Cedar Rapids, Linn County | featured news

CEDAR RAPIDS — Hardship after hardship has slammed Cedar Rapids schools since the beginning of 2020.The pandemic has changed the way we live and the derecho destroyed a large part of our community. A healthy and safe environment is difficult to achieve without support.Gov. Kim Reynolds, we need assistance and we need it now.

CEDAR RAPIDS — A Marion man whose first-degree murder conviction was overturned last year will be retried Nov. 2 for his former girlfriend’s fatal stabbing in 2017.

CEDAR RAPIDS — Noreen Bush, superintendent of the Cedar Rapids Community School District, was recognized with a national award Friday.The National Female Superintendent Award from the American Association of School Administrators honors women superintendents for talent, creativity and vision in public schools.

MARION — Despite the ongoing financial hits from the pandemic and derecho, Marion plans to move forward with major city projects in the new budget year including a bigger library and improvements to the Seventh Avenue streetscape.

Last spring made everyone — including those in the residential real estate sector — pretty nervous.

The pandemic that shut so many public doors to visitors opened a window of opportunity for Iowa PBS film crews to step inside some of Cedar Rapids’ historic sites. They still had to take personal safety precautions, but in the end, are ready to take viewers through “Historic Buildings of Iowa: Cedar Rapids.”

CEDAR RAPIDS — City Council member Ashley Vanorny was among the first Iowans to be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus thanks to her participation in Pfizer’s vaccine trials last year.

Last year, as cases of a new virus forced hospitals and clinics to close their doors as a protective measure, facilities across Iowa were forced to instead offer many of their services virtually.

Unlike Texas wind turbines that slowed or shut down during the recent winter storm, Iowa’s kept turning. The main differences?Texas was hit with ice, whereas Iowa has had extreme cold and snow. And because Iowa’s turbines are installed with heating elements to keep fuel and electrical controls warm, they can operate in temperatures of up to 20 below zero.

IOWA CITY — Growing up in Chicago, Marlén Mendoza loved to visit the Little Village neighborhood, where shoppers can pick up made-to-order tacos, Mexican sweets or a quinceañera dress, hear Spanish spoken and learn about Mexican American culture.