From the KCRG-TV9 Newsroom:
The City of Atkins has sent a letter to the Linn County Planning and Zoning Commission, voicing its opposition to a proposed power plant. Alliant wants to build the Morgan Valley Energy Center west of Cedar Rapids, near Highway 30 and Benton-Linn Road. In the letter, the city is formally opposing the proposed rezoning and application. It says the project raises significant concerns because it’s just more than a mile and a half from Atkins city limits and is in the Atkins Fire District. Officials also cite concerns about air and water quality and stormwater runoff. Linn County and the state have the final say, and communities outside the county don’t have a formal role in the process.
The Linn County Board of Supervisors has approved reducing speed limits on several Linn County secondary roads. The changes are directly related to a new state law that took effect July 1 that set the default speed limit on eligible county roads from 55 mph to 60 mph. The county is keeping the 55 mph limit on sections of Alburnett Road, Blairs Ferry, Tower Terrace, and Wright Brothers Boulevard, among others.
The first day of school at Jefferson Middle School in Dubuque has been pushed back again after an accidental fire damaged part of the building a week ago. The school’s principal says the north wing addition where the fire started will be off limits when students return next Tuesday, September 1. Crews are working on the first and second floors of the wing, which are expected to reopen after Labor Day. Staff and teachers have been temporarily working at Hoover Elementary.
University of Iowa students are back on the Ped Mall this week—the same spot where gunfire sent people running for their lives four months ago. Police chief Dustin Liston wants to further expand the downtown presence with a permanent patrol squad. But several city councilors refused to give their support. Two Cedar Rapids teenagers each face five counts of attempted murder in the shooting. Police say Damarian Jones fired into a crowd, injuring five people, and that Ka’Mari Dozier handed him the gun.
Linn County residents will soon get a chance to name a snowplow. The county Road Department is hosting a public contest to name eight snowplows. You have until September 4 to submit a name by going to the Linn County website. Voting will take place at the end of September into early October.
