Gazette Daily News Podcast, March 24

Thursday will feature a chance of rain and snow, although not likely much of the former. According to the National Weather Service there will be a chance of rain and snow before 11 a.m. in the Cedar Rapids area and then a chance for rain between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. The overall chance for precipitation is listed at 50 percent with new snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible. Besides that, it should be cloudy with a high near 41 degrees. On Thursday night it will be mostly cloudy, with a low around 34.

A judge suspended court proceedings for one of the Fairfield teens accused of killing their high school Spanish teacher with a baseball bat after his lawyer filed an appeal with the Iowa Supreme Court on Wednesday.

The interlocutory appeal asks the court to overturn 8th Judicial District Judge Shawn Showers’ rulings Tuesday which allows the public — including media — to attend a hearing Thursday about moving the first-degree murder case of Willard Noble Chaiden Miller, 16, to juvenile court.

Miller’s lawyer also asked the court to overturn Showers’ ruling denying the request to have a suppression hearing before the Thursday hearing .

The other teen charged, Jeremy Everett Goodale, 16, hadn’t filed a similar appeal as of Wednesday morning, and his “reverse-waiver” hearing is set for 1:15 p.m. Thursday.

A Cedar Rapids police officer was struck in the hand by a projectile fired from a BB or pellet gun Wednesday morning while making an arrest, authorities said.

Police said that about 11:30 a.m., they were following up on a call in the 1500 block of Second Avenue SE. An officer felt a projectile whiz by. Officers traced the source to a nearby home, but the occupant refused requests that he open the door, authorities said.

After repeated attempts, police said, the department’s Special Response Team was called and entered the home on a search warrant. The man “fired a shot from a BB or pellet gun and struck an officer in the hand during the entry procedure,” police said in a news release.

The team “deployed less-than-lethal munitions” and the man was taken into custody. The man, Leo W. Bushnell, 36, faces charges of two counts of assault on a peace officer, second-degree criminal mischief and possession of an incendiary device. Police said they expect more charges to come.

COVID-19 continues to wind down in Iowa — for the moment.

The Iowa Department of Public Health reported 720 new COVID-19 cases statewide in the past seven days, down from the previous week’s 1,008 new cases, according to new coronavirus data released Wednesday.

As of March 17, the COVID-19 transmission level for 97 Iowa counties — including Linn and Johnson — were in the “low” category, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Appanoose and Davis counties in southern Iowa were rated in the “medium” transmission category.

However, U.S. health officials say the nation likely will see an uptick in COVID-19 cases caused by a new omicron variant that’s causing cases to increase in parts of Europe and Asia, the Associated Press reported this week.

So when it comes to a break from masks, gather ye rosebuds while ye may.

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.