2020 has been a fraught and fractious year. It seems like every morning we wake to find ourselves beset by a new calamity demanding our full attention. While it is our duty as decent human beings and good citizens to be informed and to put our minds and bodies to the task of creating a […]
Community/News
Posted inCommunity/News
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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Iowa reports 676 new cases of COVID-19, the biggest one-day increase in almost a month
On Thursday, Iowa saw its biggest one-day increase in the number of COVID-19 cases since June 4. As of 10 a.m., the Iowa Department of Public Health was reporting another 676 Iowans had tested positive for the virus during the previous 24 hours. That is the fourth-highest one-day total the state has had since COVID-19 […]
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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 […]
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Iowa City schools will require face coverings as part of its reopening plan
The Iowa City Community School District Board of Directors reviewed options for the district to resume classes in the fall during a special board meeting on Tuesday night. Matt Degner, who is transitioning from assistant superintendent to interim superintendent, provided the board with the current details of the district’s Return to Learn Plan. Degner said […]
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Hiking Kent Park, home to prairies, ponds and picturesque views
F.W. Kent Park in Oxford is one of eastern Iowa’s most picturesque and diverse parks — 1,052 square acres of forest, lakes and prairie and an ideal spot for hiking, camping, picnicking, birdwatching and (in non-pandemic times) letting your kids loose on the park’s playground or at a youth summer camp. Kent Park’s most popular […]
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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Another 39 Johnson County residents test positive for COVID-19
The Iowa Department of Public Health reported 349 more Iowans had tested positive for COVID-19 during the 24-hour period ending at 10 a.m. on Wednesday. Johnson County residents made up 11 percent of that total. The 39 confirmed cases reported in Johnson County on Wednesday mark the 15th consecutive day the county has seen a […]
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Judge blocks Iowa’s new 24-hour abortion waiting period from going into effect
A Johnson County District Court judge issued a temporary injunction on Tuesday blocking enforcement of the new 24-hour waiting period for abortions passed by the Iowa legislature last month. The waiting period was scheduled to take effect on July 1. “We’re glad that patients can seek abortion care without the burden of a state-mandated delay […]
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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 […]
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‘It hurts, it really does’: Advocates for Social Justice feel silenced as Cedar Rapids starts process of forming police review board
Members of the Advocates for Social Justice (ASJ) said they feel their voices are being silenced after virtually meeting with city officials last week to discuss how to move forward with establishing a citizens review board in Cedar Rapids. The grassroots group has been meeting with city leaders over the last few weeks to discuss […]
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COVID-19: Surge continues in Johnson County, state changes how it counts ‘recovered’ cases, Reynolds sees positive signs
Johnson County’s unprecedented streak of daily double-digit increases in new cases of COVID-19 has now lasted two weeks. At 10 a.m. on Tuesday, the Iowa Department of Public Health was reporting a total of 1,134 confirmed cases of the virus in Johnson County, an increase of 38 since the same time on Monday. During the […]
