Gazette Daily News Podcast, May 13

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This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I’m here with your update for Thursday, May 13th.

Thursday will be cloudy, but the rain appears to be waiting at least a day to arrive. According to the National Weather Service it will grow increasingly cloudy Thursday in the Cedar Rapids area with a high near 66 degrees. The sky will clear a bit Thursday night with a low of around 45 degrees. Rain is predicted to become increasingly likely over the next three days.

Will the third time be the charm for a casino in Cedar Rapids?

Linn County voters should expect to face the question at the polls this November of whether to renew their permission to allow gambling, which would leave the door open for Cedar Rapids to try again to seek authorization from state regulators to build a casino.

The Linn County Board of Supervisors agreed Wednesday to have county staff draft a resolution with language to place the referendum on Nov. 2 ballot — which, if voters approve this question a second time, would permanently authorize gambling in the county if licensed.

Though voter permission is a key step in Cedar Rapids’ casino prospects, the city would need to leap the tall hurdle of securing a license from regulators, who have rejected applications for casinos in the city in 2014 and 2017.

A Cedar Rapids police officer was justified last February in shooting and killing a stabbing suspect captured on video charging at the officer with a knife, the Linn County Attorney’s Office said Wednesday.

In a report, Linn County Attorney Jerry Vander Sanden determined the police shooting of 39-year-old Arnell States was “justifiable homicide,” noting States had a knife, raised in his hand and was advancing toward Officer Kyzer Moore when Moore fired his gun. States was suspected of stabbing his wife, who later died, and injuring another woman Feb. 20 at the Rodeway Inn, 4011 16th Ave. SW.

The shooting occurred after officers confronted States after being called to the location for the report of a man assaulting his wife. It was later revealed that States had forced his way into the hotel room and stabbed his wife Katrina Brinson multiple times, also injuring Kendra White, who was able to escape to the lobby.

An 86-year-old man was arrested this week and charged with animal abuse after police determined he had intentionally dumped his cat into the Cedar River.

Police say they received a report Monday morning that a man had intentionally dumped a cat off the Third Avenue Bridge into the river. Responding city police and sheriff’s deputies saw the soaked cat trying to climb out of the water on May’s Island. They rescued the 7-year old spayed female from the river and transported her to Cedar Rapids Animal Care & Control, where she was examined by a vet.

Later that afternoon, police said, a man they identified as Lloyd Wallace Baird came to the lobby of the Cedar Rapids station and asked if officers had seen his cat. Baird total police that he had opened his pet carrier over the bridge because he wanted his cat to see the river and the cat had panicked and jumped out into the water below. However, when officers obtained video footage of the man, it revealed Baird had held the open carrier over the bridge, opened it, and had shaken the carrier until the cat fell out.

Charged Wednesday with animal abuse, an aggravated misdemeanor, Baird was taken to the Linn County Jail and released after waiving a first court appearance. Meanwhile, the veterinarian said there were no broken bones for the cat, and they expect a full recovery.

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