IOWA CITY – Although the election focus Tuesday was in Cedar Rapids with the casino vote, the biggest long shot to pay off came to the south in Johnson County. John Etheredge will become the first Republican to serve on the Johnson County Board of Supervisors since 1962 after defeating Democrat Terry Dahms for an [...]

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 [...]

The Iowa City school district’s enrollment report for this school year makes official what everyone already knew: the district is growing at fast rate. The district’s certified enrollment is 12,774 students, an increase of 321 students, or 2.6 percent, over last year. Enrollment is a big issue in the district right now. The district has [...]

The Iowa City school district is holding two public meetings in the coming weeks to talk about a Feb. 5 special election. Voters are being asked to approve a new revenue purpose statement so that the district can borrow from future sales tax revenue. The money would help construct new schools and additions to current [...]

(Today’s print column) Tuesday’s rejection of a local-option sales tax extension for flood protection looked razor close on paper. But if you dig a little into the numbers, you’ll realize it’s one of those games that’s not really as close as the score indicates. In 18 of Cedar Rapids’ 44 precincts, opposition to the tax [...]

  CEDAR RAPIDS — Voters could have their next say as soon as March on whether to extend a 1 percent local-option sales tax to pay for flood protection on both sides of the Cedar River. Members of the citizen group CREST (for Cedar Rapids Extended Sales Tax) said Wednesday that they have gathered enough [...]

The outcome of a special election in Linn County won’t alter Ryan farmer Dan Zumbach’s plans to run for the Iowa Senate. About half of Iowa Senate 18 — where Democrat Liz Mathis won a Nov. 8 election to fill a vacancy — will be in a new district, Senate 48, when new legislative boundaries [...]

  Today’s print column It’s decision time for many of us who live in Senate District 18. Those of us who vote old-school on Election Day, that is. It’s a tough choice. Republican Cindy Golding is cstrongest on business and economic issues at a time when they’re very important. She’s run multiple businesses and understands [...]

Republicans in the Iowa Senate definitely will have a new caucus leader later this month. Not only will current Senate GOP Leader Paul McKinley of Chariton not seek to hold his current position when Republican senators meet Nov. 10 at the Statehouse, he announced Wednesday that he will not seek re-election to the Iowa Senate [...]

  Last week, at Wednesday night’s Senate District 18 forum, time ran out before either Chris Earl or I could ask the candidates about same-sex marriage. One guy in the audience as so unhappy that, after the debate ended, he began yelling demands that the candidates address the issue. I heard from others, using inside voices, who also couldn’t believe we [...]