Gazette Daily News Briefing, November 6
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for November 6, 2023.
According to the National Weather Service Monday will likely be the warmest day of the week. The prediction is for 68 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area, with mostly sunny skies. On Monday evening it will be mostly cloudy, with a low of around 41 degrees.
According to reporting from the Associated Press, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds is expected to endorse Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in his bid to secure the Republican nomination for president. DeSantis has been struggling to maintain his claim to be the solid 2nd place alternative to former President Donald Trump, and an endorsement from Gov. Reynolds could give his campaign a boost in momentum as the Iowa Caucuses are rapidly approaching.
The Trump campaign was quick to criticize the news that Gov. Reynolds could endorse a political rival.
“Kim Reynolds apparently has begun her retirement tour early as she clearly does not have any ambition for higher office,” the Trump campaign said in an emailed statement. “Earlier this year, she promised her constituents that she would remain neutral in the race, yet she has completely gone back on that promise. Regardless, her endorsement will not make any difference in this race.”
Trump is the heavy favorite to win in Iowa. DeSantis is competing with former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley to emerge as the second place choice in Iowa and on to New Hampshire.
But we’ve got our local elections to focus on this week.
Tuesday is Election Day in cities and school districts across Iowa. Voters will choose representatives on their city councils and school boards, and they’ll weigh in on ballot issues that could raise property taxes to pay for new schools and community facilities.
But early voting numbers reported in two Eastern Iowa counties show early interest in weighing in on those choices is lagging compared to the last city and school elections in 2021.
As of Thursday, Linn County Auditor Joel Miller said turnout was down about 50 percent from early voting in 2021, totaling 4,785 ballots cast.
Miller said he thinks there are too many other distractions and voter apathy all contributing to a lack of turnout for this election. He estimated 75 to 80 percent of Linn County's registered voters will opt not to vote.
In Johnson County, election technician John Deeth said the county finished the 2021 election with 3,898 absentee ballot requests. Deeth said he did not anticipate turnout climbing as high as 2021, when, like in Linn County, there had been more contested elections.
A 17-year-old faces a felony charge after authorities determined he posted an Oct. 27 social media threat against Metro High School, Cedar Rapids police said Saturday.
The arrest marks the second time in a month that police have detained a teen for posting threats on social media against Cedar Rapids schools.
In the latest arrest, the threat against Metro quickly was determined by police to be unfounded and classes in the district went on uninterrupted. But the threat was then shared by others on social media, police said.
On Friday, a 17-year-old boy “was located by CRPD officers and taken to detention,” according to a police news release. Police said the teen, who they did not name, is not a student in the Cedar Rapids Community School District but they did not say where he is from or where he was located.
Police said the teen will be charged with intimidation with a weapon, a Class D felony. The case, once the teen is charged, will proceed through juvenile court, according to Linn County Attorney Nick Maybanks.
