Coralville Courier

Find what you're looking for in the Corridor!

Whether you're a lifelong resident of the Corridor area, a University of Iowa student, or just visiting the area, you've come to the right place if you're looking for information about lodging, dining, activities, finding a good mechanic, a lawyer and otherwise in the Metro area! Looking for a refreshing dinner experience? Find a restaurant that intrigues you in Metro Pursuit. Have some relatives coming into town and need some entertaining ideas? Find some in Metro Pursuit. Need to move? Find a house or apartment to your liking in Metro Pursuit. Serving the entire Corridor and the metro areas of Iowa City, Coralville, North Liberty, Tiffin, Riverside, Cedar Rapids, Hiawatha, Marion and surrounding communities!

Traffic Alert - Muscatine Avenue

IOWA CITY -- Beginning today, Tuesday, July 7, 2020, Muscatine Avenue is reduced to one lane of alternating traffic between Rundell Street and Dearborn Street to accommodate the removal of trees in the area.  It is anticipated that normal traffic will resume by late afternoon.

Motorists are to take note of this lane reduction and allow extra travel time as delays may occur.  As always, caution should be exercised when driving through all construction areas.

For updated information on road construction in Iowa City, visit www.icgov.org/travelalerts. 

ICFD extinguishes apartment fire on Nex Avenue

IOWA CITY -- At 09:36 a.m. on Tuesday, July 7th, 2020, the Iowa City Fire Department responded to a structure fire at 671 Nex Ave.  The first fire unit arrived in approximately 4 minutes.  Fire crews entered the structure finding fire in the attic and brought the fire under control in approximately 2 hours after arrival.  

Sixteen fire personnel responded to the initial alarm.  Fifteen off-duty Iowa City firefighters were also called-back for assistance. Outside agency support and assistance was provided by the Iowa City Police Department, Johnson County Ambulance Service, North Liberty Fire Department, Coralville Fire Department, Hills Fire Department, Lone Tree Fire Department, Solon Fire Department, Swisher Fire Department, Tiffin Fire Department, West Branch Fire Department, Hills Fire Department, Johnson County Joint Emergency Communications Center, Iowa City Transit and Mid-American Energy Company.

No civilian or firefighter injuries were reported.  Total property damage is estimated to be $200,000.  The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the ICFD Fire Marshal.

For more information, contact the Battalion Chief at 319-356-5255

Today's Weather Outlook for the Corridor

Today's weather forecast and a four day outlook.  Check this page for the latest weather reports in the corridor area.  Up-to-date weather conditions for the Iowa City area are observed at the Iowa City, Iowa City Municipal Airport, IA.  For weather conditions specific to other cities outside the corridor area, just type in your zip code below.

Type in your zip code for your weatherecast

 

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It's Not Too Late to Respond to the 2020 Census

The census is a count of every person who lives in the United States and its territories. It happens every 10 years, and each household is asked to count everyone living in their home as of April 1. In March, invitations to respond to the 2020 Census were mailed to every household in the United States, and reminders were sent to households that hadn’t responded. 

It’s not too late to respond. If you complete the 2020 Census now, no one from the Census Bureau will need to visit your home when in-person Census operations resume.  Every household has the option to respond online, by phone, or by mail. 

OLD RIVER ROAD SW CLOSURE

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – Starting Wednesday, July 8, 2020, Old River Road SW will be closed just west of Sunshine Street for storm sewer repairs. Work is expected to take approximately one (1) week, weather permitting.

Camp Cardinal Boulevard Temporary Trail Closure

The Camp Cardinal Boulevard trail between Kennedy Parkway and Camp Cardinal Road will be closed on Thursday, July 9, from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. The closure is needed to install drain tile along a short section of the trail. Camp Cardinal Boulevard will remain open to vehicle and bicycle traffic.

Still Time to Complete 2020 Census

LINN COUNTY, IA –  The Linn County Complete Count Committee wants to remind all residents to complete the 2020 Census by October 31, 2020 in order to be counted. The census is held once every ten years to get an accurate count of all people living in the United States, determining funding for public resources and state representation in Congress. The self-response period was extended to October after impacts of COVID-19 slowed Census Bureau field operations. 

Ways to Respond

·         For the first time, the census can be taken online at www.2020Census.gov.

·         Residents can also respond to the census by calling the U.S. Census Bureau:

o   844-330-2020 for English

o   844-468-2020 for Spanish

o   Additional hotlines in multiple languages can be found HERE

How the Census Benefits Your Community

Your community benefits the most when the census counts everyone. When you respond to the census, you help your community gets its fair share of the more than $675 billion per year in federal funds spent on schools, hospitals, roads, public works and other vital programs. 

Communities that are undercounted are disadvantaged both economically and politically. All residents, regardless of age, race, citizenship, or background, should be counted to help ensure Iowa receives the funding and representation it needs to meet the needs of all its residents.  

Businesses use census data to decide where to build factories, offices and stores, and this creates jobs. Developers use the census to build new homes and revitalize old neighborhoods. Local governments use the census for public safety and emergency preparedness. Residents use the census to support community initiatives involving legislation, quality-of-life and consumer advocacy. 

Census Forms 

The 2020 census questionnaire will take approximately 10 minutes to complete, and your information is safe, secure, and protected by federal law. The census form will ask you for information about any person living in your household as of April 1, 2020, including their relationship to each other, race, and sex. There is no citizenship question on the 2020 census. See all the questions on the census form and an explanation of why they are asked HERE.   

The Census Bureau will never ask for:

·         Your Social Security number

·         Your bank account or credit card numbers

·         Your citizenship status

·         Anything on behalf of a political party

·         Money or donations 

LINKS & RESOURCES 

·         Complete the Census online: https://2020census.gov/en.html

·         Explanation of Questions Asked on the Form: https://2020census.gov/en/about-questions.html

·         Sample questionnaire: https://2020census.gov/content/dam/2020census/materials/partners/2019-08/2020-informational-questionnaire.pdf

·         Who to Count: https://2020census.gov/en/who-to-count.html

·         Ways to Respond: https://2020census.gov/en/ways-to-respond.html

·         Important Dates: https://2020census.gov/en/important-dates.html 

LINN COUNTY COMPLETE COUNT COMMITTEE 

The Linn County Complete Count Committee is comprised of representatives from the following organizations: City of Cedar Rapids, Linn County, City of Marion, Cedar Rapids Public Library, Catherine McAuley Center, and United Way of East Central Iowa. For information on you can help encourage Linn County residents to participate in the census, please email the committee at LinnCountyCounts@linncounty.org. 

2ND AVENUE SE CLOSURE

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – Effective Wednesday, July 8, 2020, 2^nd Avenue SE will be closed to traffic between 1^st Street and 2^nd Street for crane operations.  2^nd Avenue is expected to be back open to traffic by noon on Wednesday.

Iowa City's Monarch Festival goes virtual for 2020

The fifth annual Monarch Festival will be held virtually this August. By moving from a one-day event to a four-day online series, both children and adults will have more opportunities to learn about the beautiful monarch butterfly. 

This year's Monarch Festival will feature new material, videos, lessons, and activities dedicated to the Danaus plexippus (the scientific name for Monarch butterfly) and how Iowa City residents can help support the butterfly and boost its declining population.

The festival will also have a drive-thru, no contact pick-up for free monarch-related craft projects for children. Registration for these kits will be posted closer to the festival. 

Videos and activities will be shared on City social media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, Nextdoor, Instagram) and at icgov.org/ICMonarchs on the first four Sundays of August: Aug. 2, Aug. 9, Aug. 16, Aug. 23. 

Content for the festival will focus on activities for children, information for adults, and a video series showing the monarch life cycle that will educate all ages.

The Monarch Festival is part of Iowa City’s commitment to creating an environment that allows monarchs to thrive and reproduce in our community.

The population of this unique, vibrant butterfly has declined by more than 90 percent in the past two decades. Iowa City has taken several steps to help support the monarch. To learn more about the initiative and how you can help, visit icgov.org/ICMonarchs. 

76TH AVENUE SW WESTBOUND CLOSURE

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – Effective Tuesday, July 7, 2020, 76^th Avenue SW will be closed to westbound traffic between Washington View Parkway and Kirkwood Boulevard for pavement repairs. Eastbound traffic will remain open. Work is anticipated to take approximately two (2) weeks, weather permitting.