After an extensive dehumidification project at Mercer Park Aquatic Center, the facility is planned to reopen to the public on Monday, Jan. 17, 2022.

Along with the reopening, hours for both Robert A. Lee Recreation Center and Mercer Park pools have been updated. Pool schedules at both facilities now include hours listed as ‘open’ rather than designated for a specific type of swim activity. Sections of each pool will be signed for the appropriate use.

The new hours can be found at www.icgov.org/pools .

Upcoming temporary...

The fire in a Bronx, New York, apartment building that killed at least 17 people was started by a malfunctioning space heater, according to officials there. A door left open in the building also contributed to the spread of the fire.

The Iowa City Fire Department wishes to remind the community that one in every seven home fires and one in every five home fire deaths involve heating equipment, according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA).

The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) and the UL Fire Safety Research Institute have the following tips for staying warm...

Is taking climate action one of your resolutions for the new year? There is still time to apply to the Iowa City Climate Ambassadors program. The application can be found on the Climate Ambassador website and will be accepted through Monday, Jan. 10, 2022.

The program was created to engage climate change leaders within Iowa City to help advance goals identified in the city's Climate Action and Adaptation Plan.

Thirty-nine residents have successfully completed the training since the program began in 2020. As part of the training, Ambassadors:

The City is offering a limited number of small matching grants with priority given to Iowa Targeted Small Businesses (TSB) located in Iowa City.

Businesses without employees may qualify for up to $2,000 while those with employees (and for whom W-2s are filed) may be eligible for up to $5,000. The deadline to apply is Feb. 4, 2022, and grant recipients will be notified by Feb. 11, 2022.

Businesses with an Iowa TSB certification will be given priority in the grant evaluation. TSB certification is designed to help women, individuals with minority status, service-connected...