Gazette Daily News Briefing, August 8 and August 9
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I’m here with your update for the weekend of August 8th and August 9th.
This weekend’s weather looks to be hot, with a chance for rain. According to the National Weather Service, there will be a high of 88 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area Saturday with a 30 percent chance of rain. This chance of rain will remain roughly the same into Sunday, where there will be a high of 92 degrees. Then, there will be a 50 percent chance of rain Sunday night. Through all this, rainfall totals are not predicted to be especially significant.
In an open letter to the public, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds on Friday urged Iowans to stay vigilant in their efforts to keep the novel coronavirus in check and prevent a resurgence in COVID-19 infections like those that forced her to close schools, businesses and many activities for about 11 weeks earlier this year.
Calling preventive health measures the best defense against COVID-19, Reynolds reiterated the public health instructions to wash hands often, disinfect frequently used items, maintain social distance of at least 6 feet in public and “wear a face mask if you’re able, stay home if you’re sick, and please carefully consider whether certain social or recreational activities are worth the risk.”
Iowa’s death toll from the disease reached 925 by the end of the day Friday. Reynolds has resisted calls for public mask orders and balked at online only schooling, arguing instead for dealing with the virus with personal responsibility as a part of everyday life.
Jerry Burns of Manchester was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole on Friday for the murder of 18-year-old Michelle Martinko in December of 1979. Before sentencing, defense attorney Leon Spies made a motion for a new trial, arguing many of the same issues that had been ruled upon before. But he also said his private investigator had uncovered new evidence that wasn’t discovered until June after interviewing a music teacher who said Martinko took music lessons in the Westdale Mall at the time, and may have wanted to meet someone there on the night of her murder. Martinko’s body was found outside the mall in her parents’ Buick after having been stabbed 29 times. Judge Fae Hoover denied the request for a new trial, saying that the new evidence would not have changed the verdict.
The cold case murder gained national attention after an arrest was made using DNA evidence acquired from a public database called GEDmatch, when a distant cousin of Burns submitted her DNA to the site.
The Missouri Valley Football Conference announced the cancellation of its 2020 fall season Friday, citing COVID-19 concerns, with the intention of moving games to a spring season with March, April and May as its target months. The conference has fielded several successful teams in what is now called the FCS division over the years, including several nationally competitive teams from the University of Northern Iowa.
This week I wanted to take the end of the briefing as an opportunity to thank our listeners. It has been two years now since I started doing these, and with the help of my digital news teammates this year we have made it a daily affair.
And, while thanking you all, I would like to invite you all to tell us what you like about our briefing or what you might like changed. Would you like shorter weather segments? More sports? A longer or shorter briefing in general? Send these comments, suggestions, or jokes at my expense to podcasts@thegazette.com.
And thank you for listening.
