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City Hall

The latest City Hall coverage for Cedar Rapids and Linn County.

AI-generated editorial scene: A weathered outdoor basketball court sits in a public park under the bright, clear sky of a mid-morning in eastern Iowa. A single basketball rests near the painted white lines of the key, with a row of mature oak trees and a quiet residential street visible in the background.

27d ago1 minBy Jordan Beck

Iowa Senate race draws national attention after Obama endorsement

The former president's basketball-themed video for Democrat Josh Turek elevates the open-seat contest against Republican Ashley Hinson.

AI-generated editorial scene: A bright, overcast morning illuminates a section of weathered asphalt on a residential street where a jagged, water-filled depression has formed. A heavy-duty yellow maintenance truck is parked nearby on the shoulder, its rear gate closed and equipment stowed.

City Hall

27d ago1 minBy Jordan Beck

How Cedar Rapids drivers can report potholes as spring thaw creates road hazards

With city crews running three shifts to manage daily repair requests, local officials outline where and how to submit road damage.

City Hall27d ago1 minBy Jordan Beck

12th Avenue SE residents grapple with potholes ahead of summer rebuild

Temporary city patches are failing to hold up against spring freezes, leaving drivers frustrated until a voter-supported reconstruction project begins.

AI-generated editorial scene: A stack of blank white paper sits on a wooden desk inside a county administration office. Through a nearby window, the midday sun illuminates a quiet street lined with brick buildings and mature trees.

City Hall27d ago1 minBy Jordan Beck

Libertarian ticket blocked from November ballot after court rejects challenge

The legal fight over a missing affidavit ends with a judge's order, narrowing the governor's race to two major-party candidates unless an appeal is filed.

AI-generated editorial scene: A wide-angle shot shows a residential street in a neighborhood with mature trees and modest, mid-century homes under a clear midday sky. In the foreground, a vacant, grass-covered lot sits between two existing houses, marked by wooden stakes and orange utility flags. In the distance, the brick facade of a multi-story downtown building stands near a street corner, showing clear window lines above ground-level storefronts.

City Hall27d ago1 minBy Jordan Beck

Cedar Rapids Council advances three housing projects totaling 68 units

The largest proposal would bring 43 income-restricted units to a flood-affected northwest neighborhood, while downtown and Matthew 25 projects add market-rate and duplex housing.

City Hall28d ago1 minBy Jordan Beck

Campaign plan targets social media access for Iowa children and teens

Academic experts weigh in on a newly unveiled gubernatorial proposal to restrict online platforms for minors.

City Hall28d ago1 minBy Jordan Beck

Cedar Rapids mourns Imam Taha Tawil at Saturday funeral prayer

Hundreds gathered at the Islamic Center for the Janazah of the Jerusalem-born leader who shaped the city's Muslim community and its oldest mosque for more than four decades.

AI-generated editorial scene: A wide-angle shot shows the glass-fronted entrance of a public library building under bright, midday sun. Several people walk toward the automatic doors, carrying backpacks and water bottles, while the surrounding concrete sidewalk reflects the intense, clear daylight. Inside the lobby, rows of cushioned chairs and tables are visible through the windows, occupied by individuals reading and resting in the climate-controlled space.

City Hall28d ago1 minBy Jordan Beck

Cedar Rapids libraries appear on Linn County cooling-center lists as heat wave continues

Downtown and Ladd branches are included in county-published relief locations; a Bever Park outreach event was canceled because of high temperatures.

AI-generated editorial scene: A stack of empty folding chairs sits in the corner of a sunlit community center meeting room in Cedar Rapids. Through the nearby windows, a quiet suburban street is visible under the clear, bright sky of a mid-afternoon.

City Hall28d ago1 minBy Jordan Beck

Linn County Democrats brace for engagement drop after DNC denies caucus bid

County chair says loss of early presidential contest will shrink volunteer pipeline and campaign resources locally.

AI-generated editorial scene: A wide, eye-level view shows a flat, vacant gravel lot bordered by mature deciduous trees and a paved street in a quiet downtown district. In the background, a row of two-story brick commercial buildings stands under a bright, overcast afternoon sky. A single wooden surveyor’s stake with a small orange ribbon sits upright in the foreground, marking the open space.

City Hall29d ago1 minBy Jordan Beck

New apartments and commercial space planned for former Marion library lot

Kilbourne Group and Gronen development companies plan to break ground within the next year on a mixed-use building in Uptown Marion.

AI-generated editorial scene: A gray asphalt street stretches toward a railroad crossing marked by weathered wooden ties and metal tracks. Patches of loose gravel and uneven asphalt fill irregular depressions in the road surface under the bright, flat light of an overcast spring morning. In the background, bare trees line the residential sidewalk, and a single orange traffic cone stands near the edge of the curb.

City Hall29d ago1 minBy Jordan Beck

Cedar Rapids launches spring street program with nearly 60 projects, including 12th Avenue SE rebuild

The 12th Avenue SE rail crossing and pavement improvement project is among the first wave of work funded by the voter-approved Paving for Progress program.

AI-generated editorial scene: A wide-angle view shows a sprawling construction site under a bright, overcast sky with rows of heavy earth-moving equipment parked on leveled dirt. In the foreground, several vertical white PVC pipes protrude from the ground near a cluster of temporary utility hoses and gravel-filled trenches.

City Hall30d ago1 minBy Devin Marsh

Unpermitted wells at $750M QTS campus draw county penalty, state scrutiny

Contractor Northern Dewatering faces a $20,000 civil penalty after drilling dozens of dewatering wells without permits at Cedar Rapids' biggest development project.

City Hall30d ago2 minBy Jordan Beck

Campaigns clash in Cedar Rapids over health care records in U.S. Senate race

Iowa Democrats attacked U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson's voting record at a Cedar Rapids event, prompting a swift counter-attack from her campaign.

City Hall32d ago1 minBy Jordan Beck

Linn County releases latest Week in Review newsletter

The county's July 24 release points residents toward local updates, though specific contents remain unconfirmed.

City Hall33d ago1 minBy Jordan Beck

Sewer blockage caused NewBo, Czech Village flooding last month

City crews cleared the pipe after June backups, but rain's role remains under review

City Hall34d ago1 minBy Jordan Beck

Cedar Rapids native confirmed to lifetime federal judgeship

U.S. Senate votes 50-48 to seat Kara Marie Westercamp on the Court of International Trade

City Hall35d ago1 minBy Jordan Beck

Hoover and Truman met in Cedar Rapids ahead of 1962 library dedication

The former presidents stayed overnight in the city before traveling to West Branch for the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library opening.

AI-generated editorial scene: A wide-angle shot shows a flat, expansive field of tall prairie grass and goldenrod under a bright, overcast eastern Iowa sky. In the far distance, a cluster of industrial cooling towers and electrical transmission lines stretches across the horizon, partially obscured by a light haze. A gravel road runs diagonally through the foreground, leading toward the edge of the industrial site.

City Hall36d ago1 minBy Jordan Beck

Opinion piece calls for moratorium on Linn County data centers

The Gazette column urges officials to pause approvals while assessing long-term infrastructure effects.

AI-generated editorial scene: A wide-angle shot shows a flat, grassy field in eastern Iowa under bright, midday sunlight, with a line of mature trees marking the edge of a nearby park. In the foreground, a surveyor’s tripod stands on the mowed earth, positioned near a cluster of wooden stakes marking future utility lines. In the distance, the roofs of existing residential homes are visible against a clear blue sky.

City Hall36d ago1 minBy Jordan Beck

Cedar Rapids council approves first single-family home incentives

Midwest Development Co. will receive up to 50% reimbursement on infrastructure costs for 60 homes off Underwood Avenue SW.

City Hall36d ago1 minBy Jordan Beck

Fairfax council votes to advance data center moratorium

The July 14 vote sends the ordinance to further review ahead of a July 28 meeting

AI-generated editorial scene: A wide-angle view captures a flat, expansive cornfield in rural Linn County under a clear midday sky. A gravel road runs along the edge of the property, meeting a paved two-lane highway in the distance where a few vehicles pass. The horizon is punctuated by a distant line of utility poles and the edge of a wooded area.

City Hall36d ago1 minBy Jordan Beck

Alliant Energy files rezoning application for Morgan Valley Energy Center

The July 16 filing moves the proposed 720-megawatt gas plant near Highway 30 into Linn County's formal review process.

City Hall41d ago1 minBy Jordan Beck

Cedar Rapids council approves tax rebate for 192-unit affordable housing

The 15-year, 100% property tax rebate will support The Atheneum project next to the new westside library branch.

City Hall42d ago1 minBy Jordan Beck

Palo council advances data center ordinance on 4-1 vote

The second reading passed Monday despite opposition from more than 100 residents at the meeting.

City Hall42d ago1 minBy Jordan Beck

Asbury council to vote on ATV, UTV access to city streets

The first of three readings is set for July 14 on rules that would require drivers to be 18 or older with a license and insurance.