The Cedar Rapids City Council gave final approval on Tuesday to the establishment of an independent citizen review board that will oversee the Cedar Rapids Police Department. The board will be responsible for reviewing police data and policies, implementing a program of community outreach and be part of future police chief candidate selection committees. The […]
Cedar Rapids News
Posted inCommunity/News
Linn County will receive an increased number of COVID-19 vaccines through the end of February
Linn County’s vaccine allocation will increase for the remainder of February, although public health officials are still expecting it to take “weeks to months” to vaccinate residents in Phase 1B. Starting this week, the county will receive about 3,000 doses per week for the next three weeks, said Heather Meador, Linn County Public Health’s Clinical […]
Posted inCommunity/News
‘Absolutely mind-boggling’: Gov. Reynolds didn’t ask for the IDPH’s opinion before eliminating statewide mask mandate
Gov. Kim Reynolds did not consult with the Iowa Department of Public Health before eliminating the limited statewide mask mandate that had been in place since mid-November, according to state Sen. Claire Celsi. The Des Moines Democrat tweeted on Monday that she “listened in on a phone call” between interim Iowa Department of Public Health […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Free rides to COVID-19 vaccine appointments available to Linn County residents
Linn County LIFTS is now providing free next-day rides for county residents who have a scheduled COVID-19 vaccine appointment. Individuals in need of transportation assistance who are traveling to or from a Linn County vaccine provider are eligible for a ride from Linn County LIFTS, the county announced on Monday. The rides are only for […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Five Linn County school superintendents ask Gov. Reynolds to prioritize vaccinating school staff
Five Linn County school superintendents sent a joint letter to Gov. Kim Reynolds on Monday asking for additional COVID-19 vaccine doses to be allocated to the state’s priority populations in light of the Feb. 15 deadline for school districts to provide all in-person instruction. The superintendents ask state officials to reallocate 64,000 doses of vaccine […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Biden administration teaming up with pharmacies to get vaccines to underserved populations
The Biden administration announced a new partnership between the federal government and retail pharmacies on Tuesday, which will provide vaccines directly to selected pharmacies. This is a different program than the one that has been used to vaccinate residents and workers at long-term care facilities, and is intended to increase access to vaccines in a […]
Posted inCommunity/News
NewBo City Market introduces Hatchery program to provide resources, support for entrepreneurs
NewBo City Market has launched an entrepreneurial development program intended to assist underserved entrepreneurs wanting to start a food or retail business. The Hatchery is meant to help entrepreneurs who typically face more barriers to entering the marketplace, including people of color, immigrants, women and people in the LGBTQ community, said Julie Parisi, the market’s […]
Posted inCommunity/News
‘It is a milestone day’: Cedar Rapids City Council unanimously approves police review board during first vote
The Cedar Rapids City Council unanimously advanced an ordinance that puts the city one step closer to establishing an independent citizen review board for the Cedar Rapids Police Department. Tuesday’s vote was the first of three required to enact the ordinance. If approved in February, Cedar Rapids will be the second city in the state […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Willie Ray’s Q Shack is expanding, a second location will open soon
Willie Fairley is opening a second location of his restaurant Willie Ray’s Q Shack. Fairley offered a sneak peek of the new location in a video he posted on Facebook. The second location will be at 266 Blairs Ferry Rd. NE, which is just a couple of minutes away from the first location at 288 […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Cedar Rapids Mayor Brad Hart is seeking reelection
Cedar Rapids Mayor Brad Hart announced on Tuesday he is seeking reelection for a second term in November. “We survived quite a year together,” Hart said in a news release. “Cedar Rapids has, once again, proven its resilience. The strength and compassion I saw displayed over the last year has impressed and inspired me. It […]
Posted inCommunity/News, COVID-19
Linn County will begin offering COVID-19 vaccine to residents 65 and older starting Tuesday
Linn County residents 65 and older will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine starting on Tuesday, but vaccine supply remains limited, Linn County Public Health officials announced Monday. MercyCare clinics, UnityPoint Health Clinics and various independent healthcare providers will begin contacting patients on Monday to provide an opportunity to schedule a vaccination appointment. Residents […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Cargill expects its Cedar Rapids rail yard to be operational by November
Cargill’s Cedar Rapids rail yard is expected to be operational by November, officials involved with the project shared during a virtual town hall meeting on Wednesday. The meeting was scheduled by Cargill to give residents an update on the construction timeline and an opportunity to provide feedback on the design and placement of the sound […]
