Latest news with #MeettheMayor
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Urbana City Mayor Diane Marlin
URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) – In this week's Meet the Mayor, WCIA's Mitchell Rife sat down with Diane Marlin to talk about her final months as Urbana's Mayor. Mayor Marlin has been at the helm since 2017, but says her service to the Urbana and Central Illinois community has more history than just being on city council. 'As long as long as I've lived here, I've been a volunteer in the community in some capacity or another,' Marlin said. 'And as far as serving as an elected official, I served for eight years on the Urbana City Council and finishing up eight years as Mayor of Urbana.' The food hall purchase has been a big discussion point as well, with many restaurants like Smith Burger. READ MORE: Urbana's Broadway Food Hall to reopen as The Yard on Broadway with more restaurants Urbana city leaders have also focused a lot of time on rebuilding the financial foundation. 'We've eliminated our structural deficit, we rebuilt our city emergency reserves, we have restored pension funding,' Marlin said. 'We're on track for, you know, proper pension funding. And we have gone to things like a cloud-based financial system, launched a new website.' Marlin reflected on her final months in the role. 'It's the best job I have ever had, being Mayor of Urbana; and it's also by far the hardest job I ever had,' she said. 'But taken as a whole, there is no better way to impact people's lives and to help people than to serve in local government. This is where the decisions, all of the decisions you make, have a direct impact on on the folks you live with in and see every day.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Who at the Blank Park Zoo is expecting twins again?
DES MOINES, Iowa — The Blank Park Zoo announced on Thursday that their cotton-top tamarin Kida is pregnant with twins! Kida might sound familiar as she's the mother of twins Caitlin and Clark who were born in February 2024. The zoo said it's excited to see Kida be a mother once again as both Caitlin and Clark have thrived under her care. Cedar Rapids granted casino license by IRGC 'Kida has been an exceptional mother, and we're thrilled to see her expanding her family once again,' Anne Shimerdla, Blank Park Zoo president and CEO, said. 'Each new birth is a crucial step in the conservation of this critically endangered species, and we're excited to share this journey with our community.' The zoo said the twins should arrive sometime this spring. To celebrate the news the zoo will be hosting a Guess the Birth Date Contest, where people can guess Kida's birth date for a chance to win a family membership to the zoo. A baby shower for Kida will be held during the Meet the Mayor event on February 15 and once the twins are born the community can help name them like they did for Caitlin and Clark. To learn more about the contest visit the zoo's website. Iowa News: Who at the Blank Park Zoo is expecting twins again? Forecast: When parts of Iowa could see snowfall Saturday and next week WHO 13 Farm Report: Thursday, February 6th Cedar Rapids granted casino license by IRGC Arrested Madison County Treasurer relieved of duties, board appoints interim treasurer Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.