Tuesday Morning Read: Casino market study, murder trial verdict, Medicaid insurer losses

CASINO MARKET STUDY? - Firms from New Jersey, Las Vegas, Iowa and Minneapolis are vying for the contract to conduct a market impact study for a Cedar Rapids casino. In its first meeting since three applications were submitted on Feb. 13 for a gambling license in Linn County, the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission on Tuesday will hear presentations about the market study applicants. The commission likely won't award a contract - or possibly multiple contracts - for the market study on Tuesday. That is likely to occur during the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission's April 13 meeting, Read more: https://www.thegazette.com/business/6-vie-for-cedar-rapids-casino-market-study/

MURDER TRIAL GUILTY VERDICT - Nearly three years after 11 shots rang out into the night, piercing a home and claiming the lives of Sierrah Simmons and Quintrell Perkins, the man police said was responsible for their deaths has been found guilty. A Linn County jury on Monday morning found Kendu Petties, 32, guilty of two counts of first-degree murder and one count of conspiracy to commit a forcible felony. Petties was accused of shooting Simmons, 20, and Perkins, 22, both of Cedar Rapids, on April 2, 2014. Read more: https://www.thegazette.com/news/kendu-petties-found-guilty-of-first-degree-murder/

BIG LOSSES FOR IOWA MEDICAID INSURERS - Two of three private insurers managing the state's nearly $5 billion Medicaid program lost hundreds of millions of dollars during their first year of operation in the state, according to reports filed with the Iowa Insurance Division. AmeriHealth Caritas Iowa lost nearly $300 million, while Amerigroup Iowa lost more than $133 million. UnitedHealthcare of the River Valley has multiple lines of business in the state and does not have to file a separate report for its Medicaid business. But during the committee meeting, the company told representatives it anticipated losing more than $100 million. All three insurers say they're committed to staying in Iowa. Read more: https://www.thegazette.com/news/iowas-medicaid-insurers-each-post-more-than-100-million-in-losses-in-first-year/

JOK AMONG BIG TEN'S BEST - the Big Ten Conference's scoring leader is a First Team All-Big Ten player. Iowa guard Peter Jok was named among the Big Ten's five best on Monday, joining conference Player of the Year Caleb Swanigan of Purdue, Wisconsin's Ethan Happ, Maryland's Melo Trimble and Minnesota's Nate Mason. Also, sophomore Nicholas Baer was named the league's Sixth Man of the Year. Read more: https://www.thegazette.com/sports/iowas-peter-jok-named-first-team-all-big-ten/

QUOTABLE - 'The Johnson County Sheriff will not honor voluntary detainer requests nor will the Sheriff's Office assist United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement - ICE - in immigration enforcement raids. The Board of Supervisors supports the County Sheriff's position. Further, it is the position of the Board of Supervisors that the county will not assist ICE in immigration enforcement raids.” A statement issued by supervisors and the sheriff's office Monday, issued in lieu of a formal resolution on the issue