Gazette Daily News Podcast, July 20

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This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I’m here with your update for Tuesday, July 20.

This week should remain free of rain until the weekend. According to the National Weather Service it will be sunny in the Cedar Rapids area with a high of 90 degrees. Tuesday night it will be mostly clear, with a low around 68.

A Cedar Rapids man already convicted of his role in the 2018 fatal stabbing of Chris Bagley testified Monday for the prosecution — telling jurors about how defendant Drew Blahnik carried out the killing on behalf of their mutual drug dealer as revenge for robberies.

Drew Wagner told the jury that he and Blahnik intended to confront Bagley at the mobile home of a mutual acquaintance due to Bagley robbing drugs and money from a Cedar Rapids drug dealer named Andrew Shaw. After a scuffle, Wagner said he held Bagley as Blahnik stabbed him to death. The stabbing was chaotic enough that Wagner was stabbed in the hand during the incident.

Wagner has been convicted of involuntary manslaughter for his role in the stabbing. His testimony will continue on Tuesday.

Shaw has been convicted in federal court of marijuana trafficking. The charges stemmed from the Bagley investigation, but Shaw has not been charged in this case. He remains in federal prison.

One person died and another was injured in a two-vehicle crash Monday morning in Linn County near Central City and Alburnett.

An unidentified male driver was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Linn County Sheriff’s Office. His identity is being withheld pending notification of the family.

The sheriff’s office said Eric Caryl, 42, of Coggon, was driving south on Alburnett Road when he “failed to stop at the stop sign” at Alburnett and Central City roads and crashed his vehicle into another that was headed east on Central City Road and driven by the male occupant.

Police found more than 50 shell casings when responding to a shots- fired incident early Sunday in Iowa City.

According to the Iowa City Police Department, officers were called just after 4 a.m. to the 500 block of South Scott Boulevard for reports of multiple gunshots.

Iowa City Police Capt. Denise Brotherton, commander of the Field Operation Division, said 911 dispatchers at the Johnson County Joint Emergency Communications Center fielded “five or six” 911 calls reporting gunfire.

Investigators said evidence indicated more than 50 shots had been fired from multiple weapons.

The initial investigation indicates the shooting was coming from more than one direction, Brotherton said.

Police said vehicles and buildings in the area were damaged, but thankfully no injuries were reported. Brotherton said investigators still are working to determine the total extent of damage.

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