Andy Hallman

The topic of tax credits was a source of debate at Saturday?s Legislative Forum at the Fairfield Public Library.Audience member Deniz Comez asked the legislators what they thought about Rep. Pat Grassley?s House Study Bill 187, which would cap tax credits at $400 million, and then lower them $10 million a year to $370 million. Comez said the bill would harm renewable energy companies that rely on the tax ...

The Fairfield Area Chamber of Commerce held its third Legislative Forum of the year Saturday at the Fairfield Public Library.The forum featured four local legislators: Rep. Curt Hanson (D-Fairfield), Rep. Dave Heaton (R-Mt. Pleasant), Sen. Rich Taylor (D-Mt. Pleasant) and Sen. Mark Chelgren (R-Ottumwa). Each gave opening remarks and then took questions from the public. Chelgren missed the first half of the ...

A group of students at Fairfield High School have a plan to increase recycling in the building.The quartet of Kaylee Hanley, Michael Ennen, John Boatright and Briseyda Jiminez hatched the idea to put recycling tubs in as many rooms at the high school as they could. The idea began as a homework assignment for Tyler Miklo?s American Government class, but the students were genuinely interested in putting it into ...

Jefferson County?s Special Response Team was called into action early this morning during a four-hour standoff with an armed subject believed to be dangerous. According to a press release from the Jefferson County Attorney?s Office, the incident began when the Jefferson County Law Center received a 911 call reporting a male subject, later identified as Kelley Robinson, age 45, at 2089 Libertyville Road had ...

U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa paid a visit to Jefferson County Tuesday when she visited the Fairfield CoLab.Ernst met with the co-lab?s board of directors and other co-lab members. Fairfield Economic Development Association economic project coordinator Joshua Laraby guided her through a PowerPoint presentation detailing the co-lab?s history, explaining how it was renovated and what it is used for today. He said ...

The Greater Jefferson County Foundation announced today it has received a bequest of nearly $726,000 from the Lee T. Gobble Charitable Remainder Trust and his estate. The donation will give charities a fund to use for infrastructure improvements, provided the infrastructure benefits most people in the community. The funds will be for capital improvements and not for operating expenses. Three specific projects ...

Sunday will be the last time Fairfield High School?s seniors walk across Trojan Stadium as members of the student body.FHS graduation will commence at 2 p.m. that day in the stadium, if weather permits. In the event of rain, the ceremony will be in the school?s gymnasium.Senior Dakota Andersen will address his classmates and the audience as the featured student speaker. Also delivering speeches are English and ...

U.S. Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa visited Fairfield High School?s new 21st Century Room today where he fielded questions from a few dozen high school students.Grassley began his talk by encouraging the students to think about becoming a Senate intern, and mentioned that many of his staffers were once interns, too. He said the reason he was able to speak at the school is because the Senate is not in ...

The 16th and final address in the downtown that will receive a renovated façade was added to the list Monday during the Fairfield City Council meeting. Morning Star Studio on the east side of the square became the eighth property whose exterior will be remodeled next year thanks in part to a $500,000 grant from the Iowa Economic Development Authority. Property owners will cover 38 percent of the cost, and the ...

The Fairfield City Council approved a couple of resolutions at its meeting Monday entering into agreements with downtown business owners who have promised to renovate their building?s façades. The Iowa Economic Development Authority awarded the city up to $500,000 in matching grant funds through a Community Development Block Grant for business owners around the square to restore their façades. The city agreed to ...

Fairfield will honor those who died while serving in the military during Memorial Day services Monday. The Iowa Brass Command of the 34th Army Band will form at the Ron Prill Bandstand in Central Park at 9:30 a.m., and will perform at about 9:50 a.m. Jim Kennedy, commander of Dimmitt-Vorhies Post 2271, will welcome attendees to the service. Soloist Jan Hunerdosse will sing ?God Bless America,? accompanied by ...

Agri-Industrial Plastics has steadily expanded its operations in the past 36 years, but now it?s taking a giant leap forward.The business is building a 104,000 square-foot facility south of its current office on North 22nd Street. Company president Lori Schaefer-Weaton said it is taller than most production facilities at 28 feet tall, which she said is necessary because of the size of the blow-molding machines ...

The latest concept drawing of the proposed indoor gymnasium was unveiled Monday at the Fairfield City Council meeting.Dave Zahradnik of Neumann Monson Architects said the diagram shows only two racquetball courts in the new facility. The Roosevelt Community Recreation Center has three racquetball courts, but one of them is being used by the gymnastics and trampoline club. Zahradnik said the number of racquetball ...

Members of Friends of Lake Darling appeared before the Jefferson County Board of Supervisors Monday to ask for a contribution to build cabins in Lake Darling State Park.Fay Vittetoe, president of Friends of Lake Darling, and Charles Rubey, treasurer of the group, asked the supervisors for money to help build a set of three four-season cabins at the park. In December, the group received almost $300,000 from the ...

Local law enforcement responded to a couple of incidents Tuesday in Fairfield in which pellet guns were mistaken for real guns.In one incident, a caller reported a 12-year-old boy was walking in the 300 block of South C Street at about 4 p.m. with a rifle slung over his shoulder. Fairfield police officers and Jefferson County Sheriff?s deputies responded to the scene and ordered the boy to drop the weapon and ...