Anthony Jensen didn’t know who Amara Andrews was when her name first came up during an Improv Incubator brainstorming session, as the group was trying to figure out potential guest performers for an upcoming show at CSPS in Cedar Rapids. Jensen, who co-founded the improv group in 2018, told Little Village he googled her name […]
Mayor Brad Hart
Posted inCommunity/News
Mayor Brad Hart again modifies mask mandate in Cedar Rapids
Cedar Rapids Mayor Brad Hart has further eased the mask mandate in Cedar Rapids to align with updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC announced on Thursday that fully vaccinated individuals can stop wearing their masks indoors. This guidance comes two weeks after the CDC issued recommendations that relaxed […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Cedar Rapids mayoral candidates face questions on systemic racism in policing and increasing equity at forum
The three candidates vying to be mayor of Cedar Rapids participated in a forum on Saturday evening that focused on improving diversity, equity and inclusion in the city. The forum, organized by the African American Professions of the Iowa Corridor, and was held at Sinclair Auditorium on the Coe College campus. Individuals were able to […]
Posted inCommunity/News, Election Coverage
Linn County mayors urge residents to vote ‘yes’ to extending local option sales tax
Linn County mayors and other officials are asking voters to extend the local option sales tax used to fund street repair and construction, in addition to other infrastructure projects. Voters in Cedar Rapids, Marion, Hiawatha, Robins and Fairfax should expect to see the referendum on the ballot this November. A majority of residents in the […]
Posted inCommunity/News, COVID-19
Mayor Brad Hart updates Cedar Rapids mask mandate to include most recent CDC guidance
Cedar Rapids Mayor Brad Hart has modified the city’s mask mandate to align with the most recent guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The mask mandate remains in place with updated language to reflect the CDC’s recommendations from last week that relax mask-wearing outdoors for people who are fully vaccinated. Fully […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Matthew 25 launches $1 million campaign to develop housing, nonprofit grocery store in Time Check neighborhood
Cedar Rapids nonprofit Matthew 25 kicked off a $1 million campaign this week to revitalize the Time Check neighborhood with new housing opportunities and a nonprofit grocery store as the community continues to recover from the 2008 flood. Matthew 25 executive director Clint Twedt-Ball said $400,000 will be used to build new housing and repair […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Linn County voters may see gambling referendum on the ballot this year
Local officials in Linn County are trying to decide if they should put the county’s gambling referendum on the ballot this year, as well as when the best time for a vote would be, the Gazette reported on Sunday. This would (again) bring Cedar Rapids a step closer in its attempt to develop a casino. […]
Posted inCommunity/News
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 […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Cedar Rapids Mayor Brad Hart is seeking reelection
Cedar Rapids Mayor Brad Hart announced on Tuesday he is seeking reelection for a second term in November. “We survived quite a year together,” Hart said in a news release. “Cedar Rapids has, once again, proven its resilience. The strength and compassion I saw displayed over the last year has impressed and inspired me. It […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Cedar Rapids Mayor Brad Hart issues face covering mandate
Nearly everyone in Cedar Rapids is now required to wear a face covering in public, according to a proclamation signed by Mayor Brad Hart on Wednesday. “For several months, I have been encouraging, even begging, for the voluntary use of masks by all residents in public in order to protect our residents and get us […]
Posted inCommunity/News
‘We will not be silenced’: Protesters in Cedar Rapids march to City Hall and leave messages for elected officials (Updated)
“It’s time we get into some ‘good trouble’ … and this is good trouble today,” Advocates for Social Justice (ASJ) member Jorel Robinson said at the start of Saturday’s protest in Cedar Rapids. Robinson was referencing the words of John Lewis, a civil rights leader and Georgia congressman who died on Friday. “We’ve come here […]
Posted inCommunity/News
Cedar Rapids officials ‘do not plan’ to hold more meetings with Advocates for Social Justice to discuss police reform
Cedar Rapids officials “do not plan to be part of any additional negotiation meetings” with the Advocates for Social Justice (ASJ), Mayor Brad Hart wrote in an email sent to the group on Friday morning. ASJ members expressed concerns and disappointment over the decision, but said they are not giving up on their efforts. The […]
