The Greene County Schools board of education at its June 16 meeting set a pair of public hearings for the July 21 regular meeting. One of the public hearings is the first step in selling property needed for construction of a new Greene County Early Learning Center near its current location in the former south grade school. The wood frame…
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Gov Reynolds visits Jefferson, gets update on how state funds have been spent
Gov Kim Reynolds was taken to the top of the Mahanay Memorial Carillon Tower Thursday morning for a bird’s eye view of projects that have received state funding in the past several years and to hear updates and highlights of current projects. Chris Deal was host and local point of contact for the visit. At the top of the tower…
Read MoreHarry Ahrenholtz named as 2020 ABC Award recipient
The Community Appreciation Night was held at the Greene County High School Performing Arts Center on Wednesday, June 16. It was organized by Jefferson Matters: A Main Street & Chamber Community. The focus of the event was to honor volunteers, educate the community about the merged organization and present awards, including the Above and Beyond the Call (ABC) Award. Presenters…
Read MoreBeaver Creek Watershed receives EPA funds
The Beaver Creek Watershed Management Authority, of which Greene County is a member, received funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Authority’s Farmer to Farmer grant program. The funding announcement was made Wednesday at the capitol in Des Moines. Funding to Iowa totals $2.5 million disbursed to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, and…
Read MoreCovid positivity rate at 0
The 14-day positivity rate for Covid-19 testing is 0 percent as of June 16, reports Greene County public health director Becky Wolf. The last positive test in the county was May 28. There are currently 104 cases still considered active; 766 county residents have recovered and 11 have died of Covid-19. Wolf reports that 44 percent of all county residents…
Read MoreSupervisors discuss new jail, bond referendum to pay for it
~by Janice Harbaugh for GreeneCountyNewsOnline With plans nearing completion for the new law enforcement center to be located in the former Midland Power building near the municipal cemetery, the Greene County board of supervisors heard ideas at the regular meeting on June 14 for the construction of a new county jail on the same property. Representatives of ISG, an architectural,…
Read MoreNew event blends Chamber annual meeting and Jefferson Matters Volunteer Appreciation night
Community Appreciation Night will be held Wednesday, June 16, at 7 pm at the Greene County High School auditorium. The focus of the program is to showcase volunteerism, share information about the Jefferson Matters: Main Street and Chamber teams and their achievements, and present the 2020 Above & Beyond the Call (ABC) Award. With the merge of the Jefferson Area…
Read MoreDrought continues bearing down on Iowa
Continued dry conditions allowed farmers 6.6 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending June 13, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. In addition to planting, field activities included spraying post emergence herbicides, side dressing nitrogen, and harvesting hay. Topsoil moisture levels across Iowa rated 24 percent very short, 46 percent short, 30 percent adequate and 0 percent surplus.…
Read MoreMedical center appoints interim CEO
The Greene County Medical Center board of trustees on June 11 announced the appointment of Brian Benson as interim CEO, effective June 15. Benson will bring continued leadership to Greene County Medical Center while a national search for a new, permanent CEO is underway by the board, with the assistance of UnityPoint Health – Des Moines. Benson began his career…
Read MoreGravitate to hold grand opening Friday
A socially distanced ribbon cutting and grand opening party at Gravitate, 202 E. State St in Jefferson, will be held Friday, June 11, at 12 pm. Beverages and tours of the new coworking space will be provided. Gravitate is also offering free coworking Friday from 9 am to 5 pm. Freelancers, entrepreneurs and remote workers are welcome to bring their…
Read MoreJeff council looks at ordinance to control number of feral cats
The Jefferson city council at its June 8 meeting had what mayor Matt Gordon called “a discussion to get the conversation rolling again” about feral cats. Gordon, city council member Darren Jackson, and city attorney David Morain have met with members of the People for Animal Welfare Society (P.A.W.S.) about how to deal the problem. “We’ve been working pretty hard…
Read MoreCourthouse HVAC plans receive new air with ARP funds
~by Janice Harbaugh for GreeneCountyNewsOnline A project at the courthouse that supervisors have looked at for many years may be closer to being accomplished thanks to the pandemic. County engineer Wade Weiss told the supervisors at their June 7 meeting that he’ll ask BBS (formerly Brooks Borg Skiles) if updating the HVAC system at the courthouse would be an allowed…
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