Gazette Daily News Briefing, October 11
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for October 11, 2023.
☔ Rain appears likely for much of Wednesday. Although the National Weather Service has a chance of showers in the morning, the chance for rain in the Cedar Rapids area appears to take a big leap higher after 1 p.m. and then becomes even more likely in the evening. Rain looks like it will possibly continue into Thursday.
The high temperature will settle in around 58 degrees.
Bondholder Preston Hollow Community Capital has outbid the University of Iowa for Mercy Iowa City’s assets as part of the hospital’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy case.
News of the auction results was made public Tuesday evening in a bankruptcy court filing.
In an associated news release, Preston Hollow reported plans to partner with American Health Care Systems to operate a new community hospital — free and clear of the debt, pension liabilities, unpaid dues, and uncured contracts the Mercy operation had accrued over years of financial decline.
Although it shared no details of a new hospital concept, Preston Hollow — as an investment firm — likely would leave the health care piece of the operation to American Health Care Systems, a Glendale, Calif.-based for-profit organization with health care management expertise.
Preston Hollow was able to outmaneuver the University of Iowa for the winning bid by drawing out the auction process with negotiations, and using the $63 million that Mercy owes them as part of a “credit bid” that the University of Iowa was unable to match.
The turn of events was a surprise to administrators from both Mercy and the university, who had already started contacting each other about the transition process to UI ownership in the past few weeks.
Iowa Republican U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst met in person Tuesday with top Israeli leaders, four days after the Iran-backed Hamas militant group launched a surprise assault on Israel from Gaza.
Ernst last week led a bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers, including Iowa GOP U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, of Ottumwa, to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Jordan and Israel to support peace in the region and deter Iranian aggression. The group left on its envoy before the attack over the weekend.
Tuesday, Ernst met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders, as well as American civilians in Israel, as that country bombarded Gaza in response.
Ernst emphasized that the United State fully stands behind Israel in their efforts to eliminate Hamas. The purpose of the delegation’s visit was originally to encourage peaceful relations between the United States, Israel and Saudi Arabia. This was complicated by Saudi Arabia, along with many other Arab countries, publicly supporting Palestine as Gaza is under siege by Israeli forces.
Borlaug Elementary School in Coralville, which is a part of the Iowa City Community School District, was one of five schools in Iowa named a 2023 National Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education.
Schools are recognized as National Blue Ribbon Schools for demonstrating effective and innovative teaching and learning, and how teachers and staff are valued and supported through meaningful professional learning, according to a news release from National Blue Ribbon Schools.
Borlaug Elementary is recognized as an Exemplary High-Performing School for being among Iowa’s highest performing schools as measured by state assessments.
