From the KCRG-TV9 Newsroom:
North Liberty will get rid of its Flock cameras, with plans to turn them off as soon as tomorrow. The City Council’s decision comes after months of heated debate over privacy concerns about the automated license plate cameras. The city’s Flock cameras cost North Liberty about $36,000 a year. The Council voted 3 to 1 last night to end that contract.
The two candidates for Governor made their last appearance on the debate stage as Republican Zach Lahn and Democrat Rob Sand faced off at Prairie High School in Cedar Rapids. It was the third and last debate before Tuesday’s election with Sand saying he will work with Republicans and Independents if elected, and Lahn saying he’s an outsider who wants to advocate on behalf of Iowans.
More than 307,000 Iowans have already voted early as of yesterday morning. With a week until election day, early voting might beat the last midterm’s count of 370,000. In Linn County, early voting continues at Lindale Mall from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Other counties are also offering early voting. You can check your county website for early voting locations and times near your home.
Iowa City Schools put together a timeline to close schools to save money. The district is working to cut $13.8 million by fiscal year 2028. This comes as officials try to fix a years-long financial crisis. The interim superintendent has said the district is considering cutting teaching positions and closing schools, with a focus on elementaries. The school board will vote on final cuts in March.
Foundation 2 Crisis Services experienced its highest contact volume ever. The agency received 101,000 calls for help in its last fiscal year. It says a large majority of the crisis contacts–90 percent–were resolved over the phone. Why such an increase in calls? That’s not clear. Foundation 2 says while economic stressors like layoffs could be key, there could also just be more people being aware of Foundation 2’s services.
