Gazette Daily News Podcast, July 7

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This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I’m here with your update for Wednesday, July 7.

Rain will likely make its return Wednesday. According to the National Weather Service, showers and thunderstorms are most probable between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Wednesday in the Cedar Rapids area. The high will be near 82 degrees with mostly cloudy skies. Rainfall is not expected to be significant except in areas of thunderstorm development. The chance of precipitation overall for Wednesday is predicted at 60 percent.

The Linn-Mar School Community and Christian Life Church in Cedar Rapids joined the Jaramillo family in mourning the loss of 11-year-old Michael Jaramillo over the weekend. Michael was fatally injured after a boat on the Raging River amusement park ride at Adventureland turned over. His brother, David, was also seriously injured by the accident and is currently in a medically induced coma and is listed in critical condition.

A GoFundMe has been started for the Jaramillo family, as the father, a semi driver, has also had work disrupted by the tragedy. As of early Wednesday morning it had raised almost $28,000.

Adventureland said the ride has been closed after the accident and that the park is cooperating with an investigation by state inspectors.

A controversial Iowa City housing development near Hickory Hill Park advanced Tuesday for the second time — but now by just a one-vote margin on the Iowa City Council.

Mayor Bruce Teague and council members Laura Bergus, Susan Mims and Janice Weiner voted for the proposal to rezone the tract. Council members Mazahir Salih, Pauline Taylor and John Thomas voted against it. The proposal needs to pass a third time before the rezoning takes effect.

The project — Hickory Hill Trail Estates — is a proposed rezoning of 48.75 acres northeast of Hickory Hill Park to low-density single-family housing. Led by Joe Clark and Nelson Development, the project initially was shot down by the planning and zoning commission, which cited conflicts with the comprehensive plan and Northeast District plan. Dozens of residents wrote in opposition to the project.

Some residents and council members were concerned Tuesday about the amount of buffer between the development and the 185-acre park, which many cited as a tranquil retreat that a busy neighborhood would disrupt.

State officials are being tight-lipped about the planned deployment of Iowa State Patrol troopers to assist law enforcement efforts at the U.S.-Mexico border, declining to identify how many have volunteered and when they might be traveling to Texas or Arizona to conduct an undisclosed assignment.

Iowa Department of Public Safety officials were not aware, a spokeswoman said Tuesday, of any previous Iowa State Patrol deployments outside of the state since Iowa in 1997 joined the Emergency Management Assistance Compact — an agreement between states that the Republican governors of Texas and Arizona cited in their call last month for other states to send assistance to the border.

Several Republican governors, including Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, announced they would sent troopers from their states to help protect the border — noting the “rise in drugs, human trafficking and violent crime has become unsustainable.” But Iowa officials will answer few questions beyond that about the deployment. They cited safety concerns for the officers as at least part of the reason they are reticent to provide the public with more concrete information.

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