By Ellen Ballas, Iowa City Second-District Republican Marianette Miller-Meeks voted against the Paycheck Fairness Act (HR 7), an amendment to the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 that created a minimum wage under FDR. The Paycheck Fairness Act “addresses wage discrimination on the basis of sex,…”. Specifically, it limits an employer’s defense that a pay […]
Brazilian variant of COVID-19 virus detected in Johnson County

On Wednesday, interim director of the Iowa Department of Public Health Kelly Garcia confirmed the B.117 variant, the so-called U.K. variant, has become the dominant strain of COVID-19 in Iowa. On Thursday, IDPH announced the first case of the P.1 variant, known as the Brazilian variant, in Iowa. The Brazilian variant was detected by the […]
Weekender, April 15: Mirrorbox’s ‘Credible,’ Blame Not the Bard, a reading with Maria Kuznetsova

THE WEEKENDER Your weekly editor-curated arts compendium This weekend’s vibe is decidedly brainy, so I hope you brought your thinking caps. Prairie Lights presents readings from Maria Kuznetsova and Andrea Bajani; Grow Johnson County teaches teen gardeners the ropes; Art in the Afternoon presents Jason Snell, a multidisciplinary programmatic and AI creator; Dasia Taylor, Iowa […]
Board of Regents decides not to require COVID vaccinations for UI, ISU and UNI; Grinnell announces it will

Iowa’s three public universities will not require students or staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19, Iowa Board of Regents President Michael Richards announced at the board’s meeting in Ames on Wednesday. “I’d like to make it clear that while we continue to strongly encourage members of our campus community to get vaccinated, the regents universities […]
Iowa City Hy-Vee to hold a vaccine clinic Saturday

Hy-Vee will host an vaccination clinic in Iowa City on Saturday. The event is open to those 16 and older, and there will be 1,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine available, according to the company. “The clinic will be held Saturday, April 17 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. inside the former North Dodge Hy-Vee […]
CRCSD shares preliminary plans for 2021-22 school year, including continued use of face masks

The Cedar Rapids Community School District (CRCSD) will offer two options to families in the next academic year. For the 2021-22 school year, students will be able to choose between in-person learning or online learning through the Cedar Rapids Virtual Academy (CRVA), Superintendent Noreen Bush said during the Board of Education’s Monday meeting. The CRVA […]
ICCSD changes its COVID-19 quarantine policy amid rising rates

The Iowa City Community School District Board of Directors voted during its meeting on Tuesday to relax the district’s standards for when students need to quarantine due to potential exposure to COVID-19. ICCSD had been using the standards recommended by the CDC and Johnson County Public Health and the directors voted 6-1 to switch to […]
Artists can now submit proposals for two murals along the Cedar Valley Nature Trail

The Cedar Rapids Community Development Department is now accepting proposal from artists for two planned murals along the Cedar Valley Nature Trail. One mural will be under the 12th Avenue bridge along the southeast side, and the other mural will be under the 8th Avenue bridge, also along the southeast side. “Community art would beautify […]
IDPH tells vaccine sites to temporarily stop using J&J one-shot vaccine after CDC and FDA advise ‘pause’ for safety review

The Iowa Department of Public Health has advised all vaccine administrators in the state to temporary cease using the one-shot Johnson & Johnson following a joint statement on Tuesday morning from the CDC and FDA calling for “a pause in the use of this vaccine.” The CDC and FDA called for the pause in response […]
A 24-hour vaccine clinic will be held this weekend in downtown CR

There will be a 24-hour COVID-19 vaccine clinic this weekend at the DoubleTree, 350 1st Ave NE, in downtown Cedar Rapids, Linn County Public Health announced on Monday. Anyone 16 years and older is eligible to make an appointment. The large-scale clinic will begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday and run through 9 a.m. on […]
Letter to the editor: Individuals need government help on Earth Day

By Paul Deaton, Solon Earth Day is coming and politicians have been reviewing Iowa’s solar electricity generation capacity. State Rep. Ras Smith posted about his trip to a solar array in Decorah. Iowa Lieutenant Governor Adam Gregg, Sen. Joni Ernst, and Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks attended the dedication of a solar array in Wapello last week. […]