Andy Hallman

All teachers in the Washington School District were invited to a ?Welcome Breakfast? Wednesday morning in the KC Hall. For some, such as first-year teacher Alicia Smith, it was their first opportunity to socialize with their fellow staff members.    Smith will teach alternative kindergarten at Stewart Elementary. She is from Tomah, Wis., which is near La Crosse. She just graduated from Minnesota State in Mankato

Washington County naturalist Pam Holz said the wet weather this year has been a boon for mosquitoes. Fortunately for their victims, it has also been a banner year for animals that prey upon mosquitoes, which have kept their numbers in check.    Rain helps mosquitoes because it provides them with an environment in which to lay their eggs. Holz said female mosquitoes typically lay their eggs in standing ponds, but can

The Riverside City Council discussed its streets and its sewer at Monday?s regular meeting at City Hall. Public Works Supervisor Brad Herrig spoke about ordering new stop signs and street signs for the city. He proposed the city could save money by using a single post for a stop sign and street sign. He said he estimated he would need 25 posts and 25 stop signs, which he said would be about a quarter of the total

Two water rescues occurred on Dogwood Avenue near Brighton over the weekend. The first occurred early Friday morning at about 4 a.m. when Kyle Sobaski, 17, of Brighton, was rescued by boat after his pickup was swept off the road by floodwaters. The second occurred Saturday night at about 10:30 p.m. when Jake Franckowiak, 19, of Washington and Michael Dice, 20, of Washington were also rescued by boat after they waded

The two-story apartment building at 311 E. Main St. in Washington was on fire Friday night after it was struck by lightning. The incident occurred at about 10 p.m. during a thunderstorm which blew through the area. The Washington Fire Department was dispatched to the scene and put out the fire. No injuries were reported.    Washington Fire Chief Tom Wide said the fire department was given an assist from Mother

The Washington County Jail is receiving a little more revenue lately thanks to the presence of contract inmates from other counties. The jail spent several weeks earlier this summer with no contract inmates at all. Friday?s jail count revealed the jail had 10 contract inmates, and it has had as many as 15 in the last week.    Washington County Sheriff Jerry Dunbar said a number of the contract inmates are female

The Washington Municipal Band performed its final concert of the season Thursday night before a crowd of several hundred listeners. Band director Tom McNamar said Thursday?s crowd was a good crowd, which the band has had a lot of this year. He said the crowds this season have been comparable to those of pre-renovation days.     ?People certainly came out for the concerts this year,? said McNamar. ?What?s wonderful

Washington city employees have investigated the former Perdock building that partially collapsed Sunday, and determined that the collapse was caused by a break in a rotten wooden truss that supported the roof. Avenue B south of Washington Street is still closed, as is the sidewalk on the east side of the street. Dave Bruns, the acting city building and zoning official, entered the building earlier this week to survey

The F Troop Historical Museum on Sitler Drive in Washington houses countless artifacts from local people who have served in the armed forces. The museum features period memorabilia ranging from the Civil War to the Persian Gulf War. Residents can get a glimpse of history on the first Sunday of the month when the museum is open to the public.    The building is owned by Dave Stoufer and Rachel Nicola. They opened the

Tuesday morning rains wreaked havoc on the county?s roads and on Washington?s Sunset Park. Washington County Engineer David Patterson said there was very little rain within the city of Washington itself, and that the bulk of it fell between Washington and Kalona.    ?Kalona only had a half-inch of rain, Washington had a half-inch, but the middle of the county had 3.5 inches of rain,? said Patterson. ?We had to close

Ainsworth resident Kitch Shatzer went on a trip down south in late June, and it wasn?t to Henry County. Shatzer?s voyage landed her on the other side of the equator in South America. She visited about a dozen Presbyterian churches in a city in Brazil called Fortaleza ? many of which she has visited in other recent trips to Brazil.    Shatzer is the minister at the Ainsworth Community Church, and has made Fortaleza

The Washington Municipal Band played for a few hundred people at its concert Thursday, including a special guest from out of town. John Jackson, 95, of Fairfield, was in attendance to see the municipal band of which he was a charter member in 1932. Band director Tom McNamar had the band play the song ?Lassus Trombone? in honor of Jackson, who said the song was one of his favorites.    Jackson and his wife Phyllis

Church services were interrupted Sunday morning by a crash coming from the former Perdock Auto building on West Washington Street. Onlookers investigated the sound to find the building?s roof collapsed and a hole nearly 10 feet wide and 10 feet tall on the west side of the building facing South Avenue B. Bricks spilled into the sidewalk and street and even onto a bus parked nearby. No injuries have been reported from

About 2,500 residents of Washington County were without power for just under two hours early Monday morning. Alliant Energy spokesperson Ryan Stensland said the power outage affected customers in Kalona, Richmond and Riverside, and that it lasted from about 5:30 a.m. to 7:15 a.m.    According to Stensland, the outage was caused by a lightning bolt that struck a transmission pole between Kalona and Riverside.

Nick Reed loves to explore the great outdoors on horseback. Reed lives a few miles northeast of Washington where he keeps a dozen riding animals, namely six horses, four mules, a donkey and a stud pony. For many years, Reed has crafted chaps, chinks and bridles. In the 1990s, Reed decided to combine his affinity for horses and his leatherwork and began making saddles. He has not slowed down since then and has gone on