Good morning, Cedar Rapids.

Veterans from Eastern Iowa Honor Flight arrived in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday after leaving Eastern Iowa Airport early to visit war memorials and attend a wreath-laying ceremony.

The public welcomed them at 7:30 p.m. at the airport, with the flight expected to return to Cedar Rapids by 9 p.m.

Halloween trick-or-treat times and free events are scheduled across eastern Iowa, with Cedar Rapids set for trick-or-treat from dusk to 8 p.m. on Oct.

31 and a Howl-O-Ween Full Moon Parade on Oct. 24 in New Bohemia and Czech Village. Other cities offer similar activities—check local listings.

Iowa State Patrol warned drivers today about higher deer activity during breeding season with fatal and serious collisions already occurring in Clayton and Black Hawk counties, as Sgt. Alex Dinkla urged motorists to slow down, approach hazards with caution plus brake in a straight line if they hit a deer.

Cedar Crossing Casino will open mid-November while nearby road work finishes a week earlier to meet flood control guidelines.

Local artist Ali Hval will unveil new Czech-inspired murals in the casino and local business owners expect increased foot traffic.

Chef Cory Barrett of Barrett's Quality Eats in Coralville was named Iowa's Chef of the Year by the Iowa Restaurant Association for 2026 (he opened his restaurant in July 2023 and built a strong local following), marking a milestone in Eastern Iowa's food scene.

Iowa college freshmen face scams that use emails, texts, or calls pretending to come from school offices; locals are urged to check contact details using trusted numbers and report suspicious messages to the Better Business Bureau or Iowa Attorney General’s Office.

Cedar Rapids Community School District reported a 35% drop in teacher turnover over two years, with teacher retention nearly 90% and improved lane advancements during the 2025-26 school year.

For 2026-27 the district will invest $727,210 in compensation and training & expand its educator pipeline with 17 higher-education partnerships.

Bella Scott, a Viola Gibson Elementary student, earned a Commendation for Heroic Action after she called her father when her bus driver suffered a severe asthma attack on Sept.

29. Emergency responders arrived quickly to help with her bus driver's care.

The Iowa DNR will stock several eastern Iowa ponds with about 1,500 trout each this fall from Oct.

28 through Nov. 3 at locations including Heritage Pond in Dubuque and Noelridge Park Pond in Cedar Rapids—some sites will also host family-friendly fishing events.

On Tuesday, Iowa Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig visited Morgan Creek Park to highlight a $505,200 urban wetland project that cleans runoff from 149 acres before reaching Morgan Creek and the Cedar River; the project received $177,625 in cost-share funds — grant applications for its next phase are due Nov. 6.