The new pickleball courts at Russell Park are already in use, but an official ribbon cutting ceremony is slated for Thursday, May 22, at 1:30 pm. The courts are free to use and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. All are invited to the ribbon cutting. The Jefferson park and recreation board and staff thanked Grow Greene County Gaming…
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City council hears ambitious urban renewal plan
The Jefferson city council at its regular meeting May 13 set public hearings for June 10 on amending the city’s urban renewal plan to include 10 different projects for which tax increment financing could be used. City administrator Scott Peterson stressed throughout the presentation that none of the projects are certainties at this time, but the requested action “would lay…
Read MoreLetters from World War Two topic of Historical Society program Sunday
A program about letters, and the people who wrote and received them during the 20th century’s two World Wars, will be presented at the Greene County Museum, 218 E. Lincoln Way, on Sunday, May 18. The free event, part of the museum’s Sunday program series, is set for 2 pm. Mikki Schwarzkopf of Jefferson will read excerpts from letters penned…
Read MoreIowa 911 professionals warn last-minute legislation threatens public safety
The Iowa Chapters of the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) and the National Emergency Number Association (NENA) are sounding the alarm over a provision quietly passed in the final hour of the 2025 legislative session that threatens to destabilize 911 operations across the state and compromise public safety for all Iowans. Division XII, Section 42 of the standings appropriations…
Read MoreA summer of jail, road construction
Work on the new Greene County jail is on schedule. Sheriff Jack Williams reported at the May 12 county supervisors that half the footings are poured and he expects the second half to be poured yet this week. He said earlier that after the footings are poured not much more will be done until the precast walls are delivered, probably…
Read MoreRoad Trip Iowa watch party featuring the Lincoln Highway Heritage Byway
The public is invited to join Iowa PBS on Wednesday, June 11, at History Boy Theatre Company in Jefferson for a watch party featuring the final episode from season 2 of Road Trip Iowa. In season 2 of the series, Iowa PBS continues the adventure across Iowa’s scenic byways, exploring the state’s hidden gems, historic landmarks and natural beauty. This season…
Read MoreLast week was good for farmers
A warm and dry week made for excellent planting conditions, allowing 6.4 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending May 11, 2025, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Producers made quick progress planting corn and soybeans. In west central Iowa, 76 percent of the corn is planted and 34 percent has emerged. Sixty-one percent of the soybeans…
Read MoreLaehn calls Senate action a ‘partial victory’ over eminent domain
~by Victoria Riley, GreeneCountyNewsOnline “A partial victory for landowners” is how Greene County attorney Thomas Laehn characterized the approval of HF 639 by the Iowa Senate Monday night. Laehn has vocally opposed using eminent domain to acquire land for a liquified carbon dioxide pipeline. Laehn drafted a pair of bills relating to the pipeline proposed by Summit Carbon Solutions to…
Read MoreSenate passes bill restricting eminent domain for carbon pipelines
by Cami Koons, Iowa Capital DispatchMay 13, 2025 Iowa senators voted 27-22 late Monday to pass a bill to limit the ability of carbon sequestration pipelines to use eminent domain, sending it to the governor’s desk after a drawn-out debate. The decision follows four years of Iowans and House lawmakers urging for eminent domain reform in response to the proposed…
Read MoreRibbon cutting at pickleball courts slated for May 22
The pickleball courts at Russell Park are almost ready for play. There will be a ribbon cutting ceremony Thursday, May 22, at 1:30 pm. The public is invited. Funding has come from Grow Greene County Gaming Corporation, the Radebaugh Trust, and many businesses and individuals.
Read MoreUse of eminent domain for pipelines to be decided by Iowa Senate Friday
The Iowa Senate will take up a bill Friday that would eliminate the use of eminent domain for the construction of hazardous liquid pipelines. Those who attended a meeting Thursday, May 8, in Jefferson in opposition to the carbon dioxide pipeline proposed by Summit Carbon Solutions learned the Iowa Senate will debate and vote on Friday on a pair of…
Read MoreMarch Across the Overpass Saturday
All are invited to join Greene County Democrats Saturday, May 10, in a peaceful demonstration march across the Veterans Memorial Overpass on N. Elm St in Jefferson. The themes for the day are the Power of Hope and the Power of the People. Participants are welcome to make signs to carry during the march. However, please focus on current issues…
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