CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Visitors can step into the warmth of the Noelridge Greenhouse this weekend during the annual Easter Showcase. The showcase will be 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 19, and Sunday, April 20, 2025, at the Noelridge Greenhouse, 4900 Council St. NE. Admission is free. The first 500 children, ages 12 […]
Timing looks good for Good Friday potato...
Gardening folklore calls for potatoes to be planted on Good Friday, and with the date relatively late this year, the timing could be right. In Iowa, appropriate potato planting time varies from early April in southern portions of the state to mid- to late April for northern areas. As of April 15, 2025, soil temperatures […]
New Pioneer raises alarm on proposed liq...
UPDATE: On April 15, 2025, the applicant withdrew the request for a conditional use to allow Level III Tobacco and Alcohol sales. CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — New Pioneer Food Co-op is concerned about the potential conversion of a former restaurant into a liquor and tobacco shop next door to its Cedar Rapids store. The proposed […]
Gardeners tempted by warm weather should...
With warmer weather on the horizon, Iowans and others in the Midwest will be tempted to start their gardens, but a Czech legend warns against a late frost. Known under various names, including the Three Frozen Kings, the three icemen – tři ledovi muži – or Three Ice Saints, Three Frozen Men, Three Ice Kings […]
Eastern Iowa plant sales sprouting early
Plant sales, where gardeners can find locally grown perennials and other plants that perform well in Iowa, are off to an early start this year. Tender plants, such as tomatoes, peppers and annual flowers, should wait to be planted outside until after the final frost, but others, including native plants, can successfully be planted in […]
Cedar Rapids school survey points to ano...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Survey results show voters would resoundingly defeat the latest Cedar Rapids Community School District bond proposal. The district’s Board of Education heard results of the survey, taken earlier this year, during a special board meeting on Monday, April 7, 2025. Of the 7,850 registered voters who responded to the survey, just […]
High Cedar Rapids turnout for global eve...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Crowds lined Eighth Avenue SE on a blustery afternoon as more than 1,000 people participated in one of the “Hands Off” demonstrations held internationally on Saturday, April 5, 2025. Officially, about 1,300 people had signed up to attend the Cedar Rapids event, organized by the progressive group Indivisible, but with demonstrators […]
Willie Ray’s Q Shack among Cedar Rapids,
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Willie Ray’s Q Shack, based in Cedar Rapids, and a Marion resident are among Iowans participating in the commissioning of the USS Iowa this week. Willie Ray Fairley’s popular barbecue will be served during a crew rally this Friday, April 4, 2025, as part of the events surrounding the submarine’s commissioning […]
New middle school might be removed from ...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — The Cedar Rapids Community School District could remove its biggest hurdle in passing a multi-million-dollar bond referendum by eliminating the construction of a new middle school from the proposal, according to a task force. Members of the task force convened to examine school bond options almost unanimously agreed that now is […]
Teachers consider moving own children fr...
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Two teachers, concerned about the Cedar Rapids Community School District’s “right-sizing” efforts, were among speakers during the March 31, 2025, School Board meeting. Chris Rolwes and Kevin Darrow, both teachers at Jefferson High School, asked how the board will address new requirements for the upcoming school year in courses such as […]