Gazette Daily News Podcast: March 9 and 10, 2024

– Man injured in small explosion in Linn County

– Repair work needed to reopen Black Hawk Bridge begins

– Iowa House passes bill to block undocumented immigrants from public assistance programs

– Rogue Pianist bringing classical, contemporary sounds to CSPS in Cedar Rapids

Episode Transcript

Coming up, a man was injured in a small explosion in Linn County

And later, the Iowa House has passed a bill that blocks undocumented immigrants from public assistance programs

Plus, catch a piano concert this weekend at CSPS Hall in Cedar Rapids

Welcome to the weekend 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.

A Palo man was injured in a small explosion Friday morning. The explosion took place at 4303 Morgan Bridge Road which is northwest of Fairfax. 46-year-old Carson Moser was working on his work trailer when a generator he started backfired and caused nearby flammables to ignite. This created a small explosion that injured Moser. Moser went to the house on the property to ask for help and the residents called 911 around 7 a.m. Emergency responders treated Moser on scene and then transported him by ambulance to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. According to a news release from the Linn County Sheriff’s Office, Moser is in critical but stable condition. The fire in the trailer was extinguished by the Fairfax Fire Department. No other structures were damaged in the fire.

Next, prep work needed prior to making repairs is in progress on Black Hawk Bridge at Lansing. It has been almost two weeks since the Mississippi River crossing was closed after movement was detected. Engineers determined that two piers had shifted. The Iowa Department of Transportation said on Friday that sections of the bridge decking will be removed as part of the repair work. This means the bridge is closed to pedestrians and vehicles. Additionally, the Iowa DOT said that other piers will be tested to ensure that the bridge does not shift again. Days after the bridge closed, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed a disaster proclamation that allows the state to tap into a federal emergency road repair fund. The estimated cost of the repairs has not been announced yet. The repairs will take about two months.

The Iowa House passed legislation Thursday that will prevent undocumented immigrants from using public assistance programs. House File 2608 expands the verification process for public assistance benefits to include checking the citizenship status of those applying. Citizenship status checks are already a part of the process because of federal law. Despite this, lawmakers argued codifying the practice was important should the federal law change. The bill also cracks down on the smuggling of undocumented immigrants into the state. The bill would make it a felony to quote “encourage or induce a person to enter or remain” end quote in the country in violation of federal law by quote “concealing, harboring, or shielding that person from detection” end quote. The bill was amended to clarify that a person commits the offense of smuggling if it was done quote “knowingly, for payment or some other benefit” end quote. Representative Steve Holt, a republican from Denison, is the lead Republican on the bill. Holt said that the law is aimed at people engaged in human smuggling, not at churches or other organizations that house and assist asylum-seekers. Holt said that by making human smuggling a state crime, law enforcement will be able to take action in the absence of sufficient enforcement of federal immigration laws at the U.S.-Mexico border. Democrats said the bill was unnecessary and that immigration and border security should be addressed at the federal level. House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst, a Democrat from Windsor Heights, said that bills like this play into a national narrative and try to rile up a base. Ahead of the house vote, Konfrst told reporters quote, “That’s not how we’re supposed to write policy. We’re supposed to write policy in a way that addresses what Iowans need. This bill doesn’t do that.” end quote. House File 2608 passed the Iowa House 60 to 32 with all Democrats in opposition.

Looking for something to do this weekend? Pianist Kimberly StarKey will take the CSPS Hall stage in Cedar Rapids. StarKey is a classically trained pianist and composer who relocated to Iowa in 2022. She is also known as “The Rogue Pianist” and performs every Saturday at NewBo City Market. This weekend, she’ll take her talents to CSPS Hall along with pianist Sarah Derrie. StarKey will perform the piano concerto “The Fire Within”. It debuted on the Billboard classical music chart at No. 3 and won Classical Song of the Year in 2020 at the International Music and Entertainment Awards. The show starts at 7:30 Saturday evening. Tickets are $22 in advance and $27 at the door. Find ticket information at cspshall.org/the-rogue-pianist.

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.

Now, let’s take a look at the weather in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. After some dreary days, the sun is coming out this weekend. On Saturday, expect a high of 44 degrees and a low of 22 degrees. Sunday temperatures will rise to a high of 51 degrees. Anticipate a low of 31 degrees that night. Finally, Monday will be sunny with a high of 68 degrees and a low of 41 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