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 […]
Iowa City News
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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 […]
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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 […]
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‘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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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Mercy Iowa City bought in bankruptcy auction by Texas-based finance company
Preston Hollow Community Capital, the Texas-based specialty finance company that is Mercy Iowa City’s largest creditor, was the winning bidder in the bankruptcy auction of Mercy’s assets, which include the 234-bed Iowa City hospital, as well as the Mercy Family Medical Centers in Kalona, Tipton, West Liberty and Williamsburg. Mercy filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy […]
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Laura Bergus and Pauline Taylor finish first and second in District A primary, will be on November ballot in Iowa City
Current Iowa City councilmembers Laura Bergus and Pauline Taylor will be on the ballot for the council seat in District A in the November election after finishing first and second, respectively, in Tuesday’s primary election. Bergus finished far ahead of Taylor and the other candidate in the race, Tim Borchardt. Bergus received 58.4 percent of […]
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The 148-year-old building that’s home to Pagliai’s Pizza is up for sale; Iowa City officials to consider granting it landmark status
The address 302 E Bloomington St may not sound familiar to many, but almost everyone living in Iowa City, and generations of students and visitors, know Pagliai’s Pizza. The 19th century building in Iowa City’s Northside Neighborhood has been home to the iconic pizzeria since the ’70s, and its future is a topic for discussion […]
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Iowa City Public Library reopens after bomb threat Tuesday afternoon, continued threats Wednesday morning
The Iowa City Public Library was evacuated on Tuesday afternoon, after it received a bomb threat at approximately 3:30 p.m. The library remained closed on Tuesday, even after bomb-detection dogs from the University of Iowa Police Department swept the building. ICPL reopened on its regular schedule Wednesday morning. According to a written statement issued by […]
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Hamburg Inn No. 2 will reopen later this year under new ownership
Hamburg Inn No. 2, a fixture of Iowa City’s Northside for 75 years, will reopen this fall, the restaurant’s new owners said on Monday. Hamburg Inn closed suddenly in July. It was the second time it shut down this year. “The Burg needs some fixing up,” Nate Kaeding of Gold Cap Hospitality said in a […]
