Gazette Daily News Podcast, February 12 and February 13

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This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I’m here with your update for Saturday, Feb. 12, and Sunday, Feb. 13.

This weekend’s weather will be a bit of a heartbreaker, but love and football will not be denied. According to the National Weather Service, on Saturday it will be mostly sunny with a high near 12 degrees with wind chill values as low as -10. On Saturday night it will be mostly cloudy with a low around 7 degrees and a slight chance of snow. On Super Bowl Sunday it will be mostly sunny, with a high near 17 degrees. Valentine’s Day Monday should see hearts grow fonder, as temperatures rise above freezing again, with sunny skies and a high near 33 degrees.

While the state of Iowa continued its low-debt ways, local governments last year took advantage of low interest rates to take on debt and start infrastructure projects.

So while the state’s debt was reduced, the combined total of state and local government debt increased by 5.3 percent to $18.8 billion in the fiscal year that ended in June 2021, state Treasurer Michael Fitzgerald said Friday.

That increase is the highest in a decade, when the average increase was 3 percent, according to figures provided by the state treasurer’s office.

Fitzgerald attributed the increase to local governments pursuing infrastructure projects while interest rates were low. He said his analysis is that those local governments are operating responsibly.

The Iowa Supreme Court on Friday announced it will no longer require face coverings in the court-controlled areas of county courthouses though judges will have discretion to require masks in their courtrooms.

Chief Justice Susan Christensen removed the face covering requirement last year for court-controlled spaces but reinstated it after the surge in new COVID-19 cases.

At that time, the court gave judges the discretion to allow those in their courtrooms to remove their masks or to take other measures to mitigate the spread of the virus.

The court will continue to monitor virus cases and update guidance as necessary.

The trial for a Cedar Rapids man, accused of killing his pregnant girlfriend and causing the death of her unborn child, will go forward March 29.

Johnnie Osborne IV, 27, is charged with first-degree murder, termination of pregnancy during a forcible felony, attempted murder and willful injury.

He is accused of fatally shooting his girlfriend, Asia T. Grice, 25, who was in her second trimester of pregnancy on May 1, 2020.

She died of a gunshot wound to her head, and her unborn child did not survive, according to a criminal complaint. Grice’s friend, Keonna Smith, who was in the apartment at the time, also was shot and seriously injured.

The trial is expected to last 10 days, and 100 prospective jurors will be called.

Support for this news update was provided by New Pioneer Food Co-op. Celebrating 50 years as Eastern Iowa’s destination for locally and responsibly sourced groceries with stores in Iowa City, Coralville and Cedar Rapids; and online through Co-op Cart at newpi.coop.