Andy Hallman

Before Santa Claus can tell his elves which toys to make, he needs to know which toys are in demand. Santa traveled to the Ainsworth Opera House Sunday afternoon to find out.Sharon Gillis organized the event, which apart from Santa also featured tables where children could make crafts. There were also refreshments at the Opera House such as grapes, pretzels, crackers, cheese and koolaid. She said she has ...

Staff and clients of Systems Unlimited in Washington collected clothing, boots, gloves and other winter wares to give to students at Stewart Elementary School Friday morning.

The demolition of the former Tienda La Cruz building has come to an end. There are minor steps in the project left to complete but as of Friday morning the three empty buildings on South Marion Avenue, 207, 209 and 211, were nothing but a memory.The City of Washington owned the buildings and hired Cornerstone Excavating to demolish them. Friday was Cornerstone?s deadline to finish the demolition. Cornerstone ...

Farmland value in Iowa shot up almost 33 percent since 2010. That is the finding of the Iowa Land Value Survey conducted in November by Iowa State University (ISU). The survey indicated that the average farmland value in the state is about $6,700 per acre. Washington County?s estimated land value was above the state average at $7,170 per acre but had the smallest percentage increase of any county at 28.2 percent. ...

A group of over 60 people gathered to hear a choir perform Christmas carols and other songs, some of which were written by members of the choir. Members of the choir also performed on the banjo, the guitars and the piano. Throughout the night, the singers approached a microphone to introduce themselves and their family members who had come to hear them.The above description could fit any number of musical ...

Soldiers serving in a war zone worry about their safety, the safety of their comrades and the family they have back home. Celebrating holidays such as Christmas is a luxury they cannot afford. John DeVore of Brighton was a mess sergeant in Afghanistan and he sought to change that, making a Christmas dinner his soldiers would never forget. DeVore was stationed at a base in southeastern Afghanistan called COP ...

Christmas is quickly approaching and families are scrambling to find the perfect gifts for their loved ones. Those who are feeling especially generous may purchase a car for their loved ones. John Gretter of Gretter Autoland in Washington said he has sold cars as Christmas presents before.?It?s not common, but people have bought cars as gifts,? he said. ?There are a few people who do that every year. Some of ...

A semi truck got stuck on a dirt road in Washington County Monday afternoon before it was hauled away. According to the Washington County Communications Center, a semi truck got stuck on Kiwi Avenue, just south of 250th Street, at approximately 1 p.m. Monday. A deputy and someone from the county roads department responded to the scene. Washington County Engineer David Patterson said that the county will not ...

For several years a Christmas tree has adorned the lobby of the Washington County Courthouse. The tree contains ornaments with photos of service men and women from the county or who have relatives in the county. Washington County Assessor Lil Perry began the tradition in 2006 and said she would love for volunteers to come forward to continue the tradition. The tree in the courthouse is known as the ?Remembrance ...

The Washington City Council learned that Tina Thomas, who won the election for the Ward 3 seat on the council, will not accept the position as councilor. Thomas received 24 write-in votes at the Nov. 8 election. Mike Roth, the current representative of Ward 3, received 18 write-in votes even though he said earlier in the year that he would not seek re-election. Roth was given the opportunity to assume the ...

The economy recession that began near the end of 2008 affected the pace of new construction throughout the United States and Washington County was no exception. According to those familiar with local development, construction has yet to return to its pre-recession levels and has stayed fairly constant over the past couple of years.Steve Donnelly, the building and zoning official for the city of Washington, ...

Washington County experienced its first snow of the year last weekend. Before long, snow will blanket the area. For some, snow is a nuisance that complicates travel but for others it is an integral part of their winter recreation. A popular form of winter recreation in the county is snowmobiling.Several local families belong to a snowmobile club called the Eastern Iowa Sledheads. The sledheads began in 2000 ...

Margaret Runaas recently moved to rural Ainsworth with her husband Jonathan and now teaches private piano lessons at St. James Catholic Elementary School. She was born in Boone and grew up in Des Moines and Knoxville. When she is asked where she is from, she simply answers, ?central Iowa.?Margaret studied piano performance at Wartburg, from which she graduated in 2009. She went on to graduate school in piano ...

Cold and flu season has begun and will last through the spring. There are simple steps people can take to reduce their chances of contracting an illness. Kim Malichky, manager of Hy-Vee Pharmacy, said the easiest way to prevent catching the flu or cold is to wash your hands.?If you have contact with someone who?s sick and then touch your eyes, your mouth, your nose, that?s going to get you as sick as they are ...

Washington County Communications Supervisor Cara Sorrells told the E911 Board Monday that it would cost over a quarter million dollars to replace all the mobile and portable radios for the Washington Police Department and Washington County Sheriff?s Department. After hearing from Sorrells, the board members agreed that the mobiles should be purchased. The board members told Sorrells to look into the possibility ...