Gazette Daily News Podcast, September 8

The weather is going to feel like summer for a bit on Thursday, before the fall weather most certainly will arrive this weekend. According to the National Weather Service, it will be mostly sunny in the Cedar Rapids area, with a high near 88 degrees. On Thursday night it will be mostly clear, with a low around 61 degrees. The wind should hover between 5 and 10 mph all day.

A Cedar Rapids man who was shot by police officers on July 30 was released from the hospital and booked into the Linn County Correctional Center Wednesday on two counts of attempted murder, among other charges, according to a news release from the Cedar Rapids Police Department.

Brandon Nelson, 23, pointed a gun at two officers — Officers Blair Klostermann and Matt Jenatscheck — during a traffic stop. Nelson shot once during the exchange, and the officers shot toward Nelson 12 times, according to the Linn County Attorney’s Office’s official memorandum about the incident.

Nelson sustained three gunshot wounds. Neither of the officers was injured.

County Attorney Nick Maybanks announced on Aug. 22 that the shooting was found to be justified on the part of the officers after an investigation by the attorney’s office and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.

Prior to the traffic stop, Nelson had been driving recklessly around Cedar Rapids, according to the memorandum. He admitted to consuming alcohol the night of the incident and said he didn’t remember what happened that night before finding himself on the ground in pain after being shot.

After three 2-1 votes by the Linn County supervisors, the NextEra Duane Arnold Solar projects near Palo were given the official green light on Tuesday.

Approval for the projects comes despite complaints from landowners and opposition against the projects by the Palo city council.

The Iowa Utilities Board already has approved the projects.

While NextEra will develop the rural Linn County project near Palo, Alliant Energy has filed a proposal with the Iowa Utilities Board to buy the large-scale solar farm from NextEra and further develop it into the state’s largest solar and battery storage facility.

Duane Arnold Solar I project proposes to use 316 acres of an 857-acre area to place photovoltaic solar arrays capable of generating up to 50 megawatts of energy.

Duane Arnold Solar II project would use 815 acres of a 1,780-acre area to place solar arrays capable of generating up to 150 MW. It also would include a 75-MW, four-hour battery energy storage facility.

This is the second utility-scale solar project the county has approved this year. In January, the supervisors approved developer Clenera’s Coggon project in a 2-1 vote after planning and zoning commission members voted 6-1 to recommend denial.

However, progress on the 640-acre solar farm near Coggon is on hold while a court resolves a case brought against the supervisors by a family who lives near the site.

A Mega Millions ticket bought at an Ames convenience store is a $1 million winner, according to the Iowa Lottery.

It is the third Mega Millions prize of at least $1 million won in Iowa in just more than a month, the lottery said.

The latest winning ticket came within one number of winning the $191 million jackpot, the lottery said. With no winner, that jackpot now increases to an estimated $210 million for Friday’s drawing.