Watchful eye on cleanup at former Alliant Energy site

Jefferson city clerk Diane Kennedy briefed the city council June 23 on  a clean-up project under way in the 200 block of S. Vine St south of Jefferson Telecom. Alliant Energy undertook demolition of a century-old brick building located there and found contaminated soil. The site is just north of the city’s former water plant, with a 10-inch main running adjacent to the clean-up site.…

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Chamber recaps Bell Tower Festival

Successful festival draws thousands to enjoy Jefferson and Greene County The 2015 Bell Tower Festival, Bell Tower Big Top, drew thousands to Jefferson to enjoy events and activities that packed downtown Jefferson June 12-13. Highlights of the 36th annual festival included the return of carnival rides that filled an entire city block, streets packed with vendors, and a high energy…

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City holds off on concrete project downtown

Also approves additional pay for MHF Engineering Jefferson’s new building and zoning official wasted no time in his new position. Nick Sorenson, formerly a Jefferson police officer, was approved as building and zoning official at the city council’s June 9 meeting. He assumed those duties June 15. At the city council’s June 23 meeting, it was Sorenson who cautioned the…

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Crop and weather report, week ending June 21

Wet conditions continued to slow field activities throughout much of Iowa during the week ending June 21, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Statewide there were 3.5 days suitable for fieldwork; west central farmers had 4.3 days. Activities for the week included cutting hay, chemical application, and nitrogen side dressing. Excessive moisture is preventing some farmers from controlling…

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Contractor hired, construction to begin soon

New Grand Junction Community Center The construction of a new community center in Grand Junction passed another benchmark Monday. The city council accepted the low bid of $1,128,700 from Jensen Builders of Fort Dodge for construction. Weather permitting, construction will start within the next month. Completion is expected for late January.

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P-C to share transportation director with Manson Northwest Webster

The Paton-Churdan board of education at approved an operational sharing agreement with Manson Northwest Webster for a transportation director and for maintenance on the buses. Superintendent Rob Olsen told the board he had very good conversation with the MNW superintendent Mark Egli and the transportation director there. The MNW board meets the third Thursday of each month. Olsen was confident…

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Greene County school board to ask for $20M

Voters in the Greene County Community School District will be asked to approve a $20 million bond issue for construction to create a campus for grades 5-12 at the high school location in Jefferson. The board will take action  at a special meeting June 24 at noon to place the question on the ballot for the regular school election Sept. 8.

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MHF seeking more pay for engineering on sewer project

Says inexperienced contractor is requiring more supervision Jefferson city engineer John Milligan of MHF Engineering lobbied the Jefferson city council’s water/sewer committee at a June 16 meeting for support of $43,000 contract amendment for work on utility extensions now under way. The city council last summer approved a contract with MHF Engineering for $153,500 for a 6-month construction period for…

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Public invited to help replace or mend tattered flags

Rain over the Memorial Day weekend stopped in time for observances at cemeteries all over the county, but not before older cotton flags at the Jefferson Municipal Cemetery were damaged, many of them beyond repair. The Jefferson park and recreation department, which oversees the two cemeteries in Jefferson, is inviting the public to help fund the replacement of 124 flags…

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