Friday Morning Read: Grace Episcopal Church seeks historic landmark, Army Corps nominee says he would examine flood protection formula, Iowa Lt. Gov. Gregg says Iowa income tax complicated

Grace Episcopal latest to seek local historic landmark in Cedar Rapids - The rich history of the stately Grace Episcopal Church would be lost if a developer bought and demolished the building for another use, church leaders feared.

A bell tower soars above the corner of A Avenue and Sixth Street NE, and limestone blocks and stained glass windows make up the facade. Only the side and back wall are original to 1851, when the church was being built. Read more...

Iowa Lt. Gov. Gregg: Iowa income tax is complicated, costly, outdated - The No. 2 executive in state government told an Iowa tax group Thursday the state's income tax code is too complicated, too costly and in need of modernization to better address the demands and challenges of a rapidly evolving digital economy.

'The Iowa code needs to recognize that the marketplace is fundamentally different today,' acting Iowa Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg told the Iowa Taxpayer Association's annual meeting. 'We didn't have a 'Cyber Monday' 100 years ago.' Read more...

Army Corps nominee says he would examine federal formula for flood protection - The nominee for a top position in the U.S. Army of Corps Engineers said he would reevaluate the benefit-to-cost ratio used to determine which water infrastructure projects get federal money.

Iowa officials at the local, state and federal levels have argued the formula favors coastal areas where property values are greater. Rural areas and Midwestern cities, such as Cedar Rapids, with modest property values are at a disadvantage, they said. Read more...

Hlas: Same old Ames for Iowa men's basketball - The names and faces change here over the years when Iowa plays Iowa State here in men's basketball, but the song remains the same.

Iowa State's 84-78 win over the Hawkeyes Thursday in Hilton Coliseum was torn from the pages of Iowa-ISU meetings of the past. Iowa rises to the occasion for a significant portion of the game, but the Cyclones weather the storm and eventually take over, and their fans end up singing 'Sweet Caroline.' Read more...