MONDAY, APRIL 10, 2017  |  IN THIS ISSUE  
Head5Cedar Ridge named 2017 Distiller of the Year by national institute 

Head Distiller Kolin Brighton (left), General Manager Jamie Siefken (center) and Owner Jeff Quint lead the Cedar Ridge Winery & Distillery team.
Being named Distillery of the Year by the American Distilling Institute (ADI) doesn't just honor Cedar Ridge Winery & Distillery, founder and proprietor Jeff Quint says -- it helps place Iowa's blossoming distilling industry on the map.
 
Cedar Ridge was selected from more than 1,500 craft distilleries to receive the institute's Bubble Cap Award as 2017 Distiller of the Year on April 4 at the ADI's Craft Spirits Conference in Baltimore. That honor culminated in some significant category wins for the 12-year-old distillery/winery hybrid in northern Johnson County.
 
The company produces more craft whiskey and bourbon in-state than all of the 13 other Iowa distilleries put together, and has the third-selling super-premium whiskey within Iowa. But it's hard for a small distiller to gain a national reputation, and Iowa's distilling industry is still in its early stages.
 
"It's a great leap forward in terms of credibility on a national scale," Mr. Quint said. "We didn't get the respect that a Kentucky or Tennessee-based distiller gets, but we're closer to where the grain used to make the product comes from. I think the industry is starting to realize that this business is a natural for Iowa, and legislators are starting to see what distilleries are trying to accomplish for the state."
 
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A construction crew works on the intersection of Washington and Dubuque streets in downtown Iowa City in September. PHOTO Chase Castle
Construction on Washington Street in downtown Iowa City is expected to be complete by the end of May, according to a city update.

The remainder of work will center around the intersection of Washington and Linn streets. Linn Street has been temporarily designated as a one-way for northbound traffic along the one-block stretch between College Street and Iowa Avenue.

Washington Street has also been limited to one-way traffic for those traveling eastbound for the block between Linn and Gilbert streets. The intersection is scheduled to re-open to two-lane traffic on April 21.

According to a city news update, no businesses on Washington Street are expected to close during the construction. The block is home to the Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce, Teddy's Bigger Burgers, Gabe's bar and music venue, Ecumenical Towers, the Iowa City/Johnson County Senior Center and other businesses.

Traffic signals formerly at Washington Street's intersections with Dubuque and Linn streets will not be replaced. The move to stop signs at the intersection follows the city council's decision in March to make the intersections four-way stops with stop signs.

Initial city estimates for the Washington Street project were $5.3 million, including costs for sidewalk pavement, traffic signal upgrades and utility improvements, which are part of the larger Downtown and Pedestrian Streetscape plan adopted by the city council in 2014. The 10-15 year plan also outlines improvements for wayfinding, bicycle access, new lighting and improvements to the Pedestrian Mall area.
 
The Corridor Business Journal is now accepting nominations for its 10th-annual Fastest Growing Companies awards.
 
To be eligible, companies must have revenue of at least $350,000 in each of the fiscal years ending 2014, 2015 and 2016. They must also demonstrate revenue growth in 2016, as compared to 2014. Companies must be for-profit entities and headquartered in Benton, Black Hawk, Cedar, Iowa, Johnson, Jones, Linn or Washington counties.
 
To download the nomination form, visit  www.corridorbusiness.com/events. Companies must also submit a compiled, reviewed or audited financial statement or tax return. All financial information will be evaluated by Honkamp Krueger PC and will be kept confidential. Actual revenue amounts will not be published.
 
Nominations are due April 17. For more information, contact Kyle Kunz of Honkamp Krueger at (319) 378-3370 or  kkunz@honkamp.com.
 
The rankings of the top 25 Fastest Growing Companies will be revealed at the 10th Anniversary Fastest Growing Companies event, to be held from 5:30-8 p.m. June 7 at The Hotel at Kirkwood Center in Cedar Rapids. The evening will feature videos on each company, culminating in the announcement of the No. 1 Fastest Growing Company. Tickets are $50, and dinner will be provided. For more information or to register, visit  www.corridorbusiness.com/events or call Ashley Levitt at (319) 665-6397, ext. 311.

Farm to Street Dinner attendees. PHOTO Iowa City Downtown District Facebook.
The 2017 Farm to Street Dinner, a joint fundraising event for local food initiatives by Johnson County, the city of Iowa City, and the Iowa City Downtown District, will be held again this August. The event is now accepting proposals from Iowa City/Johnson County organizations to be awarded up to $10,000 of the revenue from the event.
 
This application is open to all Iowa City/Johnson County nonprofits meet the following criteria. Selected organization will:
  • provide two representatives to serve on the Farm to Street Planning Committee starting May 2017, for a duration of 12 months;
  • recruit 15 volunteers physically able to help with tear-down and clean-up of the dinner. Volunteers will arrive at the dinner site at 8:30 p.m. and work until clean-up is complete;
  • set up an informational table at the Farm to Street Dinner on Aug. 17, 2017, and staff the table to educate Farm to Street participants about the organization; and
  • prepare a report back/announcement at the 2018 Farm to Street Dinner about the work that was accomplished with the support of 2017 Farm to Street funds.
Applications will be evaluated based on the ability of the selected organization to meet the required expectations above. The selected organization will be chosen democratically by a committee of community volunteers.

Details and a full application are available here. Print applications are available at the front desk of the Robert A. Lee Community Recreation Center, 220 S. Gilbert St., Iowa City. Applications are due April 30.

Early voting for the April 25 North Liberty special election will begin today.  Voting will be available at the Auditor's Office at 913 S. Dubuque St., Iowa City from 7:45 a.m.-5:30 p.m. April 10 through the close of business April 24.
 
The Auditor's Office will also have a satellite voting site at the North Liberty Community Library, 520 W. Cherry St., on April 22 from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
 
The special election is being held to replace former Mayor Amy Nielsen, who stepped down in December following her election to the Iowa Legislature, and fill a related vacancy on the city council. More information about the North Liberty special election is available here
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EventHeadlinesShort-Term Event Planner

April 11
Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace, by the Eastern Iowa Human Resources Association, 7:30-9 a.m., The Kirkwood Hotel Executive Technology Amphitheatre, 7725 Kirkwood Blvd. SW, Cedar Rapids. Join us for a presentation by LaSheila Yates of the Cedar Rapids Civil Rights Commission, where she will share approaches to developing an organizational diversity and inclusion business strategy. Cost: free for members, $15 for nonmembers. For more information or to register, visit bit.ly/2n2qLaC.
 
TechBrew AM , by the Technology Association of Iowa and the Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance, 7:30-8:30 a.m., Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance, 501 First St. SE, Cedar Rapids. This event for entrepreneurs, technologists and business people will feature Terrell Hunter, city of Marion IT Division manager, as the featured executive. Free. For more information and to register, visit bit.ly/2naQTNf.
 
Marketing Reboot, by the Washington Chamber of Commerce, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Hills Bank and Trust Company, 2481 Highway 92, Washington. Kyle Sexton, marketing strategist, will hold sessions including "Why Loud is Losing (And Where You Can Win)," "Turning Social Media into Business Media," and a marketing solutions session. Cost: $40 for members, $60 for nonmembers. Register online at bit.ly/2oJQT8m or by calling (319) 653-3272.
 
Ribbon Cutting - Tip Top Cakes, by the Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce, 4 p.m., 708 Fifth St., Unit 7, Coralville. All are invited to help celebrate. Free. For more information, call (319) 337-9637.
Headlines from CBS2/FOX 28
These news items are provided by CBS2/FOX 28  
 
The names of the two people  killed in a plane crash in rural Johnson County on Friday  afternoon have now been released. The Johnson County Sheriff's Office told CBS2/FOX28 the two people killed have been identified as 70-year-old Terry Koehn of rural Iowa City and 56-year-old James Spicer of Cedar Rapids. Mr. Koehn is listed as a board member of the flying club at the Green Castle Airport. The crash was called in on Friday at 3:08 p.m. in a field near 2383 IWV Road in Oxford. Officials say the FAA and NTSB have custody of the plane now. Right now there is no information about what led to the crash.
 
T hese news items are provided by CBS2/FOX 28 
CBS2 Chief Meteorologist Terry Swails'  Weather First Forecast
 
This morning's showers and storms will continue to move to the east, leaving us with breezy and cooler conditions under mainly sunny skies. Temperatures will be wide-ranging, from 60s and 70s in the south to upper 50s to lower 60s in the northern part of the state today. Cooler air overspreads the area by tonight with some clearing and temperatures falling into the mid- to upper 30s.