🌱 Patch AM: What Cedar Falls’ Jared Gadson says he’ll bring to District 75

Hey hey Cedar Falls! Your one-stop source for local news is here. Continue reading for all the updates. ☕️️

In today's newsletter:

• What Cedar Falls’ Jared Gadson says he’ll bring to District 75
• How a Cedar Falls standout became a rising NFL defensive star
• What inspectors found inside a Cedar Falls burger spot last month

Also on today's calendar: Time Travel Half-Marathon (and 5k/10k) - Cedar Falls and 5 more events.

Today's riddle: What did one pirate say to the other? 🤔 (Answer below!)

From our Partner
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Weather forecast:

• Saturday: Colder; a.m. snow, up to 1", with a high of 33 and low of 19 degrees. ⛄️ Brr!
• Sunday: Breezy in the morning, temps: high: 33, low: 25.
• Monday: Partly sunny, with a high of 46 and low of 35 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Jared Gadson announces Iowa House bid for District 75 after Kressig steps down (cbs2iowa.com) — Cedar Falls resident Jared Gadson is launching a campaign for Iowa House District 75 after longtime Representative Bob Kressig announced his retirement. Gadson says he wants to build on Kressig’s focus on education and working families while offering accessible, responsive leadership for Cedar Falls and the rest of the district.
   

2. Jack Campbell: Bio And Career Highlights (boredpanda.com) — Cedar Falls gets a proud shout-out as hometown to NFL linebacker Jack Campbell, whose path ran from Cedar Falls High School stardom to the Detroit Lions. The profile highlights his Iowa roots, standout career at the University of Iowa, major college awards, first-round draft status, and early professional honors, along with a brief look at his personal life.
   

3. Iowa restaurant inspection update: Mouse droppings, flies in beverages, expired food (kcrg.com) — State inspectors recently cited Wilbo Burgers Brats & Beers in Cedar Falls for food-safety issues including poor handwashing, expired ingredients, and problems with sanitizing and hot water at a hand sink. The broader report details similar violations at restaurants and groceries across Iowa, offering a useful reminder to Cedar Falls diners about how to check inspection records before eating out.
   

4. Iowans recorded 20 more osprey nests in 2025 than they did in 2024 (newsfromthestates.com) — Osprey monitoring hit a record in 2025, with new nests documented around Black Hawk County near the Cedar Falls–Waterloo area. Volunteers helped the Iowa DNR track 70 nests statewide, and more young birds fledged despite a slightly lower success rate, offering a hopeful sign for this once-rare raptor’s recovery in Iowa.
   

📸 Around Cedar Falls

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🗓 Upcoming Events in Cedar Falls

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

★ Featured events ★

Saturday January 10

• Joshua Mutant, More Cheese, Wrestling w/ Wolves and Love Bomb — Octopus
  Octopus, 2205 College St, Cedar Falls
  8:00 pm

Want to see your event featured? Click here!

Other local events

Sunday January 11

• Time Travel Half-Marathon (and 5k/10k) - Cedar Falls
  Blain's Farm & Fleet - Cedar Falls, Iowa , 219 Brandilynn Blvd , Cedar Falls
  9:00 am
• Book Mending Workshop
  Cedar Falls Public Library , 524 Main Street , Cedar Falls
  2:00 pm

Monday January 12

• Junior Graphic Novel Book Club!
  Cedar Falls Public Library , 524 Main Street , Cedar Falls
  4:15 pm
• Banned Books Club Movie Viewing
  Cedar Falls Public Library , 524 Main Street , Cedar Falls
  5:45 pm
• Human Rights Commission Meeting
  Cedar Falls Calendar Cedar Falls, IA 50613
  6:00 pm
• Banned Books Club Discussion
  Cedar Falls Public Library , 524 Main Street , Cedar Falls
  7:30 pm

Tuesday January 13

• Creation Stations
  Cedar Falls Public Library , 524 Main Street , Cedar Falls
  4:15 pm

📣 Cedar Falls Shout Outs!

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🗓 Events Nearby

Saturday January 10

• Family Storytime
  Cedar Falls Public Library , 524 Main Street , Cedar Falls
  10:30 am
• Teen Fiber Flicks
  Cedar Falls Public Library , 524 Main Street , Cedar Falls
  1:30 pm

Sunday January 11

• Book Mending Workshop
  Cedar Falls Public Library , 524 Main Street , Cedar Falls
  2:00 pm
• Kickin' It With Cris! Line Dance Lessons 💃
  1955 Locke Ave , Waterloo
  7:30 pm

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

Thank you 👏👏👏 to the local businesses for making Cedar Falls PatchAM possible:

• Mindsee.it — (646) 663-8317
  Teach your kids they can achieve the impossible!

Click here to show your appreciation! 💚

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💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

• Please help me share information about a great Teen book club at Waterloo Public Library.
  All participants get a free copy of The 1619 Project, as well as snacks, a deeper appreciation for public discourse and tips on heavy topics, and a… (Nextdoor El Dorado Heights)

• Papa Murphy's Holdings, Inc. posted a job opening for Crew Member in Cedar Falls. Apply here.
• Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwiches posted a job opening for Jimmy John's Crew Member in Cedar Falls. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Cedar Falls here.

Ok Cedar Falls! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I sea you!
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