Gazette Daily News Podcast: Wednesday, March 6, 2024

– Biden easily wins Iowa Democrats’ mail-in caucus

– Marion mayor: New mobile library, Central Plaza and more planned for 2024

– Former U.S. ag secretary to keynote Celebration of Ag in Cedar Rapids

Episode Transcript

Coming up, former president Donald Trump and President Joe Biden clench Super Tuesday wins Plus, Biden wins Iowa Democrats’ mail-in caucus

And later, a former U.S. ag secretary will keynote Celebration of Ag in Cedar Rapids

Welcome to the Wednesday, March 6 edition of the Gazette Daily News Podcast. This podcast gives quick bites from the latest headlines coming out of The Gazette newsroom. I’m Bailey Cichon.

Instead of caucus-goers crowding school gyms for an in-person vote, Iowa Democrats held their first mail-in caucus this year. President Joe Biden won the caucus Tuesday. The results were timed to release with 15 other states and the territory of American Samoa holding primary elections on Super Tuesday. Both Biden and former president Donald Trump clenched Super Tuesday wins. Now let’s take a closer look at the breakdown of votes in the Iowa Democrat’s caucus. Biden won 91 percent of the votes according to unofficial results announced by the party Tuesday night. 4 percent of voters cast their vote as “uncommitted”. U.S. Representative Dean Phillips of Minnesota received 3 percent of the vote. Author Marianne Williamson dropped out of the race but later said she was re-entering it. Williamson received 2 percent of the vote. With neither Phillips nor Williamson receiving the minimum threshold of 15 percent of the votes, Biden will be awarded all of Iowa’s 46 delegates to the Democratic National Convention. About 60 percent of those who requested caucus cards returned them by Tuesday. Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart said the mail-in caucus was the most accessible in the party’s history, quote, “This is the first time that in Iowa, when you work third-shift, or when you have small children and you don’t have child care in the evenings… you still got to have your voice heard. People still participated in this process.” end quote.

The Iowa Democratic Party received 19,609 caucus card requests and by Tuesday afternoon, 12,193 Iowa Democrats had returned their cards. The number of returned cards is short of the number of people who participated in the party’s 2012 caucus. That was the last time an incumbent Democrat was on the presidential ballot. Cards postmarked by Tuesday can be counted if they arrive at the party’s headquarters by Friday. The party will certify the official results tally on March 16.

Next, Marion Mayor Nick AbouAssaly gave the State of the City address Tuesday and highlighted the city’s upcoming projects including a new mobile library and Central Plaza. Marion is Iowa’s 13th largest city and one of the state’s fastest-growing communities. AbouAssaly said the city has added 1,231 single-family homes, 649 multi-family units and 176 senior housing units in the last eight years, with more units planned.

Additionally, AbouAssaly announced that the city’s new mobile library is coming soon. The $400,000 investment will bring books, technology and other services directly to underserved areas and senior facilities. This comes more than a year after the new Marion Public Library opened in November 2022. It welcomed over 132,000 visitors in its first year of operation. The mayor said a team is reviewing several proposals developers submitted to transform the old public library site.

Additionally, crews will break ground this month on a project to transform City Square with a new Central Plaza. The project will cost approximately $7.3 million. AbouAssaly said Marion still has a ways to go on fundraising for the project. In February, the city launched the public portion of the capital campaign to raise $1.3 million. $850,000 has been secured. Most of the work will wrap up this year, he said, but the refrigerated ice-skating loop will not open until winter of 2025 because of the delayed start. In addition, the caboose that stood in City Square since 1990 is getting a face-lift before becoming the centerpiece in the new pocket park Draper Park. Draper Park is named for former council member Paul Draper.

For more details from the State of the City address, follow the link in this episode’s description.

Next, former U.S. secretary of agriculture Sonny Perdue will speak at the 36th annual Celebration of Agriculture in Cedar Rapids. The event centers the importance of agribusiness in Iowa. Celebration of Agriculture will be held the evening of March 21 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Cedar Rapids Convention Complex. Perdue was the 31st secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture from 2017 to 2021. During that time, the department worked to stabilize the food supply chain during the COVID-19 pandemic and launched the Farmers to Families Food Box program. Perdue is a former Georgia governor and senator. Currently, Perdue is the chancellor of the University System of Georgia. Celebration of Agriculture chairperson April Isaacson said quote, “To feature an individual that has made as big of an impact on agriculture on a national and global level as Sonny is an incredible opportunity for our community. Agriculture is the backbone of Iowa’s economy, and Sonny Perdue is sure to bring that impact to life at this years’ event.” end quote.

Tickets are $50 each and are available at cedarrapids.org/events.

As always, you can find a link to each of the stories featured in today’s episode in this episode’s description or at the gazette dot com.

Finally, let’s take a look at the weather in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Today will be partly cloudy with a high of 55 degrees and low of 34 degrees. Thursday will be cloudy. Anticipate a high of 57 degrees and low of 39 degrees.

Thank you for listening to the Gazette Daily News Podcast. Stay up to date with the latest news from Eastern Iowa at the gazette dot com. I’m Bailey Cichon.

Comments: bailey.cichon@thegazette.com