UPDATED: Dec. 15, 2021, with information about consent decree with Abatement Specialties. Just a few years after being ordered to create educational videos to settle asbestos violations at Washington High School, the Cedar Rapids Community School District has been ordered to pay a penalty for similar violations at Kennedy High School. Under the settlement with […]
Omicron variant confirmed in Iowa as sta...
On the heels of reporting record numbers of Iowans hospitalized this year due to COVID-19, health officials announced the state’s first confirmation of the Omicron variant. The Iowa Department of Public Health released the following on Thursday, Dec. 9, 2021: The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) and the State Hygienic Lab (SHL) confirmdetection of […]
DNR releases name of hunter killed in Io...
Officers with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) responded to four deer hunting incidents over the first weekend of December 2021 — one related to property damage, one minor injury, one serious injury and one fatality — and one related to pheasant hunting. The DNR released the following: — An individual was shot in […]
Neighbors win one round in battle agains...
UPDATED 10 p.m. with statement from Cargill Residents opposed to Cargill constructing an industrial railyard in a prairie pollinator zone in their Cedar Rapids neighborhood were unfairly denied a hearing, according to the Iowa Court of Appeals. The court ordered in its Nov. 23, 2021, opinion that plaintiffs Rob and Kate Hogg and neighboring homeowners […]
Iowa City conference aims to save the pl...
IOWA CITY, Iowa – After going virtual last year, the annual Iowa Organic Conference plans to return to an in-person format for 2021. The 21st annual Iowa Organic Conference will be held Nov. 28-29, at the University of Iowa in Iowa City. Organizers will be monitoring COVID status and University of Iowa guidance, and will […]
Testing grounds: Iowa City couple transf...
By Cindy Hadish/for Lure magazine Kristy and Bob Walker each made a wish list of features to include in the home they were building in rural Iowa City, intending to cross off items as they learned what they could afford. Their bank didn’t say “no” to anything. The result: Kristy has her indoor pool and […]
Indoor farmers markets get underway in I...
Outdoor farmers markets in Iowa generally end their seasons in October, with indoor markets closely following behind. Locally grown squash, apples, root crops, such as potatoes and onions, and other produce is still available, along with local honey, meats, nuts, baked goods, handcrafted items and more. Special holiday markets in Iowa City return this year, […]
No fear: Daylight Saving Time continues ...
Don’t worry about setting your clocks back an hour until next week. Daylight Saving Time ends in 2021 on the latest date possible: Nov. 7. The switch to Standard Time happens annually on the first Sunday in November, making Nov. 7 the latest possible date for the change. Be sure to “fall back” and set […]
COVID-19 deaths hit another high in Iowa
UPDATE: As of Nov. 3, 2021, Iowa has surpassed 7,000 confirmed COVID-19 deaths, with 7,069 deaths reported since the beginning of the pandemic, an increase of 104 in the past week alone. Late last week, Gov. Kim Reynolds signed into law a bill that allows workers to skirt a federal vaccine mandate by claiming religious […]
Residents worry Rompot will meet same fa...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Cargill plans to demolish a home in the Rompot neighborhood near the industrial railyard the ag giant is constructing that displaced a prairie pollinator zone. More: See “before” and “after” photos of the Prairie Pollinator Zone According to City Assessor records, Cargill bought the 1,000-square-foot, single-family home in August for $150,000 […]