“Everything is increasing — the spread, the positive COVID cases, the hospitalizations, the deaths,” State Senator Liz Mathis said at the start of a virtual news conference on Thursday, the same day Linn County surpassed 10,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Mathis’ district, which includes Cedar Rapids, Marion, Robins, Hiawatha, Bertram, Ely and southern Linn County, […]
Izabela Zaluska
Posted inCommunity/News
Cedar Rapids school district requests to move to all-online instruction due to COVID-19 surge in Linn County, increase in staff quarantine
The Cedar Rapids Community School District (CRCSD) applied for a waiver from the Department of Education (DOE) on Tuesday to move to district-wide remote instruction for two weeks. If granted, students would begin remote learning on Thursday. The request comes as Linn County is experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. The country reported […]
Posted inCommunity/News
National Czech & Slovak Museum hosting virtual cooking classes featuring traditional Czech foods
Aspiring chefs have a chance this Saturday to join a cooking class from the comfort of their own homes hosted by the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library (NCSML). Saturday’s cooking class will teach attendees how to make traditional Czech open-faced sandwiches. The class is one of five offered from Chef Tom Slepicka, who […]
Posted inCommunity/News, COVID-19
Test Iowa site in Cedar Rapids is moving to a new location
Linn County’s Test Iowa site in Cedar Rapids will be at a different location staring on Monday morning. The site, which has been operating since early May, is currently at the Department of Transportation’s District 6 office. It will close after testing concludes at 6 p.m. on Friday. The site will reopen on Monday at […]
Posted inCOVID-19
Linn County Supervisors again consider issuing a mask mandate after surge in COVID-19 cases
The Linn County Board of Supervisors is revisiting issuing a mask mandate after recent spikes of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the county and a surge in hospitalizations. The three supervisors first discussed a face-covering resolution in late July after Iowa City and Johnson County issued their respective mandates that required individuals to wear face coverings […]
Posted inCommunity/News, COVID-19
Linn County health officials warn COVID-19 hospitalizations will reach an ‘unsustainable level’ if the surge continues
More than 700 cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Linn County this week. This is the highest number of cases the county has seen reported in a single week since the pandemic was first confirmed in the county on March 21. Linn County has 6,142 confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of 10 a.m. on […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Cedar Rapids organizations announce effort to help residents repair derecho-damaged homes before winter
Cedar Rapids organizations have joined to form a new program aimed at helping homeowners who still have damaged homes after the Aug. 10 derecho. Providing Assistance to Community Homeowners — or PATCH — is a joint effort between United Way of East Central Iowa, Alliant Energy Foundation and the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation (GCRCF). […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Advocates for Social Justice offering free Uber rides to the polls for all voters and childcare reimbursement
Iowans who need transportation to their polling place can use a free Uber voucher provided by the Advocates for Social Justice. The Cedar Rapids group announced on their Facebook page Wednesday evening that they are partnering with Democracy Defenders Iowa to expand their free Uber voucher to all Iowa voters. The group has already been […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Formerly incarcerated women in Iowa share the challenges they faced during re-entry
Lisa Smith felt like “nothing was done” to prepare her for re-entry following the six years she served at the Iowa Correctional Institution for Women. She also wasn’t prepared for the loneliness she would feel. “I was surrounded by women all the time, and when I got out, not only did I not have this […]
Posted inCommunity/News
What’s next for Cedar Rapids? City council members talk through priorities for 2021
The Cedar Rapids City Council met virtually on Tuesday for a special session focused on key priorities for the upcoming year. “This is a great opportunity for the city council members, the mayor and staff to talk about priorities, and it’s particularly opportune with some of the challenges that we’ve certainly seen this year, whether […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Cedar Rapids launches online climate survey, seeks members for the city’s Climate Advisory Committee
The city of Cedar Rapids launched an online survey for residents to provide input about the city’s climate action plan. The survey, which is online until Nov. 20, will be used to make the city’s Community Climate Action Plan. The survey is available in five languages: English, Spanish, French, Swahili and Kirundi. In February, the […]
Posted inCommunity/News
The Cedar Rapids convention center and arena is now the Alliant Energy Power House
People driving along First Avenue in downtown Cedar Rapids will soon see a new name on the city’s convention center and arena — Alliant Energy Power House. City officials announced the 12-year naming rights agreement at a press conference Friday morning. The agreement, which became effective on July 1, starts at $300,000 per year, with […]
