The Gazette Daily News Podcast

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I’m here with your update for Friday, May 8.

On Friday it’s going to be a bit colder than what we’ve gotten used to lately. According to the National Weather Service, there will be a high of 52 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area, despite it being sunny. It will also be breezy, with a chilly wind of 15 to 20 mph sometimes gusting as high as 30 mph. With a low of 30 degrees, there could be a chance of some frost.

Thanks to enough people following guidelines on social distancing and avoiding large gatherings, Gov. Kim Reynolds said Thursday the state is able to shift its COVID-19 focus from mitigation strategies to managing the impact on Iowans.

Even as the state Department of Public Health reported 655 new cases and 12 more deaths Thursday, Reynolds said Iowa is successfully dealing with the disease, which has claimed 231 lives in less than two months. On Friday, dentists may resume providing services and campgrounds, drive-in movie theaters, tanning facilities and medical spas all may reopen statewide, but with restrictions. Reynolds cancelled her Friday COVID-19 press conference as Vice President Mike Pence is visiting the state on Friday.

Malls are also being allowed to reopen in Iowa's more affected 22 counties, if they follow social distancing guidelines and stay below heavy occupancy. The Coral Ridge Mall in Coralville, one of Iowa’s largest malls, indicated Thursday that it will reopen Friday under these guidelines, saying there would be multiple sanitation stations and more regular cleaning. Other retail stores are expected to reopen as well, while fitness centers can offer services again by appointment only.

Investigators on Wednesday arrested a long-haul trucker from Iowa who they believe is linked by DNA evidence to the killings of three women whose bodies were dumped in Wyoming and Tennessee in the early 1990s.

Police arrested 58-year-old Clark Perry Baldwin at his home in Waterloo on murder charges filed in Wyoming and Tennessee in the deaths of the women, including two who were pregnant. Investigators said they were looking into whether Baldwin could be responsible for other unsolved slayings. Police say they developed a DNA profile from semen and other physical evidence left at the scenes and matched it to DNA gathered from Baldwin.

The Iowa Supreme Court has approved a pilot program in the state’s 4th Judicial District to develop procedures for the use of electronic search warrants. Electronic search warrants, which can be submitted to a judge from a squad car computer, will reduce the time required to obtain warrants.

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, May 7.

Your Thursday weather forecast calls for clear skies in the morning and early afternoon with an increasing chance of rain as the day goes on. According to the National Weather Service, there should be a high of 67 degrees Thursday in the Cedar Rapids area. The weather should remain uneventful until after 5:00 p.m., when increasingly cloudy skies could herald the arrival of showers and wind gusts as high as 20 mph. Although rainfall is not expected to be significant, the chance of rain is listed at 70 percent.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds cancelled her daily coronavirus news conference, instead heading to Washington D.C. where she met with President Donald Trump, Vice President Mike Pence and others to discuss Iowa’s response to the virus. During the meeting, Reynolds and White House officials discussed issues related to outbreaks at food processing plants in Iowa, according to news media pool reports.

It was also a victory lap of sorts for Reynolds, as Pence lauded Iowa as a “success story” in the nation’s battle against the virus. Earlier this week, despite increases in both deaths and individuals testing positive for the disease, Reynolds indicated that she feels that Iowa is in its recovery stage.

Reynolds supported this notion by further loosening social distancing restrictions by official proclamation Wednesday, with a mixture of approaches to the state’s 22 most affected counties and the 77 less populated counties where some restrictions have already been lifted.

Among her statewide declarations, Reynolds said dentists and their staffs may resume providing services. Also reopening, with social distancing caveats, are public and private campgrounds, drive-in movie theaters, tanning facilities and medical spas. In the 22 more restricted counties, beginning this Friday, enclosed malls and retail stores may reopen provided they operate at no more than half capacity and observe social distancing. Fitness centers may reopen for appointments only.

12 people were reported to have died from COVID-19 on Wednesday. The amount of people testing positive for the disease were 10,404.

Drive through coronavirus testing will come to Linn County on Thursday, as the fourth Test Iowa site in the state will open on the Kirkwood Community College campus. Testing requires an appointment be made in advance after filling out an assessment at testiowa.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).

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I’m here with your update for Wednesday, May 6.

It should be a bit less rainy and a bit warmer Wednesday. According to the National Weather Service, there should be a high of 64 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area Wednesday. It should be mostly sunny for most of the day, although there will be a chance of showers after 4:00 p.m. Wind speed should remain steady in the 5 to 10 mph range.

Iowa reported its largest death toll from COVID-19 so far on Tuesday. However, on a day health officials reported the grim record of 19 coronavirus-related deaths in a 24-hour period, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds appeared to signal that Iowa has passed its peak of the disease and is moving into the “recovery phase” of responding to the pandemic.

Reynolds also indicated that the record number of increased cases in Iowa is due to the state increasing testing. She said the state must balance people losing their lives in the future with people losing their livelihoods now. The state reduced social distancing restrictions on 77 of its lesser affected counties on Friday. The remaining 22 are set to see many of their restrictions expire on May 15th. 207 people have died from the disease so far in the state, while 10,111 have tested positive for COVID-19.

Revised models by the University of Washington have Iowa hitting its peak in deaths and infections per day in June. This disease model has been cited previously by the White House due to its comparatively conservative predictions for deaths and infection

Nearly 1,400 workers at three Tyson Foods pork processing plants in Iowa have tested positive for the coronavirus, the state reported Tuesday. The Iowa Department of Public Health revealed for the first time that the state’s largest workplace outbreak has been at the Tyson plant in Perry in Central Iowa. There, 730 workers were confirmed to have the virus, 58 percent of those tested. The Tyson plant in Waterloo has had 444 workers test positive, and its Columbus Junction plant has had 221 confirmed infections, the department said. Tyson Foods has had several meat plants close due to the quick spread of the disease, joining several other meat plants nationally. Last week, President Donald Trump signed an executive order declaring meat production as an essential service, partially to protect the companies from their workers seeking legal damages and to prevent national meat shortages.

A judge has again reset the sentencing for a Manchester man convicted in February of fatally stabbing 18-year-old Michelle Martinko in 1979. 6th Judicial District Judge Fae Hoover reset the sentencing of 66-year-old Jerry Burns, 66, to Aug. 7 in Linn County District Court. Hoover cited the need to observe COVID-19 safety precautions as the reason for the delay.

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 Monday, May 4th.

Today has a 30 percent chance of showers and there may be thunderstorms later in the afternoon. The high will be about 60.

Tonight continues to see a chance of showers and thunderstorms all night.

There’s an on and off chance of rain throughout the week. There’ll be clouds through to Friday.

Saturday saw a new high of coronavirus cases with 757. Another 528 new cases onSunday brings the total to 9,169, in 91 of Iowa’s 99 counties. 9 more deaths brings the total for the state to 184.

While Saturday saw a record high of new coronavirus cases in Iowa, Governor Reynolds attributes it to increased testing. According to Reynolds, Iowa’s testing capacity caused a backlog at the state lab and this was common for new testing.

The Department of Public Health also reported 3,377 negative tests, for a total of 41,085 from the State Hygienic Lab and other labs.

Although the number of positive cases grew, the percentage dropped from the previous day, according to Gazette tabulations.

On Saturday, 18 percent of the 4,134 tests were positive. Of the 2,926 reported tests Friday, 25 percent were positive.

There are 353 Iowans currently hospitalized and 3,156 have recovered from COVID-19

Wind blade manufacturer TPI Composites, Inc. in Newton, reported roughly 20 percent of its workers had tested positive for the coronavirus after it conducted a “proactive self test” on April 25. After the test was conducted, in collaboration with the state of Iowa, TPI paused production and performed a deep clean on the facility.

American Red Cross of Iowa will host a blood drive Wednesday from noon to 5 p.m. at Teahen Funeral Home in Cedar Rapids. According to the organization’s website, thousands of blood drives have been canceled due to covid 19.

Appointments are now required to support social distancing. Anyone interested in donating can select a time online or via phone at 1-800 RED CROSS. Donors will be mailed a coupon for Culver’s frozen custard.

Hy-Vee will give away more than 32,000 bananas to customers at Coral Ridge Mall tomorrow. The giveaway will start at 4 p.m. and continue until 6 p.m., or while supplies last. One bag per customer, and each bag will contain approximately a dozen bananas.

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

"Are you looking for a job? Corridor Careers dot 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 Tuesday, May 5th.

Today has a Showers, mainly before 5pm. High near 50

Tonight sees a continued chance of showers and a low around 42.

Yesterday saw another 534 positive coronavirus cases bringing the total to 9,703 in 91 of Iowa’s 99 counties. 4 more deaths brings the total for the state to 188.

https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/government/kim-reynolds-donald-trump-coronavirus-approval-numbers-poll-20200504 (Most Iowans approve of Governor Kim Reynold’ handling of the coronavirus) according to a new poll. The poll shows 54% approve of how she’s handled it, while only 46% of the state approve of Donald’s Trump’s. Reynolds has come under fire as one of the only governors in the country to not issue a stay-at-home order during the pandemic, as well as the fact that she’s beginning to open the state up despite numbers still increasing. According to Reynolds, the increases are due to a backlog being cleared by increased testing, and the counties being opened back up are the ones least impacted, as most Iowa cases are in just 4 Eastern Iowa counties.

https://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/government/coronavirus-iowa-federal-court-juries-social-distance-20200504 (Iowa federal court is preparing to bring back juries). Federal court officials have made contingency plans to go forward with grand jury proceedings after May 11 — and possibly trials that are on the docket after June 1 — but there will be safety precautions in place. The plan is to use the largest courtrooms available so the grand jury of 16-20 people can be properly spaced out.

Cottage Grove Place, one of the largest senior living centers in Cedar Rapids, is now the site of a COVID-19 outbreak, making it the fifth long-term care facility in the county. The death of one resident is associated with this outbreak.

In lighter news, If you’re doing a lot more Zoom conferences from home during the coronavirus, you can now spice it up by adding a live llama! https://www.thegazette.com/llama-zoomies-invite-a-llama-to-liven-up-your-next-zoom-with-help-from-an-iowa-farm-20200504 (Prairie Patch Farm in Cedar Rapids have started offering “llama bombs”) where they’ll have a llama join your Zoom call. It’s more than just a boring call with a llama, though. Prairie Patch owner Kahle Boutte also gives llama fun facts and other cool llama info. She even dresses them in unicorn horns and other costumes for the 15-30 minute calls.

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

"Are you looking for a job? Corridor Careers.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 May 2 and May 3.

The weather forecast for this weekend is remarkably uneventful, in the best possible way.

According to the National Weather Service, Saturday in the Cedar Rapids area should see partly sunny skies with a high near 74 degrees. It will be somewhat windy at times, with a 5-10 mph wind sometimes gusting as high as 20 mph. Saturday night will be mostly cloudy with calmer wind and a low of 52. Sunday will be sunny with a high near 75 and calm winds. Sunday night it will be partly cloudy with a low around 49.

A Cedar Rapids woman who was shot and killed Friday morning was later determined to be pregnant, and as the man who police say shot her was arrested, this fact was reflected in the charges he now faces. Police responded at 4:40 a.m. Friday morning to an apartment building at the 1600 block of 30th St. NW for the report of a shooting. There they found one woman, 25-year-old Asia Grice, dead at the scene. Another woman there was transported to the hospital for treatment of a non-life threatening injury.

The man police identified as the shooter was 26-year-old Johnnie Osborne IV. He was arrested three hours later after he was spotted at the Rodeway Inn in southwest Cedar Rapids. Osbore was charged with first-degree murder and the nonconsensual termination of a pregnancy.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds on Friday acknowledged that on the day the state decided to phase out some restrictions on businesses and religious gatherings intended to stop the spread of the coronavirus in 77 counties, the state also reported the highest number of cases so far in one day at 739 new confirmed to have the disease. Reynolds went on to confirm that due to a backlog of testing at the State Hygienic Lab in Coralville that will hopefully be caught up with over the weekend, the numbers could rise dramatically higher again in the next few days.

Reynolds attributed the increased number of positive cases to the increased amount of tests being conducted this week, and it was clear from the numbers provided from the state the amount of testing has increased. What Reynolds was less clear about what was creating the backlog, how many tests were involved, and what the status was of the Test Iowa initiative created with a $26 million partnership with a Utah tech company, Nomi Health. Nomi Health has received scrutiny recently for the results of its work on a similar project in Utah.

So far in Iowa 7,885 people have been diagnosed with the coronavirus. 170 people have been reported as dying from the disease.

A 30-year-old Cedar Rapids business has closed its doors for good as the economic impact of the pandemic continues to be felt. Spielman’s Event Services shut down Friday in the wake of the state banning large gatherings such as weddings, graduation ceremonies and parties and corporate events.

The owner of the business told the Gazette that there have been some interested buyers, but COVID-19 has also created uncertainty around the loans needed for such a purchase to take place.

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, May 1.

Your May Day weather is looking pleasant and sunny. According to the National Weather Service there should be a high of 70 degrees and partly sunny skies in the Cedar Rapids area Friday. Windspeeds will hover between 5 and 15 mph. Friday night will also be pleasant, with a low of 53 degrees.

Iowa’s Board of Regents met Thursday, and the financial news for Iowa’s state colleges was grim. Iowa’s public universities collectively project taking at least a $193 million hit from coronavirus-related losses and expenses through the summer, and may see enrollment declines this fall. Despite those losses, the Iowa Board of Regents proposed keeping tuition rates and fees flat for the coming fall, an aberration from its original plan for five years of increases.

“The COVID-19 epidemic is unprecedented,” according to the tuition proposal. “It is important that our students, families and our institutions have as much financial predictability as possible. Therefore, it is recommended there be no increases in tuition rates or mandatory fees.”

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds on Thursday dismissed scrutiny of the Utah based COVID-19 testing source that is set to provide 540,000 test kits to dramatically expand Iowa’s testing capability. A report from the Salt Lake City Tribune raised questions about the accuracy of the testing performed by the company, Nomi Health, in its Utah initiative that is similar to the one not yet underway in Iowa. Increased testing capacity was a key part of Iowa’s plan to partially reopen 77 counties to business starting today.

Gov. Reynolds said experts at the State Hygienic Lab at the University of Iowa are working to ensure the Test Iowa results are accurate and providing reliable information. 162 Iowans had died of the disease as of Thursday, while 7,145 Iowans have been confirmed to have contracted the disease .

Cedar Rapids is located in one of the remaining 22 counties that will have to wait until May 15 at least to see businesses reopen, but some surgeries and medical procedures should resume here next week. In a joint statement from the city’s plurality of hospital providers, patients can expect select surgical and other invasive procedures to start Monday after many had been delayed since mid March due to COVID-19 prevention measures. In addition, these providers will reactivate select outpatient procedures. The announcement was not entirely forthcoming on what these select procedures would entail.

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 30th.

Spring weather in Iowa is a combination of turbulent chaos and pleasant tranquility. Thursday will be a nice change back to the tranquil side of things. According to the National Weather Service, the Cedar Rapids area will see sunny and clear skies Thursday, with a high of 66 degrees. Wind speeds will also continue to calm as the day goes on.

On the day Iowa reported its highest death total from COVID-19 so far, Governor Kim Reynolds continued to defend her decision to lift many restrictions on businesses and religious services in much of the state starting Friday, while still encouraging more limited forms of social distancing.

Reynolds said she went against recommendations from University of Iowa researchers to keep the state restricted statewide because many counties in the state have few coronavirus cases, while 22 have the vast majority. These 22 will be the counties where restrictions remain in place, currently until May 15th, while the remaining 77 counties will see the reopening of several businesses with recommended safety restrictions by the end of the week.

Reynolds said she is confident increased testing will allow the state to contain the disease as it spreads. 12 people were reported to have died from the disease on Wednesday, while the confirmed case total increased to 6,843.

A 12-year-old girl sustained a minor gunshot wound from stray bullets early Wednesday morning in northwest Cedar Rapids. According to the Cedar Rapids Police Department, officers responded at about 2:45 a.m. to the 1300 block of B Avenue NW for reports of shots fired in the area. When they arrived, police said they located the girl there, and that she did not need further medical attention. Public safety spokesperson Greg Buelow said officers found that two bullets had traveled through the bedroom window of a residence, injuring the young girl, who was inside.

He didn’t get the postseason he wanted, but Iowa wrestling’s Spencer Lee continues to do well in the award season. After raking in several awards from the wrestling world, Lee is now the first University of Iowa wrestler to win the AAU James E. Sullivan Award, presented to the country’s most outstanding amateur athlete.

The winners for the annual award, first started in 1930, were announced online Wednesday night. Lee shared the honor with University of Oregon basketball star Sabrina Ionescu. The winner is determined by public vote, media vote, and committee vote.

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, April 29th.

Your Wednesday morning should start rainy and windy, but the good news is it will calm down as the day goes on. According to the National Weather Service, rain is likely in the Cedar Rapids area Wednesday before noon. The day will also start with heavy winds, with a 20-25 wind gusting as high as 40 mph. The rain is not expected to be especially heavy. As the day goes on it will become mostly cloudy and then clear, with the wind speed also decreasing. There will be a high of 57 degrees somewhere in all that.

State public health officials on Tuesday reported seven new outbreaks of COVID-19 at long-term care facilities and nine additional deaths among older Iowans due to the coronavirus.

Gov. Kim Reynolds announced outbreaks at the Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown, two each at care facilities in Polk and Jasper counties and one each at facilities in Dallas and Dubuque counties. This means that 23 different long-term care facilities are currently dealing with the disease. Iowa’s death toll from coronavirus as of Tuesday now stands at 136. 6,376 people have tested positive for the disease statewide.

University of Iowa health researchers told state officials days ago there is “considerable uncertainty” over how many COVID-19 illnesses and deaths the state will see and warned that “prevention measures should remain in place.” The researchers made reports to state officials on April 8 and then on April 20, days before Gov. Kim Reynolds announced Monday her plans to loosen some restrictions in three-quarters of Iowa’s 99 counties. Effective Friday, restaurants, fitness centers, malls, libraries, race tracks and other retail establishments in 77 identified counties can reopen in a limited fashion, according to the governor’s order. A spokesman for the governor did not say Tuesday how much weight she gave the UI research in deciding to start reopening parts of the state.

Another major concentration of coronavirus cases have cropped up at Iowa’s meatpacking plants, following a national trend that has led to the closing of 20 different plants following outbreaks among workers. On Tuesday President Donald Trump used the Defense Production Act to classify meat processing as critical infrastructure, citing threats of a national meat shortage. The order is designed, in part, to protect meat processing companies against litigation by their workers as they seek to reopen.

The Cedar Rapids City Council on Tuesday approved a $637 million budget for fiscal 2021, it may be revisiting that plan throughout the year as the coronavirus impacts on city revenues and expenses become known. The city’s $637 million spending plan, which takes effect July 1, is up $70 million from the current fiscal year budget of $567 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 Colbert from the Gazette Digital News Desk and I’m here with your update for Tuesday, April 28th.

Expect showers and thunderstorms into the evening with a high near 72 and an 48.

More testing has increased the total number of coronavirus cases by 392 to 5,476 in 85 of Iowa’s 99 counties. The total death count is 127.

Governor Kim Reynolds has begun lifting restrictions in 77 Iowa counties, allowing restaurants, malls, and many other locations to start opening up at 50 percent capacity starting Friday.

Different midwest governors are handling the state’s re-opening on different schedules. Iowa and Nebraska are both starting to ease restrictions, while Wisconsin and Illinois are both extending their shelter-in-place orders.

Iowa has seen a 48 percent drop in tax revenue over the last 5 weeks, and while not all of it is due to the coronavirus pandemic, the closure of restaurants, bars, and other public areas certainly has an impact. State reserves and rainy day funds should allow continued operations without any major impact, but this is obviously at least a partial factor in the urgency to open back up.

Garden sales and compost pickups are still happening with social distances, but with some small changes. Compost is still available for free from the Solid Waste Agency by Mount T rashmore, but mulch will cost $40 a ton and is only available to commercial account holders.

You can find all this and the rest of our coronavirus coverage at our dedicated coronavirus

Backyard Abundance, Indian Creek Nature Center, Linn County Master Gardeners, Matthew 25, and Noelridge Greenhouse Mother’s Day Showcase also all have their own policies, so be sure to check before going to pick up any plants, compost, mulch, or other needs.

Kirkwood elementary school has reached settlement with a teacher who was dismissed for their comments about antifa on social media. Jeff Klinzman will be paid $25,000, but will not be teaching in a Kirkwood classroom again.

"Are you looking for a job? Corridor Careers dot 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?"