Gazette Daily News Podcast, September 8

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This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I’m here with your update for Wednesday, September 8.

Wednesday’s weather will bring with it cool air from the north that will stay with us until the temperatures rebound a bit this weekend. According to the National Weather Service the high will be near 76 degrees with sunny skies in the Cedar Rapids area. The change in weather will also come with some wind, as a 5 to 10 mph wind will increase up to 15 to 20 mph in the afternoon, with gusts as high as 30 mph.

A hot, dry summer — particularly in northern Iowa — has created favorable conditions for more harmful algae blooms in Iowa lakes.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources reported 24 swim advisories at state park beaches this summer because of microcystins, toxins generated by harmful algae. These toxins, if ingested, can cause gastroenteritis, allergic responses and potentially-fatal liver damage.

This is double the 12 microcystin advisories in 2020.

Iowa’s Board of Regents unanimously approved Tuesday the construction of a $395 million University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics site in North Liberty starting as soon as this month.

UIHC had focused discussion on the $230 million health care facility that needed state approval, board documents released Friday outlined the full 469,000-square-foot scope of the project at the corner of Forevergreen Road and Highway 965.

A 300,000-square-foot portion will feature up to 48 beds, 21 emergency care rooms, 16 operating rooms and two more procedure rooms, along with laboratories, a pharmacy and other amenities. Community health care providers — including Mercy Iowa City, Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids and UnityPoint Health — unsuccessfully opposed the new hospital, arguing that it will drive them out of business and potentially increase the cost of healthcare for local consumers.

A judge Tuesday found an Iowa City man guilty of second-degree murder and six other charges for intentionally driving the wrong way and crashing into another car in 2019 on Interstate 80 during an attempt to kill himself but instead causing another man’s death and badly injuring four.

Sixth Judicial District Judge Jason Besler, following a non-jury trial in July for Stephen Lucore, 34, announced his verdict Tuesday. He found Lucore, originally charged with first-degree murder, guilty of second-degree murder, homicide by vehicle, serious injury by vehicle, willful injury causing serious injury and three counts of willful injury causing bodily injury.

According to a criminal complaint, Lucore drove his Hyundai Sonata the wrong way about 9:30 p.m., June 16, 2019, on I-80 and caused a head-on collision with a Honda Pilot driven by David Sawyer, 31, of Frisco, Texas.

Sawyer's passenger, Robert Sawyer, 64, of Nocona, Texas, died in the crash.

Depending on how the judge runs the sentences — consecutively or concurrently — Lucore could face up to 75 years in prison.

Battles between top ten ranked college football teams do not happen often in Iowa. But this Saturday that will be something that has never happened, a game between two top 10 ranked in state rivals.

For the first time, the football teams of Iowa and Iowa State will both be in Associated Press’ Top 25 when they play each other for the 68th time.

Not only that, but both are in the top 10 as they approach Saturday’s meeting in Ames. They’ve never even been in the top 10 at the same time. Iowa State’s No. 7 preseason ranking was its all-time high in the poll.

Iowa State is No. 9, Iowa No. 10.

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