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 […]
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Category: Cedar Rapids
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 […]
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 […]
Morgan Valley power plant opponents voic...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Opponents of the proposed Morgan Valley Energy Center have approached the Cedar Rapids City Council about its role in the project, even as many of them are not allowed to speak at council meetings. Alliant Energy plans to build the 720-megawatt, natural gas power plant near the corner of Highway 30 […]
New ice cream shop opens in former Cedar...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — It’s been a soft opening this weekend for a new soft-serve ice cream shop. Dottie’s Ice Cream & Soda, 3304 First Ave. NE, opened for business on May 30, 2026. “We made it,” owner Cassie Kehe said of the opening, which achieved their target goal to open this month. Kehe was […]
Freedom Festival Parade moves out of Ced...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — A long-standing highlight of the Freedom Festival will make a move this summer. The Freedom Festival Parade, typically held in downtown Cedar Rapids or in the Czech Village/New Bohemia District, is moving to Hiawatha. The parade is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday, June 27, 2026. A new event, Stars and Stripes […]
With lone dissent, Cedar Rapids School B...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Change is coming to the Cedar Rapids Community School District, after the Board of Education voted on boundary changes and a “redesign” and consolidation that includes school closures and adding intermediate schools. About 40 community members attended the School Board’s meeting on April 27, 2026, with eight members of the public […]
Cedar Rapids joins nationwide protest of...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Demonstrators in Cedar Rapids rallied against the Trump administration’s expansion of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement warehouse detentions as part of a nationwide day of action. Dozens of people lined 12th Avenue near Third Street SE, across from NewBo City Market, on a sunny spring afternoon Saturday, April 25, 2026. The […]
Final days as beloved Cedar Rapids cafe ...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Emmanuel Taylor is among the many loyal customers who will miss stopping in at the original location of the Salsa Guy Cafe. “I like the quaintness of it,” Taylor said, while picking up lunch on one of the cafe’s final days at 2874 Mt. Vernon Road SE, not far from where […]
Pro-life isn’t just for the unborn, ‘Dea
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Decades after first accompanying a death row inmate to his execution, Sister Helen Prejean is still full of life. “Can y’all handle southern?” the Catholic nun, who turns 87 next week, joked to an audience of more than 200 people who turned out to hear her speak April 13, 2026, at […]