Andy Hallman

The public will get a chance to shape the Washington City Council?s comprehensive plan. There will be a session Thursday from 3-8 p.m. at the Washington Public Library where residents can make suggestions to the Comprehensive Planning Committee about upcoming projects in Washington.Washington City Administrator Brent Hinson said the public will learn about some of the projects the committee has talked about.?The...

Parents, grandparents and older siblings got to re-live their childhood today during Lincoln Elementary School?s VIP Day. The day is a time for students to bring a family member to school to sit with them in class and experience what it?s like to be a kid again.Nancy Clawson showed her sixth-grade class how to use a computer program called Google Earth. The program contains a map of the world that is compiled ...

The Washington County Hospital Board of Trustees approved the purchase of a $34,000 gastroscope at its meeting Thursday afternoon. Surgery coordinator Linda Six explained that a gastroscope is a small camera that a patient swallows in order for the doctor to view the inside of the patient?s stomach. The finance committee had earlier approved the purchase of the gastroscope at its meeting.Washington Hospital CEO ...

Local law enforcement and health officials want local residents to be mindful of the laws governing domesticated animals. The police log released by the Washington Communications Center indicated that a 4-year-old girl was bitten by a dog at a neighbor?s residence Saturday morning in Washington. Iowa law states that dog owners shall be liable to an injured party for all damages done by the dog such as when the ...

The Washington Community Y announced its volunteers of the year at its annual meeting Friday afternoon. The volunteers have all given generously of their time and have done so in a variety of ways. Chris and Nicole Harmsen were two volunteers who were recognized for their efforts at the Parkside Activities Center in Wellman. Christina Nash, program director at the Parkside Activities Center, said the Harmsens ...

A text message scam has targeted cell phone users in southeast Iowa in an effort to procure the users? debit card numbers. The text message purports to be from Federation Bank and instructs recipients to call a number because their card has been deactivated. Federation Bank CEO Jamie Collier confirmed that the text message was a scam and was not sent from Federation Bank. Collier said in an interview Friday that ...

Iowa Workforce Development announced in a press release Tuesday that Washington County?s unemployment rate in December was slightly below where it was last year and that the state?s unemployment rate was the lowest it has been in 2 ½ years. State unemployment was 5.6 percent in December, the lowest since June 2009. Iowa?s unemployment is well below the national unemployment rate of 8.5 percent. Of about 1,660,000 ...

Stewart Elementary School hosted a fun night of math-related games and activities for children and their parents. Attendees, of which there were just under 200, were treated to a meal in the gymnasium, where there were also games. Kids had to throw bean bags into buckets or land them in hoops, and each bucket or hoop had a point value associated with it. The exercise was intended to provide a fun way of learning ...

Washington City Administrator Brent Hinson presented a proposed budget to the city council Wednesday which included a $1 increase in the city?s property tax levy. The increase would bring the city?s levy to approximately $15.98 per $1,000 valuation. Homes are now taxed at 51.5 percent of their value instead of 48.5 percent as they were last year. That means a person with a $100,000 house would pay about $820 in ...

A group of weight-loss enthusiasts in Washington lost literally a ton of weight in 2011. The group of 40 to 50 people lost 2,100 pounds over the course of a year. Some group members have given up and significantly cut back on their favorite foods, while other members said they lost weight simply by paying attention to nutrition and by exercising.Millie Youngquist has been a group member for the past 25 years and ...

Washington County Communications Supervisor Cara Sorrells told the E911 board at its meeting Monday that landline funds are down yet again. She said more and more people in the county are dropping their landline, which pays a $1.50 monthly surcharge for emergency services. She said the E911 board doesn?t recoup that money from additional cell phone users because cell phone users pay a much lower rate than ...

[Editor's Note: The following is a press release from Washington County Sheriff Jerry Dunbar concerning unauthorized advertisements that might have been made on behalf of Iowa sheriffs or deputies]It has come to the attention of the ISSDA (Iowa State Sheriff and Deputy Association) Board that a former GOLD STAR ad salesman, Ben Jamison is using letters given to him several years ago, when he was an employee of ...

The Washington School Board discussed fundraiser efforts for the 1918 building at its meeting Thursday night. Washington Junior High School administrative manager Aaron Six stressed that the district needs to expand its base of donors beyond current residents of Washington. He said the district should seek donations from alumni. ?My Class of 1993 has never been contacted to support the district,? he said. ...

The Washington City Council passed the third and final reading of an ordinance Wednesday to make Sitler Drive a one-way street going west. The street will be one way from South Iowa Avenue to South Avenue B. There will be no-parking signs on both sides of Sitler Drive from South Iowa Avenue to South Avenue E, both sides of South Avenue E from West Tyler Street to Sitler Drive and on both sides of West Tyler ...

Bill and Melinda Lord shared their extensive knowledge of astronomy with a group of about 25 people at the Washington Free Public Library Saturday afternoon. The Lords are amateur astronomers but there was nothing amateur about their presentation. They taught the audience interesting facts about the planets and the stars and showed them the means they could use to study those celestial bodies such as telescopes ...