Chris Umscheid

IOWA CITY– On Monday, Sept. 28, students in the Iowa City Community School District (ICCSD) will report to their classrooms for the first time this academic year.
The district opened the 2020-2021 school year on Tuesday, Sept. 8, in a 100 percent virtual (all online) format after receiving a waiver from the Iowa Department of Education, which lifted a requirement for at least 50 percent of learning being delivered in-person, due to COVID-19 positivity rates greater than 15 percent in Johnson County.

NORTH LIBERTY– When it comes to emergency services, minutes count.
A person not breathing begins to suffer brain damage in three minutes, and it becomes irreversible by nine minutes. A person in cardiac arrest (not breathing and no pulse) has his or her chance of survival drop 10 percent with every minute. Fire doubles in size every minute. For firefighters, this reality translates into a relentless quest to minimize response times.

INDEPENDENCE– The Clear Creek Amana (CCA) varsity volleyball team dipped to 8-3 on the season in the wake of a 3-1 WaMaC West Conference loss on the road in Independence. The Mustangs held off the Clippers taking the first set, 25-20, and the second set, 25-23. The Creek Girls rallied back for a third set, 29-27, win, but came up short, 25-21, in the fourth and final set.
Junior Calia Clubb led the Clippers’ offense with 18 kills, while senior Hailey Pollock put up a dozen. Pollock also had a pair of solo blocks and two ace serves in the contest, as well.

NORTH LIBERTY– Phase Two of the renovation of the historic Ranshaw House, in North Liberty, was granted the green light Tuesday, Sept. 8, as the North Liberty City Council approved a bid from Wolfe Contracting, Inc., of Muscatine.

TIFFIN– Due to the Iowa City Community School District conducting 100 percent online classes, all sports and other extra-curricular events are on hold until the district resumes at least 50 percent on-site education. Because of this, the annual Caroline Found Invitational Volleyball Tournament, hosted by Iowa City West High in honor of Found, a West High student and volleyball standout who died in a moped accident in 2011, was in jeopardy of being cancelled.