Cedar Rapids, Linn County | featured news

The Gazette’s Business Notes is a compendium of the week’s promotions, new hires, certifications, added business lines and business events, among other items, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa City and the rest of the Corridor.

MARION — They’re down to three finalists.
A final ballot has been sent throughout the Marion Independent School District for a new nickname, a successor to “Indians.”
The finalists are Mavericks, Red Storm and Red Wolves.

JOHNSTON — Legislative proposals to bar transgender Iowa students from using bathrooms that match their gender identity appear unlikely to advance in the Iowa House.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Gov. Kim Reynolds’ administration informed bidders Friday it would not award a contract for an outside vendor to operate a call center to help residents set up coronavirus vaccine appointments.

DAVENPORT — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds remains bullish on the state’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, despite concerns raised by federal health officials and some business owners over her recent decision to lift COVID-19 mitigation efforts.

For the past six weeks, Lisa Harbit has been trying to figure out how to make ends meet without any income.“You’re trying to make arrangements with your utility companies, your mortgage company, your car company, your insurance,” the North Liberty resident said. “Most places were willing to make arrangements with you for three or four weeks.”

In the wake of Gov. Kim Reynolds’ decision last Friday to drop a statewide mask mandate and relax social distancing rules, U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson declined to weigh in on that decision, saying everyone should instead be “vigilant in following the rules where they live.”

Another federal allocation of COVID-19 vaccines, expected to begin reaching the state this week, will offer Iowans another opportunity to access shots at certain retail pharmacies, officials say. Select sites across Iowa will administer shots to Iowans aged 65 and older through the federal partnership that began this past week in some parts of the state.

SERGEANT BLUFF — State Sen. Jim Carlin, R- Sioux City, will announce on Monday his candidacy for the U.S. Senate seat now held by Chuck Grassley. Documents were filed with the Federal Election Commission on Friday to organize a “Carlin for U.S. Senate” group.

DES MOINES — Iowa will withhold COVID-19 vaccine doses next week from five Iowa counties because they did not inoculate enough people, the head of the state’s pandemic response said Friday during an telephone town hall with AARP members.