It is the park that shall not be named – only because it doesn’t have one. The City of North Liberty recently broke ground on a new 40-acres community park on the west side of town, near North Bend Elementary School. The park has an address – 1565 St. Andrews Drive. Now it needs a [...]

For the 41st year in a row, the city of Cedar Rapids has secured the top Aaa bond rating from Moody’s Investors Service. City Council member Kris Gulick, chairman of the Finance and Administrative Services Committee and recent past president of the Iowa League of Cities, said Friday that the city’s ability to retain a [...]

An estimated 250 people have turned out today for a march to recognize the fifth anniversary of the giant immigration raid at Postville. The crowd, including several groups that arrived on buses, is gathering in front of the federal courthouse in Cedar Rapids. The plan is to march to the Immaculate Conception Church on Third [...]

After deflecting questions about her plans for months, former state Sen. Swati Dandekar is taking the first steps toward running for an open U.S. House seat in northeast Iowa. The Marion Democrat confirmed today supporters are forming an exploratory committee and she will decide before fall whether she will run for the 1st District seat [...]

A petition challenging traffic-enforcement cameras in Iowa City is valid, but the portion of it covering cameras is not timely, yet the city may repeal its camera ordinance anyway. Oh, and cameras are not even installed yet and were not going to be any time soon. Got that? Those related and complicated pieces of information [...]

Major public events in the United States like the Boston Marathon need tighter security but officials must steer clear of moving toward a “police state,” Boston’s top cop said on Thursday at a congressional hearing into last month’s bombing. The city’s police commissioner, Edward Davis, called for more use of surveillance cameras and other technology [...]

The Iowa City Police Department and school district are discussing the possibility of adding a “community police presence” in secondary schools. Superintendent Steve Murley said the district and police are carefully considering adding one or two officers to work in the district’s six middle and high school buildings on a full-time basis. “We are really [...]

Developers behind Westdale Mall’s revitalization released master plans and renderings Wednesday that show a modern outdoor retail area and green space. Frew Development Group, the city’s project manager on the U.S. Cellular Center and DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel,  is overseeing the $90 million redevelopment project. It plans to turn the 33-year-old mall into an open-air area [...]

The historic Althea Sherman chimney swift tower stood upright Tuesday for the first time in 21 years. “There were many times I thought this day would never come,” said Barbara Boyle of Williamsburg, shortly after a crane lifted the 6,500-pound tower onto a concrete foundation at a 560-acre nature preserve along the Cedar River near [...]

Internet users in China, a country with a long tradition of petitioning, are appealing to a new authority to resolve grievances and controversies such as the merits of salty or sweet tofu – the White House petitions website. Created by President Barack Obama, the online petitioning system was designed as an “easy way for Americans [...]