Gazette Daily News Briefing, April 9 and April 10
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I’m here with your update for Saturday, April 9, and Sunday, April 10.
We’ll get a break from the rain this weekend before it looks to be returning for much of next week. According to the National Weather Service on Saturday there will be a high near 52 degrees with sunny skies in the Cedar Rapids area. On Saturday night the low will be around 32, with a mild wind. On Sunday it will be mostly sunny, with a high near 64 degrees. It will be breezy, with a wind of 10 to 15 mph increasing to 20 to 25 mph in the afternoon. The wind gusts could get as high as 35 mph. On Sunday night it will be mostly cloudy, with a low around 44 degrees.
President Joe Biden appears to be headed back to Iowa for the first time since his election in November 2020.
While the White House as of Friday afternoon would not confirm the trip, the Iowa Democratic Party issued a statement trumpeting Biden’s “upcoming” visit to Iowa.
The White House declined to confirm a report from the Des Moines Register that Biden plans to visit Des Moines on Tuesday. Without confirmation from the White House, no details about Biden’s visit were immediately available on Friday. Things Biden could talk about on his visit to Iowa could include the roughly $5 billion over five years in new federal funding the state will receive under the bipartisan infrastructure bill. Also possible would be a waiver that would allow E15 ethanol blend to be sold year round as a way of lowering gas prices nationally.
Iowans bet big on the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, casting more than $233.5 million in sports wagers in March, according to state gaming numbers posted Friday.
That figure was an 8 percent increase over the previous month, and a 45 percent increase over the same month in 2021.
But it fell short of the record numbers posted during football season, including a high of $303.3 million in January.
Sports betting numbers typically decrease over the summer months.
The convicted killer of Chris Bagley wants to represent himself in his upcoming drug trial, and a judge granted it Thursday.
Drew Alan Blahnik, 34, of Marion, who changed his name to Johnny Blahnik Church after being sentenced to 57 years in prison for fatally stabbing Bagley Dec. 14, 2018, will act as his own lawyer for his April 19 trial.
He is charged with possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance — marijuana — and drug tax stamp violation.
Blahnik is accused of possessing 100 “heavy-hitters” or marijuana cartridges individually wrapped that were intended for delivery, according to a criminal complaint. Police found the cartridges underneath his bed while serving a search warrant Feb. 25, 2019 — before he was charged in Bagley’s murder — at his residence in Marion.
According to trial testimony, Blahnik “hunted down” Bagley on behalf of local drug dealer Andrew Shaw, after Bagley had robbed drugs and money from Shaw. Shaw is currently serving time in federal prison on drug charges.
Support for this news update was provided by New Pioneer Food Co-op. Celebrating 50 years as Eastern Iowa’s destination for locally and responsibly sourced groceries with stores in Iowa City, Coralville and Cedar Rapids; and you can order online through Co-op Cart at newpi.coop.
