Gazette Daily News, February 6 and February 7

This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette digital news desk and I’m here with your update for Saturday, February  6 and Sunday, February 7.

We are looking at a bitterly, bitterly, cold weekend to come, with a bit more snow on the way as well. According to the National Weather Service, there will be a high of 6 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area on Saturday, with wind chill values dropping to 20 degrees below zero. There will also be a high chance for snow, with the majority of the snow predicted to fall before 5 p.m. Saturday. Up to 2 inches of snow could fall by the end of the day. The low temperature Saturday night will be 16 degrees below zero, with the wind chill dropping to 30 degrees below zero.

On Sunday we will see the temperature pop back up to a high of 3 degrees with mostly cloudy skies. Don’t get too excited, though, as the wind chill will still remain at 30 degrees below zero. The low on Sunday will be -4 degrees. 

The cold will remain for at least the rest of the week, but one piece of good news is no significant snow is in the forecast, at the moment, after Saturday’s snowfall is completed.

Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds on Friday lifted Iowa’s partial face mask mandate, public health restrictions on businesses and limits on public gatherings.

The update to Reynolds’ COVID-19 public health emergency declaration drew immediate fire from Democrats, with one saying the move was “both reckless and tragic.”

Starting Sunday, the day of the Super Bowl:

• Iowans will no longer be required to wear face coverings in public when around other people for at least 15 minutes.

• Businesses will not be required to limit the number of customers or keep them socially distanced.

• No limits will be placed on the number of people who can gather in public.

In the updated proclamation, Reynolds encourages vulnerable Iowans — those 65 years or older, or with serious health conditions — to “limit their activities outside of their home,” including trips to businesses and other establishments where other people gather.

Reynolds also encouraged Iowans to continue limiting their in-person interactions with vulnerable people and to “exercise particular care and caution” when in public.

This loosening of restrictions comes as Iowa remains among the least vaccinated population by capita in the nation. Mandatory in-person school options, ordered by the Iowa legislature, are set to begin on February 15.

But Iowans don’t just stop on gambling with their health, they also enjoy gambling on sports. Iowa gamblers were all in on sports wagers in January, driving betting activity to a monthly record $149.5 million.

With college and professional football playoffs in full swing, sportsbooks are flourishing without in-person registration requirements. Legal sports wagering in Iowa topped the $100 million plateau in January for the second straight month, and it was the fourth month in a row for record-setting growth.

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