Gazette Daily News Briefing, December 8
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I’m here with your update for Thursday, December 8.
Thursday's weather will be similar to Wednesday's weather, but a bit cloudier early and rainy late. According to the National Weather Service the day will start with patchy fog again before 9 a.m. in the Cedar Rapids area. After that it will be mostly cloudy, with a high near 41 degrees and a light wind. On Thursday night there is a 100 percent chance of rain, mostly after 7 p.m. The low will be around 33 degrees.
As a early heads up, Friday is looking to be colder, with a chance for rain and snow for the morning commute.
COVID-19 cases in Iowa are up for the fifth week in a row, with 3,469 new cases reported in the past week.
That number represents a 28 percent increase over the previous week’s total of 2,700 new cases. The actual total is likely much higher, given the availability of at-home test kits, the results of which are not reported to the state.
Linn and Johnson counties have gone from a “low” to a “medium” community transmission level, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Hospitalizations from the virus increased to 255, up from 233 the previous week.
Coralville-based developer Watts Group is looking to build a $10.7 million multifamily housing facility and two four-plex buildings at 705 16th Ave. SE in the Oak Hill Jackson neighborhood.
According to the details outlined Tuesday at the Cedar Rapids City Council meeting, the project will add 32 market-rate rental units and two four-plex townhome buildings at the site, which is owned by St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church.
Of the 32 units, Scott Mather, the city’s economic development coordinator, said 24 would be one-bedroom units, and the other eight would be two-bedroom units. The five-story complex would have first-floor parking.
According to the Associated Press, Italian confectioner Ferrero said Wednesday it will acquire Le Mars-based Wells Enterprises, one of the largest U.S. ice cream makers including Blue Bunny, in a deal that will broaden both companies’ offerings.
Wells, a 100-year-old family-owned company, also makes Halo Top and other brands.
It employs 4,000 people and produces more than 200 million gallons of ice cream per year at plants in Iowa, New York and Nevada.
The Ferrero Group, which was founded in Italy in 1946 and is now based in Luxembourg, also is family owned. Its brands — sold in more than 170 countries — include Kinder, Nutella, Tic Tac and Ferrero Rocher.
Nearly a month after Election Day, a Republican was declared the victor in the tight House District 81 election in Scott County.
According to reporting from the Quad City Times, Democrat Craig Cooper congratulated Republican Luana Stoltenberg on winning the district by 11 votes after a recount was completed.
This is the second time the winner of the race flipped after recounts — the first after an auditor-run recount and this time after a candidate-picked board reviewed the ballots.
