News Flash

October 24 is National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day

Do you have expired or unwanted medications needing safe disposal? 

On Saturday, October 24, 2020, the Linn County Sheriff’s Office will be collaborating with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in a nationwide prescription drug &a...

Tips to Celebrate Halloween Safely

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, finding ways to keep our traditions can help us maintain a sense of normalcy. While we do not want to discourage the fun, Halloween will look a little different this year. As groups become larger, the risk of spreadi...

Presidential General Election Deadlines

MAKE A PLAN TO VOTE!

The November 3 Presidential General Election is only two weeks away. The Linn County Auditor’s Office reminds voters of the following deadlines for this upcoming election. 

Absentee Ballots

• Requests for absentee ballots must be ...

Linn County Juvenile Detention Center Receives Grant to Provide Mental Health Services to Youth

The Linn County Juvenile Detention Center (JDC) recently received a $5,000 COVID-19 relief grant from the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation. The grant funds received will be used in the development of a collaborative effort between the JDC and Uni...

Linn County Public Health Reminder to Get Your Annual Flu Vaccine

Influenza is a contagious disease that can be serious. Every year, influenza causes illness, hospitalizations, and deaths. Linn County Public Health urges everyone to take steps now to protect yourself and those around you from influenza, or flu. ...

Linn County LIFTS announces Participation in “Health and Safety Commitments” Program

Linn County LIFTS announced today that it has joined the American Public Transportation Association’s (APTA) “Health and Safety Commitments Program,” the public transportation industry’s overarching pledge to passengers that public transit systems are tak...

General Presidential Election Information

The Linn County Auditor’s Office wishes to inform voters of important information and dates for the upcoming Presidential General Election.   

Absentee Ballots

The Linn County Auditor’s Office will mail out ballots on Monday, October 5. Vo...

Read Our Latest eNewsletter

Read the September issue of Linn County’s eNews to stay informed about County news, services, and events. 

Our goal is to provide timely and accessible information about the County to help keep residents informed and engaged.

Read prior issues of o...

Linn County Storm Response – Update #10

Linn County residents living in unincorporated Linn County should place their organic debris from the August 10 derecho in the right-of-way (ROW) by November 9, 2020 to guarantee removal by Linn County’s debris removal contractor. Due to the widespread ar...

Removal of Hy-Vee Drop Boxes

Linn County Auditor Joel D. Miller has ordered the removal of the three Hy-Vee elections drop boxes. The Auditor’s Office continues to have a secure drop box located at the Linn County Public Service Center at 935 2^nd St SW. This drop box is monitored by ...

State of Iowa Announces Change to COVID-19 Close Contact Definition

LINN COUNTY, IA – Today, Governor Reynolds announced a change in the definition the State of Iowa is using to define close contacts for the purposes of contact tracing of positive COVID-19 cases. The CDC, or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, def...

Linn County Conservation Renames Area Wanatee Park

LINN COUNTY, IA September 28, 2020 – A thorough review of the name and reference of “squaw” has led the Linn County Conservation Board to approve changing the name Squaw Creek Park to Wanatee Park. After research and consideration of the park’s 9...

Linn County Storm Response – Update #9

The Linn County Board of Supervisors, in partnership with Linn County Public Health, has extended the burn permit deferment in unincorporated Linn County through the end of the year. This action allows the open burning of storm related landscape waste, in...

Early, In-Person Voting Locations and Election Day Polling Locations

Linn County voters have early (absentee) voting options for November 3, 2020 General Election.  

The Linn County Auditor’s Office will offer two in-person, early voting locations during the dates and times listed below:

• 823 3^rd St...

Linn County Storm Response – Update #8

Linn County has made temporary service changes in its Planning & Development Department to assist residents with recovery from the August 10 derecho.

Building Permits Required, Fees Waived

Linn County is urging residents to contact their local building ...

Requesting Temporary Use Permits in Unincorporated Linn County

Linn County reminds residents and groups planning public events in unincorporated Linn County that they must apply for a temporary use permit. Permits are required when the type of event planned is not a permitted use within the zoning district where the ...

Tamara Marcus Hired as Linn County’s First Sustainability Program Manager

The Linn County Board of Supervisors has hired Tamara Marcus as Linn County’s first sustainability program manager.

As sustainability program manager, Marcus will lead efforts to recommit the County to a more sustainable present and future. One o...

Linn County Residents Encouraged to Complete Needs Assessment Questionnaire

Linn County residents impacted by the derecho are encouraged to complete the needs assessment questionnaire developed by community agencies including Linn County Public Health, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, HACAP, Waypoint, and other commu...

Linn County Applauds SET Grant Announcement

The Linn County Board of Supervisors joins the Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation in celebrating the announcement of a $465,000 grant award to support the work of the Creating Safe, Equitable and Thriving Communities (SET) Fund.

The grant, awarded t...

Linn County Storm Response – Update #5

Linn County continues to respond to the August 10 derecho storm. Linn County has made changes to the self-haul organic storm debris drop-off sites for residents of unincorporated Linn County.

Starting Tuesday, August 25, Linn County is providing four locat...

Linn County Storm Response – Update #4

UPDATED: August 21, 2020

Unincorporated Organic Debris Removal

Linn County has contracted with a specialized natural disaster recovery company Ceres Environmental Services, Inc. to assist the County in disposal of storm-generated organic debris in unincorpo...

Linn County Public Health Reminds Residents to Stay Safe After Storms

LINN COUNTY, IA – Many parts of Iowa were affected by a severe storm that swept through the state Monday, causing power outages for hundreds of thousands of people. As utility crews work around the clock to restore power, and Iowans continue cle...

General Election Absentee Ballot Request Forms

The Linn County Auditor’s Office has received numerous telephone calls from voters confused after receiving multiple absentee ballot request forms in the mail. In some cases, voters have turned in an absentee ballot request form to the Linn Coun...

Interactive Dashboard Tracks COVID-19 Key Indicators

Linn County Public Health is posting updates on its COVID-19 Mapping Database, which is a graphic dashboard of COVID-19 key indicators including: 

• Number of confirmed cases (by age, gender, race, and ethnicity)
• A map of confirmed cases by zip code
• A...

Linn County Public Health Urges All Residents to Wear Cloth Face Coverings in Public Settings

LINN COUNTY, IA – Linn County Public Health strongly recommends all residents and visitors to consistently and correctly wear a cloth face covering in public settings and when around people who do not live in your household, especially when phys...

Linn County Facilities Reopen July 20 by Appointment

NOTE: This page is updated as new information becomes available.

On Monday, July 20, 2020, most Linn County offices reopened on an appointment-only basis as part of a phased approach to reopening with modifications to keep employees and customers safe. Lin...

Still Time to Complete the 2020 Census

The Linn County Complete Count Committee wants to remind all residents to complete the 2020 Census by October 31, 2020 in order to be counted. The census is held once every ten years to get an accurate count of all people living in the United States, dete...

Absentee Ballot Request Forms Available for the November General Election

Absentee ballot request forms are now available for the November 3, 2020 General Election. Absentee ballot request forms may be found at LinnCounty.org/Vote.

Due to COVID-19, the Linn County Auditor’s Office strongly encourages voters to vote by ...

Linn County Public Health Recommends Community to Take Measures to Slow COVID-19

LINN COUNTY, IA – A significant increase in the number of COVID-19 cases were reported over two consecutive weeks, mainly among 18 to 25 year olds. This 189 percent increase from 35 to 101 new cases occurred between June 7^th and June 21^st. Conti...

Linn County Supports Local Preservation Efforts by Awarding Grants to Eight Local Non-Profits

The Linn County Board of Supervisors has awarded $28,800 from the Linn County Historic Preservation Grant Program to eight non-profit organizations in Linn County. The recipients were selected through an annual competitive process.

The Linn County Historic...

Linn County Public Health and Cedar Rapids Civil Rights Commission to Host Virtual Town Hall June 12

Linn County Public Health and the Cedar Rapids Civil Rights Commission have partnered to host another COVID-19 virtual town hall on Friday, June 12 at 12 p.m. The virtual town hall will be held via GoToMeeting and will focus on general housing information...

Linn County Begins Phase Two of Reopening During Community Spread of COVID-19

On May 14, 2020, Linn County Public Health released phased reopening guidance, based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other national organizations. The three-phased approach enables businesses to reopen in a limited capacity, and even...

Linn County Approves ATV Ordinance Allowing Use on Certain County Roads

UPDATED June 18, 2020 with interactive map.

The Linn County Board of Supervisors today approved an ordinance (PDF) allowing the use of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and off-road vehicles on certain county roads in unincorporated Linn County. The approval fol...

Linn County Public Health Continues to Provide Weekly COVID-19 Updates

Linn County Public Health continues to provide weekly Community Partner Updates during the COVID-19 pandemic. Weekly updates help keep the community informed about the latest information and resources available, and are accessible by end of business on Fr...

Linn County Public Health Releases Phased Reopening Guidance During Community Spread of COVID-19

Linn County Public Health recommends a phased reopening, in alignment with the Centers for Disease Control and other national organizations. This three-phased approach enables businesses to reopen, and events and gatherings to occur, while protecting the ...

Linn County Public Health Releases Mental Health COVID-19 Toolkit

Linn County Public Health and community partners emphasize the importance of prioritizing your mental health and staying connected with the release of a mental health toolkit. The toolkit is another in a series of several toolkits created to distribute in...

Linn County Public Health Releases Multi-Lingual COVID-19 Toolkit

A multi-lingual toolkit, recently released to community partners and available for viewing at LinnCounty.org/MultilingualResources, is the first in a series of several toolkits created to distribute in response to COVID-19.

A multi-lingual toolkit has been...

Linn and Johnson County Auditors’ Offices Sign Mutual Aid Agreement for Elections

The Linn County Auditor’s Office and the Johnson County Auditor’s Office have signed a mutual aid agreement to support each other in the event either County’s election operations are degraded due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

&...

Linn County Public Health Enhances COVID-19 Mapping Database

Linn County Public Health has added additional information to its coronavirus response webpage, LinnCounty.org/COVID-19. This page provides the community the most accurate and updated information on COVID-19 in Linn County. This webpage includes a case co...

Linn County COVID-19 Infection Data as of April 23, 2020

During the April 23, 2020 COVID-19 press conference, Linn County Public Health presented two graphs that showed COVID-19 infection data in Linn County through 10 a.m. on April 23. The first graph showed the number of positive coronavirus cases in Linn Cou...

Linn County Correctional Center Deputy Sheriff Tests Positive for COVID-19 Virus

On Sunday, April 19, 2020, we learned that a deputy sheriff assigned to the Linn County Correctional Center tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.  The deputy last worked during the evening shift on Thursday, April 16th.  He arrived to ...

Linn County Board of Health Releases Letter to Community Regarding COVID-19

LINN COUNTY, IA – On April 8, 2020, the Linn County Board of Health approved a letter (PDF) to the community regarding recommended actions to stop the spread of COVID-19.

For up-to-date information on COVID-19, visit:

• Linn County Public Health web...

Improvement Project Underway on County Home Road

Update 4/27/20: County Home Road is now closed to through traffic between Gilmore Road and Highway 13. Only local traffic, those who live within the area, are allowed to enter the work zone. 

Update 4/17/20: The start date for this projec...

First COVID-19 Death Confirmed in Linn County

The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) today notified Linn County officials of the first death of a Linn County resident associated with COVID-19. The 61-80 year old male had underlying health conditions.

The Linn County Board of Supervisors released ...

Linn County Adopts Temporary Employment Policy to Minimize Impact to County Services

The Linn County Board of Supervisors has adopted a temporary employment policy for Linn County employees in response to the novel coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19). The policy will help ensure the health and safety of Linn County employees while providing f...

COVID-19 Cases Confirmed in Linn County

Linn County Public Health (LCPH) is closely monitoring the spread of coronavirus and has announced the first laboratory diagnosed case of COVID-19 in Linn County at a news conference Saturday morning. The individual is receiving appropriate medical care. ...

Linn County Prepares for COVID-19

Linn County is taking steps to prepare for the potential of the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Linn County. Currently, there are no cases of COVID-19 in Linn County. However, Linn County is following the recommendation of Public Health officials to ...

Linn County Public Health Encourages Communities to Prepare for Potential COVID-19 Cases

LINN COUNTY, IA – The first COVID-19 cases in Iowa were announced this week, which has resulted in increasing awareness and preparation for the potential spread of COVID-19 to Linn County communities. Linn County Public Health (LCPH) continues t...

Linn County Conservation Board Unveils Strategic Plan

The Linn County Conservation Board has unveiled an updated strategic plan, a framework to further conserve natural resources while promoting the health and welfare of the people and ecosystems of Linn County. 

“The Board and strategic pl...

Bill of Sale Required for Transferring Vehicle Titles Beginning January 1, 2020

Effective January 1, 2020, the Linn County Treasurer’s Office will require customers to provide a bill of sale when transferring titles to motor vehicles between private parties. A bill of sale or purchase agreement is already required for vehicles purcha...

Linn County Launches Mobile App

Linn County recently launched a new mobile app for its redesigned website LinnCounty.org. The app provides residents and visitors with convenient access to County news, events, public meetings, job openings, road construction, and much more. 

The ...