Today's weather forecast and a four day outlook.  Check this page for the latest weather reports in the corridor area.  Up-to-date weather conditions for the Iowa City area are observed at the Iowa City, Iowa City Municipal Airport, IA.  For weather conditions specific to other cities outside the corridor area, just type in your zip code below.

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CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – Due to ongoing derecho debris removal, along with challenges related to lingering debris in collection areas, the Cedar Rapids Solid Waste & Recycling division will delay the start of our 2020 Fall Loose Leaf Vacuum Collection program. Instead of starting on Oct. 5, as originally planned, leaf vacuum collection will begin on Oct. 19. The start date was delayed two weeks to allow tree debris collection crews additional time to make an initial pass of streets. The Solid Waste & Recycling division urges residents to use the extra time to clear their collection area of sticks and debris that could clog the vacuum equipment.

“Planning for the loose leaf vacuum collection program begins in summer, when schedules are distributed to customers through their utilities bills and submitted for printing in the August Our CR Magazine,” explained Steve Hershner, Utilities Director. “While plans were to start our leaf vacuum collection program in the beginning of October, similar to previous years, we have been closely monitoring citywide debris collection efforts following the derecho. We determined a two-week delayed start will have several benefits this year.”

The Solid Waste & Recycling division is urging residents to use the time between now and October 19 to rake up any twigs, sticks, and lingering debris from their leaf collection areas. Sticks larger than six inches in length can clog the vacuum equipment and even cause serious damage, further delaying collection operations. Scheduled garbage, recycling, and yard waste cart collection continues uninterrupted. Customers should continue to set their carts at street in front of their home, and NOT the alley, by 7 a.m. on their regular collection day.

Another benefit of the delayed start is more time for tree- and nonorganic-debris-collection crews to make an initial first pass of streets. With ongoing collection of storm debris, solid waste, recycling, and yard waste all occurring from streets and not alleys at this time, a two-week delay will provide additional time to reduce curbside collection congestion.

Leaf Collection Basics

The leaf vacuum program helps our city protect our streams and the Cedar River. By keeping the leaves on the lawn and out of the street, less organic material, which can rob aquatic life of oxygen, is washed into our waterways through the storm sewer system.

• Crews cannot collect leaves if piles have sticks mixed with the leaves. Please fill your YARDY cart with sticks and other yard waste. YARDY carts are collected all year long.
• Rake leaves into long piles on the parking area or grass next to the street. Leaves must be kept out of the street. The vacuum truck will not collect leaves from alleys.
• Debris piles will present additional challenges for the start of leaf collection. Please ensure leaf piles are separated from any piles of tree debris (with branches, etc) and nonorganic storm debris.
• Keep leaf piles away from obstacles like your collection carts, mailboxes, cars and utility poles. If possible, remove parked cars from the street on collection days.
• During fall loose leaf collection, brown paper lawn and leaf bags are collected every week with the YARDY cart. Your YARDY cart must be used first; then paper lawn and leaf bags can be used for any additional leaves. Filled bags cannot exceed 40 pounds.

Leaf Collection Schedule

The City of Cedar Rapids will use an every-other week schedule based on which quadrant a customer lives in:

• Customers in the southeast quadrant will have collection starting on Mondays during alternating weeks. All leaves must be raked to the collection area by 7 a.m. on Monday. Collection days are scheduled for the weeks of:
  • Monday, October 19,
  • Monday, November 2,
  • Monday, November 16, and
  • Monday, November 30.
• Customers in the northeast quadrant will have collection starting on Mondays during alternating weeks. All leaves must be raked to the collection area by 7 a.m. on Monday. Collection days are scheduled for the weeks of:
  • Monday, October 26,
  • Monday, November 9,
  • Monday, November 23, and
  • Monday, December 7.
• Customers in the southwest quadrant will have collection starting on Wednesdays during alternating weeks. All leaves must be raked to the collection area by 7 a.m. on Wednesday. Collection days are scheduled for the weeks of:
  • Wednesday, October 21,
  • Wednesday, November 4,
  • Wednesday, November 18, and
  • Wednesday, December 2.
• Customers in the northwest quadrant will have collection starting on Wednesdays during alternating weeks. All leaves must be raked to the collection area by 7 a.m. on Wednesday. Collection days are scheduled for the weeks of:
  • Wednesday, October 28,
  • Wednesday, November 11,
  • Wednesday, November 25, and
  • Wednesday, December 9.

Fridays and Saturdays will be used as make-up days if heavy leaf volumes cannot be collected as scheduled. Crews will finish collecting leaves in each quadrant before moving onto the next quadrant. To ensure residents always know when leaves will be collected, all customers are encouraged to sign up for garbage and recycling text or email alerts at www.CRNewsNow.com.

CEDAR RAPIDS, IA – Starting Monday, September 28, 2020, Arizona Avenue NE will be closed between Center Point Road and Lawrence Street for storm water improvements. Work is anticipated to take approximately one (1) month, weather pending.

A 17-year-old male has been referred to the Johnson County Juvenile Court on the following charges related to this incident:

• 3^rd Degree Burglary
• 3^rd Degree Theft
• Trafficking in Stolen Weapons
• Carrying Weapons

The investigation of the incident has determined that the adult female victim was accidentally shot with a handgun that was in the possession of the juvenile male charged with the above offenses. The victim of the shooting suffered non-life-threatening injuries from the single gunshot. The investigation into this incident has been concluded.

Issued: 09/20/2020

On Sunday, September 20th, 2020, at approximately 09:55 am, Iowa City Police officers responded to a report of a gunshot heard near the 1100 block of Oakcrest St.  Upon arrival, investigating officers located a female victim suffering from a gunshot wound.  The female was transported to the hospital for treatment. There is no indication that the public is at risk. Case# 2020005999.

No arrests have been made and this incident is under investigation.

Iowa City Police are asking for the public's help to identify anyone involved with this incident. Anyone with information is urged to contact Sergeant Jerry Blomgren at 319-356-5276.
Iowa City Area Crime Stoppers is also offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information about this incident, if an arrest is made. Crime Stoppers tips can be submitted via the P3 Tips app, online at iccrimestoppers.org, or by phone at 319-358-TIPS (8477). All tips and calls are held in strict confidence and anonymity is guaranteed. Individuals providing information are not required to reveal their identity to collect a reward.

The Johnson County Joint Emergency Communications Center (JECC) and the Johnson County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) will conduct a test of the Johnson County Emergency Notification System (JCENS) on Friday, Sept. 25, 2020.

Johnson County uses the JCENS high-speed telephone emergency notification services for mass public safety notices such as lost persons, amber alerts or emergency evacuations or other priority messages during times of crisis. The JCENS system gives officials the ability to deliver pre-recorded emergency telephone notification and information messages to targeted areas or the entire county.

On Friday, Sept. 25, the test will be specifically for the systems’ Special Needs groups for residents of Johnson County who are hearing or vision impaired or have limited mobility. A phone and/or text message will be sent to those who have signed up for one or more Special Needs groups. Residents can register their cell phone or landline to receive this message. Johnson County residents can sign up online. In a time of disaster, emergency agencies would have contact information of those residents to verify their safety.

The JCENS system gives all individuals and businesses in Johnson County the ability to add their own cell phone or landline numbers directly to the system's telephone database. Everyone is encouraged to add their information into the system’s telephone database.

If your phone number is not in the database, you will not be called. Those who may not be in the database include people new to the area, such as university or college students, people who might not have a phone number with a 319 area code or those who use a cell phone as their primary phone number. All businesses and individuals who have an unlisted phone number, who have changed their phone number, or who have moved within the last year should sign up.

Those without internet access can provide their information over the phone by calling Johnson County EMA at 319-356-6762 and leaving a message with first and last name, street address, city, state, zip code, and primary and alternate phone numbers.

The JCENS system is a geographical based notification system, which means street addresses are needed to select which phone numbers will receive emergency notification calls in any given situation. All information is confidential and will only be used for emergency notification purposes.

Questions should be directed to the Johnson County Emergency Management Office at 319-356-6762.

Effective on Monday, September 28, 2020, Iowa City Transit will resume operating the AM and PM Eastside Loop routes for the 2020-2021 academic year. As a reminder, a face covering that covers the nose and mouth must be worn in order to ride Iowa City Transit buses.

The AM Eastside Loop route will begin service at 7:35 a.m. at the Sycamore Mall (stop 7135) each morning when school is in session. The AM Eastside Loop will arrive at Southeast Junior High School at approximately 7:38 a.m., Iowa City High School at approximately 7:44 a.m., Regina Education Center at approximately 7:47 a.m., Southeast Junior High again at 8:33 a.m., Iowa City High School again at 8:40 a.m., and finally Regina Education Center at 8:44 a.m.

The PM Eastside Loop route will begin service at the Regina Education Center (stop 7419) located on Rochester Avenue at 4:05 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, and at 3:05 p.m. each Wednesday due to early release. The PM Eastside Loop route will arrive at City High School (stop 7602) at approximately 4:10 p.m. and at Southeast Junior High at approximately 4:16 p.m. (one hour earlier on Wednesdays.)

Who doesn’t enjoy a good backyard fire pit on a cool evening? The Iowa City Fire Department has tips on how you can enjoy the outdoors with your own fire pit safely and legally. 

Iowa City fire pit regulations 

1. Fire pits must be a specific measurement.
   • Fire pits must be at least four inches in depth and must be surrounded on the outside, above ground, by a non-combustible material.
   • They cannot exceed three feet in diameter. The pile of wood for the fire must not exceed two feet in height.
2. Make sure you are only burning natural firewood or commercial logs in your fire pit. 
   • Remember: burning lumber, pallets, scrap wood, tree trimmings, leaves, yard waste, paper, cardboard, garbage, and similar items is not permitted in Iowa City.
3. The fire must be constantly attended and supervised until the fire has been completely extinguished.
   
   • Fire pits are able to run from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. 
   • A portable fire extinguisher or other approved extinguishing equipment, such as a garden hose, must be readily available.
4. If you see someone breaking City open burn ordinances...
   
   • A simple reminder to your neighbors of the City's fire pit regulations can potentially save emergency personnel a trip.  
   • To place a report with public safety, call the Joint Emergency Communication Center (JECC) at 319-356-6800. 

For more information about open burns and fire pits in Iowa City, visit our website. 

Members of the Iowa City City Council will hold a Listening Post on community policing at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020, at Wetherby Park, 2400 Taylor Drive, on the east side of the park by the community gardens. 

City Council members Laura Bergus, Mayor Pro Tem Mazahir Salih, and Mayor Bruce Teague will be in attendance.

The listening post will focus on community policing and how police work with victims of domestic abuse, sexual abuse, and child abuse. Victim outreach will also be discussed.

Service providers from the Domestic Violence Intervention Program, the Department of Human Services, the Johnson County Attorney's Office, and NISAA African Family Services will also be in attendance.

What is community policing and how can I provide input? 

Community Policing is a philosophy that seeks to address the root causes of crime, works to reduce fear of social disorder, and builds confidence in police through problem-solving strategies and police/community partnerships. It recognizes that law enforcement can rarely solve complex societal problems alone and that creative solutions and partnerships are needed to ensure the best outcome for all residents. Community Policing may mean many different things to different people. We look forward to hearing your ideas and thank you for your input and care for our community.

Please fill out the public input form to provide your thoughts on what you would like community policing to look like in Iowa City. This form will be available until October 15, 2020.

Future community policing listening posts

The final two of this series of City Council Listening Posts have been scheduled. More information about each event will be issued in the coming days. Alternate locations due to weather will be announced as needed.

• 5:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 5, 2020, at Chauncey Swan Park, 405 E. Washington St. The focus will be on community policing and homelessness. 
• 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 8, 2020, at Dream City, 611 Southgate Avenue - Suite A. The focus will be on community policing and youth engagement. 

Face coverings and social distancing will be required to participate in this event due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the City's face covering ordinance. The City will provide masks at no charge to participants who do not have one. Those who attend should also bring their own chairs, blankets, and water.