Gazette Daily News Briefing, August 29
This is Stephen Schmidt from the Gazette Digital News Desk, and I’m here with your update for August 29 2023.
According to the National Weather Service it will be sunny, with a high near 87 degrees in the Cedar Rapids area on Tuesday. The low will clock in at around 56 degrees.
A motorcyclist who was involved in a crash on Interstate 380 in Cedar Rapids last week has died in the hospital from injuries related to the crash.
Ramius Hardiman, 30, of Cedar Rapids, was injured on Tuesday, Aug. 22 when he rear-ended an SUV on I-380. Cedar Rapids police told The Gazette last week that Hardiman’s injuries were not life-threatening, but a news release issued by the department Monday morning states that the motorcyclist has now died.
Hardiman was reportedly spee ding for several miles before colliding with the SUV. The occupants of the SUV were not injured.
The interstate was closed for more than two hours Tuesday after the crash, which happened just before 5 p.m., causing a large backup of traffic.
Hardiman was arrested in 2010, when he was 17, on charges of vehicular homicide after a crash on Nov. 8, 2010 that killed 17-year-old Jose Mendoza. The counts alleged Hardiman was operating a vehicle, in which Mendoza was a passenger, under the influence of alcohol and that he was driving recklessly when the car rolled and hit a utility pole in the 3300 block of Cottage Grove Avenue SE, Cedar Rapids.
The city of Cedar Rapids has opened a new skatepark. And, as with many things in the downtown area, the park has been cleverly worked into the city’s massive flood protection system.
Last weekend the city opened the facility, in the park at 1501 A St. SW, after building a detention basin as part of its permanent flood control system. The skatepark is now entirely made of concrete and features 28 obstacles — a variety of quarterpipes, wedges, ledges and more.
The reopening comes after the city demolished the original skatepark at Riverside Park.
The city replaced elements of the skatepark with concrete instead of steel parts, in line with current standards. California-based Spohn Ranch, a global skatepark designer, worked on the new design along with Alburnett-based Pirc-Tobin Construction.
Stage two of the Rochester Avenue reconstruction project is nearly complete, the city of Iowa City announced last week.
Stage two has included work on Rochester Avenue between Rochester Court and Rita Lyn Court. Paving was scheduled to start last week.
Once paving is complete, sidewalks and driveways between the two streets will be installed. This work is anticipated to wrap up in mid-September, which is when the project area will open to traffic.
Until then, drivers should still use the detour of First Avenue, Court Street and Seventh Avenue.
