~a column by Colleen O’Brien “It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood,” as Mr Rogers always said. The early morning pink sky is deepening into the day’s blue, revealing puffy sheep pretending to be clouds gamboling past. It’s mid-October, and a dazzling autumn it has been – at first too hot to breathe, then suddenly too chilly to get out…
Read MoreYear: 2025
To the editor – School rankings
Those of you interested in how the Greene County School District compares to the other 324 districts in Iowa should read “2026 Best School Districts in Iowa” put out by NICHE Best Schools. The ranking is based on seven different grades – Academic grade, 50%; Teacher grade, 15%; Culture & diversity grade, 12.5%; Parent/student surveys on overall experience, 12.5%; Resource…
Read MoreSimple calcium score saves life of local retired pharmacist
Bill and Martha Monroe have lived in Jefferson for more than 30 years, and Bill said he had always considered himself to be in good health. “At least that’s what I thought,” he said. As a retired pharmacist, Bill spent his entire career in healthcare, but he never knew about the importance of a calcium score test until it was…
Read MoreSHIIP counselors available to help answer Medicare open enrollment questions
Medicare open enrollment runs from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, and this year, in addition to routine changes, there may be some coming to Medicare Advantage Plans. Each year, qualified counselors with the Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) are on site at Greene County Medical Center to provide unbiased information about the plans available, answer questions and assist with finding…
Read MoreGreenbrier 4-H news
The Greenbrier 4-H club celebrated National 4-H Week by filling Christmas shoeboxes at their October meeting. They filled boxes with fun toys, school supplies, and personal care items that will be delivered to children in need around the world. For many children this gift is the first gift they have ever received. Since 1993, Christmas Shoeboxes, the world’s largest Christmas…
Read MoreAG finds officer-involved shooting on T Ave legally justified
In a report issued Oct. 13 by the Iowa Attorney General’s office has concluded that the Sept. 6, 2025, fatal shooting of Camryn Leroy Stonehocker by Officer Marshall Moore from the Boone Police Department was legally justified. On Sept. 6, at approximately 10:24 pm, officer Moore was conducting traffic patrol on Highway 30. He saw a pickup truck traveling westbound…
Read MoreNo crop report with federal shutdown, but weather report continues
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig commented on the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s weekly weather summary released Oct. 13. Information from the Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report, which is released weekly by the United States Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service from April through November, was not available due to the federal government shutdown. “Based…
Read MoreGrand Junction, Scranton libraries present ‘Lessons of the Holocaust’ Oct. 20
Brad Wilkening will discuss the impact of the Holocaust and how it continues to resonate in today’s world in “Lessons of the Holocaust” on Oct. 20 at 2:30 pm at the Grand Junction Community Center and 6 pm at the Marchant Memorial Library in Scranton. As a dedicated educator and member of the Iowa Holocaust Council, Wilkening’s mission is to…
Read MoreWatch the construction of MRI space at Greene County Medical Center
Greene County Medical Center CEO Chad Butterfield recently announced that construction progress is continuing as planned for the installation of a new, state-of-the-art Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) machine. “This is a milestone in the medical center’s commitment to providing cutting-edge diagnostic care for the people in the communities we serve,” Butterfield said. In an effort to keep patients, staff and…
Read MoreSchool board gets update on solar project
The Greene County Schools’ plan to install photovoltaic (solar) panels at all three school buildings during this past summer wasn’t completed. Brant Carr of Story Construction, the company installing the system, explained the delay at the school board’s Oct. 8 meeting. Carr attended the meeting virtually. According to Carr, Story Construction has been working with Modus Engineering to be sure…
Read MoreGCDC, Midwest Mission finalize purchase of former Fareway building
Midwest Mission, a faith-based nonprofit dedicated to refurbishing critical equipment and assembling aid kits for local and global communities, has officially purchased the historic building at 219 N. Chestnut Street in Jefferson from the Greene County Development Corporation (GCDC). Midwest Mission was founded in 2000 in Springfield, IL, and established its first satellite location in Jefferson in 2023 under the passionate direction of…
Read MoreCounty engineer shares 5-year roads plan
The Greene County supervisors approved the secondary roads Iowa Department of Transportation 5-year plan as presented by county engineer Wade Weiss. The plan includes the current fiscal year, which ends June 30, 2026. Project this year total $11.7 million, with $11.3 million of that coming to the county as farm-to-market funds. Cost of the resurfacing project on County Roads P-46…
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