Local Government

The city of University Heights is working to install speed enforcement cameras on Melrose Avenue and Koser Avenue, the two main east/west thoroughfares through the city, which is surrounded by Iowa City.

Advocates for Social Justice members are asking for the city of Cedar Rapids to lobby against a bill that would dismantle citizen review boards that provide oversight of local law enforcement like the one Cedar Rapids created in 2021.

Danisco, an ingredients supplier and subsidiary of International Flavors and Fragrances, is seeking state financial incentives through its High-Quality Jobs Program to support its $22.2 million Cedar Rapids plant expansion.

The future operator of a new Holiday Inn Express and Suites being built in east Marion on the site of the city’s first large-scale mixed-use development anticipates opening doors to guests by the end of the year.

Since the settlements were announced, concerns have been raised that some council members may have supported the use of taxpayer money to dispose of legal claims that stem from their own behavior or the behavior of their fellow council members.

Also, do you want to serve on a Cedar Rapids board or commission?

Under a continued partnership with the city of Cedar Rapids, second-graders in the Cedar Rapids Community School District have an opportunity to learn how to swim for free. Approximately 157 students from Johnson STEAM Academy, Garfield Elementary and Cedar River Academy are participating this spring.

Advocates hope the governor’s plan to combine mental health and substance use treatment networks will improve access for Iowans. But some worry that until other funding issues are addressed — like low Medicaid reimbursement rates — “We're just rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.”

Despite worries that the transformation of the historic Marion Methodist Church into Belltower Lofts apartments would worsen Uptown parking, the Marion City Council unanimously approved the site plan for the project this week.

Jill Weigel wins by just three votes in a three-way race for an at-large seat on the Hiawatha City Council, according to unofficial special election results. She fills the vacancy created by Steve Dodson’s election as mayor.

Marion Mayor Nick AbouAssaly’s State of the City address Tuesday, he touted Marion as a rapidly growing city that has elevated the quality of life and earned residents’ trust at a time when trust in government is declining.

Also, the Cedar Rapids City Council advances rezoning for Hawkeye Downs