~Sue Richardson of Jefferson, retired school teacher There were several statements made at the town hall gathering with legislators in Jefferson on Saturday, Feb. 14, that needed more context to give an accurate account of the bills currently being proposed. When talking about school funding, it was stated that the Democrats decreased funding when they controlled the legislature and the…
Read MoreMonth: February 2026
View from my window – The SAVE Act
It sounds so simple and reasonable. Persons voting in an election should be citizens. I think we all agree with that rationale. Iowa, along with the other states, has been given the right in the United States Constitution to have its own voting laws including registration, voter identification, early voting, mail-in voting, and polling hours. You may recall last year’s…
Read MoreBook of veterans’ stories to benefit veterans memorial project
Margaret Hamilton and Jeff Christensen are compiling a book of oral histories of Greene County veterans, which will be published this summer. “I saw someone on tv talking about oral histories of veterans, and I thought something like that would be valuable here, as so many of our veterans are aging, and their stories may be lost,” said Margaret Hamilton,…
Read MoreGrCo school board nixes general fund dollars to activities expenses, okays other PPEL expenses
Greene County Community Schools board members are concerned enough about state funding for the next school year that they declined to approve a transfer from the general fund to the activity fund. Activities director Dave Wright asked the board to approve a resolution to $10,000 transfer from the general fund to cover safety equipment, as is allowed by state code.…
Read MoreJack Orchard, 1935 – 2026
Funeral services for Jack Orchard, 90, will be held Wednesday, Feb. 18, at Slininger-Schroeder Funeral Home, Jefferson. Interment will be in Scranton Twp. Cemetery in Scranton. Jackson Lee Orchard, son of Claude and Laura (Kinnan) Orchard, was born Oct. 16, 1935, in Iowa City. He passed away on Feb. 14, 2026, at the age of 90. Jack grew up in…
Read MoreRotary Club opens 2026 grant cycle
The Rotary Club of Jefferson is now accepting applications for grants from the proceeds of its 27th annual charity auction held Nov. 21, 2025. Applications will be available on www.jeffersonrotary.org starting Monday, Feb. 16, 2026. In the past, the club has directed proceeds from its annual charity auction to worthy non-profit organizations and projects throughout Greene County. More than $600,000…
Read MoreGreene County district court, week ending Feb. 13
In Greene County district court Jon Edward Strabley, 26, of Grand Junction was sentenced to one year in jail after he changed his plea to guilty to a charge of operating while intoxicated. All but two days of the jail time was suspended. He may complete the Des Moines Area Community College 48-hour alcohol education program in lieu of the…
Read MoreGreene County magistrate court, week ending Feb. 13
In Greene County magistrate court David Don Janssen of Churdan was fined $105 with a $15.75 surcharge on a charge of animal neglect- no injury/serious injury or death. Court costs were $96.50. Information is available since the service of an arrest warrant that Sean Michael Allen Pollard of Paton is charged with possession of drug paraphernalia. The case was initiated…
Read MoreJeff council holds public hearing on public hunting within city limits
Okays tentative agreement with union, sets public hearing on FY27 budget, agrees to limited state audit The Jefferson city council meeting Feb. 10 was a refreshing example of local government at work. The majority of the meeting was taken up with a public hearing on a request by retired Department of Natural Resources conservation officer Dan Pauley to amend a…
Read MoreThe Architecture of Liberty: returning to our educational roots
February 13, 2026 Every day, I find myself returning to a single, grounding philosophy: Know where you have come from, know where you are, and know where you are going. It is a simple compass, but it is the only way to ensure we aren’t just drifting with the political winds of the day. When we apply this to public policy, we…
Read MoreGreene County district court, week ending Feb. 6
In Greene County district court Camron O. Donatlan, 26, of Aurora, IL, was granted a deferred judgment Feb. 4 after he pled guilty to a charge of possession of marijuana- first offense, amended from possession of marijuana- second offense. He was placed on probation to the Greene County sheriff for one year. He must undergo a substance abuse evaluation and…
Read MoreGreene County magistrate court, week ending Feb. 6
In Greene County magistrate court cases were initiated during the week ending Feb. 6 as follows: Meissa Sue Larson of Jefferson, possession of drug paraphernalia; Christopher Herbert Lawrence of Jefferson, violation of a no contact order; Tythaniel Paul Sinkuler of Jefferson, violation of a no contact order; and Kyle Evan Mabrich of Boone, possession of drug paraphernalia.
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