PALO — Chest high grass in picnic areas, overgrown trails and some unopened facilities. That’s what greeted state park visitors in 2011 after budget cuts eliminated some seasonal maintenance workers. Park managers said they heard a lot of complaints about weeds as tall as picnic tables and the generally “scruffy” appearance of many state [...]

CEDAR RAPIDS — Divers with the volunteer Linn County Underwater Search and Recovery Unit have ended their search for a man who apparently drowned in the Cedar River. The 28-year-old Hispanic man was last seen Saturday evening below the roller dam along Old River Road SW, according to the Cedar Rapids Fire Department. The divers said Monday [...]

HIAWATHA- A cutback in federal commodity programs has one distribution warehouse looking for ways to help eastern Iowa food banks keep the shelves stocked.  The partial solution by the HAACP Food Reservoir is to order food by the truckload and then sell it at a steep discount to food pantries, shelters and meal programs for [...]

A 17-year-old Manchester teen charged in a double homicide case made his initial court appearance Tuesday afternoon in Clayton County. Isaiah Sweet was captured in a wooded area of Cedar Rapids just after 7 p.m. Monday. An arrest warrant was issued by authorities earlier Monday, naming him as a suspect in the deaths of his [...]

CEDAR RAPIDS — A former high school teacher accused of sexually exploiting a student has been released from jail after posting a $6,500 bond and is scheduled to appear in Linn County District Court on May 31. Heather Adams, 41, who resigned from her job as a chemistry teacher at Cedar Rapids Washington High School [...]

Waterloo- State leaders hope Beef Products, Inc. (BPI) may one day reverse plans to close a Waterloo plant and others that produced lean, finely textured beef.  But Monday’s announcement of plant closings in Iowa and two other states leaves several communities picking up the pieces of lost jobs. In  addition to the BPI plant in Waterloo, [...]

LAKE DELHI — Several people who support the restoration of the Lake Delhi dam said they were happy Saturday after hearing that state lawmakers have reached a deal to pitch in funding. The agreement calls for the state to put forward $5 million over the next two fiscal years to rebuild the dam, which was [...]

CEDAR RAPIDS — City leaders said Friday that nothing has really gone wrong with construction at the U.S. Cellular Center, which they said Thursday won’t be finished in time to host the state girls volleyball tournament this November. Instead, city council members said that the $85 million convention center and $45 million hotel renovation project [...]

A long-planned Marion street project that could take 10 years to complete finally got under way Thursday with a ceremonial first step. The Marion Central Corridor project will eventually link Sixth Avenue with Seventh Avenue in Marion.  The idea is to provide a way for through traffic to get around the busy commercial street through [...]

More than 160 million people in the United States use the Facebook social media site. And now every member will get a chance to promote organ donation, and sign up to become an organ donor if they’re not already. Transplant programs around the country, including the one at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, [...]

Utility officials and the Iowa Attorney General’s Office continue to investigate two pipeline blasts in Iowa last week. And a spokesperson for both Mid-American Energy and Northern Natural Gas Company said neither contractor in the two explosions called to locate buried utilities before digging and hitting the gas pipelines. The most recent explosion happened late [...]

CEDAR RAPIDS — A Cedar Rapids homeowner trying to unload his property has decided to forego the traditional selling process, opting instead to set up an essay contest. Matthew Brownfield, who now lives in Toano, Va., said he came up with the idea after seeing it work in other states. The parameters are that entrants must [...]

CEDAR RAPIDS-Is it a sign of home-selling desperation or a stroke of marketing genius? One man who still owns a Cedar Rapids home despite moving out of state is hoping to unload the house with a raffle-like essay contest. First, and only prize, is the house itself. Matthew Brownfield, who now lives in Toano, Virginia [...]

At least two trees toppled by high winds knocked down both power lines and poles along Ellis Boulevard NW Monday morning. Officials with Alliant Energy said fixing the problem meant closing Ellis Boulevard by the Manhattan park pavilion in Ellis Park until mid-afternoon. The utility said the damaged lines and poles initially knocked out power [...]

CEDAR RAPIDS- A visible and easily identifiable part of downtown Cedar Rapids will finally get a post-flood makeover. A lighted marquee has announced shows and coming attractions at the Paramount Theatre since the late 1920’s. And nearly four years after the flood of 2008, the current marquee is coming down to get refurbished along with [...]

The full body scanners familiar to travelers at larger airport security checkpoints have finally arrived in Cedar Rapids. As of 5 a.m. Tuesday, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) turned on its Advanced Imaging Technology unit at The Eastern Iowa Airport. That means fliers who are used to walking through a simple X-ray portal will now, [...]

CEDAR RAPIDS — A couple whose home is on the market say they found two intruders and evidence that someone had forced their way inside last weekend, but police don’t plan to file any charges. John and Julie Freeman said they bought a house on 26th Street NW last winter and fixed it up with [...]

MARION — Members of the Marion City Council took the first step Thursday night to tighten the rules on vendors at City Park. Each year, the park, in downtown Marion, plays host to events like the Swamp Fox Festival and Marion by Moonlight. Vendors selling food, drinks, and crafts pay fees to event organizers to [...]

CEDAR RAPIDS- RAGBRAI organizers in Cedar Rapids now have a firm plan in place to host upwards of 20,000 riders in late July. The thousands of riders streaming into Cedar Rapids on July 26th will arrive from Marshalltown. The 85-mile route will be the longest on the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI). [...]

CEDAR RAPIDS- Did you buy a Mega Millions lottery ticket this week? Millions of people in Iowa and around the country are expected to do just that before the Friday evening drawing for what will be the world’s biggest-ever jackpot prize. The Mega Millions game offered in Iowa and more than 40 other states has [...]