Marissa Payne

As the city of Cedar Rapids continues to recover from the devastation of the 2020 derecho’s hurricane-force winds, the city will purchase a new stump grinder to aid in its efforts. Staff and contracted crews have removed about 7,300 stumps since March.

Early in-person and mail-in voting begins Wednesday for Iowa's 2022 midterm elections. Here's what you need to know about how to check your voter registration status, how to vote early in-person and by mail, and how to vote on Election Day, Nov. 8.

Two former elected officials — Republican Susie Weinacht and Democrat Elizabeth Wilson — are vying for the House District 73 seat to represent a portion of Cedar Rapids and much of the north and eastern sides of Marion.

NEWSTRACK: Save CR Heritage continues to work with the Cedar Rapids Country Club in a bid to save four historic homes from demolition to make way for the club’s expansion project. The club is still looking for people to commit to moving the homes.

Ashley Vanorny, who represents District 5 covering much of Cedar Rapids’ southwest quadrant, has been tapped to serve as president-elect of the executive board of the Iowa League of Cities.

Cedar Rapids is one step closer to protecting Czech Village from rising Cedar River waters with a massive $27.2 million pump station that will transport rainfall runoff from Czech Village over a levee and into the river.

Cedar Rapids’ City Planning Commission this week advanced Linn County’s request to rezone a property the county is preparing to open as a new overflow shelter for homeless individuals.

Effective Wednesday, the Ellis Boulevard and E Avenue NW intersection will reopen. The intersection of Ellis Boulevard and F Avenue NW will close Thursday morning for construction of a roundabout.

In a hearing Tuesday on a lawsuit over the Cedar Rapids ordinance requiring five of the nine-member Citizens Review Board identify as people of color, a judge asked whether the policy reflected a bias that white people could not identify trends rooted in bias.

Molly Donahue, a second-term Democratic state representative, faces GOP newcomer Kurt Bendixen in the Nov. 8 race for the Iowa Senate 37 seat representing eastern Cedar Rapids and Marion.

Kirkwood is partnering with The Eastern Iowa Airport to launch a Aviation Maintenance Technology program in fall 2023 to address an area of need in the workforce. About $1 million in federal and private funds will support the renovation of an aircraft hangar into a classroom.

The City Council took a final vote against adopting trigger language in the city charter to study ranked choice voting should it become allowable under state law, but supporters question whether that’s allowed without posing the language to voters.

Women Lead Change has announced four honorees for the 2022 Iowa Women of Achievement Awards recognizing the contributions of Iowa historical women. This year’s honorees are Mary J. Whitely Coggeshall, Dr. Christine Grant, Maria “Running Moccasins” Pearson and LaMetta Wynn.

With Riverside Park closed through next summer to make way for a detention basin as part of the flood control system, some local skaters are frustrated with the wait for a place to skate. The city continues to explore options for temporary equipment.

The city’s new public art master plan encourages more public and private public art projects to celebrate Cedar Rapids’ unique identity and create a more vibrant community. “Public art is the voice of the people,” said Ryan Sarfati, one of the artists who recently worked on the city’s new Five Seasons parking ramp mural.