Friday Morning Read - 16th Ave. extension on schedule, arrest made in Cedar Rapids shooting, look back at Big 10 Champ. loss

16th Ave Extension Project - A construction contractor that fell six weeks behind schedule before beginning a 16th Avenue extension and roundabout project is back on track.

Ricklefs Excavating, of Anamosa, has a $1.2 million city contract to extend 16th Avenue SE between Fourth and Fifth streets SE, install a roundabout and complete underground utility work. The contract called for hitting its first milestone — underground utility work and partial pavement — by Friday, and the utility work is complete and 16th Avenue has been partially paved, said Cory Elwick, project manager for Ricklefs.

'We are ahead of schedule,' Elwick said. 'We hit our first milestone.' 

Read more about the road extension and what this means for the New Bo area here.

Iowa's loss to Michigan State in Big10 Title Game -  Really, in the end, after the other team danced in confetti and held a trophy they all held at least for a second in their mind's eye, it was like they had been bitten in half by a shark. The Hawkeyes swam in the deep end. The Big Ten championship game is the deepest of waters around here. This particular group of Hawkeyes had yet to feel defeat in the 2015 season.

The group was so collectively fixated on the goal, it didn't see the shark. They were so engaged in the moment. They saw the shark at the last second and still thought they could beat it back. And they almost did.  Continue the story here.

Arrest in Cedar Rapids Shooting - Police in Cedar Rapids have made an arrest in the July 2 shooting death of Andrew Meeks Jr.

Cedar Rapids public safety spokesman Greg Buelow said Quarzone E. Martin, 25, was arrested in Chicago on Sept. 22 on a material witness warrant by the United States Marshals Service. He was transported to Linn County on Thursday and charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder, going armed with intent and willful injury causing serious injury. You can read more about this story here.

Steven Ray seeking governorship - An elected city official from Boone with a background in law enforcement is the latest Republican to enter the 2018 Republican race for Iowa governor.

Steven Ray, 47, recently joined Gov. Kim Reynolds and Cedar Rapids Mayor Ron Corbett in the field of candidates seeking the GOP gubernatorial primary election to be decided next June. Read the full story about Ray here.

Quotable - 'Any scheme to allow ethanol exports to fulfill obligations under the RFS would essentially gut the program and should be stopped in its tracks,' Grassley said Thursday. Read more about Sen. Grassley's stance on the renewable fuel standard here.