Gazette Daily News Briefing, July 22 and July 23
Welcome to the weekend!
This is Stephen Colbert from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for Saturday, July 29th, and Sunday, July 30th, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service, temperatures on Saturday will be mostly sunny with a high near 89, cooling to a low around 63 Saturday evening.
Sunday will be sunny, with a high near 86 and cool to 59 Sunday night.
5 more Iowa nursing homes added to list of nation’s worst care facilities
Five Iowa nursing homes have been added to a federal list of the nation’s worst care facilities.
One of the five is a Sioux City home that, after being cited for violations tied to four resident deaths, is now in the process of voluntarily closing.
The five homes are deemed eligible for inclusion on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ national list of “special-focus facilities.” They join five other Iowa care facilities already deemed eligible for inclusion on the periodic list of nursing homes that have recurring quality-of-care problems.
The five Iowa homes that have been added to the list since April are Embassy Rehab and Care Center of Sergeant Bluff; Aspire of Gowrie; Countryside Health Care Center of Sioux City; Dunlap Specialty Care Center; and Iowa City Rehab & Health Care.
Sheriff’s office removes 39 dogs from Tipton shelter
The Cedar County Sheriff’s Office removed 39 dogs from a Tipton dog shelter this week after receiving complaints of animal neglect at the facility.
Sheriff’s deputies executed a search warrant Wednesday at Just Dog Rescue, at 1707 Highway 130 east of Tipton, where they found the dogs living in unsafe conditions, according to a news release from the sheriff’s office.
The dogs have seen a veterinarian and are now under the care of the sheriff’s office.
No criminal charges have yet been filed, but the matter remains under investigation, according to the release.
The sheriff’s office was assisted in the warrant by the Cedar County Attorney’s Office, the Animal Rescue League of Iowa, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, the Tipton Veterinary Clinic, Cedar County Emergency Management and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
‘Dangerous’ heat marks RAGBRAI’s ride to Coralville
The 80-plus miles with 2,881 feet of climb that RAGBRAI riders endured Friday on their trek from Tama-Toledo to Coralville was among the hardest for many — given the excessive heat warning that blanketed the route.
Many reported “sagging” at some point during the nearly 100-degree day — indicating they rode part way before climbing in with a “support and gear” crew driving along behind or ahead.
Others pedaled through — powered by tent breaks offering craft beer, pie, ice cream and pork chops — but were happy to find a final resting spot for the day in Coralville, which joined RAGBRAI in the anniversary game by celebrating its 150th anniversary alongside the ride’s 50th.
Campers set up in and around S.T. Morrison Park, where vendors, volunteers, and entertainers greeted them — including Bush, which cemented its rock-band status in the 1990s and took the main stage at 8:30 p.m.
Some cyclists told The Gazette the long day bookending the long week might have them heading to sleep early — before taking off Saturday morning for a ride through Kinnick Stadium and on to West Liberty, eventually dipping their tires in the Mississippi in Davenport to wrap one of the longer RAGBRAIs at 500 miles.
For more interviews with cyclists and additional RAGBRAI news, check out our coverage on TheGazette.com/ragbrai
Have a good weekend, everyone.
