The Gazette Daily News Podcast

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=121774andename=Alexaandlang=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=121774andename=Alexaandlang=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=121774andename=Alexaandlang=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 and 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 and Johnson shot to show Iowans it is as safe and effective as the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines already in circulation. While the Johnson and 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=121774andename=Alexaandlang=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 and Co. will help produce rival Johnson and 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=121774andename=Alexaandlang=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 and Johnson vaccine that received emergency approval from the Food and Drug Administration.

Iowa will receive 25,600 doses of the Johnson and 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=121774andename=Alexaandlang=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=121774andename=Alexaandlang=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 and 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).