 Iowa City's first ever Climate Action Plan is ready for public viewing.
After months of steering committee meetings, community input, and research into how Iowa City as a whole can take action on climate change, the plan has been published.
The Climate Action Toolkit is also available to guide the public while reviewing the plan to help people understand what they can do individually to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The plan is slated for official presentation at the Sept. 18 City Council meeting. For more information and to take the Climate Action Pledge, visit icgov.org/climateaction.
A class of Iowa City preschoolers is determined to protect baby sea turtles by encouraging restaurants and individuals to cut down their straw use.
Tricia Windschitl’s class of 3- to 5-year-olds has partnered with restaurants like Pullman, Big Grove, Bluebird Diner, Devotay, and Bo James to participate in the “Strawless Initiative." Servers ask customers if they would like a straw instead of immediately providing one.
Iowa City Mayor Jim Throgmorton has also joined the initiative. At the July 17 City Council meeting, he read a proclamation written by the students and declared the day to be “Strawless Initiative Day,” and encouraged people to say "no, thank you,” to plastic straws.
The students continue to recruit more restaurants, and will soon expand the initiative with a website.
Iowa City is in the process of rolling out new bins to curbside customers, but due to high demand, has run out of supplies for this fiscal year.
 25-gallon organics carts were available for pick up during the summer. This cart size will be available again in the spring. A September pick up event has been cancelled as supplies were depleted during the last event.
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 The City is also currently out of the initial supply of 95 gallon organics carts, and are not taking additional names at this time.
Folks who ordered a cart online or by phone are not guaranteed a cart this year.
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 The 65-gallon recycling carts are also out-of-stock, but most customer reservations will be fulfilled by the end of the year.
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For updates, visit icgov.org/organics or icgov.org/recycling.
 Image via Jeff Corcoran/Corcoran's Photos
The Cyclo-Cross World Cup returns to Iowa City this month, and will feature world-renowned athletes competing in 70 races over three days.
Cyclo-cross combines cycling, tough terrain and obstacles (that require the cyclist to dismount and carry their bike!).
The best athletes from across the world compete for the men’s and women’s UCI Cyclo-Cross World Cup, which has held races in Iowa City for the past three years.
The event isn’t just for pros. Most of the races are for amateurs at all levels, and many are for kids. The three day event also features entertainment for spectators -- including music, bouncy houses, face painting, food and drinks, and more peculiar races such as the Single Speed Speedo Spectacular, the Grinch’s Kids’ Race, and Doggy Cross.
The event takes place Sept. 28 to 30 at the Johnson County Fairgrounds.
For more information, visit jinglecross2.com.
 More than 600 residents donated items to Rummage in the Ramp, which helped divert 24 tons of waste from the Landfill.
Items included: 89 couches, 130 tables, and 190 small appliances. The annual sale also raised $19,000 that will be split among 31 nonprofit groups that volunteered to work the 12th annual event.
Rummage in the Ramp happens each year as leases turnover at the end of the summer, and has repurposed nearly 300 tons of household goods that may have otherwise been tossed.
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