116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Elijah Decious
The first time I learned how to ask good questions was at age 5, when I learned Santa Claus was not real. “Whose lap have I been sitting on all these years?!” was the first question I asked, according to my mother.
I’m a features reporter for The Gazette, which means I have the opportunity to get to know folks on a more personal level, show people the best parts of life and demonstrate how daily news affects members of the community. In addition to covering restaurants and food news, I serve on The Gazette’s Fact Checker team and have a particular passion for human interest pieces as well as stories focusing on marginalized communities.
Sometimes, taking a moment to listen to others and reflect on what they say — even those who might not think they have much of a story to tell — really puts things in perspective.
When I’m not reporting, I like to travel, go bird watching, search for new items to add to my Peanuts collection and keep my cat from scaring away the cardinals on my balcony.
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Latest Articles by Elijah Decious
Restaurants Jan. 26, 2022 6:00 am1423d ago
Almost 10 years after it opened its first location, Jamaican Pat reopens a permanent home base in NewBo City Market, the location where it all started.
Restaurants Jan. 25, 2022 6:00 am1424d ago
A new restaurant from the Nanke Group is open after more than a year of pandemic delays.
Restaurants Jan. 25, 2022 6:00 am1424d ago
Cranky Hank’s has reopened in Shellsburg after closing its Cedar Rapids locations more than seven years ago.
Food & Drink Jan. 24, 2022 5:39 pm1425d ago
Two weeks after the last LGBTQ bar in Cedar Rapids announced its closure, owner Andrew Harrison said a buyer stepped in to save the space for the community.
Business News Jan. 21, 2022 1:21 pm1428d ago
The Iowa Hotel and Lodging Association will advocate for hotels, under the management of the Iowa Restaurant Association.
People & Places Jan. 21, 2022 9:56 am1428d ago
Two white Cedar Rapids parents have earned love and responded to criticism in the adoption of their Black child as their TikTok following climbed. Now, they have a book deal and run social media as a full-time job.
Restaurants Jan. 19, 2022 6:00 am1430d ago
Take a peek inside the 40-acre campus that Mary Ingalls from “Little House on the Prairie” once lived on.
Restaurants Jan. 18, 2022 6:00 am1431d ago
We asked Cracker Barrel whether a location was in the works for the Cedar Rapids area. You might not like the answer.
People & Places Jan. 14, 2022 6:00 am1435d ago
With fewer of them since the pandemic began, hospice volunteers in Eastern Iowa listen to the stories that many don’t hear in the final stages of people’s lives.
Crime & Courts Jan. 12, 2022 6:44 pm1437d ago
Thomas Dean Jesse, 37, is charged with 40 counts of child sex abuse the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office said were recorded on video between March 2020 and September 2021.
Community Jan. 12, 2022 6:00 am1437d ago
After several months of serving virtually-based mental health services to Spanish speakers in Iowa, entrepreneur Carlos Arguello prepares Sevelyn to reach Latinos around the country.
Restaurants Jan. 12, 2022 6:00 am1437d ago
Previously a pop-up in the upscale Midwest comfort food restaurant, SureBurger will be making a longer appearance as the restaurant works around the failure of its walk-in coolers.
Restaurants Jan. 11, 2022 6:00 am1438d ago
After decades as a community fixture, the longtime bar and restaurant vacant since 2020 is slated for demolition, pending a permit.
Food & Drink Jan. 10, 2022 7:37 pm1439d ago
A longtime a fixture in the local LGBTQ community, Belle’s Basix at 3916 First Ave. NE in Cedar Rapids will close on Feb. 1 unless someone else buys it to keep it open, the owner says.
Restaurants Jan. 6, 2022 12:59 pm1443d ago
Over the last decade, Sean Keller has forged a new barbecue tradition unique to Iowa with all the hickory smoke but none of the mystery that legendary flavors are often shrouded in.

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