Greene County students and staff will be required to wear masks at all times when they return to in-person attendance Nov. 30 after seven days of remote learning. The board of education at its Nov. 18 regular meeting approved a mask mandate effective immediately, and until the county public health department gives the school notice the mandate is no longer…
Read MoreMonth: November 2020
Tentative agreement on new contract for JPD, all non-salaried employees
Union president says city administrator Palmer stalled negotiations ~GreeneCountyNewsOnline The addition of two new patrol officers to the Jefferson police department recently has the potential to solve a dire need for manpower, a need that left some wondering if the Jefferson PD would survive, or if it would disband, leaving the Greene County sheriff’s office as the only law enforcement…
Read MoreBeverly Swedlund, 1932 – 2020
A private graveside memorial service has been held at South Marion Cemetery in Stratford for Beverly Lou Swedlund, 88. Words of comfort were offered by the Rev David Arulnathan of Salem United Methodist Church in Paton. Beverly Lou Swedlund was born near Toledo, Iowa on January 22, 1932. She was the daughter of Mildred [Potts] and Clyde R. Jay. Beverly…
Read MoreCovid-19 numbers continue swift increase
If trend continues, 896 cases by Dec. 4 Greene County added 26 confirmed positive case of Covid-19 Tuesday, bringing the total to 447 as of Wednesday morning, Nov. 18, according to Greene County director of public health Becky Wolf. There have been 224 new cases in the past 14 days, 132 in the past seven days. The average positivity rate…
Read MoreVolunteers clear brush at Scranton Pond
The first week of November found some young people at the Scranton Pond performing some community service clean up after the storms that hit the Scranton area this summer. Steven Johnson, Quinten and Americus Squibb, all home school students, along with their grandparents, Neal and Leesa Squibb, decided to make the Scranton Pond a community service project for this school year. Several trees were cut down thanks to the city of Scranton and …
Read MoreGreene County Schools now using remote-only instruction
Greene County school superintendent Tim Christensen’s goal in moving students in all three buildings in the district to remote learning until Thanksgiving is to be able to have in-person instruction for the 3-1/2 weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas break. “The hope is that if we can get the kids out of the buildings we can get this (Covid-19) under control…
Read MoreThanksgiving lite
~a column by Colleen O’Brien Hopeful ideas for Thanksgiving get-togethers are fading. Invisible coronaviruses are running rampant across the country – total deaths as of last weekend? Two-hundred and fifty-one thousand, two-hundred and sixty-eight souls. A few governors are now clamping down, closing schools and bars, talking about mandatory masks and social distancing, even cancelling sports. So, even small clan…
Read MoreJPD adds another new officer
Jeff council moves toward fees for collecting cardboard for recycle The Jefferson police department is on its way to full staffing with the hiring of a second patrol officer. The city council approved the hiring and was introduced to new patrol officer Jamie Brenner at its regular meeting Nov. 10. Brenner graduated from Gilbert High School and pursued nurse’s training…
Read MoreSupervisors see draft contract for purchase of Midland Power building
Also discuss Zoom access to meetings ~by Janice Harbaugh for GreeneCountyNewsOnline The draft of an installment contract to purchase the Midland Power office building and grounds at 1005 E. Lincoln Way in Jefferson was presented to the Greene County board of supervisors by county attorney Thomas Laehn at the board’s regular meeting Nov. 16. If the purchase proceeds to completion,…
Read MoreNational Rural Health Day is Thursday
Greene County Medical Center recognized the innovation, quality of care and dedication of health professionals and volunteers in the community during National Rural Health Day 2020. National Rural Health Day falls on the third Thursday of November each year and recognizes the efforts of those serving the health needs of an estimated 57 million people across the nation. “Rural communities…
Read MoreHarvest nearly finished
Above normal rainfall, snow in Northwest Iowa and cooler temperatures only allowed Iowa farmers 4.6 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending Nov. 15, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Fieldwork activities again included harvesting corn and soybeans, baling corn stalks, applying fertilizer and manure, and tillage. Topsoil moisture condition across Iowa rated 13 percent very short,…
Read MoreCovid numbers still increasing
The number of Covid-19 cases in Greene County continues its upward climb. Greene County public health director Becky Wolf reported Tuesday morning there are now 252 active cases in the county, with 26 new cases reported in the previous 24 hours. A total of 430 residents have had or now have Covid-19. One resident has died from the illness. Twenty-eight…
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