GrCo school board okays pay increases for support personnel, reviews IASB priorities

All school support personnel at Greene County Schools will receive raises of approximately 30 cents an hour. The school board approved the raises at the Sept. 11 regular meeting, with the funds appropriated in House File 2612 during the 2024 legislative session. HF 2612 is the much-discussed bill that included changes to Area Education Agencies and setting minimum teacher salaries.…

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Carlson wins state fair awards, again

Marianne Carlson of Jefferson earned second place overall and the Sweepstakes Award in the Bob’s Red Mill Yeast breads competition judged Aug. 9 at the Iowa State Fair. Carlson placed first in caraway rye, dill batter, mixed grain, potato, raisin-cinnamon, and whole wheat and third in herb. She placed second in The Great Cinnamon Roll Contest of 2024, judged Aug.…

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Godfrey farm of Jamacia honored as Century Farm

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig and Iowa Farm Bureau Federation president Brent Johnson honored 439 Iowa farm families with Century or Heritage Farm designations at the 2024 Iowa State Fair. The program celebrates farms that have been owned by the same families for 100 and 150 years, respectively. This year, 277 Century Farms and 162 Heritage Farms were recognized during ceremonies…

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Q&A: Farm Safety Week

with U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley Q: What’s the history behind Farm Safety Week? A: Since World War II, National Farm Safety Week is observed in September to boost public awareness before the harvest season gets fully underway. It’s one of the most dangerous times of year in farming. President Franklin Roosevelt called America’s farmers and ranchers “the source from which the…

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Carolyn Sloan, 1951 – 2024

A Service of Remembrance will be held September 14 at Gospel Open Bible Church in Jefferson, for Carolyn Sloan, 72, of Jefferson. Pastor Chad Cummings will offer words of comfort. Honorary bearers will be Doug Sloan, Anthony Hennings, Aaron Sloan and Ricky Hennings. Casket bearers will be Eric Bellinghausen, C.J. Hennings, Jesse Jansen, Dave Sloan, Tom Sloan, and Jaime Cornado.…

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Fearless integrity

~a column by Colleen O’Brien Are the undocumented immigrants living in my town eating my neighbor’s dogs and cats? Once-President of the United States Donald Trump said pet eating was happening in Springfield, Ohio, a place where 15,000 legal immigrant Haitians now live. He heard a man telling the story on TV, as he related several times during the presidential…

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