From the KCRG-TV9 Newsroom:
A new hotel and more is coming to the Q Casino in Dubuque. Dozens of city leaders met on Schmitt Island yesterday for the groundbreaking of a new 7-story Key Hotel, plus renovations to the lower casino and entertainment area, a new family entertainment area, and new event spaces. It comes as a statewide moratorium limiting the number of casinos in the state is set to expire in June, and cities like Cedar Rapids are pushing for the chance to build one of its own. Construction on the Dubuque casino renovations are set to be completed by this winter, and the new hotel, which will be operated by Hilton, is set to open next fall.
Plans for a $17 million apartment complex along Mt. Vernon Road Southeast is facing opposition from some of its neighbors in Cedar Rapids. Developer Steve Emerson and Aspect Architecture want to raze the long abandoned Ambroz Recreation Center and build a new four-story, 50-unit apartment complex on the site. There have been several attempts to redevelop the building in the past, but all have failed. Construction would start on the building this September and finish in October 2025.
About 1 in 5 college students at the University of Iowa, Iowa State University and the University of Northern Iowa say they do not feel comfortable expressing their opinions on campus. That’s according to a survey conducted between the end of January and the beginning of March. 79 percent say their university does not restrict speech on campus–an increase of about 13 points since 2021. The Board of Regents is meeting today to discuss those results at its monthly meeting.
COVID-19 and flu activity continues to be generally going down here in Iowa. Positive flu tests went from about 15 percent to about 11 percent. Hospitalizations went from 62 to 46 patients. COVID activity remains at the “very low” level.
The Wall Street Journal is reporting Caitlin Clark’s new Nike deal will pay the former Iowa basketball star up to $28 million during the next eight years. As part of the agreement, she’ll also get her own Nike shoe. The Athletic reports Under Armour and Adidas also made pitches to Clark. She’s heading to the WNBA and the Indiana Fever basketball team. Her jersey sold out quickly after she was drafted.
