~by Janice Harbaugh for GreeneCountyNewsOnline Once again, an Iowa Chill River Farm Summer Bash hosted by Craig Flack on his 300-acre farm in Jackson Township west of Jefferson, relied on Greene County law enforcement and ambulance services to deal with drugs, alcohol, and assault. The sheriff’s reports of the weekend list arrests, citations, or pending charges for assault, narcotics possession,…
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Sheriff describes weekend party as ‘out of control’
~by Janice Harbaugh for GreeneCountyNewsOnline Like last summer, the Iowa Chill River Farm Summer Bash held at River Farm Recreation on July 17 and 18 was again an issue for law enforcement and the ambulance service. County sheriff Jack Williams reported illegal drugs, assaults, and underage drinking to the Greene County board of supervisors at their regular meeting on July…
Read MoreNew uses for former middle school, gym discussed at GrCo board meeting
The future of Greene County’s 1921 school building and the attached 1952 gymnasium was the topic of discussion at the school board’s work session July 15. The three-story classroom portion of the building has seen its last students. Middle school students are moving from the vintage building to the repurposed 1966 building, which until now has been the high school.…
Read MoreCovid-friendly Relay for Life slated for Aug. 7
The 2020 Relay for Life of Greene County will look different than in years past, but the goal remains the same – to celebrate cancer survivors, to remember those who died of cancer, and to raise funds for the American Cancer Society. Guidance from the American Cancer Society does not allow for a large group event. The local event leadership…
Read MoreJM:MS receives national accreditation
Jefferson Matters: Main Street has been designated as a 2020 accredited Main Street AmericaTM program. Accredited status is Main Street America’s top tier of recognition and signifies a demonstrated commitment to comprehensive commercial district revitalization and proven track record of successfully applying the Main Street ApproachTM. In 2019 alone, $6.45 billion of public and private reinvestment was generated, 6,466 net…
Read MoreNew school nears completion
“It’s getting there. It’s looking really good,” Sam Harding told the Greene County school board about the new high school and regional career academy last week. Many parts of the building will be essentially complete Aug. 1 and school staff has already begun moving things from the middle school gym, where they’ve been stored this summer, to the new building.…
Read MoreWest central still driest region in state
Although some areas of the state received more than 3.0 inches of rain, statewide Iowa farmers had 5.7 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending July 19, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Fieldwork activities included spraying, harvesting hay and grain movement. Topsoil moisture levels across Iowa rated 9 percent very short, 20 percent short, 69 percent…
Read MoreSchool board okays plans for start of school year
Greene County students will start the school year in-person five days a week, although school superintendent Tim Christensen warned the plan “could change next week or it could change in a month.” He referred to a “moving target” when he briefed the board about the coming year at its regular meeting July 15. Christensen shared with the board a 16-point…
Read MoreJeff council spends time on noise, upstairs living and concrete
Engine testing is out but using a snow blower during the very early morning is in under a new noise ordinance. The Jefferson city council approved the first reading of the ordinance at its July 14 meeting. The ordinance will go into effect after the council approves two more readings and publishes it as a legal notice. The first reading…
Read MoreStumpf CAFO application denied by DNR
~by Janice Harbaugh for GreeneCountyNewsOnline A letter from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources denying the application for construction of an animal confinement operation by Stumpf Finishers, LLC was made public at the regular meeting of the Greene County board of supervisors on July 13. The Stumpf application was denied due to 45 days without action by the applicant to…
Read MoreCouncil talks T-N-R for cats
‘Take them out of town’ about cats was a ‘mis-wording’ ~by Victoria Riley, GreeneCountyNewsOnline Jefferson mayor Matt Gordon averted what could have been a very heated discussion about unowned cats at the July 14 city council meeting, saying the document sent to the council titled “Cat policy for discussion” isn’t a policy yet, but notes of something the council is…
Read MoreGravitate receives state grant for Jefferson coworking space
Welch Ave LLC, which does business as Gravitate, received a $20,000 grant in the inaugural round of the Iowa Economic Development Authority’s Rural Innovation program. The grant will be used to develop a coworking space in the east bay of the building at 200 E. State St in Jefferson. Total project cost is $95,000. The grants were announced July 14.…
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