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» Wednesday will be mostly sunny with a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2 p.m., according to the national weather service. The high will be near 88. Overnight, there’s a slight chance of showers, with a low around 68.

https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/health/johnson-county-iowa-covid-deaths-hospitalizations-20200728 (Johnson County reported two coronavirus deaths) Tuesday, bringing the total number of Johnson County residents who have died from the coronavirus to 12. Nine deaths statewide were confirmed by the state on Tuesday. The state reported 253 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total to 42,738.

» The school boards in Cedar Rapids and Iowa City held meetings Tuesday night to discuss their return-to-learn plans for when students go back to school this fall to limit the risk of exposure to the coronavirus. In Cedar Rapids, district leaders are hopeful enough families will choose online learning so ratios for in-person learning will range from 12 to 15 students per teacher in elementary classrooms. The district will release its final return-to-learn plan Friday, and https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/education/cedar-rapids-schools-reopening-coronavirus-face-masks-covid-19-20200728 (families will have until Aug. 5 to decide) whether their children will start the year in the classroom or do virtual learning.

The Iowa City Community School District https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/education/iowa-city-schools-reopening-coronavirus-virtual-classes-covid-19-20200728 (is considering delaying the start of the school year until Sept. 8). Officials hope that by delaying the start of the school year, the state Department of Education might grant their request to begin the year remotely. Instead of beginning classes Aug. 24, and holding five weeks of virtual instruction, a September start would mean only three weeks of virtual instruction, interim Superintendent Matt Degner said Tuesday. The school board will hold a public hearing and vote on the delayed first day of school at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 4, during a special board meeting. With the modified schedule, the last day of school would be June 11.=

» https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/government/johnson-county-ia-mask-mandate-20200728 (The Johnson County Public Health Board approved language related to a countywide face covering regulation) on Tuesday, the first step in instituting a countywide policy. The proposed measure calls for residents to wear masks in public settings including inside stores and where keeping 6 feet of social distance isn’t possible. The measure also calls for masks to be worn on public transportation and in a private car service, such as a taxi. Exceptions include when a person is alone, in a personal vehicle, while exercising, and while seated at a bar or restaurant in the process of eating or drinking. People younger than 2 or with trouble breathing also would not be required to wear a mask. That measure also includes fines for non-compliance. First offenses would be punishable by the minimum fine for a simple misdemeanor, which is $105. Second and subsequent offenses could be punishable by fines in excess of $800. The health board will meet next week to receive public comment and potentially approve the measure. The health board’s proposed ordinance would not become effective until approved by the Board of Supervisors.

» The Cedar Rapids City Council on Tuesday http://thegazette.com/subject/news/mini-golf-twin-pines-cedar-rapids-20200729 (advanced plans to build an estimated $560,000 mini golf course at Twin Pines). Parks and Recreation Director Scott Hock said

This is Stephen Colbert from the Gazette Digital News Desk and I’m here with your update for Tuesday, July 28, 2020.

Today will be sunny and hot with a high near 88, but it should cool off to 68 in the evening. Tomorrow will also be sunny and hot, but there’s a chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon.

The number of coronavirus cases in Iowa rose yesterday to 42,485 total cases, and the total deaths attributed to coronavirus stand at 829

Coronavirus hospitalizations at highest point since June 10. The number of Iowans hospitalized for the novel coronavirus hit 241 by 11 a.m. Monday, the highest number since 242 people were hospitalized on June 10. Patients in intensive care units also rose from 77 to 78, and those on ventilators increased from 29 to 32.

Iowa's medical, health care organizations ask for statewide mask mandate. Coalitions representing thousands of Iowa’s health care providers have sent a letter to Gov. Kim Reynolds asking her to issue a statewide face mask mandate for all Iowans. In the letter sent on Monday, health care leadership stated that ongoing voluntary efforts to flatten the curve and mitigate the spread of the novel coronavirus — which surpassed more than 42,000 total cases over the weekend — “have failed to yield sufficient progress.” Independently, the Linn County Board of Supervisors is considering issuing a proclamation to require face masks within the county — and may be asking mayors to sign on.

You can also find the rest of our coronavirus coverage at our dedicated coronavirus page, TheGazette.com/coronavirus.

Trump, GOP groups intervene in challenge to Iowa absentee ballot request law. President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign and other Republican groups are intervening in a lawsuit they say could weaken Iowa’s protections on absentee voting. The lawsuit, brought by the Latino civil rights organization LULAC and a Washington nonprofit, seeks to overturn an Iowa law that prevents election officials from filling out omitted or incorrect information on absentee ballots. The groups, include the Republican Party of Iowa, the National Republican Senatorial Committee and National Republican Congressional Committee decried the lawsuit as the “Democrats’ assault on the integrity of our elections.” Iowa is an absentee ballot-friendly state, the GOP groups said. State law provides opportunity for reconciliation if a ballot request is incomplete or has incorrect information.

Alliant Energy sets goals for net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, no coal by 2040. Energy is seeking to have net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, along with the elimination of coal from its facilities by 2040. Alliant already has been reducing its coal footprint, announcing two months ago the closure of a coal plant in eastern Wisconsin.

The company previously planned to eliminate coal by 2050, but executives said they’re operating 10 years ahead of schedule.

Jeff Hanson, director of environmental services and corporate sustainability for Alliant said It doesn’t necessarily mean Alliant is aiming to stop all use of fossil fuels by 2050, Hanson said, as there may still be some fossil-based energy, most likely natural gas.

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That’s it for today’s update. Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon Alexa to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what’s the news?"

This is Stephen Colbert from the Gazette Digital News Desk and I’m here with your update for Monday, July 27, 2020.

Today should see scattered showers and thunderstorms in the early morning, but it’ll gradually clear up throughout the day with a high near 83. Tonight should cool off to 62.

The rest of the week should be mostly sunny in the mid 80s, except for Thursday, when there’s a chance of rain in the morning.

The number of coronavirus cases in Iowa rose yesterday to 42,016 total cases, and the total deaths attributed to coronavirus stand at 826.

Linn County coronavirus cases at highest 7-day average. Saturday was the third day of 40-plus positive coronavirus tests in Linn County, bringing the seven-day rolling average to 35, the county’s highest since the first cases of the virus were reported in March. Despite these increases, the number of hospitalizations in the state dropped from 230 to 220 and the number of patients in intensive care has declined, to 220 from 230 the day before.

There’s a coin shortage during a pandemic. Why? In April, the U.S. Treasury estimated more than $47.8 billion in coins were in the market, up by more than a billion dollars compared to last year. But in recent months, people have not been spending those coins at places like laundromats, banks, restaurants, or shops because the businesses are closed, or people are not visiting them as often as they were before the pandemic. The Federal Reserve has encouraged banks to order only the coins they need and to make depositing coins easy for customers. One Wisconsin bank system offered its customers a $5 bonus for every $100 in coins they brought into exchange at a branch. The program was so successful, the bank suspended it after only a week. Just another odd side effect of the pandemic.

You can also find the rest of our coronavirus coverage at our dedicated coronavirus page, TheGazette.com/coronavirus.

Part of building collapses in downtown Cedar Rapids. Yesterday, a partial building collapse at the intersection of Third Street and Fourth Avenue SE over the Jimmy Johns in downtown Cedar Rapids led to bricks and limestone covering the sidewalks and part of the streets, severely damaging a parked vehicle. Preliminary information is that the front brick and decoration on the building released and fell from the seventh floor and above.

Joe Biden called Iowa a battleground in the 'battle for the soul of this nation'. During an appearance at the Iowa Democratic Party’s virtual Hall of Fame Celebration Biden said “Iowa’s a critical battleground state for our campaign,” “We’re going to do everything we can to make sure Democrats win up and down the ballot all across Iowa this November.”

Republican Party of Iowa Chairman Jeff Kaufmann predicted Iowans will reject Biden’s “radical, far-left agenda (that) leave those of us in America’s heartland behind.”

The virtual Hall of Fame Celebration followed the party’s first virtual state convention. Although “physically and socially distanced,” Iowa Democratic Party Chairman Mark Smith said Democrats are ready to “flip Iowa blue” by electing Senate nominee Theresa Greenfield.

The Gazette Daily news updates are brought to you 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."

That’s it for today’s update. Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon Alexa to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what’s the news?"

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I’m here with your update for the weekend of July 25 and July 26.

Your weekend weather forecast is looking hot, humid, and, at times, rainy. According to the National Weather Service, there will be high temperatures of above 90 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area for both Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday, expect mostly sunny skies and a high near 91. On Sunday, showers and thunderstorms will be likely after 1:00 p.m. Besides that, it will be even hotter than the day before, with a 92 degree high feeling as hot as 103 on the skin according to the predicted heat index. Showers and thunderstorms are likely Sunday night.

Iowa’s COVID-19 numbers held roughly steady Friday. 6 more deaths were reported, bringing the state’s death toll from the novel coronavirus to 826. Hospitalizations dropped slightly, to 230, while positive cases continued to trend up with an additional 426.

With coronavirus cases reaching alarming rates in some parts of Iowa, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds on Friday extended requirements for social distancing and increased hygiene at bars, restaurants and other businesses but rejected calls to make her health order stronger. The proclamation, issued a day before her previous order was to expire, extends requirements that bars and restaurants enforce social distancing of 6 feet between groups of patrons or individuals and that the patrons have seats at a table or bar area. Reynolds earlier this week encouraged residents to wear face masks in public but has declined to issue legal requirements that people do so.

Despite worries about the coronavirus, there will be a prep football season this coming fall. Practice still begins Aug. 10, and the regular season — which will consist of seven weeks — still begins Aug. 27. Teams will have the option of scheduling five, six or seven games within those seven weeks. All teams in all classes will qualify for the postseason, which begins Friday, Oct. 16. Brackets will consist of six rounds. The Iowa High School Athletic Association said it will “determine postseason pairings with geography, quality and team availability as primary considerations.”

Due to the potential of positive COVID-19 cases forcing players and teams to miss games, the revised plan will not penalize teams with a loss or forfeit. A missed game due to COVID-19 will be considered a “no contest” and will not be made up.

Even when everything else is going downhill, you can’t stop people’s faith in scratch tickets. Iowa Lottery ticket sales, revenue earned for the state, and prize money awarded to players all dropped during the past fiscal year, but the lottery still met its budget targets despite the coronavirus pandemic.

Preliminary figures released Friday show the Iowa Lottery generated about $81.5 million in proceeds to state causes from a total of $372 million in sales during the 12 months that ended June 30. Players collected about $236.3 million in prizes.

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, July 24.

We will be looking to continue our run of sunny, mostly rain free days Friday. According to the National Weather Service, there should be a high of 87 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area with mostly sunny skies. This will lead to a mostly clear evening, with a low of around 71 degrees.

Iowa’s COVID-19 numbers held roughly steady Thursday. 6 more deaths were reported, bringing the state’s toll from the virus to 820. Hospitalizations hovered at 232, while positive cases jumped a little from earlier in the week, with 481 new positive cases by the end of the day.

Three more local school districts announced their plans to deal with holding classes during the pandemic. The Solon, Linn-Mar, and Marion Community School Districts all announced that they would be having in person classes when students return to school in about a month. Linn-Mar will be requiring masks for students, Marion will require masks in large gatherings, while Solon will not be requiring masks at all in line with state guidance, but will instead be “strongly encouraging” that masks be used.

A day after the Johnson County Board of Supervisors indicated support for a public mask measure in support of the mayor of Iowa City’s proclamation this week, the county’s attorney Janet Lyness told the Gazette that they do not have the legal grounds to do so. She said that while Iowa City Mayor Bruce Teague could claim such an order under home rule, this does not apply to supervisors. She said if the Johnson County Board of Health adopted a mask rule, that supervisors could adopt it, but again this might come down to encouraging versus requiring.

Also not currently encouraging: the revenue figures for Iowa’s public universities. Iowa’s three public universities expect to take a $53 million hit this budget year from tuition freezes and enrollment declines — and incur even more losses from cuts in state appropriations and research activity.

The anticipated enrollment drops, coupled with an earlier decision to freeze tuition rates, is expected to shrink income by $14.8 million at the University of Iowa; $33.4 million at Iowa State University; and $4.8 million at the University of Northern Iowa.

The three institutions also must split an $8 million cut in state appropriations — divided about 40-40-20 percent between the campuses, with UI and ISU each losing $3.2 million in state support and the smaller UNI losing $1.5 million.

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, July 23.

Your Thursday weather is looking to be pretty boring. But, you know, good boring. According to the National Weather Service, there should be a high near 85 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area Thursday with sunny skies. The wind will also play along with all the tranquility, hovering at 5 mph all day.

The director of Iowa’s Medicaid program is leaving his role next month.

Michael Randol, who was hired to oversee the state’s privately managed program about two and a half years ago, is stepping down from his role on Aug. 14 to take an unspecified job in the private sector, the Iowa Department of Human Services announced Wednesday. Gov. Kim Reynolds hired Randol to try to stabilize Iowa Medicaid, a program that has been plagued with criticism since it privatized in April 2016. This effort has been met with mixed results, with several private insurance companies administering Medicaid benefits leaving the state’s program because of what they described as chronic underfunding.

The debate over masks in Iowa continued Wednesday. The Johnson County Board of Supervisors signaled Wednesday it would join its elected colleagues in Iowa City in issuing a mandate requiring citizens to wear masks in public.

Board members said Wednesday during a work session that they have tried to urge mask use for months, but their words have not had the desired effect. Gov. Kim Reynolds previously has said local governments do not have the authority to implement mask requirements.

Supervisor Janelle Rettig said she was fine with a legal challenge from the governor’s office.

“It’s a global pandemic and it requires leadership and we should be leading on it,” Rettig said. “If she wants to sue us, then she can sue us …. Let’s just protect public health and let the chips lie where they lie.”

Six more people died from COVID-19 by the end of Wednesday, bringing the state’s total to 814. Total positive cases also passed the 40,000 mark, although daily cases were lower than earlier in the week.

Fellow midwestern states Minnesota, Ohio, and Indiana have already signaled this week that they would be implementing statewide mask mandates.

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, July 22.

Your Wednesday weather is looking sunny and cool compared to recent days. According to the National Weather Service, after some patchy fog to start the morning, it should be mostly sunny, with a high near 84 degrees. The wind will also be relatively calm, hovering between 5 and 10 mph.

Iowa passed 800 deaths from COVID-19 by the end of the day Tuesday. 808 people have died from the novel coronavirus in the state since the first cases emerged in March. With a steady increase in cases, the number of patients hospitalized with the disease also continues to tick upward, with 221 on Monday increasing to 223 on Tuesday. The number hospitalized had been below 200 before much of June and early July.

A struggle of what to do with the pandemic is looking to continue between local schools and municipalities and Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds.

Mayor Bruce Teague has issued a proclamation requiring Iowa City residents to wear face masks as a preventive measure to the novel coronavirus pandemic, making Iowa City the second municipality to push back on state officials’ stance that local governments have no legal authority to issue such orders.

Effective immediately, individuals must wear a mask, face shield and other facial covering across their nose and mouth while in public settings across Iowa City, with some exceptions. The order is set to last until September 15th. The other city to issue such an order was Muscatine, where the mayor faced backlash and threats from irate citizens in response.

As for the school districts, Cedar Rapids and Iowa City on Tuesday announced modifications after the Governor announced in a proclamation last week that school districts should prioritize in person instruction when students return to school in roughly a month.

High school students in the Cedar Rapids Community School District will attend in-person classes only two days a week this fall and take classes online three days a week, the district announced Monday during a community feedback session. The district is attempting to also offer virtual options for curriculum should it be necessary. The district last week announced https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/education/cedar-rapids-school-return-coronavirus-face-mask-20200714 (plans for elementary and middle school) students to be in the classroom five days a week.

At the Iowa City School District, which had planned on offering online only schooling until October, the school officials and the school board are attempting to get a waiver from the state to allow only schooling. But, in the meantime in case this request is rejected, they also proposed options Tuesday night that would allow staggered instructional time with swapping cohorts, to reduce both class size and the amount of time any particular student would spend learning in person.

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 from the Gazette Digital News Desk and I’m here with your update for Tuesday, July 21, 2020.

Today should see showers and thunderstorms, mainly around midday, and the temperature should see a high near 98. Scattered thunderstorms should continue into the evening.

Tomorrow will be a much more clear and sunny day with a high of 86.

The number of coronavirus cases in Iowa rose yesterday to 38,917 total cases, and the total deaths attributed to coronavirus stand at 793.

https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/business/mercy-health-ymca-close-coronavirus-20200720 (Mercy Health Plaza YMCA location ceases operation due to coronavirus losses). The location opened in 2013, a news release stated, and served almost 1,400 people every year through a partnership with Mercy Health. The closure will free up resources that can be allocated to branches that are better sustained by membership fees.

https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/education/cedar-rapids-schools-reopening-coronavirus-high-school-20200720 (Cedar Rapids high school students will only attend in-person class twice a week this fall). Students will be split into two groups by the first letter of their last name and classes will be offered in a block schedule. Students can take up to four classes a day for 90-minute sessions each rather than more classes a day for 50 minute sessions. One group will do in-person learning on Monday and Tuesday and online learning Wednesday and Thursday, and the other will do online learning Monday and Tuesday and in-person Wednesday and Thursday. Both groups will learn online on Fridays.

You can also find the rest of our coronavirus coverage at our dedicated coronavirus page, TheGazette.com/coronavirus.

https://www.thegazette.com/coralville-city-council-tom-gill-blm-protestors-criminals-resign-20200720 (Coralville council member who called Black Lives Matters protesters 'criminals' resigns). “If you didn’t get the memo I QUIT,” Tom Gill wrote Monday afternoon in an email sent from his iPhone to the city clerk. “See you down the road. Could you shut off my city email address. Thanks” Gill served for a total of more than 28 years, having been on and off the council since first being appointed to an open seat in January 1987. Gill’s current term began in 2018 and does not expire until December 2021. Mayor John Lundell said the council will decide at an upcoming meeting how to fill the remaining year and a half of his term. This marks the second time during his tenure on the City Council that Gill has quite abruptly.

https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/business/iowas-sales-tax-holiday-set-for-aug-7-and-8-allows-for-online-purchases-20200720 (Iowa's sales tax holiday set for Aug. 7 and 8, allows for online purchases). The “holiday” will begin at 12:01 a.m. Friday, Aug. 7, and run through midnight Saturday, Aug. 8. Clothing and footwear that costs less than $100 are exempt from sales tax. The number of qualified items bought does not affect their exemption. Online sales are exempt if they are bought and paid for during the time period, even if items are delivered at a later date.

The Gazette Daily news updates are brought to you 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."

That’s it for today’s update. Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon Alexa to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what’s the news?"

This is Stephen Colbert from the Gazette Digital News Desk and I’m here with your update for Monday, July 20, 2020.

Today’s going to have a high near 84, with a 20% chance of rain and possibly thunderstorms in the afternoon. The chance of thunderstorms will increase to 40% overnight.

The rest of the week should be wet, with at least a 30-50% chance of rain most days.

The number of coronavirus cases in Iowa rose yesterday to 38,637 total cases, and the total deaths attributed to coronavirus stand at 792.

A backlog caused the highest number of coronavirus test results reported in one 24-hour period.

After an issue with the electronic reporting system caused only 714 test results to be reported from the previous day, Iowa reported 11,990 coronavirus test results yesterday. Only 733 were positive, making the rate of positive cases a low 6 percent

Iowa nursing homes are reopening for visitors

After months of staying away, or simply looking through a pane of glass, families are finally able to sit face to face with loved ones in Iowa nursing homes again. While social distancing and protective gear is still needed, families are able to reunite once again. Late last month, the Iowa Department of Public Health revised its guidelines for long-term care facilities across Iowa on mitigation strategies against the novel coronavirus, relaxing their restrictions against visitors for the majority of residents. All visitors must be screened for symptoms before the visit, which are made by appointment only, and facilities are asked to maintain a log of all visitors for contact tracing purposes, in case someone becomes ill.

Many stores are now requiring masks for all customers. While the number of coronavirus deaths are down, infections are still climbing, and now many major retailers are requiring all customers to wear masks. The stores include:

• Aldi, starts July 27

• Best Buy

• Costco

• CVS

• Home Depot

• Kohl's

• Lowe's

• Menards

• Panera Bread

• Sam's Club

• Starbucks

• Target

• Walgreens

• Walmart

The rule takes effect today for the majority of stores. Lowe's starts July 22, Aldi starts July 27, and Target starts Aug. 1.

You can also find the rest of our coronavirus coverage at our dedicated coronavirus page, TheGazette.com/coronavirus.

Cedar Rapids protesters vow 'we won't be silenced'. Troubled by the city’s process and timeline for enacting police reforms they have demanded, scores of local Black Lives Matter protesters marched on Cedar Rapids City Hall on Saturday, writing reminders written in chalk that they intend to keep the pressure on. Advocates say the city is moving too slowly, sidelining research they are doing and squelching Black voices.

The Gazette Daily news updates are brought to you 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."

That’s it for today’s update. Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon Alexa to “enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying “Alexa, what’s the news?"

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I’m here with your update for the weekend of July 18th and 19th.

The weather Saturday is going to be hot, and it is going to feel even hotter. According to the National Weather Service, there should be a high near 94 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area Saturday with a heat index that indicates it could feel as hot as 106 degrees outside. It will be windy, with wind gusts as high as 30 mph. There will be a chance for rain, including a chance of thunderstorms, all day.

Sunday’s weather, by comparison, is predicted to be calm and cool. After a chance for rain, mostly in the morning, the skies will turn partly sunny, with a high near 87 degrees and a calm wind.

Iowa’s public school districts and accredited private schools must “take all efforts” to resume face-to-face education when the new school year begins, Gov. Kim Reynolds ordered in a proclamation Friday that frustrated the state’s largest teachers union and may upend plans Iowa City schools already to offer online learning for the fall.

Schools or school districts that wish to move to remote learning due to public health conditions in their communities must first get approval from the Iowa Department of Education, which will consult with the Iowa Department of Public Health, according to the proclamation. Reynolds said she worries students will lack opportunities to socialize, develop social and emotional skills, eat healthy meals and lose access to other supports if schools do not reopen.

The proclamation follows a tense summer where school district’s protested they were given little guidance how to reopen in the midst of the continuing COVID-19 pandemic. Guidance given previously by the state recommended against requiring masks in schools, leading districts to seek safety advice elsewhere. Some districts, such as Iowa City, had recently decided to offer courses online for at least part of the fall semester.

This governor’s proclamation comes as Iowa recorded another day with more than 800 additional coronavirus cases, a dubious daily record reached only this week. Although total testing is increasing, the rate of people testing positive versus the overall amount being tested has been rising as well, reaching near 10 percent. Hospitalizations for COVID-19 are also on the rise in the state, up to 210 people now, the first time hospitalizations have topped 200 people since the previous high of 203 on June 13.

Citing COVID-19 concerns, legislative leaders on Friday said they will allow Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate to mail absentee voter request forms for the Nov. 3 general election to all of the state’s registered voters. Friday’s unanimous vote was an about-face for majority Republicans who had opposed Pate’s decision to mail the forms to Iowans before the June primary, a primary that saw record turnout numbers.

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).