Andy Hallman

Washington High School students were honored for various extra curricular activities at the Optimist Dinner on Monday, May 9. Josh Loomis won an award for his outstanding performance in drama. Dalton Christner was honored in speech. Hellen Pauley was recognized for her skills in instrumental music, and Alex Schlegel captured an award for choir. The students are pictured here with high school English teacher and ...

The Riverside City Council talked about how and when to fill the council?s vacant seat. Councilor Betty Kaalberg died May 4 after suffering a stroke the week before. The council discussed whether her seat should be filled by appointment or by a special election over the summer. The council agreed to ask for letters of interest from community members who would like to fill the position.Kaalberg was going to be ...

Numerous headstones were vandalized in the Mount Olivet Cemetery in Riverside. The vandalism was discovered Sunday afternoon. Jim Rose, a member of St. Mary?s Parish Council, said that about 100 stones were damaged and that many urns near gravestones were broken off.Rose said that some of the old headstones that are tall and narrow were pushed over and broken in half. He estimated that as many as 50 headstones ...

The Washington Fire Department responded to a fire at the home of Bob and Krista Gaal Sunday morning. No injuries were reported. The Gaals live on Country Club Road on the south side of Washington. The fire department arrived at the scene at about 8 a.m. and put out the fire within 10 minutes.Washington Fire Chief Tom Wide said the family was home at the time of the fire but was able to escape unharmed. When ...

Drew Dickerson hoists a potted-plant onto its hook on a street light in Washington's downtown Monday morning. Washington City Employees Dickerson and Dale Haifley hung up the flowers pots, which contained petunias and begonias, all around Washington's square.

Local law enforcement received high-intensity training last week. The Washington Sheriff?s Department hosted SWAT team exercises from May 2 to May 6. Law enforcement from surrounding counties traveled to Washington County to participate in the advanced training course. The event came a few weeks prior to National Law Enforcement Week, which is next week.The Department of Homeland Security paid for the training,...

Steven Parker and his dog puppet "Frisky" entertain the crowd at the Optimists Dinner in the United Presbyterian Church Monday. Parker works as a Des Moines County deputy but on Monday he showed off his talents as a ventriloquist and magician.

The Washington City Council took a close look at water and sewer rate increases at its special meeting Wednesday. The city will have to generate about $1 million more in sewer fees to pay for the new sewer plant. The new sewer plant will cost about $15 million. City Administrator Dave Plyman said the final price tag is likely to be upwards of $20 million. Plyman presented a plan Wednesday to generate the necessary...

Washington High School senior Brian Roder was named the Optimist of the Year at the Optimist Dinner Monday night at the United Presbyterian Church. He is pictured here with his parents Mike and Gail Roder (left), along with Jona Dalrymple and Kathy Stender (far right).

Washington Tree Committee members Mike Baker (left) and Andy Dahl show off the identification tags they placed on several trees in Central Park a few weeks ago. The tags include the tree?s name and how much money it saves humanity by providing windbreaks and shade, and by consuming carbon dioxide. The tree pictured here is a Ginkgo and its potential lifetime benefits run to $12,300.

Cash rental rates for cropland in Iowa have increased markedly since last year, 16 percent to be exact, from $184 per acre in 2010 to $214 in 2011. Washington County?s average rates have gone up even more ? 23 percent, from $182 an acre last year to $223 this year. That was the finding of a survey of about 1,600 persons employed in the agricultural sector. Iowa State University Extension economist William Edwards ...

The American Association of University Women (AAUW) hosted the National Honor Society?s Induction ceremony Tuesday night in the Washington United Presbyterian Church. The AAUW selected two "Educators of the Year" and they were Yaro Chmelar (second from left) and Mary Chmelar (second from right). Yaro is a farmer and Mary has been a reading teacher for 20 years. Also pictured are AAUW members Marde McConnell (far ...

Summer has arrived in full force. A number of families spent last weekend outside grilling. Maria (left) and Silviano (center) Rodriguez grilled hamburgers, hot dogs, steak and chicken at Sunset Park while their son Silviano Rodriguez Jr. (right) waited for the food by playing on the playground equipment.

Washington County is full of archers young and old. It was not until 2007 that a group was born to unit them all. The Washington County Archers began that year and have grown every year since. The club sports 30 members, who get together once a month for ?shoots? while the weather is warm.The club was formed by a man named Pete Buckingham. A few years ago, John Seymour became the president and has been ever ...

Winter in Iowa is bad enough even for people with a warm place to stay. It is even worse for the creatures that spend it outdoors. Not only must animals suffer through the cold, they have to make do with little food as snow covers the ground from December to February.Farmers and other rural landowners can help these critters survive the winter by planting food plots. Food plots consist of a few acres of grass ...