Jorel Robinson, a productivity specialist at GoDaddy, is seeking an at-large seat on the Cedar Rapids City Council. Robinson is a co-founder of the Big Bang Foundation. He said the group started as a way for him and his friends to travel and perform music, but they wanted to do something more, so the group turned its focus to connecting with young people of color to help raise the awareness of those young people of their own abilities and empower them.
Izabela Zaluska
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Cedar Rapids City Council candidate Patrick Loeffler talks about bringing his experience as a business owner and union leader to city government
Patrick Loeffler, a labor union leader and small business owner, said he’s running for the Cedar Rapids City Council to help others. It’s the same reason he and his wife, Kymm, opened Corner Store Apothecary & More, he explained. The Czech Village store, which opened in February 2017, sells CBD oil and hemp-based products. Loeffler has intractable epilepsy and uses CBD oil to control his seizure activity.
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Cedar Rapids City Council candidate Ann Poe discusses economic development, flood protection and the importance of listening to the community
Ann Poe is running for her third term on the Cedar Rapids City Council. The at-large councilmember said it was her experience as a community liaison for the Rebuild Iowa Office following the 2008 floods that first inspired her to run for city council eight years ago.
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Seven presidential candidates will address issues facing people with disabilities at a forum in Cedar Rapids on Saturday
Disability rights activists have been working hard to make sure the 2020 presidential candidates address issues of importance to Americans with disabilities, and on Saturday, seven of the Democrats in the race will participate in a forum at 2019 Accessibility, Inclusion, and Outreach Conference in Cedar Rapids.
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Cedar Rapids City Council candidate Scott Overland discusses strengthening neighborhoods and protecting the urban environment
Incumbent Scott Overland is running to represent District 2 for a second term. Overland is the vice president of investments at Cedar Rapids Bank and Trust and is also a trustee of the Indian Nature Creek Center.
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Cedar Rapids school board election: Q&A with Dexter Merschbrock
Dexter Merschbrock, a letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service, and his wife, Michelle, bought their current home so their two sons would be able to walk to school. Merschbrock’s older son is in fourth grade at Grant Wood Elementary, and his younger son will start kindergarten there next year.
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Cedar Rapids City Council candidate Sofia Mehaffey discusses food insecurity, improving accessibility and making more voices heard
Sofia Mehaffey is the director of community health and nutrition programs at Horizons: A Family Services Alliance, where she oversees its large Meals on Wheels program. The program, which provides which fresh and nutritious food to seniors and others in need, served over 300,000 meals last year.
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Cedar Rapids school board election: Q&A with Rafael Jacobo
Rafael Jacobo, a business analyst at Verizon, is running for a second term representing District 4 of the Cedar Rapids Community School District. He has lived in Cedar Rapids with his family for more than 15 years. Jacobo has a number of personal connections to the school district. He has two kids currently attending its schools, and his oldest son recently graduated from Washington High.
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Cedar Rapids school board election: Q&A with Maurice Davis
Maurice Davis is a program coordinator and business coach for Jane Boyd, a Cedar Rapids nonprofit working to enhance the academic, emotional and social wellbeing of children and families. He’s lived in Cedar Rapids for seven years. While Davis doesn’t have kids or family part of the CRCSD, he is invested in the future of the schools.
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Linn County Sheriff’s Office collected 42 pounds of prescription drugs during Take Back Day
This past Saturday, the Linn County Sheriff’s Office collected 42 pounds of prescription drugs as part of the Drug Enforcement Agency’s Take Back Day. The sheriff’s office had three collection sites where people could anonymously drop off expired, unused or unwanted prescription drugs. People were also able to drop off e-cigarettes and vaping devices.
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Cedar Rapids school board election: Q&A with Jen Neumann
Jen Neumann is the CEO of de Novo Marketing in Cedar Rapids. Neumann and her husband have lived in Cedar Rapids for 25 years, and their two daughters are part of the CRCSD.
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Cedar Rapids school board election: Q&A with Cindy Garlock
Cindy Garlock was a teacher in the CRCSD for 33 years. Garlock taught at Wilson Junior High, Taft Junior High and Kennedy High. Her daughter graduated from Jefferson High, and Garlock’s husband was also a career teacher in Cedar Rapids. “I have retired from teaching but have continued to be a strong advocate for public education,” Garlock said.
