Gazette Daily News Podcast: January 20 and 21, 2024

– Iowa City woman charged with threatening Mercy clinic

– Iowa's Chuck Grassley released from hospital after being treated for infection

– Man gets 65 years for Des Moines shooting that killed 2

– Beware of the respiratory illnesses infiltrating Iowa

– Dallas company buys former Sears store at Lindale Mall

Episode Transcript

Welcome to the Weekend Edition of The Gazette’s Daily News Podcast. This podcast gives quick bites from the latest headlines coming out of The Gazette newsroom. I’m Bailey Cichon.

Up next, updates to two stories from earlier in the week. And later, the former Sears property at Lindale Mall has new owners.

First, an update to a story featured in yesterday’s episode regarding a phone threat to a Mercy Hospital Clinic. An Iowa City woman was arrested Thursday on charges she threatened over the phone to shoot up Mercy Hospital Clinic, located at 269 N. First Avenue. 47-year-old Stephanie Robinson is charged with threat of terrorism, a class D felony. Robinson called the clinic at 8:17 Thursday morning and threatened several times to shoot up the clinic and kill Mercy staff, according to a criminal complaint. In response, Mercy Hospital went into lockdown briefly Thursday. Nearby Regina Catholic Center schools also locked down though no threats were made against the school specifically. Robinson was located by police and admitted to calling the clinic but denied making threats. Robinson is being held on a $5,000 bond.

Next, Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley has been discharged from a Washington, D.C.-area hospital after being treated for an infection. The Gazette previously reported that Grassley was receiving antibiotic infusions for an undisclosed infection. Grassley is expected to be back to work next week. Grassley has represented Iowa in the U.S. Senate since 1981. In 2022, he was re-elected to his eighth, six-year term.

Next, a man who killed two people in a shooting at the Starts Right Here alternative school in Des Moines has been sentenced. 19-year-old Preston Walls was sentenced to 65 years in prison Thursday on charges of second-degree murder, voluntary manslaughter and assault causing serious injury. A jury convicted Walls for the murders of 16-year-old Rashad Carr and 18-year-old Gionni Dameron on January 23, 2023. The school’s founder, Will Keeps, was also shot but survived. Walls said he was afraid for his life because of earlier encounters with Carr and Dameron. Walls must serve at least 40 years of his sentence before he is eligible for release. He must pay $150,000 in restitution to Carr and Dameron’s families.

Next, the results of the latest respiratory virus surveillance report from the Iowa Department of Health and Human services reveals high COVID-19 activity and moderate influenza activity. Let’s dive into the details of that report. About 17 percent of the 4,229 COVID-19 lab tests administered from New Year’s Eve to January 6th came back positive. Compared to the previous week, that is down about 20 percent although it’s up 11 percent from this time last year. On the flu front, five outbreaks were reported in long-term care facilities. There were 78 hospitalizations due to the flu and two deaths. RSV cases are rising–positive lab tests have increased from 13.8 percent at the end of 2023 to 14.6 percent by the first week in 2024. Health care professionals are encouraging residents to get vaccinated against respiratory illnesses. Vaccines are available at local health care provider offices, pharmacies and Linn County Public Health.

The former Sears property at Lindale Mall has been sold to Dallas-based investment company Reserve Development. According to a news release from the mall, the company plans to renovate the building. Reserve Development is looking for national retailers for the facility located at 4600 First Avenue NE. The Sears store closed in July 2018 and was the last Sears store in Cedar Rapids and the Corridor. Read the full story by Marissa Payne at the gazette dot com. Find the link to that story and all of the stories mentioned so far in this episode’s description.

Finally, a look at this weekend’s weather in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on January 20 and 21. On Saturday, expect sunny skies with a high of two degrees. Temperatures are predicted to reach of low of negative fifteen degrees. And, you know how Midwesterners say it would be a nice day if it weren’t for the wind? That’s how it’ll be Sunday. Sunday will be windy. Expect winds to reach up to 22 miles per hour. On the temperature front, expect a high of 24 degrees and a low of negative seven degrees.

Thank you for listening to the weekend edition of The Gazette’s 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