Good morning, Cedar Rapids.

VASA Fitness will open its first Iowa club on Oct.

10 at 279 Collins Road NE, featuring workout equipment, classes, a three-lane pool, and recovery amenities (including sauna and massage chairs) that create roughly 50 new jobs and start memberships at $14.99 per month. The company plans further expansion statewide.

Cultivate Hope Corner Store, a local nonprofit-run grocery, will close on Dec.

18 on Ellis Boulevard — citing financial challenges despite strong community support. The nonprofit plans a new use for the property to serve the neighborhood.

Cedar Crossing Casino in Cedar Rapids announced 16 new shows from later this year into early next year and its new Compass Center hosting Astronaut exhibit for Linn County schools.

Ticket presale begins (Thursday, Oct. 8 at 10 a.m.) with sales starting (Friday, Oct. 9 at 10 a.m.).

The US blocked nearly $1 billion in select Canadian imports starting Tuesday, and this move may affect local prices and supply for shops and farms in our community.

An Iowa State economics professor (Sunghun Lim) said businesses are preparing for adjustments as they search for new suppliers.

DOJ ended monitoring of Cedar Rapids schools today after the district eliminated seclusion rooms, refined restraint practices, and introduced a new support system + saw restraint incidents drop by over 85% last school year.

Iowa Health and Human Services and the University of Iowa Public Health reported that 76% of excess cases in five common cancers are linked to demographic and behavioral risks; the $1 million-funded study approved in 2025 suggests prevention efforts could reduce cases while further research will study environmental factors.