If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Wednesday, April 21. One more cold day. Wednesday will be the last day in our latest cold snap. According to the National Weather Service you could wake up this morning to the sight of frost in the Cedar Rapids area. Then, as the weather warms slightly, there will be a slight chance of some rain in the afternoon. Otherwise it will be partly sunny and breezy for most of the day with a high near 48 degrees. Thursday it is predicted to frost again, but then warm up to 58 degrees. So much more like it. There was relief in Eastern Iowa Tuesday afternoon for advocates of racial justice as former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of all charges in the death of George Floyd. Floyd's killing on May 25, 2020, sparked outcry around the world — including in cities in Iowa, where residents protested and made demands for reform to city and school officials. https://www.thegazette.com/government-politics/community-leader-amara-andrews-to-run-for-cedar-rapids-mayor/ (Amara Andrews), vice president of the board of the Advocates for Social Justice and a Cedar Rapids mayoral candidate, said she was “so emotional and in tears over a correct verdict” when it came down Tuesday afternoon. “There was so much doubt,” Andrews said. “It's the verdict that is right, but we're so emotional over it because for so long we haven't seen justice served for people — Black and brown men in particular — who have been killed at the hands of police officers.” Advocates in several of Iowa's cities pressing for police reform in Iowa stressed Tuesday that while the verdict was a welcome one, it is only a beginning in the change they seek. Police have identified the 26-year-old man who was fatally shot last Thursday night at a residence in northeast Cedar Rapids. Police said Davvion Izael Flemings was https://www.thegazette.com/news/cedar-rapids-police-investigating-homicide/ (found lying behind a vehicle) in the driveway of a home at 1655 32nd St. NE, next door to a Casey's at 32nd Street and Center Point Road NE. He had suffered multiple gunshot wounds, police said. Emergency medical care was administered at the scene, but Flemings was pronounced dead around 10 p.m. Officers were called to the area at 9:38 p.m. for reports of shots fired. While they were en route, 911 received additional calls reporting gunfire and saying people were seen “running from a residence and leaving the scene in a vehicle,” police said. According to a report from the Associated Press, nearly half of Iowa's counties have rejected new doses of COVID-19 vaccine because of a lack of demand. State officials said Tuesday forty-three of Iowa's 99 counties declined additional shipments of the vaccines. Of the 43 counties, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has identified 12 as having a high rates of coronavirus transmission: Clay, Clayton, Dickinson, Emmet, Fremont, Ida, Lyon, O'Brien, Palo Alto, Sac, Taylor and Woodbury. Voter registration information shows that all 12 are heavily Republican counties. Republicans, both nationally and locally, have been more reluctant to accept the importance of getting vaccinated and other preventative measures. This is also true of predominantly rural counties, which many of these also happen to be. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news? If...

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Tuesday, April 20. We are continuing our hot and cold weather cycle with a return to cold. The good news is that we will be back to warm by the end of the week. According to the National Weather Service there will be a slight chance for snow before 8 a.m. Tuesday in the Cedar Rapids area. Also there will be a slight chance for rain through the rest of the early morning and afternoon. Besides that it will be mostly cloudy and brisk, with a high near 45 degrees. For all you spring gardeners out there, make some plans to protect your plants, because widespread frost is expected early Wednesday morning. A day before a lawsuit asserting a white police officer recklessly shot and paralyzed a Black motorist in 2016 was to go to trial, an insurance carrier for the city of Cedar Rapids agreed Monday to pay motorist Jerime Mitchell and his wife $8 million. The city maintained it was prepared to go to trial and defend the actions of the officer involved in the shooting, Lucas Jones, even though the police department since has fired him. But insurance carrier States Insurance agreed to the deal, without acknowledging fault or liability on the part of the defendants. The settlement is subject to approval by the City Council, which is set to next meet on April 27. Mitchell's attorneys said they believe the $8 million deal with Cedar Rapids is a “record settlement for a police-involved shooting case in Iowa.” In comparison, a federal lawsuit brought by the estate of https://www.thegazette.com/crime-courts/2-million-settlement-between-steele-family-city-of-burlington-finalized-years-after-fatal-police-s/ (Autumn Steele), who accidentally was shot and killed by a Burlington police officer in 2015, was settled for $2 million. Mitchell was shot in the early morning of Nov. 1, 2016, near Coe College. Authorities said Jones stopped Mitchell after spotting a light out on his pickup truck's license plate. Police later said Mitchell had marijuana, a scale, and cash in his possession at the time of the arrest, but no charges were ever brought against him. It appears a state budget bill dealing with health and human services could become a sticking point between Republicans in the Iowa House and Iowa Senate as they work to close out the legislative session. Senate Republicans are pushing for a state takeover of mental-health funding currently supported by local property taxes, and creation of an asset verification system for food assistance recipients — ideas that have not caught fire across the Capitol rotunda with their House GOP compatriots. House Republicans have expressed caution about making major tax changes this year due to economic uncertainty caused by the pandemic and some yet-to-be-clarified stipulations that might come with billions of dollars in federal pandemic relief. The Eastern Iowa Health Center has opened its COVID-19 vaccine clinic to anyone age 18 and older. The Cedar Rapids-based clinic, which is a federally qualified health center, will offer the two-dose Moderna vaccine, according to a news release Monday. People who receive the first dose will be scheduled for the follow-up second dose, officials said. Those seeking a COVID-19 vaccine can schedule an appointment with the Eastern Iowa Health Center online. You can find them at https://easterniowahealthcenter.com/ (EasternIowaHealthCenter.com). This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily...

Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon Alexa enabled device to "enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying "Alexa, what's the news?" If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes. This is John McGlothlen with the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Monday, April 19th. We'll have a 50% chance of rain today. It will be cloudy, with a high near 43. Winds from the northwest 10 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Tonight, we'll have a chance of rain before 11 p.m. and 1 p.m., then a chance of snow after 1 a.m., with the low around 31. The chance of precipitation is 50%, and new snow accumulation of less than a half-inch is possible. The third of four finalists to become the University of Iowa's 22nd president is Georgia State University's Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Wendy Hensel — who worked as a private attorney and judicial clerk before launching her career in academia. All three finalists announced so far have been women — beginning with Hari Osofsky, dean of Penn State Law and the Penn State School of International Affairs; followed by University of Illinois System Executive Vice President and Vice President for Academic Affairs Barbara Wilson. Hensel, like the others, will visit Iowa City for two days and meet with a wide range of campus leaders and constituents — from UI Health Care to athletics to outgoing UI President Bruce Harreld and his cabinet. She also will meet with student, faculty, and staff leaders. Her public forum is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Monday. A year and a half before her term expires, Johnson County Supervisor Janelle Rettig announced in an email Sunday she has resigned from the five-member board so she can focus on her health. Rettig was appointed to the board in 2009 and has won reelection since, most recently in 2018. Her current term is set to expire at the end of 2022. Rettig wrote in the message. “As you may know, for a long time I have had headaches and aches originally caused by Lyme disease. It's time to try to focus on reducing stress and pain.” Rettig, who has lived in Johnson County since 1989, is a former schoolteacher who worked on the staffs of elected officials and owned a retail store in Iowa City. She has championed a number of causes including addressing poverty — including food insecurity and housing needs — and human rights. She was awarded the Stonewall Human Rights Award in 1997 and the Rick Graf Human Rights Award in 2007. After finishing 12th in the regular season, the Hawkeyes' women's soccer team were No. 1 when it mattered most, and heads to next week's NCAA tourney. The Hawkeyes won 1-0 over Wisconsin Sunday in the Big Ten tournament's championship game in University Park, Pa. Wisconsin outshot Iowa 10-4 in Sunday's first half, but the game was scoreless at halftime. Jenny Cape scored on a rocket of a shot off her left foot in the 64th minute, and the Hawkeyes made the 1-0 lead stand up. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? CorridorCareers.com is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at CorridorCareers.com.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Friday, April 16. We will continue our slow climb up toward a warmer spring on Friday. According to the National Weather Service, the day could start with patchy fog in the Cedar Rapids area. Otherwise it will be partly sunny with a high near 57 degrees and a mild breeze. There will be a low chance of rain after midnight on Friday. Iowa public health officials announced Thursday that a new variant of the novel coronavirus has been detected in Johnson County.  The Iowa Department of Public Health said there is a one confirmed case of the COVID-19 variant known as the Brazilian variant.  The new variant was identified by the State Hygienic Lab, which has been conducting routine analysis of genetic sequence data to understand what strains are circulating in Iowa and throughout the United States. Public health officials are speaking with the individual affected to track where this strain may have come from. Although research is continuing, researchers are worried that the Brazilian variant is mutating to be better able to evade the body's immune response. Studies have shown the P1 variant to be as much as 2.5 times more contagious than the original coronavirus and more resistant to antibodies. Iowa's public health department stressed the importance of Iowans getting vaccinated against COVID-19, as the vaccines have shown effectiveness against known the original strain and known variants. In good news, the number of fully vaccinated Iowans has surpassed 800,000 people. As of Thursday, 800,257 Iowans have completed a vaccination series, according to IDPH data. The number is equal to 25.36 percent of all Iowans and 31.88 percent of Iowans 16 and older. Statehouse Republicans are making progress on finalizing their state budget negotiations and whittling their list of the 2021 session's must-do bills. That list, a key House leader said Thursday, no longer includes a proposed ban on hand-held use of cellphones while driving. House Speaker Pat Grassley, R-New Hartford, told reporters that private discussions among House and Senate Republicans and Gov. Kim Reynolds have moved them closer to “the same numbers” in setting a fiscal 2022 spending plan and finalizing state budget pieces. Among other budget goals, state Republicans have expressed interest in cutting taxes. Grassley said the cell phone ban would likely not have time to pass this session due to many questions members have over possible implementation of the enhanced law. Iowa law already prohibits the use of hand-held electronic communication devices to write, send or view electronic messages while driving. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news? If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for  Wednesday, April 14. The middle of the week will also be the coldest day of the week. You may wake up Wednesday morning to areas of frost in the Cedar Rapids area. It will warm up just enough to thaw this off, with the National Weather Service predicting a high near 49 degrees. Winds will be a little slower than some days, with a wind of 5 to 15 mph sometimes gusting as high as 25 mph. With Tuesday's surprising federal recommendation to put the one-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccination on hiatus, the state's public health officials hurried to cancel clinics or swap to another brand — and to reassure Iowans it remains safe to get vaccinated against the disease. Federal officials announced they were reviewing reports — none of them from Iowa — of a rare but severe type of blood clot among a handful of the more than 6.8 million individuals who have received the Johnson & Johnson shot. According to the Iowa Department of Public Health, its federal  allocation of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is suspended for two weeks as a result of the review. In light of the pause, local public health agencies are adjusting vaccine distribution plans and reallocating Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech two-shot doses to ensure the rollout continues, said Heather Meador, clinical services supervisor at Linn County Public Health. Due to production delays, the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was already the smallest part of most vaccine arsenals. Iowa was to receive just 1,800 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine this week, only a fraction compared with the over 43,200 doses of Pfizer and 31,800 doses of Moderna it is expecting. With almost 1,000 students in quarantine from exposure to COVID-19 in the Iowa City Community School District, the district's school board voted Tuesday to relax its quarantine protocol to match the Iowa Department of Public Health. The move by the district could release hundreds of students from quarantine early if they have had a negative COVID-19 test after seven days in quarantine or who are not showing symptoms after 10 days in quarantine. The measure passed in a 6-1 vote, with school board member Charlie Eastham dissenting. The district will start reaching out to families Thursday about adjusted quarantine end dates. A funeral will be held Friday morning for Iowa State Patrol Sgt. Jim Smith, who was killed while trying to arrest a man barricaded in his Grundy Center home. The patrol and Smith's family announced a visitation will be from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday at Reiff Family Center-Funeral Home and Crematory in Independence. The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Friday at Independence Community High School. Smith, a 27-year-veteran of the patrol, was shot and killed April 9 during a standoff with Michael Thomas Lang, 41. Authorities have charged Lang, who remains hospitalized, with first-degree murder. U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst has taken up arms in Iowa Republicans' battle in what they are calling the “war on meat.” Ernst on Tuesday announced proposed legislation that would prohibit federal agencies from enacting bans on serving meat to federal employees. During a conference call with Iowa reporters, Ernst conceded there are no current proposals in federal government to ban serving meat to employees. However, she pointed to a suggestion in a 2012 newsletter circulated within the federal agriculture department that employees consider participating in “meatless Mondays” to help reduce meat consumption. Ernst also cited Democratic proposals on environmental protection that she claimed would harm the animal agriculture industry. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out...

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for  Tuesday, April 13. Tuesday's weather is going to continue our trend with highs on the chillier side of the spring spectrum. According to the National Weather Service there should be a high near 53 degrees Tuesday with a wind of 10 to 15 mph gusting as high as 25 mph. Make plans for your plants, as it could get cold enough to frost overnight into Wednesday. The rest of the week looks a bit warmer, with highs in the upper 50s. House Republicans plan to freeze funding for regents universities, but said Monday they will have “plenty of money” because of infusions from federal COVID-19 relief and stimulus programs. On a party-line vote, the House Appropriations Committee passed a $970 million higher education https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/NOBA/1218443.pdf (budget) that includes a $24 million increase from the current year. None of the increase would go to the University of Iowa, Iowa State University or University of Northern Iowa in an attempt to rein in what House Speaker Pat Grassley, R-New Hartford, last week called “bloated” budgets. In addition to maintaining a budget that was reduced by $8 million last year, the House GOP plan also calls for a freeze on tuition and fees at the universities. House Education Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman David Kerr, R-Morning Sun, said that on top of $485 million in state funding the regents have or will receive $240 million from the COVID-19 relief packages approved by Congress under the Trump and Biden administrations. Kerr said due to this federal funding, regent universities will not be forced to make cuts this year. This move follows a similar approach that Republicans took with K-12 funding, where they chose not to fund schools to make up for gaps caused by the pandemic. These gaps will instead be filled by the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has directed her government to join other states in a lawsuit against the Biden administration because the funding structure currently blocks states from using the COVID relief money to lower taxes. Linn County Public Health announced that a 24-hour COVID-19 vaccine clinic will take place in downtown Cedar Rapids this weekend to vaccinate any individual age 16 and older. The large-scale public vaccine clinic will be hosted at the DoubleTree in downtown Cedar Rapids starting at 9 a.m. Saturday, April 17, and ending at 9 a.m. Sunday, April 18. The clinic will be hosted by Reutzel Pharmacy, in collaboration with the county and the Iowa Pharmacy Association. Public health officials and health care providers are aiming to give the Pfizer vaccine to approximately 1,000 people during the clinic's duration. Appointments are required for the clinic. You can make an appointment at linncounty.org or call (319) 892-6097. The Marion Independent School District has already voted to remove its former mascot The Indians, but on Monday they affirmed they will also not be Mavericks, Storm, or Wolves. In a 5-2 vote, the board voted against going forward with the Mavericks mascot that had been the frontrunner, due to the fact that the namesake of the term maverick, Samuel Maverick, owned slaves. The group decided to go back to the drawing board on coming up with a mascot that would match the school while also being culturally sensitive. The board also noted that they would like to add diversity to the mascot committee to perhaps get some varied perspectives earlier. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon...

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for the weekend of Saturday April 10th and Sunday April 11th. We can hope the forecasters will get it wrong, but it is looking like a cold and rainy weekend ahead of us. At least the first half of it, anyway. According to the National Weather Service, on Saturday there will be nearly a 90 percent chance of rain in the Cedar Rapids area after 8 a.m. The high will be 53 degrees and the wind will be breezy, with wind speeds of 10 to 20 mph gusting as high as 30 mph. There will continue to be a decreasing chance of rain through Sunday morning. Then, during the day on Sunday, the forecast is for it to gradually clear, with mostly sunny skies and a high temperature near 60 degrees. It will remain windy on Sunday, with a wind speed of 15 mph gusting as high as 25 mph. Iowa OSHA last year proposed penalties of nearly $20,000 against the Iowa Department of Corrections for workplace safety violations at the Anamosa State Penitentiary — including for not having reliable radios for correctional officers to call for help during violent attacks. The Eastern Iowa prison is where two inmates are accused of bludgeoning to death two employees March 23 in a failed escape attempt. The state occupational safety agency reported the Anamosa prison didn't have reliable radios, failed to follow its own emergency response plan and didn't have a handrail on all stairs, according to citations and notices of penalties filed Aug. 18, 2020. The total proposed penalties for those violations was $20,007. The union representing state workers contends that dropped radio calls may have been part of the reason two inmates were able to https://www.thegazette.com/crime-courts/anamosa-inmates-used-prison-hammers-to-kill-two-employees-in-failed-escape-attempt-agent-says/ (use prison-issued hammers to beat to death )correctional officer Robert McFarland and nurse Lorena Schulte March 23 at the prison. Last month's college basketball “madness” carried over to Iowa's sports betting apps, with wagering hitting a new monthly record of nearly $161.4 million in March. Figures posted by the state Racing and Gaming Commission indicated the March betting topped January's monthly record of $149.5 million. Most of the wagers -- 86 percent -- were placed via online sportsbook websites. Iowa's monthly record for sports betting also was fueled by an aggressive marketing effort by the 11 sportsbooks that have entered into agreements with Iowa's 19 state-licensed casinos to conduct legal wagering since the law took effect in August 2019 and online access expanded Jan. 1. U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson said she wants the president, vice president and House speaker to visit the U.S./Mexico border, as she did, and talk to overworked officials and witness the "human tragedy" of unaccompanied children crossing the border. The Marion Republican said she heard of "violent encounters, human trafficking and drug smuggling" at the border after touring a customs and immigration facility and speaking with Border Patrol agents and other law enforcement. "An agent told me he'd been with Border Control 20 years, and these are the worst conditions he's faced," Hinson said during a Friday call with reporters. "They were very clear their resources are strapped. They are not equipped to handle the emboldened traffickers." On Friday's call, Hinson criticized the Biden administration for undoing many of Trump's border policies, echoing other Republicans who have blamed Biden for the increase in migrants. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon

Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news? If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes. This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Friday, April 9. Rain from Thursday should taper off mid Friday, only to return again on Saturday. According to the National Weather Service, there will be a 50 percent chance of rain Friday before 1 p.m. Then it will be mostly cloudy with a high near 60 degrees. A west wind of 10 to 15 mph could gust as high as 20 mph. A fire that destroyed an administrative support office used by UnityPoint Health in Cedar Rapids will have “minimal impact” on the health system's operations, officials said Thursday. Fire departments responded Wednesday to the blaze at the two-story building at 3851 River Ridge Dr. NE, near Glass Road and Edgewood Road NE. The automatic fire alarm went off at 6:07 p.m. and the crew found half of the top floor engulfed in flames, officials said. The health system's servers were not in the building. Officials emphasized no patient data or medical records were affected by the fire. The Cedar Rapids Fire Department indicates the building is a total loss, UnityPoint Health officials said. No injuries were reported. Only two employees were in the building at the time of the fire, and were able to escape. As a lucky break, the number of employees working in the building is so low now partially due to the company adopting work from home policies as a result of the pandemic. A Cedar Rapids man already convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the fatal stabbing of Chris Bagley is now charged with attempting to smuggle opioid medication into the Linn County Jail. https://www.thegazette.com/crime-courts/cedar-rapids-man-faces-up-to-37-years-in-chris-bagleys-death/ (Drew Wagner, 34, who admitted last year to starting a fight in 2018 that led to Bagley being repeatedly stabbed to death by another, )was charged Monday with introducing intoxicants or drugs into a correctional institution. Bagley's death may have come as a result of his robbing a local drug dealer named Andrew Shaw, who also now is serving time in prison. A criminal complaint states Wagner solicited another individual to mail him buprenorphine — a drug commonly used to treat opioid addiction and also used as a pain medication — at the jail. Authorities examined a letter sent to Wagner and found a “sublingual film” attached underneath the postage stamp. The substance was analyzed at the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation Lab and was identified as the opioid medication, the complaint states. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said Thursday she has rejected a federal request to accept migrant children into the state, saying the need to find homes for them "is the president's problem." Reynolds told WHO-AM radio that her priority is the health and safety of Iowans and that the state doesn't have facilities to house migrant children for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. "This is not our problem," Reynolds said on the "Need to Know with Jeff Angelo" radio program. "This is the president's problem. He's the one that has opened the border and he needs to be responsible for this and he needs to stop it." Iowa Department of Human Services Director Kelly Garcia notified the Biden administration March 31 that the state would not take unaccompanied minors. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com).

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Thursday April 8. Thursday will bring another day with a chance for rain all day, although that won't mean it will rain all day. According to the National Weather Service there will be a 30 percent chance of rain after 10 a.m. in the Cedar Rapids area with a high near 55 degrees. Then there will be a 50 percent chance of showers Thursday evening. The cloud cover will range from cloudy to mostly cloudy all day. https://www.thegazette.com/k/over-600-students-in-quarantine-in-iowa-city-schools/ (More than 600 students in the Iowa City Community School District were in self quarantine Wednesday) — including about a third of the students at Northwest Junior High School — because of exposure to the novel coronavirus. Of those students, 127 have tested positive for COVID-19. Five staff members are positive for the disease, and 16 are in quarantine. In all, 11 classrooms were closed because of the absences. When a classroom is closed, however, students continue learning virtually for two weeks until they can return to in-person learning. Iowa City schools are following quarantine guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Students in close contact with a positive COVID-19 case, even if both people were properly wearing a mask at the time of contact, will be quarantined. https://www.thegazette.com/news/gov-kim-reynolds-calls-for-ban-of-vaccine-passports/ (Gov. Kim Reynolds said Wednesday she wants legislation to prohibit vaccine passports in Iowa), citing her concern about potential action from the federal government to create a system that businesses and other entities could use to decide who can, for instance, safely travel or attend concerts. Just a day earlier, the White House said there will be no federal vaccine passport system. During a news conference Wednesday at Iowa PBS studios, the Republican governor expressed her staunch opposition to such vaccine passports. Although she was vague about what kind of prohibition she seeks, vaccine passports, generally speaking, are documents provided electronically or otherwise that prove an individual has received the COVID-19 vaccine. The idea has been gaining traction among businesses and schools as a way of assuring customers and allowing them to reopen more broadly. However, this week the World Health Organization, citing equity concerns, said it was against mandatory proof of the vaccine for international travel. So far, the Republican governors of Idaho, Texas and Florida have signed similar executive orders forbidding their state governments from requiring or issuing COVID-19 vaccine passports. https://www.thegazette.com/higher-education/first-university-of-iowa-presidential-finalist-to-visit-monday/ (The University of Iowa next week will host a public forum for the first of four finalists) to become the institution's 22nd president. Each finalist is scheduled to make a two-day campus visit to meet with constituent groups and participate in an open forum. The first finalist will come Monday and Tuesday, with his or her public forum scheduled for 3:30 p.m. this coming Monday. The other three finalists are scheduled to come on their visits before the end of the month. Given the pandemic and social distancing requirements, in-person attendance at the forums will be limited. But each forum will be livestreamed, and members of the public can submit questions via the Uhttps://presidentialsearch.uiowa.edu/search-process/candidate-forums (I presidential search website.) This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell...

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Tuesday, April 6. We had our three days of sun. Now it's time for three days of rain. According to the National Weather Service, it will still be warm Tuesday in the Cedar Rapids area, with a high of 77 degrees, but the chance of rain will steadily increase as the day goes along. There will be a 20 percent chance for rain in the morning and then a 50 percent chance in the afternoon and evening, with showers possible. This raininess will increase, and the temperature will drop, going into Wednesday. The Linn County Sheriff's Office has identified the woman killed when a field fire spread out of control Sunday afternoon. The sheriff's office said 79-year-old Carol J. Woodson, of Marion, was https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/woman-dies-in-linn-county-field-fire-20210404 (tending a ditch fire) in the 3000 block of Gillmore Road when the fire grew out of control. Woodson was fatally injured by the fire and pronounced dead at the scene. The fatal fire remains under investigation by the sheriff's office and the State Fire Marshal's Office. Two men are in custody following a fatal stabbing in a Cedar Rapids hotel room. According to Cedar Rapids police, officers were called to the Residence Inn, 1900 Dodge St. NE, just after midnight Monday for a report of a stabbing. Police and first responders found a 33-year-old man there suffering from a stab wound to his upper torso. First responders tried unsuccessfully to provide care to the man and he was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said several people were in the room at the time of the stabbing. An argument between the victim and another man, 39-year-old Victoriano Dias-Barrera, broke out before the stabbing. DIas-Barrera and the victim knew each other, police said. Dias-Barrera was arrested on charges of first-degree murder, going armed with intent and assault with a dangerous weapon. Police said another man at the scene, 29-year-old Anthony Diaz, was wanted for murder in Texas. He also was arrested. Diaz and Dias-Barrera are in custody at the Linn County Jail. Given https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/education/university-iowa-athletics-hawkeyes-75-million-deficit-coronavirus-20200915 (tens of millions in losses) the University of Iowa Department of Athletics is absorbing from COVID-19's devastating impact, outgoing UI President Bruce Harreld has agreed to permanently end an earlier https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/education/higher-education/iowa-hawkeye-athletics-to-give-more-money-to-the-wider-university-mission-20170824 (deal requiring athletics to contribute $2 million a year) in direct support to the main campus. Additionally, the University of Iowa's main campus — facing budget cuts and tens of millions in pandemic-propelled losses of its own — is nonetheless shipping $50 million to the typically self-sustaining athletics department this budget year. That money, according to UI spokeswoman Anne Bassett, will come from the university's cash reserves and come “in the form of an internal loan that will be repaid over the next 10 to 15 years.” Eco Lips has purchased Columbus Junction-based Simply Soothing, the manufacturer of the Bug Soother bug repellent. Eco Lips, manufacturer of organic lip balm, will grow Bug Soother's distribution following the acquisition, Eco Lips founder and owner Steve Shriver said. Eco Lips is in the process of moving from https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/business/eco-lips-lip-balm-iowa-cedar-rapids-marion-steve-shriver-20201218 (Marion to a larger facility in Cedar Rapids), which Shriver expects to be completed by late May. Bug Soother's operations eventually will move from Columbus Junction to the Cedar Rapids facility, Shriver said. He's in “no rush” to make the move, though. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a...

This is John McGlothlen with the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Monday, April 5th. For weather in the Cedar Rapids area today, expect mostly cloudy skies, with a 20% chance of showers before 1 p.m., then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 79. Winds will be from the south, 5 to 15 mph, and gusts as high as 25 mph. Tonight, we'll have a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1 a.m., and the low should be around 59. Authorities said a woman died Sunday when https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/woman-dies-in-linn-county-field-fire-20210404 (a field fire in rural Marion) got out of control. The Linn County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call at 3:14 p.m. from the 3000 block of Gillmore Road. Emergency personnel discovered a ditch fire that had spread. The woman who was attending the fire was on the ground, engulfed in flames and smoke. She suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. The name of the woman is being withheld, pending notification of next of kin. Police arrested two Cedar Rapids men early Sunday following a fight outside a downtown bar and after https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/public-safety/devoniere-jackson-cedar-rapids-fight-shots-fired-hazzard-county-bar-20210404 (a gunshot was heard nearby). According to a news release, at 12:58 a.m., officers were dispatched to Hazzard County American Saloon, at 402 Second Ave. SE, for a report of two people fighting outside, one of whom was armed with a handgun. When officers arrived, they did not find anyone fighting but heard a gunshot from near Second Avenue and Third Street SE. Officers were told the man who fired the gun was seen getting into a white pickup. In the 400 block of Third Avenue SE, police made a traffic stop on a vehicle fitting that description. Based on their investigation and recovery of a 9 mm handgun in the pickup, the passenger in the vehicle, 27-year-old Devoniere Jackson, was identified as the one who fired the gun. He was arrested on suspicion of reckless use of a firearm, intimidation with a dangerous weapon, possession of a firearm while intoxicated and marijuana possession. He also had a warrant through the Webster County Sheriff's Office for failure to pay child support. According to the criminal complaint, Jackson had pressed the handgun into the leg of another man to intimidate him and fired the gun into the air while other people were present. The driver of the pickup, 29-year-old Daniel Turnis of Cedar Rapids, was arrested on suspicion of operating while intoxicated. Jackson and Turnis were taken to the Linn County Jail. A shell casing was found in the roadway. No injuries were reported.  This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com).

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Saturday, April 3 and Sunday, April 4. For some of you this weekend has deep religious significance. For others, it will be a long overdo excuse to see family. The best news is that the sun will be shining down on all of us. According to the National Weather Service, your local Easter Egg hunt will have some of the best weather we've had so far this year. On Saturday it will be sunny, with a high near 73 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area and winds of 10 to 15 mph. On Sunday it will be sunny again, with a high near 75 degrees and less windy than the day before. The sun was also shining on Iowa gun rights enthusiasts Friday. Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed into law Friday a contentious measure eliminating a requirement that Iowans obtain a permit to acquire or carry handguns and loosening other state restrictions. The bill enacts a longtime wish of gun rights activists, with Iowa now joining 18 states that have similar “constitutional carry” provisions that advocates say will enhance individual rights while removing  a requirement they first get a “permission slip from the government.” The NRA applauded the signing, calling it “a common-sense measure that allows law-abiding citizens to exercise their fundamental right of self-defense in the manner that best suits their needs.” The state's decision to allocate one-shot COVID-19 vaccines to colleges and employers is “heartbreaking” to local public health officials who have been “requesting, even begging, for several weeks” to receive the doses to administer to vulnerable populations, Linn County Public Health wrote this week in an emotional plea. In a letter Wednesday, Linn County Public Health asked the Governor's Office to allocate the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to local public health agencies and let them decide what's best for their jurisdictions. “It is becoming increasingly clear that the Governor's Office does not trust local public health to identify and serve individuals in our community who are most vulnerable,” wrote Tricia Kitzmann, community health division manager, in the letter. Everyone of legal age will be eligible to sign up for a COVID-19 vaccine as of Monday. This is welcome news for getting more Iowans vaccinated, but health care providers worry that the expansion is coming before vulnerable groups have been fully vaccinated, leaving them potentially exposed for longer if they fall to the end of the line. A former acting director of University of Iowa Health Care's Central Sterilizing Services is suing UIHC and the Board of Regents for gender and pay discrimination, asserting she was excluded from meetings and decision making, paid less than her male counterparts, and fired after reporting concerns about bias and unsafe practices. When Courtney Mace Davis, now of Winfield, was terminated in April 2019, the UIHC Central Sterilizing Services she previously led was transitioning from the main campus in Iowa City to a new 48,000-square-foot facility on the Oakdale campus in Coralville. The operation is responsible for cleaning, inspecting, packaging and sterilizing nearly 10 million medical instruments a year. In suing UIHC and the regents for gender and pay discrimination, and also retaliation for reporting her concerns, Mace Davis is seeking compensation for lost wages, humiliation, anguish and weakened future employment opportunities. But she also wants the court to force UIHC to take steps to prevent discrimination going forward, like imposing training, implementing monitoring and barring disproportionate discipline for women. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/...

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Friday, April 2. Friday's weather is the example of the classic spring tradeoff: You want a change in the weather? That comes with more wind. According to the National Weather Service it should be noticeably warmer Friday and the warming trend will continue through the weekend. The predicted high in the Cedar Rapids area is 56 degrees, with a wind of 5 to 10 mph in the morning increasing to 15 to 20 mph by the afternoon. You expect temperatures in the seventies on the weekend, with the wind hopefully calming down as well. Republicans controlling majorities in the Iowa Legislature began their final march to adjournment Thursday leaving a host of other stalled ideas behind as they shift attention to setting a state budget and cutting taxes. Among Thursday's bills that will not be going further were Gov. Kim Reynolds' proposal to provide state-funded “students first” scholarships to private school families — known popularly as vouchers and a bill from Senate Republicans intended to cut off state funds for cities and counties if they “defunded” police departments; and a bill that would have abolished tenure. Also not making it were several House GOP priorities to expand access to and affordability of child care. Although the vouchers bill did not make it, a bill intended to expand charter schools as an alternative to public schools is still alive. Iowa State University announced Thursday afternoon that rowing's national governing body, the United States Rowing Association, will conduct a safety review of the Sunday accident that killed two student members of Iowa State University's Crew Club. Yaakov Ben-David, an ISU sophomore, and Derek Nanni, a freshman, https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/education/2-iowa-state-university-students-who-died-when-boat-capsized-identified-20210330 (died after their crew boat capsized). The university also mentioned in its media release that crew members had raised safety concerns in 2020, only some of which had been addressed. Construction is underway at the Eastern Iowa Airport on its $21 million renovation to relocate two taxiways and expand the space between the taxiways and the terminal. The upgrade will bring the taxiways up to the latest Federal Aviation Administration standards and remove a FAA-designated “hot spot” on the taxiway, where pilots must be “extra vigilant” of other aircraft, Airport Director Marty Lenss told The Gazette. He said the space was especially tight before the coronavirus when airlines increasingly used larger aircraft. It's anticipated the larger jets will return with increased personal and business travel. It's Luka Garza award season. The Iowa Hawkeye Center received the award as the national player of the year from the Associated Press.  After finishing second last season, he was the runaway choice for the award announced Thursday, receiving 50 of 63 votes from AP Top 25 voters. There are still several awards to go, including the prestigious Naismith award, which has already announced Garza as one of its finalists. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com).

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Thursday, April 1. No April fooling. If you and your plants made it through Wednesday's cold unscathed that is as bad as it's going to get this week, and some lovely weather is on the way. That said, the temperature isn't going to rise all at once, so it's still going to be chilly one more day. According to the National Weather Service, the Cedar Rapids area should see a high of 44 degrees with sunny skies. The low is expected to be 27 degrees Thursday night. Expect temperatures almost 20 degrees warmer on Friday and even more than 30 degrees warmer by the weekend. Davenport's police chief on Wednesday confirmed what many suspected — the remains discovered last week near DeWitt are those of Breasia Terrell, the 10-year-old Davenport girl missing since last July. An autopsy confirmed the identification, Davenport Police Chief Paul Sikorski said at a news conference at the police station. Breasia's mother, Aishia Lankford of Davenport, said in a statement, issued through the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, that “words cannot describe the heartache and emptiness that we feel.” Lankford said Thursday that while the search for Breasia is over, the family is committed to searching for answers about her death.  The lone person of interest in Breasia's disappearance is being held in the Clinton County Jail. Henry Earl Dinkins, 48, was arrested July 10 and later charged with three unrelated counts of violating the sex-offender registry. Breasia spent the night with her brother at Dinkins' home during the time period she disappeared. Dinkins is the boy's father. In just a few days, over 1.2 million Iowans who have not already started or finished getting a COVID-19 vaccination will become eligible. The state and its local partners are ready, Gov. Kim Reynolds said Wednesday. On March 17, the governor announced the state's plan to open vaccine eligibility to all Iowans who are old enough starting April 5. On Wednesday, Reynolds said that plan remains on track and that her administration, county public health departments, medical providers, pharmacies and other entities involved in distributing the vaccines are prepared to handle what surely will be a surge in Iowans wanting to make appointments. The state previously designated the vaccine for populations most at risk of contracting the disease or suffering the worst symptoms if they became ill with it. Nearly five months after the election, Democrat Rita Hart withdrew her contest Wednesday asking Congress to investigate Republican U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks' 6 vote win of Southeast Iowa's 2nd Congressional District. Hart was contesting that 22 votes were not counted due to election errors, and if they were validated she would have narrowly won. Hart said she withdrew her challenge after speaking with other Democrats in the midst of a Republican pressure campaign decrying her congressional challenge as a power grab. The decision came likely as a combination of that pressure along with a lack of support from national Democrats who would prefer keeping it as a Democratic leaning seat they can win back in less than two years over the political price of overturning an election, even if doing so would be justifiable. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news? If you prefer...

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Wednesday, March 31. Wednesday's weather will get cloudier, windier, and colder. According to the National Weather Service, there is expected to be a high of 42 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area. It should be breezy with a northwest wind of 10 to 15 mph increasing to 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon. On Wednesday night it should start to clear, with a low around 23 degrees. Two Iowa State University students who died when their school crew boat capsized on a lake on Sunday were residents of Washington, D.C., and Illinois, authorities announced Tuesday. Yaakov Ben-David, 20, a sophomore accounting major from Washington, D.C., and Derek Nanni, 19, a freshman chemistry major from Normal, Ill., drowned in the boating accident Sunday, Hamilton County and Iowa State police said. Their boat capsized on Little Wall Lake, about 15 miles north of Ames, where Iowa State is located. A range of graduate programs across Iowa's public universities again have earned spots on the esteemed U.S. News & World Report's Best Graduate School rankings for some of the best programs in the country. At the University of Iowa, its law ranking fell two spots to No. 29; its masters of nursing program ranked No. 23, also down two; education ranked No. 48, one place below last year; engineering ranked No. 84, down 10 spots; its medical research program ranked No. 39, down five spots; and its primary care medicine ranking slipping two spots to No. 22. Iowa ranks top 10 in a variety of nursing and physical therapy programs, healthcare management, and everyone's favorite outlier, printmaking. Iowa State University's full-time business program climbed three spots to No. 50, although its part-time program tumbled 33 spots from No. 112 to No. 145. Its overall engineering ranking tied for No. 47, down four from last year — with its previously top-ranked engineering-agriculture program slipping to No. 2. Iowa State continues to rank in the top 10 for its veterinary science programs as well. Iowans with an underlying medical condition can now use the state's vaccine navigator services to schedule a COVID-19 shot through the state's 211 hotline. State officials announced Tuesday that any Iowan who qualifies for the vaccine, but faces barriers to finding an appointment, can reach a vaccine navigator by calling 211 or (800) 244-7431. Those who currently qualify for a vaccine in the state are those 65 and older as well as Iowans aged 64 and younger with an underlying health condition. Previously, services through 211 had been available only to older Iowans. Vaccine navigators are available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week. Iowa men's basketball forward Jack Nunge announced Tuesday he is transferring. The decision comes after a tough year for Nunge. Last Nov. 28, his father, https://www.thegazette.com/subject/sports/hawkeyes/iowa-mens-basketball/hawkeyes-mourning-loss-of-jack-nunges-father-20201124 (Dr. Mark Nunge) of Newburgh, Ind., died unexpectedly. After this, Nunge was having a productive season as a fourth-year sophomore when he suffered https://www.thegazette.com/subject/sports/hawkeyes/iowa-mens-basketball/iowas-jack-nunge-done-for-season-x2014-again-20210226 (a season-ending meniscus tear) in his right knee at Michigan on Feb. 25. He had a torn ACL in the same knee early in the 2019-20 season. He redshirted the 2018-19 season. Nunge said his desire to transfer is to be closer to family as he pursues the rest of his academic and basketball career. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your...

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Tuesday March 30th. And now to begin yet another week of weather starting poorly with promises of improved weather by the weekend. On Tuesday the arrival of a cold front will bring high temperatures in the 40s and low 50s in the Cedar Rapids area. This cooler air will also be matched with partly cloudy skies for much of the day, although there is not expected to be precipitation of note. Temperatures will likely hover in this range for the rest of the week, until higher temperatures arrive with the weekend. Emergency workers recovered the body of an Iowa State University student on Monday, a day after a school crew club boat capsized during practice on a lake. It was the second death confirmed from the incident. The students were practicing Sunday morning at Little Wall Lake in Hamilton County when part of the boat capsized, the university said. Three of the rowing members were rescued by people who live around the lake, officials said, and a dive team recovered the body of one student later on Sunday. The three students who were rescued were treated at an Ames hospital. The names of the students had not been released by Monday morning. Starting in October, Iowa residents in the 319 and 515 area codes will have to dial all 10 digits of a phone number when making calls to make way for a new three-digit number for the National Suicide Prevention Hotline to be designated as 988. The Federal Communications Commission will require dialing both the area code and phone number starting Oct. 24. After that, calls made without the area code may not go through, instead leading callers to a recording reminding them to dial the area code. In all, the change will affect 82 area codes in 32 states. The thought is that individuals in a state of suicidal crisis might be hindered looking up a longer number, so the three digit number, similar to 911, could save lives. Iowa's economy grew faster in 2020's fourth quarter of 2020 and its pandemic-related losses were less severe than in many other states, according to a preliminary report on gross domestic product from the federal Bureau of Economic Analysis. The real GDP increased in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., in the last quarter of 2020, from 1.2 percent in Washington, D.C., to 9.9 percent in South Dakota. The fourth quarter rebound was fueled by the finance and insurance industries — two significant players in Iowa's economy. Other big areas of growth were in health care and social assistance, according to the bureau. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news? If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes.

This is John McGlothlen with the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Monday, March 29th. Weather in the Cedar Rapids area today will be sunny, with a high near 66. It will be breezy, with a south wind 15 to 20 mph increasing to 20 to 25 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 45 mph. Tonight's low will be around 44 with gusts continuing. Small business owner Jake Brummer https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/government/jake-brummer-cedar-rapids-mayoral-race-amara-andrews-20210328 (has exited) the Cedar Rapids mayoral race days after https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/government/bar-owner-jake-brummer-to-run-for-cedar-rapids-mayor-20210325 (launching his campaign). Brummer, who owns a bar in Czech Village, intended to run for the city's top elected position as a self-funded “normal guy,” looking out for the interests of ordinary Cedar Rapids residents. He has pulled out of the race to endorse community activist and businesswoman https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/government/community-leader-amara-andrews-to-run-for-cedar-rapids-mayor-20210322 (Amara Andrews). According to a news release, Brummer will serve as a campaign ambassador to carry Andrews' message of new opportunity and new leadership to working-class citizens, especially in traditionally underserved areas. Andrews is challenging https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/government/cedar-rapids-mayor-brad-hart-seeking-reelection-20210126 (Mayor Brad Hart) for the mayoral seat. Also challenging Hart so far is https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/government/tiffany-odonnell-women-lead-change-ceo-kgan-anchor-cedar-rapids-mayor-20210321 (Tiffany O'Donnell), CEO of the nonprofit Women Lead Change. In women's Sweet 16 basketball at San Antonio, the Connecticut Huskies beat Iowa Saturday, 92-72. For Connecticut, Christyn Williams scored 27 points and Paige Bueckers had 18. The game featured a matchup of talented freshmen in Bueckers and https://www.thegazette.com/subject/sports/hawkeyes/iowa-womens-basketball/connecticut-is-too-big-too-long-too-good-20210327 (Iowa's Caitlyn Clark) - who are friends that had taken the women's basketball world by storm this season. Bueckers became the third freshman to earn All-America honors. Clark led the nation in scoring and came into the regional semifinals averaging 29 points in the tournament. Bueckers also had nine rebounds and eight assists for UConn. Clark had 21 points for Iowa on 7-for-21 shooting. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com).

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Saturday March 27th and Sunday March 28th. So the weekend won't be rain free most likely, but at least it will get a bit warmer. According to the National Weather Service, there will be a good chance of rain showers before 4 p.m. on Saturday in the Cedar Rapids area. Otherwise it will be cloudy with a high of 62 degrees, with a mostly gentle wind of 5 to 10 mph. On Sunday it will be sunny, with a high near 54 degrees.  A Cedar Rapids woman was convicted Friday of kidnapping and repeatedly beating a 15-year-old girl, who endured what a doctor described at “torture” for more than nine months in 2019. A jury found Mary Jane Jackson Thomas, 47, guilty of first-degree kidnapping, second-degree kidnapping and two counts each of willful injury causing serious injury, willful injury causing bodily injury and going armed with intent. Jackson Thomas faces life in prison without parole on the first-degree kidnapping conviction. https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/public-safety/cedar-rapids-woman-admits-to-abusing-15-year-old-but-blamed-teen-for-her-actions-20210325 (Jackson Thomas, originally from Micronesia, in a videotaped police interview )played for jurors Thursday, admitted that she repeatedly slapped, scratched, bit and struck the teen with a hammer and extension cord, but she didn't admit to kidnapping — confining — the teen against her will. The woman, in the police interview, blamed the teen for being “bad” as the cause for the abuse.  The teen, also from Micronesia, is now 17, and she testified that one night she went to Cedar River Bridge and contemplated suicide to escape the beatings, but instead went to the Cedar Rapids Police. A physician's assistant who examined her injuries testified that she took the rare step of photographing them, because the old and new wounds were so numerous she had no other way to describe them. Iowa House Speaker Pat Grassley on Friday said shifting funding for mental health care services from local property taxes to the state's general fund is more complicated than just the funding mechanism. Grassley, a Republican from New Hartford, said House GOP lawmakers feel the discussion should include not just the funding but also how that money is spent by providers.The Republican-led Iowa Senate this week approved legislation that would, in phases, shift the funding for the state's regional mental health care system to the state. Those services are now funded by local property taxes. Grassley listed Medicaid and tax increment financing as other state-funded programs where he believes state lawmakers do not have sufficient input in how funding is spent. The Ely Fire Department and other Iowa fire and emergency service crews will hold a procession through Ely Saturday to honor Robert McFarland, a lieutenant with the volunteer fire department who was https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/public-safety/anamosa-ft-madison-prison-inmates-michael-dutcher-thomas-woodard-20210325 (killed at his job) as a correctional officer Tuesday at Anamosa State Penitentiary during a failed prison escape. The procession will start at 1 p.m. on State Street/Ely Road and turn right on Rock Island Drive. Fire crews will take a left onto Pacific Street, followed by another left on Banner Valley Drive. The procession will pass the Ely Fire Station and continue to Dows Street, where it will turn left toward downtown. The final turn will be right onto State Street. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon...

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Friday, March 26th. The rain from Thursday will continue into Friday. According to the National Weather Service, it will be cloudy with a high of 55 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area on Friday. There will be an 80 percent chance of rain throughout the day. The forecast does have the rain stopping by Saturday, with the temperature also picking up a bit in time for the weekend as well. Two Linn County residents — one a husband, father and volunteer firefighter and the other a nurse, avid gardener and aunt — are being remembered after an attack claimed their lives Tuesday at the Anamosa State Penitentiary. Correctional Officer Robert McFarland, 46, of Ely, and registered nurse Lorena Schulte, 50, of Cedar Rapids, were bludgeoned to death with hammers by two inmates in a failed attempt to escape, investigators said. The suspects, Michael Dutcher, 28, and Thomas Woodard, 39, https://dps.iowa.gov/sites/default/files/criminal-investigation/Press%20Release-Local%20Agenciews/Anamosa%20State%20Penitentiary/Dutcher%20and%20Woodard%20Charges.pdf (each have been charged) with two counts of first-degree murder, second-degree kidnapping and attempted murder. They made their initial court appearances Thursday afternoon through a virtual hearing from the Iowa State Penitentiary in Fort Madison, where they were transferred after the https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/public-safety/anamosa-iowa-prison-employees-death-mourn-news-conference-20210324 (grisly attack using tools checked out from the prison under the ruse of doing repair work.) The night Tyler S. Lee drove the wrong way on Interstate 380, crashing into a northbound sport utility vehicle, his blood-alcohol level was twice the legal limit, according to a criminal complaint. The complaint, filed earlier this month in Linn County District Court, said Lee's blood-alcohol level was 0.164 after the crash that killed 23-year-old David Nguyen in the other vehicle. Other passengers were injured in the accident and required treatment.  The criminal complaint said responding officers found Lee, sitting “behind the wheel of a Ford pickup truck,” displaying “obvious signs of insobriety.” He now faces two vehicular homicide charges — one related to driving while drunk and the other for reckless driving. He also faces two counts of causing serious injury by motor vehicle.  Lee was also out on bond at the time of the accident in connection to a fatal shooting in Illinois. Iowa Republicans continued a GOP-pressure campaign Thursday, casting a U.S. House review of an incredibly close congressional election in Iowa's 2nd District as a partisan power grab to pad Democrats' narrow 219-211 majority in the House. The news conference held by Republicans Thursday featured Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate, and the head of the Iowa Republican Party. Jeff Kaufmann. You get the impression they may be worried about the result of the review, as the press conference was in addition to the process being already denounced by Republicans in Congress, both Iowa Senators, and, of course, the candidate who was narrowly declared the winner, Marionette Miller-Meeks and her campaign. Miller-Meeks was seated as the provisional winner after the results were certified, her current lead stands at just 6 votes. Her challenger, Rita Hart, argues that 22 ballots were legally cast in the district but not counted, because of errors by election workers. Had the 22 ballots been tallied, Hart argues she would have won by nine votes. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette...

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Thursday, March 25th. It looks like another cold, cloudy, and rainy day is in store for us on Thursday. According to the National Weather Service, there will be a chance for rain all day in the Cedar Rapids area, with the highest likelihood for rain coming in the afternoon and evening hours. The rainfall is not predicted to be heavy. When it is not raining, it is expected to remain cloudy, with a high temperature of 50 degrees. Two inmates used prison hammers to kill a nurse and a correctional officer Tuesday morning in a failed attempt to escape from the Anamosa State Penitentiary, officials said Wednesday. Nurse Lorena Schulte, 50, and Officer Robert McFarland, 46, died of blunt force trauma to the head. McKinley Roby, an inmate who tried to help Schulte and McFarland, also was hit in the head, but survived and is being treated at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City. Another Anamosa staffer, Lorie Mathes, was briefly taken hostage in the Tuesday morning escape attempt, but was not hurt, according to Division of Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Rick Rahn, who spoke at a news conference Wednesday afternoon in front of the prison. Michael Dutcher, 28, and Thomas Woodard, 39, who were serving time at Anamosa for robbery and other charges, now are charged with two counts each of first-degree murder, second-degree murder and kidnapping, Rahn said. They had been planning the escape attempt for some time, he said. The men checked out the hammers and a metal grinder Tuesday under the ruse of fixing something in the break room area of the prison's infirmary. They used the hammers to break through windows and attempted to use the grinder to remove the bars.  The roughly 950-inmate state prison is now under full lockdown as officials investigate and assess security. A man already facing a murder charge in Illinois now faces local charges in a fatal March 7 wrong-way crash on Interstate 380 through Cedar Rapids. Tyler Lee, 34, of Rockton, Ill., turned himself in about 4 p.m. at the Linn County Jail, shortly after police announced he was being sought. He faces two vehicular homicide charges — one related to driving while drunk and the other for reckless driving. He also faces two counts of causing serious injury by motor vehicle. Police said Lee was driving a pickup truck the wrong way down the northbound lanes of I-380 near the Seventh Street NE exit when he hit another vehicle. The collision killed a passenger in that vehicle, 23-year-old David Nguyen of Cedar Rapids. Toyota Financial Services will relocate its Cedar Rapids customer service center that employs 600 people within the next two years, a spokesman told The Gazette. Toyota will consolidate its customer service centers from six to three locations — Chandler, Ariz., Plano, Texas, and Alpharetta, Ga. The Texas location will cover the central region. Toyota spokesman Vince Bray said every employee “in good standing” will be offered a role at one of the other customer service centers. “Most will be offered roles in Texas, but some could go to the other centers,” Bray wrote in an email. Bray did not disclose separation benefit possibilities for those employees who do not relocate. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news If you prefer podcasts, you can also find...

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Wednesday, March 24th. It looks like the rain will continue on Wednesday, at least for awhile. According to the National Weather Service showers will be likely in the Cedar Rapids area before 10 a.m. Wednesday. When it is not raining it should be mostly cloudy, with a high near 54 degrees. It should remain a bit breezy, with wind speeds of 15 mph occasionally gusting as high as 25 mph. A nurse and a correctional officer at the Anamosa State Penitentiary were killed Tuesday morning in what is believed to be the first fatal assault by an inmate in decades. Iowa Department of Corrections said in a statement it was investigating the assault, which took place about 10:15 a.m. in the prison infirmary. The department did not say whether the inmate used any sort of weapon in the attack.  The two victims have not been identified, pending family notifications and the investigation, the department said. Prison staff attempted giving first aid to them until paramedics arrived. The inmate — who also was not named — was restrained after the attack by security staff. Cedar Rapids Police are treating a racial slur discovered early Tuesday spray painted on a vacant rental house as a hate crime. The house has been the source of neighborhood complaints over the last year. Cedar Rapids police received a call about 7:30 a.m. that a racial epithet was painted in yellow across the front of 2307 Bever Ave. SE. “I'm disgusted and furious that someone would do this,” Chief Wayne Jerman told The Gazette. “We are handling this as a hate crime. We are talking to all the neighbors and exploring every lead at this point. We have investigators working the case.” The department said it would work with the FBI and U.S. Attorney's Office as it investigates to see whether federal hate crime statutes apply. https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/public-safety/2307-bever-ave-se-cedar-rapids-rental-house-nuisance-property-drive-by-shootings-20210322 (The Gazette published an article Sunday) about violence, including drive-by shootings and a pipe bomb stemming from this house, which the city last year had declared a nuisance property.  One of the closest elections in the country last year remains a contested one. Democrat Rita Hart's campaign has renewed its call for all lawful ballots to be counted as Republicans argue that contesting the election is a power grab. Attorneys for Hart and U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, R-Iowa, submitted initial legal briefs to a U.S. House panel on Monday. Miller-Meeks' attorney, Alan Ostergren, broadly denied Hart's claims and said the burden was on Hart to prove that a state-certified election should be overturned. Hart argues that 22 ballots were legally cast in the district but not counted, due to errors by election workers. Had the 22 ballots been tallied, Hart argues, she would have won by nine votes. As one might expect, outside political influences are shaping the debate over this electoral result. Moderate Democrats, fearing an election challenge soon, balked at bringing the issue before the full House, while Republicans have criticized the Hart campaign for not challenging the results in Iowa courts first. The Hart campaign says Iowa courts would not have acted quickly enough before the election was certified. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying...

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Tuesday, March 23rd. It was predicted to rain on Monday, and it didn't really in our area. But they are predicting it again, so I assume it's for real deal this time. According to the National Weather Service there will be rain with thunderstorms possible after 1 p.m. Tuesday in the Cedar Rapids area. There will be a high near 58 degrees with windspeeds between 10 and 20 mph gusting as high as 30 mph. Then there will be a chance for rain Tuesday night into Wednesday. Legislation that would eliminate a requirement that Iowans obtain a permit to acquire or carry handguns and loosen other state restrictions is headed to Gov. Kim Reynolds' desk following Senate passage Monday on a 30-17 vote with only Republiccan support. Majority GOP senators said adopting permit-less “constitutional carry” provisions of https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/BillBook?ga=89&ba=HF756 (House File 756) — like 18 other states — would enhance Iowans' individual rights while removing intrusive government regulations. But Democrats said the proposed changes — if signed by the governor — would make Iowans less safe and run counter to public support for the current system of background checks and permitting requirements. Gov. Reynolds refused to support permit-less carry in 2019. She called the background check for a permit to carry, which she had voted for as a state senator in 2010, “good policy and the right thing to do.” However, Republicans have indicated recently that she is excited to sign the new legislation. According to an early poll, if he runs again, former President Donald Trump is the clear favorite of Iowa Republicans to win the state's first-in-the-nation presidential caucuses. If he doesn't, it appears there will be a wide-open race for Iowa GOP support. A Victory Insights poll of 650 Iowa Republicans found that 61 percent said they will support Trump if he runs. No other Republican topped 10 percent among “very likely” caucusgoers in the poll conducted March 5-8. However, Utah U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney, “someone else” and former Vice President Mike Pence had more than 10 percent support among all Republicans.  A teenager was seriously injured Sunday when he was accidentally shot at a residence in Marion, police said. Officers who were called to the 1300 block of Seventh Street around 11:20 a.m. found a teenager who had suffered a serious gunshot wound. He was immediately taken to a hospital for treatment, according to the Marion Police Department. Police said an adult male was cleaning the firearm when it discharged, striking the teen. Iowa governments are in line for more than $4.45 billion in federal COVID-19 relief money under a nationwide $1.9 trillion package signed earlier this month by President Joe Biden, according to a preliminary analysis issued Monday by the state's nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency. Iowa's $4.451 billion share of the American Rescue Plan Act represents funds flowing through state government and do not include stimulus funding to individuals and families that totals about an additional $3.77 billion in direct payments to Iowans, the analysis indicated. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news? If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes.

This is John McGlothlen with the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Monday, March 22nd. For weather in the Cedar Rapids area today, we have a 50% chance of rain, mainly after 10 a.m. It will be mostly cloudy, with a high near 57. And winds from the south 5 to 10 mph. Tonight showers are likely, mainly after 1 a.m., with a low around 51. Tiffany O'Donnell, CEO of Women Lead Change and a former TV news anchor in Cedar Rapids, has begun a campaign https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/government/tiffany-odonnell-women-lead-change-ceo-kgan-anchor-cedar-rapids-mayor-20210321 (to run for Cedar Rapids mayor) against incumbent Brad Hart in the Nov. 2 election. O'Donnell filed a statement of organization with the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board on March 12 and is expected to make a formal announcement Tuesday. O'Donnell grew up in Bettendorf and was Miss Iowa in the 1989 Miss America Pageant. For 15 years, O'Donnell was a news anchor at KGAN and KFXA. In 2015, she joined Iowa Women Lead Change as its first chief operating officer. In 2017, she became the CEO, succeeding the co-founder. In NCAA wrestling, top-ranked https://www.thegazette.com/subject/sports/hawkeyes/ncaa-wrestling-championships-finals-matchups-results-watch-tv-live-stream-20210320 (Iowa wrapped up the team title) Saturday afternoon during the medal rounds, its 24th national championship and first since 2010. The Hawkeyes' Spencer Lee claimed his third national title at 125 pounds, while Iowa State's David Carr claimed gold at 157. In men's basketball, Iowa beat the Grand Canyon Antelopes Saturday, 86 to 74, getting 24 points from Luka Garza. Iowa hit 54% from the floor while going 10 of 22 from behind the arc. Joe Wieskamp added 16 points to help lead the Hawkeyes into the next round https://www.thegazette.com/subject/sports/hawkeyes/iowa-mens-basketball/iowa-oregon-ncaa-tournament-game-time-tv-channel-20210320 (Monday against Oregon), which advanced after Virginia Commonwealth became the first team to bow out of the bracket due to a positive COVID-19 test. In women's basketball, https://www.thegazette.com/subject/sports/hawkeyes/iowa-womens-basketball/iowa-central-michigan-ncaa-womens-basketball-tournament-score-20210321 (Iowa had an 87-72 NCAA basketball first-round victory over Central Michigan) at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. The nation's leading scorer, Caitlin Clark, finished with 23 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, Monika Czinano also scored 23 points. Clark combined with Kate Martin for 23 points and five 3-pointers in the opening 10 minutes to give the Hawkeyes a 27-20 lead. Iowa advances to play fourth-seeded Kentucky, which beat Idaho State, on Tuesday. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com).

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for the weekend of March 20th and 21st. Happy Spring Equinox. We have a nice spring-like weekend to herald the first week of spring. According to the National Weather Service Forecast we will have sunny skies in the Cedar Rapids area on Saturday with a high near 58 degrees. It will be a might bit windy, with wind speeds of 5 to 15 mph gusting as high as 20 mph. On Sunday it will be mostly sunny, with a high near 67, while still being breezy yet again. On Sunday night there will be a small chance for rain, which will transition into a higher chance for more rain on Monday. After a year of bad news, for the second day in a row Friday, no COVID-19 outbreaks were reported Friday in any of Iowa's 429 long-term care facilities. An outbreak is defined as three of more COVID-19 cases among facility residents and staff. At the peak of the winter surge in virus cases, outbreaks were reported at 170 Iowa nursing homes on Dec. 3. In the past year, 2,224 residents of long-term care facilities have died, accounting for nearly 40 percent of the 5,672 virus-related deaths in Iowa. Alliant Energy is “picking up the pace” on moving power lines in Iowa underground, Terry Kouba, the president of Alliant's Iowa company told The Gazette this week. Kouba attributed the stepped-up effort on burying lines to increased reliability and decreased customer cost. “Certainly when you get that system underground, it's much more reliable when you have those windstorms, when you have those ice storms, when you have those tornadoes going through the state,” he said. He acknowledged that last year's derecho that devastated the state's power lines almost as much as its trees has also served as a strong motivator, but the move underground has been happening for some time. Nobody tell the red-wing blackbirds they will have to find a new place to sit. U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, voted against two bills that passed the House of Representatives on Thursday that would establish paths to citizenship for millions of undocumented immigrants, including “Dreamers” brought to the country as children and agricultural workers. Noting a surge in migrants in February, Hinson faulted President Joe Biden's executive orders, which that she said have “incentivized” illegal immigration. Hinson said she supported some level of immigration protection for children brought to the country through no fault of their own, but said the legislation she voted against goes too far for her liking. Nearly $775 million in federal relief soon will be available to Iowa schools to help cover costs incurred from the COVID-19 pandemic, officials in the Iowa Department of Education said Friday. The money is Iowa's share of the more than $122.7 billion in a third round of emergency relief provided in the American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund, according to a news release. The money is part of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, signed into law March 11 by President Joe Biden. The funding can be used for summer school and for other learning and enrichment programs to counter some of the learning lost when schools closed and switched to online instruction during the pandemic. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news? If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for March 19. We're finally to that sunny weather I have been promising all week. According to the National Weather Service forecast it will be sunny in the Cedar Rapids area with a high of 54 degrees. In addition, it also won't be windy today, with the wind speed hovering between 5 and 10 mph. Expect increasing temperatures, with some variability, as we head into next week. For more than 40 years, the name of former Cedar Rapids utility executive Duane Arnold has been synonymous with nuclear power in Iowa. Now it could have a new connotation: a massive solar energy project planned for 2023 near the now-idle nuclear plant at the Duane Arnold Energy Center. In a virtual meeting with nearby landowners Tuesday night, plant owner NextEra Energy of Florida this week https://www.nexteraenergyresources.com/duane-arnold-solar.html (laid out plans) to build a solar farm on the site that could bring in a $700 million capital investment and about 300 construction jobs. The solar farm is planned across 3,500 acres at and near the now-decommissioned nuclear power plant in Palo. It is expected to produce up to 690 megawatts of solar energy — even more than the single-unit nuclear plant generated. When the Duane Arnold plant was operating, the 615-megawatt facility could generate enough electricity for 600,000 homes. Momentum for tax cuts is building at the Iowa Statehouse, but the dynamic of COVID-19 and the fate of a massive amount of federal surplus is giving Republican lawmakers pause. Currently, Iowa's budget is in a surplus position with reserves full. But much of that positivity is rooted in billions of federal stimulus and rescue dollars that have propped up government programs to aid businesses and employees negatively impacted by the disruptions caused by the pandemic. More federal help — some $2.5 billion estimated as Iowa's share — is on the way via provisions of the recently approved $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan. Under a 2018 comprehensive tax cut package, Reynolds and majority Republicans agreed to put revenue thresholds in place that, if met, would “trigger” provisions in fiscal 2024 to lower Iowa's top income tax rate to 6.5 percent, shrink the number of income tax brackets from nine to four and eliminate a provision that allows Iowans to deduct their federal income tax liability on their state returns. Republicans would like to remove those triggers and proceed with the tax cut. A former Four Oaks youth counselor pleaded guilty Thursday to sexually abusing and exploiting a 14-year-old boy in 2018. https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/public-safety/four-oaks-sex-abuse-danielle-hook-14-20200713 (Danielle V. Hook,) 29, formerly of Marion, pleaded in writing to amended charges of third-degree sexual abuse and sexual exploitation by a counselor or therapist. The Iowa Supreme Court is allowing written pleas to felonies during the pandemic. Sixth Judicial District Senior Judge Robert Sosalla accepted the pleas Thursday and also ordered Hook to register as a sex offender for 10 years and serve a special sentence of lifetime parole because these are sexual offenses. Hook pleaded to two sexually predatory offenses, so if she commits future sex offenses, she will face penalty enhancements — more prison time. According to the plea agreement, the prosecutor and defense attorney will recommend Hook, who has no prior criminal history, be sentenced to probation. She faced up to 10 years on the sexual abuse charge and five years on the exploitation charge. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news...

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for March 18. We're going  to be making our way through this round of a March cold snap as Thursday goes along. According to the National Weather Service forecast there will be a slight chance for snow in the Cedar Rapids area between 7 and 8 a.m. It will start cloudy before gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 48 degrees. As is often the case, a change in the weather will also come with heavy winds, with persistent wind of 25 mph gusting as high as 40 mph. All of-age Iowans should be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine starting April 5, Gov. Kim Reynolds said Wednesday. Reynolds said as long as the federal government fulfills its projected allotment of vaccine doses to Iowa in the meantime, the state will open eligibility broadly — not just to priority groups. Iowans who will become eligible April 5 should not yet attempt to schedule a vaccination appointment. Reynolds said she will provide another update next week after another conference call with federal officials. As of Wednesday afternoon, more than 425,000 people have completed getting their COVID-19 vaccination from Iowa providers, and another 320,000-plus have received the first dose of the vaccines that require two doses, according to state public health data. The Iowa Senate on Wednesday approved a bill that would deny high-tech companies future state and local tax breaks if they were found by a court to have illegally stifled speech or certain viewpoints on social media platforms. The bill was pushed by Republicans who say that conservative viewpoints are being silenced on social media platforms by decision makers in Silicon Valley. The bill was approved entirely with Republican votes and no Democratic support. It could impact hundreds of millions of dollars — more than $1 billion by one senator's estimate — in state and local tax incentives for Big Tech corporations like Facebook, Google and Microsoft if a court finds they have violated the free speech rights of Iowans. Meanwhile, in the Iowa House, Republicans were joined by just one Democratic vote Wednesday night in passing a bill that would broadly reduce the restrictions on firearm ownership in Iowa. In addition to expanding areas conceal carry would be allowed to places like the state capitol and school property, the bill would remove the requirement to get a state permit to carry a concealed weapon. A version of the bill in the Senate that may merge with the House bill would also promote permitless carry. An Iowa City park has been renamed after James Alan McPherson, the first Black writer to win the Pulitzer Prize for fiction and a longtime faculty member at the Writers' Workshop. The Iowa City Council on Tuesday unanimously voted to rename Creekside Park to James Alan McPherson Park. The renowned author lived in Iowa City and died in 2016 at the age of 72. McPherson wrote two story collections, “Hue and Cry” and “Elbow Room.” He won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1978 for “Elbow Room” and joined the Writers' Workshop faculty in 1981. That same year, McPherson was among the first 21 recipients of “genius awards” from the MacArthur Foundation. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news? If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for March 17. Plan more time for your Wednesday morning commute, as there could be freezing rain that makes travel difficult. According to the National Weather Service there will be a chance of freezing rain before 9 a.m. in the Cedar Rapids area, then rain after that. The high will be near 42 degrees with winds of 5 to 15 mph gusting as high as 25 mph. As the temperature drops close to freezing late Wednesday and early Thursday, there will be a chance for more freezing rain or snow. Believe it or not, the first day of spring is coming up this Saturday, and while it is predicted to feel much more springlike on that day, winter hasn't let go without a fight. Some Iowa counties on the border with Minnesota reported snowfall as high as 9 inches on Monday, with the overall depth in Eastern Iowa settling at 3 to 5 inches, with less snow the further south you happened to be. Iowa Republican senators are working with Gov. Kim Reynolds to direct federal money to cover a projected $7 million shortfall that hit Iowa preschools when enrollments dropped as parents kept their kids home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sen. Amy Sinclair, R-Allerton, chair of the Iowa Senate Education Committee, told a subcommittee meeting Tuesday she is working with the governor's office to use federal early childhood dollars as part of a measure being formulated to provide one-time supplemental school funding to help districts that incurred costs related to the pandemic, the Aug. 10 derecho and other challenges. The Senate amendment also would provide money to area education agencies that incurred COVID-19-related expenses while serving districts with in-person learning. Court documents indicate a plea agreement may be reached in the federal case against a Cedar Rapids man charged in January's violent raid on the U.S. Capitol. A preliminary hearing for https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/cedar-rapids-man-charged-in-capitol-attack-released-without-bail-must-remain-in-iowa-20210217 (Leo Christopher Kelly, 35,) has been bumped by a judge to April 8 in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., because a prosecutor, in a motion filed last week, said she was working with Kelly's attorney “in an effort to resolve this matter.” Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenya Davis, in the motion, said the prosecution also is gathering discovery to provide to the defense. Both sides requested more time and asked that a preliminary hearing be reset to next month. Some of the more than 300 defendants charged in the Jan. 6 attack also may be resolved in plea agreements, according to recent media reports. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Fretto said last Friday during a court hearing for two Texas defendants that based on information her supervisors received, the U.S. Justice Department was moving forward with plea agreements, according to CNN. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news? If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for March 16. So we have a genuine good news and bad news situation about the weather. The bad news is that we have more wintry mix to look forward to the next few days; the good news is the high temperatures will be back in the 50s and 60s by this Friday. Back in the bad news present, Tuesday shouldn't be too bad. While the National Weather Service predicts some areas of fog before 11 a.m. in the Cedar Rapids area, it should otherwise be mostly cloudy with a high near 40 with calm winds. Current predictions are for Wednesday and Thursday to be our next troublesome days with the potential for mixed precipitation. The latest round of federal COVID-19 relief is popular with the public, but Iowa U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst said Monday she believes Republicans will be able to sell their unanimous opposition to the package as a positive once the stimulus money has come and gone. The $1.9 trillion package includes, among other things, $1,400 stimulus payments to many Americans, an expansion of the child care tax credit in the form of payments to many American families, unemployment assistance, aid for state and local governments, funding for schools, food and housing assistance, and funding for vaccine production and testing. During a conference call with Iowa reporters, Ernst said she thinks Republicans will be able to campaign on their opposition to the relief package despite its popularity. She said the economic payments are good for those families who are in need, but said some are going to people who don't need them. Ernst also criticized the pandemic assistance that went to Democrat-governed states and suggested Democrats eventually will propose a tax increase to pay for the package. A former assistant with the Black Hawk and Bremer County Soil and Water Conservation District was sentenced Monday to more than two years in prison for embezzling over $430,000 and using the money for vacation cruises and other personal expenses. https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/public-safety/former-iowa-state-employee-with-county-water-districts-convicted-for-embezzling-more-than-400000-20200313 (Leslie Carey, 44, of Waterloo,) who had worked as a state employee for the district since July 2007, pleaded in U.S. District Court last March to one count of wire fraud. A plea agreement showed she used the money for cruises, online shopping and home repairs. As an assistant, Carey was responsible for the district's receipts, disbursements, payroll, bank accounts and reporting, according to court documents. She would collect and post accounting records, make bank deposits, sign checks, prepare and distribute payroll and reconcile monthly banking statements. Iowa State announced  Monday night that Coach Steve Prohm and athletics director Jamie Pollard have agreed to “part ways.”  Prohm had mixed results in six seasons as Iowa State's head men's basketball coach, finishing with a 97-95 record. Then again, in major college sports, the most important thing is what you've done lately, and Iowa State just finished arguably its worst season ever, with a record of 2-22 overall and 0-19 in the Big 12. It was just the second time in school history the Cyclones failed to win a conference game, the only other year being 1937. Iowa State also had its longest losing streak ever this season, losing 18 games in a row. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so

This is John McGlothlen with the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Monday, March 15th. For weather today in the Cedar Rapids area, expect freezing rain, possibly mixed with snow before 3 pm, then a chance of rain and snow. The snow could be heavy at times. The high will be near 34. It will continue to be breezy, with an east wind 15 to 20 mph, and gusts as high as 30 mph. Little or no ice accumulation is expected but new snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches is possible. Tonight should be cloudy, with a low around 29.  On Iowa's 3-month mark of COVID-19 vaccinations Sunday, https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/on-iowas-3-month-mark-of-covid-19-vaccinations-over-408000-complete-20210314 (over 408,000 individuals) have completed the one- or two-dose shots. Over 18 percent of Linn County's adult population and over 21 percent of Johnson County's have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to the state's numbers. In men's basketball, the Iowa https://www.thegazette.com/subject/sports/hawkeyes/iowa-mens-basketball/iowa-basketball-ncaa-tournament-selection-show-seed-bracket-first-round-game-20210314 (Hawkeyes got a No. 2 seed) in the NCAA basketball tournament and will begin tournament play against Grand Canyon Saturday at a time to be determined. The Hawkeyes have their highest NCAA seed since 1987, when they last reached the Elite Eight. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com).

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Saturday March 13 and Sunday March 14. First off, a reminder to set your clocks forward Sunday morning for Daylight Saving Time. Local fire departments would also probably like me to tell you that this is the perfect time to check the batteries in your smoke alarms to see if they still work. I mentioned yesterday that Friday would be the last day of sunny, warm weather for awhile. That weather prediction turned out to be slightly wrong: it looks like you will also get part of Saturday. According to the National Weather Service it should be sunny with a high near 60 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area through Saturday afternoon. Saturday evening the temperature will drop, and there will be a small chance for rain. Sunday that chance for rain will grow, as it will be mostly cloudy with a high of about 51 degrees. The wind will pick up to 15 to 20 mph, gusting as high as 30 mph. If that all didn't sound fun enough, Sunday night into Monday is predicted to bring a snowy mess that turns into a rainy mess. Up to 2 inches of snow could fall overnight Sunday, with rain turning into a rainy and snowy mix on Monday. Happy first day of Spring Break. I hope you are traveling somewhere warm or you enjoy staying inside and watching basketball. Without conducting a formal search — despite earlier suggestions it would — the University of Iowa on Friday named another interim administrator to assume a top leadership post on campus: dean of its largest college. Sara Sanders https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/education/university-of-iowa-dean-liberal-arts-sciences-steve-goddard-replace-20200730 (stepped in as interim dean) of the UI College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in July after its former and short-lived dean Steve Goddard abruptly resigned just a year into the job following a contentious Zoom town hall about budget cuts and fall return plans with 400-plus faculty and staff. Sanders — a social work professor who before her interim appointment served as associate dean for strategic initiatives and director of the college's diversity, equity, and inclusion division — will earn an annual salary of $375,000, up from her interim pay of $305,000 and previous $160,980 salary. Farmland value in Iowa rose by an unusually high 7.8 percent between September 2020 and March 2021, according to a new survey from the Realtors Land Institute's Iowa chapter. Troy Louwagie from Hertz Real Estate Services in Mount Vernon said low interest rates, government support, relatively few farms for sale, and concerns about inflation led to the jump. “Over history, we have not seen those types of increases,” he said. More than 1 million doses of coronavirus vaccines have been administered in Iowa as of Friday afternoon, with 990,459 of the shots going to Iowa residents. Some 366,371 individuals — 15.2 percent of Iowa's adult population — have been fully vaccinated as of 11 a.m. Friday. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news?" If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Friday, March 12. You should try and enjoy the sunny weather Friday, because we are going to be reminded it isn't quite spring yet in the coming week. According to the National Weather Service it should be mostly sunny with a high near 55 degrees Friday with a mild wind. The forecast has rainy, and potentially snowy days ahead on Saturday through Monday, with colder highs expected next week even when the sun re-emerges. COVID-19 likely will go down as the third-leading cause of death in Iowa in 2020. 4,667 Iowans were confirmed to have died as a result of the disease by Dec. 31, public health data shows. Iowa's first COVID-19 death was recorded on March 24, 2020. If the state's five-year averages for causes of death hold true for 2020, only cancer and heart disease will have claimed more Iowans' lives than COVID-19 last year. COVID-19 also made 2020 the deadliest year in Iowa on record, and the increase in total deaths over the previous year was dramatic. Deaths in Iowa jumped more than 15 percent in 2020, according to state data, largely due to those nearly 5,000 COVID-19-related deaths. There are many signs that the COVID-19 situation in the state is improving, as more and more Iowans become vaccinated for the disease. Still health experts caution that it is still important to practice safety precautions, to wear masks in public and wash hands frequently, until the spread of the disease can be brought under a semblance of control. In other signs that things are improving, the Iowa Board of Regents announced Thursday that they will be lifting some international travel restrictions they put in place as the virus spread rapidly this time last year. Mount Mercy University announced that they are planning full in-person classes this fall. Several private colleges also joined Iowa's universities in announcing they will have in-person graduation ceremonies this year. Iowa Workforce Development reported a decrease in unemployment claims for the week of Feb. 28 for the second consecutive week. New claims increased from 4,216 to 5,531, but continuing claims decreased from 48,389 to 44,827. It marked the fewest continuing jobless claims since the week of Jan. 2. About 40.9 percent of claims were related to coronavirus, according to state officials, which was up from 37.8 percent in the previous week and signaled a decrease in seasonal layoffs that are prevalent between November and February. Iowa's unemployment numbers continue to hover at a higher rate than were seen prior than the pandemic, but they have bottomed out compared to the catastrophic peak of last spring. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news?" If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Thursday, March 11. Sunny weather will return Thursday, but a bit cooler than earlier in the week. According to the National Weather Service there is a predicted high near 54 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area, with the sky starting partly sunny and becoming sunnier as the day goes on. Pack a sweater if you are planning to be outside Thursday night, as it will be mostly clear, with a low temperature near freezing. The breeziness from earlier in the week will also subside as the day goes on. The Republican majority in the Iowa senate passed so called “back-the-blue” bills Wednesday to toughen protest-related penalties in the wake of last summer's racial injustice unrest and impose financial sanctions against local governments that take action to “defund” law enforcement. One part of the legislation, which passed only with Republican support, creates an aggravated misdemeanor for disrupting riot police, enhances penalties for assaulting police officers, allows police flexibility to seek damages if they are injured during a riot, and allows some protection for drivers who hit people who are blocking a public roadway.  Only Republicans again voted for another bill that would make local government entities ineligible to receive state funds if their elected officials reduce the budget of their law enforcement agency unless their total budget is reduced by an equal or larger amount, or the city or county provide “sufficient justification” to the state Department of Management, which would set rules for the new arrangement. Senate Republicans indicated that they intend to forge ahead on tax reform yet this session, seeking to phase out the state's inheritance tax and to eliminate budget based triggers installed in a 2018 tax cut that were intended to only allow tax cuts after certain revenue benchmarks are met. In national news, only Democrats supported a $1.9 trillion COVID relief package, which passed the House Wednesday and will be sent to be signed by President Joe Biden. The bill will provide $1,400 in direct payments for most Americans and more for those with children, while also directing billions of dollars to schools, state and local governments, and businesses. The intent is to buttress the economy while states attempt to finish vaccinating their populations for COVID-19 over the next few months. Republicans, in the minority in the House and Senate, said they opposed the bill due to concerns about government spending. More than 300,000 people in Iowa have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to data from the Iowa Department of Public Health. The state reported that as of 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, 305,794 people had completed a vaccination series. An additional 329,613 had received their first dose of two. That is still a bit less than 10 percent of the state's population, so please continue to employ proper safety measures for the next few months. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news?" If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Wednesday, March 10. It has felt like spring in a warm weather sense so far this week. Wednesday we get the wet part of spring. According to the National Weather Service there will again be a high of 66 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area, but this will also come with a chance for rain. There is rain and the possibility of a thunderstorm predicted before 4 p.m. and a continued chance for showers throughout the evening. It will also be breezy, with a wind of 15 to 20 mph gusting as high as 35 mph. A lawsuit filed Tuesday is challenging Iowa's new elections law that restricts early and absentee voting. The lawsuit, filed in Polk County District Court, challenges some of the provisions included in the sweeping legislation signed into law Monday by Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds. The lawsuit claims the shortening of the state's early voting period, the time in which voters can request and return absentee ballots and the loss of an hour at Election Day polling places create undue burdens on the right to vote promised in the Iowa Constitution. It also questions why lawmakers feel the restrictions make the voting process more secure. The lawsuit was filed by the Iowa chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens, with assistance from Democracy Docket, a Democratic legal organization that is monitoring elections laws nationwide. This legislative session has been marked by priorities pushed by a Republican majority that has sought no compromise with their Democratic cohorts. There were a few bills passed Tuesday that had strong support from both parties. One will open up a funding stream to make sure sexual assault victims will not have to pay for the processing of a sexual assault forensic exam, more commonly referred to as “rape kits.” This bill passed the Iowa House with rare unanimous support.  There are also a suite of bills supported by Republicans and Democrats that seek to improve childcare access in the state. On Tuesday the House also approved  $3 million a year in tax credits available to developers who build or rehabilitate child care centers. The University of Iowa Police Department is investigating a pair of sexual assaults that occurred over the weekend “during the same incident” in an east-side residence hall — attacks that prompting the university to issue its sixth sexual assault-related crime alert of the academic year. The two assaults reportedly took place in the early morning hours of Saturday, and officials reported, “Indications are the assaults were perpetrated by acquaintances.” The message isn't clear whether the assailants knew each other or the victims or both. The assaults mark the sixth and seventh UI has reported this year on or near campus — with five reported in residence halls and two in fraternities. Perpetrators in both fraternity-related assaults reportedly knew their victims. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news?" If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Tuesday, March 9. Enjoy your warm sunny Tuesday weather early while you can. It might be the best the week has left to offer. According to the National Weather Service it will be mostly sunny with a high near 65 degrees Tuesday. It could be windy, with winds of 5 to 15 mph gusting as high as 30 mph. Tuesday night, there looks to be a good chance of rain. With the chance for showers increasing into Wednesday. An Illinois murder defendant out on bail was driving the wrong way on the interstate through Cedar Rapids early Sunday when he smashed into an oncoming sport utility vehicle, trapping three people inside and killing a fourth, according to court records and police. The wrong-way driver, identified by authorities as Tyler S. Lee, 34, of Rockton, Ill., received minor injuries and was taken to a hospital for treatment. He has not been charged in the crash, which remains under investigation.The crash killed a front-seat passenger of the SUV, identified Monday as David Phuong Nguyen, 23, of Cedar Rapids. Rescuers had to extricate three others from the crumpled SUV, one with serious injuries. Records show Lee currently is a https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/public-safety/wrong-way-driver-in-fatal-i-380-wreck-is-also-a-murder-suspect-in-illinois-20210308 (defendant in a murder case) out of Winnebago County Illinois, a county on the Wisconsin border halfway between Chicago and Dubuque. The Marion Independent School board voted to postpone voting on whether or not to https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/education/marion-schools-mascot-marion-idependent-school-district-indians-mavericks-20210305 (adopt the Maverick) as its new mascot. The district is uncertain of whether to use Maverick as a replacement for its former mascot of Indians, because the word Maverick comes from 19th century Texas Ranger Samuel A. Maverick, who, while he was nice enough to rebel against branding cattle, did not have a problem with owning slaves, profiting from a plantation, or buying up land the United States took from Mexico. School board members expressed frustration with the controversy, saying that the common use of maverick has outgrown any racist origins. Students who spoke to the boards suggested that they wanted a mascot they felt reflected them and they could gather around, such as the Red Wolves that had been an alternate mascot suggestion. Another vote on the Mavericks mascot decision will be on April 12. Gov. Kim Reynolds on Monday signed into law sweeping legislation that will significantly alter Iowa's elections by reducing the number of days for early voting, restricting absentee voting and threatening county auditors with fines and jail time if they break the new requirements. The legislation was rushed through the lawmaking process by majority Republicans who introduced it and passed it in just over a week with only GOP support. According to the bill, polls on election day will close an hour earlier, at 8 p.m. instead of 9 p.m.; the number of early voting days will drop to 20 from 29; absentee ballots will also be mailed out 20 days before the election instead of 29; and there is only one drop box allowed per county for dropping off completed early ballots. Under the new law, Iowa's early voting window is shortened to just under the national average. However, the shortened time in which absentee ballots can be mailed out to voters puts Iowa in the bottom handful of states. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon...

This is John McGlothlen with the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Monday, March 8th. Our weather today in the Cedar Rapids area will be sunny with a high near 61. Winds will be around 5 mph from the southwest, then from the east in the afternoon. Tonight should be mostly cloudy with a low around 41. One SUV passenger was killed in a crash early Sunday when a truck struck the SUV on northbound Interstate 380, Cedar Rapids police said. At 2:05 a.m., officers came upon the crash scene on the interstate near Seventh Street NE. Four people were inside the SUV. The driver of the truck was the only occupant of that vehicle. A passenger in the SUV was pronounced dead at the scene, and two others in the SUV were taken to hospitals with what appeared to be non-life-threatening injuries. The truck driver also was taken to a hospital for a non-life-threatening injury. Police said the investigation is ongoing. The names of the crash victims are being withheld pending notification of family members. In men's basketball, Luka Garza scored 21 points and had 16 rebounds as https://www.thegazette.com/subject/sports/hawkeyes/iowa-mens-basketball/a-seniors-day-to-hawkeyes-to-treasure-in-win-over-wisconsin-20210307 (the Hawkeyes defeated Wisconsin), 77 to 73. Minutes after the game, Iowa athletic director Gary Barta announced Garza's jersey, No. 55, would be retired after the season, bringing Garza to tears. It was the 12th double-double of the season for Garza, who leads the Big Ten in scoring and is third in the nation. He is Iowa's all-time leading career scorer with 2,201 points. Jordan Bohannon went from being scoreless at halftime to producing a 16-point, eight-assist performance. Ten of those points came in the final 3 1/2 minutes. The Hawkeyes have won seven of eight and will be the third seed in the Big Ten Tournament. In wrestling, the top-ranked https://www.thegazette.com/subject/sports/hawkeyes/big-ten-wrestling-championships-2021-tv-live-stream-finals-matchups-sundays-schedule-20210307 (Iowa Hawkeyes won their second straight Big Ten wrestling championship) Sunday, finishing with 159 1/2 points and four champions. Alex Marinelli won his third straight conference crown and Spencer Lee claimed the 125-pound title for the second year in a row. Jaydin Eierman and Michael Kemerer also finished atop the podium. Lee was named Big Ten Wrestler of the Year. Iowa's Tom Brands was named Big Ten Coach of the Year. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com).

Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news?" If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes. This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Saturday, March 6 and Sunday, March 7. This weekend is going to be the start of things feeling even more like spring. According to the National Weather Service on Saturday it will be a bit warmer than the day before, with a high of 46 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area and mostly sunny skies. Then it will bounce quite a bit higher on Sunday, with a high temperature of 56 degrees and also mostly sunny skies. It will be a little windy on Sunday, with wind speeds of 10 to 15 mph gusting as high as 20 mph. By early next week we should be enjoying high temperatures in the sixties. Starting March 8, Iowans younger than 65 will be eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine if they have underlying medical conditions that put them at an increased risk of severe illness from the coronavirus. The Iowa Department of Public Health made the announcement late Thursday in a news release, saying the decision comes after several counties have reported nearing completion of distributing the vaccine to other priority populations. Previously these populations had focused primarily on those above 65, those in healthcare professions, and other frontline workers. If news of this came as a surprise to you, you are in good company. Several local public health departments told the Gazette they were pivoting their COVID-19 vaccine distribution plans on Friday and will continue this work through the weekend. This comes after they were surprised to learn a change would be taking effect on Monday for a plan they had just heard about the night before. For some counties, this will mean a change in messaging over who is eligible, while for others they have decided to stick with serving their priority populations first, regardless of the state's directive. A civil trial against the City of Cedar Rapids and a white police officer who shot a Black man during a 2016 traffic stop, leaving him paralyzed, remains on track to start next month in Linn County District Court. Lawyers for Jerime and Bracken Mitchell, who filed the lawsuit in 2017 after Jerime Mitchell was shot Nov. 1, 2016, had a pretrial conference Friday with lawyers for the city and for Lucas Jones, a former Cedar Rapids police officer. Jones shot at Mitchell three times after a drug-related traffic stop escalated. One of the bullets hit Mitchell in the neck, paralyzing him. A Grand Jury at the time decided against bringing charges against Jones, who was later dismissed from the police department for a different incident. Cedar Rapids high school students will get to walk across the stage for their diplomas during in-person graduation ceremonies for the Class of 2021, the district announced Friday. The ceremonies for Jefferson, Kennedy and Washington high schools will be held in the Alliant Energy PowerHouse, formerly known as the U.S. Cellular Center. Metro High School's ceremony will be held at the DoubleTree convention Center. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com).

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Friday, March 5. Friday's weather will be close to Thursday's, without all of the morning fog. According to the National Weather Service it should be mostly sunny in the Cedar Rapids area, with a high near 43 degrees. On Friday night it will be mostly cloudy, with a low of about 24 degrees. It's just going to get warmer this weekend into next week, where the high temperatures will climb into the 50s and 60s. More than 100 Northwest Junior High School students — about 15 percent of the student body — are in quarantine, after four students and a staff member tested positive for COVID-19. In an email to families Wednesday, Northwest Principal Elizabeth Bruening said that four students and a staff member tested positive for COVID-19 and were contagious while at school. As of Thursday morning, all schools in the Iowa City Community School District were reporting a total of 91 students and eight staff currently positive for COVID-19, and 325 students and 15 staff in quarantine from exposure to the disease. Iowa City schools are following quarantine guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Students in close contact with a positive COVID-19 case, even if both people are wearing masks, will be quarantined. Iowa registered more than 50,000 total unemployment claims the week of Feb. 21 for the ninth consecutive week, according to data released Thursday by the Iowa Workforce Development. New claims dropped from 5,192 to 4,452 while continuing claims rose from 48,758 to 49,140. About 37.8 percent of claims were related to coronavirus, according to IWD. The agency typically sees higher unemployment numbers between November and February due to seasonal layoffs. Iowa on Thursday reported 567 new COVID-19 cases and 35 new, confirmed deaths. The new numbers bring the state's total number of virus cases to 338,161 and the number of deaths to 5,536 since last March, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health. Vaccinations for the disease are slowly progressing, with 351,568 individuals having received one dose of the two-dose series statewide, while 208,429 are fully vaccinated. The Iowa Legislature concluded its funnel week, determining which bills will go on to potentially become law, while others ended their journeys on Thursday. We have a full list of the bills that made it and those that didn't on thegazette.com, but if you want a summary of what has happened so far, it is that Republicans have firm control of the House and the Senate and they got most of what they wanted either passed already or on to the next stage of debate. Expect more bills expanding gun ownership rights, bills aimed at protecting free speech, particularly conservative ideology, in schools and on social media, while also limiting the ability of school to teach about diversity and systemic racism. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news?" If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Thursday, March 4. All that snow melting recently may contribute some to the fog during your commute Thursday morning, but besides that it will be another sunny day. According to the National Weather Service, the fog possibility of fog will lessen in the Cedar Rapids area after 10 a.m. Then it will be mostly sunny, with a high near 43 degrees. The low will be 23 degrees Thursday night, with partly cloudy skies. Demonstrating her faith in the newly approved one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine against COVID-19, Gov. Kim Reynolds was injected with it Wednesday on live television. Reynolds, along with her husband, Kevin, and state Public Health Director Kelly Garcia received inoculations partway through a news conference at the Iowa PBS studios. Reynolds said she waited until now to receive a COVID-19 vaccine to defer to other Iowans in populations more vulnerable to the infection's most severe effects. She said she chose to receive the Johnson & Johnson shot to show Iowans it is as safe and effective as the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines already in circulation. While the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was shown in clinical trials to prevent virus deaths and severe symptoms, it has been tested as being less effective in preventing moderate symptoms. Iowans will not have to pay state income taxes on the temporary federal unemployment compensation they received during the pandemic, under a bill passed unanimously by the Iowa House on Wednesday. Representatives agreed to add the provision to a Senate-passed measure that exempted federal Paycheck Protection Program grants and loans given Iowa businesses after the pandemic arrived in Iowa last March. Democrats sought to also exempt state jobless benefits from Iowa income tax, but that effort failed because of its additional cost. Environmental groups spoke out this week against a third attempt to open an 11,600-head cattle feedlot near Monona. The public meeting Monday was over the nutrient management plan submitted by Supreme Beef, owned by Mike Walz, Dean Walz and Jared Walz. The men have been trying to open a feedlot on the site since 2017, but the proposal has https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/government/feedlots-runoff-violations-near-monona-stay-with-iowa-department-of-natural-resources-20180717 (met ongoing opposition) from some neighbors and environmentalists concerned about the 34.5 million gallons a year of manure coming from the feedlot polluting streams and groundwater. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources in October https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/government/iowa-dnr-approves-smaller-cattle-feedlot-near-monona-20201006 (approved Supreme Beef for 2,700 cattle), but the company wants a larger operation. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news?" If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Wednesday, March 3. The weather this week is going to continue to stay sunny while becoming gradually warmer. According to the National Weather Service, it should be sunny with a high near 42 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area on Wednesday. On Wednesday night it will be partly cloudy, with a low around 26 degrees. It was funnel week day 2 at the Iowa legislature. On Tuesday, Republicans, who dominate the statehouse, opined about cancel culture at the University of Iowa, continued hopes of eliminating the need for a permit to own or carry a gun in the state, inched closer to a state funded voucher system to ostensibly promote school choice, pondered whether businesses should be prohibited from requiring vaccinations as a condition of employment, and discussed lowering the penalty for possessing small amounts of marijuana. By the end of the week, several bills will either make the cut to go on to potentially become law while many others will die on the vine. President Joe Biden said Tuesday that the United States expects to produce enough coronavirus vaccines for all adult Americans by the end of May, two months earlier than anticipated, as his administration announced that drugmaker Merck & Co. will help produce rival Johnson & Johnson's newly approved vaccine. Biden stressed that these additional vaccines should be used to prioritize vaccinating not just healthcare and other frontline workers, but also teachers, as school heads closer to spring break across the nation. Marion Independent School District voters approved a $31 million bond issue Tuesday, enabling the district to move forward on a facilities plan that includes building a new elementary school, auditorium and outdoor activities complex at Marion High School and making repairs to other district buildings. The measure passed with 84.6 percent of the vote — 1,312 in favor of the bond and 238 opposed. The measure needed a supermajority of 60 percent support to pass. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news?" If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Tuesday March 2. We're continuing into March with highs above 40 degrees. According to the National Weather Service it will be sunny with a high near 44 degrees Tuesday in the Cedar Rapids area. It could be a little windy, with winds of 5 to 15 mph gusting as high as 20 mph. On Tuesday night it will be mostly clear, with a low around 26 degrees. It's funnel week in the Iowa Capitol, and that means by week's end there will be a flurry of bills that live on with a chance to become law and others that go no further.  Some bills that advanced on Monday for further debate were a Senate bill that would ban Iowa communities from using automated traffic enforcement systems, including traffic cameras; a slew of bills friendly to gun enthusiasts, including a House bill that would eliminate the need for Iowans age 21 or older to obtain a permit to carry a firearm; and debate continued over the potential prohibition of diversity training in Iowa's schools. Just days after a https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/education/iowa-universities-in-person-graduation-ceremonies-republican-bill-20210226 (Republican lawmaker introduced a bill )that would force Iowa's public universities to hold graduations in-person this spring — after two of them already had announced plans for virtual ceremonies — all three campuses announced Monday they're now developing in-person options. Joining the University of Iowa in the about-face was the University of Northern Iowa. Iowa State University — which, unlike the UI and UNI waited to announce plans for spring graduation — Monday reported its will “hold modified in-person spring 2021 commencement celebrations.” In another sign of recovery from the Aug. 10 derecho, the city of Cedar Rapids has lifted a burn order. The order was put in place after the storm's hurricane force winds damaged property and resulted in the loss of about 70 percent of the city's tree canopy. The mixed debris led to city officials to view fires by property owners as a risk for a wider fire. Tree debris pickup is ongoing, but now that crews have picked up more than 3.4 million cubic yards of tree debris, city officials feel the fire risk has decreased significantly. State health officials announced Monday that Iowa will receive more than 100,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine this week, including doses of the new Johnson & Johnson vaccine that received emergency approval from the Food and Drug Administration. Iowa will receive 25,600 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, the Iowa Department of Public Health said Monday. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news?" If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes.

This is John McGlothlen with the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Monday, March 1st. For weather in Cedar Rapids today, expect a sunny day, with a high near 33. Winds from the west 5 to 10 mph, then from the north in the afternoon. Tonight should be mostly clear, with a low around 15. https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/public-safety/siraj-white-wright-missing-autistic-iowa-city-man-20210228 (A 21-year-old man with autism who was missing from Iowa City has been found safe). Authorities said Siraj White-Wright was found by a motorist about 4:45 p.m. Sunday south of Burlington. Siraj, who was reported missing Saturday, was in good condition. Arrangements are being made for him to be reunited with his family members. Iowa City police had sought the public's assistance in locating the man. Authorities said he is autistic and non-verbal. He left home on foot, and does not drive. Iowa City police received calls about possible sightings of him south of Iowa City walking southbound on Highway 218. The Johnson County Sheriff's Office received information about a possible sighting of someone matching Siraj's description just south of Kalona at about 12:30 a.m. https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/health/iowa-surpasses-700000-doses-of-covid-19-vaccine-20210228 (Providers have surpassed administering 700,000 doses of a COVID-19 vaccine in Iowa) since the first inoculations in December, according to state public health data released Sunday. The vast majority of those shots — 679,016 of the total 705,151 — went to Iowans. A total of 178,875 people have completed getting both of the required doses. https://www.thegazette.com/subject/sports/hawkeyes/iowa-mens-basketball/hawkeyes-stifle-no-4-buckeyes-for-seasons-biggest-win-20210228 (In men's basketball, Luka Garza and Joe Weiskamp led the Hawkeyes over Ohio State Sunday, 73-57). Garza scored 24 points and pulled down 10 rebounds in Iowa's win over the Buckeyes in Ohio. Joe Weiskamp added 19 points - including 5-for-9 shooting from 3-point range. Jordan Bohannon became Iowa's all-time assists leader. The Hawkeyes have two games remaining in their regular season.  This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com).

Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news?" If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-gazette-daily-news-podcast/id1497222595 (Apple Podcasts). This is Nathan Ford with The Gazette digital news desk with your update for the weekend of Feb. 27 and 28, 2021. Expect a high near 42 in Cedar Rapids today with a chance of rain before 2 a.m. and after 4 a.m. Sunday morning and a low around 32. It'll be mostly sunny with a high near 40 Sunday and wind gusts reaching 25 mph. The low will reach 20 Sunday night. https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/education/iowa-universities-in-person-graduation-ceremonies-republican-bill-20210226 (A Republican lawmaker is sponsoring a bill requiring Iowa's public universities to hold in-person spring graduations). The proposal from Rep. Bobby Kaufmann, R-Wilton, comes despite the University of Iowa and the University of Northern Iowa already well into planning upcoming virtual commencement ceremonies. The bill would force the regent universities to hold traditional in-person spring commencement ceremonies during the regularly scheduled times in May and June. It also requires the campuses allow at least two guests per graduate — which could mean many thousands at some of the larger ceremonies. https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/health/iowa-dips-to-lowest-number-of-covid-hospitalizations-recorded-since-july-20210226 (The number of people being treated for COVID-19 in Iowa's hospitals and intensive care units has dropped to the lowest number the state has seen since July). Hospitalizations dipped from 227 to 196 during the 24-hour period ending at 11 a.m. Friday, marking the first time hospitalizations have dipped below 200 since July 16, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health. The number of patients in intensive care units also dropped from 55 to 45, the lowest since July 9. Iowa reported 647 new coronavirus cases and 25 newly confirmed deaths Friday. https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/students-speak-up-for-racial-justice-in-march-on-washington-in-cedar-rapids-20210226 (Students spoke up for racial justice in a "March on Washington" in Cedar Rapids Friday). It was inspired by the famous Aug. 28, 1963, March on Washington, D.C., led by Martin Luther King Jr., and organized through the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Corridor. The students walked a few blocks from the corner of 361 17th Street SE and Washington Avenue SE, chanting “What time is it? Time for us to stand. Time for us to lead. Time for us to speak.” They stopped in front of First Congregational United Church of Christ, where kids spoke to the crowd of over 60 from the top of the church's concrete steps. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com).

This is Nathan Ford with The Gazette digital news desk with your update for Friday, Feb. 26, 2021. There is a 20-percent chance of rain after 3 p.m. in Cedar Rapids today. The high temperature will be near 41. Tonight sees a low around 29 with another chance for rain, mixing with snow after 9 p.m. Any new snow accumulation is expected to be less than a half inch. After thrusting the University of Iowa's College of Dentistry under the free speech microscope of Republican state lawmakers with his mass email condemning then-President Donald Trump's executive order on diversity training, https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/education/university-iowa-dentistry-dean-david-johnsen-free-speech-republicans-20210225 (college Dean David Johnsen said Thursday he'll step down after this semester). Although a UI announcement of Johnsen's early departure didn't mention the controversy that's spawned Republican calls for accountability for free speech violators across the public universities, Johnsen in a statement said, “Upon further reflection, I came to realize that the pieces are in place for me to step away a year earlier." President Joe Biden since has repealed the executive order. A proposal to ban traffic cameras throughout Iowa — except on the dangerous S-curve on Interstate 380 by downtown Cedar Rapids — https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/government/lawmaker-seeks-to-ban-traffic-cameras-in-iowa-except-along-cedar-rapids-s-curve-20210225 (got the green light Thursday from the Iowa Senate Judiciary Subcommittee). The bill seeks to bar Iowa communities from using automated traffic enforcement systems, reviving lawmakers' on-again, off-again attempts for years to regulate or eliminate them. Some lawmakers see the cameras as traffic safety tools that reduce public safety costs, while others slam them as cash-generating constitutional violations. This bill would let cameras stay along the S-curve, though it doesn't specifically say Cedar Rapids. Sen. Brad Zaun, a Republican from Urbandale who introduced the bill, said he took into account local officials' concerns about the S-curve. Police have long said the elevated curve is prone to crashes but leaves no room for stationing squad cars for traffic enforcement. Temperatures are rising after the February cold snap, but so is your natural gas bill. Starting next month, MidAmerican Energy and Alliant Energy both say they are expecting increases in gas bills following unusually high use amid limited supply. MidAmerican said it is expecting residential customers to see a $13 jump on average, and commercial customers to see a $95 jump on average, in March. The increases will continue throughout the year. Alliant also anticipates a rise in gas prices, but a spokesman said it's too soon to know how much. https://www.thegazette.com/subject/sports/hawkeyes/iowa-womens-basketball/michigan-iowa-womens-basketball-is-on-hold-20210225 (Thursday's Michigan-Iowa women's basketball game was delayed five hours due to COVID-19 protocols). Originally scheduled for 3:30 p.m. in Iowa City, it didn't tip off until 8:30. Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder said junior forward Logan Cook had tested positive for COVID-19 Wednesday and Michigan asked for the rest of the Hawkeyes' players and staff members to receive PCR tests. Once those all came back negative, the game was played and Iowa scored a key 89-67 win over the 12th-ranked Wolverines. Elsewhere, the ninth-ranked Iowa men's basketball team lost a Top-10 showdown at No. 3 Michigan, 79-57. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers.   Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com).

This is Stephen Colbert with the Gazette Digital News Desk and this is your update for Thursday, February 25, 2021. Today's going to see some patchy fog before 10am, but otherwise it'll be partly sunny, with a high near 35. Tonight it'll be partly cloudy, with a low around 21. Iowa election limits clear Senate hurdle https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/government/iowa-election-limits-clear-senate-hurdle-20210224 (https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/government/iowa-election-limits-clear-senate-hurdle-20210224)  The Iowa Senate voted Tuesday to shorten Iowa's early voting process to 20 days, close statewide election polls an hour earlier, condense absentee ballot rules and put in place tougher criminal penalties for “rogue” county auditors who fail to follow state rules. With Senate passage, the bill now heads this week to the Iowa House. During a news conference last week, Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds indicated she would be willing to consider the election changes rapidly making their way to her desk to sign into law. University of Iowa Health Care optimistic about new North Liberty hospital, despite state rejection https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/education/university-iowa-health-care-north-liberty-hospital-optimistic-rejection-20210224 (https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/education/university-iowa-health-care-north-liberty-hospital-optimistic-rejection-20210224)  One week after a state council narrowly denied a University of Iowa Health Care application to build a new $230 million hospital in North Liberty, UI Vice President for Medical Affairs Brooks Jackson said the hiccup wasn't surprising and he expects the project eventually will materialize. Despite fervent opposition from regional community hospitals and health care providers to the proposed 300,000-square-foot UIHC expansion planned for 60 acres at the southwest corner of Highway 965 and Forevergreen Road, Jackson described the planned facility “as a vital extension of our academic medical center in a community setting that is centered on the patient.” Despite COVID setback, Iowa economic development chief Debi Durham remains bullish https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/government/despite-covid-setback-iowa-economic-development-chief-debi-durham-remains-bullish-20210224 (https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/government/despite-covid-setback-iowa-economic-development-chief-debi-durham-remains-bullish-20210224) Back in December 2019, Debi Durham predicted 2020 would be one of the best years of her decade as chief of the Iowa Economic Development Authority. She based her prediction on trade deals that had been signed, positive signals in the farm sector and a rebound in manufacturing. The coronavirus pandemic was a setback, but Durham remains bullish on Iowa's economy and economic development potential. Chuck Grassley backs proposed changes to Iowa's election laws https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/government/iowa-senator-chuck-grassley-legislature-republican-election-voting-restriction-bill-approves-20210224 States should take a closer look at their election laws to protect against fraud in mail-in voting, Iowa Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley said Wednesday. Grassley was asked during his weekly conference call with Iowa reporters about an Iowa bill that would shorten early voting, close polls earlier on Election Day and establish stricter standards for absentee ballots, among many other provisions. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers.   Are you looking for a job? CorridorCareers.com is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at CorridorCareers.com.

Good morning! I'm Katie Brumbeloe, and this is your daily news update from The Gazette for Feb. 23.  The free medical clinic in Cedar Rapids https://thegazette.com/subject/news/health/community-health-free-clinic-cedar-rapids-covid-vaccine-waitlist-20210223 (now has a waiting list for older Iowans) struggling to get a COVID-19 vaccine appointment online. Starting today, Iowans 65 and older can call the Community Health Free Clinic at (319) 200-2550 to add their name to a list of people interested in getting a vaccine at the clinic. People do not have to be patients at the clinic to receive a shot. As the clinic receives its weekly allocations of COVID-19 vaccines, officials there will call people on the waitlist and schedule an appointment to be vaccinated. Community Health Free Clinic CEO Darlene Schmidt said the clinic's goal in establishing a dedicated phone line is to help reach seniors who have been struggling to get a COVID-19 shot over the past few weeks. Iowa reported 189 new coronavirus cases and 38 new, confirmed deaths Monday, https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/health/iowa-covid-cases-deaths-vaccines-coronavirus-20210222 (according to data from the Iowa Department of Public Health). The new numbers bring the state's totals to 332,762 cases and 5,374 deaths since March. The state's seven-day average of new cases is 492. The number of Iowans hospitalized with the virus decreased Monday from 229 to 222 — the lowest recorded since 221 on Aug. 9. The Eastern Iowa Airport's https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/business/eastern-iowa-airport-health-screenings-yet-to-ground-any-passengers-20210222 (COVID-19 health screening program) has not blocked any passengers from flying during the first four weeks of the program. Airport officials said almost 20,000 passengers have gone through the primary health checkpoint, which includes a temperature check and some health questions. Only 13 were flagged to go through a secondary health screening with medical staff, but all of the passengers were then cleared to fly. The airport commission approved an amendment to the program Monday that will add rapid antigen testing to the secondary screening. That testing will only be used if medical staff request it. The testing will not be available for the general public and cannot be used as clearance to travel somewhere requiring a negative PCR test, which can more accurately detect the virus. The Hawkeyes moved up two spots to No. 9 https://www.thegazette.com/subject/sports/hawkeyes/iowa-mens-basketball/hawkeyes-mens-basketball-back-in-ap-top-ten-20210222 (in Monday's Associated Press men's basketball rankings). It is a return to the top 10 after a two-week absence. Iowa had been in the top 10 all season before dipping to 15th two weeks ago. The 17-6 Hawkeyes have since had a four-game winning streak. They face No. 3 Michigan Thursday, then No. 4 Ohio State on Sunday. Iowa center Luka Garza was named the Big Ten Co-Player of the Week and Naismith Trophy Player of the Week on Monday for helping the Hawkeyes to wins over Wisconsin and Penn State. He averaged 26.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, two assists, and one block in the two games. Things will continue to thaw today, https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=41.97646000000003&lon=-91.67345999999998#.YDRpbthKhUs (with the weather mostly sunny and a high near 40). Tuesday night will be mostly cloudy, with a low around 30. The highs throughout the week will continue in the mid- to high-30s.  This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers.  Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com).

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Saturday Feb. 20 and Sunday Feb. 21. The weather this weekend should be interesting. For starters it will be a lot warmer. According to the National Weather Service there will be a high of 25 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area on Saturday, a high of 32 degrees on Sunday and even high temperatures approaching the 40s on Monday and Tuesday. However, it will still be mostly cloudy all weekend, and on Sunday there will be a decent sized snow storm, with 2 to 4 inches of snow predicted. Because we totally needed one more day of snow shoveling before everything melts. U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson said Friday she will vote against the COVID-19 relief bill making its way through Congress if it includes a hike in the federal minimum wage to $15. Such an increase “will hurt Iowa businesses and cost Iowa jobs, and that's not something I can support right now given the pandemic,” the Marion Republican said during her weekly call with reporters. Hinson said she supports the bill's direct payments to those out of work and to businesses and K-12 schools dealing with the pandemic, but she said she doesn't support sending additional money to state governments. The Iowa Cannabis Co. has obtained a license to manufacture medical marijuana products at 5137 18th Ave. SW, the former site of Star Food Service Equipment & Repair in Cedar Rapids. Iowa Cannabis is connected with Cannabis & Glass, a large recreational marijuana store in Spokane, Wash. ” Aaron Boshart, director of operations for the company,  told The Gazette in December 2019 profits from the Washington state stores help support Iowa operations. Iowa currently has strict marijuana laws compared to many states, so medical marijuana manufacturers have struggled to make a profit here. However, companies are showing interest in obtaining operations to stake claims in the case of more lax rules in the future. A Marion man whose first-degree murder conviction was overturned last year will be retried Nov. 2 for his former girlfriend's fatal stabbing in 2017. The retrial for Gregory Davis, 30, was set during a short case management conference Friday. Sixth Judicial District Judge Sean McPartland and attorneys in the case agreed last month to postpone the retrial until later in the year because of concerns about the pandemic. Davis claimed insanity or diminished responsibility in the fatal stabbing of the woman, who was stabbed 26 times Sept. 28, 2017. Davis won a retrial based on confusing instructions given by the judge to the jury which may have made the jury think they could only apply the insanity defense to some of the charges and not to others., This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news?" If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Thursday, February 18. Our slow and steady ascent up the temperature scales continues Thursday.  According to the National Weather Service there will be a high near 17 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area Thursday, with wind chill values as low as -10 degrees. On Thursday night it will be partly cloudy with a low of -3 degrees. Iowa's State Health Facilities Council on Wednesday narrowly denied the University of Iowa Hospital and Clinic permission to proceed on a $230 million expansion in North Liberty — halting the project for now. Despite UIHC arguments that it is too full and desperate for more beds, operating room space and emergency department capacity, the five-member council charged with granting a certificate of need for the project sided against the university by a slim 3-2 vote. Opponents of the project argued the new 300,000-square-foot, 36-bed hospital expansion is unnecessary, insufficient to address the needs UIHC says it has. and detrimental to existing care. They testified before the council that an expansion of the university hospital would wipe out smaller community healthcare providers, such as Mercy Iowa City, which is already struggling. UIHC, which had planned to erect the four-story hospital on 60 acres on the southwest corner of Forevergreen Road and Highway 965 by 2024, can appeal the decision. If they are unable to proceed with the project, they will have to reconsider how to deal with how to meet growing demand from smaller hospitals all over Iowa, as well what to do with millions of dollars worth of land they were going to build the hospital on. Within days of abandoning a plan for a statewide call center to help residents set up coronavirus vaccine appointments, Iowa officials Wednesday said they also have canceled a deal with Microsoft to develop a centralized online system for people to sign up for vaccination. Gov. Kim Reynolds announced the decision just 10 days after she said Microsoft had been selected from a group of bidders to create the online registration and appointment system. At the time, she said the system would be ready in a few weeks. Reynolds said Wednesday that it would be too difficult to tie so many already existing sign up systems together, and the state will instead opt for a different plan, which she declined to elaborate on. A $36.5 million increase in state supplemental aid for Iowa's 327 K-12 public school districts next year is on its way to Gov. Kim Reynolds' desk for her expected signature. Republicans who control the Iowa Senate voted 31-18 Wednesday to approve a 2.4 percent increase in state funding. Minority Democrats opposed the bill because declining school enrollments — resulting from parents keeping nearly 7,000 young children home out of COVID-19 safety concerns — means the new funding level won't cover about $71 million that will be needed when those kids return this fall. Republicans disagreed that this would be a funding cut, calling the school funding bill a solid funding bill that puts school districts on a reliable path to the future. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news?" If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Wednesday, February 17. We are going to do it, everyone. We are going to break a high in the positive double digits. According to the National Weather Service it will be mostly cloudy in the Cedar Rapids area Wednesday with a high near 13 degrees. I regretfully must inform you that the wind chill will be 25 degrees below zero, and there will be a chance for fog in the early morning and a chance for light snow flurries after noon. But still, progress is progress. It was a very busy day in the Iowa legislature. I will attempt to summarize some of the key happenings for you. The Iowa House nearly unanimously passed a bill requiring Iowa K-12 schools to administer the Pledge of Allegiance and to show the U.S. flag every day. Iowa is one of the few states that does not formally address this practice already. Children are allowed to opt out of this as they choose due to a 1943 ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court. A bill cleared a Senate subcommittee that would require parents to be informed if a school's curriculum included discussions about gender identity. Under the bill, these students could opt out of instruction about gender identity if parents did not give students in grades 1-6 permission to learn about it. The bill was supported by Republican and conservative Christian lobbyists, while being opposed by Democrats, education lobbyists, and those in support of civil and transgender rights. A bill also was passed out of a Senate subcommittee that would prevent businesses, including hospitals and healthcare providers, from requiring their employees to be vaccinated as a basis for employment-- this would include vaccination for COVID-19. The sponsors of the bill, again Republicans, voiced skepticism about the safety and effectiveness of vaccines, although Dr. Caitlin Pedati, the state epidemiologist, testified before them Tuesday that vaccines are safe and essential to controlling the spread of disease in Iowa. Lobbyist declarations show that over 100 organizations have registered to oppose the bill. Only one — Informed Choice Iowa — is listed as favoring it. Although University of Iowa Athletics https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/education/university-of-iowa-to-reinstate-womens-swimming-and-diving-but-not-cut-mens-sports-20210215 (has reversed its decision) to eliminate women's swimming and diving after this season — following a court injunction requiring it do so — the university hasn't dropped its opposition to the overall court case that could have broader gender equity implications for its student athletes. Iowa Athletic Director Gary Barta also confirmed that the school has no intention of reversing its decision to drop three men's sports-- men's tennis, men's gymnastics and men's swimming and diving-- despite a grassroots effort to save the sports. Citing the September lawsuit, Barta said the UI “continues to disagree” with its claims and the judge's order compelling the campus to continue offering the women's sport while the case works through court. The judge ruled that the student athletes who brought the case had a valid case that the University of Iowa had violated Title IX rules for gender equity in sports offerings. Iowa City police have identified the victim in Friday's fatal shooting. Police said Quincy H. Russom, 19, of Iowa City was shot and killed in the 600 block of South Governor Street. Police were called to an apartment building at 7:54 p.m. Friday for a report of a shooting. There, officers found Russom's body. A witness told police three men had entered the residence, shot Russom and fled. Police have said the shooting was not random, but the specifics of the homicide still are under investigation. They do not think there is a threat to the public. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource...

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Tuesday, February 16. Alright, we have one more really cold day today. Then we can move back to a regular cold day. According to the National Weather Service, it will be mostly sunny during the day with a high near 8 degrees. Wind chill values will reach as low as -25. Tuesday night there will be a low of -6, but the wind chill value will be just 15 degrees below zero. By the weekend prepare for windchills above 0. By next week, prepare for high temperatures above freezing. The University of Iowa is fully reinstating its women's swimming and diving team after a federal judge in December found athletes had a “fair chance” of winning a lawsuit accusing the UI of violating Title IX. According to an announcement Monday from UI Athletic Director Gary Barta, the women's swimming and diving team — originally slated to be cut at the end of this year “due to financial challenges created by the pandemic” — will be reinstated as an NCAA and Big Ten Conference program. The women's program was among four the university planned to cut at the end of this academic year — along with men's swimming and diving, men's gymnastics and men's tennis. Barta says the plans to cut the other sports remain unchanged.  As he formally jumped into the race for the U.S. Senate seat Monday, Jim Carlin touted his experience as a soldier, trial lawyer and state senator in which he repeatedly fought “for the underdogs of this world.” Carlin is a Republican state senator from Sioux City who would be running against Iowa's Republican Senator Chuck Grassley, who would be running for his 8th term in office if decides to run again. In his announcement Carlin praised former President Donald Trump, implying that the election had been stolen away from him and irregularities were not properly vetted. He also called the nation's tax code an abomination, which he feels punishes parents with children in support of a welfare state. Speaking of social programs, Carlin's Republican state senate compatriots said Monday they would like to make Iowans who are receiving public assistance benefits undergo more rigorous eligibility verification reviews to bolster program efficiency and weed out fraud and abuse. Senate Study Bill 1125 would have the state Department of Human Services enlist a private vendor to verify assets, identity and other eligibility requirements for hundreds of thousands of Iowans participating in public assistance programs involving federal and state benefits no later than July 1, 2022. Proponents of the bill said it would lower Iowa's rate of improper assistance payments, while critics said it would create problems for aide at a time when more Iowans are in need of food and other assistance because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Janee Harvey, DHS division administrator for Adult, Children and Family Services, told the subcommittee considering this change that her department is already doing much of what they are asking for. She also said a new federal model is being prepared for states that should be available this spring that will require a data-sharing agreement but will not have to be purchased by Iowa. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news?" If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Saturday February 13 and Sunday February 14. Happy Valentine's Day Weekend. Sadly, I have to start with something you're not going to love, and that's the weather forecast. According to the National Weather Service, overnight snow is likely to continue falling Saturday morning, with the majority coming before 1 p.m. This could add about a half inch of snow to whatever fell the night before. There will be a high near 3 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area with wind chill values as low as -25. On Saturday night it will get even colder, with a low of -12 degrees. Sunday the predicted high temperature is 2 degrees below zero. There will be a break from snow, however, with mostly cloudy skies. The low Sunday night is predicted to be -14 degrees. As I mentioned yesterday, this will likely be the low point before we snap out of it. By next weekend you will be able to break out some tropical drinks to celebrate highs in the low 30s. Another federal allocation of COVID-19 vaccines, expected to begin reaching the state this week, will offer Iowans another opportunity to access shots at certain retail pharmacies, officials say. The Federal Retail Pharmacy program is the collaboration between the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and retail pharmacies in each state. This is in addition to the vaccine allocated to states. In Iowa, CDC officials selected Hy-Vee and CPESN, a network of mostly independently owned pharmacies. A portion of the CPESN network received vaccines in a soft launch of the program this week. You can find participating pharmacies at https://collaboration.cpesn.com/finder (collaboration.cpesn.com/finder). Legislative proposals to bar transgender Iowa students from using bathrooms that match their gender identity appear unlikely to advance in the Iowa House. Republicans in the Iowa Senate recently advanced such a bill, https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/BillBook?ga=89&ba=SF224 (Senate File 224), through its first step in the legislative process. But Rep. Dustin Hite, chairman of the Iowa House Education Committee, said Friday he has no plans to give the bill — or ones like it — a hearing in the House. According to Hite, who appeared on the Iowa Press PBS show Friday night, although he understands the concerns of those who sponsored the senate bill, care must be taken not to “come across as hateful” to a specific group of people. A final ballot has been sent throughout the Marion Independent School District for a new nickname, a successor to “Indians.” The finalists are Mavericks, Red Storm and Red Wolves. All students in grades 3-12 will get a vote, along with all parents and staff in the district. The deadline for voting is Feb. 20, and a new nickname is likely to be revealed the following week. Marion's board of education https://www.thegazette.com/subject/sports/iowa-prep-sports/marion-will-drop-indians-mascot-after-the-2020-21-school-year-20201013 (voted Oct. 12 to change the school's nickname). The change was motivated by a letter received from the Sac & Fox Tribe of the Mississippi in Iowa — also known as Meskwaki Nation. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news?" If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Thursday, February 11. There will be a chance for snow Thursday night. According to the National Weather Service the high will be 6 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area with wind chill values as low a -20. The new snow will likely come primarily after 5 p.m., with the wind picking up a bit as well. The accumulation for Thursday night is predicted to be less than a half inch of snow, with more significant snowfall predicted for Friday night. Days after state officials met with White House staff to better understand why Iowa ranks “lower than expected” in getting allocations of the coveted COVID-19 vaccine, Gov. Kim Reynolds said Wednesday her administration continues its efforts to accelerate the rate of inoculations. Iowa remains among the roughly half dozen states with the lowest vaccination rates in the nation. Approximately 9 percent of adult Iowans have received at least the first of two shots, according to federal data. The state is currently focusing on at risk groups and those above the age of 65. Reynolds blamed Iowa's poor inoculation rate on a smaller allotment of vaccine doses than other states. Iowa is also in the middle of the pack in utilizing the vaccines they have received, which she said was due to rural counties struggling with rollout, as well as bad weather. Iowa senators pushed forward a number of hot-button issues in the legislative process Wednesday — with bills on topics ranging from restricting abortion, making daylight saving time permanent in Iowa and trying to halt drivers from using electronic devices while driving. Republicans on the Senate State Government Committee voted 10-5 to approve a resolution intended to allow Iowa voters to approve language that the Iowa Constitution does not guarantee the right for abortion. The vote, with language similar to what already passed the Iowa House, will go before the full senate. It would need to pass again in a different session before going to Iowa voters for a referendum. The daylight saving time and texting-while driving bills also passed forward unanimously for a full senate vote.  The House approved a legislative package that aims to address a workforce shortage by increasing the access and affordability of child care through a combination of grants and tax credits. The bills, passed with bipartisan support, are part of an effort the House began last year but was disrupted by COVID-19. Currently to qualify for childcare assistance, parents must be working or going to school for 28 hours a week and have an income less than 145 percent of the federal poverty level, which is $31,494 for a family of three. The bill is intended to remove the cliff problem where a family that increases its income by a parent getting more work then loses access to childcare assistance. The legislation is intended to gradually pull support back as a family's income increases. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news?" If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Wednesday, February 10. There will be a chance for snow on Wednesday and Thursday, but accumulation shouldn't be too bad. Also, it will be very cold. But you already knew that. According to the National Weather Service there will be a 30 percent chance of snow Wednesday morning in the Cedar Rapids area, with the highest probability for snow before 9 a.m. Besides that, it will be mostly cloudy with a high near 8. Wind chill values will be 20 degrees below zero. Wednesday night it will be mostly cloudy with a low of -3 degrees. The Associated Press reported that Iowa public health officials selected Microsoft to create an online COVID-19 vaccination scheduling system as part of an effort to improve Iowa's standing as one of the worst vaccinated states in the nation per capita. The Iowa Department of Public Health posted notice online Monday that it intends to award the contract to Microsoft. The agency also has indicated that later this week it will select a separate contractor to develop and run a vaccine call center. The Iowa Senate voted 32-17 Tuesday to approve a 2.2 percent increase in base funding for K-12 schools next fiscal year along with extra money to fund transportation and other equity issues along with one-time money to deal with issues associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. As with most things in politics these days, the vote was almost entirely along party lines. Republicans said it was sustainable and fair, while Democrats said the bill was meanspirited and underfunded schools. One item of specific contention was over how the bill treats the Des Moines School District, which was one of the most prominent districts in the state to initially defy the directive by Republicans, including Gov. Kim Reynolds, to offer in person instruction despite the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill excludes the Des Moines district from receiving COVID-19 funding, which Republicans insist is just being fair and not punishing the district for not doing what they wanted.  Thousands of students who enrolled in one of Iowa's public universities in the fall — despite the raging pandemic promising a vastly different collegiate experience — did not return for the spring semester, according to new campus census numbers made public Tuesday.  The numbers showed that the state's three Regent Universities: the University of Iowa, Iowa State University, and the University of Northern Iowa, were down in enrollment from fall anywhere from 7 to 9 percent. University administrators conceded that it is likely the challenging environment presented by the COVID-19 pandemic that is the culprit. They said that much is the instruction that was done virtually this semester should return to in person in the fall. The challenges come as slumping enrollment trends tied to Midwestern demographics are colliding with an Iowa legislature that is skeptical of university operations for both budgetary and ideological reasons. In short, 2021 looks to continue to be a difficult year for Iowa's universities on many fronts. It is hard to believe, but as of Wednesday it has been 6 months since the Aug. 10 derecho that ripped through Linn and Johnson County. Check out Wednesday's edition of the Gazette, or head over to the Gazette.com, to get caught up on how recovery efforts are going. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by...

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Tuesday, February 9. It will be very cold again Tuesday, but at least there shouldn't be more snow. According to the National Weather Service, there will be a high near 5 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area Tuesday with mostly cloudy skies. Wind chills again will be in the 30 degree below zero range. This chilly weather should remain for at least the next week, before we hopefully grind our way to some slightly warmer temperatures. State officials say January in Iowa was marked by above-normal precipitation and above-average temperatures — an unusual feature for a month that usually is the driest of the year.  Technical staff from state and federal agencies that compile a monthly water summary report that temperatures in January averaged 4 degrees above normal for the month, with 1.27 inches of precipitation — a total that was 0.35 of an inch above normal.  However, abnormal dryness and drought conditions remained generally unchanged through January. Under the snow, the shallow soils are dry enough that there is the potential for drought issues later this spring, according to Tim Hall, coordinator of hydrology resources for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.  Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds did not directly consult her own public health department before https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/health/hospitalizations-continue-to-decline-as-covid-19-restrictions-are-lifted-in-iowa-20210207 (lifting Iowa's remaining COVID-19 mitigation strategies)-- including a partial face mask mandate and social distancing guidelines -- just in time for Superbowl Sunday. During a weekly briefing on the state's pandemic response, Democratic lawmakers asked Iowa Department of Public Health Director Kelly Garcia whether Reynolds consulted the agency before the governor on Friday https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/health/iowa-covid-restrictions-lifted-mask-mandate-gatherings-gov-kim-reynolds-20210205 (lifted the state's remaining pandemic mitigation strategies). Garcia told the legislators the department was not consulted on the decision — that the governor made that decision on her own. The Governor's Office replied that Gov. Reynolds merely followed past precedent in reducing restrictions as hospital rates have gone down. The governor's decision has led to alarmed feedback from Democratic lawmakers and from the mayors of Iowa's largest cities, including Cedar Rapids, who pledged to stick to their mask mandates. Several area restaurants told the Gazette Monday that they plan to keep their safety restrictions in place for the time being. The state has reached a $350,000 settlement agreement with a University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics patient who sued two years ago after she said hip surgery left her with “femoral nerve palsy” — a sort of nerve dysfunction causing “weakness, numbness, and tingling pain.” The UI Physicians group will pay the full amount to Erin Jacobson, of Linn County, pending approval from the State Appeal Board. That board, so far this budget year, has agreed to pay from its general fund nearly $2.8 million for settlements or judgments associated with the state Board of Regents, including UI Hospitals and Clinics. Research published one year ago in the scientific “Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery” found femoral nerve palsy — which it describes as a “serious neurological complication” — can follow total hip arthroplasty, the same procedure Jacobson underwent, if retractors are wrongly positioned. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon...

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Saturday, February  6 and Sunday, February 7. We are looking at a bitterly, bitterly, cold weekend to come, with a bit more snow on the way as well. According to the National Weather Service, there will be a high of 6 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area on Saturday, with wind chill values dropping to 20 degrees below zero. There will also be a high chance for snow, with the majority of the snow predicted to fall before 5 p.m. Saturday. Up to 2 inches of snow could fall by the end of the day. The low temperature Saturday night will be 16 degrees below zero, with the wind chill dropping to 30 degrees below zero. On Sunday we will see the temperature pop back up to a high of 3 degrees with mostly cloudy skies. Don't get too excited, though, as the wind chill will still remain at 30 degrees below zero. The low on Sunday will be -4 degrees.  The cold will remain for at least the rest of the week, but one piece of good news is no significant snow is in the forecast, at the moment, after Saturday's snowfall is completed. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds on Friday lifted Iowa's partial face mask mandate, public health restrictions on businesses and limits on public gatherings. The update to Reynolds' https://governor.iowa.gov/sites/default/files/documents/Public%20Health%20Proclamation%20-%202021.02.05.pdf (COVID-19 public health emergency declaration) drew immediate fire from Democrats, with one saying the move was “both reckless and tragic.” Starting Sunday, the day of the Super Bowl: • Iowans will no longer be required to wear face coverings in public when around other people for at least 15 minutes. • Businesses will not be required to limit the number of customers or keep them socially distanced. • No limits will be placed on the number of people who can gather in public. In the updated proclamation, Reynolds encourages vulnerable Iowans — those 65 years or older, or with serious health conditions — to “limit their activities outside of their home,” including trips to businesses and other establishments where other people gather. Reynolds also encouraged Iowans to continue limiting their in-person interactions with vulnerable people and to “exercise particular care and caution” when in public. This loosening of restrictions comes as Iowa remains among the least vaccinated population by capita in the nation. Mandatory in-person school options, ordered by the Iowa legislature, are set to begin on February 15. But Iowans don't just stop on gambling with their health, they also enjoy gambling on sports. Iowa gamblers were all in on sports wagers in January, driving betting activity to a monthly record $149.5 million. With college and professional football playoffs in full swing, sportsbooks are flourishing without in-person registration requirements. Legal sports wagering in Iowa topped the $100 million plateau in January for the second straight month, and it was the fourth month in a row for record-setting growth. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news?" If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Friday, February 5. It will be quite cold Friday, and there will be blowing snow to deal with... but at least there won't be any new snow to deal with. I'm doing my best to find positives here. According to the National Weather Service, winds of 15 to 20 mph gusting as high as 30 mph will lead to areas of blowing snow in Eastern Iowa before 4 p.m. It will be mostly sunny, with a high near 15 degrees, although the wind chill with the powerful winds is predicted to drop to 15 degrees below zero. On Friday night the low will be negative one degree, with winds thankfully settling down just slightly. Travel was a nightmare throughout Thursday after a winter storm created blizzard like conditions. A pileup near Newton closed Interstate 80, motorostists reported being stranded on Highway 151, and traffic on Highway 30 was brought to a standstill by several accidents. Road conditions should improve on Friday, but please limit travel where possible and plan for the unexpected shifting of road conditions that come with blowing snow. University of Iowa Health Care vaccinated nearly 1,000 Johnson County residents aged 65 and older Wednesday, among the first members of the community to receive the COVID-19 shot as the health care system moves its vaccination effort beyond front line health care workers to focus on the broader general public. The Iowa City-based health system used up all doses it was allocated this week for the large-scale vaccination effort, an indication to UIHC officials that the event Wednesday was a successful test run of mass clinics they hope to establish throughout Johnson County and beyond. Iowa continues to have the third-worst vaccination rate per capita in the nation as the state reached a milestone Thursday of more than 5,000 people killed by the virus. Gov. Kim Reynolds told reporters Thursday that Iowa has been improving its vaccination efforts, which she argued have been slowed in part by lack of available vaccine. Reynolds did concede the state needs to improve its vaccination process. Reynolds said in response to the confusion and negative feedback in Iowa surrounding the vaccine rollout, the state is setting up a call center and website. The governor said the intent would be for these to be a one-stop shop for COVID-19 vaccination information. These will also be used to allow eligible Iowans to schedule appointments to receive the vaccine, which could still be limited by vaccine availability. At a time demanding “stability anchored by insightful leadership,” the University of Iowa opted to skip a lengthy and costly search for a new provost by appointing the interim provost to the position permanently. Kevin Kregel, serving as interim provost since July, will become provost and executive vice president Feb. 15, the university announced Thursday. Kregel last summer took on the provost job temporarily until a successor to Montserrat Fuentes could be hired. Fuentes resigned after one year on the job. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news?" If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes.

Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news?" If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes. This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Thursday, February 4. Your Thursday weather forecast looks, in a word, nasty. According to the National Weather Service, rain Wednesday night into Thursday morning in the Cedar Rapids area will turn into snow and rain after 8:00 a.m., before turning into full fledged snow after 9:00 a.m. The high will technically be 34 degrees, but that will be in the morning, as the temperature plummets to 18 degrees by Thursday afternoon. It will also be windy, with wind speeds of 10-20 mph blowing the predicted one to three inches of snow that falls during the day. Thursday night, expect it to get colder and windier. On Wednesday the Iowa Department of Public Health announced the limited availability of coronavirus vaccines at Walgreens and CVS stores in Linn and Johnson counties, along with a select number of other counties, for approximately 32,000 Iowans age 65 and older. Unused vaccines that initially were allocated for the Long-Term Care Pharmacy Partnership Program have been redistributed to “a limited number” of Walgreens and CVS stores. The department indicated that this would be a one time surplus. Appointments are limited to the number of vaccines available at each location, the department noted. Registration can be made online. If you are interested we have links to where you can register for this batch of the vaccine in the story on the front page of the thegazette.com. A Wisconsin man accused of stabbing his girlfriend multiple times in the face and neck last September was apprehended Wednesday in the Cedar Rapids area. Canyon Thixton, 37, of Portage, had been wanted on an attempted murder charge. Cedar Rapids police and the U.S. Marshals Services arrested Thixton shortly before 9 a.m. at a residence in the 3200 block of Kenrich Drive SW in Cedar Rapids, where he had been living under an alias and staying with a woman whose name has not been released. Thixton was arrested on a warrant out of Portage charging him with attempted first-degree homicide. Iowa Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley said he anticipates a smooth Senate confirmation of former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack as President Joe Biden's pick to again head the U.S. Department of Agriculture. “Pretty soon, I think he will be Secretary Vilsack again,” Grassley told reporters Wednesday. Grassley introduced Vilsack at his confirmation hearing Tuesday before the Senate Agriculture Committee. Vilsack served as the head of the Department of Agriculture for both of President Barack Obama's terms in office. For the second straight year, the NCAA Division III winter championships have been canceled. https://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/media-center/news/division-iii-cancels-2021-winter-championships?fbclid=IwAR0TFHq5YuDZTgNL7-X10iJ9Uy6qAfyqTD0DUMGV6X6ipbpj1xewx-nre_s (According to a news release) Wednesday night, the NCAA D-III Administrative Committee approved the recommendation from the D-III Championships Committee to cancel all 2021 winter championships, citing low participation numbers. Winter championships were canceled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com).

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Wednesday, February 3. Your Wednesday weather will venture above freezing, but with that will come fog, wind, and, eventually, a chance for rain. According to the National Weather Service, the Cedar Rapids area could start with areas of fog before noon. Otherwise it will become mostly cloudy, with a high near 35 degrees. There will be southeast wind of 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 25 mph. Then, Wednesday night, there will be a chance for rain, increasing in probability as Wednesday gives way to Thursday, where more rain is predicted to continue. Superintendents from five school districts in Cedar Rapids and Marion sent a joint letter to Gov. Kim Reynolds Monday asking for more vaccines to be allocated to the state's priority populations, which includes K-12 staff. The superintendents are asking for more doses of the COVID-19 vaccine as the state's Feb. 15 deadline quickly approaches for schools to offer the option of 100 percent in-person learning to all students. The superintendents are asking the Iowa Department of Public Health to reallocate 64,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine statewide from the Long-Term Care Pharmacy Partnership Program to the state's priority populations. According to the letter, which was viewed by The Gazette, this quantity of vaccine would allow for every interested school staff member in Iowa to receive his or her first dose of the vaccine before the required in-person learning begins. Cedar Rapids police said investigators have seen a recent increase in thefts of car parts or accessories and warned owners to be vigilant about protecting their vehicles. The police department said January saw 28 reported thefts of motor vehicle parts, which is an increase of more than 133 percent compared to the five-year average for the month. The majority of the increase is attributed to the theft of catalytic converters. Catalytic converters — which contain precious metals like platinum — are exhaust emission control devices that reduce toxic gases and pollutants in exhaust gas. The precious metals also make the converters valuable for resale. Iowans will have another opportunity to sign up for health care coverage through the federal marketplace later this month. Late last month, President Joe Biden signed an executive order expanding access to the Affordable Care Act program by opening a special enrollment period for Americans to sign up for individual health insurance coverage through the federal marketplace. The enrollment period will be open Feb. 15 through May 15. Iowa Insurance Commissioner Doug Ommen told the Gazette it is unclear how much interest there will be in the extended session, as more Iowans already signed up for the ACA marketplace in 2020. More than 59,200 Iowans enrolled in the individual marketplace during ACA open enrollment late last year, according to the Iowa Insurance Division. Although numbers had already been going up since 2014, the increase in 2020 was likely tied to the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news?" If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for February 2. Tuesday's weather is going to be pretty...boring. And you know what? Great. According to the National Weather Service it will be partly sunny in the Cedar Rapids area with a high near 28 degrees and a gentle wind. Tuesday night it will be mostly cloudy, with a low of around 14. As an aside, it looks like it will be super cold at the end of the week, so enjoy the next few days of not being there, yet. Three cases of a new, more-contagious variant of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Iowa, with two of those cases in Johnson County, the Iowa Department of Public Health confirmed on Monday. The SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 variant, often https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/transmission/variant.html (referred to as the U.K. variant) because it was first found in the United Kingdom, spreads more easily than the original strain. However, COVID-19 vaccines now being deployed in Iowa, albeit slowly, are considered effective against it. Two cases of the U.K. variant were identified in Johnson County, one in an adult identified as between the ages of 18 to 40 and another in an adult age of 41 to 60. Another adult case was in Bremer County. University of Iowa Health Care on Monday morning officially https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/education/university-of-iowa-will-begin-patient-vaccination-next-week-20210126 (began collecting names of community members) wanting a COVID-19 vaccine — propelling the hospital system into its next vaccination phase after the campus, following state guidance, vaccinated its thousands of hospital and clinic employees. The campus is keeping back enough vaccine to ensure all its workers receive the two required doses of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine. But UIHC last month received permission from the Iowa Department of Public Health to start administering community doses in February. Community members, as of Monday, can sign up for the vaccine doses via the MyChart electronic medical record system or through a website portal for those who don't use MyChart. According to the Associated Press, a Democratic-led House panel is launching a probe into COVID-19 outbreaks at meatpacking plants and whether federal and state governments properly enforced safety rules. . Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., chairman of the House select subcommittee on the coronavirus crisis, sent letters Monday to Tyson Foods — which has facilities in Waterloo — Smithfield Foods and JBS USA requesting information on the number of sick employees, facility closures, safety measures and leave policies for when workers tested positive. Clyburn said in the letter that nearly 54,000 workers at 569 meatpacking plants in the United States have tested positive for the coronavirus during the pandemic, and at least 270 of those workers have died. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news?" If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Saturday Jan. 30 and Sunday Jan. 31 If I may offer a brief editorial on the weather before we begin: Black ice on wood steps is no joke. Also, as a related editorial comment: Ouch! Moving beyond my personal pain, let's get to the collective pain in our rears. There will be some more nasty winter weather this weekend. According to the National Weather Service, it will kick off with freezing rain in the Cedar Rapids area Saturday morning, slowly turning from freezing rain to full on rain as we hit the day's high of 34 degrees after noon. It will also be windy all day, with a 15 mph gusting as high as 25 mph. Then, Saturday night, expect rain and snow, with snow coming after 8 p.m. There is predicted to be between 2 to 4 inches possible. Then for Sunday, more snow likely, primarily before noon. There will be a high of 33 degrees afterward with cloudy skies. Wind guests will again be in the 20 mph range, but snow accumulation is expected to remain around a half inch. A https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/public-safety/1-dead-3-injured-in-hiawatha-shooting-20200531 (shootout last year at the Sunset Village Mobile Home Park) in Hiawatha that left three men injured and a fourth man dead will not lead to major criminal charges. After authorities investigated the chaotic events around the May 30, 2020, gunfight, Linn County Attorney Jerry Vander Sanden announced Friday the killing of Joshua Lathrop, 31, was justified under Iowa's “stand your ground” self-defense law. Only one charge — of illegally carrying a gun — will be filed against one of the combatants. The altercation may have stemmed from Tyler and Terrone Bell — who are twins — searching the mobile home park for two unknown men who allegedly attacked Tyler Bell's girlfriend, the findings indicated. Witnesses said the brothers were searching the park, yelling they were “gonna get somebody,” and Terrone Bell was visibly armed. Witnesses said that Lathrop confronted the Bell brothers and punched one in the face, and that is when the shooting began. “All four principle participants in the altercation, Terrone and Tyler Bell, Truman Harris and Chad Harris, freely and voluntarily spoke to investigators about their role in the shooting incident,” Vander Sanden said in his findings. “None of them requested the assistance of an attorney. The three who fired weapons, Terrone Bell, Truman Harris and Chad Harris, adamantly claimed they did so to defend themselves or to defend another person.” On Friday, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed into law a requirement that K-12 schools offer the option of 100 percent in-person learning to all students beginning in February, even if districts are not operating completely in-person during the COVID-19 pandemic. Gov. Reynolds also used the event to pitch for a Republican effort to institute a new voucher system in the state's K-12 education system. After receiving angry public feedback, there is some concern that there are not enough votes in the Republican controlled legislature to pass the bill due to concerns about the long term ramifications it might have on the state's education system. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news?" If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Friday, Jan. 29. Friday's weather will be sort of a prelude of the snow that could come this weekend. According to the National Weather Service, it will be warmer, with a high near 30 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area with mostly cloudy skies. Then Friday night the wind will pick up from 5 to 15 mph, gusting as high as 20 mph. This will be a sign that, you guessed it, a new weather system is prepared to roll through. Also rolling through this winter? Pretty much anything Iowa Republicans want. In addition to electing a U.S. senator and governor in November 2022, Iowa voters will be asked to amend the state constitution to give gun rights more protection from legal challenges. The Iowa House and Iowa Senate approved https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/BillBook?ga=89&ba=SJR7 (Senate Joint Resolution 7,) a proposal to add language to the Iowa Constitution to say: “The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. The sovereign state of Iowa affirms and recognizes this right to be a fundamental individual right. Any and all restrictions of this right shall be subject to strict scrutiny.” Iowa Republicans argue that this language is necessary because Iowa is one of only 6 states in the nation that do not have the 2nd amendment codified in their constitution. The final portion about strict scrutiny is an important little nugget they have added in to make lawsuits against pro gun laws even more difficult to pass. Iowa Democrats offered amendment language that would codify the 2nd Amendment into the constitution without the strict scrutiny language, but Republicans offered the counter proposal of the bill they wanted being pushed through unchanged. The bill passed with clean Republican majorities. Legislation requiring K-12 school districts to offer all students a 100 percent in-person learning option gained final approval Thursday from Republican majorities in the Iowa Capitol, sending the measure to Republican Governor Kim Reynolds, who said she was eager to sign it into law. Republicans support the proposal, saying students and families should have the option of being in the classroom full-time during the COVID-19 pandemic, even in districts where local school and public health officials have not deemed that to be safe. Democrats opposed the measure, saying local leaders — not state lawmakers — know best how to operate their schools with education and safety of students and staff in mind. The argument over who should be able to determine instruction and masking options in Iowa's cities and schools has continued unabated since the beginning of the pandemic a year ago. On one side, the governor and other Republicans have argued for the state keeping as much of public life open as possible, fighting against cities instituting mask mandates and fighting for schools to offer in-person instruction. On the other side, Democrats have argued for the importance of local schools and municipalities making these decisions, as well as urging more safety measures in the state and capitol. These efforts, as with so many things attempted by Iowa Democrats in the last year, ended in defeat. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news?" If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Thursday, Jan. 28. Thursday will be sunny, but it will also be very cold. According to the National Weather Service, there will be a high near 20 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area, with wind chill values near zero. Thursday night it looks like it will be partly cloudy, with a low around 9 degrees and wind chill values at 5 degrees below zero. Iowa voters are a step closer to being able to vote on whether the Iowa Constitution guarantees a right to an abortion. The Iowa House on Wednesday approved https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/government/www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/BillBook?ga=89&ba=HJR5 (House Joint Resolution 5 )that would add language to make clear there is no constitutional right to an abortion or requirement for the public funding of abortions. Shortly after 9 p.m., the House approved the resolution 55-44, with three Republicans joining House Democrats in casting “no” votes. If the language is approved by the House and Senate this session, and then again in the 2023-25 session, the amendment could go to the Iowa voters for ratification by a simple majority. Iowa Republicans feel they need to change the Iowa constitution because previous attempts they have made to restrict abortion, including a fetal heartbeat bill, have been struck down in the state's court system. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said Wednesday the federal government is promising states a 16 percent increase in vaccine doses starting in February. Reynolds said officials in President Joe Biden's administration promised governors in a call this week that the federal government would increase state allocations to accelerate the national vaccination program. The increased federal supply would raise Iowa's weekly doses to 25,800 a week from the current 19,500 allocation for at least the next three weeks. Interim Iowa City Superintendent Matt Degner has dropped the “interim” from his title after the school board unanimously voted to award him a three-year contract with the Iowa City Community School District. Degner said his three priorities as a superintendent are to improve diversity and equity in the Iowa City School District; the completion of the Portrait of a Graduate initiative that will provide an idea of the skills and attributes the district wants students to acquire over their academic careers; and, finally, continuing work on the district's facilities plan guiding future upgrades to buildings. Degner was chosen in April of last year as an interim superintendent, replacing departing superintendent Stephen Murley. The school board noted Denger's shepherding the district through the emergence of COVID-19 over the past year as a key test that demonstrated he could lead through the most daunting of challenges. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news?" If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Wednesday, Jan. 27. The snow won't melt much Wednesday, but at least there won't be more of it. According to the National Weather Service, it will be mostly cloudy in the Cedar Rapids area Wednesday with a high of 21 degrees. Although it will gradually become more sunny as the day goes on, don't get too excited, as wind chill values will hover at around 5 degrees below zero. If you are curious about how much snow fell in Iowa, it depended largely on where you lived. Broadly speaking, if your abode is in Eastern Iowa, about 6 inches of snow fell, if you live in Central Iowa, you received a foot or more of snow. Collins Aerospace, the largest employer in Cedar Rapids, will seek $85 million in cost reductions in 2021, according to its parent company Raytheon Technologies' earnings call Tuesday morning. It comes as Collins Aerospace faced a 70 percent drop in adjusted operating revenue and 25 percent drop in adjusted sales in 2020 The “incremental synergies” discussed Tuesday are in addition to $170 million in cost reductions at Collins Aerospace in 2020, which included 72 layoffs in Cedar Rapids, 36 layoffs in Bellevue and 29 layoffs in Decorah. Iowa U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst said Tuesday she does not believe the second impeachment trial for former President Donald Trump is constitutional. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley joined Sen. Ernst on Wednesday in voting to dismiss the charges against Trump. This vote failed, 55 - 45. However, the margin of the vote suggests it will be unlikely that Trump will be convicted for his second impeachment when he is tried again in the Senate.  Gov. Kim Reynolds said Tuesday she is looking forward to “building those same relationships” with President Joe Biden and his Environmental Protection Agency staff that she had with the Trump administration to protect biofuels, Reynolds said during Tuesday's virtual Iowa Renewable Fuels Summit. In addition to this, Reynolds said she plans to introduce legislation involving an E10 and B11 fuel standard, a rule requiring new or renovated retail gas pumps to be compatible with higher ethanol blends, a reinvestment of fuel retailer tax credits and $2 million in funding for renewable fuels infrastructure. Iowa Republicans on Tuesday made progress in the legislature on a bills that would eliminate tenure at Iowa's universities; institute a new school choice system in the state that would pay vouchers for students to attend schools of their choosing, including private schools; and instituting a requirement that women be informed that their medicinal abortion can be reversed. It should be noted that the Iowa House heard testimony on Tuesday that claims that medicinal abortions can be reversed are not supported by science, however, the bill would threaten doctors with disciplinary action if they did not comply. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news?" If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Tuesday, Jan. 26. Our gentle blizzard will continue into Tuesday morning. According to the National Weather Service, the snow that began in the Cedar Rapids area around 2:00 p.m. Monday and continued overnight will only completely abate around 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The high is expected to be 24 degrees, and as one expects when more than a half of foot of new snow falls, blowing snow will be a concern. Exercise caution when traveling through Tuesday evening, when thankfully it will be mostly calm with a low of around 12 degrees. The Iowa State Patrol reported that through the storm on Monday there were 68 crashes covered on Iowa highways, 66 with property damage and 2 with personal injury. There were also 215 calls for motorist assists for the state patrol alone. Linn County residents aged 65 and older can begin receiving a COVID-19 vaccine on a limited basis starting Tuesday, county public health officials announced. Residents interested in getting a shot will have to schedule an appointment — but because availability of the vaccine is very limited at this time, officials warn those appointments will fill up quickly. Beginning Monday, residents who qualify were expected to be contacted by their primary care provider to schedule an appointment to receive the first shot of the vaccine for the novel coronavirus. Providers who will administer these shots include those associated with MercyCare Clinics and UnityPoint Health Clinics as well as “several independent health care providers.” It's unknown when Johnson County will begin administering vaccines to this group. County public health officials told The Gazette that the public should expect information from them sometime this week. Republican lawmakers who control the Iowa Legislature pressed ahead Monday with plans to expand school choice for parents with public funds for private and charter schools and with requiring K-12 schools to offer an in-person instruction option as the state struggles through the pandemic. The measures would enact the full-time, in-person required option in February for the remainder of the school year and, according to an Iowa State Education Association estimate, start the process of funding a $50 million first step in a plan to earmark taxpayer money for students' private-school tuition. The governor's office projects the initial cost at about $3 million. Critics said the bill would siphon away taxpayer money meant to improve education for nearly 500,000 children to benefit a small fraction taking advantage of the limited scholarships to attend private or charter schools — with little public oversight.  This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news?" If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Saturday Jan. 23 and Sunday Jan. 24. Except for small subgroups who enjoy snow-based masochism the weather is going to be a bit terrible for most of us Saturday, before warming up on Sunday. According to the National Weather Service, there will be a high near 23 degrees during the day on Saturday in the Cedar Rapids area, with windchill values dropping as low as 10 degrees below zero. The temperature will then climb, and with that will come a chance for precipitation. Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. there will be a 30 percent chance for snow. Then Saturday night there will be a 80 percent chance of snow, potentially turning into freezing rain as Saturday heads into Sunday and the temperature continues to rise. Little or no ice accumulation is expected, but new snowfall of more than 2 inches during the day is possible. Then Sunday it will be pretty nice in comparison, turning to mostly cloudy skies and a high near 31 degrees. Even the wind will calm down after a windy week, blowing at 5 mph. The Ames Police Department is investigating after a student was found dead Friday morning in the parking lot of the Delta Delta Delta sorority house. Police say no foul play is suspected as the student, 21-year-old Olivia Chutich, was discovered on the ground after being last seen Thursday night.Chutich is the daughter of Allina Health CEO Dr. Penny Wheeler and Minnesota State Supreme Court Justice Margaret Chutich. They released a statement Friday night expressing grief and a desire for privacy. The demand for the COVID-19 vaccine may only be matched by the amount of frustration at how slowly it is becoming available in Iowa. State and local public health officials have warned that, based on the current supply of vaccines, it likely will take some time before everyone who qualifies receives a shot. State estimates put the total number of individuals who qualify under Phase 1B at about 660,000. In the meantime, the state receives roughly 19,500 doses per week from federal officials, which are fewer doses per capita than most other states. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds is working with the state's congressional leaders to determine why that is, However, as a result, local public health departments say their offices are being flooded with the highest call volume since the pandemic began. State officials are urging residents not to call clinics or pharmacies because they don't have any details to share at this time. “We're getting 50 to 60 calls a day from people who want the vaccine and heard they can get it,” said Matt Osterhaus, pharmacist and owner of Osterhaus Pharmacy in Maquoketa. Phase 1B is set to begin on February 1. It expends those eligible for the vaccine to  first responders, K-12 school staff, manufacturing and distribution workers in at-risk industries, caretakers for vulnerable individuals, and people over the age of 65. Meanwhile, the state has had trouble meeting demand for Phase 1A of its vaccine rollout, which targeted hospital frontline workers and those who work in long term care facilities. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news?" If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Friday, Jan. 22. It will be sunny Friday, but quite cold. According to the National Weather Service there will be a high of 17 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area with wind chill values near 5 degrees below zero. Friday night it will be mostly clear, with a low of 1 degree. The wind will settle during the course of the day from 10 to 5 mph. Hundreds of thousands more Iowans are about to become eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine starting in February, but demand for the shots will outweigh supply early in the process, state officials said Thursday. Iowa intends to begin the second phase of its vaccination program the week of Feb. 1, at which time Iowans who work in law enforcement, emergency response, K-12 education and childcare will become eligible to receive the doses — as will any Iowans ages 65 or older, not just 75 and older as the state had announced earlier. However, the number of newly eligible Iowans — more than 660,000 people — will outnumber the supply of vaccine doses available, according to state officials, who asked for patience from the public. Iowa House Republicans on Thursday continued to refuse to initiate a mask mandate for lawmakers or visitors to congress. In addition, House Republicans, unlike their Republican comrades in the Iowa Senate, have balked at allowing lawmakers concerned about their health to attend meetings virtually. Republicans in the House insist that social distancing guidelines are sufficient to protect people in the Capitol. Speaking of protection, Republicans in the Iowa House and Senate are working to amend the Iowa Constitution to protect the right to bear arms against the threat of future restriction. If they are successful in passing the legislation that has passed both houses in a previous session, the constitutional amendment could go before Iowa voters in the 2022 general election. If adopted by voters, the state constitution would be amended by adding: “The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. The sovereign state of Iowa affirms and recognizes this right to be a fundamental individual right. Any and all restrictions of this right shall be subject to strict scrutiny.” The joint resolution made progress in both the Iowa House and Iowa Senate Thursday. Republicans also are proposing bills to eliminate background checks from gun permits, remove the requirement for a permit to carry a concealed handgun and allow guns in schools, hospitals, child care centers and courthouses. The “strict scrutiny” portion of the constitutional amendment would mean any challenge to these or other gun laws would face a steep legal hill, regardless of the strength of the case. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com).

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Thursday, Jan. 21. Most of Thursday's weather will be similar to Wednesday's weather, with a little less wind. According to the National Weather Service there will be a high near 37 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area. The wind will hover between 10 to 15 mph. Then, Thursday night, the wind will pick up slightly and incoming clouds will bring a slight chance of snow. The good news is that the snow that falls is NOT expected to be significant. The bad news is Friday is predicted to be quite cold. Despite organizers having to deal with COVID-19 and the potential of civil unrest, the inauguration of Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. as the 46th president took place Wednesday mostly without a hitch: speeches were given stressing unity, patriotic music was played by enthusiastic marching bands, as many fireworks as they could find were shot off, and pop stars performed the most hopeful songs they could think of from their catalogues. I recommend searching for Bernie Sanders and his mittens if you would like a quality meme experience from the day. But it wasn't all Bernie Sanders mittens Wednesday. Newly elected President Biden signed 17 executive orders, mostly targeting the dismantling of policies enacted by President Donald Trump. In some highlights from his orders, Biden extended a moratorium on evictions, reversed Trump era decisions on immigration, indicated the United States would rejoin the World Health Organization and the Paris Climate Accord, and issued a freeze on regulations put forward by his predecessor. It should be noted that although unity was stressed during the day, Biden's action through executive order resembled both that of President Barack Obama's second term and most of President Trump's term, where an executive branch, blocked by a dysfunctional congress, resorted to this power more and more. Back closer to home, bills continued to move in the Iowa Legislature. The Iowa House Judiciary Committee voted along party lines to approve a resolution for a constitutional amendment that opponents call the first step toward a state ban on abortion. https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/government/www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/BillBook?ga=89&ba=HSB41 (House Study Bill 41) calls for letting voters decide if they want to amend the Iowa Constitution to declare that it does not recognize a right to abortion or require the public funding of abortion. That language was approved by the Senate last year but failed in the House. If approved this year and again by the 2023-25 General Assembly, it would go to the voters to decide. Republicans have lobbied aggressively for this amendment to the Iowa constitution as their previous efforts to severely restrict abortion were rejected by the Iowa Supreme Court on multiple occassions.  A mental health counselor at St. Luke's Hospital in Cedar Rapids has filed a complaint with the Iowa Civil Rights Commission, accusing co-workers of harassing him for being transgender. Asher Brown told the Gazette that he joined the inpatient psychiatric unit at the hospital with the hope that his experiences as a transgender adult would allow him to help patients experiencing challenges with gender identity. However, he said in his complaint that coworkers not only harassed him for being transgender, asking about his genitalia and what gender he found attractive, they also were disrespectful of transgender patients. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa)

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Wednesday, Jan. 20. Wednesday's weather will be defined by the wind. While the National Weather Service forecasts it will be sunny in the Cedar Rapids area with a high of 36 degrees, the wind is predicted to pick up during the day to 15 to 20 mph, gusting as high as 35 mph. This high wind could drop the wind chill value to 5 degrees below zero. So, in summary, the ice and snow should melt some while it still feels freezing outside. As President-elect Joe Biden is sworn into office on Wednesday, the task of bringing COVID-19 under control will clearly priority number one. On Tuesday the United States reported exceeding 400,000 deaths from the novel coronavirus since it appeared in the country early last year, a death toll nearly equal to the number of American lives lost annually to strokes, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, flu and pneumonia combined. With COVID-19 deaths exceeding 4,000 per day due to a surge of the disease in states like California and Arizona, the number of deaths by the end of the week will likely surpass the number of Americans killed in World War II. Because of the virus, and lingering security threats, expect a more subdued inauguration celebration Wednesday compared to those in the past. The Eastern Iowa Airport saw the fewest total passengers in 2020 in at least 25 years as the coronavirus wreaked havoc on the commercial aerospace industry. The 615,935 passengers marked a 53 percent drop from 2019 levels and broke a streak of six years with at least 1 million passengers. The lowest passenger total before 2020 in the airport's digital records, which go back to 1996, was 829,760 in 1996. The Eastern Iowa Airport is far from the only airport facing these challenges. Des Moines International Airport had its fewest total passengers in 2020 since 1984, https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/2021/01/12/des-moines-airport-sees-lowest-passenger-traffic-36-years/6637851002/ (according to the Des Moines Register). The Iowa City Council on Tuesday threw its support behind a downtown development designed to revitalize and preserve the character of the Pedestrian Mall. A resolution approving $12.25 million in tax increment financing over 15 years for the project received unanimous support from the council Tuesday night. The project — which comes with a $54.4 million total price tag  — involves designating buildings as historic landmarks in order to renovate and preserve them. The project would breathe life into the 100 block of East College Street by eliminating 50 percent of the commercial space, which would allow smaller businesses that would be open during the daytime to move in.  Local restaurateur Jim Mondanaro plans to expand his Reunion brewery and restaurant into the former Fieldhouse location, and Riverside Theatre would move into the second and third floors of the former Union Bar. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news?" If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Tuesday, Jan. 19. We could see some rain and then snow Tuesday. According to the National Weather Service there will be a chance for snow and freezing rain before 2 p.m. in the Cedar Rapids area, then likely a chance for snow the rest of the day. Accumulation of less than a half inch of snow is predicted.  The high temperature will settle at about 28 degrees during the day, with the wind speed also picking up as the day goes on. A Cedar Rapids man who said he “wanted to see what was going on” as he took part on Jan. 6 in the violent invasion of the U.S. Capitol now faces federal charges over the incursion. Leo Christopher Kelly, 35, is charged in the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia with knowingly entering or remaining in any restricted building or grounds without lawful authority, violent entry with intent to disrupt the orderly conduct of official business, and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. Kelly was identified by investigators as being part of the pandemonium through video coverage by a news reporter and by two interviews he did with The Gazette and with the LifeSiteNews website, according to an affidavit filed with the complaint Friday. Kelly indicated to investigators that he was willing to turn himself in if investigators pressed charges, of which there are now several. Starting Jan. 25, every passenger flying out of The Eastern Iowa Airport will be required to undergo a temperature check and answer a few health questions under a pandemic mitigation program initially unveiled last summer. Installation of the primary health screening area began Monday and is expected to be complete on Tuesday. A secondary screening area is already set up. Airport Director Marty Lenss said the program is a step “to make sure our guests and travelers throughout Eastern Iowa feel good about flying” from the airport during the COVID-19 pandemic. The airport and Mercy Medical Center https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/business/eastern-iowa-airport-health-screenings-mercy-masks-covid-marty-lenss-20200709 (initially announced the program in July) with hopes of it being ready in early September. But the https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/business/eastern-iowa-airport-health-screenings-mercy-masks-covid-marty-lenss-20200709 (Federal Aviation Administration in August barred airports around the nation from using federal CARES Act funding or airport revenue for health screenings). The program was back on after the FAA reversed its course again in December. Republican state lawmakers are again pushing to eliminate tenure at Iowa's public universities, which already have been reporting fewer tenured faculty for years even without a mandate to eliminate the academic freedom protection.Similar to proposed legislation he introduced in 2018 and 2019, Sen. Brad Zaun, R-Urbandale, this session has put forth a bill “prohibiting tenure systems at public postsecondary educational institutions.” The measure would bar tenure and its protections at the University of Iowa, Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa. A similar bill has been introduced in the House. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news?" If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Saturday Jan. 16 and Sunday Jan. 17. Your weekend weather continues the sporadic precipitation of the last few days. According to the National Weather Service, there will be a chance of snow in the early morning Saturday in Eastern Iowa with a chance for flurries throughout the rest of the day. The temperature will settle into the high 20s, so freezing rain should be off the menu. Sunday the temperature will remain similar and so will the chance for flurries, with things finally calming down Sunday night to mostly cloudy skies. Five days into the Iowa legislative session lawmakers and staff have been alerted that someone “associated” with the House has tested positive for COVID-19. Chief Clerk of the House Meghan Nelson and Secretary of the Senate Charlie Smithson sent messages to lawmakers and staff shortly after 6 p.m. Friday alerting them that someone who had been in the Capitol Wednesday tested positive earlier in the day. The lack of a mask mandate for Iowa legislators created divisions even before the session started. In the House, Democrats have asked that people attending committee meetings in person be required to wear masks. Those proposals have been defeated largely on party line votes. Democrats also have criticized Republicans for not delaying the 2021 session until more Iowans receive COVID-19 vaccinations. The outstanding debt for state and local governments topped $17.9 billion for the fiscal year that ended last June, Iowa's state treasurer Michael Fitzgerald reported Friday. That's a 4.8 percent increase from the previous fiscal year, Fitzgerald said, though Iowa remains among the states with the lowest debt in the nation. “Usually, for Iowa, you'll see 3 (percent) to 5 percent growth in the debt,” he said. “Iowa is a pay-as-you-go, low-debt state, and it's continuing to be that way, but local governments are making some investments. With reports that armed protests are possible, steps are being taken to ensure the Iowa Capitol remains a safe place in the coming days. An FBI memo, obtained earlier this week by ABC News, warns of plans for armed protests at all 50 state capitals in the days leading up to President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration.According to the report, one group has called for supporters of outgoing President Donald Trump to “storm” government buildings on Wednesday even if Trump won the state — as he did in Iowa. An officer with the state public safety department and the Iowa State Patrol, the agency in charge of protection at the Iowa Capitol, said the department's intelligence division is monitoring social media and other channels for prospective security concerns and is working with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The Iowa National Guard has not been asked to protect the capitol at this time, but they are available if needed. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news?" If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Thursday, Jan. 14. If you like wintry mix, Thursday's weather forecast is for you. According to the National Weather Service, there is predicted to be snow and sleet in the Cedar Rapids area before noon, then rain, possibly mixed with snow. There will be a high of 36 degrees somewhere during all of that and new snow and sleet accumulation is expected to be around a half inch or less. Then, Thursday night, there will be a low of 27 degrees and a 40 percent chance of more snow. Donald Trump became the first president in U.S. history to be impeached twice, as a House majority Wednesday voted to charge him with inciting insurrection by his supporters, who a week ago stormed the Capitol to block ratification of Joe Biden's electoral victory. The 232-197 House vote Wednesday came exactly one week after the Capitol suffered its most violent assault since the British burned it in the War of 1812. Even though just 10 Republicans joined with Democrats in the vote, it was the most bipartisan presidential impeachment in modern times, more so than against Bill Clinton in 1998. The charge against Trump now goes to the Senate, where a trial will not be held until after Trump leaves office on Jan. 20. A post-presidency conviction would be too late to cut short his term, but could be followed by a vote on a measure to bar Trump from running again for president. The Iowa Hawkeyes basketball team has now had its first COVID-19 disruption during its Big Ten schedule. Iowa's scheduled home men's basketball game against Michigan State Thursday night has been postponed because of COVID-19 issues within the Michigan State program. The makeup date will be announced at a later time. Michigan State Coach Tom Izzo announced Wednesday afternoon that players Mady Sissoko and Steven Izzo had tested positive for COVID-19. They are roommates. Sissoko is a freshman center and Izzo, the son of the coach, is a walk-on sophomore guard. Although the Iowa Department of Public Health announced Tuesday that COVID-19 vaccines would be available to a wider group of people beyond frontline health workers on Feb. 1, public health officials in two of Iowa's most populous counties are unsure when they will be receiving enough of the vaccine to meet demand.  Linn County health officials on Wednesday said they still have not received enough doses to complete vaccination of front-line health care workers and others in the first phase of vaccination, citing the current supply of COVID-19 vaccines allocated to local jurisdictions by federal officials. In Johnson County, Johnson County Public Health in recent weeks has seen the highest volume of calls from residents since the pandemic began, all from Iowans eager to find out when they can get a vaccine. But as with its neighbor, Johnson County has not received any indication from the state when it can expect to inoculate groups within Phase 1B. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers.  Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news?" If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Wednesday, Jan. 13. Wednesday will be the last break from poor winter weather for a bit. According to the National Weather Service there will be a high of 39 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area. It will be cloudy in the morning before gradually becoming mostly sunny. Even Wednesday night it will remain above freezing, with a low of 33 degrees. Thursday and Friday look to bring chances for rain and snow before colder temperatures to come. Another phase of COVID-19 vaccinations in Iowa will start at the beginning of February. Officials with the Iowa Department of Public Health told state legislators Tuesday they expect to pivot to the next part of the coronavirus vaccine distribution plan by Feb. 1, moving beyond front-line health care workers and beginning to vaccinate other essential workforces and those most at risk for severe illness. The process to inoculate this population likely will cover several weeks.  People who can qualify under this phase are: adults older than 75, individuals living at home with disabilities along with their caregivers, correctional staff and inmates, K-12 educators and others who work with children, first responders, front line workers in at risk industries, and social workers who help at-risk groups. I mentioned yesterday that due to the way the state is reporting its data, there are good days and bad days with the virus that average out over time. Tuesday was a bad day, with Iowa reporting 1,200 new coronavirus cases and 83 deaths related to the virus. Hospitalizations for the virus remained steady in the 500 to 600 range that the state has seen the last month, with slow declines over time.  Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds gave her Condition of the State speech on Tuesday, proposing an $8.1 billion state spending plan for fiscal 2022. This would be a 3.7 percent spending increase that would fund priorities in broadband expansion, K-12 and higher education and mental health programs for adults and children. The bulk of the new money would go toward a three-year, $450 million plan that would expand accessibility to affordable broadband. Reynolds said the pandemic had exposed the divide in Iowa for those who have access to good broadband in the cities versus many rural communities who do not. The United States Congress voted along party lines Tuesday to ask Vice President Mike Pence to invoke the 25th amendment to remove President Donald Trump from power. The move was in response to President Trump's rally devolving into a siege on the Capitol building last week. Pence sent House Speaker Nancy Pelosi a letter declining to utilize the 25th in this way, arguing that it was only intended to remove presidents who could not fulfill their duty due to illness. As a result, the House is expected to meet again Wednesday and vote to impeach the president. If the vote is approved, as expected, this will make President Trump the only president in history to be impeached twice by Congress. The House members would then hold a trial in the Senate to make their case they should complete the impeachment process. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers.  Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news?" If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Tuesday, Jan. 12. If you enjoyed Monday's sun we've got some more of that coming Tuesday. According to the National Weather Service it will be mostly sunny with a high near 35 degrees. A west wind will hover between 5 and 10 mph. The low will drop to 25 degrees Tuesday night with partly cloudy skies. We've entered into something of an every-other-day-is-bad pattern when it comes to COVID-19 numbers. Monday the numbers were good, with only one death from the disease reported in the state and 438 new cases. In other positive news, the state reported that 96,686 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Iowa, with just under 6,000 people receiving the two doses needed to be fully vaccinated for the disease. There's still a long way to go until enough are vaccinated to slow the spread of the virus, so please continue practicing masking and social distancing habits when in public to get all of us the rest of the way there safely. Iowa's 2021 legislative session kicked off Monday, with leaders of both parties sounding mostly amicable notes toward each other. Then again, they haven't brought up the issues that make each other angry, yet. Some of those that we can expect to see this session could be: another attempt to ban the use of electronic devices while driving, another attempt at making Iowa's marijuana laws less restrictive, another debate over whether to keep Iowa's deposit for recycled bottles law, and continued Republican pushes to make guns easier to own, religion easier to practice, and abortions harder to get. If history is any guide, there will also be several off the wall bills pitched that will upset several people before never seeing the light of day.  The Republican Party controls all branches of Iowa's government by significant margins. Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds is set to give her Condition of the State address Tuesday night at 6:00 p.m. Reynolds said she wanted to give the speech in primetime due to the difficult year that 2020 was for Iowans. Against that backdrop, Reynolds is expected to sound themes of optimism, economic rebound and resiliency, telling reporters “we are so ready to turn the page on 2020.” House Democrats on Monday introduced an article of impeachment against President Donald Trump over his incitement last week of the Capitol riot. The move toward impeachment came after Republicans blocked an initial attempt to pass a resolution calling on Vice President Mike Pence to use the 25th amendment to remove the president from office. The House is expected to reconvene Tuesday to hold a vote on the measure. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers.  Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news?" If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Saturday, January 9 and Sunday, January 10. Cloudy, calm, and fairly cold. That's the weather we have on tap for this weekend. According to the National Weather Service, it is predicted to be a high of 26 in the Cedar Rapids area on Saturday with cloudy skies. The low is predicted to be 20 degrees. On Sunday it will go from cloudy to mostly cloudy, with a high of 28 degrees. The low is then predicted to drop to 18 degrees. In Washington D.C., politicians continued to issue proclamations in reaction to the mob incursion into the Capitol building on Wednesday. The siege on congress was conducted by people who attended a rally for President Donald Trump trying to hold out his election hopes by forcefully stopping the ratification of the electoral votes. That was not successful. Perhaps most devastating to the president Friday was the decision by Twitter to ban him from the platform for the foreseeable future. Trump is also now banned on Facebook, Instagram, and his videos are on a short leash on YouTube. According to Twitter, this was to stop the President of the United States from inciting more violence. Trump's rise to political prominence relied heavily on his presence on social media, particularly on Twitter. Trump vowed that he would not be silenced, and told supporters he would be launching his own outlet. Until then, what will become of him in the meantime has yet to be decided. Iowa on Friday reported 2,057 new coronavirus cases and 59 confirmed deaths from COVID-19. The new numbers, analyzed by the Gazette at 11 a.m. Friday, bring the state's totals to 293,454 cases and 4,124 deaths since the start of the pandemic last March. Hospitalizations for the virus continue to hover around 600 people. The daily positive case number is one to watch, as it can be an indicator of trouble to come. Cases have increased daily for almost two weeks now, reversing a trend where they had been dropping until right before the holiday. Also growing in Iowa? Sports gambling.  Legal sports wagering in Iowa topped the $100 million plateau in December, marking the third month in a row for record-setting growth. And industry officials expect betting activity will continue to grow, given the upcoming Super Bowl and NCAA “March Madness” basketball tournament and a change in Iowa law that makes online wagering easier. Sports wagering topped $104.8 million in December — making Iowa the eighth state to surpass $100 million in wagers in a single month. More than $78 million of those bets were placed online. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers.  Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news?" If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Friday, January 8. It's another similar weather forecast to other days this week, but there is a twist: There is no fog predicted for Friday morning. According to the National Weather Service there will be a high of 31 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area. The skies will be cloudy and wind will be calm all day, with the temperature dropping Friday night to a low of 18. The nation on Thursday began to process the chaos that had the day happened before, as supporters of the current President stormed the Capitol Wednesday in Washington D.C. in an attempt to stop the ratification of electors for an election he had already lost. The Iowa delegation issued statements mostly holding President Trump responsible for inciting the crowd, although the degree of his responsibility and the consequences of this action varied predictably by party. Iowa Senators Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst both issued statements labeling the President's conduct as a failure in leadership, and that he should own up to his responsibility for what happened. They stopped short of calling for a specific punishment for the president, however. Newly elected congresswoman Ashley Hinson also condemned the violence, but said she was focused on moving forward. Fellow congressional freshman Mariannette Miller-Meeks accused Democrats of focusing on the events of Wednesday while not doing enough to chasten Black Lives Matter protesters over the summer. Iowa's lone Democratic Rep. Cindy Axne called for the President's removal from office before the completion of his final 13 days through either impeachment or Trump's cabinet invoking the 25th Amendment. Axne said Trump's recent actions suggest it is not safe to leave him in power for even two weeks. For his part, President Trump released a video condemning the mob's actions on Wednesday, and said he was committed to a peaceful transition of power. It is unclear whether this will have any effect on what lawmakers were prepared to do anyway in the wake of Wednesday. Back in Iowa, Gov. Kim Reynolds on Thursday lifted spectator limits for sporting and recreational events, including at high school events. The change takes effect at 12:01 a.m. Friday. A previous order, put in place in December when COVID-19 cases were spiking, limited spectators to two per student-athlete. While that limit is lifted, spectators must continue to wear masks and maintain 6 feet between groupings, such as families. The change comes after a month of improving numbers in both COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. However, Iowa's cases have already begun to tick back up following the holidays, with its seven day average of cases increasing for 8 consecutive days. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers.  Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com).

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Thursday, January 7. We've got another day of basically the same weather on Thursday. According to the National Weather Service, we will see some patchy fog before 9:00 a.m. in the Cedar Rapids area. Otherwise it will be cloudy with a high near 31 degrees.  We have finally, mostly, finished November's election. Early Thursday morning, shortly before 3:00 a.m. Central time, a joint session of Congress ratified Joe Biden's 306 to 232 Electoral College win over incumbent Donald Trump, making Biden the next president of the United States. This ended a day full of drama for a process that in every other presidential election is typically a formality. Congress actually began to ratify the votes on Wednesday, but were interrupted after a mob of Trump supporters, coming from a rally where the president spoke, forced their way past barricades and occupied the Capitol building. The group of Trump loyalists had seized the building after weeks of Trump claiming that he had won the election in the landslide, and the win had been stolen away through fraudulent means. Lawmakers were evacuated as capitol police struggled to regain control. No members of the Iowa delegation were injured during the incident. They joined fellow lawmakers in condemning the violence, which led to property damage, several arrests, and the deaths of 4 people. Debate resumed a bit after 7:00 p.m. Central time. So everything went fine, right? Well, after a series of speeches by politicians condemning the events of the day, a group of Republicans who had planned to challenge votes in key states based on claims of fraudulent election results were undaunted by the earlier siege of the capitol, going ahead and challenging the results of the elections in Arizona and Pennsylvania. In both cases the challenges were defeated, but with additional debate the process dragged on for hours. Afterward, President Trump, who had been suspended temporarily on Twitter and other social media platforms for the potential for him to incite more violence, indicated through a spokesperson that there would be a transition of power. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Mike Pence shared an elbow bump, and the day and a half that felt like a week was done. Finally, Iowa on Wednesday surpassed 4,000 deaths from COVID-19, and the number of new virus cases is once again climbing. The state reported 61 confirmed deaths from the virus in the 24 hours ending at 11 a.m. Wednesday, bringing the state's death toll since March to 4,060 people.  Iowa also reported 2,854 new COVID-19 cases Wednesday — the highest number of new cases reported in a 24-hour period since Dec. 4, when 2,905 cases were recorded. The state's seven-day average of new cases is 1,562. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers.  Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news?" If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update Tuesday, January 5. Another foggy morning is in store for you on Wednesday. According to the National Weather Service, areas of dense fog will be present in Eastern Iowa before 11 a.m. After that, it will be cloudy, with a high of 31 degrees. Two teenagers suffered non-life threatening gunshot wounds Tuesday evening in what may have been a drive-by shooting, authorities said. Cedar Rapids police got a report at 6:16 p.m. of shots being fired in the 1000 block of 10th Street SW. A public safety spokesman said responding officers found the injured male teens, age 16 and 18, in the 1000 block of Ninth Street SW. Police said that based on preliminary information, the shots may have come from a passing vehicle. An investigation into the incident is underway. Iowa 1st Congressional District U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson has joined 11 other House Republicans in calling for certification of Electoral College results confirming Joe Biden as president-elect. The vote favors Biden 306-232 over President Donald Trump, with 270 Electoral Votes required to win the presidency. Sworn into office this week, Hinson joined GOP representatives in making the case that although upholding the results may frustrate their immediate political objectives, their oath to uphold the Constitution supersedes politics. The position of these Republicans is in contrast to positions taken by a dozen or more Republican senators and 100-plus House members who have indicated they will challenge electors from states where Trump has disputed the Nov. 3 election results. The Electoral College process is set to conclude today when the results are tabulated by Congress. President Trump and his allies have indicated that they intend to take the unusual step of challenging this process. Fluid Quip Technologies of Cedar Rapids has been purchased by an Omaha, Neb.-based company. https://gpreinc.com/ (Green Plains Inc.) said Tuesday it acquired majority interest in https://fluidquiptechnologies.com/about/ (Fluid Quip), which develops new technologies and processes for the biofuels and biochemical industries, as part of a joint transaction with https://www.ospraie.com/ (Ospraie Management), according to a news release. One of the goals of the purchase was to capitalize on high-protein animal feed, produced through a technology developed by Fluid Quip. Maximized stillage co-products, or MSC, technology extracts protein from the whole stillage that remains after ethanol processing and makes a 50 percent protein feed for pets, fish, dairy cows, poultry and swine This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers.  Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com).

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update Tuesday, January 5. Tuesday's forecast looks to be similar to Monday's weather. According to the National Weather Service, there could be another round of patchy fog before 9 a.m. in the Cedar Rapids area, so be careful on your morning commute. After this it will be a high of 29 degrees with sunny skies and a calm wind. It will become increasingly cloudy Tuesday night into Wednesday, and cloudy it is predicted to remain for several days after. Iowa reported 42 more deaths from COVID-19 on Monday, bringing the state's death toll to 3,992 so far. Hospitalizations and new cases have continued to drop, which continues a good news trend in the state. One thing to watch out for is a high positivity rate, still, with approximately 44 percent of those tested for the novel coronavirus coming out positive on Monday. The boom in cases and hospitalizations that followed late last year coincided with Iowa having one of the highest positivity rates in the nation in October and November. Police announced Monday that an 18-year-old woman who was shot on Dec. 22 in southwest Cedar Rapids was declared “legally deceased” four days later — on Dec. 26. The Cedar Rapids Police Department identified the woman as Marisa Doolin of Cedar Rapids. Doolin was found at 3:25 p.m. Dec. 22 in a second-floor apartment at 2110 Westdale Dr. SW, police said. Investigators said she had sustained a life-threatening gunshot wound. No arrests have been made, police said, and an investigation is ongoing. The police department also released the identity of the first recorded homicide in Cedar Rapids in 2021. Police identified Sunday's fatal shooting victim who was declared dead at Mercy Medical Center as Jayson Lee Jones, 21, of Cedar Rapids. According to police, Jones was shot at a residence at 818 11th Ave. SE. Jones was taken by private vehicle to the hospital at about 2:16 a.m., where he was pronounced dead a short time later. Police have not released details as to what happened leading up to the shooting, but an investigation is underway. To celebrate the 2020 centennial of the Iowa state park system, the Department of Natural Resources planted at least 100,000 trees last year , nearly triple the number planted in a typical year. The milestone planting commemorated not only the 100th anniversary of the state park system, but also the centennial of the National Association of State Foresters. Members of the association participated in the 2020 Centennial Challenge to plant millions of trees across the United States. The native Iowa trees were supplied by the https://nursery.iowadnr.gov/ (State Forest Nursery) and planted in Iowa's four state forests, dozens of wildlife management areas and 23 of its state parks, according to Emma Hanigan, urban forestry coordinator. In addition to DNR funds, the plantings were aided by a grant from the Arbor Day Foundation. Hanigan estimated the grant covered the internal production costs of about 55,200 seedlings. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers.  Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com).

Hospitalizations from COVID-19 in Iowa https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/health/iowa-covid-19-hospitalizations-coronavirus-cases-jan-1-20210101 (are down by half from what they were a month ago). Iowa reported 575 hospitalizations New Year's Day, compared to 1,172 COVID-19 patients hospitalized Dec. 1. And it's more than a blip, with four of the last seven days having fewer than 600 hospitalizations. Of people hospitalized Friday, 117 were in intensive care and 63 were on ventilators. Both numbers were down from the previous day. Iowa reported 2,133 new cases of COVID-19 Friday, totaling 282,439. There were seven new confirmed deaths for 3,898 overall in the state.  Eastern Iowa's two newly elected congresswomen https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/government/rep-ashley-hinson-rep-mariannette-miller-meeks-iowa-us-house-swearing-in-20210101 (will be sworn in Sunday) as members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Marion Republican Ashley Hinson said she is humbled and honored about being among the 61 freshmen who will be sworn in at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. Hinson, a two-term Iowa House member, has known since election night when she defeated Democratic incumbent Abby Finkenauer that she would be in the incoming class of the 117th Congress. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, an Ottumwa Republican, only learned this week that she would be sworn in. She will be seated provisionally because her six-vote victory in Iowa's 2nd District is being challenged by Democrat Rita Hart. Hart has asked the House to investigate and determine the winner of the seat replacing retired Democratic U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack. The swearing-in ceremony will be broadcast at 11 a.m. Iowa time on C-SPAN 1. https://www.thegazette.com/subject/sports/iowa-state-cyclones/iowa-state-qb-brock-purdy-from-arizona-fiesta-bowl-20210101 (No. 10 Iowa State will play No. 25 Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl) on Saturday at 3 p.m. in Glendale, Ariz. — just outside of Phoenix. It's the Cyclones first time playing in one of the New Year's Six bowl games. It's also the first time playing the Ducks, who won the Pac-12 Championship to reach the Fiesta Bowl. The game begins at 3 p.m. on ESPN.  The weekend will be mostly calm and cloudy, https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=41.97646000000003&lon=-91.67345999999998#.X9GIXM1KhUs (according to the National Weather Service). There will be some areas of fog Saturday before 2 p.m. Otherwise it will be mostly cloudy with a high near 25 and a low around 12 Saturday night. Sunday will be mostly sunny, with a high near 26, then mostly cloudy Sunday night, with a low around 18.     This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com).

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Friday, January 1. Happy 2021. The New Year will come with a little bit of snow in Iowa. According to the National Weather Service, there will be a high of 28 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area. A chance for snow in the morning will increase into the early afternoon. Total snowfall is expected to be a few inches. The temperature will drop to a low of 10 degrees Friday night, with snow tapering off into partly cloudy skies. Iowa reported another 1,706 new cases of COVID-19 on Thursday as well as 69 new, confirmed deaths, according to data analyzed by The Gazette. The new numbers bring the year's total number of known cases and deaths to 280,306 and 3,891 respectively. After dropping precipitously from the record high number of hospitalizations approaching 1,600 people in mid November, the state has been hovering at about 600 people hospitalized for several weeks since mid December. This number of hospitalizations is still much higher than the average for 2020 before the spike in October.  The Iowa Supreme Court on Thursday limited the financial damages that can be awarded for injuries and deaths caused by state police officers who are found to have used excessive force. According to the Associated Press, the court ruled 6-1 that punitive damages are not available in cases in which state officers use excessive force in violation of constitutional rights. The court ruled that lawsuits brought by those injured or related to those killed by state police are instead subject to limits in the Iowa Tort Claims Act, which governs claims against state employees. Four voters in Johnson and Scott counties say in affidavits they took the necessary steps to cast votes in the Nov. 3 election for Democrat Rita Hart, but say their ballots were rejected because of errors by election workers. The affidavits were included as part of a petition Hart filed last week asking the U.S. House to count those votes, conduct a uniform hand recount of all ballots, and overturn the state's certified election results that have Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks winning by six votes. Miller-Meeks is being seated provisionally in the congress on Sunday while the House considers Hart's petition. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers.  Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news?" If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Thursday, December 31st. Your last day of 2020 will be chilly, sunny, and calm. According to the National Weather Service, there should be a high near 22 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area with partly sunny skies. A calm wind will hover around 5 mph throughout the day. New Year's Eve it will be mostly cloudy, with a low around 10 degrees, with wind chill values as low as zero. Combine about 10 inches of snow falling with in an evening with some bad travel decisions and you get Tuesday night in Iowa. The Iowa State Patrol says it handled nearly 100 crashes across the state during the storm from Tuesday afternoon to Wednesday morning. KCCI-TV reported the patrol assisted with 91 crashes and helped 372 motorists Tuesday. That doesn't include other crashes that were handled by local police. There could be more snow on Friday afternoon, but expect only a few inches. The Marion Independent School District is seeking at least 386 signatures from registered voters to pursue a $31 million bond issue for facility projects. The district's school board earlier this month unanimously endorsed a $36 million facilities plan. It includes building an auditorium and outdoor activities complex at Marion Independent High School, making repairs to the high school, building an elementary school and renovating Francis-Marion Intermediate School, including a new secure entrance. If enough signatures for a bond are collected it will go to a bond referendum on a future election date. This will require a 60 percent approval rate to pass. The new Linn County Mental Health Access Center is hoping to be fully operational by early February. The opening originally was scheduled for early this year, but remodeling of the center, at 501 13th St. NW, was delayed by the pandemic and then the Aug. 10 derecho. The center will work with law enforcement, schools and hospitals to provide a place — 24 hours a day, seven days a week — to help people in crisis as an alternative to placing them in jail cells or hospital rooms. Iowa Republican U.S. Rep.-elect Mariannette Miller-Meeks will be provisionally sworn in Sunday with the new Congress pending the outcome of an election challenge from Democratic opponent Rita Hart, U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced Wednesday. Miller-Meeks was certified the winner in Iowa's 2nd Congressional District by just six votes out of more than 400,000 cast. A bipartisan canvassing board of top state officials voted unanimously Nov. 30 to certify the results following recounts in each of the district's 24 counties. Hart is contesting that there are ballots that have not yet been counted that could sway the extremely close election in her favor. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers.  Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news?" If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Wednesday, December 30th. As was foretold, a whole lot of snow fell on Tuesday evening. In Eastern Iowa, recorded snow totals ranged from as low as 4 inches to as heavy as a foot of snow in some areas. According to the National Weather Service, Wednesday will be comparatively much calmer, with an eventual partly sunny sky and a high of 24 degrees. Watch for some blowing snow, however, as a 10 to 15 mph wind could gust as high as 25 mph. Iowa reported 1,481 new, confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 67 new deaths Tuesday, according to data analyzed by The Gazette. The new numbers bring the state's totals to 276,951 virus cases and 3,812 deaths since the start of the pandemic. The state's seven-day average number for cases is 1,133. Nationally, political leaders continued to maneuver in the debate over the eventual size of stimulus payments. Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell blocked a bill by Democrats to increase the direct payments from $600 to $2,000, instead saying he would introduce his own bill that would package the increase with other demands from President Donald Trump. This would allow key Republicans to vote for the popular increase to $2,000 while knowing that these additions would likely cause Democrats in the Senate to vote against the new package. Iowa's universities are reporting increased numbers of students taking advantage of accelerated winter semester offerings. Although final numbers are not in, yet, the University of Iowa, Iowa State University, and the University of Northern Iowa have all reported either increases to students taking winter courses versus previous years or the increased capacity to offer new courses that have not been offered before. As the universities intentionally ended their fall semesters early to avoid the holiday spread of COVID-19 on campus, this has led to an extended winter session. An 18-year-old man was arrested last week after he and some accomplices broke into an apartment in southwest Cedar Rapids and assaulted a resident, police said. Damontie L. Haggstrom Wells, of Cedar Rapids, was arrested Dec. 23 on a charge of first-degree burglary, according to a criminal complaint, Police said the burglary occurred around 2 a.m. May 19 when Haggstrom Wells and an unspecified number of accomplices forcibly entered an apartment in the 400 block of Jacolyn Drive SW and punched the resident multiple times in the head and face, causing injuries. The resident was hospitalized, police said. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers.  Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com).  Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news?" If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Tuesday, December 29th. I always open these news updates with the weather, but it just so happens it's also the most impactful thing that will happen today.  The National Weather Service has declared a Winter Weather Storm Warning for much of Iowa starting Tuesday afternoon and heading into Wednesday morning. The heaviest snow, with a band of 6 to 9 inches expected, is forecast to fall in the area along, and to the north of, a line stretching from Centerville to Sigourney to Iowa City. At its peak, the storm is expected to drop as much as 1 to 1.5 inches of snow per hour.  If that all wasn't enough, with the temperature set to rise from a high in the mid 20s during the day into an area above freezing overnight, freezing rain could join in on the party. Road travel will be extremely risky during this time, even if snowfall is less than expected; so, if you need to make a car trip, plan it closer to noon on Tuesday than midnight on Wednesday. The United States Congress voted to increase the size of stimulus checks to Americans from $600 to $2,000 on Monday. The vote came under what is called a “suspension of rules” to amend the already passed legislation, limiting debate and requiring a two thirds majority for passage. That two thirds majority was reached with 44 Republicans joining Democrats for a 275-134 vote. Now it remains to be seen whether this will be taken up by the Republican controlled Senate, where Republican senators, including two key incumbents involved in competitive elections in Georgia, could be placed in the uncomfortable position of either voting against a popular increase of the payments or voting for increasing the national deficit. Approving stimulus checks of $2,000 would cost $464 billion, the Joint Committee on Taxation said Monday. This would be in addition to the $900 billion package President Donald Trump signed into law on Sunday. Trump has lobbied for the increase as well, referring to the $600 payments as insufficient. A new Johnson County center intended to improve urgent mental health care and crisis intervention services is days away from completion. Matthew Miller, project manager for the GuideLink Center at 300 Southgate Ave. in Iowa City, told the Gazette the project is “about 95 percent complete.” When the GuideLink Center opens it will be home to sobering and crisis stabilization units, as well as a low-barrier shelter. Police officers and sheriff's deputies have been training in crisis intervention since 2015 to better recognize when someone is having a mental health issue or other crisis on calls. But even with that training, those calls still often result in someone going to jail or the emergency room. The GuideLink Center is planned as a long-sought-after third option. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers.  Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com).

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Monday, December 28th. After some rain and snow flurries Sunday, Monday is looking to be calm and just below freezing. According to the National Weather Service it is predicted to be mostly sunny in the Cedar Rapids area with a high near 28 degrees. There will be a low of 15 degrees Monday night, with increasing clouds. In general, the week's weather is predicted to have high temperatures hover in the 20s and 30s. There is predicted to be a chance for snow on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Iowa Hawkeyes Football did its part, not cancelling once due to COVID-19 symptoms during its entire season. Its final two opponents, however, were not so obliging. After having its final game of the season against the University of Michigan canceled, Iowa will now not be playing against University of Missouri in the Music City Bowl. The bowl had been scheduled to take place this Wednesday before the Tigers bowed out due to concerns of the spread of the virus. Speaking of COVID-19, President Donald Trump has signed a $900 billion pandemic relief package promising cash to businesses and individuals. It also averts a government shutdown. Trump announced the signing in a statement Sunday night. The bill includes $1.4 trillion to fund government agencies through September and contains other end-of-session priorities such as money for cash-starved transit systems, an increase in food stamp funding, and restoring unemployment benefits that expired over the weekend. The bill was passed last Monday, but Trump objected to several elements of it, especially zeroing in on the direct payments of $600 to Americans. He said that the amount was “a disgrace” and was lobbying for the amount to be raised to $2,000. He said Sunday he only signed the relief package with the understanding that the senate would consider his proposed high to direct payments, but it remains unclear whether Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell will let such an idea go to a vote. If there is a direct payment to Americans, $600 is the likely amount out of this bill. The main result of congress taking so long to pass the bill and the president waiting a weekend to sign it is that many Americans will be without unemployment benefits that the bill provides until the funding can be reinstated. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers.  Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news?" If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Saturday December 26th and Sunday December 27th. Time to enjoy a brief break from below freezing this weekend. Well, more like at freezing. According to the National Weather Service, there should be a high of 32 degrees with sunny skies in the Cedar Rapids area Saturday. This will come with calm winds. Then it will be a bit cloudier Saturday night with a low around 23 degrees. On Sunday there will be a chance of snow, with a 20 percent chance of flurries a slight chance of snow showers after 1 p.m. Otherwise there will be a high above 34 degrees. The chance for flurries will continue Sunday night until 7 p.m., and there will be a low of around 17 degrees. Iowa reported 1,470 new confirmed COVID-19 cases Friday and five deaths, according to Iowa Department of Public Health data analyzed by The Gazette. State hospitalizations were at 600 on Friday, down from 625 on Thursday. Friday's tally was the lowest recorded since 596 hospitalizations were recorded Oct. 28. Two men with Iowa connections were among those pardoned by President Donald Trump before Christmas.The pair, Jesse Benton and John Tate, worked for Republican U.S. Rep. Ron Paul's 2012 caucus campaign, and were among those pardoned Wednesday night by the president. They had been charged with corruption in a scheme to funnel $73,000 to Kent Sorenson, then an Iowa state senator, to switch his allegiance from Minnesota Sen. Michele Bachmann to Paul in the final days of the caucus campaign. A Cedar Rapids resident was injured Friday afternoon in a head-on collision near Alice and Center Point Roads near Toddville in Linn County. According to the Linn County Sheriff's Office, emergency personnel were called at 1:52 p.m. to 3460 Alice Rd. They found a southbound vehicle had crossed the centerline into northbound traffic and collided head-on with a northbound vehicle. The southbound driver was identified as Jennifer Buelow, 33, of Center Point. The northbound vehicle was driven by Kelly Burk, 55, of Cedar Rapids. Burk was transported to UnityPoint Health-St. Luke's Hospital in Cedar Rapids for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. Buelow faces charges of operating while intoxicated, use of electronic communication device while driving and other traffic charges. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers.  Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com). Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon https://www.thegazette.com/topic?eid=121774&ename=Alexa&lang=en (Alexa) enabled device to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what's the news?" If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes.

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Friday, December 25th. Merry Christmas to those of you celebrating! And for those of you who do not, it's Friday, so that's still pretty good. After dropping about 40 degrees in one day, we're bouncing back about halfway Friday, with weather briefly above freezing again coming this weekend. According to the National Weather Service, it should be sunny with a high near 24 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area. It will still be quite chilly, with wind chill values as low as 15 degrees below zero. The low will be around 18 Friday night, with decreasing winds and cloudier skies. Iowa reported 1,424 new, confirmed COVID-19 cases Thursday and 71 additional deaths, according to data analyzed by The Gazette. The new numbers bring the state's total of cases so far to 272,446 and the death toll to 3,739. State hospitalizations were at 625 at 11 a.m. Thursday, down from 644 on Wednesday at the same time. Intensive-care patients being treated for the novel coronavirus went from 139 to 127 A day after President Donald Trump called for COVID-19 payments to be increased to $2,000 while suggesting he might not sign the $900 billion economic relief package passed by congress, congress went ahead and sent him the same bill again. In what amounted mostly to political theater, House Democrats attempted to pass an increase of direct payments to Americans from $600 to $2,000, as the president suggested. This was blocked by House Republicans. House Republicans then suggested that foreign aid be removed, an idea also suggested by the President. This was then blocked by Democrats. Trump now can consider whether he will sign the bill or not, which is also coupled with funding for the federal government. If he decided to veto the bill, it likely would result not only in a delay in direct aid, but also a partial government shutdown. Also at stake with the bill: Unemployment benefits for 14 million Americans will expire on Saturday. An eviction moratorium protecting as many as 30 million Americans is set to expire at the end of the year. U.S. District Court Judge Stephanie Rose wrote in a ruling Thursday that athletes with the University of Iowa's women's swimming and diving team have some standing to prove that the university's athletic program was not in compliance with Title IX equality regulations when it decided to eliminate the scholarship sports this past fall, and, further ,that it may not have been in compliance even before that. The judge issued an injunction blocking the university from eliminating the program this week, with the intent of stopping the university until a full trial can be held on the merits of the case. The Iowa athletic department cut three men's sports in addition to women's swimming and diving: men's gymnastics, men's tennis and men's swimming. The move was done in anticipation of projected lost revenue due to a disrupted football season from COVID-19. Attempts by the men's teams to get their teams reinstated, including independent fundraising drives, have so far fallen on deaf ears. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers.  Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com).

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Thursday, December 24. Yesterday I told you there would be a drastic drop in temperature, with a predicted high Thursday of 14 degrees. Would you believe it if I told you that was overly optimistic? The new predicted high for Thursday will be 8 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area. According to the National Weather Service, flurries will end by 9 a.m. After that, it will be sunny, with wind speeds of 15 to 20 mph dropping the expected wind chill to -15 degrees during the day. At night it will drop to a low of 4 degrees, but then the wind will slow down a bit, bringing the new wind chill to -10 degrees. Iowa on Wednesday reported 2,002 new COVID-19 cases and 15 confirmed deaths from the disease. The new cases were identified from 4,821 tests, for a positivity rate of 41.94 percent. The number of people being treated for the disease in the hospital and in intensive care continued to slowly decline. A pair of shootings with serious injuries were reported in Cedar Rapids in the last few days. Police are investigating after an 18-year-old woman was found shot and seriously wounded Tuesday afternoon at an apartment in southwest Cedar Rapids. According to the Cedar Rapids Police Department, officers were called at 3:25 p.m. to a second-floor apartment at 2110 Westdale Drive.  When they arrived, officers said they found a woman inside the apartment with life-threatening injuries. Emergency medical care was provided at the scene, and the woman was transported to a local hospital. On Wednesday afternoon, a 4-year-old boy, also from southwest Cedar Rapids, was transported to the hospital with life threatening injuries. Police said at 2:42 p.m. they responded to the scene after a report of the shooting incident at 208 Seventh St. SW. Authorities say they believe this shooting was accidental. Investigation continues into both incidents. The delay in census data may require a special session this year for the Iowa Legislature. Iowa House Speaker Pat Grassley, R-New Hartford, said uncertainty over when U.S. Census Bureau 2020 population numbers will be released, due to coronavirus-related delays, may move back the timetable by which the Legislature considers plans for redrawing the boundaries of congressional and legislative districts in Iowa. If officials in the non-partisan Legislative Services Agency do not get official population data until April 1, it's unlikely new maps can be produced for lawmakers' consideration before their scheduled April 30 adjournment target. Every 10 years after the census, the boundaries of congressional and legislative districts are redrawn to reflect population changes. Iowa is expected to retain four congressional seats nationally. However, state House and Senate districts will be redrawn to reflect where population has grown and declined. Since 1981, Iowa has used a non-partisan process for drawing election districts that is considered a national model because it is designed to eliminate gerrymandering, a process politicians and political parties use to draw districts to their benefit. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers.  Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com).

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Wednesday, December 23. We've got one more day of unusually high temperatures before all that falls off a cliff. According to the National Weather Service, there will be a high of 45 degrees early on Wednesday in the Cedar Rapids area before it falls back to a high near 31 for the rest of the day. Accordingly, while there will be a chance of rain before 4 p.m., this will turn into a chance for snow after that. It will be windy as well, with wind speeds as high as 20 to 25 mph. As a preview, the predicted high for Thursday is 14 degrees. Iowa on Tuesday reported 1,272 new cases of the coronavirus and 64 additional deaths, according to Iowa Department of Public Health data analyzed by The Gazette. The positive tests were found among 4.197 individuals who were tested, for a 30.3 percent positivity rate. People hospitalized or intensive care for the disease stayed roughly the same. Although Iowa is receiving roughly 20 percent fewer doses of COVID-19 vaccines than projected in its first batch, the lower allocation will not alter the state's schedule for getting the vaccine to residents and staff of long-term care facilities like nursing homes, Gov. Kim Reynolds said Tuesday Despite the reduction, Reynolds said Tuesday during a news conference that more than 8,400 hospital workers in Iowa already have received the COVID-19 vaccine, and that the state does not have to delay its plan to begin offering doses next week to long-term care residents and staff. With the recent federal approval and this week's arrival in Iowa of Moderna's vaccine, the state will be able to distribute vaccines to rural areas. The Moderna vaccine does not require super-cold storage, as does Pfizer's, and comes in smaller shipments, making it easier to distribute in smaller numbers. The United States Congress had passed a $900 billion economic relief package tied to COVID-19 on Monday, but on Tuesday night President Donald Trump called the bill a disgrace. He focused particularly on direct payments of $600 to adults in the United States, arguing that this should be elevated to $2,000 and suggesting he might not sign the bill unless changes are made. Officials have approved a minimum-wage increase for Mercy Medical Center and MercyCare Community Physicians employees beginning the first of the year. The minimum wage will increase to $15.25 per hour. Eligible employees also will see a 2 percent general wage increase throughout the fiscal year, starting in January. Mercy officials say the wage increase and raises were prompted by the “extraordinarily challenging year” faced by employees at Mercy, as many have been on the front lines responding to the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic and dealt with the effects of the derecho that tore through the community in August. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers.  Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com).

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Friday, December 18th. Say goodbye to a lot of that snow... with a small chance it gets replaced later on. According to the National Weather Service, the high temperature should reach 40 in the Cedar Rapids area on Friday. With this warm air will come a more active wind, blowing at 10 to 15 mph and gusting as high as 25 mph. There will be a slight chance of rain and snow before 10 p.m., then a slight chance of snow after that. Otherwise it will be mostly cloudy, with a low of around 27 degrees. COVID-19 vaccine news has been largely positive this week, but it hasn't been without setbacks. Iowa is among the states saying their allocations of the game-changing COVID-19 vaccinations in the coming weeks will be less than projected — prompting worries about potential delays for inoculating thousands of health care workers and nursing home residents. The first U.S. doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine were administered Monday nationwide, including at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. The pace is expected to increase next week, assuming Moderna gets federal authorization for its vaccine as a panel recommended Thursday. Iowa public health officials said they initially were told to expect a total of 172,000 doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines within the first three weeks of availability this month. But in a statement Thursday, Iowa officials say that now has been lowered to 138,300 doses — a nearly 20 percent reduction. 100 more deaths from COVID-19 were reported in Iowa, bringing the state's death toll to 3,451. Google has engaged in monopolistic practices that allow it to collect vast amounts of personal data from consumers, Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller and attorneys general from 37 other states and territories asserted in a lawsuit Thursday, the latest in a bipartisan effort of government officials to take on Big Tech. The lawsuit, led by Democratic Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser and Republican Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson, contends Google has “methodically undertaken actions to entrench and reinforce its general search services and search-related advertising monopolies by stifling competition.” It comes just a week after https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/government/facebook-lawsuit-antitrust-anti-competitive-iowa-20201209 (Iowa joined the federal government and 47 other states in an antitrust lawsuit against another technology behemoth — Facebook) — alleging it also illegally vanquished competitors and left the public with fewer options for protecting personal privacy. Not all of Iowa's congressional delegation is ready to call Joe Biden the president elect.  Congressman-elect Randy Feenstra said Thursday to do so, given the historic number of early and absentee ballots cast in the 2020 presidential election and President Donald Trump's legal challenges to the election's outcome. Feenstra is replacing Rep. Steve King in Iowa's 4th Congressional District, by far the most conservative district in a state that voted handily to re-elect President Trump. Feenstra said he is looking forward to Jan. 6, when Congress will receive the Electoral College results. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers.  Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com).

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Thursday, December 17th. As the temperature continues to inch up day by day this week, your morning commute might be greeted by some patchy fog Thursday morning. According to the National Weather Service, these areas of fog should mostly recede after 7 a.m. in the Cedar Rapids area. After that, it will be cloudy with a high of 29 degrees. It is then predicted to be mostly cloudy Thursday night, with a low of 19 degrees. According to a Wednesday proclamation by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, Iowa restaurants and bars may return to normal business hours but patrons must still wear masks when not seated for eating or drinking, and groups must maintain social distancing of six feet. The change goes into effect on Thursday, Reynolds is also relaxing rules over attendance of high school sporting events in the state, allowing all members of a participant's household to attend. Attendees are still encouraging to maintain 6 feet of distance from each other and to wear masks. The change comes after an overall decline in hospitalizations and cases in the state in the last month. Reynolds said these changes, coupled with the arrival of the vaccine soon, mean Iowans should be able to do what they can to prevent another surge in the time being. Speaking of the vaccine, Iowa learned Wednesday the state will receive as much as 30 percent fewer doses of COVID-19 vaccines than previously expected. The Iowa Department of Public Health made the announcement Wednesday evening after other states had reported they, too, were told by the federal government to expect fewer doses of the vaccine than previously estimated. No reason for the drop in doses was given in a state public health department news release. Iowa initially expected 172,000 doses of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines during the month of December, state officials said. A 30 percent reduction would drop that figure to just more than 120,000 doses. The first doses of the COVID-19 vaccines are being made available to Iowa's hospital workers and residents and staff at long-term care facilities such as nursing homes. Tyson Foods has fired seven top managers at its largest pork plant after an independent investigation confirmed allegations that they organized a betting pool on how many workers would test positive for the coronavirus in the early months of the virus. The company said Wednesday that the investigation, led by former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, revealed troubling behavior that resulted in the firings at the plant in Waterloo. An outbreak centered around the plant infected more than 1,000 employees, at least six of whom died. The betting allegations were originally revealed in lawsuits brought by families of 4 of the employees who died. They alleged the managers of arranging the betting pool while they encouraged workers to stay on the floor with inadequate safety measures. In a separate lawsuit reported this week, the children of a man who died of COVID-19 after working at the Tyson plant in Storm Lake are also suing the company, accusing it of inadequate safety measures. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers.  Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com).

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Wednesday, December 16th. It will still be cold on Wednesday, but at least it will be a little bit more cheerful out there. According to the National Weather Service, there is a high of 28 degrees predicted in the Cedar Rapids area, with partly sunny skies. On Wednesday night it will become mostly cloudy, with a low of around 19 degrees. Despite promising vaccine news this week and lower daily new COVID-19 cases in Iowa this month, deaths from the disease continue to mount. The state reported 68 new deaths on Tuesday, bringing the state's toll from the virus to 3,337. Hospitalizations for the disease, as well as those in intensive care or on ventilators due to the novel coronavirus, also ticked up Tuesday compared to Monday's numbers. With loud applause, and a sense of optimism not felt by some for months, the first vaccines against the novel coronavirus were administered in Cedar Rapids Tuesday. Health care professionals and other front-line workers received some of the first doses of the newly approved COVID-19 vaccine in Eastern Iowa this week after shipments arrived at UnityPoint Health-St. Luke's Hospital and Mercy Medical Center early Tuesday morning. These were the same Pfizer and BioNTech developed vaccines administered at the University of Iowa Hospital on Monday. In other good COVID-19 news, another vaccine created by drugmaker Moderna was deemed both safe and highly effective against the disease by the FDA on Tuesday, clearing the way for a similar limited use approval later this week. The FDA has also approved the first COVID-19 test that can be purchased over the counter and completed entirely at home. This test, developed by Ellume, will be available in January. Finally, a 9th BIg Ten football game for the Iowa Hawkeyes that was scheduled for this coming Saturday night to help extend a season abbreviated by the pandemic was canceled due to continuing COVID-19 infection problems on the University of Michigan football team. The game is one of several canceled this weekend due to the virus. The Whirlpool Corporation has sold its manufacturing plant in Middle Amana for $92.7 million. The sale of the facility is not expected to affect employment, operations or products. At least, not right away.  Benton Harbor, Mich.-based Whirlpool sold the Iowa plant on Oct. 26 to Wramia001, a Chicago-based limited liability company, according to the Iowa County Assessor's website. The company plans to sign a long-term lease for the plant — which dates back to 1940 — rather than continuing to own it. The Middle Amana plant assembles French door, bottom freezer and built-in refrigeration products under the Amana, JennAir, KitchenAid, Maytag and Whirlpool brands. The Cedar Rapids City Council on Tuesday backed a North Dakota company's request to redevelop an old McGrath dealership into new commercial and residential space. KC Land Holdings LLC's proposal calls for a $17 million investment to redevelop 4001 First Ave. SE by demolishing three commercial buildings, building two new ones and constructing a 104-unit multifamily building. The site formerly was a McGrath Ford and Hyundai dealership, and most recently served as home to the Iowa Derecho Resource Center before it moved. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers.  Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com).

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Tuesday, December 15th. Your Tuesday will be a cold and cloudy day. According to the National Weather Service it will be mostly cloudy, with a high near 26 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area. The low will be 17 degrees Tuesday night, with the sky growing cloudier. It is a slow start, but vaccination for the COVID-19 novel coronavirus began in Iowa Monday. On Monday morning, David Conway, an emergency room nurse at University of Iowa Hospital, was the first in Iowa to be inoculated with the Pfizer vaccine that was approved for limited use by the FDA late last week. It was one of 975 doses of the vaccine the hospital received this week, with more to come on a weekly basis as the vaccine is distributed nationally. University of Iowa Healthcare was one of the test sites for the Pfizer vaccine, and the research university also provided some of the foundation for the development of this type of vaccine before COVID-19 even made its appearance in the United States. The emergency use allowance of the vaccine is limited for now to frontline healthcare workers and is expected to spread in the coming months to other essential public spaces with high risk patients, such as jails and nursing home facilities. FDA approval of a second COVID-19 vaccine made by Moderna could come as early as this week. The positive news on the vaccine front unfortunately will not help people already dealing with the virus, as well as most of those vulnerable to it this winter, so efforts such as wearing a mask in public, frequent hand washing, and social distancing will remain critical to saving lives. On Monday the state of Iowa reported 65 more deaths from COVID-19, bringing the state's death toll from the virus to 3,269 so far. Hospitalizations across the state saw a slight increase in the past 24 hours, rising from 749 to 764, while the number of patients being treated in intensive care units dropped from 170 to 160. The number of patients requiring ventilators to help them breathe also dropped from 99 to 86. As the virus continues to spread more rapidly in other parts of the country, the death toll nationally has passed 300,000 people this year. Although Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds welcomed news of the vaccine on Monday, she had some bad news for her part of the government to report as well. The governor's office announced that it will be returning $21 million to Iowa's Coronavirus Relief Fund after it was ruled that it misspent those funds on improving computer infrastructure for state departments. Gov. Reynolds had insisted the funds were appropriately used despite the contract with the company Workday already being in the works before the virus even arrived. The United States Treasury Department denied the governor's appeal of the decision. Gov. Reynolds has indicated that the state will continue with its contract with Workday and fund it through alternate means. Finally, after much sound and fury, the results of the November election were made official by state electors Monday, rewarding Joe Biden 306 electoral votes, defeating incumbent president Donald Trump, who had 232. As expected, Iowa contributed its 6 electoral votes to President Trump after he won the state handily. The president has been loudly disputing the legitimacy of the election since his loss on election night. This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers.  Are you looking for a job? https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com) is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at https://www.corridorcareers.com/ (CorridorCareers.com).

We look at eight amazing employee-owned companies who came together in Cedar Rapids, Iowa with an innovative approach to promote employee ownership in their community. Shoutouts, thanks, and congratulations to these Iowan employee-owners featured in The Gazette (www.thegazette.com), which is itself an employee-owned publication: • Rayser Holdings (www.rayserholdings.com), which includes CarePro and Keltek Inc.; • ESCO Group (www.escogroup.org); • Folience (www.folience.com) which includes Cimarron Trailers, Life Line Emergency Vehicles, The Gazette, CWP Color Web Printers, Fusionfarm, hoopla, CorridorCareers.com, Iowa Ideas, The Fairfield Ledger, The Washington Evening Journal, Mt. Pleasant News, and The Southeast Iowa Union ; • Nelson Electric Co. (www.nelsonelectric.com); • Palmer Group (thepalmergroup.com); • Rinderknecht Associates (www.rinderknecht.com); • Timberline Manufacturing (www.timberlinemfg.com); and • Van Meter ( www.vanmeterinc.com). And a final shoutout to Daniel Goldstein, CEO of Folience, who would be happy to chat with other employee owners who would like to grow their community in this way. You can reach him at Daniel@Folience.com. The full transcript of this episode, with links, is available on our website at https://www.theesoppodcast.com/post/87-cedar-rapids-iowa-and-the-eo-eight