This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I’m here with your update for Tuesday, August 3.

The pleasant weather should continue Tuesday. The National Weather Service is predicting it to be sunny with a high near 82 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area, with a calm wind. Tuesday night it should be mostly clear, with a low around 60 degrees. Enjoy the weather while you can, because hotter and more volatile weather looks to be on tap starting Thursday night.

Health officials in Eastern Iowa are encouraging residents to follow new federal health guidelines that advise Americans — even those who are fully vaccinated — to wear masks in certain situations in areas with high levels of virus transmission.

These urgings come despite https://www.thegazette.com/government-politics/reynolds-again-urges-covid-19-vaccinations/ (Gov. Kim Reynolds’ rejection of the new federal advisory) this past week. Gov. Reynolds insisted that any mandate to mask would detract from the state’s vaccine efforts. The governor is correct that vaccination is the most effective way to protect yourself and others from the disease, but she has offered few new ideas to combat Iowa’s stalled vaccine efforts, with about half of Iowa residents fully vaccinated at this time.

On Tuesday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/fully-vaccinated-guidance.html (issued new guidance) recommending people in counties with “substantial” or “high” levels of community transmission of COVID-19 wear masks in public indoor settings. This includes those who have been vaccinated.

According to the Associated Press, a judge on Monday rejected a request for a new trial for the man who was convicted in the 2018 killing of University of Iowa student Mollie Tibbetts.

The ruling by Judge Joel Yates now establishes that sentencing can proceed for Cristhian Bahena Rivera, who was convicted in May of first-degree murder. Rivera faces life in prison.

Rivera’s attorneys had called for a new trial after witnesses came forward with testimony that supported the contention by Rivera that he may have been framed for the killing. However, the testimony from the new sources contradicted Rivera’s account of events.

A Cedar Rapids cyclist was seriously injured last week when he was struck by a vehicle while riding in Quasqueton.

According to the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Office, Mark Johnson was riding his bicycle just after 8 a.m. July 28 in the southbound lane in 2800 block of Quasqueton Avenue when he was struck by a southbound van driven by Brent Meyers of Denver, Iowa.

Johnson was airlifted to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City with serious injuries, but is expected to survive, the sheriff’s office said. Meyers was not hurt.

The incident remains under investigation.

Iowa’s proportion of energy created by clean energy is the highest in the country, according to a recent report.

According to an American Clean Power Association report released Monday, about 57.6 percent of electricity generated in Iowa came from renewable sources, according to the report.

Kansas was the next highest state with 43.4 percent, followed by Oklahoma with 35.5 percent, South Dakota with 32.9 percent and North Dakota with 30.8 percent.

Iowa is one of 10 states to have more than one-fifth of its electricity come from wind turbines.

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* Air quality advisory and other weather today in the Cedar Rapids area

* 22-year-old Marion man killed in Linn County crash

* 3 arrested after shootings Saturday in Cedar Rapids

* Marion Indians victorious in Class 3A championship

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I’m here with your update for Saturday, July 31 and Sunday, August 1.

Most of the rain appears to have gone to the west of the Cedar Rapids area, but at least the cool air it brought with it will stay. According to the National Weather Service there will be a slight chance of rain on Saturday morning. The haze from the west coast forest fires will also linger on Saturday, with some areas of smoke. Otherwise it will be mostly cloudy with a high near 80 degrees. On Sunday it will be sunny, with a high near 82 degrees.

A spokesperson for Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds indicated Friday that the governor has no intention to offer $100 incentives to Iowans to entice them to get fully vaccinated against COVID-19. President Joe Biden floated the idea as an effort to break through to the population of Americans that has resisted getting vaccinated.

Some areas in the country, including some Iowa counties, are seeing the return of increasing COVID-19 positive rates due to a highly transmissible strain known as the Delta variant. These high areas of rapid spread are most prevalent in areas that have low vaccination rates.

CDC documents reported on by the Washington Post on Friday stated that research has shown the delta variant can cause infections that are more contagious than the common cold, flu, smallpox and the Ebola virus, and is considered as prolific in spreading as the highly contagious chicken pox. Researchers are also concerned that this variant may infect people who have been vaccinated, which are referred to as breakthrough infections, but all indications are that even in these cases the vaccine prevents more serious symptoms.

As a federal ban on pandemic-related apartment evictions is expected to expire Saturday, Linn County and the city of Cedar Rapids are working with local groups to stall evictions and keep people housed here.

The eviction moratorium that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention enacted last September has prevented millions of tenants from being evicted while facing financial hardship and job loss during the COVID-19 pandemic. As the ban comes to an end, tenants who have fallen behind on rent payments now may face eviction. So local officials have put in place programs intended to prevent people from experiencing homelessness.

Starting Monday, Linn County is partnering with Iowa Legal Aid to maintain a physical presence at the Linn County Courthouse through its help-desk program. Iowa Legal Aid will provide legal assistance, as well as rent and utility assistance through Waypoint Services, on the spot to help prevent evictions

North Liberty-based South Slope Cooperative Communications will begin construction on a fiber network in Oxford in August, the company said Friday.

The network will be built within Oxford’s city limits before expanding into the surrounding area.

South Slope will use a federal grant and loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Reconnect Program worth $5.4 million to build the network.

South Slope continues to expand its fiber offerings into rural areas in response to an exploding demand for broadband as a result of the pandemic changing the way Americans work and seek entertainment.

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This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I’m here with your update for Friday, July 30.

The weather is going to be a bit weird Friday. Widespread haze caused by massive forest fires on the west coast could thicken into areas of smoke after 4 p.m. When the sun does poke its way through, it is expected to be partly sunny, with a high near 81 degrees. Showers and thunderstorms are likely Friday night into Saturday morning, but rainfall is not expected to be significant except in areas of thunderstorm development.

Jury deliberations that appeared headed for a mistrial instead brought emotions of relief for Chris Bagley’s family Thursday, as a jury eventually found Drew Blahnik guilty of his killing.

The jury deliberated for nearly three days before finding Blahnik, https://www.thegazette.com/crime-courts/savage-stabbing-of-chris-bagley-was-planned-and-calculated-prosecutor-says/ (originally charged with first-degree murder), guilty of the lesser charge of second-degree murder in the 2018 killing. Jurors also found him guilty as charged of obstruction of prosecution and abuse of a corpse.

About an hour after they started Thursday morning, jurors sent a note to 6th Judicial District Judge Christopher Bruns, saying they were deadlocked because one juror wasn’t following the court’s instructions and the law. They said they took a vote and it was 11-1.

They initially said further deliberations wouldn’t help. But Judge Bruns, after talking with defense lawyers and prosecutors, sent a note back telling the jurors to continue deliberations to reach a unanimous verdict. The jury informed the court attendant it had a verdict after 3:30 p.m.

Iowa City police charged Andre Roberts Jr., 19, of Cedar Rapids after police https://www.thegazette.com/crime-courts/police-investigating-shots-fired-in-downtown-iowa-city-on-ped-mall/ (said he fired several shots at the Iowa City Pedestrian Mall on July 25).

He was charged with attempted murder, use of a dangerous weapon in the commission of a crime, intimidation with a dangerous weapon and carrying dangerous weapons while being ineligible to do so.

Police said the shooter fired several shots in an alley behind the Fieldhouse bar at about 1:10 a.m., striking a 24-year-old woman and 17-year-old man. Both sustained non-life-threatening injuries, according to police.

The shooting occurred hours after the Iowa City Downtown Block Party concluded.

Police said the investigation into the shooting continues as it searches for others involved.

On Thursday night Joe Wieskamp and Luka Garza became the first two Iowa Hawkeyes drafted by NBA teams in the same year since 1998. Both were taken in the second round of the NBA Draft.

Wieskamp, a 6-foot-7 forward, decided to turn professional after his junior season with the Hawkeyes. He was taken by the San Antonio Spurs with the 41st pick of the draft.

Garza, the National Player of the Year in his senior season after surprising some by spurning the NBA to return to Iowa City, went 52nd, to the Detroit Pistons.

Iowa has not had a player selected in the first round since Ricky Davis, also in 1998.

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This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I’m here with your update for Thursday, July 29.

Another sunny, hot day Thursday, with the wind picking up slightly.

According to the National Weather Service, it should be mostly sunny in the Cedar Rapids area with a high near 92 degrees. A wind of 10 mph could gust as high as 20 mph. Storms and thunderstorms may arrive on Friday and Saturday, but this far out predictions tend to be less accurate.

Gov. Kim Reynolds on Wednesday again urged Iowans to get vaccinated as the best defense against COVID-19 and its variants, but expressed frustration with changing federal mask guidelines she said are “counterproductive” in conveying a consistent message.

Speaking to reporters, the governor said she has not seen data to support new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommending that even vaccinated people who live in communities with elevated transmission rates again wear masks indoors. Mhttps://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#county-view (any — but not all — counties in Iowa are rated as having substantial or high rates of virus transmission.)

According to state data released Wednesday, Iowa has seen an average of 308 new COVID-19 cases a day over the last week — the highest it has been in over two months. CDC data indicates nearly half of Iowa’s 99 counties are facing substantial or high COVID-19 spread. Over a million people are expected to attend the Iowa State Fair next month, where there are no mask or vaccine requirements.

The Iowa Board of Regents unanimously approved tuition increases Wednesday for students at Iowa’s three state universities, citing the need to maintain quality, affordable and accessible education despite stagnant state funding.

Starting this fall, Iowa resident undergraduate students at the University of Iowa and Iowa State University will pay 3.5 percent more in tuition and resident and non-resident undergrads at the University of Northern Iowa will pay 1.5 percent more, according the final vote on tuition increases.

The Board of Regents also voted Wednesday to name the field at Kinnick Stadium after Duke Slater.

Slater was a tackle for Iowa from 1918 to 1921, leading the Hawkeyes to a conference title and a mythical national championship in his final year. He was the first Black student-athlete in school history to earn All-America honors. He later earned a UI law degree while playing in the NFL and became one of Chicago’s first Black judges.

Slater, who died at 67 in 1966, was recently inducted into the https://www.profootballhof.com/players/duke-slater/ (Pro Football Hall of Fame) as a member of its 2020 centennial class and already had been named to the National Iowa Varsity Club Hall of Fame and Iowa Sports Hall of Fame. In 1951, he was the first Black player inducted into the National Football Foundation’s College Hall of Fame.

The city of Cedar Rapids is asking residents to help select a new city flag as a symbol of community pride.

Residents may view four flag designs and read the symbolism descriptions before ranking their top choices at https://www.cedar-rapids.org/discover_cedar_rapids/city_flag/index.php (cityofcr.com/cityflag) through Aug. 31. The option residents rank highest will become the new official city flag.

I can’t really describe the flags to you very well in this medium, except that all 4 designs are blue, green, and white; all of them have a single star; and all were vetted by members of the North American Vexillological Association.

The city’s old flag design became the source of negative attention after podcaster Roman Mars featured it as an example of what not to do in flag design in his TED talk on the aforementioned topic.

With the Iowa football season rapidly approaching, there will be more Hawkeye news to come soon. If you want to have the latest football insights emailed directly to you, sign up for Leah Vann's exclusive weekly Talkin' Hawks newsletter...

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I’m here with your update for Wednesday, July 28.

Wednesday is set to be the hottest day in an already hot week. According to the National Weather Service, it should be mostly sunny and hot, with a high near 96 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area. Heat index values could reach as high as 105. Wednesday night it will stay mostly clear, with a low around 76 degrees.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed course Tuesday on masking guidelines, recommending that even vaccinated people return to wearing them indoors in parts of the country — including some counties in Iowa — where the Delta variant of the coronavirus is fueling surges.

Citing new information about the variant's ability to spread among vaccinated people, the CDC also recommended indoor masks for all teachers, staff, students and visitors at K-12 schools nationwide, regardless of vaccination status and regardless of the rate of community spread.

Republican Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds rejected the guidance soon after it was issued, criticizing the Democratic Biden administration for confusing and unnecessary messages.

"The Biden Administration's new COVID-19 guidance telling fully vaccinated Iowans to now wear masks is not only counterproductive to our vaccination efforts, but also not grounded in reality or common sense," Reynolds said in a statement.

She did not explain how asking people to wear a mask discourages vaccinations. But she added she was concerned the federal guidance could result in mask mandates for schools. Reynolds signed a law in May that prohibits local officials from requiring masks be worn in schools or businesses.

Iowa ranks lower than the national average when it comes to the rate of vaccinations, with about 47 percent of the population, or 1.47 million Iowans, fully vaccinated. Like many states, vaccination interest here has stagnated.

After twice voting to support a controversial housing development proposed near Hickory Hill Park, the Iowa City Council reversed course Tuesday night and rejected a rezoning that would have allowed homes and a senior living center and added land to the park.

A reversal on the third consideration of the Hickory Trail Estates development came after council members heard and read an onslaught of opposition to the project, although it had been scaled back from its initial proposal.

Council members heard an hour of public comment from residents Tuesday evening, with all who spoke aside from the developer in opposition. The project was proposed by developer Joseph Clark, Nelson Development and Axiom Consultants. Residents have cited concerns that the development’s proximity to the park would disrupt the ecosystem and aesthetics of the park.

Hickory Trail Estates was to include 41 lots of single-family housing and a senior living facility, and add 14 acres to the nearby Hickory Hill Park.

A mine resistant ambush protected vehicle, shared by Johnson County law enforcement agencies, will remain an option for the Iowa City Police Department, for the moment, as the Iowa City Council considers alternatives to the armored transport vehicle.

The vehicle, known as an MRAP, was purchased by the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office in 2014.

Residents have decried the use of the vehicle, saying its use is unnecessary and a needless militarization of the police. Local law enforcement has pushed back, saying that they need an armored vehicle option to help protect officers in dangerous situations.

The Johnson County Board of Supervisors has also https://www.press-citizen.com/story/news/local/eastern-iowa/2021/06/16/mrap-johnson-county-considers-getting-rid-military-police-vehicle-mine-resistant-ambush-protection/7686785002/ (directed Johnson County Sheriff Brad Kunkel) to consider an alternative option to the MRAP.

The council asked city staff to communicate with the county government on their plans for exploring an alternative option, and...

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I’m here with your update for Tuesday, July 27.

Tuesday’s weather will fit the mold for most of this week: sunny, humid, and hot. According to the National Weather Service we can expect a high of 94 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area with sunny skies. The sky will remain clear Tuesday evening, with a low of 73 degrees.

After more than a half-year of decline, the number of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in Iowa has been increasing in recent weeks despite widespread availability of a vaccine.

With large public gatherings such as RAGBRAI and the Iowa State Fair looming — and another school year set to start in roughly two months — public health officials are expressing concern that the trend could worsen.

Their message echoes in unison: If you have not already, get the COVID-19 vaccine. Nearly all new hospitalizations from COVID-19 — more than 97 percent nationwide — are of unvaccinated individuals, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. After a good start, Iowa’s vaccination efforts have stalled in recent months, lingering at 55 percent for those age 12 and older.

The emergence of the COVID-19 Delta variant has added to public health officials’ consternation. The new variant appears to be even more transmissible than the original virus, and appears to be having a greater impact on young people.

Linn County Public Health is offering $50 Walmart gift cards to residents receiving the COVID-19 vaccine at walk-in clinics taking place this week.

Public health officials are offering the COVID-19 vaccine to eligible residents aged 12 years and older at five Cedar Rapids Community School District schools through Friday.

The gift card offer one of the first major incentive programs offered locally since the shots became widely available earlier this year.

All occupants safely escaped a North Liberty fire on Sunday.

According to a city news release, the North Liberty Fire Department was called to a fire at 2:13 p.m. Sunday at 1557 Burr Dr. Authorities said neighbors had discovered a fire outside of the home and alerted the residents.

Crews knocked down the fire, which sped through the eaves and into the attic of the townhouse. It was brought under control within 26 minutes of firefighters arriving on scene. A cat was also rescued.

Iowa announced contract extensions for nine of its head coaches on Monday.

The nine coaches receiving contract extensions were men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery, wrestling coach Tom Brands, women’s basketball coach Lisa Bluder, soccer coach Dave Dilanni, field hockey coach Lisa Cellucci, softball coach Renee Gillispie, baseball coach Rick Heller, women’s golf coach Megan Menzel and women’s tennis coach Sasha Schmid.

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* Today's weather in Cedar Rapids

* Iowa City Ped Mall shooting incident

* Motorcyclist seriously injured in Cedar Rapids

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I’m here with your update for Saturday July 24 and Sunday July 25.

It’s going to be a hot weekend. According to the National Weather Service there will be a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms after 5 p.m. on Saturday, but besides that it will be sunny and muggy both Saturday and Sunday. The high on Saturday is expected to be 94 degrees, with a heat index near 103 degrees. On Sunday the high is expected to be 92 degrees, with sunny skies.

One week after the first-degree murder trial began in Linn County District Court, prosecutors Friday rested their case against Drew Blahnik, 34. He is accused of stabbing to death Chis Bagley inside a trailer in December 2018 in a revenge plot hatched by a drug dealer named Andrew Shaw who was angry that Bagley had robbed him. Shaw is now in jail on separate drug-related charges.

Blahnik testified to stabbing Bagley, but said that he had stabbed him to death in self defense during a dispute because he thought Bagley was armed with a gun. When asked why he needed to stab Bagley more than a dozen times if it was self defense, Blahnik said he was familiar with instances where stabbing someone does not fully incapicitate them.

The defense will start presenting its case Monday.

A Coralville City Council member will seek to become the community’s first female mayor.

Meghann Foster announced Friday that she is running for the open mayor seat in the fall election.

Coralville Mayor John Lundell announced this week he will not https://www.thegazette.com/local-government/coralville-mayor-john-lundell-wont-seek-reelection/ (seek a fifth term.)

A 20-year Coralville resident, Foster was elected to the city council in 2017. She is the community engagement coordinator for the Domestic Violence Intervention Program and an educator at the University of Iowa’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

A woman was shot during a dispute involving a group of people Thursday evening.

Police say they were called to the 1100 block of Arthur Street — in southeast Iowa City, south of Muscatine Avenue — at around 11:25 p.m.

According to police the shooting grew out of a dispute involving a group of people when one person shot at several others, striking the woman. Witnesses reported seeing people leave the scene in separate vehicles after the shooting.

The woman was taken to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics with non-life-threatening injuries, police said. She is not cooperating with police in the investigation at this time.

Big Ten football media days continued on Friday, and Iowa received five first-place votes and was picked No. 2 overall in the Big Ten West in https://www.cleveland.com/osu/2021/07/ohio-state-football-voted-unanimous-2021-big-ten-favorite-in-clevelandcom-preseason-poll.html (a preseason Big Ten media poll from Cleveland.com). Wisconsin received 29 first-place votes at No. 1 and Northwestern ranked No. 3.

When asked about COVID-19 vaccination rates, Iowa Coach Kirk Ferentz said that about 70 percent of his players are vaccinated, and he is vaccinated as well. However, despite health concerns and the inconvenience of players missing time, he said he will not be requiring the vaccine.

There will be more Hawkeye news to come. If you want to have the latest football insights emailed directly to you, sign up for Leah Vann's exclusive weekly Talkin' Hawks newsletter at thegazette.com/hawks

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This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I’m here with your update for Friday, July 23.

There could be a hazy start to your Friday morning. According to the National Weather Service there could be widespread haze and the smell of smoke tied to wildfires on the west coast. Afters this, it should be sunny and humid, with a high of 91 degrees.

Former U.S. Rep. Abby Finkenauer said Thursday that she still sees “a lot to fight for” and this time she hopes to take the fight to U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley.

Finkenauer launched her Democratic campaign on Thursday, challenging for a senate seat in 2022. Grassley, her presumptive opponent, has not said yet whether he’ll seek an eighth term in 2022, but if he does he will likely be the favorite in the coming race.

Earlier this year Jim Carlin, a Republican state senator from Sioux City, announced he would be running for Grassley’s spot, but this also will likely be affected by Grassley’s decision.

Finkenauer was defeated after one term in congress last year in Iowa’s northern 1st congressional district. It was a historically bad election year for Democrats, with a bungled Iowa Caucus to start the year and election defeats at nearly every level. Finkenauer hopes she can be part of a return to success for Iowa Democrats in what has traditionally been considered a swing state.

Finkenauer joins two other Democrats who want their party’s Senate nomination in the statewide race — Manning farmer and cattleman and former county Supervisor Dave Muhlbauer and Glenn Hurst of Minden.

According to the Associated Press, one of two Iowa prison https://apnews.com/article/ia-state-wire-coronavirus-pandemic-health-ce76f739757bba5a82987875897639d2 (nurses fired) for giving dozens of Fort Madison inmates large overdoses of the coronavirus vaccine is appealing her termination, arguing she is “blameless" for the mix-up.

The Iowa Department of Corrections fired Amanda Dodson, a registered nurse at the maximum-security Iowa State Penitentiary in Fort Madison, after an investigation found https://apnews.com/article/health-iowa-prisons-coronavirus-509612f3cf96ed86ab98ab679f1d60b5 (77 inmates) received shots containing up to six times the recommended dose of the Pfizer vaccine.

Dodson’s termination letter, obtained by the Associated Press through an open records request, blamed her for “improper COVID vaccination procedures” that resulted in inmates receiving overdoses on April 20. Although some inmates suffered negative symptoms, all of them eventually recovered without long term effects.

The union helping Dodson with her appeal said that the mixup occurred when the prison abruptly switched from the Moderna vaccine to the Pfizer vaccine, without properly training staff about the change in dosage.

We’ll end with some good news.

Marion’s cost of recovery from last year’s derecho is $11 million less than an earlier estimate.

https://www.thegazette.com/government-politics/cedar-rapids-taps-funds-marion-seeks-loan-while-awaiting-fema-money-for-derecho-cleanup/ (In late January,) the city estimated the cost of derecho cleanup would be up to $43 million.

This week, a new estimate put the cost at around $32 million. City officials said Thursday that they are considering borrowing less money than they initially planned, which will help their financial flexibility long term.