Andy Hallman

The Riverside City Council voted to hire Missy Carter as the interim city clerk at its meeting Monday night. Carter is the city?s utilities billing clerk, a position she assumed in January. The opening for the clerk?s job was created when the council accepted the resignation of City Administrator Tina Thomas on June 6. Thomas will continue to serve as clerk and administrator through the end of June, when Carter ...

Saturday morning was overcast and cool: perfect for a long-distance bike ride. The early bird riders left Washington at 7:30 a.m. for Brighton, where they ate pancakes and partook in the town?s ?Whoopee Days.? The Mayor?s Bike Ride began at 9 a.m. and took the riders around Lake Trio south of Washington. Former mayor Rick Cicalo started the bike ride four years ago, which continues today under the direction of ...

The Washington City Council unanimously passed the second reading of an ordinance that would raise the city?s water and sewer rates. The councilors voted to table the ordinance at its June 1 meeting.Former City Administrator Dave Plyman had prepared a spreadsheet containing all the utility accounts in the city of Washington. He used it to show how a change in one of the fees, such as the base sewer charge, ...

Visitors to Thursday?s Farmers Market were treated to free samples of a native but lesser known berry in Iowa. Levi Lyle of Keota set up a booth at the market to display the products he makes from Aronia berries. Market goers got to taste his Aronia salsa and Aronia jelly at no charge. Thursday was Lyle?s debut as a vendor. He said he will be back with even more Aronia products at next week?s Farmers Market.Lyl...

Main Street Washington held its annual ?Patron Party? at Café Dodici Tuesday night. Main Street grossed $4,600 at the fundraising event, which included drinks, appetizers and live entertainment from musicians Gary McCurdy and Randy Swift. Here, Randy Wehr eyes a delicious fruit kabob.

A company in Washington plans to double the size of its plant. ACH Foam Technologies, in the town?s industrial park on North 12th Avenue, made the announcement at the Washington City Council meeting Wednesday. The company?s expansion concerned the city because the building would not have sufficient water pressure to meet the fire code.The Washington-branch plant manager Brad Ward asked the city to pay for the ...

Highway 218 in Washington County was closed briefly Wednesday morning because of the torrential rains that hit the area over last night. Highway 218 is now completely open. Several gravel roads in northern Washington County were also closed because of rain. Washington County Engineer David Patterson estimated there were as many as 15 gravel roads closed between Wellman and Riverside.As of Wednesday afternoon, ...

Mexico has become a home away from home for one young Keota woman. Tiffany Chmelar, 22, is south of the border at the moment and plans to live there through at least March of next year. She works with orphans in Baja California, a state in Mexico that is just south of the American state of California. She is the daughter of Larry and Micki Chmelar.In April 2010, Tiffany?s sister Nicole approached her about ...

A large tree branch nearly smashed a car in the driveway of 305 E. Polk St. in Washington. The branch fell down during the storm that passed through the area Monday afternoon. Luckily, the branch did not harm anyone, although it did land on three bicycles parked next to the vehicle. One bicycle was pulled out but the other two remained underneath it as of Monday afternoon. Here, Angelina Hahn (left) and Neil ...

The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) held an informational meeting about farm equipment regulations Monday night. The meeting took place in the Washington County ISU Extension Building. Attendees were treated to a meal and then a presentation by Officer Chris Boswell of the DOT?s Motor Vehicle Enforcement division.Boswell spoke for an hour and a half about all manner of regulations that pertain to ...

Amanda and Waylon Schultz of Ainsworth became the proud parents of Payton Schultz in August 2005. Before his first birthday, the young couple noticed something was wrong with Payton. He experienced intense fevers accompanied by swollen lymph nodes and mouth blisters.Payton?s fevers were diagnosed as an extremely rare genetic disorder known as ?HIDS,? short for Hyperimmunoglobulinemia D Syndrome. Payton has ...

At 9 a.m. Thursday morning, Judge Michael Mullins was preparing for a custody trial in Keokuk County. He told the attorneys present that he had to keep his phone on because he was awaiting an important call. Mullins did receive a call that morning, and it was from the governor?s office. Gov. Terry Branstad called Mullins to congratulate him on his appointment to the Iowa Court of Appeals.The last day for ...

One hundred and thirty-four residents of Riverside signed a petition to have the city audited. The petition was presented to the Riverside City Council at its meeting Monday night. At that same meeting, the council voted 3-1 to have certified public accountant Ann M. Menke of West Point perform the city?s four-year audit.Councilors Todd Yahnke, Rodney Waldschmidt and Kevin Kiene voted in favor of the resolution...

Christine Kirkwood was appointed to fill Betty Kaalberg?s seat on the Riverside City Council. The council voted to appoint Kirkwood a councilor at its meeting Monday. Kirkwood will serve for a minimum of four meetings beginning June 20 and lasting through Aug. 1.Five people applied for the vacant position on the council. They were Joette Armbruster, Betty Halleran, Larry Simon, Samuel Torrey and Kirkwood.The...

The Washington County Emergency Management Commission talked about Washington?s April boil order at its meeting Wednesday night. The commissioners discussed how to best notify the public in the event of another boil order or other emergency. They agreed that the communications center should be responsible for alerting towns of an emergency. Communications Supervisor Cara Sorrells said her office was in the ...