A 15-year-old girl was found dead in the driver’s seat of a vehicle Tuesday morning from apparent gunshot wounds. Cedar Rapids Police first got a call about a single-vehicle accident at the Hawthorne Hills Apartment Complex in the 2200 block of C Street Southwest shortly before 6:30 a.m. That’s where they found the teen. The cause of death will be officially determined by autopsy. Authorities say the shooting appears to be targeted and no suspects have been arrested.
The Linn County Board of Supervisors has approved a resolution that will put gambling on the November general election ballot. The resolution will allow Linn County voters to decide whether to reauthorize gambling in the county. State law requires this be voted on and approved twice, with an eight-year separation between the two votes, to allow gambling in Linn County permanently. Linn County voters first approved a gambling referendum in 2013. The November referendum will simply be a yes/no vote on whether residents want to allow gambling facilities in Linn County. The referendum is not for a specific casino or proposed casino. Approval of a specific gambling facility in Linn County requires approval by the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission.
UNI athletics has announced the return of the Panther Caravan, with a trio of fall events replacing spring events originally planned but postponed due to the coronavirus. The event will stop in West Des Moines on August 11, Cedar Falls on August 12, and Swisher on August 17. The Caravan allows UNI fans to socialize with, and hear from, UNI coaches, President Mark Nook, athletics director David Harris, and others. The event is free, but registration is requested.
Trial for an Iowa City man accused of killing his wife after she discovered discrepancies in their finances has been moved to 2022, after having been rescheduled multiple times in part due to the coronavirus pandemic. Roy Browning Jr. is now set to stand trial on February 1, 2022 in Johnson County. It was scheduled to start on August 10. Browning Jr. has entered a plea of not guilty to stabbing his wife JoEllen on April 5, 2019. She died at their Iowa City home on the same day the two were set to meet with a financial adviser. The adviser was planning to tell JoEllen that the couple’s savings account had been depleted, that Roy had taken out loans she was not aware of, and that an account JoEllen had thought existed, actually did not.
One man is now facing attempted murder charges after a June shooting following an argument. The shooting happened in the 300 block of 2nd Street in Coralville on June 6. Court documents indicate 36-year-old Johnnie Stevenson of Coralville and the victim got into a verbal argument that led to “mutual shoving.” Stevenson then pulled out a semi-automatic handgun and fired at close range at the victim’s head. Authorities say the bullet hit the victim’s hand as he was raising it to defend himself, and Stevenson then took a step back and fired a second shot which went through the victim’s hip. Stevenson is also charged with having a gun while being a felon.
A new look for the Waterloo Black Hawks ahead of the 60th season of hockey in the Cedar Valley. The team provided the first look at a redrawn logo on Tuesday, shortly before a 30-foot version is installed within the rink’s ice later this week ahead of the 2021-2022 season. The design retains the Waterloo Black Hawks’ name in a circle around a Hawk silhouette. However, the text, the shape of the bird, and the former arrows of previous seasons have all been restyled, while the team has added silver to the existing black and red colors. In addition to the design’s placement within the ice, the emblem will become prominent elsewhere in Young Arena and throughout the Cedar Valley during the weeks leading up to the season.
