Gazette Daily News Podcast, November 24

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This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I’m here with your update for Wednesday, November 24.

Wednesday will feature some of the warmest and coldest temperatures of the week. According to the National Weather Service the day will start mostly cloudy in the Cedar Rapids area with a high near 58 degrees. On Wednesday night, the wind will become blustery and the temperature will plummet, with a low around 26 degrees and a wind speed of 10 to 20 mph gusting as high as 30 mph.

Two Fairfield teens, who authorities say plotted and carried out the “brutal” killing of the Spanish language teacher at their Fairfield High School earlier this month, asked a judge Tuesday to lower their bail to a tenth of the $1 million they each are being held on — and to let them post a fraction of that, instead of paying it in cash.

Both defense attorneys argued that according to Iowa law, bail should be something reasonable that Jeremy Everett Goodale and Willard Noble Chaiden Miller, both 16, could pay rather than remain in a juvenile detention center until trial, which may not happen for months. They asked for bail of $100,000 each, to be paid either in cash or by posting a surety bond.

Conversely, prosecutors argued Tuesday that because of the callous circumstances of this case, each bail should be doubled to $2 million to protect the community from the teens.

Both teens are charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit a forcible felony. They are accused of scheming to kill Nohema Graber, 66, who had taught at Fairfield High since 2012. Authorities found her body Nov. 3 in Chautauqua City Park, just blocks east of the school, where she was known to go for walks.

The judge said he would provide a written ruling on the bail question next week.

Cedar Rapids schools starting this week are getting upgrades to some heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems intended to help mitigate the spread of the coronavirus.

Technology called needlepoint bi-polar ionization is being added to some schools’ heating, ventilation and air cooling systems to help filter particles out of the air, including viruses like COVID-19, bacteria, mold, dust, dander and smoke. The district did not identify which schools are adding the technology.

The project is being paid for from the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund. Total cost of the equipment is approximately $1.6 million and the cost of installation will be about $600,000. The district received $32.4 million from the U.S. Department of Education and American Rescue Plan to help offset costs during the pandemic.

A 20-year-old Cedar Rapids man was arrested last week on a warrant after investigators connected him to a ride share Veo scooter and shell casings found near the scene of a shooting that seriously injured a man last summer.

Cody Michael Adkins is charged with attempted murder, intimidation with a dangerous weapon, willful injury causing serious injury, going armed with intent and use of a dangerous weapon in commission of a crime.

A police investigation identified Adkins and his co-defendant, who hasn’t been arrested at this time, as the suspects who opened fire on Archibald Ledsinger and Darian Boyd as they were driving July 1 in Cedar Rapids.

According to police, Adkins and the other man walked out directly in front of their vehicle. Words were exchanged and then Adkins and the co-defendant “opened fire” striking Boyd several times, causing serious injuries. The number of casings indicated two guns were involved.

14 shell casings were found at the scene and eventually led to Adkins. A public rideshare scooter had been leased under his co-defendant’s name.

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