The Cedar Rapids City Council is holding a special meeting Friday afternoon for a “discussion and resolution of support for a statement supporting Black Lives Matter priorities.” The meeting is scheduled for 1 p.m. and will be held via Zoom due to COVID-19. The public will be able to watch on the city’s Facebook page. […]
Izabela Zaluska
Posted inCommunity/News
‘How we treat the formerly incarcerated doesn’t rank very high in the minds of most folks’: With COVID-19, the fight against recidivism in Iowa is even more urgent
Eddie Walker was released from prison last June after being incarcerated for 18 years for a robbery charge. Now living in Iowa City, Walker recalled the arduous process of finding an apartment after his release; in one instance, he was told by a rental company that he was an ideal potential renter, but they wouldn’t […]
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City of Cedar Rapids asking residents to submit photos for a new art project
The city of Cedar Rapids is asking residents to submit photos that showcase the city’s buildings, landmarks or neighborhoods. The photos will be used in an art installation called Portraits of Iowa by artist John Fleming, who is based in Seattle, Washington. A sculptural piece using the photos will hang in the U.S. Cellular Center, […]
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Cedar Rapids Downtown Farmers Market will be drive-through for the rest of the season
The Cedar Rapids Downtown Farmers Market market kicked off its 15th season this month with two drive-through markets. When the plans were announced in May, the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance said they will “continue to evaluate options and make decisions based on public health guidelines for the remainder of the 2020 market season.” That […]
Posted inCOVID-19
Requiring Iowans to wear face masks in public could greatly decrease COVID-19 infections and deaths, according to new UI research
The likely number of cases of COVID-19 and deaths due to the virus could be decreased by thousands in the next few months if Iowans were required to wear personal protective equipment in public, even if social distancing is relaxed, a modeling tool created by University of Iowa faculty and graduate students shows. The online […]
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‘It’s time for action’: Hundreds march in Cedar Rapids to push for police reform and other changes
About 15 minutes into Saturday’s march in Cedar Rapids, protesters stopped at the intersection of 19th Street and Bever Avenue. They used chalk to draw and write various messages in the outline of #BLM, an emblem for Black Lives Matter. Twenty minutes later, the protesters stopped again. This time it was at the intersection of […]
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Cedar Rapids is committed to forming a citizens review board, police chief says
The city of Cedar Rapids is working to establish an independent citizens review board, Cedar Rapids Police Chief Wayne Jerman said during a news conference on Friday. “We understand this step is important to the community, and we are committed to making this happen,” Jerman said. Iowa City is currently the only city in the […]
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New community initiative to prevent, address youth violence in Cedar Rapids announced
The problem of youth violence and the best ways to address it have long been on the minds of elected officials and community leaders in Cedar Rapids. There have been a variety of initiatives over the past several years to combat youth violence, especially gun violence, but the COVID-19 pandemic and the social distancing it […]
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Discussions between Cedar Rapids officials and protest organizers begin
Leslie Neely, Tamara Marcus and Nicole LeGrand organized last Saturday’s protest in Cedar Rapids, which more than 2,000 people attended. The women didn’t expect to be in this position — organizing another protest for this upcoming Saturday, meeting with city leaders to discuss reforms, fielding questions from reporters — but they are ready to see […]
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Linn County moves to second phase of reopening, additional long-term care outbreak reported in the county
Linn County has met all the necessary criteria to move onto phase two of the county’s phased reopening approach, Linn County Public Health said on Wednesday. LCPH released a phased reopening approach on May 14, a day before various businesses were allowed to reopen at 50 percent capacity. LCPH began monitoring 10 disease and resource […]
Posted inCOVID-19
Cottage Grove Place in Cedar Rapids has recovered from COVID-19 outbreak
A second long-term care facility in Linn County has recovered from its outbreak of COVID-19, Linn County Public Health announced on Monday. Cottage Grove Place in Cedar Rapids has had no new cases confirmed in the last 28 days, or two consecutive incubation periods. The facility’s nursing center had its first confirmed cases of the […]
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Earn prizes for shopping local through Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance’s new COVID-19 recovery initiative
The Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance announced a new initiative Monday morning that focuses on supporting local businesses that have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Rally C.A.P. — which stands for Rally Champion and Protect — is a “community-wide, team approach” designed to support restaurants, arts and cultural attractions, small shops and other Cedar […]
