THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 2020 | IN THIS ISSUE

• Alliant Credit Union closes two branches
• In the CBJ: IC clearing space for more seating, pickups
• CR Kernels announces layoffs to reduce costs
• CBJ Workforce Leaders nominations due June 15
• Cultural, humanities nonprofits receive grant funds
• Corridor events, KCRG-TV9 headlines and First Alert Forecast
Alliant Credit Union closes two branches
Alliant Credit Union says it has decided not to reopen branches in the Alliant Tower at 200 First St. SE, Cedar Rapids, and inside MercyOne at 250 Mercy Drive, Dubuque, which have been closed due to COVID-19 precautions since March 18.
 
In a notice to members, Alliant Credit Union said its remaining Cedar Rapids branch at 1305 First Ave. SE is positioned strategically to serve all its members, and members in Dubuque will be served from its other locations at 1200 Associates Drive and 1402 White St. ATMs will remain in place at the Alliant Tower and at MercyOne.
 
The decision was made by the credit union’s board of directors after much deliberation, president and CEO Mike Moroney said in a news release.
 
“With more members choosing to do their banking online, and fewer members now visiting brick-and-mortar locations, ACU has focused more heavily on our electronic banking services including ATMS, our Mobile App, and the new SPARK! e-bill pay system,” Mr. Moroney said in the notice to members. He said the credit union is focusing on its mission to serve members efficiently.

The credit union also operates branches in Burlington and Madison, Wisconsin.
In the CBJ: IC clearing space for more seating, pickups
The Iowa City Downtown District (ICDD), city leaders and business owners are working on a plan to reorganize downtown streets, sidewalks and rights-of-way for the new realities of conducting business in the age of COVID-19.

City Manager Geoff Fruin said last week that while the plan was still a work in progress, picnic tables and additional outdoor café seating would soon begin appearing alongside city sidewalks, in parking areas and on other existing public rights-of-way throughout the spring and summer.

Also under consideration is temporarily closing at least one city block to traffic – North Linn Street between Market Street and the alleyway near the Hamburg Inn – to allow outdoor restaurant seating in an area not conducive to sidewalk dining, new delivery and pickup zones, and outdoor waiting areas to manage social distancing requirements in retail establishments.

The idea, officials said, is to entice shoppers and diners back to the city’s urban core in a safe, responsible fashion.

“We’ve been exploring outdoor seating throughout the downtown area,” said Mr. Fruin, adding that the preparations follow a block-by-block ICDD canvas that gathered business input on how to get retail stores and restaurants up and running again while maintaining safety protocols.

Read the full members-only story in this week's print or digital editions of the CBJ.

IMAGE: Small businesses sit along a quiet Linn Street on a recent weekday afternoon. A new plan by city leaders may see North Linn Street closed to traffic to make space for more outdoor dining options. PHOTO ADAM MOORE
CR Kernels announces layoffs to reduce costs
The Cedar Rapids Kernels, a minor league baseball team affiliated with the Minnesota Twins, has announced layoffs to its front office staff.

“Today is a sad day at Veterans Memorial Stadium,” the Kernels said in an online tweet earlier this week. “With the Kernels 2020 season postponed indefinitely, half of our Kernels front office were laid off today. This decision was a difficult one. We are required to change and evolve in order to survive the effects of COVID-19."

According to a press release from the organization, seven people were laid off.

The layoffs come as rumors swirled this week that minor league baseball would be cancelled for the season , a casualty of the coronavirus pandemic. Meanwhile, Major League Baseball owners and players are struggling to find consensus on a financial plan that would allow them to restart the season.

“This was a very difficult decision, but with the Kernels' season postponed indefinitely, we had no choice,” said Cedar Rapids Ball Club Inc. CEO Doug Nelson in a statement. “The majority of the organization’s revenues come from Kernels games and fans in the stands. With the potential of going 18 months between Kernels games, we must reduce all costs including payroll expense. I thank our staff for all of their efforts and dedication to the organization and hope to work with them again during the 2021 season.”
CBJ Workforce Leaders nominations due June 15
The Corridor Business Journal (CBJ) is accepting nominations for its 2020 Workforce Leaders Awards. 

This new event, which combines the CBJ's Workforce Awards with Kirkwood's ICR All Star Awards Luncheon, recognizes rising star employees and companies who excel in its industry and best practices.

Nominations are open to all companies in Kirkwood’s seven-county region. An independent panel of industry experts will select honorees for their workforce success in four categories:

  • Training for existing employment needs
  • Internship program (Honorees will be recognized in a small and large company category)
  • Marketing and recruitment campaign
  • Retention strategy

To download the nomination form, visit  corridorbusiness.com/workforce-awards/ . Nominations must include a signed (minimum) one-page explanation of why the company or organization should receive an award for each category in which you’re applying. A company cannot win in the same category two years in a row. Nominations are due June 15.

Honorees will be recognized at a Sept. 23 awards luncheon and and profiled in a Workforce Leaders custom publication. For more information, contact Ashley Moore at  ashley@corridorbusiness.com  or (319) 665-6397.
Cultural, humanities nonprofits receive grant funds
The Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs has awarded more than $1.1 million in 173 grants statewide to cultural and humanities nonprofits, including 29 nonprofits in the Corridor's seven-county region. This includes $923,372 for emergency relief and $178,000 in humanities grants to help Iowa cultural organizations rebound from the financial impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.

The grants ranged from $1,000 to $18,000 based on the size of the recipient organization’s annual budget. In the Corridor, Orchestra Iowa, Theatre Cedar Rapids and the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library were recipients of $18,000 grants.

“This is good news for Iowa’s arts, cultural and humanities organizations, which have been deeply affected by the pandemic,” Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs Director Chris Kramer said. “We’re so grateful for the unanimous support of Iowa’s congressional delegation for these funds, which help keep Iowans employed and communities vibrant.”

A recent survey by Americans for the Arts showed that more than 340 Iowa arts and cultural organizations collectively lost at least $16.3 million since the coronavirus outbreak began. Another study, by the Iowa Economic Development Authority and University of Northern Iowa, revealed that arts, entertainment and recreation were among the hardest hit segments of the nonprofit industry in Iowa.

Funding for the emergency relief grants was made possible by the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs partnered with the National Endowment for the Humanities to award grants to Iowa humanities organizations.

In all, the department received 213 applications for these grants and made awards in 49 Iowa counties.
Connect with the CBJ

The CBJ’s mission of informing and connecting the Corridor’s business community is more important than ever. Our news operations will continue researching and reporting on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic through our multiple distribution channels. Here’s how you can connect with us today and moving forward:

  • You can reach our newsroom directly with leads, updates, cancellations, etc. at news@corridorbusiness.com.
  • Our comprehensive, deep-dive content continues in our weekly CBJ. If you are not a digital subscriber, you can sign up here.
  • Our daily news coverage solution is spread throughout the week with our free e-newsletters. If you have not already signed up, you can do so here.
  • Updated coronavirus information will also be published on our website, corridorbusiness.com/latest-coronavirus-updates, and through our Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn channels.
  • All of our staff members remain available to assist you. You can find our full contact information at www.corridorbusiness.com/cbj-contact.

Remember: Subscribers can access the digital CBJ anytime and anywhere. Don't remember your password? Please email  jean@corridorbusiness.com for a password reset.

The CBJ print subscribers can also temporarily have the CBJ mailed to their home. To temporarily switch your address, please send your full temporary mailing address to  jean@corridorbusiness.com. Please include start and stop dates for the temporary address.

Thank you for your continued support of the Corridor Business Journal.
Short Term Event Planner
 
June 4
Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile , by Christoph Trappe, noon, online. Learn how to optimize your LinkedIn profile by updating your personal brand to attract recruiters. Free. To register, visit bit.ly/36Fsl6G . 
 
June 4-5
EntreFEST , by Cedar Rapids Metro Economic Alliance and NewBoCo, all day, online. Celebrating entrepreneurship and innovation, this two-day virtual conference will include expert speakers, workshops, breakout sessions, networking and a special live podcast from the CBJ’s “Diversity Straight Up.” Cost: $100-$199. To register, visit entrefest.com .
 
June 6 
Zach Johnson Foundation Virtual Gala , by Involta and PGA Golfer Zach Johnson, 7 p.m., online. COVID-19 has moved this year’s gala to a virtual format with Beth Malicki, anchor at KCRG-TV9, serving as emcee. The gala will support the foundation’s Kids on Course Youth Program. For more information and to register, visit facebook.com/zachjohnsonfoundation/ .

June 8
Virtual Lunch Connections, by Iowa City Area Business Partnership, noon-1 p.m., online. Join this Zoom lunch meeting to connect with other business people in the Corridor. Free. To join, visit bit.ly/2zU9IQ0 .
 
June 9
CLP Alumni Webinar: Navigating This Crucible Moment, by Iowa City Area Business Partnership, 3:30-4:30 p.m., online. Hear from a panel of CLP alumni on how to make the most of this moment. Free. To register, visit bit.ly/3cv3WTz .

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Send tips, leads,  corrections,  etc. to  news@corridorbusiness.com .
Headlines from KCRG-TV9
These news items are provided by KCRG-TV9  
 
Business owners and community members could be seen cleaning up shortly after protesters spray-painted property in the Pedestrian Mall in Iowa City. Phrases like "Black lives matter," "I can't breathe," as well as expletives were drawn on windows and other parts of the area. Steve Cook is a friend of a business owner in the Ped Mall. He said he came out to help clean up. "I support people's right to gather, unity and protest but to get the message with violence and hatred and cursing and that sort of thing, and destruction of property to innocent people, to me is the wrong way of going about it,” Mr. Cook said. “That's why I had to get here to clean up and make everything look decent and respectable." They spent about an hour cleaning up last night. Mr. Cook says they will likely be out there again tonight.

The state is reporting 694 more cases of COVID-19 were confirmed over the last 24 hours, along with 14 more deaths in Iowa. This after a day in which the state reported just 171 tests and 60 new cases. Over the last 24 hours, the state reported 9,992 tests. In total, 174,127 Iowans have been tested. As of 10:20 a.m. today, the total number of positive cases in the state is now 20,706, and there have been a total of 578 deaths.
Overall, the number of new cases are trending down, according to data on the state’s coronavirus website. Over the last 24 hours, 275 people were reported to have recovered from the virus. That brings the total number of recoveries up to 12,167. There are 310 COVID-19 patients hospitalized, with 25 having been admitted in the last 24 hours. Of those, 105 are in the ICU and 70 are on ventilators. To see the data in more detail, go to  coronavirus.iowa.gov .

These news items are provided by KCRG-TV9
Your KCRG-TV9 First Alert Forecast
It's another warm, humid day with highs in the middle to upper 80s. Much of the afternoon will be mostly sunny, but there is a slight chance of an isolated storm late this afternoon toward evening. If that happens, locally torrential rain may occur. A better chance of storms comes later overnight into early Friday. Some of these storms may be strong with gusty winds. Highs will reach the mid-80s again. This weekend should be a bit less muggy as highs stay in the lower to mid-80s.