Gazette Daily News Podcast, November 28

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This is John McGlothlen with The Gazette digital news desk and I'm here with your update for Monday, November 28th.

According to the National Weather Service, it will be mostly sunny, with a high near 46 in the Cedar Rapids area today. Winds from the south 5 to 15 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. And tonight, increasing clouds, with a low around 36.

Authorities have released the identity of a girl killed in an ATV crash south of Manchester Wednesday. According to an updated Iowa State Patrol accident report, 13-year-old Charlee Engelken of Manchester was a passenger riding an ATV in the 1500 block of 240th Street shortly after 3 p.m. A 14-year-old boy from Manchester who was driving the four-wheeler lost control and the ATV went into the ditch, where it bottomed out and ejected all riders. Charlee was struck by the ATV and sustained fatal injuries. According to obituary information submitted to The Gazette, Charlee was raised in the Manchester area and was an eighth-grade student at West Delaware Middle School in Manchester.

Felony gun crimes have increased dramatically — even tripled for some categories — in Linn and Johnson counties since 2019, which prosecutors attribute to law changes and more people choosing to resolve disputes with violence. The gun charges that account for these increases include counts for possession of a firearm by a felon, intimidation with a dangerous weapon, going armed with intent and trafficking in stolen weapons. In Linn County, possession charges went from 15 in 2019 to 52 so far this year. Trafficking charges jumped from six in 2019 to 30 so far this year. Johnson County is seeing increases in possession charges, from 21 in 2019 to 50 so far this year. Linn County Attorney Nick Maybanks noted the numbers for Linn County don’t even include other crimes such as homicides and robberies, where a gun may have been used. There are 12 pending murder trials and numerous robberies and attempted murder trials. Maybanks and Johnson County Attorney Janet Lyness agreed that the increases in gun charges are attributed to gun law changes — such as that carry permits are no longer required in Iowa.

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🎹 Podcast music: “Dubstep” by Emily McGlothlen