From the KCRG-TV9 Newsroom:
A family in Vinton is asking for community support after their home caught fire overnight Christmas morning. The fire happened in the 1000 block of 8th Street. A GoFundMe posted for the family says that the family lost everything in the fire, including some pets. It has already raised more than $4,500.
The Iowa Hawkeye football team departed from the Cedar Rapids Airport on Christmas morning to head to Tampa, where they will play in the ReliaQuest Bowl. #23 Iowa will play #14 Vanderbilt in the ReliaQuest Bowl at 11 a.m. on Dec. 31. The game will be played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
Cedar Rapids is one step closer to becoming an aviation hub after receiving a state grant, though the project remains in early planning stages. The state awarded the New Bohemian Innovation Collaborative $200,000 to create an Aviation Technology Center that will serve the entire state. The nonprofit organization will use the funding to develop support systems for Iowa’s aviation industry. Executive Director Jill Wilkins said the center will focus on early-stage businesses and smaller established companies that need additional support to grow. Her team is still planning what services the center will offer and will visit similar-sized cities with aviation industries to learn best practices.
A 7-year-old Anamosa boy is making sure his dad—and 600 other soldiers in Syria—feel the Christmas spirit from thousands of miles away. Oliver Young hasn’t seen his dad, Sergeant First Class Robert Young, in seven months. His National Guard unit is deployed to Syria. To brighten up the holiday, Oliver decided to send cards and treats to his dad’s unit. He enlisted help at church, the library, and local businesses to ensure every soldier felt loved. The goodies totaled 600 cards and 3,800 snacks, which were shipped overseas as two gifts for each service member in the company for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
