The Bell Tower Community Foundation is pleased to announce the official 2026 season opening of the iconic Mahanay Bell Tower. Starting May 2, the Tower will welcome visitors on weekends, transitioning to daily operations for the summer season beginning Memorial Day weekend. For special tours, call Jefferson Matters at 515-386-2155. Standing as a beacon of local pride, the Tower features…
Read MoreYear: 2026
Our citizen journalists
~a column by Colleen O’Brien In April of 2015, I wrote about a way to get the news other than via newspapers, broadcast, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social media. An audacious new way of on-the-spot news reporting was named NewsByMe, unofficially known as “citizen journalists.” This little application on one’s phone made it possible for anyone to play reporter.…
Read MoreFriends of the Library spring used book sale is May 7-9
Get ready to turn a new page this spring at the Jefferson Public Library’s much-anticipated annual Friends’ Spring Book Sale. This beloved community event will take place Thursday, May 7 through Saturday, May 9, in the library basement. With free admission and unbeatable prices, there’s no better time to stock up on your favorite reads. Sale hours are Thursday, May…
Read MoreBuild-a-Bouquet in Jefferson May 9
This new community-wide Build-a-Bouquet event invites participants to explore Jefferson in a hands-on, interactive way by building a bouquet store-by-store. Participants will begin their day at The Centennial Cafe, where they will receive a bag, a vase, and their first flower. From there, they will visit participating businesses throughout town, collecting one flower at each stop and building a bouquet…
Read MoreFuneral notices
Robert A. Kinnick, 77, of Grand Junction. Graveside service at Highland Township Cemetery in Bayard at a later date. Survivors: son Gordon Kinnick and significant other Tanya; daughter Heather (Larry) Spitler; grandchildren Chato, Dakota and Josh; sister Diana Sheer; brother-in-law Jimmy Hickok; nephews Christoper White, Justin “JJ” Sheer, Nick Kinnick and Dustin Kinnick; many aunts, uncles, other relatives; and friends.…
Read MoreWanda Anderson, 1934 – 2026
Memorial services for Wanda Anderson will be held at Slininger-Schroeder Funeral Home in Jefferson Saturday, May 2, 2026. Private interment in the Jefferson Municipal Cemetery will be at a later time. Wanda Lee Anderson, daughter of Kenneth and Marie (Roberts) Golden, was born March 9, 1934. Wanda attended school in Dana and graduated in 1952. After graduation, she worked at a…
Read MoreGreene County district court, week ending April 24
In Greene County district court Melori Joi Redhorn, 37, of Sioux City was sentenced April 20 to 15 days in jail after she changed her plea to guilty to a charge of theft- fourth degree. The jail sentence is concurrent to a sentence in a Woodbury County case, but she will receive credit for time served in that case. Redhorn…
Read MoreGreene County magistrate court, week ending April 24
In Greene County magistrate court Bill Lee Bradshaw of Jefferson was sentenced April 22 to six days in jail after he changed his plea to guilty to a charge of violation of a no contact order. The jail term was suspended and he was placed on informal probation to the Greene County sheriff for six months. Bradshaw was fined $200…
Read MoreNew award categories told for Bell Tower Festival parade entries
The Bell Tower Festival parade will feature a refreshed set of award categories this year, designed to spark creativity, boost community participation, and celebrate Jefferson during the nation’s 250th anniversary. The parade is organized by the Rotary Club of Jefferson, marking its 30th year as sponsor. Rotary leaders announced the updated categories following several weeks of planning discussions and input from…
Read MoreStupid is as stupid does, Part two
My continued contemplation about recent events has led me back to consider Deitrich Bonhoeffer’s Theory of Stupidity (an internet search for this theory will help you follow along with my suppositions). One is this past winter’s anti-ICE movement in Minnesota. The other are April’s “No Kings” rallies. Let’s start with Minnesota and especially the deaths of Renee Good and Alex…
Read MoreTrump and the growing class divide
~a column by Colleen O’Brien Why is it that American billionaires want to run their country into Third-World status? Stingy healthcare, high rate of birth deaths, lessening life spans, politicized public education, banned books, low incomes, soaring prices, unsafe bridges and tens of millions of potholes? Billionaires are eager to give a ton of money to a felon of a…
Read More150 years of Iowa food topic of museum program
Like almost everything else, Iowa food has history, from Laura Ingalls Wilder’s “Little House on the Prairie” family recipes for gingerbread and homemade cheese to church dinner covered dishes to Younkers Tea Room’s rarebit burgers and, of course, to breaded pork tenderloins. Lake City author Darcy Maulsby will relate the history of the Hawkeye State’s foods Sunday, May 3, at 2…
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