Gazette Daily News Podcast, January 5

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I’m here with your update for Thursday, January 5.

Snow is likely again Thursday, although most of it will probably fall before 9 a.m. According to the National Weather Service there could be another half inch of snow accumulation in the Cedar Rapids area before this round finishes with us. After that, it will be cloudy, with a high near 35 degrees. On Thursday night it will be mostly cloudy, with a low of around 20 degrees.

The Cedar Rapids Metro Hazardous Devices Unit removed an improvised explosive device from an alley behind a residence on the 1700 block of Park Ave. SE Tuesday morning.

Police were called to the area just before 11 a.m. for a report of a suspicious item in the alley, according to a news release from the Cedar Rapids Police Department. The area was blocked off while technicians from the hazardous devices unit determined the suspicious item was an improvised explosive device, and safely removed and mitigated it.

The release did not specify what the device was made of. The incident is still being actively investigated.

The Johnson STEAM Academy, which is located nearby, was notified of the incident and went into a partial lockdown until it was resolved.

The Mega Millions jackpot increased to an estimated $940 million after the Tuesday drawing resulted in some winners, plenty of losers, but no single grand prize winner.

The next drawing is scheduled for Friday night. It will be for the sixth-largest jackpot in U.S. history.

Tuesday's drawing for an estimated $785 million jackpot had more than 2.9 million winning tickets for lesser sums, including three $4 million tickets sold in Arizona, Mississippi and South Dakota, Mega Millions said in a statement.

The Johnson County Compensation Board has recommended double-digit percent salary increases fr 10 county employees: 16 percent for the attorney, 12 percent increase for the sheriff, and 10 percent increases for the auditor, recorder, treasurer and five supervisors.

The seven-member board voted unanimously last month in favor of the increases for fiscal year 2024, which begins July 1.

Linn County’s compensation board is expected to meet later this month to consider pay recommendations for its elected officials.

The compensation board’s recommendations are high because its members anticipate the supervisors will decrease them.

Last year, the compensation board recommended an 18 percent salary increase to remain competitive with other counties’ salaries and be in line with state law changes. The supervisors approved a 2.25 percent raise for themselves, and 4.42 percent raise for the county’s other elected officials.