Latest news with #Press-Citizen
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Missing 63-year-old Iowa City man found dead in Iowa River near Hills. No foul play suspected
A missing local man has been found dead in the Iowa River several miles from his last known location. Christopher Jennings, 63, was last seen in Iowa City on May 22. The Press-Citizen published a story on the search for Jennings on May 27. His body was found by Johnson County sheriff's deputies in the Iowa River eight days after he was last seen on Friday, May 30, near the Benton Street bridge. Jennings was discovered about one-and-a-half miles north of Hills, at least five miles south of his last known location. More: Iowa City ups Aid to Agencies funding to record $1.1M. What nonprofits are getting money? Jennings was taken to a University of Iowa hospital for an autopsy and was positively identified by the Johnson County Medical Examiner on Tuesday, June 3. The cause of his death has not yet been determined. The City of Iowa City announced Jennings' death in a press release on Wednesday, June 4. Police said in the release that they do not suspect foul play. Iowa City police and the Iowa State Patrol conducted several searches on land, water, and "from the air," according to the press release. Photos shared by police when Jennings was initially reported missing show the 63-year-old at a local Casey's wearing a baseball hat with a beanie on top. More: 'Substantial' DEI, CRT college courses won't be required in Iowa under new proposal "Jennings is known to frequently fish near the Riverfront Crossings area of Iowa City," police said in their initial release. The Johnson County Sheriff's Office and the Johnson County Medical Examiner are continuing to investigate, but noted that no additional information is available. Ryan Hansen covers local government and crime for the Press-Citizen. He can be reached at rhansen@ or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @ryanhansen01. This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Authorities find dead body of a missing Iowa City man in Iowa River
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Missing 63-year-old Iowa City man found dead in Iowa River near Hills. No foul play suspected
A missing local man has been found dead in the Iowa River several miles from his last known location. Christopher Jennings, 63, was last seen in Iowa City on May 22. The Press-Citizen published a story on the search for Jennings on May 27. His body was found by Johnson County sheriff's deputies in the Iowa River eight days after he was last seen on Friday, May 30, near the Benton Street bridge. Jennings was discovered about one-and-a-half miles north of Hills, at least five miles south of his last known location. More: Iowa City ups Aid to Agencies funding to record $1.1M. What nonprofits are getting money? Jennings was taken to a University of Iowa hospital for an autopsy and was positively identified by the Johnson County Medical Examiner on Tuesday, June 3. The cause of his death has not yet been determined. The City of Iowa City announced Jennings' death in a press release on Wednesday, June 4. Police said in the release that they do not suspect foul play. Iowa City police and the Iowa State Patrol conducted several searches on land, water, and "from the air," according to the press release. Photos shared by police when Jennings was initially reported missing show the 63-year-old at a local Casey's wearing a baseball hat with a beanie on top. More: 'Substantial' DEI, CRT college courses won't be required in Iowa under new proposal "Jennings is known to frequently fish near the Riverfront Crossings area of Iowa City," police said in their initial release. The Johnson County Sheriff's Office and the Johnson County Medical Examiner are continuing to investigate, but noted that no additional information is available. Ryan Hansen covers local government and crime for the Press-Citizen. He can be reached at rhansen@ or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @ryanhansen01. This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Authorities find dead body of a missing Iowa City man in Iowa River
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Celebrate Johnson County's top students in the Press-Citizen's Student of the Year polls
To mark the end of the academic year, the Iowa City Press-Citizen is celebrating students by publishing several student of the year polls. Throughout the school year, Johnson County high school principals and faculty are asked to nominate students who excel in and out of the classroom as the Press-Citizen's Student of the Week. Now, the Press-Citizen is highlighting the previous nominees and their academic achievements by giving them a chance to be named Student of the Year. Each nominee from the various Johnson County high schools during the 2024-2025 academic year is eligible to win. More: Iowa City High senior Kate Bird is the Press-Citizen's Student of the Week The seven Student of the Year polls will open on Tuesday, May 21 and will close at noon on Thursday, May 29. Participating high schools include Clear Creek Amana High School, Iowa City High School, Iowa City Liberty High School, Iowa City West High School, Iowa City Regina Catholic High School, and Solon High School. The nominees can be found at Here are the direct links to each school's poll: The Press-Citizen's Student of the Week is a weekly contest throughout the academic year. Polls open on Mondays and close on Thursdays. Students from public and private high schools in the Iowa City area are eligible to participate. This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Vote for the Press-Citizen's students of the year
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Iowa City Regina Catholic's Ella Keune is the Press-Citizen's Student of the Week
Iowa City Regina Catholic High School junior Ella Keune is the Press-Citizen's newest Student of the Week. Keune is a dedicated student and has maintained a 4.0+ GPA while taking seven AP courses and three honors courses. Keune is a member of Regina's state-qualifying volleyball, basketball, and track and field teams. Keune is dedicated to philanthropy and has volunteered for over 300 hours at the University of Iowa's Raptor Project, St. Andrews Free Lunch, and St. Vincent's Mission. Additionally, she is involved in service-based and leadership activities at Regina, including the Tanzania Book Drive project, Interact, Student Council, and Student Ambassadors. "(Keune) is willing to vocalize her thoughts and opinions in an effective and meaningful way that helps administrators, teachers, and her peers," said Regina's principal, Glenn Plummer. This week's Student of the Week poll closed Thursday, April 3. A new Student of the Week poll will go live on Monday, April 7. Here are the nominees from this week: More: Mission Creek 2025 is more than music. Check out these must-see literary events in Iowa City Olivia Bowers, a junior at Iowa City High School, is a dedicated student and passionate environmental advocate. Bowers is a leader at City High's environmental club and most recently played a key role in designing and leading a special field trip for elementary school students focused on environmental issues. 'Bowers is a strong student (and) her commitment to environmental causes is admirable,' Principal John Bacon said. More: COVID-19 arrived 5 years ago. Here's how these Iowa City businesses survived the lockdown Iowa City Liberty High School senior Noel Titus is a strong student with a 4.3+ cumulative GPA while taking a full load of AP and college-level coursework. Titus has competed on the varsity tennis team and is the vice president of Liberty's National Honor Society chapter. Titus also has volunteered at the North Liberty Community Food Pantry for more than 100 hours. Titus plans to attend college and pursue medical school after completing his undergraduate degree. More: Council defers Governor St. rezoning in response to residential protest of new apartments The Press-Citizen's Student of the Week is a weekly contest throughout the academic year. Polls will open on Mondays and close on Thursdays. Students from public and private high schools in the Iowa City area are eligible to participate. This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Find out who is the Press-Citizen's Student of the Week
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Residents of retirement community launch ambitious new mission: 'We want to make a difference'
A retirement community in Iowa City, Iowa, is proving you can do your part to help the environment and make the world a better place at any age. With a community mindset and help from a city grant, residents in the Oaknoll retirement community managed to divert 11,000 pounds of food waste from landfills via composting in a mere three months. They aim to divert 70,000 pounds within the next year, The Gazette revealed. Since organic waste products create methane as they deteriorate, they are responsible for a large amount of heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere, making the amount of waste diverted significant. The community's compost is removed to a landfill alternative that is zero-waste, turning trash into nutrient-rich compost perfect for use in gardens. In 2022, residents of Oaknoll became curious about whether composting could be an option for the community and spoke with dining services director Bruce Titus about separating food and other compostable items at the community restaurant, the Press-Citizen reported. Titus supported the plan, as he had previously implemented composting at his former restaurant. Titus unsuccessfully applied for a state grant the following year to cover the associated costs of starting a composting program, per The Gazette, but a handful of residents donated a little over $10,000 in total to set up the program. Eventually, the composting program was awarded $9,122 from Iowa's Climate Action Grant program, which went to purchasing compostable bags and composting bins for the residents. According to The Gazette, Titus said, "We've got young staff that are really dedicated and want to do this. But we also have residents that are, you know, in their 80s and 90s that are saying, 'Hey, we want to make a difference. Let's continue to do this.'" This isn't the only sustainability project Oaknoll residents have undertaken, either. In 2023, resident Sara Rynes-Weller helped found the Oaknoll Sustainability Committee, per The Gazette. Just a few projects this committee has worked on include strengthening their recycling program (which has been around since at least 1999), educating residents on electric vehicles, and building community gardens. The Sustainability Committee isn't the first resident committee dedicated to eco-friendliness and sustainability, though, as previously there was the Future Committee. Do you worry about how much food you throw away? Definitely Sometimes Not really Never Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. The current committee operates a bit differently, though. Rynes-Weller explained to The Gazette, "We had to do things that the Future group didn't have to do. … We have to report once a year to the resident council, so that made it more formal and gave it more credibility." The Sustainability Committee doesn't plan to stop with just composting, though. They have big sustainability plans for the future, such as reducing the amount of pesticides used in the community and offering more vegetarian options in their restaurants. CEO Steve Roe told The Gazette, "Most of our residents are very environmentally conscious, and we must keep up with their expectations." Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
