Bigger Aldi's Location Coming Soon to Iowa City: Iowa City Daily News Links, July 9

C'mon rain!

On to the Links!

Fans of ALDI rejoice, a new location is coming to Highway 1 near Walmart. However, this will mean the closing of the current location, Quentin Misiag reports. (Daily Iowan)

Adam Sullivan of the Iowa City Press-Citizen has a preview of tonight's Iowa City School Board meeting where board members will consider two competing district facility plans for the first time.

Whoah, Cambus! Another Cambus collision was reported last night, thankfully with no injuries that Daily Iowan reports.

Robert Crozier of the Daily Iowan writes that a local church uses a free furniture giveaway to international visitors as a way to help the community, but also to meet new potential parishioners. 

The Iowa basketball team is in the running for a possible transfer. (Hawkcentral)

Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield continues to receive scrutiny, this time for the size of its cash reserves. (KCRG)

Crops are doing fairly well despite a recent comparative lack of moisture. (KCRG)

The University of Iowa plans to make a feature length documentary on Hancher that will include the filming of its demolition. (KCRG)

Daily Links Featured Excerpt of the Day

Requests for construction bids were sent out by the city of Iowa City Monday morning for a new Batavia, Ill.-based Aldi store, said Fred Rose, a representative for the Rose Companies. The Cedar Falls-based contracting and consulting firm began demolishing and clearing the five commercial buildings on the corner of Ruppert Road and Highway 1 West on Monday, on land just west of the recently opened Deery Brothers Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep & Ram, 631 Highway 1 W.

Rose said his company will take control of the land for the five-month long project on Aug. 1, and one of four construction bids will be selected at the end of this week. A new nearly 16,000-square-foot store is expected to open sometime by the end of December or the beginning of January.

The current building is in the process of being sold.

Rose said the new store makes a “perfect fit for the area,” noting that the new building will sit far back from the highway and have strong visibility next to existing businesses, notably the Carousel Motors dealership and Walmart.