About one in five people tested in Iowa during the 24-hour period ending at 10 a.m. on Monday were positive for COVID-19. The Iowa Department of Public Health reported another 460 Iowans tested positive for the virus from 10 a.m. on Sunday to 10 a.m. on Monday. During this same period, there were only 2,321 […]
Izabela Zaluska
Posted inCommunity/News
Cedar Rapids officials ‘do not plan’ to hold more meetings with Advocates for Social Justice to discuss police reform
Cedar Rapids officials “do not plan to be part of any additional negotiation meetings” with the Advocates for Social Justice (ASJ), Mayor Brad Hart wrote in an email sent to the group on Friday morning. ASJ members expressed concerns and disappointment over the decision, but said they are not giving up on their efforts. The […]
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Linn County Board of Health calls for racism to be addressed as a public health crisis
The Linn County Board of Health is calling for immediate action to address racism as a public health crisis. The board outlined seven actions in a position statement published on Thursday, including establishing an Office of Minority Health at Linn County Public Health; urging businesses to incorporate implicit bias training and offer educational training to […]
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Fired Cedar Rapids officer Lucas Jones is appealing his termination
Former Cedar Rapids Police Department Sergeant Lucas Jones is moving forward with the appeal of his June 18 termination. CRPD spokesperson Greg Buelow confirmed to Little Village in an email on Wednesday that Jones’ attorney filed an appeal on his behalf on Thursday, July 2. Jones had announced his intention to file an appeal in […]
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Cedar Rapids Community School District will host six virtual town halls to discuss anti-racism and equity
The Cedar Rapids Community School District (CRCSD) will hold six virtual townhalls next week to “discuss supportive efforts toward an anti-racist school district.” There are three town halls scheduled for students and three town halls scheduled for the community. Superintendent Noreen Bush will lead the initiative that “creates a space for conversations around equity issues […]
Posted inCOVID-19
Linn County Auditor’s Office will mail absentee ballot request forms to every voter for November’s election
The Linn County Auditor’s Office will mail absentee ballot request forms with a postage-paid return envelope to all voters in the county ahead of the November general election. The office is encouraging Linn County residents to vote by mail due to COVID-19, just as they did for the June primary. The Auditor’s Office will mail […]
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Advocates for Social Justice lead a protest march to Cedar Rapids Mayor Brad Hart’s house
Approximately 300 people marched in the heat on Friday afternoon from Monroe Park to Mayor Brad Hart’s house. The group kept up constant chants throughout the walk, including “this is what democracy looks like,” “Black lives matter” and “Black voices matter.” Friday’s march was the fourth event organized by the group Advocates for Social Justice […]
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City of Cedar Rapids looking for restaurants to participate in meal distribution program
The City of Cedar Rapids and the Cedar Rapids Community School District (CRCSD) are partnering to increase food distribution to families in need while also supporting local restaurants. The program will provide meals to families enrolled in the Kids on Course University and Take 5! reading programs. CRCSD will oversee food distribution. CRCSD has also […]
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Cedar Rapids schools exploring three possible plans for upcoming school year
The Cedar Rapids Community School District (CRCSD) is looking at three possible options for the upcoming school year and plans to make a final decision later this month. All Iowa school districts were required to submit a Return to Learn plan to the Iowa Department of Education by July 1. Four superintendents, including CRCSD superintendent […]
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‘There is a false sense of security:’ Linn County officials urge mask-wearing to slow community spread
“Unfortunately, we are back to report some disheartening news about the virus spread in our community, particularly over the last 14 days,” Supervisor Ben Rogers said as he began Wednesday’s Linn County Public Health press conference. The last LCPH press conference was more than a month ago on May 20. Through the end of May […]
Posted inCOVID-19
Fillmore Center in Cedar Rapids will be used as a cooling center for people experiencing homelessness
With temperatures rising and many buildings closed to the public due to COVID-19, people experiencing homelessness or individuals who don’t have access to air conditioning have limited options for where they can go to cool off. On Wednesday, the Linn County Board of Supervisors approved using the county-owned Fillmore Center, 520 11th St NW, as […]
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Termination letter explains why ex-Cedar Rapids Police Officer Lucas Jones was fired
A Cedar Rapids Police officer was fired for turning off the microphone that should have been recording a traffic stop he conducted in October 2016, then lying about it. The stop in question occurred on Oct. 30, 2016, two days before the officer, Lucas Jones, shot and paralyzed Jerime “Danky” Mitchell during a traffic stop […]
