Photo Gallery: Gazette’s Best Photos for the First Half of July 2025

Fans look on from the bleachers at Norway Baseball Field during a game between Iowa City Liberty and Linn-Mar in Norway, Iowa on Tuesday, July 1, 2025. The field was the home field for the Norway High School Tigers until 1991 when the school was closed due to consolidation. The Tigers won 20 state titles beginning in 1965. The last one in 1991, its final season. The school's final baseball season was the subject of the 2007 movie “The Final Season.” (Nick Rohlman/The Gazette)

Mount Vernon Mustangs’ Sophia Patten (15) hits a single during their second softball game against West Delaware High School at Van Metre Family Softball Complex in Mount Vernon on Wednesday, July 2, 2025. West Delaware High School won the second game 3-2. Mount Vernon High School won the first game 2-0. (Elizabeth Wood/The Gazette)

Mount Vernon Mustangs’ Abbie Moss (4) and Kinley Nissen (7) chest bump as the starting line-up was announced during their softball game against West Delaware High School at Van Metre Family Softball Complex in Mount Vernon on Wednesday, July 2, 2025. (Elizabeth Wood/The Gazette)

Assistant manager Lauren Hopkins plays with Zeus in the outdoor play yard at the Cedar Rapids Animal Care and Control in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on Thursday, July 3, 2025. Zeus is the facility’s longest resident who has been at the shelter for 107 days. (Savannah Blake/The Gazette)

Doug Kirk of Cedar Rapids rides his trike on a trail in Hiawatha, Iowa on Thursday, July 3, 2025. Doug uses a trike that allows him to ride for longer periods of time. “The trike has a motor as well to help me keep up with everybody when I get tired,” he says. Kirk said he has ridden up to 80 miles in a day while out on biking excursions with his wife and friends. (Savannah Blake/The Gazette)

Sheila Kirk of Cedar Rapids looks out for the friends she and her husband Doug are meeting for a bike ride in Hiawatha, Iowa on Thursday, July 3, 2025. Sheila and Doug enjoy being active in their retirement and go on bike rides multiple times during the week. (Savannah Blake/The Gazette)

Vehicles drive around the newly completed roundabout at the intersection of 10th St. SE, 8th Avenue SE and Mount Vernon Rd. SE in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on Thursday, July 3, 2025. (Savannah Blake/The Gazette)

Tien Tran of Orange County, Calif. (right) looks on during the AMERICA250 Celebration Kick-Off in Des Moines Iowa on Thursday, July 3, 2025. Tran’s outfit, a tribute to President Trump included a serving of McDonald’s french fries labeled “fries, fries fries,” a reference to President Trump proclaiming “fight, fight, fight” following an assassination attempt in Pennsylvania during the 2024 campaign. The event, headlined by remarks from President Donald Trump, began a year of celebration of the United States’ semiquincentennial one year and one day before July 4, 2026. (Nick Rohlman/The Gazette)

A community member watches the fireworks during Fireworks and Fireflies at Lowe Park in Marion on Thursday, July 3, 2025. During the event, there was live music, food vendors, petting zoo, face painting and inflatables. (Elizabeth Wood/The Gazette)

Co-race director Jim Dwyer holds up the American flag for the national anthem before the Fifth Season Road Races 8k and 5k run at the Greene Square Park in southeast Cedar Rapids on Friday, July 4, 2025. This year is the 40th anniversary of the event. (Elizabeth Wood/The Gazette)

Ruby Caceres plays with her daughter, Anaia Rodriguez, during her family's Fourth of July cookout at West Overlook Beach by Iowa City on Friday, July 4, 2025. Caceres said this is their second time coming out to West Overlook Beach to celebrate the Fourth of July. (Elizabeth Wood/The Gazette)

West Branch Bears' Reese Gingerich (8) runs for third base during the Bears’ 2A district high school baseball game against Cascade at Alburnett Community School Baseball Field in Alburnett on Saturday, July 5, 2025. Gingerich made it safely to third base. Cascade won the game 5-3. (Elizabeth Wood/The Gazette)

Defense attorney Nichole Watt reacts as the state prosecutors ask DCI investigator Jon Turbutt a question during Karina Cooper’s trial at the Linn County Courthouse in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on Monday, July 7, 2025. (Savannah Blake/The Gazette)

Taiwanese artist Wan-Yen Hsieh hangs some of her artwork as she prepares for an opening of her exhibit Longing for Longing in the Schwartzkopf Gallery at the Cherry Building in southeast Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Monday, July 7, 2025. The 60-piece exhibit includes a series of paintings and photographs presenting different sides of constructed geometry and abstraction, with accompanying haikus. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

Kristin Hart, a criminalist with the State of Iowa Department of Public Safety, takes possession of a Ruger 10/22 rifle, the alleged murder weapon, from Assistant Iowa Attorney General Israel Kodiaga as she testifies during the first-degree murder trial of Karina Sue Cooper at the Linn County Courthouse in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, on Wednesday, July 9, 2025. Cooper, 48, of Traer in Tama County, is accused of fatally shooting her husband, Ryan Cooper, on June 18, 2021. The trial was moved to Linn County. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

Currently Booked owner Breanna Ferry looks out at the storm inside Currently Booked’s trailer during the market at Colony Acres Family Farm in North Liberty, Iowa, on Thursday, July 10, 2025. Ferry started Currently Booked last fall, after seeing a few other mobile bookstores online. She said her favorite part about having a mobile bookstore is seeing the kids sit down and read a few books. “One thing that just warms my heart the most is—I have a bench in there—when kids go in there, they grab a book, and they will sit on the bench and read their book. I just think that’s so precious,” Ferry said. (Elizabeth Wood/The Gazette)

Sebastian Young, 16, and Josepha Donfack, 15, arm wrestle during their break time at the Academy of Scholastic and Personal Success’s summer program at Mount Mercy University in northeast Cedar Rapids on Friday, July 11, 2025. Dr. Ruth White said that when the academy was founded, they created two goals for students: academic growth and cultural identity. “The academy evolved out of my recognition of the need for black, brown and biracial children at the time to have a better sense of who they are in this culture, and to have better academic encouragement because kids weren’t making the grades, and it’s not because they weren’t capable of making the grades. It was because they didn’t know they should, didn’t think they had permission, and, in some cases, didn’t know how to study,” White said. “The academy has those two book-end goals: academic and cultural.” (Elizabeth Wood/The Gazette)

Charity Oduor, 17, harvests a cabbage during the Academy of Scholastic and Personal Success’s summer program at Buffalo United Methodist Church in northeast Cedar Rapids on Friday, July 11, 2025. Dr. Ruth White said that when the academy was founded, they created two goals for students: academic growth and cultural identity. “The academy evolved out of my recognition of the need for black, brown and biracial children at the time to have a better sense of who they are in this culture, and to have better academic encouragement because kids weren’t making the grades, and it’s not because they weren’t capable of making the grades. It was because they didn’t know they should, didn’t think they had permission, and, in some cases, didn’t know how to study,” White said. “The academy has those two book-end goals: academic and cultural.”(Elizabeth Wood/The Gazette)

Cedar Rapids Kennedy's Ty Donels (20) slides under the tag of Isaac Hotchkiss (3) during a high school baseball game between Cedar Rapids Kennedy and Cedar Rapids Washington in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on Friday, July 11, 2025. Kennedy won 9-8 to advance. (Nick Rohlman/The Gazette)

Independence's Jordin Derr (right) hugs teammate Jordyn Iversen (9) after the Mustangs won their 4A regional softball game against the Marion Wolves at Mount Vernon High School on Friday, July 11, 2025. Independence won 6-5. (Elizabeth Wood/The Gazette)

Marion Wolves' Ella Cooper (right) hugs Ava Cooper after their class 4A regional softball loss to the Independence Mustangs at Mount Vernon High School on Friday, July 11, 2025. Independence won 6-5. (Elizabeth Wood/The Gazette)

Nate James helps Logan James, 2, make large bubbles with a bubble wand during the Uptown Marion Market in Marion on Saturday, July 12, 2025. The Uptown Marion Market is held on the second Saturday of June, July and August, as well as on the last Saturday of September from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.(Elizabeth Wood/The Gazette)

Marion Alliance for Racial Equity’s co-leader Ana Clymer hands out candy during the CR Pride Festival parade at the NewBo Market in southeast Cedar Rapids on Saturday, July 12, 2025. This year was the fourth pride festival in Cedar Rapids. (Elizabeth Wood/The Gazette)

Cedar Rapids Prairie's David Fason (18) celebrates after hitting a bases clearing rbi triple during a high school basdeball game between Cedar Rapids Prairie and Waterloo East in Iowa City, Iowa on Saturday, July 12, 2025. Prairie won 11-1 in four innings to advance. (Nick Rohlman/The Gazette)

Samurai Dan Coglan of Lone Tree smiles as he watches his students go through a kenjutsu sequence during samurai sword class at the Solon United Methodist Church Family Life Center in Solon, Iowa on Monday, July 14, 2025. During his teachings Samurai Dan focuses on swordsmanship, which is the focus on technique and art of wielding a sword. Dan shows his students throughout the lesson what would be done during a sword fight such as where the blade would be used in battle if using the blade to defeat an enemy. (Savannah Blake/The Gazette)

Cascade Cougars players celebrate their 2A high school softball regional final final over the Beckman Trailblazers at Beckman Catholic High School in Dyersville, Iowa, on Monday, July 14, 2025. Cascade won 13-3 to advance to the state tournament. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

East Buchanan's Kyle Peck (5) and Will Hansen (10) run the bases with a state qualifier banner as they celebrate they substate final win over the North Linn Lynx in Independence, Iowa on Tuesday, July 15, 2025. East Buchanan won 5-4 to advance to the state tournament. (Nick Rohlman/The Gazette)