Members of the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission heard mostly favorable comments Wednesday about a proposed new casino in Cedar Rapids, as well as some concerns from people affiliated with a group, Iowans for Common Sense, launched to oppose casino expansion in the state. The IRGC meeting was held at the Kirkwood Center in Cedar […]
Cedar Rapids News
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After a record-breaking year, Mount Trashmore is canned for the winter
After a record-breaking season that saw almost 30,000 people visit the former landfill turned greenspace, Mount Trashmore is closing for the winter. Trashmore’s trails and the overlook pavilion at its peak will close at 4 p.m. on Tuesday. They will reopen in the spring “when the weather allows,” according to the Cedar Rapids/Linn County Solid […]
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Cedar Rapids Public Library to hold groundbreaking ceremony for new Westside Library
The Cedar Rapids Public Library (CRPL) will hold a groundbreaking ceremony for its new Westside Library next week. Work on the project began in 2022, when the Cedar Rapids Public Library Foundation acquired land for the new facility near the corner of 20th Avenue SW and Wiley Blvd SW. The Westside Library will replace the current […]
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Mount Mercy University to bring football program, possibly marching band to campus
Mount Mercy University leaders, as well as their partners at St. Ambrose University, are hoping to increase enrollment, provide more opportunities for students and strengthen community ties with an expansion to its athletics offerings. The private college in Cedar Rapids announced Friday that it will add a football team to its athletics program as early […]
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Cedar Rapids water main rupture kills more than 1,200 fish in Iowa’s only urban trout stream
More than 1,200 fish in Cedar Rapids’ McLoud Run, Iowa’s only urban trout stream, died this week after a broken water main dumped chlorinated water into the creek on Monday. McLoud Run flows for two miles through a wooded area along the Cedar Valley Nature Trail and adjacent to I-380. It has been a favorite […]
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Together We Achieve will be able to keep its Cedar Rapids food pantry open for now
Last week, Together We Achieve (TWA) launched an emergency fundraiser to keep its food pantry open. The Cedar Rapids nonprofit had seen some of the funding it was counting on fall through, and was no longer able to restock the shelves and coolers at its pantry and community resources center (1150 27th Ave SW). Founder […]
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As one Cedar Rapids food pantry holds emergency fundraiser, another closes after almost 20 years
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. […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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St. Ambrose University, Mount Mercy University announce plans to merge
St. Ambrose University in Davenport and Mount Mercy University in Cedar Rapids took their first steps toward becoming one institution Thursday. The university leaders signed a commitment in which Mount Mercy will eventually come under the ownership of St. Ambrose while still retaining its campus, name and offerings to students. The proposal started about a […]
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Iowa AG’s Office says CRPD officers were justified in fatal shooting of mentally ill man
Content warning: This article contains details of a police-involved shooting. The fatal shooting of a man by Cedar Rapids Police Department officers on April 6 was justified, according to a report issued on Monday by the Iowa Attorney General’s Office. Three CRPD officers fired their weapons at 39-year-old David Vanderhamm after Vanderhamm pointed the weapon […]
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‘A symbol of hope’: Tour highlights history of Harrison Elementary in Cedar Rapids, slated for demolition
Save CR Heritage hosted tours of Harrison Elementary School on Friday and Saturday to increase awareness of the school’s history and generate support for preserving the almost century-old building. Harrison is slated for demolition in the Cedar Rapids Community School District’s current Facilities Master Plan. The building received a temporary reprieve earlier this year, when […]
