Two weeks ago rural voters in the county turned down Public Measure IM that would have allowed a portion of the Local Option Sales and Service Tax (LOSST) revenue allocated to the county on behalf of rural residents to be used to repay bonds for a new HVAC system at the courthouse. The vote was 877 (62.82 percent) against and…
Read MoreMonth: November 2024
Bonds sold to finance jail construction
Interest on $10 million in capital loan notes sold to fund construction of a new county jail is locked in at 3.821 percent. The Greene County supervisors with Northland Securities advisor Heidi Kuehl opened bids at their regular meeting Nov. 18, and then reconvened during the afternoon to accept the bid. Low bidder was BNY Mellon Capital Markets of Pittsburgh,…
Read MorePoet Caleb Rainey returning to Jefferson for workshop, showing of documentary about him
Caleb Rainey, featured poet at Ekphrasis this past Sunday, will return to Jefferson Saturday, Nov. 23, for “A Day with Caleb ‘The Negro Artist’ Rainey and Friends”. The Saturday event will include a 10 am workshop on writing poetry, a noon luncheon, and a 1:30 pm screening of the 2024 documentary about Rainey, “The Negro Artist,” produced by Emmy Award-winning…
Read MoreGrCo school board elects officers, okays early retirement incentives
Greene County Community Schools board elected Cindi Daubendiek as president and Michelle Fields as vice president at an organizational meeting Nov. 13. Board committee assignments are as follows: Daubendiek – Jefferson park & recreation board, negotiations, school improvement advisory (SIAC), and scholarship; Fields – administrative and classified salaries, and facilities; Bonnie Silbaugh – negotiations, Greene County Community Schools Foundation board,…
Read MoreCorn harvest 97 percent complete
Iowa’s farmers had an average of 3.6 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending Nov. 17, 2024, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Primary fieldwork activities included fall tillage, fertilizer applications, and some row crop harvest. Topsoil moisture condition across Iowa rated 8 percent very short, 28 percent short, 61 percent adequate and 3 percent surplus. In west…
Read MoreAmerican Legion honors veterans
Members of American Legion Post #11 visit local nursing homes annually on Veterans Day. Members give a brief Veterans Day speech followed by a presentation of a small gift to each veteran. This year the veterans received a personalized flashlight with their name on it along with their service branch. Each facility then has cake and punch for their residents.
Read MoreMedical Center Auxiliary slates holiday fundraisers
Greene County Medical Center Auxiliary members have already spent weeks planning for the 2024 holiday season, and they are ready to help make spirits bright with special décor, gift ideas and tasty treats. “This is a busy time of year for all of our Auxiliary members as we kick off the Holiday of Lights, expand the Gift Garden gift shop…
Read MoreMore details of questioned abatement in Churdan
November 12, 2024 To the editor, Let us unpack together this sheriffs’ response to my letter of the past week. First, Mr Williams begins upholding his action against me by stating that I failed to mention a court order. This is most certainly untrue as I state clearly that all items in that order had previously been removed from my site. On…
Read MoreGreene County district court, week ending Nov. 8
In Greene County district court Marcus Anthony Hill, 52, of Fort Dodge was sentenced Nov. 6 to five years in prison after he pleaded guilty to a charge of passing winning wager to another person, amended from fraudulent practice- third degree. The prison term was suspended and he was placed on probation to the Iowa Department of Correctional Services for…
Read MoreGreene County magistrate court, week ending Nov. 8
In Greene County magistrate court a judgment was entered Nov. 7 against Tabetha Suzanne Tingwald of Woodward on a charge of theft- fifth degree. She must pay $103 victim restitution and a $105 fine with a $15.75 surcharge. Court costs were $60. Information is available since the return of an arrest warrant that Samantha Nicole Randall of Des Moines is…
Read MoreNo 3-lane Hwy 4 in Jefferson, and fewer dead trees, too
A three-lane Hwy 4 through Jefferson is now in the rearview mirror. The Jefferson city council at its Nov. 12 meeting approved a recommendation from the council’s streets committee not to proceed with the Department of Transportation’s plan to remark the road from four to three lanes. Committee member Chad Sloan said the plan was an “absolutely horrible idea” given…
Read MorePress at fault for truthlessness in public discourse
~a column by Colleen O’Brien “A hero is someone who tries always to do the right thing, even as the walls are closing in.” ~American historian Heather Cox Richardson, 11/10/2024 Trump has yet to “do the right thing.” What we need is a press that writes about decency as if it is necessary, not repeat lies as if they were of…
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