Local News
Kalona

Fit to a Model T

KALONA Don Patterson talks to his cars. “It’s not rational for a pastor to do, but yeah, I do,” he admits on an overcast day at the end of January. He won’t, however, concede that …

Kalona car wash works toward April reopening

KALONA When Brett Arends bought a package of car washes in Tipton, Blue Grass, Wilton, and Kalona from the previous owner in October 2023, he planned to update them all. What he didn’t plan on …

That Jammin’ Jeep!

WELLMAN/KALONA Odds are good that you’ve seen it around, that gorgeous magenta-pink Jeep cruising across Highway 22 or up Highway 1. You might be wondering who owns it, or perhaps where you can …

Appliance Barn to purchase CIVCO property

KALONA The Appliance Barn has a talent for transforming commercial properties. When they moved to their current location on the corner of B Avenue and Hwy 1 in Kalona in 2016, the space had been …
Riverside

Highland Schools set property tax public hearing for March 25

RIVERSIDE A public hearing for the Highland Community Schools property tax levy covering Fiscal Year 2025 will be held March 25. The proposed tax rate is $13 per $1,000 of property, which …

Riverside's property tax rate to drop in FY25

RIVERSIDE The property tax rate in Riverside will drop more than 10 cents for the next fiscal year. The Riverside City Council, during its regularly scheduled session Monday, set a public …

Highland Schools begins signature drive toward new bond issue

RIVERSIDE The Highland School Board is on the lookout for 100 signatures. A petition, with those signatures, is the first step toward getting a bond referendum on the November 2024 ballot …

Deep Space Nine's Farrell to appear at Trek Fest in June

RIVERSIDE Terry Farrell, a native of Cedar Rapids who was a star on the Star Trek “Deep Space Nine” TV show, will be the featured celebrity for Trek Fest 39, which will take place …
Wellman

Water system continues to occupy Wellman council

WELLMAN How to best update Wellman’s aging water system continues to be a concern for the City of Wellman, and that topic consumed the majority of the city council’s time on Monday …

Ordinance changes, speed signs in Wellman’s future

WELLMAN The City of Wellman looks to update three ordinances on the books pertaining to beekeeping, utility deposits, and to comply with new Iowa laws. The city council set public hearings for all …

Lime Creek Livewires 4-H Club kicks off 2024

WELLMAN The first official meeting of the Lime Creek Livewires 4-H year was held on Sept. 11, 2023, at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Wellman. The club welcomed eight new members, which brought …

Wellman Garden Club members share variety of experiences and interests

Ten ladies enjoyed a delicious lunch together at Wellman’s Senior Center on a chilly but sunny Thursday afternoon. After savoring their cheeseburger soup, relishes, Jell-o, rolls, and cake, they …
Lone Tree

Lone Tree poet inspired by walking, fasting

LONE TREE A crisp walk. An inward talk. File an idea. Scribble it down. Repeat. This has been Nancy Braun’s dedicated walking/writing hybrid system for over 20 …

Lone Tree approves Fun Fly camping

LONE TREE Representatives of the Lone Tree Flyers made an appearance before the Lone Tree City Council on March 4. The Flyers wanted permission for camping to take place during their event in …

Johnson County Board Exec Director: ‘We are understaffed’

IOWA CITY Among the additional requested positions for Fiscal Year 2025 rejected by the Johnson County Board of Supervisors were two in its own department. Guillermo Morales, the …

Johnson County Supervisors settle on pay raise of 3.75%

IOWA CITY Johnson County Supervisors agreed on a pay increase of 3.75% at its budget session Feb. 21. Supervisors Chair Rod Sullivan had proposed the 3.75% rate at two budget voting …
Washington County
Auto insurance: strategies for today’s market
KALONA Auto insurance should be a straightforward game: drive safely, pay low premiums. But things have gotten complicated lately. “Right now, we’re entering a hard market. Basically, what …
County, Wellman Telephone seek tower agreement
WASHINGTON An agreement between Washington County and the Wellman Cooperative Telephone Company (WCTC) could be reached this month, meaning rebuilding the tower destroyed March 31, 2023, in a …
Board OKS tower buy, a 15-year lease, up to $2.4 M in GO bonds
WASHINGTON In an “agreeable” meeting Tuesday, Washington County Supervisors approved a personal property (communications tower) agreement with the Wellman Cooperative Telephone Company (WCTC) …
Supervisors consider budget, plans for Orchard Hill offices
WASHINGTON In their March 5 meeting, the Washington County Supervisors received a prebid budget for remodeling buildups 2 and 3 at Orchard Hill for county administrative offices. According to …
Ambulance service “thriving”
WASHINGTON There’s good news for Washington County’s newest emergency services department. Despite nonstop demands on its system, the county’s ambulance service “has continued to …
Johnson County
Armed school staff, loss of obstetric unit top concerns at legislative briefing
WASHINGTON State Representative Heather Hora and State Senator Dawn Driscoll ended their legislative briefing with Washington County residents on Friday, March 8, by discussing what …
Construction season to include major work on 540th Street SW
IOWA CITY Yes, construction season is about to begin and southwest Johnson County is one of the targeted areas. Johnson County Secondary Roads is planning more than $7 million in highway …
Green opposes new staff positions in FY25 budget proposals
IOWA CITY Jon Green, a Johnson County Supervisor who is a Lone Tree resident, is taking a stand as the county considers requests for its Fiscal Year 2025 budget. In the first round of …