One affected county has only one confirmed case Residents in 14 northeast Iowa counties are now prohibited from all gatherings of any size with anyone who doesn’t live in their same household. Gov Kim Reynolds issued a new order Thursday, effective at 11:59 pm, enhancing efforts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
Read MoreMonth: April 2020
Wendell Durlam, 1922 – 2020
Wendell Jesse (Rex) Durlam was born on January 7, 1922, in Jefferson. He was one of 10 children born to Mike and Faye Durlam. Wendell passed away peacefully on April 13, 2020, at the age of 98. A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. Wendell grew up in Jefferson and had many adventures with his twin…
Read MoreChild welfare topic of daily COVID press briefing
Iowa Department of Human Services director Kelly Garcia highlighted what she called “the human side of our state’s response” to the COVID-19 pandemic at Gov Kim Reynolds’ daily press briefing April 15. “At a time when it’s critical that Iowans stay home… we must also recognize that home is not a safe place for all Iowans…. Data from past disasters…
Read MoreThe diary of a coronavirus rebel
Diary entries by Cori O’Virus (as dictated to Colleen O’Brien) I have secured a safe place to watch. My name is Cori, short for Corona. I am from the Virus family. We have many friends and relatives who are categorized in that branch of human science that deals with viruses – “virology,” the study of us, named with the preciseness…
Read MoreCommunity Foundation awards $145,000 to projects around the county
The Greene County Community Foundation board canceled its 15th annual Awards Night, slated for April 6, due to the COVID-19 mitigation ban on group gatherings. Rather than postponing the event, the board mailed checks to recipients so the many worthy projects can be started without a delay of funding. A total of 21 local projects received $145,085 from the Foundation,…
Read MoreImpact Award suspended for 2020
The Impact Award board of directors has suspended this year’s Impact Award due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the accompanying uncertainty in the next few months. The reasons are several: libraries, where nomination papers are located, have been shuttered; people are encouraged to remain in their homes; the size of gatherings has been limited; and the time “normalcy” will return…
Read MoreSupervisors hear about the census, Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and more
~by Janice Harbaugh for GreeneCountyNewsOnline The Greene County board of supervisors met on April 13 at the courthouse which continues to be closed to the public due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As in past weeks, the audio of the meeting was electronically available to the public and media through zoom.us. Kelly Campbell, senior lead partnership specialist for the 2020 census,…
Read MorePlanning has been going on for years
First time county has activated long-standing Emergency Operations Center How’s your memory? How many inches of snow did Greene County get during the winter storms of 1973? What year did Jefferson get hit with derecho winds that ended up with the city receiving a Governor’s Declaration of Disaster? During Tom Heater’s tenure as sheriff, what year did we have a…
Read MoreIowa sees huge swing in temps, less rain than normal
Fields began to dry for most of Iowa early in the week ending April 12, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. However, northwest Iowa saw accumulating snow on Sunday, April 12, with rain falling over much of the rest of the state. Statewide there were 4.1 days suitable for fieldwork during the week. Field activities for the week…
Read MoreIowa AG, Consumer Advocate urge H2O utilities to suspend disconnects
To avoid big balances, consumers should pay utility bills, if they are able DES MOINES — Iowans can get relief from many utility bills during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Iowa Office of Consumer Advocate recommends that consumers pay what they can to avoid problems in the future, however. The Iowa Utilities Board issued an emergency order on March 27 approving…
Read MoreCoronavirus website has new dashboard, more info
Gov Kim Reynolds started her daily press briefing 45 minutes late Tuesday due to glitches in the updated COVID-19 website that was the topic of the day. Reynolds showed a beta version of the new dashboard on the website, https://coronavirus.iowa.gov, at the briefing, and said it would be available later in the afternoon. It was well into the evening when…
Read MoreIn the neighborhood
April 13, 2020 History Day virtual judging – I have participated as one of the judges for the state National History Day competition in Iowa for the last seven or eight years. This contest is a wonderful way for students to explore a given theme in Iowa history and beyond.
Read More