Gazette Daily News Briefing, September 27
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for September 27, 2023.
The chance for rain will continue into the early portion of Wednesday but besides that it should be sunny and pleasant. According to the National Weather Service there will be scattered showers in the Cedar Rapids area, mainly between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Otherwise it will be partly sunny, with a high near 73 degrees.
A fatal two-vehicle collision was followed by a single-vehicle accident involving a responding Johnson County Deputy just after noon on Tuesday.
According to a media release from the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office, at 12:38 p.m. deputies and emergency responders were called to the scene of a two-vehicle accident in the 2200 block of Black Diamond Road SW in rural Johnson County.
After arriving, they determined that one driver died at the scene and the driver of the other vehicle had minor injuries.
According to an Iowa State Patrol accident report about the accident, a Ford Escape had been traveling west on Black Diamond Road, near the intersection with Hazelwood Avenue, when it crossed the centerline on a curve in the road, striking a Dump Truck head-on.
The identities of both drivers are being withheld pending notification of family members and while an investigation into the accident continues.
Meanwhile, at 12:54 p.m., a Johnson County Deputy who was responding to the accident was involved in a single-vehicle accident at the intersection of Eagle Avenue and Rohret Road SW, according to the release from the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office.
This is about a six-minute drive to the northwest from the scene of the original accident.
According to the release, the deputy was treated for injuries and released from a hospital. The crash is also under investigation by the Iowa State Patrol.
Some low-income households in Cedar Rapids may have some support getting around town with a city-funded program that will subsidize the cost of purchasing a bike or electric bike.
The city of Cedar Rapids is piloting a program to give vouchers to eligible households toward purchasing a bike or e-bike at local shops.
The 78 income-eligible households in the Family Self-Sufficiency Program may seek vouchers. This program offers individualized goal planning and meetings with family specialists to reduce Section 8 tenants’ dependency on welfare and other public assistance programs, improving their economic independence.
The vouchers are $700 for a bike and $900 for an e-bike. The vouchers also may cover safety-related equipment such as helmets and locks. In its fiscal 2024 budget for the year spanning July 1 to June 30, 2024, Cedar Rapids included $215,000 in one-time funding for sustainability initiatives.
Sustainability Program Manager Sara Maples said the program will reduce fuel and maintenance costs for families working toward financial independence while helping them travel to work, appointments and social services.
