From Caitlin Clark to breaking news and other feel-good stories, 2024 was a standout year in the Iowa City corridor. As we approach the start of a new year, dive back into the Iowa City Press-Citizen’s most-read stories:
Jay Enyart, an ImOn employee, was killed after being electrocuted in Iowa City on Sept. 11.
Iowa City police and the fire department responded to Herbert Hoover Highway and Eastbury Drive on the east side of town shortly before 10 a.m. on Sept. 11 after receiving reports of an electrocution.
Crews were moving a house from Iowa City to West Branch.
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Enyart, 40, of Cedar Rapids, an ImOn Communications maintenance employee, was electrocuted during the move.
More:Update: Cedar Rapids man identified as person who was electrocuted during house move
A well-regarded Iowa City cyclist died after being struck by a vehicle in September. Ashlee Hopkins, 41, was reportedly taken off life support on Monday, Sept. 23, eight days after being struck head-on by a vehicle while she participated in the Iowa City-area Farm Cycle. Hopkins was the development director for the Bur Oak Land Trust and was involved with the Domestic Violence Intervention Program prior to that.
More:Cyclist remembered as ‘uplifting light’ by friends, family after being killed by car
Johnson County experienced its first big winter storm of 2024 on Jan. 9. Iowa City alone accumulated four inches of snow by 8 a.m. The Press-Citizen covered school closings, city services and updates during the storm, including road conditions and forecast changes.
More:Snow will continue to fall throughout Tuesday, impacting travel in Johnson County
The Press-Citizen covered the opening of the “diverging diamond” interchange along 1st Avenue near Interstate 80 exit 242. The new interchange opened on May 23, completing the 18-month construction project. The diverging diamond was installed to improve traffic flow near the Iowa River Landing in Coralville.
More:Diverging diamond traffic pattern debuts at 1st Avenue interchange. Here’s how it’ll work:
Snowstorms seem to bring out the readers.
The earlier mentioned Jan. 9 snowstorm dumped 15 inches on the area. While the blizzard shut down most of Johnson County, it did not break records. Actually, the two-day storm doesn’t even make the top 10 of most snowy storms.
More:Iowa City area blanketed by nearly a foot-and-a-half of snow, but records were not broken
A University of Iowa fraternity was suspended last month after police discovered a possible hazing incident involving 56 blindfolded pledges.
Iowa City and University of Iowa police responded to a fire alarm at the Alpha Delta Phi fraternity house, 703 N. Dubuque St., just before 12:45 a.m., Friday, Nov. 15.
Authorities discovered the blindfolded pledges in the fraternity’s basement “with food thrown on them,” according to a criminal complaint obtained by the Press-Citizen.
More:University of Iowa suspends Alpha Delta Phi for alleged hazing with blindfolds, thrown food
You can’t have a top 10 list in Iowa City without Caitlin Clark.
When WNBA superstar Sue Bird made a surprise appearance at an Iowa women’s basketball game in December 2023, it was actually a part of Bird’s ESPN+ show, “Sue’s Places.” Bird interviewed the former University of Iowa guard at Carver-Hawkeye Arena for the third installment of her ESPN+ show to discuss the superstar’s limitless range, the influence of Maya Moore and Steph Curry, and more.
More:Iowa’s Caitlin Clark is a guest on Sue Bird’s ‘Sue’s Places.’ Here’s what to expect.
The year 2024 was highlighted by a massive presidential election, kicked off by the first-in-the-nation Iowa Caucuses.
Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley earned a small victory on Monday night, ending Donald Trump’s chances at a 99-county sweep of the state on caucus night,
Haley snuck by Trump by a single tally in Johnson County, earning 1,271 votes (35.5 percent) in Trump’s only county loss.
More:Nikki Haley hands Donald Trump his only loss in Johnson County Caucus, winning by a single vote
Lawsuits certainly tend to rile up the readers.
The Iowa Supreme Court sided with the University of Iowa in the spring, reversing a lower court decision that would have forced the university to pay nearly $12.8 million in restitution.
The state’s high court ruled on April 26 that a previous jury decision awarding Cedar Rapids-based Modern Piping, Inc. an eight-figure restitution payment was void. The court did uphold a second decision, which granted the company less than $22,000.
More:Iowa Supreme Court rules for University of Iowa, reverses $12.8 million payment to contractor
Caitlin Clark’s second appearance in the top 10 didn’t even involve her directly.
More:Portrait of Caitlin Clark crafted by University of Iowa dental student using 720 Rubik’s Cubes
Rubik’s Cubes and Caitlin Clark may seem like an odd pairing, but to University of Iowa dental student Brian Dang, they represent a perfect blend of his passions. Dang, inspired by Caitlin Clark’s record-breaking play, combined his passion for art with his new appreciation for women’s basketball. He chose to merge the two with the help of several hundred Rubik’s cubes.
Iowa City Press-Citizen reporter Ryan Hansen contributed to this article.
Jessica Rish is an entertainment, dining and education reporter for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. She can be reached at[email protected] or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @rishjessica_
