Gazette Daily News Podcast, December 30th

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This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I’m here with your update for Thursday, December 30th.

We should get a break from snow on Thursday, with a chance for more to come on Saturday. According to the National Weather Service it will be partly sunny in the Cedar Rapids area with a high near 31 degrees. A calm wind will blow all day. On Thursday night it will be mostly cloudy, with a low around 19 degrees.

In the state’s weekly COVID-19 information update, the number of hospitalizations for the coronavirus continues to drop, but new cases ticked up again this week.

According to the Iowa Department of Public Health, the number of people being treated for COVID-19 in Iowa hospitals dropped from 747 to 711, although those in intensive care rose from 158 to 165. The number of patients on ventilators inched down from 101 to 97. Of those hospitalized for the virus, 80.6 percent had not been fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

In all, Iowa saw 11,234 new COVID-19 cases this week, up from 10,381 new cases last week. Linn and Johnson Counties both reported the most new cases in a week that either county has seen since November of 2020.

This surge in Iowa appears to be before the highly contagious omicron variant of the disease has arrived. The variant is hitting states like New York right now, and according to the Associated Press new cases of COVID-19 in the United States have soared to their highest level on record at over 265,000 per day on average. Nationwide, new cases per day have more than doubled over the past two weeks.

A driver escaped a fiery semi tractor-trailer crash uninjured after falling asleep while driving on Interstate 380, according to a Buchanan County Sheriff's Office news release detailing an accident Christmas week.

Investigators said Ryan Thieman, 49, of Marble Rock lost control at about 4:25 a.m. Dec. 21 while driving on southbound I-380 near mile marker 51. The semi struck the inside guardrail of the bridge over Lime Creek.

Leaking fuel ignited a fire, which engulfed the truck and extended to the median between the northbound and southbound lanes. Thieman was able to exit the semi without injuries from the crash, the release stated. He later was cited for failure to maintain control. The southbound lanes of I-380 were shut down between mile markers 49 and 55 for about 5 hours to allow the wreckage to be extinguished and cleared.

A Cedar Rapids man is accused of stealing tools and lottery tickets from the Hy-Vee Food Store at 279 Collins Rd. NE.

Jason B. Ross, 51, faces two felony charges — first-degree robbery and theft of lottery ticket — and fourth-degree theft, a serious misdemeanor.

Officers said Ross entered the store through the back door and stole a Hy-Vee jacket, several tools and roughly $3,000 worth of Iowa Lottery tickets, according to a criminal complaint.

When Hy-Vee employees confronted Ross, he produced a fixed-blade knife, backed out of the store and ran, according to the complaint. He left the lottery tickets behind but took the other items.

Looking to find something new to eat? Never miss a bite of the tastiest local food news by signing up for our free text alerts. Text CHEW to (319) 257-2674 for inside scoops from Gazette food writer Elijah Decious.