Gazette Daily News Briefing, June 3 and June 4
Welcome to the weekend!
This is Stephen Colbert from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for Saturday, June 3rd, and Sunday, June 4th, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service, Saturday will be sunny and hot with a high of 93 degrees with a low around 66 Saturday night. Sunday will start out sunny and hot with a high of 91, but in the afternoon there’s a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Sunday night should cool down to a low of 64.
Davenport official called 911 about building the day before it collapsed
The day before the Davenport Building collapsed, a downtown development official called 911 to voice concern about the stability of a wall of the apartment building.
Tony Behncke, operations director for the Downtown Davenport Partnership, said one of his employees called him on Saturday and, when Behncke couldn’t reach city officials, he called 911.
Behncke said his employee had talked to Ryan Shaffer, who runs a masonry business and had submitted a bid to the building’s owner earlier this year to shore it up and fix it. The owner thought the bid was too high and found another company to repair the century-old building, but Schaffer was so concerned about the building at 324 Main St. that he frequently checked on it.
On Saturday, Shaffer shared his concern with a Downtown Davenport Partnership employee cleaning up trash in the alley. The worker called Behncke, his boss.
Behncke said he called his city contact and the fire station but didn’t reach anyone, likely due to the holiday weekend. He called 911 at 2:46 p.m. Saturday to make a non-emergency report — a little more than 24 hours before the building partially collapsed around 5 p.m. Sunday.
For more information on this developing story, visit TheGazette.com.
Gov. Kim Reynolds signs final bills from 2023 legislative session
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed 65 bills into law late Thursday afternoon, signed another with a line-item veto and vetoed one bill entirely.
The signings represent the last batch of bills that passed the Republican-led Iowa Legislature during its 2023 legislative session.
Among the bills Reynolds signed:
Safe Haven ‘baby box’ to surrender newborns: House File 425, amends the state’s Safe Haven law to include the use of “newborn safety devices” at certain facilities that are staffed 24/7 with first responders, like a fire station or a hospital.
Mental health hotline on student ID cards: House File 602 requires school districts to put a 24-hour call and text line that provides crisis counseling on student IDs.
New nursing home moratorium: House File 685 places an initial, yearlong moratorium on building new nursing homes in the state and adding new beds to existing homes. The moratorium could be renewed in six-month increments, up to a total of three years.
For a full list of the bills Gov. Reynolds signed, go to governor.iowa.gov.
Greene Square ambassador program starting again for summer season in Cedar Rapids
The program that employs people who’ve experienced homelessness to patrol Greene Square and key downtown areas is starting again for the summer months.
From May to October, these workers — employed by Willis Dady Homeless Services — pick up trash, work to keep the peace in the downtown area, remind park visitors of the rules, refer people to social service agencies and call emergency services if needed as a last resort.
Cedar Rapids spent almost $2 million to renovate Greene Square in 2016 as a focal point for activities in the urban core such as farmers markets, concerts and festivals.
Four ambassadors will work this season for 15 hours a week each from Monday through Saturday, for a total of 60 hours a week. Two ambassadors will work a five-hour shift each day. The goal is to ramp up to seven days a week.
The ambassadors patrol the area spanning from First Street to Seventh Street SE and Second Avenue to Seventh Avenue SE. They will focus particularly on three high traffic areas: Greene Square, the Ground Transportation Center and trail near the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art.
Have a good weekend, everyone.
