By Cindy Hadish CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — The images are haunting. A devoted mother, happily holding her children. The same confidant-looking woman, dressed in stylish clothes. Her mugshots, taken at a Nazi prison, and the guillotine that cut her life short. The words Miloslava Gschwindová penned from prison are equally heartbreaking, particularly letters addressed to […]
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Year: 2026
End of an era: Rural Iowa parish suspend...
CHELSEA, Iowa — An annual festival celebrated for more than 100 years may have served its last chicken and ham dinner. Typically held the Sunday before Labor Day, St. Joseph’s Fall Festival has been canceled for 2026, after the Archdiocese of Dubuque instituted a restructuring plan for the Catholic church in Chelsea, Iowa, among its […]
Photos: 2026 Market After Dark vs. Bruce...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Brief showers only slightly dampened the 2026 Market After Dark, which went head-to-head with the return of Brucemorchestra. Both popular outdoor events took place on Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026, in Cedar Rapids. Orchestra Iowa’s concert, on the lawn of the historic Brucemore estate, returned for the first time since 2021, after […]
True crime: From award-winning architect...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Preservationists sometimes refer to the demolition of significant buildings as “truly criminal,” a phrase that has added meaning with the ruin of an iconic mid-Century building in northeast Cedar Rapids. Built as headquarters for the Western Fraternal Life Association (WFLA) in 1958, the award-winning building at 1900 First Ave. NE was […]
Cedar Rapids resident presents City Coun...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — More than 2,600 people signed a petition calling on the city to pause condemnation proceedings on a home that was rebuilt after the 2008 flood and has been occupied since. Ajai Dittmar, of 1426 First St. NW, presented the signatures to the Cedar Rapids City Council during its meeting Aug. 25, […]
Market After Dark returns to downtown Ce...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa – The popular Market After Dark makes a return to downtown Cedar Rapids this Saturday, Aug. 29, 2026. The free event runs from 6:30 to 11 p.m. with more than 100 vendors, live entertainment, beer, wine and more. See photos from last year’s Market After Dark. Vendors will line the streets of […]
Nearly two decades after record flooding...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — More than 18 years after floodwaters inundated Cedar Rapids and upended numerous lives, Ajai Dittmar and Greg Vail remain in a state of suspension. Uncertainty over the future of their home along the Cedar River hasn’t necessarily changed with a decision by the Cedar Rapids City Council to establish the fair […]
Experts to address impacts of power plan...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — A community conversation to discuss the effects of gas-fired power plants and data centers will feature two environmental and health experts. Hosted by the grassroots Save Morgan Valley organization, the free Water Facts Before Development event will be 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026, at Ushers Ferry Lodge, 5925 Seminole Valley […]
Select pieces of history saved in Czech ...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — As work progresses on changes to Czech Village, at least some pieces of the past are being saved. Sidewalk tiles, advertising former Czech Village businesses and organizations, started being removed in late July from a pedestrian walkway next to the former Sykora Bakery, 73 16th Ave. SW, with some still in […]
Emotions run high at Morgan Valley town ...
NOTE: Save Morgan Valley will host a free presentation by environmental experts from 6-8 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026, at Ushers Ferry, 5925 Seminole Valley Trail NE to address water, environment and health issues of data centers and power plants. CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Advocates with the grassroots Save Morgan Valley shared facts about Alliant […]