“When the storm passed through Cedar Rapids and we could venture back outside, we all saw our beloved trees laying across lawns, streets, on homes. So many homes were devastated. Neighborhoods were unrecognizable,” Mayor Brad Hart told the crowd at Bever Park on Tuesday morning to commemorate the August 2020 derecho. “In the midst of […]
City of Cedar Rapids
Posted inCommunity/News
Cedar Rapids and Marion will celebrate recovery efforts one year after the derecho
Nearly a year ago, the word “derecho” became a regular part of the vocabulary of Linn County residents. The powerful wind storm wrecked havoc through Iowa on Aug. 10, 2020, severely damaging Cedar Rapids and other parts of Linn County. Three days after the storm, Cedar Rapids City Manager Jeff Pomeranz expressed how “every area […]
Posted inCOVID-19
Cedar Rapids requires mask wearing in city-owned buildings
The City of Cedar Rapids is requiring all visitors to city-owned buildings to wear a mask, regardless of vaccination status. The change is in line with the most recent guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week, the city said in a news release. The CDC’s pivot about fully vaccinated individuals […]
Posted inCommunity/News
‘If we’re not educated, how can we fight?’: Rally in Greene Square Park addresses human trafficking in Iowa
Driving through Cedar Rapids gave Heather Brown goosebumps. To the dozens of people gathered at Greene Square Park on Friday, Brown shared the story of the first time she was trafficked in the area during a football game at the University of Iowa in 2010. “We stopped at a Hy-Vee and were loaded on a […]
Posted inCommunity/News
The final four design options for the new Cedar Rapids flag revealed
Cedar Rapids is one step closer to having a new city flag, and now residents are being asked to help make the final selection. Anyone interested can read the meaning behind each design and then rank their choices from most favorite to least in an online survey. The deadline to submit the rankings is Tuesday, […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Cedar Rapids’ Bever Woods neighborhood proposed for National Register of Historic Places designation
The City of Cedar Rapids has decided to nominate the Bever Woods neighborhood to the National Register of Historic Places. Individuals residing in this southeast neighborhood are invited to an hour-long meeting at 6 p.m. on Wednesday evening at the Bever Park pavilion to learn more about the process. An email and letter were sent […]
Posted inCommunity/News
City of Cedar Rapids wraps up tree debris collection
The City of Cedar Rapids has wrapped up its tree debris collection almost 11 months after the 2020 derecho. This city’s free services included curbside collection, street tree removals, removing uprooted stumps and root balls, and a pick-up through alleys. City workers removed 4 million cubic yards of tree debris in the months following the […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Hundreds of volunteers will spend a week repairing low-income Cedar Rapids housing this month
Cedar Rapids nonprofit Matthew 25 is looking for volunteers of all skill levels to help with home repair and maintenance projects as part of their sixth annual Transform Week. This year’s Transform Week will take place from Monday, June 21, through Friday, June 25. Volunteers will help homeowners in the Taylor and Time Check neighborhoods […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Cedar Rapids City Council approves $8 million settlement in CRPD shooting of Jerime Mitchell
The Cedar Rapids City Council voted on Tuesday to approve the $8 million settlement agreement in the civil lawsuit filed by Jerime Mitchell and his wife Bracken. The Mitchells filed their lawsuit against the City of Cedar Rapids and former police officer Lucas Jones, who shot and paralyzed Mitchell in 2016. The resolution to move […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Urban Dreams community food pantry served more than 160 Cedar Rapids families in its first month
In its first month, a new Cedar Rapids community food pantry has served the needs of more than 160 families. The community pantry, which opened in mid-April, is a project of Urban Dreams, a Des Moines-based nonprofit. Elizabeth Buch, workforce development coordinator at Urban Dreams, said the number is great but that the food pantry […]
Posted inCommunity/News, COVID-19
More than a year after closing their buildings to the public, Linn County and Cedar Rapids prepare to re-open doors
The City of Cedar Rapids and Linn County governments are preparing to re-open their facilities to the public after more than a year of being closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Linn County Board of Supervisors voted on Wednesday to open county buildings to the public on Monday, June 7. County buildings have been […]
Posted inCommunity/News
City of Cedar Rapids paid $619,000 to defend former officer Lucas Jones
The City of Cedar Rapids paid $619,000 to defend former Cedar Rapids police officer Lucas Jones against the civil lawsuit filed by Jerime Mitchell and his wife Bracken, the Associated Press reported on Thursday. The city incurred $688,000 in legal expenses during the lawsuit, including the $619,000 paid to Lynch Dallas law firm that represented […]
