There will be a 24-hour COVID-19 vaccine clinic this weekend at the DoubleTree, 350 1st Ave NE, in downtown Cedar Rapids, Linn County Public Health announced on Monday. Anyone 16 years and older is eligible to make an appointment. The large-scale clinic will begin at 9 a.m. on Saturday and run through 9 a.m. on […]
coronavirus
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Linn Street closed from Market to Bloomington, as outdoor dining on the street returns
Curbside pickup has given way to street-wide dining on a short stretch of North Linn Street, as picnic tables replace parking spots again to allow for outside dining with safe social distancing.
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Vaccination clinic with one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine will be held at Collins Aerospace on Monday and Tuesday (updated)
Update: Linn County Public Health announced on Tuesday morning it is cancelling the second day of the vaccination clinic at Collins Aerospace. The clinic was using the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, and early on Tuesday the CDC and FDA issued a statement calling for a pause in the use of that vaccine while safety data […]
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Homelessness was increasing in Iowa. Then COVID-19 and the derecho hit.
A total of 2,647 Iowans were homeless on a single night in January 2020, a 14.3 percent increase from January 2019. The number of people experiencing homelessness in Iowa was increasing even before the COVID-19 pandemic. Then came the August 2020 derecho that caused nearly $4 billion in damage, with at least $83 million of […]
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Two Iowa teachers reflect on a year of pandemic schooling
“Create a connection with the student [and] the work will come naturally, no matter how unusual the virtual format.” That’s the advice Jefferson High School teacher Joe Link would have given himself in March 2020. More than one year ago, Iowa schools closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, disrupting education and changing how teachers interacted […]
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Linn County health officials express frustration over state’s allocation of vaccine and lack of local control
In a three-page email to Gov. Kim Reynolds’ office and the Iowa Department of Public Health, Linn County officials questioned and criticized the state’s allocation of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine, as well as pleaded for local control to allocate the single-dose vaccine to vulnerable populations. Tricia Kitzmann, who is Linn County Public Health’s […]
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Gov. Reynolds doesn’t answer question about political divide on vaccines, announces college vaccination programs
As Iowa prepares to for its largest expansion of eligibility for COVID-19 vaccination — everyone 16 and older for the Pfizer vaccine, and those 18 and older for both Moderna and Johnson & Johnson — Gov. Kim Reynolds was asked at her weekly news conference if she any insight into why many people in a […]
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Cedar Rapids NAACP working with Linn County Public Health to hold two vaccine clinics next week (Updated)
Update: Linn County Public Health announced on Friday the times for the two vaccine clinics. The clinic on Tuesday, April 6, will run from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. The clinic on Saturday, April 10, will be held from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Instead of receiving the two-dose Moderna vaccine as originally announced, individuals […]
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Iowa’s Ride announces new schedule: A weekend in Eldora instead of a week-long cross-state ride
When former RAGBRAI director T.J. Juskiewicz announced the creation of Iowa’s Ride in October 2019, he described a week-long cycling event across Iowa that would rival the internationally famous Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa. Juskiewicz now lives in Arizona, where he’s executive director of a different cycling event, and Iowa’s Ride has scaled […]
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Online students will have to return to school buildings for statewide standardized tests (Updated)
Update: On Tuesday, the Iowa City Community School District sent out an email “intended to clarify” the email it sent on Monday to families of students in the district’s Online Learning Program regarding the standardized test students in Grades 3-11 are required to take. There will be an online version of the ISASP test conducted […]
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Help with past due rent, utility bills and mortgage payments available for eligible Iowans
Starting on Monday, Iowans behind on their rent, utility bills or mortgage payments due to COVID-19 will be able to receive assistance paying what they owe. At 2 p.m. on March 29, the online application process for both the Iowa Rent and Utility Assistance Program and the COVID-19 Iowa Foreclosure Prevention Program will begin. “I’m […]
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Cedar Rapids city pools will open this summer
Cedar Rapids municipal pools will open this summer with a phased approach, the city announced on Tuesday. Modifications will be made to follow health guidelines and the city’s plans are flexible if changes need to be made due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Noelridge Aquatic Center will open on Saturday, May 29, which is Memorial […]
