Gazette Daily News Podcast, December 28

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This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I’m here with your update for Tuesday, December 28th.

Cedar Rapids should see some snow, some wintry mix, and some rain Tuesday morning into the afternoon. According to a forecast from the National Weather Service, the precipitation should start early Tuesday in the Cedar Rapids area. It should start as snow, with a chance of 1 to 3 inches of precipitation, then turn entirely to rain after 2 p.m. There will be a high of 36 degrees during the day, before it becomes mostly cloudy with no precipitation Tuesday night and a low around 15 degrees.

The Atkins City Council voted last week to censure a council member who opposed hiring a city administrator for $92,000, but another council member says those things are not related.

The six-member council voted Dec. 21 on a resolution for a public censure of Julie DeMeulenaere, who has been on the council since March.

The resolution was not included with the online meeting agenda and Mayor Bruce Visser declined Monday to answer questions about what caused the censure. City Attorney Ryan Tang stated at last week’s meeting the censure was related to litigation.

DeMeulenaere told the Gazette she feels the council’s action was retribution for her opposition to the hiring of a city administrator. Council member Joey Svejda denied this charge, saying it was related to legal matters he can’t discuss further.

An Iowa City man has been charged with arson following a fire near a Hy-Vee loading dock Saturday.

According to an Iowa City Police Department criminal complaint, Hy-Vee management called about 8 p.m. to report a fire by the loading dock at the 1720 Waterfront Dr. store.

Firefighters told officers an accelerant was put on the fire.

Surveillance video showed a man — later identified as 56-year-old Douglas H. Johnson — walking in front of the Hy-Vee and then toward the loading dock. A few minutes later, around 5:45 p.m., Johnson was seen quickly walking away from the area of the loading dock, according to the complaint. Police said when they located Johnson, he smelled of an accelerant and admitted to being in the area of the fire.

A third man has been arrested in connection with a shooting earlier this month at the Old Capitol Town Center parking ramp.

DeMarcus D. Robertson Ray, 18, of Cedar Rapids, was arrested by Iowa City police Wednesday after he was released from the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.

Police responded at 1:25 a.m. Dec. 5 to a report of multiple shots fired at the ramp at 220 S. Capitol St. Officers found evidence that multiple shots were fired.

When officers arrived, they saw several people running from the scene, as well as Robertson Ray with a gunshot wound to the abdomen. Robertson Ray was hospitalized for treatment and ordered to be taken into custody when discharged, according to court records.

Earlier this month, police arrested Darnell F. Martin Jr., 21, of Coralville and Mason D. Ward, 18, of Cedar Rapids. Martin and Ward each face a charge of reckless use of a firearm causing property damage.

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