Iowa City City Council votes to pay temporary employees until May 16
Rachel Schilke, News Reporter
April 7, 2020
The Iowa City City Council voted 7-0 Tuesday to approve continued pay for city employees until May 16. After that date, the roughly 260 employees with temporary status would be furloughed unless the council approves an extension. Iowa City City Manager Geoff Fruin provided the council with three...
Iowa City City Council spikes solar energy project in Waterworks Prairie Park
Rachel Schilke and Riley Davis
April 7, 2020
Iowa City residents' strong opposition to a solar-energy project at Waterworks Prairie Park prompted the Iowa City City Council on Tuesday to vote unanimously against a lease agreement with MidAmerican which would have advanced the project. Several community members advocated for the city counc...
Johnson County officials say Iowa’s COVID-19 mitigation memo one ‘tool’
Marissa Payne, Editor-in-Chief
April 3, 2020
Johnson County officials on April 3 downplayed the role of the Iowa Department of Public Health's guidance on implementing COVID-19 mitigation measures including a shelter-in-place order, describing the memo containing those metrics as one of several "tools" for government officials to use in re...
Johnson County Board of Supervisors limit public access to courthouse
Riley Davis, News Reporter
April 2, 2020
Public access to the Johnson County Courthouse will be restricted until April 16, when the closure order expires on other county buildings, the Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to approve Thursday. According to a news release from the Johnson County Board of Supervisors, the courthouse’s publi...
Iowa City hospitals ramp up efforts to test for and treat COVID-19 ahead of potential surge
Marissa Payne, Editor-in-Chief
March 31, 2020
Local health officials are ramping up ways to test for and treat COVID-19 as Iowa hospitals prepare for a projected surge in patients seeking treatment for the disease. UI Hospitals and Clinics Chief Medical Officer Theresa Brennan said the health-care system is currently treating five inpatients for...
Johnson County Board of Supervisors, Board of Public Health discuss local response to COVID-19
Riley Davis, News Reporter
March 31, 2020
The Johnson County Board of Supervisors held a telephonic meeting with three members of the Johnson County Board of Health Tuesday to discuss the county’s response to the COVID-19 crisis and the board’s letter to Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds concerning authority for a shelter-in-place order. County Attor...
Governor confirms COVID-19 outbreak in Cedar Rapids long-term care facility as Linn surpasses Johnson County with most cases
Sarah Watson, Managing Editor
March 30, 2020
In her daily press briefing on Monday, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds confirmed an outbreak of the novel coronavirus in a Cedar Rapids long-term care facility. Twenty-one of Linn County's 71 COVID-19 cases are directly related to the outbreak, a designation Reynolds said is characterized by three or more...
Independent senator candidates highlight platforms in run for Undergraduate Student Government
Lauren White, News Reporter
March 29, 2020
Four independent senatorial candidates are vying for seats in the Undergraduate Student Government election, meaning they're running without a ticket affiliation. The independent senator role is intended to make USG more accessible to students. Students running for independent senator positions spoke...
With no shelter-in-place order in Iowa, Johnson County supervisors ask nonessential businesses to scale back operations
Marissa Payne, Editor-in-Chief
March 27, 2020
Johnson County Board of Supervisors Chair Rod Sullivan said Friday the supervisors are asking nonessential businesses to scale back their operations and reduce the number of employees in the workspace to contain the spread of COVID-19. With Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds' announcement Thursday of the e...
Iowa governor expands business closures amid increasing COVID-19 spread
Naomi Hofferber, Arts Reporter
March 26, 2020
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds on Thursday said she would expand her order for businesses to remain closed through April 7, extending her directive to encompass more types of shops. Reynolds announced at a press conference that starting at 10 p.m. Thursday, bookstores, clothing and shoe stores, jewelry sto...
Johnson County Board of Supervisors asks Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds for a shelter-in-place order
Riley Davis, News Reporter
March 26, 2020
The Johnson County Board of Supervisors approved 4-1 a decision Thursday to draft a letter to Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, asking her to issue a shelter-in-place order for the state and to give Johnson County officials the authority to issue an order of their own if the need arises. Johnson County Attor...
Local governments hold first virtual meetings, provide access for public participation
Riley Davis, News Reporter
March 25, 2020
The Iowa City City Council and Johnson County Board of Supervisors are transitioning their regular meetings to a virtual format in an effort to allow for public access and participation amid the COVID-19 outbreak, which has closed public buildings for staff and community safety. The city counc...