Gazette Daily News Briefing, August 30
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for August 30, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service it will be sunny Wednesday with a high near 81 degrees. It will be clear Wednesday evening with a low of around 49 degrees.
Witnesses testified Tuesday they saw a North Liberty teen driving a sport utility vehicle hit a jogger — “flipping him up in the air,” one said — as the jogger ran across a marked crosswalk on Melrose Avenue and Kennedy Parkway in Iowa City.
Three witnesses said the SUV, driven by Jonathan J.F. McCaffery, 16 at the time, didn’t slow down May 22 until the vehicle hit the jogger, Cory Hite, 45, of Cedar Rapids, in the crosswalk. There is no stop sign or signal at the crosswalk, but there is a sign warning drivers in advance of the walkway.
Police officers who testified Tuesday said they determined that McCaffery could not have stopped in time to avoid the collision with Hite.
Sixth Judicial District Magistrate Mark Neary heard testimony during a bench — or non jury — trial Tuesday and will file his written ruling later. McCaffery didn’t attend the hearing. He waived his personal appearance, which was granted by the judge, as long as he stipulated he was the driver in the fatal crash.
Of the 131 dogs removed Thursday, nine have died, officials said Tuesday.
Eight dogs died from health issues, including heat stroke and canine parvovirus. The other was “euthanized because of temperament issues related to ongoing pain and the neglect endured prior to being in our care,” according to Lee Hermiston, the public safety information officer for Iowa City.
The dogs were surrendered to Iowa City Animal Services after an inspection of the puppy farm, 3027 540th St. SW, near Riverside, by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. Inspectors found the dogs on the property were being kept in hot, dirty conditions, and many of the dogs were in a “state of distress.”
Some of the dogs taken from the farm are being kept at the Iowa City Animal Care and Adoption Center, and others are being housed at other locations in Iowa City. Animal services was able to borrow several dog pens from Cedar County, and other supplies were donated by community members after news about the dogs was reported.
The Bissell Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports animal welfare, is taking 60 of the dogs to an adoption agency in Michigan on Wednesday, and 30 of the dogs will go to other adoption agencies
The Iowa City Public Library was evacuated Tuesday afternoon after receiving a bomb threat, according to a Facebook post from the library.
The threat was received around 3:30 p.m. Tuesday. The Iowa City Police Department responded and the library was evacuated out of an abundance of caution, according to the police department. The library stayed closed for the rest of the day Tuesday.
“We understand that this situation may cause concern and inconvenience to our patrons. Please know that we are doing everything we can to address the situation as quickly and safely as possible,” the Facebook post stated.
The library is scheduled to be open Wednesday with regular hours, according to the post.
