From the KCRG-TV9 Newsroom:
An upgrade to keep Cedar Rapids’ water clean and reduce unpleasant aromas is going to cost tens of millions of dollars more than the city expected. The Cedar Rapids City Council approved a $355 million upgrade to the water pollution control facility. The wastewater plant’s equipment is almost 50 years old and the concrete and stainless steel have worn down. Originally the project was expected to cost around $280 million. The Cedar Rapids utility director says labor shortages as well as competition between Cedar Rapids and other large cities for contractors to complete long-term projects is behind the higher costs.
New details in the case of a teenage girl missing since 2017; 65-year-old James Bachmurski now faces a second degree murder charge in the death of 15-year-old Jade Colvin. A newly filed Winneshiek County criminal complaint says Bachmurski had been messaging the girl for a month before she ran away to his farm in Decorah. No one has seen or heard from the teen since two days after she arrived at the farm. His son confirmed to investigators that Colvin had come to the farm in 2017 and that Colvin’s empty travel bag had been in Bachmurski’s bedroom.
Kirkwood Community College is buying 80 acres of land to help grow its agriculture program. The school says expanding the farmland to 480 acres will provide more opportunities for hands-on experience for those students. The school’s Board of Trustees approved the purchase during last week’s meeting, totaling more than $1.3 million. The new land is along Wright Brothers Boulevard across the street from the Airport National Golf Course.
Bids are due today for the construction cost of the Westside Library Construction Project. The expected cost is almost $18 million. The new Westside Library will replace the current Ladd Library in Cedar Rapids. The project is set to include a new city park as well. The Ladd Library is currently in a leased space, but the new Westside Library will be a permanent location.
