Andy Hallman

Dozens of beds at the Washington County Jail lie unoccupied. It?s because the jail has seen a dramatic decline in the number of inmates over the past month.    On Monday morning, the jail reported that it was holding 13 inmates charged in Washington County and just one contract inmate from outside the county. Washington County Sheriff Jerry Dunbar said that is the fewest number of contract inmates the jail has had

Mother Nature has been very kind to area farmers this spring. The unseasonably high temperatures in late March and early April have allowed farmers to get into the fields much earlier than normal. Iowa State University farm management specialist Jim Jensen said that the farmers truly appreciate the nice spring weather, especially coming after a rough fall.    ?The fall was so wet that farmers weren?t able to apply

Soybeans in Iowa stand a lesser chance of contracting a pesky virus called bean pod mottle virus compared to previous years, according to agronomists and plant pathologists at Iowa State University (ISU). Iowa State University plant pathologists Emmanuel Byamukama, Alison Robertson and Forrest W. Nutter Jr. released a report earlier this month that indicated that 83 of the 99 counties in Iowa are at low risk of

The proposed wellness park that has been talked about for many years is one step closer to become a reality. The Washington School Board agreed to sell 90 acres of farmland north of town to the City of Washington for the purpose of constructing a wellness park. Mayor Sandra Johnson said that the city is still contemplating whether to use the 90 acres it bought for the wellness park or trade the land for property

The Washington Public Safety Committee is planning to take a closer look at bar violence in the city. Committee chairman and city council member Bob Shepherd said he would like to hold the meeting sometime this week or next week. Shepherd said the purpose of the meeting is to get bar owners, law enforcement and the city?s residents on the same page about how to reduce violence and ensure public safety in town.   

The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) will hold two informational meetings for the public in a few weeks concerning road projects in the county. The DOT has proposed replacing the bridge on Highway 92 over Crooked Creek, which is about four miles northwest of Washington. It will hold a meeting to discuss the matter on Tuesday, April 27, at 5 p.m. in the Washington Public Library.    The DOT is also considering

A number of Washington businesses and organizations were honored at the Annual Main Street Iowa Awards Ceremony in Des Moines Friday. Main Street cities across the state nominated projects and businesses for awards such as ?Best Marketing Event? and ?Best Business of the Year.? A total of 105 projects were nominated for awards, 32 of which were selected for awards and 11 of which received honorable mention.    Main

The Washington County Emergency Management Commission approved an amendment to the current fiscal year?s budget at its meeting Wednesday night. The amendment reflects the addition of three separate projects that were not included when the budget was passed last year.      One project that was included in the amendment was the connection between the electrical generator at the county jail and the sheriff?s office.

As the summer draws near and temperatures rise, people will spend more time enjoying the great outdoors. Dr. Ben Williams of Modern Eye Care in Washington wants those people to protect their eyes from the sun?s ultraviolet light.    ?The sun can damage the eyes the same way it damages your skin,? said Williams. ?Repeated exposure can cause cancer to the eyelids or even the surface of the eye itself.?    Ultraviolet

The Crawfordsville City Council discussed the steps recently taken to improve the city?s accounting at Tuesday?s meeting. The council talked about a list of recommendations for better oversight and transparency from State Auditor David Vaudt. Vaudt investigated Crawfordsville?s former City Clerk John Hamil, who has been charged with first-degree theft and felonious misconduct.    The city of Crawfordsville had asked

Linda D. Brown has thrown her hat into the race to become the next District 5 supervisor in Washington County. Brown is the only Democrat in the field who is attempting to unseat incumbent Republican Jim Rosien. The other candidate in the race is Republican Ron Bennett.    Brown is a native of Fairfield. She has spent time living in Iowa City, and moved to Washington several years ago. Brown is glad that she has

The Iowa Department of Human Services (DHS) announced last week that it would convert 23 county offices from full-time to part-time beginning this July, including Washington County?s. According to a press release from April 5, the agency is also consolidating services such as child care programs and Medicaid applications into a single location.    Iowa DHS Public Information Officer Roger Munns said today that no

A trio of local artists is headed to the Iowa Artists state show after winning blue ribbons at Saturday?s regional art show in Washington. Brighton resident Donna Guy won a blue ribbon for her watercolor painting titled ?Sunrise.? The other two artists who are moving on to the state competition are painter Suzanne Stryker and sculptor Manuel Coradin, both from Fairfield. The state show is at the Fairfield Art Center

Washington County taxpayers may wonder how their tax rates compare to other counties in the state of Iowa. According to data from the Iowa State Association of Counties, Washington County has the 24th highest tax rate out of 99 counties in the state for non-rural residents. The property tax rate in Washington County is roughly $7.66 per $1,000 of assessed valuation for non-rural residents. The state average is about

The Washington City Council has debated a junk vehicle ordinance for three months but is not yet ready to sign the ordinance into law. The council heard what was to be the final reading of the ordinance at its meeting Wednesday night, but voted to table the ordinance after listening to a resident voice his concerns.    Ron Greiner, who runs Greiner Auto Body-Towing, addressed the council about a loophole he believes