Weather permitting, on Wednesday, July 8, S. Dubuque Street will be reduced to one lane of traffic between Kirkwood Avenue and Benton Street, and, on Thursday, July 9, E. Benton Street will be reduced to one lane of alternating traffic from Dubuque Street to Gilbert Street. These lane reductions are necessary to facilitate the construction of a building in the area.

Motorists are to take note of this construction work and to allow extra travel time as delays may occur. As always, caution should be exercised when traveling in all construction areas.

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The Iowa City Fire Department was dispatched at 1:07 a.m. Tuesday, June 30 for a report of a fire in a residence at 1224 Baker Street. The department initially responded with three engines, a ladder truck and a battalion chief. The first arriving unit reported smoke coming from the garage of a split foyer-style residence.

Crews forced entry into the garage to find a contents fire that was quickly extinguished. The occupant of the residence was located outside of the structure upon fire department arrival. The entire structure suffered smoke damage with total damage estimated at $12...

The Grant Wood and Wetherby Neighborhood Associations, with support from a grant awarded by the City of Iowa City, will sponsor a Summer Playground Program that will bring added fun to summer with games, arts and crafts, nature activities, and sports. It will be held in parks that feature splash pads, providing an additional opportunity for play and the chance to cool off on warm days.

The program is designed for students from all areas of Iowa City who have completed kindergarten through 6th grade in 2015. It will run from July 6 through August 14. Morning sessions will be held...

The rehabilitation of a small 1800s-era grocery store on Bowery Street in Iowa City will be recognized this week for the exceptional historic preservation efforts undertaken by its new owners. Preservation Iowa, a state-wide organization that supports preservation of historic structures, will award 518 Bowery a “Preservation at Its Best Award” in the commercial category during its annual summit, scheduled June 25-27 in Winterset. The organization will recognize projects in residential, public, sustainability, adaptive use, and rural preservation categories.

City of Iowa City Senior...