Andy Hallman

The past weekend was a treacherous one for motorists out in the slick and windy conditions. There was at least one fatality, which was the result of a single vehicle rollover on Highway 218 near 265th Street Saturday morning at about 7:30 a.m. Todd Gordon, age 59, of Iowa City, was killed in the accident, and was also the vehicle?s driver. Passenger Keith Stairs, age 46, of Cedar Rapids, was transported by ambulance

Residents on South Ninth Avenue could not enter their driveways for a month during the recent road construction. However, many of those residents said it was a small price to pay for a smooth road.    Steve Akgul said he wasn?t inconvenienced much by the construction. He said he just parked his car behind his house. He said he notices a big difference between the new and old surfaces.    ?The new road is smooth,?

Several businesses in Keota caught fire Saturday morning. The former lumberyard was burnt to the ground and two brick structures, Bermel Insurance and the former Keota Locker, were pushed down after suffering significant fire damage. There were no fatalities or injuries reported. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.    Ryan Sieren, the incident commander of the Keota Fire Department, received a page at

Four prosecution witnesses testified on the first day of Lori Jo Bean?s trial Wednesday afternoon. Bean is on trial for manslaughter in connection to the death of 78-year-old Joye L. Gentzler in 2008. The first witness was Susan (Chance) Reynolds, who treated Gentzler as a patient in 2006 as a nurse practitioner at the Washington Family Medical Clinic. The second was Kevin Kleopfer, a medical investigator who looked

The trial of Ainsworth resident Lori Jo Bean began Wednesday afternoon. Bean is on trial for manslaughter in connection to the death of 78-year-old Joye L. Gentzler in 2008. Gentzler was a dependent adult who was staying with Lori and Rodney ?Joe? Bean at 3294 Old White Way in Ainsworth at the time of her death on Feb. 27, 2008.    District Attorney Barbara Edmondson represents the state in the case, and called four

Local truck driver Wayne Horras hauled 42,000 pounds of potatoes into Mount Pleasant and rural Packwood Saturday to be distributed to food banks, churches and other organizations through a Potato Drop project.    Through the combined efforts of the Prairie View United Methodist Church Men, the Pekin Ministerial Association, the Mobile United Methodist Missionaries and the Mount Pleasant United Methodist Church

The Washington City Council talked about the South Ninth Avenue paving project at its meeting Wednesday night. The avenue was opened to the public last week after two months of construction. Councilor Russ Zieglowsky said he is unhappy with the quality of the concrete poured by Jasper Construction. Zieglowsky said the concrete is ?up and down? and ?wavy,? and that he thinks it will get worse over time, not better.   

The JOURNAL    The former Perdock building that stood for nearly 100 years is now in its twilight. The building has enormous sentimental value to those who worked in it over that span, particularly its former owner Bill Perdock.    Perdock owned the building for nearly 40 years. He relinquished title to it in 2008 when he sold it to the Marion Avenue Baptist Church, which has held the title since then. Perdock?s

A resident of rural Wellman has received the highest honor from the French Republic for his service in the country during World War II. Richard Huber, age 89, was awarded the French Legion of Honor Medal on Friday, 65 years after being discharged from the U.S. Army. Huber was congratulated for his efforts by the French ambassador in Washington, D.C., and by the French Consulate General in Chicago.    Huber grew up

Washington?s square was alive with excitement Friday night for the town?s Lighted Holiday Parade. The parade began at the high school and advanced west on Washington Street to the square, where the parade entries turned north onto Iowa Avenue. The square was brightly illuminated by lights hung around all of the businesses on the square.     Lyle Moen of the Washington Lions Club was there passing out free popcorn

The JOURNAL    The City of Riverside has decided not to appeal the Oct. 29 judgment that required it to pay the county $350,000 in TIF (Tax Increment Finance) bonds. In fact, the city has already paid the county the full amount owed, which it did Wednesday.    The agreement in question is the one signed by Riverside and the county in 2005. In 2005, Riverside was under orders from the Department of Natural Resources

Fareway Stores Inc. in Washington is participating in this year?s Toys for Tots drive. Interested residents can bring unopened toys to Fareway beginning Friday. Fareway has its own float in the Lighted Holiday Parade Friday night ? a trailer that is in the shape of a giant sleigh. People may drop off toys in the sleigh at the holiday parade, which begins at 6:30 p.m. at the high school.    Toys for Tots is a program

A number of public buildings will be closed for Thanksgiving. All Washington Community School students from the high school, junior high, Stewart Elementary and Lincoln Elementary will be released at 1:10 p.m. Wednesday and return to classes on Tuesday. St. James Elementary will dismiss at 12:55 p.m. Wednesday.    City employees will have Thursday and Friday off. The buildings that will be closed to the public on

Thanksgiving is two days away, and area residents are getting their ovens ready for a holiday feast. Many people will be traveling out of town to spend the day with friends and family. Ed Jones, of Washington, was planning to go out of state, but is now planning to stay in the area.?My original plan was to take my mother and go to my sister?s in Minnesota, but the weather report is not good,? he said. ?I?m going to

Students and staff of the Washington School District donated 181 Thanksgiving dinners Tuesday evening. A group of teachers gathered at Fareway?s loading dock to bag the meals and hand them to the cars that drove up to receive them.    The meal giveaway was put on by the Washington Education Association, which includes the staff in the district. The association was assisted by junior high and high school groups that