The News

Kalona

A new reign begins

Morgan Leichty of Wayland began her reign as Washington County’s 31st Fair Queen Sunday night, after being crowded at the pageant that took place at Washington Community Theatre. Emma Cole of …

2024 Washington County Fair Queen Jade Sheetz

Washington County Fair kicks off with Queen Contest

The Washington County Fair is quickly approaching, and one of the longest standing traditions is the crowning of the Washington County Fair Queen. This year marks the 31st year celebration of the …

Paul Roberts (Center) with Marc Janssen (left) and Mark Wilson (right)

ONLY PAUL Presented at Celebration Hall on July 12

When Paul Roberts (Sharon Center) was in the third grade at country day school, his teacher, Miss Bontrager, asked him to sing a solo in the Christmas program. The idea of singing in front of others …

Riverside

TrekFest 2025

The heat was on for TrekFest Saturday; temps reached 97° with high humidity, but Trekkies suited up and enjoyed the day’s events regardless.

TREK FEST: Star Trekkers celebrate 40th Trek Fest in Riverside

RIVERSIDE Forty years later, Riverside’s phaser-like connection with Star Trek powers on strongly. A monument honoring Captain (and former Admiral, as “Wrath of Khan” …

Trek Fest parade to close down Highway 22 on Saturday morning

RIVERSIDE Warp drive, Mr. Sulu? Even that won’t help you navigate Highway 22 Saturday morning as Trekkies take over Riverside’s downtown for their annual Trek Fest parade. …

Wellman

Wellman’s 4th of July Celebration

Stars, stripes, dinos and dunks

WELLMAN Are you ready to get your stars and stripes on? That’s the theme for this year’s Independence Day parade in Wellman, and organizers are looking for you to get creative and show your …

The Wellman Golf Board: Nathan Klostermann, Amy Drayfahl, Abbi Patterson, Trever Owens, Devon Young, Tracy Owens, and Joey Patterson.

2nd Annual Wellman Classic

Golfers enjoyed a fantastic tournament on Saturday, June 14, and the community joined them in the evening to celebrate the Wellman Golf Club’s 100th anniversary with food trucks and music by the …

Lone Tree

Funding battle at GuideLink Center worries Johnson County officials

IOWA CITY The GuideLink Center, which is based in Iowa City and offers urgent care in mental health and substance abuse cases, is sinking into survival mode. Johnson County Supervisors are …

JoCo Board’s split vote cuts down juvenile beds for FY26

IOWA CITY When the Johnson County Board of Supervisors approved a Fiscal Year 2026 Juvenile Detention Services Agreement with Linn County during a June 17 session, there was little discussion. …

Lone Tree and Hills housing expansion emerges in JoCo housing study

IOWA CITY Lone Tree and Hills are emerging as potential housing destinations in Johnson County. Preliminary findings by the consultant group CommunityScale on a housing study of …

Features

Progress 2025: Wellman

It might not be flashy, but sometimes progress means replacing 100-year-old infrastructure and reversing course on decades of apathy. City administrator Kelly Litwiller and mayor Ryan Miller talked …

Progress 2025: Riverside

The Star Trek city is ready for warp speed with community center, pickleball and downtown projects. Paul D. Bowker gets the lowdown from mayor Allen Schneider and city administrator Cole …

Progress 2025: Kalona

At the end of 2024, Cheryl Allen sat down with city administrator Ryan Schlabaugh and asked him about progress in Kalona. They discussed new housing, commercial development and the new Comprehensive …

Progress 2025: Lone Tree

Gradual growth, pleasant parks, and family festivals are what make Lone Tree an attractive community, mayor Josh Spilman tells Emily Marner. As he enters his final year in office, he takes time to …

Band Night

The Mid-Prairie band took the field for a terrific halftime performance on Senior Night, October 11.

Hills

Immigrants wish for a welcome center in Johnson County

IOWA CITY When Mazahir Salih, Mayor Pro Tem of Iowa City and Executive Director of the Immigrant Welcome Network of Johnson County, appeared in front of the Johnson County Board of Supervisors …

Hills City Administrator Adriane Sedlacek, center, cuts the ribbon on the new Hills Hometown Pride mural on June 3, flanked by elected officials and community members involved in the project.

Hometown Pride evident in Hills’ new mural

HILLS The threat of wind, rain and thunder did not deter folks from gathering at Hills Fire Station on Tuesday morning, June 3, where they posed for photos, cut a ribbon, and munched a celebratory …

Iowa City/Coralville

Administrator Stephanie Kronlage, in the atrium at Atrium Village in Hills.

Meet Atrium Village’s new administrator

“Coming here has been a breath of fresh air,” says Stephanie Kronlage, Atrium Village’s new administrator, who began working for the non-profit, Hills-based independent living and nursing care community in March.

Dana Warren Junkin

Dana Warren Junkin, 61, of Yellville, Arkansas, formerly from Riverside, Iowa and Raymore, Missouri, passed away on July 1, 2025. Dana (Pops) was born on October 9, 1963, in Washington, Iowa to Jim …

Washington County

Board OKs equipment sharing agreement, DOT agreement and low road bid

WASHINGTON With four bids ranging from $541,007.25 to $486,143.93, the Washington County supervisors Tuesday accepted the low bid from deLong Excavating of Washington for the street grading on …

Supervisors OK reports, exemptions, VA appointment

WASHINGTON In a half-hour meeting Tuesday, the Washington County Board of Supervisors received and approved two quarterly reports, okayed four tax exemption categories, and appointed a Veterans …

Johnson County

George M. Ludwig took this photo of the Sharon High School and his car out front in the winter of 1925-26. Being able to see the original transom windows at the peak will help guide a faithful restoration.

The experimental school

SHARON CENTER Imagine sitting down at a school board meeting and glancing over the agenda. At the top is the school’s mission statement: To develop unique, original, imaginative and fertile …

Got pennies? Marg will walk for them

KALONA Earlier this year the federal government decided to stop producing pennies once it runs out of blanks. But that doesn’t mean the existing coins are worthless; pennies add up, and when …