Tuesday morning read: Plans for new First Ave. buildings, Iowa City students rally, what young leaders want

Entrepreneur looks to clear half a block on First Avenue near Coe College for redevelopment: Local businessman John Khairallah, who started Zio Johno's and owns Via Sofia's Italian Kitchen, wants to tear down six structures on First Avenue SE near Coe College to make way for a row of new retail storefronts. Most of those buildings are currently unused or underused. Read more >

Iowa City students rally to demand gun control: More than a hundred Iowa City school students walked out of classes Monday morning to march through fog and rain to call for stricter gun-control measures. 'Even if we can't vote yet, we're going to say something,' one 17-year-old student told The Gazette. Read more > 

Investing in the future: Five leaders under 35 discuss how to engage younger Iowans: As Iowa faces an aging population, economic and political shifts, slow population growth, and changes in its philanthropic base, our Iowa Ideas project talked to five hyper-engaged young professionals about what the future of community leadership could look like. Read more >

Proposed food-stamp changes not viable, Iowa advocates say: About 12 percent of Iowans benefit from the national Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, commonly referred to as food stamps. This story looks at how a Trump administration proposal to curb the budget for the program would impact them. Read more >

Iowa universities report more gender balance in sports participation: Women made up 50.8 percent of UI's student-athletes in 2016-2017, the university reported to the NCAA. While still not equal to the makeup of UI's undergraduate enrollment last year -- 52.6 percent -- that's an improvement. However, some say large boosts to the rosters of rowing, women's cross country and women's track show the UI may be padding women's teams when it should add a new sport. Read more >