Gazette Daily News Briefing, April 20
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for Thursday, April 20.
Thursday will be windy and stormy, as cold air is coming into the area, leading to rain Thursday and a chilly Friday and Saturday. According to the National Weather Service it will be mostly cloudy in the Cedar Rapids area with a high of 68 degrees. The wind will pick up during the day, blowing as high as 20 to 25 mph and gusting as high as 35 mph. Rain chances overall for the day is 60 percent, but it appears from their analysis that rain possibilities will likely cease by 4 p.m.
Crowding and capacity needs continue to stress the main University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, compelling administrators to expand the emergency department, reorganize existing services and — now — open a new “short-stay unit.”
UIHC opened a new 30-room short-term unit Monday aimed at freeing up patient beds for sicker patients; streamlining the hospital experience for short-term patients requiring observation before heading home; and allowing providers to focus on either critical-care or short-term needs.
Examples of UIHC patients who might require a short hospital stay are those needing further evaluation to determine whether they’re stable enough to be released or should be admitted; patients recovering from surgery; or ER arrivals requiring observation, like those with chest pain, for example.
Patients might find themselves in the short-stay unit after the operating room or a trip to the emergency room — which has become increasingly stretched in recent years.
The family of a Muscatine man who went missing from Iowa City over the weekend hosted a prayer vigil Tuesday evening, and has been working with police on ongoing search efforts.
Cristian Martinez, 20, had gone to Iowa City with some friends who last saw him in the alley behind Bardot Iowa, a bar at 347 S. Gilbert St., sometime before 1 a.m. Saturday. His phone had died earlier in the evening, according to the Iowa City Police Department.
Martinez was reported missing Saturday after his family noticed he hadn’t come home with his friends. Iowa City police investigators found security footage that showed Martinez at 12:56 a.m. in the 100 block of W. Harrison Street, walking west.
Family, friends and other community members gathered Tuesday at the downtown Pedestrian Mall in Iowa City to hand out flyers and show support.
The family has started a GoFundMe account to help with hiring a private investigator, and any other expenses as the search continues. As of Wednesday afternoon, the account had raised almost $10,000.
Iowa City is taking the first step in exploring space and department needs of the City Hall building on Washington Street, which houses various city departments including police and fire.
The city will be working with OPN Architects over the next six months on the master plan and feasibility study project, which the Iowa City Council approved as part of the consent agenda during Tuesday’s meeting. Since it was on the consent agenda, there was no council discussion.
OPN will review the current and projected space and needs of departments — including whether it would be possible to relocate the police department to a stand-alone building.
