Jefferson Matters invites residents and visitors to spend a summer afternoon enjoying live music, neighborhood charm, and time outside during Porch Fest on Sunday, July 12, beginning at 1:30 pm. Porch Fest is a laid-back, walkable music event that brings live performances to front porches throughout Jefferson. With five performances at different locations, attendees are encouraged to stroll through the…
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Rotary tells Bell Tower Festival parade winners
The Rotary Club of Jefferson announced the winners of the 2026 Bell Tower Festival parade organized by the service club for the past 30 years. Special emphasis on the categories for the awards this year coincided with the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. There were 82 entries in the parade and 25 chose to be judged…
Read MoreCorn, soybeans doing well across the state
Iowa farmers had 4.5 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending June 21, 2026, which is 0.2 more days than last year. Topsoil moisture condition rated 2 percent very short, 16 percent short, 60 percent adequate, and 22 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture condition rated 2 percent very short, 21 percent short, 60 percent adequate, and 17 percent surplus. Corn…
Read MoreSupes allow more anhydrous east of Churdan, discuss pioneer cemeteries, Bell Tower Festival
The county supervisors at their June 15 meeting held a public hearing and then approved a permit allowing NEW Cooperative to place a third anhydrous tank at its facility on Highway 4 about four miles east of Churdan. There are two tanks now; the third will bring the total capacity to 135,000 gallons. Jeff March of NEW Cooperative said the…
Read MoreSchoolboy Soldiers of Rippey IPBS segment available for viewing online
The Iowa PBS story about Greene County High School students in the Iowa history class and their Schoolboy Soldiers of Rippey project is now available for viewing online. The 7-minute feature first aired June 11. Viewers can watch it on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEevlUQWtAA or on the Iowa PBS website: https://www.iowapbs.org/shows/iowalife/clip/14252/schoolboy-soldiers-rippey-iowa-students-preserve-civil-war-legacy The story will also be featured in Iowa Life episode 310,…
Read MoreA challenging weather week for much of Iowa
Iowa farmers had 3.6 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending June 14, which is 1.9 days less than last year. Topsoil moisture condition rated 1 percent very short, 14 percent short, 66 percent adequate, and 19 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture condition rated 2 percent very short, 15 percent short, 70 percent adequate, and 13 percent surplus. Corn emerged…
Read MoreBrown presented with Tower of Fame Award at Bell Tower Festival opening ceremony
Ellie Brown, a 1961 graduate of Jefferson High School, was honored with the Tower of Fame Award at the opening ceremony of the 2026 Bell Tower Festival Friday evening. The ceremony had a different look than in years past, with the backdrop not being the historic county courthouse, but the back of a rented concert stage brought in for the…
Read MoreSchool solar project under construction
Greene County Community Schools’ photovoltaic (solar) power system in finally underway and on track to be completed in August, a year later than initially planned. Work crews started at the middle school soon after school dismissed for the summer, first placing panels on the southeast lawn. Superintendent Brett Abbotts told the school board at its June 10 meeting that Story…
Read MoreJeff council will consider regulating e-bikes, e-scooters on city streets
Riding e-bikes and e-scooters may be regulated in the city of Jefferson. Pastor Dan Cunningham spoke to the Jefferson city council at its June 9 meeting, drawing partly on his observations of young riders on S. Maple St, near the municipal swimming pool. He said staff in Greene County Medical Center‘s emergency department has seen an increase in the number…
Read MoreBTF parade participants: Plan ahead, no shuttle
All groups and individuals planning to be in the Bell Tower Festival parade are alerted that there will not be a shuttle to take them to the parade staging area at the middle school. The Rotary Club of Jefferson has organized and presented the parade for 30 years. Jefferson-Scranton and now Greene County Schools has provided buses and drivers Saturday…
Read Moree-bikes, e-scooters topic for Jeff city council
Riding e-bikes and e-scooters may be regulated in the city of Jefferson. Pastor Dan Cunningham spoke to the Jefferson city council at their June 9 meeting, drawing partly on his observations of young riders on S. Maple St, near the municipal swimming pool. He said staff in Greene County Medical Center‘s emergency department has seen an increase in the number…
Read MoreGroundbreaking for new multi-family housing
A groundbreaking event was held June 9 at the site of The Weldon, a 50-unit affordable housing development in the 400 block of W. Head St. KCG is the developer. Greg Piklapp, director of Greene County Development Corporation, said the project “represents growth and opportunity for the community,” and called it “a major step forward in meeting housing needs” and…
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