Gazette Daily News Podcast, September 21

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This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I’m here with your update for Tuesday, September 21.

The rain that came and went Monday night was the herald of a cold front, and that means much cooler temperatures on Tuesday. In fact, the contrast might be downright chilly compared to our warm weather lately. According to the National Weather Service, the day will start out cloudy in the Cedar Rapids area and gradually become sunnier. The high temperature should be around 67 degrees. It will also be a bit breezy, with a wind of 15 mph gusting as high as 30 mph. Dare I say it? Could it be sweatshirt weather?

According to the Associated Press a lower dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine — one-third the amount given to adults and teens — is safe and triggered a robust immune response in children as young as 5.

The finding, announced by the companies on Monday, has been eagerly anticipated by many parents, doctors, and policy makers. It is a crucial step toward the two-shot coronavirus vaccine regimen becoming available for younger school-aged children, perhaps as soon as the end of October.

A person was found dead early Friday outside a University of Iowa residence hall.

UI police responded at 4:21 a.m. Friday to a report of a person found unresponsive by Burge Residence Hall, on the east side of campus, according to spokeswoman Hayley Bruce. Officers arrived one minute later and found the person was dead, Bruce said.

Foul play isn’t suspected, and officers said there is no danger to the public. But other details were not released.

Iowans have started weighing in on a plan to redraw the lines of the state’s congressional and legislative boundaries and, for the most part, they like it — or at least the process.

Speakers who participated in a virtual public hearing Monday evening on the proposed redrawing of Iowa congressional and legislative districts had little to say about the plan. Rather they praised the nonpartisan redistricting that many called a model for the once-a-decade process carried out in all 50 states.

The plan was developed by the Legislative Services Agency according to standards laid out in the Iowa Constitution and state law. Unlike many states, where border changes are made for political advantage, the Iowa process ignores the political ramifications of redrawing the four U.S. House districts as well as Iowa’s 50 Senate and 100 House districts. It instead intends to reflect population changes in the 2020 census and make equally divided districts based on where people live.

This hearing was part of public comment before the Iowa Legislature considers it for approval.

Leslie Knope eat your heart out. The Cedar Rapids Parks and Recreation Department recently earned an accreditation that places it among the nation’s top park and recreation agencies.

The Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies and the National Recreation and Park Association awarded this accomplishment Sept. 9

Under the accreditation process, the city Parks and Recreation Department had to demonstrate compliance with 154 standards and document all policies and procedures. This process helps identify efficiencies and heighten areas of accountability

In the state of Iowa, only the park and recreation department in Davenport has also achieved this distinction.