The year started with reactions to the new Trump administration — some involving careful city council deliberations, one involving fire — and such reactions continue throughout 2017. The year also saw elections for the school board, followed very quickly by a major change in leadership after the new board was sworn in. There were also city elections. In Cedar Rapids, voters had to choose a replacement for Mayor Ron Corbett, who decided to run for governor, instead of reelection. Iowa City made history by electing Mazahir Salih to the city council, the first Muslim to serve on the council and likely the first Sudanese-American woman elected to office in the entire country. In a preview of what is to come in 2018, Iowa City native son and LGBTQ activist Zach Wahls announced a run for state senate just before Christmas.
Cedar Rapids News
Posted inCommunity/News
History Center kicks off remodeling of century-old Douglas Mansion in Cedar Rapids
A ceremonial wall breaking kicked off renovation and restoration work at the historic Cedar Rapids Douglas Mansion, which will be the new home of the History Center and, if all goes to plan, should open in the fall next year.
Posted inCommunity/News
Toy drive for the kids of Cedar Rapids hotel employees, where workers say they haven’t been paid in weeks
First it was no paychecks. Now workers at what used to be the Clarion Hotel and Convention Center in Cedar Rapids are facing the possibility of no Christmas for their children. “There’s some people who haven’t been paid in going on a month and a half,” Ted Canfield, who works in the maintenance department of the hotel on 33rd Ave SW, told Little Village. A number of other hotel workers have posted the same online.
Posted inCommunity/News
NewBoCo Launch Day in Cedar Rapids celebrates startup businesses
The fourth NewBoCo Launch Day event on Thursday night showcased four of eight startups that have gone through this years’ Iowa Startup Accelerator in the hopes of turning innovative ideas into a reality.
Posted inCommunity/News
Cedar Rapids bans fireworks
Once was enough when it comes to fireworks in Cedar Rapids it seems. The Cedar Rapids City Council voted on Tuesday to ban the use of consumer fireworks within city limits. Last week, the council voted to restrict the sale of consumer fireworks to areas zoned for industrial use.
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Local high school musicians will join Lindsey Stirling during performance at U.S. Cellular Center
Eight local high school students will join Lindsey Stirling during her performance Tuesday at the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids. Sophie Pionek, a cellist from Jefferson High School in Cedar Rapids, said she learned that she would be playing with Stirling on Nov. 15, “the day we got our ACT scores back.”
Posted inCommunity/News
Voters will choose between Vernon and Hart for Cedar Rapids mayor on Tuesday
Voters choosing between Monica Vernon and Brad Hart in Tuesday’s run-off election for mayor of Cedar Rapids will find the candidates have much in common. Both list improving flood protection, fixing the city’s streets, fostering economic development and working with neighborhood associations to strengthen communities as priorities. At a candidate’s forum, neither expressed any current interest in serving more than one term, and both said they would not have run if Mayor Ron Corbett had sought reelection. Vernon and Hart even use the same phrase (“can-do”) on their campaign websites to describe the spirit of Cedar Rapids.
Posted inCommunity/News
Driverless car tests have started on I-380
Highway tests of driverless cars have begun on Interstate 380, between Cedar Rapids and Iowa City, Iowa Department of Transportation Director Mark Lowe said in an interview with Radio Iowa earlier this week. But this first phase of the testing is likely to disappoint anyone hoping to catch a glimpse of something futuristic while commuting […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Cedar Rapids Police Department is increasing traffic patrols this week
Cedar Rapids is increasing traffic patrols this week, as part of the statewide special Traffic Enforcement Program (sTEP). The Cedar Rapids Police Department is one of approximately 170 law enforcement agencies around the state, according to Pat Hoye, the bureau chief for the Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau (GTSB).
Posted inCommunity/News
Cedar Rapids casino rejected by state gaming commission. Again.
All three proposals for a casino in Cedar Rapids were rejected by the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission (IRGC) on Thursday. The five members of the commission voted 3 to 2 against the proposals, during their meeting at the Diamond Jo Casino in Dubuque.
Posted inCommunity/News
Time to speak up: Cedar Rapids school district holds three meetings this week on elementary school plans
The Cedar Rapids Community School District is holding three public input sessions gathering feedback on its Facilities Master Plan — which includes plans to close eight elementary schools and rebuild nine at an estimated cost of $216 million over 15 years.
Posted inCommunity/News
Eight candidates vie for the Cedar Rapids mayor’s office in the Nov. 7 election
There are eight candidates vying for mayor of Cedar Rapids, ranging in age from 27 to 71 and representing a variety of backgrounds and professions. Here’s a brief look at your options when you enter the voting booth on Nov. 7.
