Good morning, Cedar Rapids.

Mercy Auxiliary will hold its 14th Mistletoe Market on Thursday, Nov.

5, with nearly 40 local vendors at Mercy Medical Center from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., where shoppers can browse handmade gifts, a bake sale, and a raffle near the 10th Street entrance (Hallagan Education Center) and support Mercy Auxiliary projects.

The Cedar Rapids Museum of Art announced its 2026 to 2027 exhibition season, starting with Elemental (April 18, 2026, to March 14, 2027) and running through Dreams and Heritage (June 5 to Sept.

12, 2027); shows include Astrid Hilger Bennett, Threading the Needle, and craft- and garden-focused exhibitions, all paired with educational programs for all ages.

Voters will decide Tuesday, Nov.

3 whether Kirkwood Community College can issue $88 million in general obligation bonds to update classrooms, labs, and shops across its service area, focusing on healthcare, manufacturing, agriculture, IT, and high-demand classrooms (estimated cost about $9.35 a year per $100,000 of assessed value).

Families received assignments the week of Oct.

26 as the district moves to a 2027 through 2028 reconfiguration creating elementary, intermediate, and middle schools (pre-K to 4, 5 to 6, 7 to 8). School choice is Nov. 2 through Nov. 13, input and meetings are Nov. 16 through Nov. 17, and the board will act Dec. 14.

Eleven-year-old Charlotte Harris was named KCRG TV9’s October Student of the Month after volunteering more than 300 hours and leading donation drives that raised over $15,000; she attends McKinley STEAM Academy, is Li’l Miss Iowa 2024, and trains as a Level 8 gymnast about 13 hours a week.

A CDC-based study says Iowa has the third-lowest overdose death rate, with Linn County's rate falling nearly 40% from 2020 to 2025 (lowest in the state), and local groups point to treatment programs and four free harm-reduction vending machines as key resources.

Foundation 2 Crisis Services reported a record 101,000 contacts in fiscal year 2026, its first time over 100,000, with 90% resolved by phone and the rest leading to counselor dispatches.

Cedar Rapids center says callers reach counselors (24 hours a day) and attributes higher volume to awareness and economic stress.

Two Cedar Rapids natives and former high school teammates won Unified Doubles at the USTA National IDD Championships in Orlando, Oct.

22-25. The USTA and Special Olympics announced a three-year partnership to expand local programs, coach training & adapted tournaments to create more competitive and workplace opportunities for neurodiverse athletes.