From the KCRG-TV9 Newsroom:
The CEO of the Iowa Public Employees Retirement System, or IPERS, resigned weeks after he was placed on administrative leave. Governor Kim Reynolds says she accepted the resignation of Greg Samorajski. Samorajski was placed on paid leave in March pending misconduct investigations. A second IPERS employee, Chief Benefits Officer Steven Herbert, was also placed on leave. The IPERS Trust Fund is valued at more than $45 billion. More than 400,000 Iowans are part of the program. The Department of Administrative Services will begin a nationwide search for a new CEO.
Big improvements are coming to the Newbo area of Cedar Rapids. The nonprofit CSPS is celebrating the start of a $300,000 arts campaign. The group unveiled its new sign in NewBo, which will be lit at night to draw attention to the CSPS Hall.
It’s been nearly six years since the derecho in August 2020 and Cedar Rapids crews are still cleaning up debris from the more than 600,000 downed trees. Parks and Recreation Director Carrie Mardorf says the city is still cleaning up several wooded areas. There’s no timeline to get it all done, since they need to coordinate with contractors to do most of the work. Once those areas are cleaned up, Mardorf says they’ll leave them natural, which the City says requires less maintenance and less money spent.
A group of students are bringing a new mural to Cedar Rapids focused on mental health. The mural is on display in the alleyway at Foundation 2 Crisis Services’ headquarters in downtown Cedar Rapids. Students from the Cedar Rapids Community School District are painting the mural. It’s part of the “More Good Days Together” campaign, and is intended to highlight the power of compassion and community support.
Pella is welcoming thousands of visitors coming to see the tulips. The Tulip Time Festival kicked off last night. Organizers say warmer temperatures in April mean early blooms, leaving some tulip beds finished for the season. The Tulip Time Festival runs through Saturday.
