Gazette Daily News Podcast, Dec. 20

Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily News podcast, or just tell your Amazon Alexa enabled device to "enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying "Alexa, what's the news?" If you prefer podcasts, you can also find us on iTunes.

This is John McGlothlen with The Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Monday, Dec. 20th.

According to the National Weather Service, today in the Cedar Rapids area it will be mostly sunny, with a high near 39. Winds from the south, 5 to 10 mph then from the north in the afternoon. And tonight, mostly clear, with a low around 16.

Two teens were killed and three more seriously injured in a single-vehicle crash Friday night in Winneshiek County. The accident happened around 10:30 p.m. Friday at Pole Line Road and County Road W-14, according to the Iowa State Patrol. The rural intersection is between Cresco and Decorah and north of the town of Ridgeway. Investigators said the driver lost control and entered the west ditch. The sport utility vehicle is believed to have rolled three times before coming to rest on its tires. The names of those involved have not yet been released, but all were under 18 years old.

Performance results in Iowa public schools are significantly down from previous years, according to new data from the Iowa Department of Education. Within the Grant Wood Area Education Agency — which serves 32 public school districts in this area — Metro High School in Cedar Rapids had the lowest score, dropping by three categories from commendable to priority. There are six categories in Iowa school performance ratings. Highest to lowest, the categories are exceptional, high performing, commendable, acceptable, needs improvement and priority. Cedar Rapids Virtual Academy, which launched during the 2020-21 school year and expanded to K-12 students this year, was also listed as a priority school. The only three schools in the Grant Wood AEA district in the highest category — exceptional — were Lincoln and Wickham elementary schools in Iowa City and Mount Vernon Middle School.

In men’s basketball, sophomore Keegan Murray poured in a career-high 35 points and Iowa breezed to a 94-75 victory over Utah State in a game at the Sanford Pentagon on Saturday night. Murray knocked down 13 of 17 shots from the floor with two 3-pointers and seven rebounds for the Hawkeyes, who snapped a three-game losing streak.

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

—

🎹 Podcast music: “World” by Emily McGlothlen