Friday Morning Read: Grassley visits Iowa, Petition to ban fireworks, DNR layoffs

Re-ban fireworks - A group calling themselves 'Citizens Against the Use of Fireworks in Cedar Rapids' submitted a petition Thursday with nearly 5,000 signatures and hundreds of comments calling for the prohibition of fireworks in Cedar Rapids.

'Hopefully the signatures in this petition will help you all see the great scope of the mistake the current fireworks ordinance has been,' the group stated in an email to nine members of City Council and the city clerk accompanying the petition and comments. Read about the next step for the petition here.

DNR Layoffs - Dissolution of Iowa's Forestry Bureau, which this week became an early casualty of the beleaguered fiscal 2018 state budget, caught some conservation advocacy groups off guard and raised questions about the future of some of the natural resources the state is most known for.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources announced Wednesday it was responding to a $1.2 million cut by eliminating eight jobs and dissolving the bureau, although state foresters would be transferred to other jobs in the DNR. Read about what this means for conservation and the DNR here.

Grassley speaks to Rotary - U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley spoke to the Mount Pleasant Noon Rotary Club at Iowa Wesleyan University's John Wesley Holland Student Union in Mount Pleasant on Thursday. Read about five key takeaways from his talk here. 

UI Nixes Expanded Housing - In response to rising demand to live on campus, University of Iowa and Iowa State University for years have been piecing together a patchwork of housing options — supplementing traditional residence halls with a variety of alternatives.

But the universities — through dormitory additions and upgrades — are moving away from expanded housing in the form of repurposed residence hall lounges and leased apartment space. In fact, UI this fall — for the first time in years — doesn't plan to temporarily crowd as many as eight students in what are intended to be residence hall floor lounges. Read more about how the expanded dorm space has allowed for the end of expanded housing here.

Watchable - Do you have a lot of garlic scapes in your backyard? Well Cook Club has a hummus recipe for you. Watch here.