Gazette Daily News, February 8
This is John McGlothlen with the Gazette digital news desk and I’m here with your update for Monday, February 8th.
For weather in the Cedar Rapids area today, snow is again likely, mainly after 3 p.m., but with an accumulation of less than a half-inch. Today will be mostly cloudy and cold, with a high near 5 and wind chill values as low as -15. Tonight should be cloudy during the early evening, then with gradual clearing, and a low around -9, with wind chill values as low as -20.
Cedar Rapids Mayor Brad Hart says the city’s mask mandate remains in effect despite Gov. Kim Reynolds’ move on Friday to lift restrictions to curb the spread of COVID-19. Hart told The Gazette that city, Linn County and hospital officials will continue to communicate to the public that they believe it still is important to keep COVID-19 mitigation measures in place despite the governor’s decision to end those restrictions and its partial mask mandate starting yesterday, the day of the Super Bowl.
Two firefighters were seriously injured early Sunday at a Cedar Rapids apartment fire when a hose line failed, causing blunt force trauma. One firefighter was struck in the head and knocked unconscious, and another was struck in the chest and knocked down. Both were provided immediate emergency medical care and transported to UnityPoint Health-St. Luke’s Hospital. The firefighter with a head injury was transferred to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Though their injuries are serious, they did not appear to be life-threatening. At 1:19 a.m., the Cedar Rapids Fire Department was dispatched to a report of smoke alarms activated by smoke in an apartment’s kitchen at Westdale Court Apartments, 3919 20th Ave. SW. By 2:30 a.m., the fire had compromised the structural integrity of the floors, and firefighters moved to an exterior position. The destroyed apartment complex sustained major fire, smoke and heat damage. No apartment residents were injured, though five of the eight units were occupied at the time of the fire. The American Red Cross is helping the displaced residents.
In men's basketball, Iowa’s 67-65 loss to the Hoosiers at Assembly Hall left it in sixth place at 7-5 after it was 6-1 five games ago. Indiana sophomore guard Armaan Franklin hit a step-back jumper over Iowa’s Joe Wieskamp with 1.6 seconds left for the game-winner. Iowa not only saw a double-digit first-half lead vanish, it pulled back ahead 45-35 with 14 1/2 minutes left after a 14-0 run, only for that to dissolve.
