The proverbial cat is out of the bag – the Jefferson police department really does shoot cats.

Jefferson mayor Craig Berry reported at the April 10 city council meeting that he and police chief Mark Clouse had met earlier that day with Linn Price of Animal Protection and Education (APE) and Scott Wilson, animal welfare intervention coordinator/animal control officer for the Animal Rescue League (ARL) in Des Moines. Shooting feral cats was the topic of discussion. Continue reading It’s true – the JPD shoots cats →

Greene County assistant county attorney Thomas Laehn once again is saving county taxpayers’ money.

Laehn talked with the county supervisors on Monday about a waiver Ahlers & Cooney PC asked the supervisors to sign allowing the firm to work on behalf of both the county and the Greene County Community Schools in preparing the 28E agreement needed for the county’s participation in funding the regional career academy. Continue reading Laehn’s workload keeps growing →

Program Sunday afternoon April 15 at museum in Jefferson

~by Chuck Offenburger for the Greene County Historical Society

If it seems to you like there’s been a whole lot of bicycling happening around Greene County in recent years, you’re right.

That will be especially so this summer when RAGBRAI®  (that’s the Des Moines Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa) pedals through the county on July 23-24. It will visit Scranton on July 23, overnight in Jefferson, and then go on to Grand Junction and Dana the next day en route to an overnight in Ames. Continue reading Bicycling history of Greene County, and of RAGBRAI, too →

Businesses around the downtown square in Jefferson that have been without signage since last summer can now put signs back on their storefronts.

The Jefferson city council at its April 10 meeting approved the final pay estimated to Pinnacle Construction for the façade project. With that, the project is officially finished and business owners are once again in charge of their storefronts. They were not able to put signs back up until the entire project was complete. Continue reading Jeff council closes out facade project, okays comprehensive plan update →

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig on Monday commented on the Iowa Crop Progress and Condition report released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistical Service. The report is released weekly from April through November.

“Another week of cold, wet weather prevented nearly all fieldwork and continued to challenge cow-calf producers. Just 4 percent of the oat crop has been planted, more than week behind last year and the five-year average. The weather forecast for the next couple of weeks looks mixed, so we are still likely a few weeks out from widespread spring fieldwork,” Naig said. Continue reading Iowa farmers still a few weeks away from spring fieldwork →

The Stalder Super Squad (Zack, Kaylee, Bryce, and Tatym, children of Kyle and Cheri Stalder) are ready for the 5K and Heroes-in-Training Fun Run being held as part of this year’s Greene County Relay For Life on Saturday, April 21.

The 5K run/walk is an annual event for these heroes who are helping to fight cancer while enjoying some power filled exercise as a family.

“You, too can help fight cancer- just sign up,” an 5K committee spokesperson said.

The Heroes-in-Training 6-block run around the square is for those 12 years and younger. Each participant will get a super hero cape to keep. Continue reading “Pow! Zap! Bam!” Let’s beat cancer! →

April snow was moved aside for a ceremonial groundbreaking Monday morning at the site of a 1,100 square-foot addition to the Churdan public library.

The library trustees and staff have been raising funds for the $350,000 project for three years, hosting meals, silent auctions, and even an ugly Christmas sweater contest. The project includes not only the addition, but a renovation of the current library space. Continue reading Ground broken on Churdan library addition →

Storm sirens around this county will sound this Tuesday, April 10, at 10 am as a test. Going forward, they’ll sound at 10 am the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month through November.

Greene County emergency management director Dennis Morlan explained that the tests that were previously done on Saturdays will be done on Tuesdays when more emergency responders are at work and able to help confirm the sirens are functioning adequately. Continue reading Storm siren tests moved to Tuesdays →

The city of Jefferson has been awarded a $100,000 Community Catalyst building remediation grant through the Iowa Economic Development Authority for work at the former Odd Fellows hall, west of the Sierra Theatre.

A total of $1.8 million in Community Catalyst grant awards was announced April 5. The program is intended to help communities remediate or redevelop underutilized buildings to stimulate economic growth. Eighteen cities received the maximum $100,000 allowed in the program. Continue reading City receives $100K to assist with rehab of future home of Pillar Technology →

Due to the cold weather predicted for Saturday, the Greene County High School prom grand march  will be held at the high school auditorium.  Doors will open to the public at 5 pm. The grand march will begin at 6 pm. Continue reading Prom grand march at the high school Saturday →

Landus Cooperative is the first corporate donor to pledge funds for the regional career academy that will be built adjacent to a new Greene County High School. The Landus Cooperative board of directors is making a five-year pledge to the career academy totaling $50,000.

The announcement was made Thursday as a letter to the editor by the board of directors and Landus Cooperative CEO Milan Kucerak. Continue reading Landus Cooperative pledges $50K to career academy →

(Edited April 9 to correct error in allocation to Greene County Schools.)

Transforming the Rippey in gymnasium into a fire station and city maintenance shed is closer to becoming reality with an $80,000 grant from Grow Greene County Gaming Corporation. The grant was the largest competitive grant awarded at Grow Greene County’s third annual Awards Night April 3 at Wild Rose Casino in Jefferson. Continue reading Grow Greene County distributes $1.2 million in charitable funds →