Gazette Daily News Briefing, July 6
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for Thursday, July 6.
According to the National Weather Service, Thursday should be sunny in the Cedar Rapids area with a high of 80 degrees. The low temperature will settle in at 53 degrees
Abortion access in Iowa would be restricted under legislation that statehouse Republicans plan to craft next week during a special session of the Iowa Legislature, called for Wednesday by Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds.
The special session will take place Tuesday at the Iowa Capitol.
The special session will be conducted “with the sole purpose of enacting legislation that addresses abortion and protects unborn lives,” the governor’s news release said.
Three Iowa House Republican lawmakers told The Gazette-Lee Des Moines Bureau that they expect Republicans will once again pass legislation that would ban abortions once a fetus’ heartbeat can be detected.
Currently, abortion in Iowa is legal until the 20th week of pregnancy.
Some major medical organizations, like the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, note that what is detected at six weeks is not a heartbeat, but instead electrical impulses, and that an actual heartbeat does not occur until roughly 17 to 20 weeks of pregnancy.
Police in Cedar Rapids and Iowa City received hundreds of complaint calls about fireworks in the four days around the Fourth holiday this year, though the totals were down from previous years.
It’s illegal for individuals to set off fireworks in Cedar Rapids and Iowa City, though people can fire off consumer fireworks in some surrounding cities and in unincorporated Linn County during certain hours.
A state law amended two years ago made it illegal for cities to ban the sale of fireworks or limit their sale to certain areas, like industrial zones. But individual cities and counties still can restrict their discharge.
In Cedar Rapids, police received 410 fireworks-related calls for service between Saturday and Tuesday.
In the same time period last year, police had 426 calls for service, down from 595 in 2021 and 750 in 2020.
Police issued 11 citations for illegal fireworks usage in the city over the four days, the same number as last year, but down from 15 in 2021 and 24 in 2020.
Iowa City saw similar decreases
The Solomon’s Landing development — a $20 million project that seeks to create an “entertainment district” just north of Penn Street in North Liberty — will receive city tax incentives worth up to $7.5 million.
The North Liberty City Council during a brief special session this week approved a development agreement authorizing tax increment payments. The city agreed to make eight annual payments not to exceed $7.5 million to reimburse a portion of taxes.
The agreement approved Monday is between the city and Pratt Real Estate Management. Developer Brandon Pratt, of North Liberty, is behind the project and had previously asked for financial assistance from the city.
The proposed development includes a 34,000-square-foot indoor recreation building, as well as a 33,000-square-foot bowling entertainment center with an adjacent Pizza Ranch restaurant.
The recreation building — called The Palestra — will be used for various indoor sports and community events. The entertainment facility would include bowling, ax throwing, arcade, billiards and a bar.
