Gazette Daily News Podcast, June 9

Thursday should continue this week’s theme of sunny during the day, rainy overnight. According to the National Weather Service it will be mostly sunny with a high near 79 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area. It will be mostly cloudy Thursday night with a low of 59 degrees. A chance for showers will return after 1 a.m. on Friday.

Linn County supervisors are expected to give final approval Monday for a ban on subjecting a minor to “conversion therapy” — a practice of trying to change the sexual orientation or gender identity of an LGBTQ person into a straight man or woman.

The Linn County Board of Supervisors approved its second consideration of the ordinance Wednesday on a 2-1 vote, with Supervisor Louie Zumbach opposed. A third and final consideration of the ordinance is scheduled for Monday.

In Iowa, only Davenport has a conversion therapy ban. Across the country, about 100 municipalities and 19 states have banned it.

New data published by the Iowa Department of Public Health this week shows COVID-19 vaccination rates continue to increase in Iowa but still remain below the 70 to 80 percent benchmark experts have set to reach herd immunity against the virus.

As of Tuesday, the number of fully vaccinated Iowans and non-Iowans in the state now totals 1,933,003, an increase of 10,083 from the May 3 totals.

That’s 62.3 percent of the state’s total population and 66.4 percent of those aged 5 and older.

New seven-day COVID-19 cases increased to 4,283 as of Wednesday, continuing the weekslong trend of increasing coronavirus activity. This week’s total compares to the 3,854 new cases reported last week.

A single-vehicle rollover crash killed the driver of a pickup east of Coggon early Wednesday morning, according to the Linn County Sheriff's Office.

About 4:19 a.m., deputies and other emergency responders were dispatched to Monticello Road near Highway 13, a news release said.

A pickup had been traveling westbound on Monticello Road when the driver, identified as Michaela Devaney, 33, of Cedar Rapids, lost control on a curve, the release said. The vehicle rolled several times, ejecting Devaney, who was the only occupant in the pickup.

Devaney was pronounced dead at the scene.

The crash remains under investigation by the Linn County Sheriff's Office.