Gazette Daily News Briefing, April 22 and April 23
Welcome to the weekend!
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for Saturday, April 22, and Sunday, April 23.
The Spring weather rollercoaster continues, as temperatures will be dipping down this weekend before popping up next week. According to the National Weather Service in the Quad Cities, it will be mostly cloudy in the Cedar Rapids area with a high near 45 degrees on Saturday. There is predicted to be a chance of scattered rain or snow showers after 1 p.m., with a chance for a little bit of snow after 7 p.m.
On Sunday night it will be partly sunny with a high near 49 degrees. It will drop down to 31 degrees Sunday evening, with another widespread frost after 3 a.m. Monday morning.
A day after getting state Board of Regents approval to proceed with $185 million worth of health care and medicine-related projects, the University of Iowa issued a request for qualifications Friday from firms interested in designing and developing a massive new North Inpatient Tower next to Kinnick Stadium.
The request shows UIHC is moving ahead with the new tower, first mentioned last year as part of its 10-year master plan, aimed at alleviating crowding across the more than 800-bed UI Hospitals and Clinics.
Planned north of the 14-story UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital, the new tower will emerge just west of the general hospital campus and overlook Kinnick to its southwest.
Payment for emergency contraception for nearly 70 sexual assault survivors in Iowa has yet to be reimbursed, while one claim for an abortion is also on hold, while Republican Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird reviews state policy.
That’s according to a statement from Planned Parenthood North Central States, based on records obtained by Iowa Public Radio from the Iowa Attorney General’s Office.
The Iowa Attorney General's Office earlier this month said it had paused its practice allowing the state’s victim compensation funds to pay for emergency contraception — and, in rare cases, abortions — for victims of sexual assault, while it reviewed the state policy.
Though the payments are not explicitly required, it has been the state’s longtime policy to cover the cost of emergency contraception from the victim compensation fund. In rare cases, the fund also has paid for abortions for rape victims, said Sandi Tibbetts Murphy, director of the victim assistance division under previous attorney general, Democrat Tom Miller.
Bird defeated Miller in the 2022 November election.
The Salt Lake City-based Maverik chain of convenience stores is buying the Kum & Go chain of 400 stores in 13 states, including Iowa, the companies announced Friday.
The purchase price was not disclosed.
The Krause family started Kum & Go in 1959 with one store in Hampton in north-central Iowa. Its holdings now include 100 stores in Iowa.
Kyle Krause, president and CEO of Krause Group, said in a news release that Maverik “is ideally positioned to lead the next chapter of growth for Kum & Go. We have much in common, and I look forward to welcoming Chuck’s leadership, his team and Maverik to Des Moines.”
It has not been disclosed, yet, whether Maverik will change the Kum & Go name, or any of its offerings.
Have a good weekend everyone.
