CEDAR RAPIDS — The city’s downtown skyline is poised to greet its first new office tower since the GreatAmerica Building went up in 1998. John Smith, board chairman of trucking firm CRST International and president of Cedar Rapids Real Estate Group LLP, has told the city of Cedar Rapids he wants to compete to buy the [...]

A production error caused obituaries appearing in the Feb. 23 paper to appear cut off in the print edition. The obits will be rerun in the Sunday Feb. 24 edition free of charge. We apologize for the inconvenience.

Voters overwhelmingly approved a merger between the Sumner and Fredericksburg School Districts, clearing the way for them to become a single district in July 2014. More than 96 percent of voters approved the merger. It required a simple majority in both of the districts. The districts have already been sharing academic programs, administrative staff, teachers [...]

Voters in the Williamsburg school district turned down a $7.9 million bond referendum to build a new gym at the junior-senior high school. The measure had 772 votes -  or 45 percent – in favor and 950 votes  – or 55 percent -  against. It needed 60 percent approval to pass. A group of boosters [...]

CEDAR RAPIDS — Next week, we’re rolling out some significant changes to The Gazette and TheGazette.com. Come Tuesday 9/4, the Community section returns, with local news and features organized by geographical region. This is where you’ll find Dave Rasdal’s Ramblin’ column on Mondays and Wednesdays, a new daily feature highlighting things to do, as well [...]

CEDAR RAPIDS — An accident Wednesday at the General Mills plant in Cedar Rapids resulted in the death of an employee from a contract firm. Emergency responders were dispatched around 3:15 p.m. to the plant at 4800 Edgewood Rd. SW for a report of a traumatic injury. A caller indicated a man was trapped between [...]

A Cedar Rapids man faces a criminal trespass charge after allegedly violating a warning to stay away from Cedar Rapids schools. Chad Chumley, 29, of 1500 Oakland Rd., Apt. 511, was arrested on the misdemeanor charge just after 8 a.m. Monday after he allegedly visited Garfield Elementary School, 1201 Maplewood Dr. NE. Chumley was found [...]

Confession: I hoard kitchen appliances. Not your everyday appliances, like a toaster or my Kitchenaid mixer, but one-use only items, like a panini maker and more than I’m willing to admit “incredible kitchen appliances” from late-night infomarcials. Yes, I have a Magic Bullet. But this blog will focus on the panini maker. My husband gave me one for [...]

Jill Jones tells people it’s a good day when she can bake. Of all her tasks as chef and food service manager at Prairiewoods Franciscan Spirituality Center, baking is one of her most enjoyable. “It’s working with your hands,” Jones says. “You get immediate satisfaction, but then you have to wait. It’s kind of like [...]

UPDATE: A lawsuit filed by the Occupy Cedar Rapids protester group is headed to federal court. Occupy Cedar Rapids filed a lawsuit last week , asking a judge to issue an injunction to prevent the city from removing tents and other property from a city-owned lot they have been occupying. The city filed paperwork in U.S. District [...]

Demolition crews have begun the removal of the helix portion of the former First Street Parkade. The helix, which extends about 10 feet over a floodwall into the Cedar River, has required some creativity in order to prevent the pieces from falling into the river. Demolition of the ramp began July 5 and is expected [...]

IOWA CITY – Texas Gov. Rick Perry was late getting into the campaign, but he was quick in hitting the traditional campaign stops for presidential hopefuls vying in Iowa’s leadoff caucuses. Two days after officially entering the presidential race, the three-term Republican governor was at the Iowa State Fair Monday morning before taking his “Get [...]

Sarah Palin will make a stop at the Iowa State Fair Friday. “We accept with gratefulness an invitation to meet folks at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines this week,” an announcement on Palin’s political action committee site states . The full itinerary of the trip isn’t posted. While Palin hasn’t announced her plans for the 2012 [...]

MARENGO – The prosecution continues its case this morning in the first-degree murder trial of Tonch Weldon who is accused of killing a 35-year-old woman who lived with him and his wife in 2009. Weldon, 39, of Blairstown, is accused of killing Amy Gephart, 35, who was shot once in the chest with a 20-gauge [...]

Updated by Jim Malewitz 9:01 p.m. A McGregor brewery has announced plans to expand a 25,000-barrel-per-year operation in Coralville’s Iowa River Landing district , which would make it, by far, Iowa’s largest brewery. Backpocket Brewing will open the 15,000-square-foot facility featuring a large tap room and beer garden for the public in Coralville. Backpocket currently has a brewing operation at [...]

Updated by Jim Malewitz 9:01 p.m. A McGregor brewery has announced plans to expand a 25,000-barrel-per-year operation in Coralville’s Iowa River Landing district , which would make it, by far, Iowa’s largest brewery. Backpocket Brewing will open the 15,000-square-foot facility featuring a large tap room and beer garden for the public in Coralville. Backpocket currently has a brewing operation at [...]

The man suspected of killing his wife and fleeing to South Dakota earlier this month told investigators he “lost it and blacked out” during an argument in their Greene home. Thomas J. Petersen, 39, of Greene, now faces a charge of first-degree murder in connection with the June 4 stabbing death of his wife, Judy [...]

Organizers have canceled the Iowa City start to the 2011 Air Race Classic , which was scheduled to begin Tuesday in Iowa City. The forecasted showers and thunderstorms in the area and along the route prompted the cancelation, organizers said. Pilots will instead start in Alliance, Neb. Wednesday. Racers have until noon Wednesday to get there, and [...]