People and Places

Dr. Melissa Holcomb, a veterinarian at Abraham's Equine Clinic in Cedar Rapids administers vaccine used to protect horses from West Nile Virus to Dolly, a horse that belongs to the clinic on Monday, June 17, 2013. (Cliff Jette/The Gazette)

Local vets urge horse owners to vaccinate for West Nile ahead of mosquito season

In 2012, Iowa had 36 confirmed West Nile virus cases in horses

  Heavy rains and mild flooding earlier this month left standing water across parts of Iowa, a condition ripe for mosquitos and the spread of the West Nile virus. Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey recently urged horse owners to make sure their animals have been vaccinated against the West Nile virus. Local equine veterinarians say [...]

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Bags of pet food line the shelves of Leash on Life Monday, May 17, 2010 in Iowa City. The store is a strong supporter of many community events and carries a variety of products and food for dogs, cats and rabbits. (Brian Ray/The Gazette)

Animal group seeks permanent space

Animal Resource Foundation of Iowa works directly with manufacturers to distribute donated pet food

  A nonprofit for nonprofits is in need of a permanent space. The Animal Resource Foundation of Iowa has served as the Iowa affiliate of Rescue Bank National for nearly two years. This program works directly with pet food manufacturers to distribute donated pet food to reputable pet rescue groups and animal shelters. “When a [...]

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This 1943 military bicycle was purchased for Larry Hoffman by his his father in 1943. He sold the rare bike to Uncle Stan's Military Surplus were it is now on display after undergoing a frame off restoration by Bergerwerke Bicycle in Antigo, WI. Taken on Thursday, June 7, 2013. (Cliff Jette/The Gazette-KCRG TV9)

New again: World War II bicycle completely restored

“Everything is original, right down to the wooden pedals”

  MARION — Larry Hoffman will never forget his first bicycle. The year was 1948. A trip to Hebron, Neb., led to the purchase of a 1943 U.S. Army bicycle. “My dad bought it in a junkyard after World War II,” Hoffman says. While the U.S. Army had used bicycles before World War II, they [...]

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A sleeping porch in Brucemore in southeast Cedar Rapids on June 7, 2013. The porch was painted by Grant Wood in August of 1925, and cost $182 at the time. It is now valued at over 4 million dollars. The porch will be conserved this summer. (Kaitlyn Bernauer/Gazette-KCRG9)

Porch preservation

Conservation under way of three-dimensional fresco mural by Grant Wood at Brucemore

  CEDAR RAPIDS — At first glance, the concrete flowers, vines and leaves of the plaster mural wrapping around the walls of Brucemore’s sleeping porch are beautiful. Look closer. The mural is whimsical, too. Exotic birds and squirrels perch on several branches while a tiny mouse hides underneath a window. “I still find things I [...]

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The Iowa City Pride Parade turns onto Washington Street from Dubuque Street in front of a crowd gathered on the Ped Mall on Saturday, June 15, 2013. (Liz Martin/The Gazette-KCRG)

Gay rights celebrated at Pride Fest

Annual festival in Iowa City celebrates its 43rd year

  IOWA CITY — A few summer showers couldn’t dampen their pride. Rainbow umbrellas dotted downtown Iowa City, which quickly were replaced by rainbow flags as the sun began to shine. “To fight for the right to be yourself it’s important to show up,” said Jewell Amos, chair of Iowa City Pride. “Water is nothing [...]

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Cedar Rapids, city of. Restaurants. The lunch crowd enjoys the fare at the Flame Room, 312 Third Avenue (3rd Ave.) SE, on the restaurant's penultimate day in downtown Cedar Rapids Wednesday. The owners will close the doors at close of business Friday (6-29). It's unknown if the business will open under a new ownership. June 27, 1990.

The Flame Room

Building near Guaranty Bank evolved into one of Cedar Rapids' fine dining restaurants

The door between the bank and the theater opened onto a food related business more often than anything else. As far back as 1918, 310 Third Ave. SE was Sleight’s Restaurant. W.L. Sleight and his son ran the restaurant for a little more than a year, but on April 1, 1919, patrons were given notice [...]

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safety village summer camp 2013 (Kelsey Kremer / Sourcemedia Group)

Kids learn safety lessons during annual camp

The "Safety Village" in Iowa City features hands-on presentations for youngsters

Pedal cars and ambulance tours are not a part of a normal summer camp experience – but are mainstays of the two-week long annual camp called Safety Village in Iowa City. Children ages 5, 6 and 7 get the opportunity to learn about safety through hands-on presentations, demonstrations by groups like local law enforcement, ambulance services and Mercy [...]

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A tornado-damaged house is pictured along Route 66 in El Reno, Oklahoma June 1, 2013. Nine people were killed in tornadoes that swept through central Oklahoma on Friday, part of a storm system that caused widespread flooding in Oklahoma City and its suburbs, the state's chief medical examiner said on Saturday. REUTERS/Bill Waugh (UNITED STATES - Tags: ENVIRONMENT DISASTER)

Local woman trades vacation for volunteering

Limas, a faculty member at Kirkwood, will spend a month in Oklahoma in the wake of an EF-5 tornado

Plans to travel across the country were put on hold when images from Moore, Okla., came across Juanita Limas’s TV screen. “I had an extensive summer vacation already planned,” Limas said. “I was going to travel across the country and go backpacking and sightseeing for a few weeks but after seeing the coverage on the [...]

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Cedar Rapids, city of. Downtown Historical. Artist's rendering. This is a lithograph showing a bird's-eye view of the cities of Cedar Rapids and Kingston. Street names on the east side of Cedar Rapids (upper) differ from those of present day. From left (diagonal vertical streets) are: Johnson Street (C Avenue), Benton Street (B Avenue), Linn Street (A Avenue), Iowa Avenue (First Avenue, including bridge over Cedar River), Eagle Street (Second Avenue), Market Street (Third Avenue), Sugar Street (Fourth Avenue), Green Street (Fifth Avenue), Brown Street (Sixth Avenue), Daniels Street (Seventh Avenue), Sanford Street (Eighth Avenue), Carpenter Street (Ninth Avenue), LeGare Street (Tenth Avenue) and Weare Street (Eleventh Avenue). Horizontal streets upward from river are: Commercial Street (First Street), Washington Street (Second Street), Adams Street (Third Street), Jefferson Street (Fourth Street), Madison Street (Fifth Street), Monroe Street (Sixth Street), Jackson Street (Seventh Street), Van Buren Street (Eighth Street), Harrison Street (Ninth Street) and Polk Street (Tenth Street). Note the First Avenue toll bridge (built in 1859) near the undeveloped May's Island (Mays Island) on the Cedar River at right center. In 1884 street designations were changed from names to numbers, and "West" was added to all streets on the west side of the river. Drawing 1868.

The Village of Kingston

Town annexed, became West Cedar Rapids in 1870

Just as Osgood Shepherd is credited with building the first cabin on the east side of the Red Cedar River, a pioneer named William Stone is believed to be the first pioneer on the west side of the river. For a time, there were two towns on the Cedar River at the river’s rapids, one [...]

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Dogs hang out in the new K9 Acres Off-Leash Dog Area in Squaw Creek Park in Marion on June 8, 2013. The area is 11 acres in total; with a training area, a small dog yard, and the main off-leash yard. (Kaitlyn Bernauer/Gazette-KCRG9)

Unleashes rise as owners seek to socialize their pets in dog parks

Dog owners cheered at the opening of K9 Acres Off-Leash Dog Area in Marion on Saturday

  MARION — Luke, a 1- year-old golden retriever, trotted along the dog park walking trail on a sunny Saturday morning, stopped occasionally for a greeting sniff from a Labrador or corgi that gallop up to him. His owners, Leslie and Mike Buscher, were a few paces behind with their grandchildren and golden retrievers, 5-month-old [...]

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