~a column by Colleen O’Brien Calliope. Ratatouille. Aardvark. These are words that I like to say. I like how calliope rolls around my mouth, how ratatouille makes my mouth a kiss, how aardvark makes me think I’m speaking Viking. Some words have in their pronunciation a flavor of their meaning. Assuage sounds soft and soothing; originally it meant to sweeten…
Read MoreMonth: June 2023
Grand opening Saturday at Midwest Mission in Jefferson
Midwest Mission is hosting a grand opening Saturday, June 17, for its second location, located at 219 N. Chestnut St in Jefferson (formerly Aureon, and prior to that, Fareway). The open house is from 10 am to 2 pm, with the ribbon cutting at 10 am. Persons who attend the grand opening will learn more about Midwest Mission, see ways…
Read MoreFlag Day Elks’ ceremony tonight
The Jefferson Elks lodge and Does drove will hold a Flag Day ceremony Wednesday, June 14, at 7 pm at the lodge, 103 W. Harrison St. Members of the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars will also participate. The public is invited to attend.
Read MoreYard of the Month honors to Michelle, Mike Kennedy
The carefully tended, creative gardens that surround the home of Michelle and Mike Kennedy at 405 W. Harrison St were selected for the Jefferson Garden Club’s Yard of the Month award for June 2023. While a welcoming hosta bed featuring numerous varieties greets visitors on the shaded north side, artfully placed natural stone edging creates structure and movement around the…
Read MoreBaseball subject of author talk June 17
It all started with a spitball in Perry on Friday the 13th of October, 1922, when folks got to watch the country’s most famous baseball player in action. The Jefferson public library will celebrate the popular summer pastime of baseball when it hosts an author talk and book signing with Iowa author Timothy Grover on Saturday, June 17, at 9…
Read MoreGCYAA wraps up season Saturday with fundraiser
The Greene County Youth Athletic Association will close the 2023 summer season this Saturday, June 17, at the fields at 510 N. Pinet St in Jefferson. Introduction of teams will take place at 10 am, with the VFW presenting the Colors and the National Anthem at 10:30. A representative of Grow Greene County will throw the first pitch at 10:50.…
Read MoreScholarship available for women to continue their education
P.E.O. Chapter CZ is seeking applicants for a $400 scholarship to a Greene County woman. The woman’s education must have been interrupted and she must have been out of school for one year, or have completed at least two years of higher education. Also eligible are daughters and granddaughters of active Chapter CZ members. A letter of recommendation will be…
Read MoreSweet Treats in Scranton to mark three years of service
Time has flown by. What started as a small community service outreach project of the Scranton United Methodist Church has grown into a much larger mission. Sweet Treats offers food, clothing and other necessities to people in Scranton every Wednesday. Utilizing the Education Building of the UMC, children and adults know that from 4 to 6 pm they can stop by…
Read MoreCondition of corn, beans and hay declining
Another dry week with some more isolated rain showers for the week left a steady 5.8 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending June 11, 2023, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Some farmers were finishing up soybean planting this week as row crop planting activities near conclusion. Other field activities included cutting hay and spraying crops.…
Read MoreNew laws for dealing with raccoons effective July 1
Changes are coming soon to the way Iowans can hunt and trap raccoons, and how farmers can deal with raccoon depredation issues. Raccoons were the focus of a bill approved during the 2023 Iowa legislative session, allowing landowners or tenants to dispatch raccoons causing damage to their agricultural property, outside of the city limits. Landowners may shoot or trap raccoons…
Read MoreSummer reading program starts this week in Churdan
All Aboard! The Churdan library will chug into another summer reading program as children and staff “Explore New Paths at Your Library.” Each Wednesday youngsters will explore a new topic, beginning with trains on June 14 and continuing each Wednesday through July 19. The toddler program will be at 9 am, followed by preschool story time at 9:30. The afternoon…
Read MoreSupervisors to appoint auditor after Heun’s retirement
The Greene County supervisors plan to start the process to appoint deputy auditor Billie Jo Hoskins as auditor when auditor Jane Heun retires July 14. Her term of office doesn’t expire until Dec. 31, 2024. Board chair John Muir said at the June 12 meeting that a decision should be based on past experience in appointing persons to fill terms…
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