The Greene County supervisors are moving forward with upgrades to the heating/cooling/ventilation at the 108-year-old courthouse using funds from the local option sales & service tax (LOSST). Voters in the unincorporated areas of the county had twice rejected that funding source for the much-needed project. After the second ballot issue failed, county officials learned they could transfer LOSST revenue from…
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Dry week for Iowa farmers
Little or no precipitation and warm temperatures allowed Iowa farmers 6.6 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending May 18, 2025, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Corn and soybean planting made rapid progress. There were scattered reports of replanting as early planted crops in some areas had struggled to emerge with the dry conditions. Topsoil moisture…
Read MoreGrCo school board increases pay, approves superintendent contract, amends budget
The Greene County Schools board of education at its May 14 meeting approved pay increases for substitute teachers and some hourly employees. The pay for substitute teachers for the new school year will increase from $150 to $160 per day. Substitutes who work in the same classroom for 11 or more consecutive days will receive $190.52 per day, a $10…
Read MoreRibbon cutting at pickleball courts Thursday
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…
Read MoreCity 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…
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