Andy Hallman

The issue of parking on the square was debated at the Washington City Council meeting Wednesday night. Washington resident and former council member Sherri Dusenbery addressed the council with a concern she had over the city parking lot on North Marion Avenue across from the Post Office.    Dusenbery carpools in a van to the University of Iowa in Iowa City that leaves from the parking lot on North Marion. She said

Washington was recently paid a visit by a couple of traveling cyclists. To say they were out-of-towners is an understatement. Brian Gottlieb and his wife Rachel Timmons are riding their bicycles across the country from Oregon to their home in Washington, D.C., and just happened to make a stop at the farmers market Thursday evening. The couple spent the night in town and planned to hop back on their bikes Friday

Washington is home to a number of classic car enthusiasts. Among them is Ken Lindmeier, who owns a 1966 Pontiac GTO. Lindmeier said he was surfing the Web about 10 years ago on the hunt for that very model and found one in Marion. After a little negotiation, he purchased the vehicle, fulfilling a boyhood dream.    ?Back in the day, when I was a teenager, I wanted a GTO,? said Lindmeier. ?I couldn?t afford it, of

Former governor and current gubernatorial candidate Terry Branstad spoke to a crowd of over 50 people at Engineered Building Design in Washington Wednesday afternoon. Branstad, a Republican, appeared with his running mate Kim Reynolds, who is a Republican state senator from Osceola. The two of them talked about a variety of issues such as job creation and the budget before fielding questions from the audience.   

A certification course on lead safety will be held at the Washington Fairgrounds on Tuesday, July 27. The class will last from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. in the old schoolhouse. The course, known as ?Lead Safe Renovator Certification? will be taught by Jeff Johnson, director of the Residential Environmental Division of Hawkeye Area Community Action Program (HACAP).    The Environmental Protection Agency issued a rule

Independence Day falls on a Sunday this year, and many businesses will take Monday off to make for a three-day weekend. Washington residents will enjoy the Fourth with their families and watch the fireworks Sunday night at the fairgrounds. For some residents, the weekend will not be all fun and games. Rich Crull said that he will have to do some housework this weekend.    ?I?ll be doing ?honey-do? chores,? said

Washington Police Investigator Lyle Hansen is celebrating his 25th anniversary as a full-time officer. Hansen began his career in law enforcement in 1983 as a reserve deputy in Washington County. He joined the police department in 1985, and by 1989 had moved to the position of patrol sergeant. In 1991, he became the investigator, a position he has held ever since.    Hansen comes from a family of law enforcement

The Washington County Fair Association met Wednesday night and discussed whether or not to charge admission to the members of the model railroad club, who operate a station at the fairgrounds. The board voted to allow the railroad club to enter without a fair pass provided the member shows the ticket-taker a current membership card to the railroad club.    There was a discussion about how to charge for trailer

The Fourth of July weekend figures to be a blast all around Washington County. Wellman will have fun activities for the whole family Saturday, Sunday and Monday. The Wellman High School reunion is at noon on Saturday at the high school and is open to anyone who has ever gone to Mid-Prairie High School.    At 2 p.m. there will be a garden-tractor pull at the south park. Wellman Utility Clerk Chris Huston said this

Friends and family members will bid farewell to the men and women of the Iowa Army National Guard 134th Medical Company this afternoon in Washington. The Iowa Army National Guard will have a farewell ceremony at 5 p.m. today at the Washington Community Center for the medical company, which will ship out to Shelby, Miss., for further training this summer, and then to Afghanistan later in the year.    There are

A United States Senate bill to extend unemployment benefits to all unemployed persons through Dec. 31 fell three votes short of passage Thursday, according to the Associated Press. The vote was 57-41 in favor of the bill, which did not meet the 60-vote threshold to prevent a filibuster.    The Iowa Department of Workforce Development put out a press release Friday in which spokeswoman Kerry Koonce commented that

The Washington County Board of Supervisors came to an agreement with Washington County Ambulance Services Tuesday to continue providing ambulance services to the county?s residents beyond Wednesday night. The board voted to extend the current 2008-2010 ambulance contract into the next fiscal year, which begins Thursday. Under the current contract, the Washington County Ambulance Services receives $8,000 per month and

The Washington County E911 Services Board voted to support a $1.50 surcharge on all landlines in the county at its meeting Monday night in the former library. The surcharge is currently $1.50 and pays for 911 services. The surcharge is not set in stone, for it must be approved by voters this November. If the measure passes, the surcharge remains $1.50 for two years. If it fails, the surcharge drops to $1.   

The Iowa Legislature passed a number of new laws that take effect this Thursday. Among them is a law that requires people under the age of 18 to wear a seatbelt in the backseat of a car.    The previous law mandated seatbelt use in the backseat only for children under 11 years of age. Drivers and front-seat passengers must wear a seatbelt no matter their age. Another change in the law is that if a passenger over 14

The state of Iowa?s Drug Policy Coordinator Gary Kendell has issued a warning about a new substance known as ?K2? or ?Spice.? In a press release from last week, Kendell said that K2 is an olive-colored plant material that is smoked and produces effects such as anxiety, panic attacks, agitation, hallucinations and seizures.    Kendell stated that K2 is often sold as an herbal incense mixture and that it contains