Gazette Daily News Briefing, March 3
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I’m here with your update for Thursday, March 3.
There will be a decent chance for some snow Thursday, but accumulation should not be too much and it should mostly be done by noon. According to the National Weather Service there will be a 50 percent chance of snow Thursday morning in the Cedar Rapids area. Accumulation of less than a half inch is predicted. Besides that it will be mostly cloudy with a high near 35 degrees. There will be a low of 28 degrees Thursday night, with a mild wind.
Transgender girls and women would no longer be allowed to play sports at Iowa schools, colleges and universities with other girls and women under a proposal that is one step from becoming law.
Having passed the Republican-led Iowa Legislature Wednesday, the bill needs only Gov. Kim Reynolds’ signature to become law.
Reynolds’ spokesman did not immediately respond Wednesday on whether she plans to sign the legislation into law. She has previously indicated support for the proposal.
Iowa would become the 11th state to ban transgender athletes from participating in athletics with other athletes of the gender with which they identify, according to the Movement Advancement Project, a nonprofit think tank that researches state policies.
New COVID-19 cases saw a slight uptick in Iowa this week, but hospitalizations continued to drop and vaccine rates continued its sluggish upward pace, according to coronavirus data released by the Iowa Department of Public Health.
Iowa inches closer to 2 million fully vaccinated statewide as more than 4,346 additional residents and non-residents completed their vaccine series in the past week. In total, 1,897,018 are fully vaccinated as of Wednesday, the data shows.
The state reported 6,722 new COVID-19 cases, an increase from the 4,417 cases reported last week. In total, 754,511 people in Iowa have tested positive for the novel coronavirus since it first arrived in the state in March 2020.
The number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 dropped from 345 last week to 202 this week — the lowest total since 201 hospitalizations were reported on Aug. 4 of last year.
A new elementary school will be built in Coralville in the Clear Creek Amana Community School District after voters approved a bond issue Tuesday of up to $65 million to fund construction.
The new two-story elementary school would be larger than the district’s other schools to accommodate 600 students, according to the district. It could be open by the 2024-25 school year.
77.5 percent of those who voted, voted in favor of the bond referendum. Bond referendums require a 60 percent supermajority “yes” vote to pass.
With Tiffin, North Liberty and Coralville recognized as three of the fastest-growing cities in Iowa, the school district estimates growing enrollment of 150 to 200 students per year. The 10-year enrollment outlook estimates 300 to 350 students per grade level.
Support for this news update was provided by New Pioneer Food Co-op. Celebrating 50 years as Eastern Iowa’s destination for locally and responsibly sourced groceries with stores in Iowa City, Coralville and Cedar Rapids; and online through Co-op Cart at newpi.coop.
