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Work has begun on a yet to be named park at 1565 St. Andrews Drive Wednesday, May 8, 2013 in North Liberty. The name of the park will be selected from entrants in a "Name That Park" contest that the city is holding.  (Brian Ray/The Gazette)

North Liberty wants public to help name new park

Entries due by June 15; park will be city's largest

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 [...]

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Downtown Cedar Rapids is seen from the air on Monday, May 6, 2013. (Liz Martin/The Gazette-KCRG)

Cedar Rapids again secures top bond rating, but with negative outlook

Only two dozen similar-sized cities in nation share top Moody's rating

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 [...]

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Protestors march down Third Avenue SE Friday to mark the fifth anniversary of the immigration raid in Postville. (Dave Franzman/KCRG-TV9)

Protestors mark fifth anniversary of Postville immigration raid

Group plans to march to Immaculate Conception church for discussion of immigration policies

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 [...]

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Iowa State Sen. Mike Gronstal and former state senator Swati Dandekar are shown in this 2009 photo. (Gazette file)

Dandekar forms committee to explore run for Iowa U.S. House 1st District seat

Former state senator would leave Iowa Utilities Board to run for seat being vacated by Braley

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 [...]

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A traffic camera at First  Avenue and 10th Street NE is among seven installed at Cedar Rapids intersections since 2010. (Matt Nelson/The Gazette)

Iowa City may repeal traffic-camera law

City staffers recommend ordinance dealing with cameras be taken off the books

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 [...]

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Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis (L) testifies before a House Homeland Security hearing on "The Boston Bombings: A First Look" in Washington May 9, 2013. The pictures at right rear show (L-R clockwise), MIT police officer Sean Collier, who was killed in his patrol car, and Boston Marathon bombing victims eight-year old Martin Richard, Krystle Campbell, and Lu Lingzi.  REUTERS/Gary Cameron  (UNITED STATES - Tags: POLITICS CRIME LAW)

United States needs more security at large events, Boston police chief testifies

But efforts must account for public's right to privacy

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 [...]

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Students head to class during passing period at Iowa City West High on Tuesday, April 17, 2012, in Iowa City. (Liz Martin/The Gazette)

Iowa City district considering police presence in schools

Officers would work in middle, high schools for security purposes

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 [...]

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A rendering of the proposed $90 million redevelopment project for Westdale Mall. (image via Frew Development Group, LLC)

Westdale Mall redevelopment releases plans

Open house set at 6 p.m. today to discuss proposal

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 [...]

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Spectators photograph the historic Althea Sherman chimney swift tower as a crane lowers it Wednesday onto a foundation built for it at the Bickett-Rate Preserve near Buchanan in Cedar County. (Orlan Love/The Gazette)

Cedar County bird observatory upright again

Once used by iconic bird watcher Althea Sherman, tower had been in storage for 21 years

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 [...]

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A vendor arranges tofu at her stall as she waits for customers at a market in Huaibei, Anhui province in this October 15, 2012 file photo. 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 U.S. White House petitions website. (REUTERS/Stringer/Files)

Jellied tofu debate comes to White House

Chinese petition on White House site seeks official designation; over 1,000 signatures so far

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 [...]

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