About 5,600 people in the Cedar Rapids area are still without internet nearly a month after the Aug. 10 derecho. The main internet providers in the area — ImOn Communications and Mediacom — provided an update during the Cedar Rapids City Council’s Tuesday meeting. Lisa Rhatigan, vice president of marketing at ImOn Communications, said 10 […]
Community/News
Posted inCommunity/News
Judges reject requests from Iowa City and Des Moines school districts for injunctions against Reynolds’ school mandates
Judges in Johnson County and Polk County denied requests from school districts for temporary injunctions blocking the state from enforcing Gov. Kim Reynolds’ mandate that schools provide at least 50 percent in-person instruction, unless the Iowa Department of Education (DOE) decides the spread of COVID-19 in a school district is severe enough to allow more […]
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Wilson’s Orchard evolves their image with a focus on new crops, sustainability
Since Wilson’s Apple Orchard first opened to the public 35 years ago, the visitor experience has been centered around exactly what you would expect: apples. Over the last four decades, thousands of visitors have journeyed to the orchard in autumn to pick apples, sip apple cider slushies, eat apple turnovers and buy Wilson’s merch featuring […]
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Amid protests and change, Iowa police training on implicit bias varies
By Danielle Gehr, IowaWatch In 2015, the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy lacked training on implicit bias. As a cadet there then, Natasha Greene sought discussions on her own about some of the mistaken beliefs officers might hold of others, such as expecting a black person to be dangerous or more crime prone from stereotypes, ideas […]
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COVID-19: Fauci says Iowa is at risk of a post-Labor Day surge; more than 1,000 new cases and 23 deaths reported
Iowa was one of seven states Dr. Anthony Fauci singled out as needing to take precautions over the Labor Day weekend to prevent a further surge in COVID-19 cases. “There are several states that are at risk for surging, namely North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Arkansas, Missouri, Indiana, Illinois,” Fauci said in an interview with […]
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Almost 800 cases of COVID-19 have been reported among UI students this week
The University of Iowa began its Friday COVID-19 update with an optimistic-sounding statement. “Following a disappointing spike in COVID-19 cases last week, both Johnson County and the University of Iowa are seeing an improvement in the number of daily positive cases,” the statement on the UI COVID-19 information page said. “UI Health Care administrators say […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Two grassroots groups are fighting against the odds to save The Mill, Iowa City’s ‘cultural crossroads’
If three months into Iowa’s COVID-19 pandemic there were some locals who still hoped life might return to normal someday, the announcement that The Mill restaurant and music venue was being sold off was likely a wake-up call. The Mill, 120 E Burlington St, was a stomping ground for generations of townies and a destination […]
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Iowa Secretary of State limits use of drop boxes for absentee ballots, leaving Linn County with only one
County auditors in Iowa are allowed to collect absentee ballots using drop boxes, as long as they follow the new guidance from the Secretary of State’s Office that limits where those drop boxes can be placed. The Secretary of State’s Office previously said Iowa law does not allow county auditors to use drop boxes to […]
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City of Cedar Rapids announces changes to transit system
Cedar Rapids Transit will make changes to its schedules and routes starting Tuesday. The changes are intended to improve bus service by “streamlining routes, reducing travel times, shifting service from lower-use to higher-use areas and adding service frequency,” according to the city. The change will include additional morning and afternoon weekday peak service on hourly […]
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Iowa City releases body-camera footage of law enforcement officers tear-gassing protesters on June 3
Three months after law enforcement officers used tear gas, pepper spray, flash-bang grenades and other munitions on protesters marching up Dubuque Street on June 3, Iowa City released two police body-camera videos from that night. The Iowa City Council had directed City Manager Geoff Fruin to release the footage at its Tuesday night meeting. During […]
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En Español: My family back in Mexico is finally getting a home phone!
Felicidad en una imagen borrosa Para los que hemos dejado nuestros lugares de origen y que ahora vivimos en Estados Unidos, el Otro Lado, el uso de las redes de comunicación es una necesidad—acortamos distancias y seguimos presentes. En mi caso, el mantener una comunicación constante con mi familia ha sido una experiencia complicada. Crecí […]
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Barbecue to the rescue: Willie Fairley plans to feed derecho victims ‘until everyone’s back on their feet’
Willie Fairley’s phone has not stopped ringing. Fairley told Little Village he’s gotten calls from “all over the world” letting him know they appreciate the work he’s doing and asking how they can support him. Fairley, owner of Willie Ray’s Q Shack in Cedar Rapids, has been making hundreds of free meals for people impacted […]
