Gazette Daily News Podcast, June 29

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

Rain looks to be in our near future again, and there will likely continue to be at least a chance for rain all week until Friday. According to the National Weather Service, showers and thunderstorms will be likely Tuesday in the Cedar Rapids area, mainly after 2 p.m. It will be cloudy with a high near 82 degrees. Rainfall totals are not expected to be heavy except in isolated areas.

The rain that has fallen in the past week has been a welcome sight for Iowa farmers. According to the Iowa Department of Agriculture, precipitation totals ranged from slightly more than one-quarter of an inch in Sheldon to 8.1 inches in Cedar Rapids over the past week. The statewide weekly average precipitation was 2.13 inches, almost double the weekly normal of 1.09 inches.

Monday’s report followed last week’s updated assessment by the U.S. Drought Monitor that much of Iowa continued to face moderate to severe drought conditions, but timely and beneficial rains have at least stabilized crop conditions. About 44 percent of the state reported severe drought — mostly in northern and central Iowa — with more than 90 percent of the state considered abnormally dry.

Despite the volatile growing conditions, about 60 percent of Iowa’s corn crop was rated in good to excellent condition in Monday’s weekly crop progress and condition report. Also, soybean emergence was virtually complete with 19 percent of soybeans blooming and 58 percent of the overall crop rated in good to excellent

This past Sunday marked one month since 11-year-old Xavior Harrelson disappeared from a mobile home park in Montezuma. Authorities have kept silent about the investigation for more than two weeks, releasing no new information.

A benefit concert is planned for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Poweshiek County Fairgrounds at 425 East St. S in Grinnell. People are encouraged to wear orange — Xavior’s favorite color.

Organizers say proceeds from the concert — which includes a silent auction and concession sales — will go to a reward fund set up earlier this month at Montezuma State Bank for information leading to the discovery of Xavior’s whereabouts. As of noon Monday, the fund had raised more than $25,000, a bank employee said.

Authorities say Xavior was last seen at the Spruce Village trailer park, where he lived with his mother, on the northwest edge of Montezuma. He disappeared after leaving home about 11 a.m. May 27.

The mobile home park is less than a mile from Diamond Lake County Park, which features more than 660 acres of wooded land, a 90-acre lake and roughly 120 campsites.

For 14 years, the Rummage in the Ramp program in Iowa City has provided a place for apartment-dwellers to get rid of unwanted furniture and household objects, then sold in a giant rummage sale with proceeds going to local nonprofits.

But as the pandemic forced the cancellation of the program for summer 2020 and summer 2021, the city is offering a new donation program for this year’s moving season. The new pop-up donation drive will be held at several locations around Iowa City. The next drives are scheduled for July 10 and July 31. The July 10 event will be held at the Market Street parking lot near the Bluebird Diner. You can find more information about what items are acceptable to donate at the City of Iowa City website.

The Iowa Ideas 2021 virtual conference will be here before you know it, and we would like you to be our guest on the house. The Gazette is providing free access to this two-day gathering with more than 50 sessions- filled with thought-provoking local, and national speakers-- all ready to engage you on a variety of important and timely Iowa-issues. Join us October 14th and 15th for this can’t miss, idea-exchange experience. Learn more and register for the event at iowaideas.com.