The Cedar Rapids food pantry Together We Achieve (TWA) launched an emergency fundraiser on Wednesday, explaining in a Facebook post that it is facing the possibility of shutting down before the end of the year. “Funding priorities have shifted away from food insecurity, even as the demand continues to rise,” TWA said in the post. […]
Paul Brennan
Posted inCommunity/News
‘Sweaty’ crops are exacerbating Iowa’s sky-high humidity
When summer temperatures turn brutal along the Gulf Coast in the deepest depth of the American South, locals always say, “It’s not the heat, it’s the humidity.” Iowa has been suffering through that one-two punch of heat and humidity this week, but here it’s not just the humidity, it’s also the “corn sweat.” Corn sweat […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Voters can now request absentee ballots for the first presidential election since Iowa’s 2021 restrictions
Registered voters in Iowa can now request absentee ballots for the November general election from their county auditor’s office. The first day auditors can mail the ballots to voters who have requested them will be Oct. 16, the same day early in-person voting begins. Printable absentee ballot request forms are available on the Iowa Secretary […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Taste of Iowa City returns on Wednesday with food from dozens of restaurants, live music by Dave Zollo
Taste of Iowa City returns for its 16th year on Wednesday. This year’s event will feature food from 48 downtown and Northside eateries, as well as live music. Taste of Iowa City “offers the perfect opportunity for new students and food lovers to experience the diverse culinary offerings from our local downtown restaurants and chefs” […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Johnson County Democrats select Swisher Mayor Julie Persons as their candidate for auditor
During a special convention on Saturday, the Johnson County Democratic Party selected Swisher Mayor Julie Persons as the party’s candidate for auditor in the Nov. 7 election. Persons will take the place of Travis Weipert on the ballot. Last month, Weipert, who had served as Johnson County Auditor for almost 12 years, resigned from office […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Market After Dark returns to Cedar Rapids on Saturday
Market After Dark is returning for its ninth year, as the Cedar Rapids Downtown Farmers Market’s 2024 season nears its end. There will be more than 125 market vendors offering their wares at the four-and-an-half-hour event, which starts at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday. “This festive event is known for its unique atmosphere where patrons 21 […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Centennial Iowa Snacks: Unlike a certain chip giant, Sterzing’s in Burlington has put quality over quantity since the ’30s
Barney Sterzing never meant to get into the potato chip business. In 1933, when he started the Burlington company that produces the iconic chips that bear his family name, it was the Sterzing Candy Company. But summers in Burlington are hot, and keeping a company going in the midst of the Great Depression was hard […]
Posted inCommunity/News
‘I don’t know how much higher we can go’: Rita Hart on an energizing DNC and the party’s future in Iowa
The contrast between the 2020 Democratic National Convention in Milwaukee and this year’s convention in Chicago could not be greater. In Milwaukee, activities were kept to a minimum and social distancing between participants was the rule, due to the then-poorly controlled COVID-19 pandemic. This year, the floor of the United Center is packed, and the […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Legal challenge to Iowa’s near-total abortion ban withdrawn; pro-choice PAC to spend $250,000 in the state ahead of Election Day
Last week, the legal challenge to Iowa’s new near-total abortion ban ended. On Thursday, the ACLU of Iowa filed a petition in Polk County District Court asking Judge Jeffrey Farrell to dismiss the lawsuit it filed in July 2023 on behalf of the Emma Goldman Clinic, Planned Parenthood of the Heartland (PPH) and its medical […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Gov. Reynolds rejects millions in aid for food-insecure Iowa families (again), instead asking feds to fund her own ‘monthly box’ program
On Thursday, Gov. Kim Reynolds announced she is again refusing to allow Iowans to participate in a USDA program that provides millions of dollars in direct assistance to families with children to help cover the increased cost of food during summer months when kids aren’t in school. “In Iowa, our focus is on the comprehensive […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Polk County Public Health is providing free Plan B as part of efforts to keep reproductive care accessible in Iowa
As Iowa adjusts to one of the most draconian abortion bans in the country, the Polk County Public Health Department is working to make sure people have access to emergency contraception. “We have FREE emergency contraceptive (aka Plan B/morning after pill) located in the bathrooms here at the Health Department – 1907 Carpenter Ave in […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Fire destroys the Lighthouse Inn, a Cedar Rapids landmark and one of Iowa’s oldest restaurants
The Lighthouse Inn, a century-old supper club and Cedar Rapids landmark, was destroyed by a fire on Wednesday morning. According to the Linn County Sheriff’s Office, shortly after 5 a.m., a 911 caller reported seeing “smoke and flame coming from the roof” of the Lighthouse. Deputies along with Cedar Rapids firefighters were dispatched to the […]
