~by State Senator Jesse Green April 16, 2021 Greetings, friends! We have just finished up week fourteen, and the tempo of this session has certainly changed. We are now into the budgeting and appropriations time of year. This is where everyone sits on the edge of their seat wondering what will cross the finish line, and most importantly, receive funding.…
Read MoreMonth: April 2021
Covid update, and info about J&J vaccine
Greene County public health director Becky Wolf reports that as of April 14, the 14-day positivity rate for Covid-19 testing in the county is 3.8 percent. There have been a total of 849 cases of Covid in the county, with 114 active cases as of Wednesday. Wolf also reports that 5,477 doses of Covid vaccine have been administered, and that…
Read MoreThank you, Grow Greene County, from Greene County Historical Society
To the editor: On behalf of the Greene County Historical Society (GCHS) officers, board, and members, I would like to give a big thank you to Grow Greene County for their generous grant to the GCHS. The money will cover about 3/4 of the cost of replacing the roof on the museum. This is not the first time Grow Green…
Read MoreJeff council approves levy rate, moves toward real estate deals
The Jefferson city council held one public hearing at its regular meeting April 13 and scheduled five other public hearings for the April 27 regular meeting. The first hearing was on the proposed tax levy for the fiscal year beginning July 1. No comments were heard and the council then approved a resolution setting the levy rate at $14.91 (per…
Read MoreRaccoon River on list of Top 10 most endangered rivers in the U.S.
American River advocacy group releases list April 13 The Raccoon River in central Iowa has been declared one of America’s Top 10 most endangered rivers, according to a report issued April 13 by the national river advocacy group, American Rivers. The report’s list of endangered rivers also includes the Lower Missouri River, which borders the western half of Iowa. The…
Read MoreRams tee off golf season
The Greene County boys and girls golf seasons got underway April 5 against Carroll. The boys played at Breda and the girls played at The Hill east of Grand Junction. Carroll won the boys match 174-191. Carroll’s Drew Munson was medalist at three over par 38, and teammate Ty Nissen was runner-up with a round of 39. The Rams’ counting…
Read MoreNancy Hanaman re: America’s Sheriffs’ letter
Dear Editor, I read with interest and disappointment in GreeneCountyNewsOnline that sheriff Jack Williams signed a letter with 275 sheriffs from around the country which claims to “Help America’s Sheriffs Keep our Neighborhoods Safe. . .by Halting Illegal Immigration.” This letter claims that recent illegal immigration has been the cause of criminal activities, drug trafficking and other issues. This letter…
Read MoreTwo good reads and one really great one
~a column by Colleen O’Brien First, I read Bag Man by Rachel Maddow. It was a quick overnight read about Spiro Agnew – remember him? At the time he was in the public eye, I thought he was merely laughable, but the PR for Maddow’s book explained Agnew’s life as “The wild crimes, audacious cover-up, and spectacular downfall of a…
Read MoreNew quick-attack fire truck arrives in Scranton
In 2020, the Scranton Fire Department was awarded $70,000 from the Grow Greene County Gaming Corporation to be used toward the purchase of a new quick attack vehicle. The department received the truck a couple weeks ago and it was put to work almost immediately. City and fire department funds were joined with donations to make the $96,000 purchase of…
Read MoreCounty assessor explains increased property assessments
~by Janice Harbaugh for GreeneCountyNewsOnline Greene County assessor Adam Smith reported to the board of supervisors at their regular meeting on April 12 concerning recent assessment notices sent to county property owners. Smith later told GCNO his report was at the request of the board. Smith said location of property, improvements to the property, and sales figures are important in…
Read MoreIDPH, Extension partner to provide Covid-19 vaccine info
The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) along with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and University of Iowa announce their collaboration to host information sessions about the Covid-19 vaccine later this month. The sessions will provide a virtual forum for Iowans to learn about the safety and efficacy of Covid-19 vaccines and have an opportunity to ask questions of…
Read MoreSupervisors okay roads 5-year plan, hear of Jefferson city activities
~by Janice Harbaugh for GreeneCountyNewsOnline The Greene County board of supervisors unanimously approved the FY2022 Iowa Department of Transportation secondary roads budget and 5-year construction program as presented by county engineer Wade Weiss at the regular meeting on April 12. Weiss had previously described projects involving county bridge repair on County Roads P-46, P-57, P-14, the bridge east of Farlin…
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