Gazette Weekend Update Podcast, April 18 and 19

Be sure to subscribe to The Gazette Daily news podcast, or just tell your Amazon Alexa enabled device to 'enable The Gazette Daily News skill" so you can get your daily briefing by simply saying 'Alexa, what's the news?"

This weekend will feel a bit more like Spring again. I mean, in the good way. Mostly. According to the National Weather Service there will be a high of 59 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area on Saturday. It will be a bit windy, however, with a southwest wind of 10 to 15 mph increasing to 20 to 25 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 40 mph. There could be some sprinkles later on Saturday evening.

Sunday will have all that, without the wind. Featuring a high of 57 degrees, Sunday will start with mostly cloudy skies that will gradually become sunnier. The wind speed should be a reasonable 5 to 10 mph. This will lead to even warmer temperatures in the week ahead.

Students won't return to Iowa classrooms this academic year, Gov. Kim Reynolds said Friday in extending her order closing the state's K-12 school buildings. Schools have not held in-person classes since mid-March when Reynolds first recommended they close to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. On April 2, she ordered schools closed until April 30 and said she would give districts notice before then if that were to change. Notice has now been given.

With buildings closed for the rest of the academic year, school districts still will be required to provide continuous learning opportunities if they do not want to be forced to make up lost time face-to-face later. Every public school district in the state was required to submit a plan for continuous learning by an April 10 deadline. State officials said they will work to support schools and students during this strange time, which includes the loss of prom, graduation, and summer sports.

Two Chicago men were arrested in Kentucky Friday in connection with a fatal Christmas night shooting in Coralville.

Milton L. McAbee, 19, faces one count of first-degree murder in the shooting death of 30-year-old Gregory Jackson, of Iowa City. Elijah McAbee, 18, faces one count of first-degree murder — aiding and abetting. It is not clear how or if the two men are related.

Coralville police were called to the 900 block of Boston Way around 9:32 p.m. Dec. 25 for a report of gunfire. They found three people with gunshot wounds; one of them, Jackson, later died after being taken to the hospital for treatment of his wounds.

Coralville police had registered frustration that witnesses would not come forward to help with the investigation, but acknowledged three tips to the CrimeStoppers hotline pointed them in the direction of the arrest.

This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers.  Are you looking for a job? CorridorCareers.com is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at CorridorCareers.com.