Wednesday Morning Read: Younger, more diverse council takes office; relief in sight from record-breaking cold; more budget cuts likely for regent schools

TODAY'S WEATHER — Partly cloudy, windy. High 7, low -12.

YOUNGER, MORE DIVERSE COUNCIL TAKES OFFICE — As five new members of the Cedar Rapids City Council were sworn in to office Tuesday, the average age of the nine-member board dropped by nearly a decade and left it without any representatives who were in office during the flood of 2008 that has shaped the city since. Read more: https://www.thegazette.com/news/younger-more-diverse-cedar-rapids-council-takes-office/

RELIEF IN SIGHT FROM RECORD-BREAKING COLD — For the third day in a row — Dec. 31, Jan. 1 and Jan. 2 — Cedar Rapids broke the previous record low temperature for that day. National Weather Service meteorologist said Tim Gross Cedar Rapids logged low temperatures of -22 degrees on Sunday, -19 on Monday and -23 on Tuesday. But, some warmth is in the future. Relatively speaking. Read more: https://www.thegazette.com/news/some-relief-in-sight-from-record-breaking-cold/

MORE BUDGET CUTS LIKELY FOR REGENT SCHOOLS — Leaders at Iowa's public universities spent the summer devising five-year tuition plans that envision increasing rates as high as 7 percent a year if lawmakers don't come through with enough state funding. But amid grim budget projections, some lawmakers say even status quo state funding is a long shot. Read more: https://www.thegazette.com/government-politics/iowa-lawmakers-warn-regents-could-face-more-cuts/

HLAS: MICHIGAN WAS OPEN, IOWA CLOSED — If Michigan Coach John Beilein's pregame instructions consisted solely of 'Get wide open and make the shots they give you,' his players deserve a lot of credit for following direction. But there was a lot more to it than that in Iowa's 75-68 loss. Read more: https://www.thegazette.com/sports/hlas-michigan-was-open-hawkeyes-were-closed/

QUOTABLE — 'It was fight or flight, and Coach Smith fought for us.' Maddie Boer, a junior on the University of Dubuque's women's basketball team and a 2015 graduate of North-Linn, after assistant coach Justin Smith helped bring a team bus under control Sunday after the bus' driver suffered a medical emergency. Read more: https://www.thegazette.com/sports/dubuque-players-so-thankful-after-sunday-accident/