Gazette Daily News Briefing, June 20 and 21
Expect thunderstorms on Saturday, with a slight reprieve Sunday. According to the National Weather Service, there will be showers and thunderstorms periodically on Saturday, with some heavy rain possible. Sunday will be mostly sunny with a slight chance of showers after 1 p.m., and a 50 percent chance of showers overnight. The highs will be in the upper 70s to low 80s Saturday, and in the mid 80s Sunday. Saturday's and Sunday's lows are in the 60s.
And don't forget, Sunday is Father's Day.
The Cedar Rapids City Council has unanimously backed a resolution supporting the seven demands for police reform advanced by local Black Lives Matter protest leaders.
After two weeks of talks between organizers and city officials, the council moved Friday to formally declare its support for the Cedar Rapids Advocates for Social Justice group’s priorities calling for reform, including forming an independent police citizen’s review board, significantly investing in diversity, equity and inclusion, and banning chokeholds.
Other points urge the city to decriminalize minor marijuana crimes, impose strict body camera provisions, make negotiations between law enforcement and municipal representatives public and abolish qualified immunity for police officers.
The council's decision came just hours before protesters peacefully marched on City Hall commemorating Juneteenth, the holiday marking the end of slavery in the U.S.
Cedar Rapids Sgt. Lucas Jones is speaking out after being fired by the police department on Thursday. Jones spoke with The Gazette in an interview Friday, saying he was “completely shocked” when he learned he was no longer employed with the police department. He said he plans to appeal his termination.
Jones’ ouster has been called for by racial justice protest organizers over a 2016 shooting during a traffic stop that left Black motorist Jerime Mitchell of Cedar Rapids mostly paralyzed. A Linn County grand jury declined to file any charges in the Mitchell case.
In announcing Jones’ firing Thursday, the police department said he was fired “for violating rules and policies” but gave no details.
Jones told The Gazette on Friday that in May, he was given a “notice of allegation” that accused him of lying during an investigation — though there were no specifics about what the incident was, he said. Jones said he took it upon himself to prove he had not lied in any investigations, taking and passing multiple polygraph tests, he said.
Jones said he believes Cedar Rapids Police Chief Wayne Jerman gave into pressure from city officials.
Jones said he plans to appeal his termination and he ultimately hopes to be able to return to law enforcement.
A leader of Iowa City’s Black Lives Matter movement arrested on misdemeanor and felony charges tied to protests and vandalism has reached a plea deal that drops most of the charges.
Johnson County has agreed to drop five of the six charges against Mazin Mohamedali in exchange for a guilty plea to a single simple misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct, according to his attorney.
The deal drops a felony charge UI police filed against Mohamedali for destroying a $5,000, 8-foot-tall fence protecting the campus’ Old Capitol Museum on June 7.
Mohamedali remains in the Marshall County Jail on an unrelated 2018 armed robbery conviction, in which he is serving three years probation.
RAGBRAI officials announced Friday that a three-day ride is planned in October. The Great Iowa Fall Ride is set for Oct. 2-4. More details will be announced on July 25.
The announcement comes just two months after the cancellation of the 2020 ride that was supposed to take place next month but was called off because of concerns surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.
Have a good weekend everyone. And don't forget, Sunday is Father's Day!
This briefing is sponsored in part by Corridor Careers. Are you looking for a job? CorridorCareers.com is a resource to local job seekers where they can get job tips, sign up for local job alerts, build a resume and more. Check it out at CorridorCareers.com.
