Gazette Daily News Podcast: Tuesday, April 23, 2024

– Iowa’s 2024 legislative session is over, here are the major changes passed

– Cedar Rapids man faces charges he tried to kill fiancee

– Three dogs found dead on Cedar Rapids trails

– Lansing’s Black Hawk Bridge reopens after emergency repairs

Episode Transcript

Coming up, what major changes were passed in the Iowa Legislature this year? Stay tuned for a summary

And later, a Cedar Rapids man is facing charges that he tried to kill his fiancee

Plus, Black Hawk Bridge reopens

Welcome to the Tuesday, April 23 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.

The 2024 Iowa Legislative session ended Saturday. Here are three major policies passed this session and how they will affect Iowans.

If you’ve been following the Iowa Legislature at all this session, you’ve heard about the AEA bill. The final bill, House File 2612, keeps AEAs as the primary provider of special education in the state. When it’s fully implemented, schools will be required to spend 90 percent of special education funding with AEAs. 10 percent of funding will remain with the school district and can be spent elsewhere. The bill also brought the oversight and administration of the AEAs under the Department of Education. Finally, the bill increased minimum pay for public school teachers. It requires schools to pay teachers at least $50,000 by the 2025-2026 school year. Teachers with at least 12 years of experience will be paid at least $62,000.

Next on this list: Republicans proposed bills to create a permitting process for school staff to carry guns and allow schools to use professional development funding to pay for firearms training. State law already allows school staff to carry guns if approved, but insurance companies have been hesitant to provide coverage to schools who allow armed staff. Democrats argued more guns on school campuses would increase the risk of firearm injuries and deaths. Republicans said armed staff could reduce response times in active shooter scenarios. They hope the new permitting process will ease insurer’s concerns.

Plus, an extension of Medicaid covers fewer new moms but it provides coverage for longer. Senate File 2251 lowers Iowa’s threshold for pregnant women to qualify for Medicaid for around $44,000 for a single mom and $67,000 for a family of four. An estimated 1,700 women and infants will no longer qualify for the program each month. Those who qualify will receive a full year of postpartum care instead of 60 days. This takes advantage of an option made available to states in the federal American Rescue plan. Iowa is one of the last states that has not enacted the extension.

Gazette-Lee Des Moines Bureau Chief Caleb McCullough delved into three more bills in his story. Some of the bills have been signed into law, others are still awaiting Gov. Kim Reynolds’ signature. Find a link in this episode’s description or read the story at thegazette.com.

Heads up, this next story includes description of injuries from an assault.

A Cedar Rapids man is facing charges that he tried to kill his fiancee. 47-year-old Richard Gerard Brown was arrested Saturday and is charged with attempt to commit murder, willful injury resulting in serious injury and domestic abuse assault. According to a criminal complaint, the assault happened Friday.

Cedar Rapids police officers were dispatched to UnityPoint Health-St. Luke’s Hospital where they found the fiancee severely beaten and unrecognizable. She had multiple facial injuries including fractures in both orbital bones and a broken jaw. Bruising on her face was consistent with being kicked or stomped on and she had at least seven broken ribs.

Brown admitted to police that he had assaulted his fiancee. According to the complaint, Brown quote “stated she was on the floor in fetal position when he left the scene” end quote.

The woman was taken to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, where she will need to undergo multiple surgeries.

If you or someone you know is involved in a domestic abuse relationship, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE or text “START” to 88788. You can also call the Iowa Victim Service Call Center at 1-800-770-1650 or text “IOWAHELP” as one word to 20121.

Next, Cedar Rapids Animal Care & Control is seeking the public’s help in finding those responsible for the suspicious deaths of three puppies. Last week, people walking on the Sac and Fox Trail between Cole Street and Otis Road reported finding three dead pit bull puppies. One was found on Monday the 15th and the other two were found the next day. An investigation found the dogs died after being abused. They believe the dogs are most likely related, possibly from the same litter.

A news release from the department said quote, “If dogs disappeared from your neighborhood recently, or you notice dogs missing from their normal homes, please call Cedar Rapids Animal Care & Control at 319-286-5993 or the CRPD non-emergency hotline at 319-286-5491.”

Animal control officers do not believe there is any risk to properly-leashed pets. They also do not believe that local trails are unsafe in any way.

Next, Black Hawk Bridge reopened this weekend after being closed for nearly two months. The bridge connects Lansing with rural Crawford County in Wisconsin. It was closed Feb. 25 after some of its piers shifted. An Iowa Department of Transportation project manager said earlier this month that construction on a nearby replacement bridge likely contributed to the instability. This caused the over 2,200 cars that cross the bridge daily to either use a water taxi or travel nearly 70 miles out of their way to cross the Mississippi River. Emergency repairs on the bridge included two new piers and four spans of decking. The repairs were estimated to cost $2.65 million.

Find a link to each of today’s featured stories in this episode’s description or at thegazette.com.

Now let’s take a look at the weather in Cedar Rapids. Today will be partly cloudy with a high of 69 degrees and a low of 38 degrees. Wednesday will also be partly cloudy but instead, expect a high of 61 degrees.

Thank you for listening to the Gazette Daily News Podcast. Stay updated with the latest Eastern Iowa news at thegazette.com. I’m Bailey Cichon.

Comments: bailey.cichon@thegazette.com