Home of Katrina Benning and Jeremiah Hopkins When Katrina Benning and Jeremiah Hopkins bought their 1959 home on the edge of Bever Park in Cedar Rapids six years ago, both had been homeowners before. But this was their first home together. Their blended family, which brought together her two children and his four in what […]
Derecho
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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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Stumped in Cedar Rapids? Derecho clean-up will continue through the spring
The City of Cedar Rapids continues to work on tree debris clean up more than seven months after the August 2020 derecho, including tree debris removal, replanting and stump grinding. “We look forward to this spring when our clean-up efforts will continue,” Mayor Brad Hart said in a news release. “Everyone can help as we […]
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City of Cedar Rapids is expanding its Rollin’ Recmobile program to also include a neighborhood resource center
The City of Cedar Rapids will add a mobile Neighborhood Resource Center to its Rollin’ Recmobile van. The addition is possible after the city received a $10,000 grant from the National League of Cities. Cedar Rapids was one of eight communities chosen for the funding as part of the organization’s 2021 Leadership in Community Resilience […]
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Seven months post-derecho, City of Cedar Rapids hires firm to assess disaster response
The City of Cedar Rapids has hired a disaster and change management consulting firm to develop an after-action report assessing the city’s response to the August 2020 derecho. Tennessee-based Atchison Consulting Service will be paid $25,000 through a contract with the city and will help identify strengths and areas of improvement through data collection, analysis […]
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Cedar Rapids’ derecho reforestation plan takes root March 9 with virtual meeting
The City of Cedar Rapids is hosting a virtual event on Tuesday, March 9, to share how the public can get involved in efforts to replant the tree canopy that was destroyed in the August 2020 derecho. Next week’s event will kick off the first part of the ReLeaf Cedar Rapids planning process. Individuals will […]
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Linn County wants to know how climate change is impacting residents, what actions should be prioritized
Linn County wants to know how climate change is affecting its residents and what climate action the county should prioritize. The county’s sustainability department is collecting public input through an online survey. The survey asks how residents think about climate change and what challenges they faced during climate disaster events, including the derecho and the […]
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Cedar Rapids is looking to bring back the city’s tree canopy ‘in the right way’
Officials involved with efforts to restore the tree canopy in Cedar Rapids hope a reforestation plan will serve as a “greenprint to maintain momentum” as tree replanting continues throughout the next decade. The Cedar Rapids City Council approved a memorandum of understanding with Trees Forever last Tuesday, authorizing the local nonprofit to create a reforestation […]
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Willie Ray’s Q Shack is expanding, a second location will open soon
Willie Fairley is opening a second location of his restaurant Willie Ray’s Q Shack. Fairley offered a sneak peek of the new location in a video he posted on Facebook. The second location will be at 266 Blairs Ferry Rd. NE, which is just a couple of minutes away from the first location at 288 […]
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Linn County climate czar Tamara Marcus reflects on derecho impact, lays out sustainability plans for 2021 and beyond
The Aug. 10 derecho showed why environmental justice and listening to the voices of those most vulnerable to climate change are important, said Linn County Sustainability Program Manager Tamara Marcus. Last month, the Linn County Board of Supervisors adopted a climate resolution that calls for the prioritization of the voices of vulnerable communities in Linn […]
