Wellman The Mid-Prairie school district can breathe a sigh of relief, as the $19 million bond passed last week. The district includes Kalona, Wellman and West Chester and spans parts of Washington and Johnson counties. Voters supported the measure with 2,445 votes in favor and 1,225 against, giving it about 66.6% approval—above the 60% threshold needed to pass... more

Kalona Seventeen years is a long time to own and run a business, but JW’s owners Curt and Dawn Wyse have done just that. Now, after years of serving the community, they are looking to sell the store and focus on other responsibilities. The couple feels called to ministry and other work, including caring for Dawn’s parents, who are both 90 and older. “We feel God calling us in other directions, and we don’t have the capacity to run this while doing those things and also caring for our family and different health things,” Dawn said. For now, they plan to keep the store open while searching for a buyer who will continue serving the town and meeting the community’s needs... more

Washington A high number of Washington County residents headed to the polls during last week's midterm election, with many also casting their ballots early throughout much of October. Precincts such as Kalona, Wellman and Riverside each recorded more than 1,000 ballots cast. more

Des Moines Democrat Rob Sand defeated Republican businessman Zach Lahn in the Nov. 3 general election and will become Iowa’s first Democratic governor since Chet Culver, who left office 15 years ago. Lahn carried Washington County by fewer than 400 votes, according to unofficial results... more

Do you have a story to tell about an act of kindness, memorable holiday experience, or family tradition that you would enjoy sharing with the community? If so, please share it with us at The News! We're working on our Holiday Guide coming out in November, and our theme is "Stories of the Season: Celebrating Giving, Kindness and Community." We would love to include your story! Please email your submission to JJ at News@thenews-ia.com -- photos are welcome as well! Deadline is Friday, November 13... more

Washington County Board of Supervisors (District 3) (1 seat) Marcus Fedler (R, incumbent) – 1,122 votes (54.9%) JoAnn Whitmore (D) – 920 votes (45.1%) (District 5) (1 seat) Brendan DeLong (R) - 1,004 votes (60.9%) Lynette Isles (D) – 644 votes (39.1%) County Attorney Nathan Repp (R) – 7,420 votes (100%) County Recorder Teresa Mangold (R) – 7,557 votes (100%) County Treasurer Lindsay Greiner Adam – 7,539 votes (100%) Iowa House District 92 (1 seat) Heather Hora (R, incumbent) 7,307 votes (55.2%) Brittany Erikson (D) 5,933 votes (44.8%) Mid-Prairie CSD Bond: 19,000,000 (60% to pass) (YES) 1,977 votes - (67.3%) (No) 961 votes - (32.7%) Federal U.S. House Iowa District 1 (1 seat) Christina Bohannan (D) - 172,833 votes (53.6%) Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R, Incumbent) 138,105 votes (42.8%) Michael Bridgford (N) 11,805 votes (3.7%) U.S. Senate Josh Turek (D) - 670,543 votes (50.5%) Ashley Hinson (R) - 615,770 votes (46.4%) Thomas Laehn (L) - 41,177 votes (3.1%) State Governor Rob Sand (D) - 757,6326 votes (56.1%) Zach Lahn (R) - 607,415 votes (43.9%) Attorney General Nate Williams (D) - 681,097 votes (50.9%) Brenna Bird (R, Incumbent) - 657,405 votes (49.1%) Secretary of State Paul Pate (R, Incumbent) - 711,766 votes (53.2%) Ryan Peterman (D) - 625,867 votes (46.8%) Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig (R, Incumbent) -701,882 votes (52.7) Chris Jones (D) - 629,249 (47.3%) Treasurer of State Roby Smith (R, Incumbent) - 664,948 votes (50.3%) John Norwood (D) - 655,763 votes (49.7%) Auditor of State Taylor Wettach (D) - 666,632 votes (50.2%) Chris Cournoyer (R, Incumbent) - 660,159 votes (49.8%) more

Kalona Many wait years to go on Honor Flight and some don`t even get the chance to go. However, a few weeks ago Jim Miller got the chance to go along with his grandson Elijah Statler. Miller, who served in the Navy during the Vietnam War from 1965-1969, got to spend the day in DC looking at all the monuments, calling it “an awesome trip.” This was his second time going to DC, but the first time going on Honor Flight. In fact, Miller had to wait for a year and half, before he was able to go as he explained that he signed up for it a year and half ago. “Mine was almost two years; I did it in February of 2025.”.. more

Kalona A group of concerned citizens and dental professionals were present during the recent Kalona city council meeting to protect fluoride in the city water system in 2027 as the city previously announced intent to discontinue fluoridation. Steven M. Levy, DDS, MPH, Iowa City, who is with UI Dept. of Dentistry, appealed to the council to continue the use of fluoride because of its many health benefits. He presented the council with a fact sheet on the fluoridation facts. A retired dentist who formerly operated the Iowa City water plant, also appealed to the council to not discontinue fluoridation... more

After more than 20 years of running Tuscan Moon Grill on Fifth, Warren and Paula Miller are looking to move on. The couple, who own the restaurant, recently announced that they are looking to sell. Warren, 79, said it is time to transition out of the business, which he has operated since 2005. “There's a time to say, ‘You got to do something different.”.. more

Kalona After months of construction, the new bridge on 110th Street, northwest of Kalona, is complete, and both the road and bridge are open to traffic... more

Kalona For 69 years now, the Pleasantview Benefit Sale has taken place. For the most part, you can expect many of the same things, such as unique items up for auction and great food. However, in 2026, something quite unique happened. Prior to the Benefit Sale, Pleasantview Marketing Director Jessica Janecek presented the staff with an unexpected incentive. If they raised over $1,000, CEO Paul Wesser would kiss a pig. Yes, that’s right, an actual pig... more

Certain races in Washington County will be taking place such as District 3 (Riverside, Ainsworth, Crawfordsville, Brighton and Coppock), District 5 (Ward 2 and 3 in Washington), and the state representative for District 92 (Washington and parts of Johnson County)... more

Kalona Republican candidate for governor Zach Lahn spoke to a packed house at Dutch Country Table in Kalona on Wednesday during a Washington County campaign rally. Joining Lahn were Attorney General Brenna Bird, District 92 State Rep. Heather Hora, former gubernatorial candidate and State Rep. Brad Sherman, and Washington County Board of Supervisors Chair Jack Seward. Bird opened the rally by introducing herself and discussing her support for law enforcement, voter identification requirements and Second Amendment rights. She also discussed her lawsuit against OpenAI, which she described as an effort to protect children from suicide... more

Keota - Family does not always mean being related by blood. Sometimes, it means friends and neighbors coming together to help someone in their time of need. That is exactly what happened for the Conway family, whose farm is near Keota, just outside Wellman. John Conway, a Washington County farmer, suffered a serious fall on his 80th birthday, Thursday, October 8. According to his wife, Cathy, he was on a ladder repairing a leak in his corn dryer, something he does each year around this time, when he slipped and fell an estimated 16 feet... more

Wellman - The Mid-Prairie school board heard from Ben Curtis of Eocene Environmental Group about a recent survey of district employees. Curtis told the board the results “were very encouraging,” with 206 of about 250 employees responding, a participation rate of about 82%. The survey ran from August 23 to October 3. Employees gave an average score of 8.35 out of 10 when asked whether they would recommend the district as a place to work, with about 56% rating it a 9 or 10. Employees were also asked about their motivation and its primary source. About 88% reported being highly motivated or motivated most of the time, with meaningful work being the leading source... more

WELLMAN - In addition to candidates for various local, state, and national offices, voters in the Mid-Prairie School District will see a question on their ballot next week that will allow the district to fund continued facility improvements. School facilities are integrally tied to a community’s economic vitality, say members of the district’s Facility Advisory Committee who are also district residents, parents, and business owners. more

Wellman - With the Cedar Crossing Casino & Entertainment Center in Cedar Rapids opening in less than a month, the Washington County Riverboat Foundation (WCRF) is bracing for changes. For the past 20 years, the foundation has allocated 25% of its yearly revenue to municipal grants for cities throughout Washington County. With another casino opening about an hour away, the foundation expects its revenue to decline. more

Kalona - On November 2, Kalona Mennonite Church will host the event A Bowl of Soup and a John Deere Tractor, featuring author Larry D. Miller and his book, Larry’s Ride, From Farm to Finance: A Country Boy’s Journey. Miller’s presentation will begin at 7 p.m., followed by a book signing. more

Riverside With the election coming up soon, many voters will head to the polls on Nov. 3. Two seats on the Washington County Board of Supervisors are up for election: District 3 and District 5. District 3 covers Riverside, Ainsworth, Brighton, Crawfordsville and part of Coppock. The race includes incumbent Republican Marcus Fedler and Democratic challenger JoAnn Whitmore... more

Kalona - Washington County YMCA executive director Amy Schulte gave a report on the summer activities to the Kalona council on Monday evening, Oct. 19. Schulte said the YMCA was pleased by the participation in the summer programs and attendance in Kalona. She noted the season pass holders at the Kalona pool were up from 213 in 2019 to 491 in 2026. And the season pass visits went from 2,061 to 4,057 this past summer... more