An $8 million settlement has been reached in the civil lawsuit filed by Jerime “Danky” Mitchell and his wife Bracken against the City of Cedar Rapids and former police officer Lucas Jones over a November 2016 traffic stop during which Jones shot and paralyzed Mitchell. The amount will set a record for a settlement in […]
Cedar Rapids
Posted inCommunity/News
Cedar Rapids school board approves new names for two elementary schools
When getting input from Cedar Rapids students and families of what the new Coolidge and Jackson elementaries should be named, Jackson’s principal Nick Duffy said there was a “common theme” in the suggestions — the August derecho. “Given that we had experienced a significant natural disaster this summer in the wake of the derecho and […]
Posted inCommunity/News
CRCSD Superintendent Noreen Bush receives national award
Superintendent Noreen Bush of the Cedar Rapids Community School District (CRCSD) was honored with a national superintendent award on Friday. Bush was named the recipient of the award from AASA, The School Superintendents Association during its 2021 Women in School Leadership Awards virtual ceremony. “Our program is designed to recognize the exceptional leadership from exemplary […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Ninth annual Cedar Rapids Restaurant Week kicks off Saturday
Cedar Rapids Restaurant Week is kicking off its eight days of creative cuisine on Saturday, Feb. 20. The start of the ninth annual Restaurant Week will be celebrated via a Facebook Live event, according to the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance. The Metro Economic Alliance announced in December that the usual kick-off event, Fork & […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Locals invited to suggest new features for Jones Park as city closes golf course
A pickleball court? A dog park? Pollinator space, perhaps? The City of Cedar Rapids is looking for ideas for repurposing Jones Golf Course. The city is collecting input from residents through a survey, which is the first part of a comprehensive strategic planning process for Jones Park, according to a news release. Jones Golf Course […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Bernie Sanders stays warm, becomes a meme, starts popping up in Iowa City, Cedar Rapids and Marion
Sen. Bernie Sanders suddenly seems to be everywhere. In little over a day, the Vermont senator has movie cameos, appeared in classic paintings, visited New York and joined the crew of he starship Enterprise — all thanks to a photo from President Joe Biden’s inauguration. The original photo was taken by photographer Brendan Smialowski for […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Save CR Heritage rescues 115-year-old home, which will become its headquarters
Save CR Heritage has not only saved another older home from demolition, but this time it gained its first headquarters. Officials at Mercy Medical Center agreed to sell the house on 606 Fifth Ave SE to Save CR Heritage for $1 with a three-year lease on the land. The nonprofit dedicated to raising awareness about […]
Posted inCOVID-19
CRCSD students will return to in-person instruction next week
Students in the Cedar Rapids Community School District (CRCSD) will return to in-person learning the week of Dec. 7, the district announced on Thursday. CRCSD began district-wide remote learning on Thursday, Nov. 12, after its two-week waiver was approved by the Department of Education. The district then applied for another waiver to extend virtual learning […]
Posted inCommunity/News
CRCSD applies for waiver to continue all-online learning after Thanksgiving break
The Cedar Rapids Community School District (CRCSD) has applied for another waiver from the Iowa Department of Education (DOE) to extend virtual learning by another two weeks following Thanksgiving break, Superintendent Noreen Bush announced on Tuesday in a message to families. CRCSD began district-wide remote learning on Thursday, Nov. 12, after its two-week waiver was […]
Posted inCommunity/News
CR Schools Superintendent discusses remote learning and COVID-19 in district schools
Cedar Rapids families should know by next Tuesday if the Cedar Rapids Community School District (CRCSD) will apply for another virtual instruction waiver or if students can expect to return to in-person classes after Thanksgiving. Superintendent Noreen Bush said the district will be closely following three main metrics — staff absences, impact on the healthcare […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Maurice Davis couldn’t find a book about entrepreneurship featuring children of color. So he wrote one.
Cedar Rapids entrepreneur Maurice Davis was looking to get a book for his little sisters about entrepreneurship. He wanted to work with them on problem-solving and introduce them to entrepreneurial thinking. While he found a handful of children’s books that touched on the subject, the characters in those books didn’t look like his sisters. “Education […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Mount Mercy University adjusts to fall semester shaped by the derecho, COVID-19 and its president resigning
Students and faculty at Mount Mercy University (MMU) in Cedar Rapids are adjusting to a new normal this fall semester. When students began their semester in early September — whether that was through online or hybrid instruction — the campus was already dealing the impacts of the Aug. 10 derecho and the COVID-19 pandemic. Two […]
