Along with ice and snow, temporary tow-away zones are part of winter in Iowa City. Snow removal will begin in downtown Iowa City at 11 p.m. on Tuesday, and three hours later — 2 a.m. Wednesday morning — cars parked in metered spots from Prentiss Street to Market Street, Madison Street to Gilbert Street, as […]
Iowa City News
Posted inCommunity/News
Books pulled from Iowa City schools are being returned after judge issues injunction against SF 496
The Iowa City Community School District is returning the books it removed from school libraries because of a book ban in the sweeping education bill pushed through the Iowa Legislature by Republicans last year. Superintendent Matt Degner told district families and staff in an email on Friday that following a federal judge’s injunction stopping enforcement […]
Posted inEastern Iowa
CommUnity seeks community support as Project Holiday returns for its 36th year
This holiday season, CommUnity Crisis Services and Food Bank will provide all the necessary groceries to prepare a full holiday meal to almost 1,300 families in Johnson County. The Project Holiday program is in its 36th year, and the need for food bank assistance is greater than ever. “We’ve seen the need for food assistance […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Two holiday traditions, Holiday Tubas and the DVIP Holiday Store, return
Holiday Tubas, a 50-year-old Iowa City tradition, returns to the steps of the Old Capitol on Friday. Since 1973, tuba, sousaphone (the wrap-around tuba for marching) and euphonium (think tuba, but smaller) players have gathered to play holiday tunes in what Robert Yeats, a University of Iowa music professor in the ’70s and founder of […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Iowa City Starbucks Workers United, who find themselves at the center of a corporate lawsuit, protest unfair labor practices on ‘Red Cup Day’
Abi Scheppmann remembers the first Red Cup Day she worked at a Starbucks six years ago. “It was crazy,” she said. Red Cup Day is one of Starbucks’ biggest annual events. The company gives out free reusable plastic red cups to customers, if they buy a holiday-themed beverage. The cups feature that year’s holiday season […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Election roundup: History is made in DSM and CR, an incumbent defeats an incumbent in IC, school board voters send a message, bond votes go both ways
There were some history-making victories in the city and school board elections on Tuesday, as voters in Des Moines elected the city’s first woman mayor and, in Cedar Rapids, a member of the LGBTQ community won a seat on the city council for the first time. But for the most part, Tuesday’s elections followed the […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Bankruptcy judge approves University of Iowa’s purchase of Mercy Iowa City
The deal is finally done. On Monday, the judge overseeing the bankruptcy of Mercy Iowa City approved its sale to the University of Iowa. But the judge’s approval, which was needed for any deal to purchase Mercy’s assets, doesn’t mean all the details of the deal are in place just yet. “Mercy attorneys during a […]
Posted inCommunity/News
UI announces it has won Mercy Iowa City at auction, after the last purchase agreement collapses
Two weeks ago, Mercy Iowa City announced Preston Hollow Community Capital had won the bankruptcy auction for its assets, calling the Dallas-based specialty finance company’s $29 million bid the “highest and otherwise best bid.” All that remained was to finalize the provisions of the sales agreement for Mercy’s 234-bed Iowa City hospital, the Mercy Family […]
Posted inCommunity/News
‘More than 1,000 books’ removed from Iowa schools, as districts work to comply with new state book ban; Scholastic apologizes for book fair ‘bigot button’
The impact of the book banning provisions in SF 496, which Gov. Kim Reynolds signed into law in May, is becoming clearer as the Des Moines Register continues to update its database of books pulled from classrooms and school libraries. “More than 1,000 books have already been removed from 39 public school districts,” the Register […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Mercy Iowa City sale stalls as Mercy and the Texas-based auction winner disagree over terms
Last week, it seemed all the major issues surrounding Mercy Iowa City’s bankruptcy had been resolved. One of its principal creditors, Preston Hollow Community Capital, a Texas-based specialty finance company, had won the auction of Mercy’s assets, the hospital announced on Oct. 10. In a statement, Mercy called Preston Hollow’s bid the “highest and otherwise […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Iowa City Community School District releases list of 68 books it’s removed (so far) to comply with the new state law
On Monday, the Iowa City Community School District released the “current list” of books it has removed from schools in its “ongoing efforts to ensure compliance with Iowa law Senate File 496.” Gov. Kim Reynolds signed SF 496 into law in May, after it was pushed through the Iowa Legislature with only Republican votes. Among […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Iowa City to start charging a fee at its EV charging stations
Next week, Iowa City will begin charging the public to use its electric vehicle charging stations in the city’s parking ramps. Starting Monday, EV drivers topping off their batteries will have to pay 16 cents per kilowatt/hour. The city estimates the average EV driver will pay $4 for a four-hour charging session. “Payment should be […]
