Gazette Daily News Podcast: Thursday, January 18, 2024

– Iowa House lawmakers advance stiffer punishments for ‘swatting’ calls

– False threats reported at multiple Eastern Iowa schools

– Cedar Rapids Public Library Foundation celebrates Dolly Parton’s birthday, literacy impact with Imagination Library

– Harbor Freight Tools eyes Bed Bath Beyond building

– Excellence in the Arts nominations

Episode Transcript

You are listening to The Gazette’s Daily News Podcast on Thursday, January 18. This podcast gives quick bites from the latest headlines coming out of The Gazette newsroom. I’m Bailey Cichon.

Up first, Iowa House lawmakers advance stiffer punishments for swatting calls. ‘Swatting’ refers to someone making a false report of a serious crime with the goal of drawing a large law enforcement response and creating fear and chaos at a location. These calls are usually made anonymously or using fake identities.

For example, just yesterday, Marion High School was notified of a possible school threat. Within a few minutes, it was determined that the threat was a hoax. A threat of school violence is subject to a terrorism charge which is a Felony in Iowa.

Iowa Department of Public Safety legislative liaison Josie Wagler said there were 39 swatting incidents in Iowa in the 2022 to 2023 school year. That’s a significant increase from the four reported incidents the year before.

Currently, the penalty is a misdemeanor. Now, the Iowa Department of Public Safety is proposing increasing the penalty to a Class D felony for false reports of an act of terrorism, a bomb threat or a forcible felony, like murder, sexual abuse, kidnapping, robbery or arson.

House Study Bill 545 is moving forward to the House Public Safety Committee.

You can find the full story about the Marion High School threat and the full story about the swatting bill at the gazette dot com. You can find both of those stories linked in this episode’s description.

What does Dolly Parton have to do with the Cedar Rapids Public Library Foundation?

Since 2018, the library foundation has been a local affiliate with Parton’s Imagination Library, a program that gifts free books to children from birth to age five. Since then, the Cedar Rapids Public Library Foundation has distributed more than 360,000 books to almost 12,000 children. In Cedar Rapids, about 5,400 books are sent out each month. This week, Parton turns 78 and the library foundation is hosting a party with families who have participated in the program. Additionally, children’s books will be on sale for $1 each from Friends of the Cedar Rapids Public Library. The party will take place Saturday, January 20 at 10 a.m.

Another Harbor Freight Tools store may be coming to Cedar Rapids in the building that formerly housed Bed Bath & Beyond. City records show the California-based tool company has filed three sign permits for the former Bed Bath & Beyond location 4840 First Ave NE. The company’s director of corporate communications Craig Hoffman didn’t confirm that address is site of a new location, but Hoffman said quote “we are actively looking to open a new location” end quote in Cedar Rapids. Harbor Freight Tools opened its first discount tool store in Cedar Rapids in 2007 at 3750 Williams Blvd. SW. Bed Bath & Beyond closed its Cedar Rapids store in early 2023 when it entered bankruptcy. Other locations in Coralville, Davenport and Sioux City also closed.

Do you know a high school student who is an outstanding artist, musician or performer? Nominate them for The Gazette’s Excellence in the Arts event. Excellence in the Arts is a night dedicated to celebrating the achievements of students in the visual, digital and performing arts. The event will take place Sunday, March 24. The deadline to nominate students has been extended to January 24. Submit nominations at arts dot the gazette dot com. Find the link in this episode’s description.

Finally, let’s take a look at today’s weather in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Today will be cloudy with highs predicted to reach 13 degrees. Temperatures will drop to zero. Tomorrow will be partly cloudy. Temperatures are predicted to reach a high of one degree and drop to a low of negative eleven.

Thank you for listening to The Gazette’s Daily News Podcast. Stay up to date with the latest news from Eastern Iowa at the gazette dot com. I’m Bailey Cichon.

Comments: bailey.cichon@thegazette.com