Photo Gallery: Gazette’s Best Photos for the Second Half of September 2025

Western Dubuque’s Henry Gilbertson reacts as he watches his ball fly towards the green during the MVC Mississippi division boys’ golf meet at Wildcat Golf Course in Shellsburg, Iowa, on Monday, September 15, 2025. (Savannah Blake/The Gazette)

Cedar Ridge master distiller and director of operations Murphy Quint poses for a portrait at Cedar Ridge Distillery in Swisher, Iowa, on Tuesday, September 16, 2025. Murphy has been working in the industry since 2005 and was named master distiller in January 2024. He has had the title of master blender for six years. (Savannah Blake/The Gazette)

Mount Vernon-Lisbon’s Dawson Scheil leads the boys varsity race of the Solon Invitational High School Cross Country Meet at the Solon Recreation and Nature Area in Solon, Iowa, on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. Scheil won 16:22.16. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

Cedar Rapids kernels catcher Poncho Ruiz (right) dives to tag out West Michigan’s Jackson Strong during a game between the Cedar Rapids Kernels and the West Michigan Whitecaps in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on Tuesday, September 16, 2025. The Whitecaps defeated the Kernels 3-1 to win the Midwest League Title. (Nick Rohlman/The Gazette)

West Michigan Whitecaps players spray each other with non alcoholic sparkling wine as they celebrate winning the Midwest League championship with their win over the Cedar Rapids Kernels at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on Tuesday, September 16, 2025. The Whitecaps defeated the Kernels 3-1 to win the Midwest League title. (Nick Rohlman/The Gazette)

Iowa City Liberty’s Paige Lambi reacts after failing to return a shot against Prairie in the first round of the of the girls’ tennis 2A regionals at the Oak Ridge Middle School tennis courts in Marion, Iowa on Wednesday, September 17, 2025. (Savannah Blake/The Gazette)

Soybean pods sit ready to be harvested in Norway, Iowa on Friday, September 19, 2025. Iowa farmers grow nearly 14 percent of the nation’s soybeans according to the Iowa Soybean Association. (Savannah Blake/The Gazette)

Seventh grader Aubrey Koenig smiles as she sprays water on someone in the crowd during the Iowa Valley homecoming parade in Marengo, Iowa on Friday, September 19, 2025. The Iowa Valley Tigers take on the HLV Warriors in their homecoming football game. Students from the high school, middle school and elementary school participated in the parade to show their school spirit. (Savannah Blake/The Gazette)

Iowa Valley ninth grader and Marengo FFA member Declean Smith, 14, adjusts his sunflower before the Iowa Valley homecoming parade in Marengo, Iowa on Friday, September 19, 2025. The Iowa Valley Tigers take on the HLV Warriors in their homecoming football game. Students from the high school, middle school and elementary school participated in the parade to show their school spirit. (Savannah Blake/The Gazette)

Michelle Wilson (right), the sister of victim Ryan Cooper, hugs Assistant Iowa Attorney General Israel Kodiaga following the sentencing of Karina Cooper at the Tama County Courthouse in Toledo, Iowa, on Friday, Sept. 19, 2025. Karina Cooper, 48, of Traer in Tama County, was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Karina Cooper was convicted of fatally shooting her husband, Ryan Cooper, on June 18, 2021. Her trial was moved to Linn County. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

Supporters, including Kerry Blackburn (right) surround Kathleen Alpers (second from right), the mother of Karina Sue Cooper, during the sentencing hearing of her daughter Karina Cooper at the Tama County Courthouse in Toledo, Iowa, on Friday, Sept. 19, 2025. Karina Cooper, 48, of Traer in Tama County, was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Karina Cooper was convicted of fatally shooting her husband, Ryan Cooper, on June 18, 2021. Her trial was moved to Linn County. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

Dakotah (cq) Wolken of LeGrande, Iowa, hammers in braces as renovation continues on the Toledo Bandstand east of the Tama County Courthouse in Toledo, Iowa, on Friday, Sept. 19, 2025. The over $125,000 project includes a gazebo structure with a metal roof, a brick facade matching the courthouse, new lighting and a sound system. The original bandstand was built in 1938 and featured seven lamp posts. The lamps will likely be relocated along the walkway to the north of the bandstand. A groundbreaking ceremony was held Sept. 8, 2025, to kick off the preservation and renovation work. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

Ron Laue, of Cedar Rapids, gets his spoon ready to take a bite of Cap’N Crunch’s Crunch Berries as the countdown to the largest cereal breakfast began during the final Cedar Rapids Farmers Market at Greene Square Park in southeast Cedar Rapids on Saturday, September 20, 2025. Laue said his favorite cereal was Quisp before it was discontinued. Cap’N Crunch’s Crunch Berries became his new favorite cereal. (Elizabeth Wood/The Gazette)

NWU’s Darrius Paige (28) brings down Coe’s Jeron Senters (8) during a game between Coe College and Nebraska Wesleyan University in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on Saturday, September 20, 2025. Coe won 62-14. (Nick Rohlman/The Gazette)

Coe’s Noah Tolbert (12) and Stone Cummins (33) celebrate during a game between Coe College and Nebraska Wesleyan University in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on Saturday, September 20, 2025. Coe won 62-14. (Nick Rohlman/The Gazette)

Mari Hunt Wassink (left) explains to actress and Dubuque native Kate Mulgrew the effect of seeing Mulgrew’s character on “Star Trek: Voyager” had on her life as Mulgrew and Democratic Iowa congressional candidate Lindsay James, a state lawmaker from Dubuque, tour Feed Iowa First garden plots at Wanatee Farm in Marion, Iowa, on Monday, Sept. 22, 2025. James is running for Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

Paige VanCleave (right) hugs Danella Van Tasell, the mother of Aspen Lohman, after each spoke in support of former Coralville Central Elementary School first grade teacher Aspen Lohman during the public comment portion of the Iowa City Community School District’s School Board meeting at the district’s Educational Services Center in Iowa City, Iowa, on Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. VanCleave’s son Cooper was in Aspen's class for the 2016-17 school year. Her son Quinn was supposed to be in Aspen’s class this fall. Aspen Lohman took leave after an attempted assault at the school by a former student. Aspen had previously been assaulted by the same student twice in December 2024. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

Prairie’s Javen Donald (77) lifts David Fason (0) into the air after a Fason touchdown during a game between the Cedar Rapids Jefferson J-Hawks and the Prairie Hawks at Kingston Stadium in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on Thursday, September 25, 2025. (Nick Rohlman/The Gazette)

Iowa Hawkeyes quarterback Mark Gronowski (11) plants his leg awkwardly during a game between the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Indiana Hoosiers at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa on Saturday, September 27, 2025. Grownowski was eventually replaced by backup quarterback Hank Brown and did not return. (Nick Rohlman/The Gazette)

Leah Fuller, of Marion, (left) and Jen Ferguson, of Solon, ride down the road during the Harvest Ride in northwest Cedar Rapids on Sunday, September 28, 2025. (Elizabeth Wood/The Gazette)

Second grader Merveille Logovi, 7, (CQ) smiles at her teacher Melissa Anderson as they review the sentence they wrote out during a reading group at Grant Wood Elementary School in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on Tuesday, September 30, 2025. A school bond referendum goin got voters in November would fund renovations to Wilson Middle School to convert it into an elementary school. Grant and Cedar River Academy elementary schools would be closed and students would be sent to Wilson. (Savannah Blake/The Gazette)

Runners navigate the course during the Williamsburg Invitational cross country meet in Williamsburg, Iowa on Tuesday, September 30, 2025. (Nick Rohlman/The Gazette)

Ely mothers Natorie Bowman (left) and Michele Davis (right) team up to help Gable Osterhout, 10, put his hand prints onto the side of the George Reyhons Pavilion at Schulte Park in Ely, Iowa, on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. The public art project was funded through a Keep Iowa Beautiful grant in partnership with Diamond Vogel. The parks and recreation did a similar project on a former city garage n 2021. That building has since been torn down. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)

From left: Oliver, 4, Lexi, 7, and Allis (cq), 9, Freese show off their painted palms as they pose for a photograph after leaving their hand prints onto the side of the George Reyhons Pavilion at Schulte Park in Ely, Iowa, on Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2025. The public art project was funded through a Keep Iowa Beautiful grant in partnership with Diamond Vogel. The parks and recreation did a similar project on a former city garage n 2021. That building has since been torn down. (Jim Slosiarek/The Gazette)