Small explosion in Linn County injures man; repairs needed to reopen Black Hawk Bridge begin
Featured Stories
– Man injured in small explosion in Linn County
– Repair work needed to reopen Black Hawk Bridge begins
– Iowa House passes bill to block illegal immigrants from public assistance programs
– Rogue pianist brings classic and contemporary sounds to CSPS in Cedar Rapids
Episode transcription
A man was injured in a small explosion in Linn County.
The Iowa House of Representatives subsequently passed a bill that would block illegal immigrants from accessing public assistance programs.
Plus, enjoy a piano concert this weekend at CSPS Hall in Cedar Rapids.
Welcome to the weekend edition of the Gazette Daily News podcast. This podcast provides a quick look at the latest headlines from The Gazette newsroom. I'm Bailey Cichon.
A small explosion occurred on Friday morning, injuring a Paro man. The explosion occurred at 4303 Morgan Bridge Road, northwest of Fairfax. Carson Moser, 46, was working in his work trailer when the generator he started backfired and ignited nearby flammable materials. This caused a small explosion, injuring Mauser. Moser went to a house on the property for help, and a resident called 911 around 7 a.m. Paramedics treated Moser at the scene and transported him by ambulance to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Moser is in serious but stable condition, according to a news release from the Linn County Sheriff's Office. The trailer fire was extinguished by the Fairfax Fire Department. No other buildings were damaged by the fire.
Next, the Blackhawk Bridge in Lansing is undergoing necessary preparatory work before repairs can be made. It's been about two weeks since movement was detected and the Mississippi River crossing was closed. Engineers determined that two piers had shifted. The Iowa Department of Transportation announced Friday that some of the bridge's deck will be removed as part of the repair work. This means the bridge will be closed to pedestrian and vehicular traffic. Additionally, the Iowa Department of Transportation said other piers will be tested to ensure the bridge does not shift again. Days after the bridge was closed, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds signed a disaster declaration allowing the state to utilize federal emergency road repair funds. The estimated cost of repairs has not yet been announced. Repairs will take approximately two months.
The Iowa House of Representatives on Thursday passed a bill that would ban undocumented immigrants from using the public assistance system. House File 2608 expands the verification process for welfare benefits to include checking an applicant's citizenship status. Per federal law, citizenship status checks are already part of the process. Nevertheless, lawmakers argued that it is important to codify the practice if federal law changes. The bill also cracks down on the smuggling of illegal immigrants into the state. The bill cites the last citation to “encourage or induce the entry or residence of any person” in violation of federal law and makes the last citation “to conceal, harbor, or protect such person from detection” a felony. do. The bill has been amended to clarify that a person commits a smuggling offense if he or she knowingly commits smuggling “for payment or other benefit.” Rep. Steve Holt, a Republican from Denison, is the bill's lead Republican sponsor. Holt said the law targets people who engage in human smuggling, not churches or other organizations that house and support asylum seekers. Holt said making human smuggling a national crime would allow law enforcement to take action even where federal immigration laws are not adequately enforced at the U.S.-Mexico border. Democrats argued the bill was unnecessary and that immigration and border security should be dealt with at the federal level. House Minority Leader Jennifer Confirst, a Democrat from Windsor Heights, said such bills seek to influence the national narrative and infuriate her constituents. Speaking to reporters ahead of the House vote, Konjusto said: We are supposed to create policy in a way that addresses what the people of Iowa need. This bill doesn't do that. ” End quote. House File 2608 passed the Iowa House 60-32, with all Democrats opposed.
Looking for something to do this weekend? Pianist Kimberly Starkey takes the stage at CSPS Hall in Cedar Rapids. Starkey is a classically trained pianist and composer who moved to Iowa in 2022. She is also known as the “Rogue Pianist” and she performs every Saturday at the New York City Market. This weekend, she will bring her talents to the CSPS Hall with pianist Sarah Derry. StarKey will perform the piano concerto “The Fire Within.” The song debuted at number 3 on Billboard's classical music chart and won Classical Song of the Year at the 2020 International Music and Entertainment Awards. The show begins Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $22 in advance and $27 at the door. Ticket information is available at cspshall.org/the-rogue-pianist.
As always, links to each story featured in today's episode can be found in the episode description or on Gazette.com.
So let's take a look at the weather in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The days have been gloomy, but the sun will come out this weekend. Saturday's expected high is 44 degrees and low is 22 degrees. High temperatures on Sunday will reach 51 degrees. The low temperature that night is expected to be 31 degrees. Finally, Monday will be sunny with a high of 68 degrees and a low of 41 degrees.
Thank you for listening to the Gazette Daily News Podcast. Get the latest news from Eastern Iowa at Gazette.com. I'm Bailey Cichon.
Comment: bailey.cichon@thegazette.com
