Andy Hallman

The Washington Municipal Band is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year. ?We?re octogenarians now!? exclaimed band director Tom McNamar. To celebrate the anniversary milestone, musicians with Washington roots are being invited to perform for their hometown fans. The band will feature guest conductors, instrumentalists and vocal soloists throughout its 10-week season, which begins Thursday. June 7 ? The ...

Ainsworth residents were enthused for the return of Ainsworth Fun Days in 2011, and 2012 figures to be just as exciting. The Fun Days start Friday afternoon with the Ainsworth Fire Department Steak Supper and continue until the fireworks are shot off Saturday night.Traci Vonnahme helped revive the town celebration last year after it had taken a 15-year hiatus. She was very pleased with the participation last ...

The Washington city staff discovered an error in the 2011-2012 budget which miscalculated police salaries by a total of about $40,000 less than what they really were. The Washington City Council passed a budget amendment Wednesday which corrected the discrepancy.City Administrator Brent Hinson said the $40,000 sounds large but is actually a small fraction of the police?s total budget of about $1.2 million and ...

Five local post offices will be open shorter hours in an effort to save the U.S. Post Service money. The post offices in Brighton, Keota and Wayland will drop their hours from eight per day to six. Crawfordsville and Ainsworth?s post offices will have their days cut in half from eight hours to four.The U.S. Postal Service issued a press release in May in which it wrote that the new hours for the retail windows ...

A group of about 30 people interested in downtown revitalization met at the Washington Free Public Library Wednesday afternoon. The event was Washington Main Street?s ?Let?s Do it Downtown? and featured six guest speakers. Washington resident Mary Patterson spoke about the city?s historic building code.Patterson said that when a building owner remodels or makes significant changes to his business, he has to ...

Washington?s downtown residents will soon have access to a recycling receptacle after the city council approved the idea Wednesday night. The receptacle will be in the alley south of the Washington Free Public Library.The council heard from Main Street volunteer Suzanne Ackermann, who recently completed a survey of the downtown residents about their interest in recycling. The survey asked the residents how often ...

The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has investigated a property on Highway 1 and determined it is not in violation of any DNR policy. The property is at 1676 Highway 1, about six miles south of Kalona, and is owned by Adair Holdings, LLC. Russell Royce, an environmental specialist with the DNR, said he received an anonymous complaint about the property, which prompted an investigation. He said in an ...

The Washington Pilots Association and the American Legion will hold their annual flight breakfast this Sunday from 7 to 11:30 a.m. at the Washington Municipal Airport. The two groups will serve pancakes, sausage, eggs, juice, milk and coffee. The hangar that has traditionally housed the breakfast is being remodeled, but Tim Swift of the Washington Pilots Association said he hopes it will be ready for Sunday. ...

Light rain fell on Washington Friday afternoon, leaving many to wonder if Kidzfest would be rained out for two years in a row. The rain was fairly constant for the first two hours of the festival but that didn?t stop hundreds of people from coming out to enjoy the food, games and live entertainment.Washington County Hospital and Clinics marketing coordinator Carrie Garman said the turnout was very good considerin...

Washington County Sheriff Jerry Dunbar confirmed today that a woman who was reported possibly shot and killed Saturday morning was employed at the Washington County Jail.According to a press release from the Wapello County Sheriff?s Office, at about 5:23 a.m. Saturday, the office received a 911 report of an individual that had ?possibly been shot.? The incident happened in the 8700 block of Fox Hill Road ...

Members of the armed services were honored Monday morning in three Memorial Day services held in Washington. The day began with the raising of the American flag at the U.S. Post Office and the firing of three cannon shots. Ceremonies continued at the Crooked Creek bridge on G38 and concluded at Elm Grove Cemetery later that morning.A guest speaker was asked to say a few words at the ceremony at the bridge and ...

The candidate whose name was mentioned in the unsigned letter sent to District 1 residents said he had no involvement in the letter?s production. Jack Seward Jr., who is running for the District 1 Washington County Supervisor seat, said he had no knowledge of the letter until Wednesday when The Journal called him to ask for comment on the Washington County Auditor?s press release on the matter.Washington County ...

The sights, sounds and smells of a farmers market will soon come to the town of Keota. Keota resident Melinda Eakins recently announced the creation of the Keota Farmers Market, which will meet for the first time Monday, June 4, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the corner of Broadway and Fulton streets. Eakins hopes six vendors will show for the first market, and she expects that number to grow as the season progresses. ...

The Washington Community Y has a new aquatic director. He is Jeff Steers and he hails from Kokomo, Ind. Steers began work at the Y in April and is still in the process of moving his wife, Lisa, and children, Cameron, 17, Aaron, 15, and Jarrod, 15, to town. ?I have a passion for aquatics activities,? he said. ?I love to be on, in and under the water. I want to fashion the Washington Community Y aquatics program to ...

Katherine Bell made her debut at the Washington Farmers Market Thursday where she sold homemade ornamental glass flowers and bird feeders. Not only was it Katherine?s first market, but it was the first time Katherine had sold her wares to anyone. She said the response she received from the crowd was good and she plans to return to the market. The ornamental glass flowers Katherine had on display were glass plates ...