Marissa Payne

“I consider myself a Latino who wants to help Latinos,” said Monica Vallejo, who’s been instrumental in starting programs such as Festival Latino, which takes place Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at McGrath Amphitheatre for the 11th year.

The global leader in the pharmaceutical excipient industry was awarded more than $1 million in state assistance Friday to expand its Cedar Rapids facility. The $18 million project will create 18 high-quality jobs.

Foundation 2 is pursuing a more than $3 million renovation of the historic Witwer Building in downtown Cedar Rapids, largely supported by local and state American Rescue Plan funds, to serve as its new headquarters. The move will consolidate five existing Foundation 2 buildings into one hub for training and services.

“Put aside your differences and negotiate professionally and ethically to do what is in the best interest of our community, and that is to get back to work,” the council writes as Ingredion and union leaders discuss resuming talks to end the strike.

Any changes to founding charter ‘must be extremely measured and extremely rare,’ mayor says

Study will determine feasibility of combining sports complex with intergenerational center

The city of Cedar Rapids is renovating Sinclair Park to add community garden plots by spring 2023. This is the first step of a larger effort to create a community gardens master plan for another seven to 10 gardens around town.

To make the most of a disaster scenario and pave a path for a strong recovery, Iowa city leaders say they must uplift the businesses that keep the community’s economic wheels turning. Here’s how some have turned adversity into opportunity.

Wellington Heights Community Church has been known as a “church without walls” since it began in March 2020. With renovations complete on the former Paul Engle Center, the group now has a physical space to serve the southeast Cedar Rapids neighborhood.

The City Manager’s 1-Bag Challenge has inspired residents to pick up more than 23,000 bags of litter in the last 10 years. To celebrate, the city is holding a litter pick-up event from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at McGrath Ampitheatre.

Dwight Hughes Jr. dreamed of a city park where Hughes Nursery originally stood for all Cedar Rapids to enjoy. Now, the new park will serve as a conservation area that honors Hughes family history.

The downtown Cedar Rapids Public Library will reopen Thursday after most cleaning has wrapped up following a fire that broke out last month.

The city of Cedar Rapids has launched a survey to find homeowners still making derecho-related repairs. Responses will help local officials use $2.5 million being awarded to Linn County specifically for derecho repairs.

A buyer has stepped forward to redevelop the 51-acre Transamerica property off Edgewood Road and 42nd Street NE, but specific plans for the site remain to be seen.

The city council allocated the funds toward 20 affordable housing and social service projects jointly with Linn County to maximize the dollars distributed through the Democrat-backed American Rescue Plan.