Andy Hallman

As the blizzard makes its way across Iowa, dozens of schools are closing their doors or cutting back hours to ensure the safe transportation of school children. When not in school, those kids have to find something else with which to occupy their time. Many find their way to the Washington Y, which sees an enormous number of kids on early-out and no-school days.    Fran Stigers, the sports director at the Y, is in

The blizzard that was predicted for Washington County Tuesday night lived up to expectations. Roughly 10 inches of snowfall was recorded Tuesday night through Wednesday morning, to go along with wind gusts as high as 50 mph. The inclement weather forced the closure of several area schools and prevented the Washington minibus from operating at all. A tow ban was also issued for Wednesday because of the dangerous

As the Washington area prepares for the blizzard that is scheduled to begin Tuesday evening and last through Wednesday, local authorities are advising residents to stay indoors if at all possible. Approximately seven inches of snow is predicted to fall Tuesday night, accompanied by 30 to 40 mph wind gusts. Larry Smith, the Washington County emergency management coordinator, said that a combination of wet, heavy snow

The Christmas season is a time for family members to come together and enjoy each other?s company. That is, unless you?re stuck in the Black Forest of Germany trying to dodge bullets and survive the frigid cold. That was what Christmas time was in 1944 for World War II veteran George Grove, now a resident of the United Presbyterian Home in Washington.    Christmas did not have the same celebratory feel on the

As the Washington area prepares for the blizzard that is scheduled to begin Tuesday evening and last through Wednesday, local authorities are advising residents to stay indoors if at all possible. Approximately seven inches of snow is predicted to fall Tuesday night, accompanied by 30 to 40 mph wind gusts. Larry Smith, the Washington County emergency management coordinator, said that a combination of wet, heavy snow

For the first time this year, area residents have had to get out their shovels to clear the streets and sidewalks of snow. Washington received a little over an inch of snow Monday morning, prompting city officials to plow and salt the streets. Parks Commissioner Tim Widmer used a lawnmower outfitted with a blade to move snow off the sidewalks in the downtown area.    Widmer said Monday?s snow should not present a

The National Weather Service is predicting blowing snow in Washington County beginning Tuesday night and continuing through Wednesday. Roughly 3 inches of snow are in the forecast for Tuesday alone, with a chance of precipitation of 90 percent. City and county officials are doing what they can to prepare for the blizzard.    County Engineer David Patterson said the county is prepared for the blizzard and that it

The service organizations in Washington are doing their part to make Christmas a joyful time of year for those in need. Several groups in the city have programs to assist low-income families who struggle to get by during the holiday season.    The Rotary Club of Washington has for many years assisted Hawkeye Area Community Action Program (HACAP) with the adoption of needy families in the community. Jim Mostek, the

The E911 Services Board and Communications Commission are exploring the possibility of building a new communications center adjacent to the county jail at Orchard Hill. That was the matter that was discussed at the two boards? joint meeting Thursday night in Washington.    Leonard Koehnen, a consulting engineer out of St. Paul, Minn., said there are advantages to building a dispatch center alongside the jail.

The Washington Choral Society is putting on their Christmas concert titled ?Joy,? which will be 7:30 p.m. Saturday evening in the United Presbyterian Church. The choral society will be joined by a group of singers known as the ?Sound of Washington.? The Sound of Washington is a group of 26 special-needs adults that was formed in the spring when the group performed its first concert at Hamakua Place.    The idea for

The Washington Junior High School will be the site of a miniature ?Dance Marathon? for the second year in a row. The event will be held on Saturday night, Jan. 30 in the junior high gymnasium. The dance is being organized by two ninth-grade students, Johannah Vittetoe and Lexi Marek, as part of a class they?re taking called ?Social Problems.?    Rachel Meyer, a social studies teacher at the junior high, is the

The Washington City Council will take up the issue of traffic control at the intersection of Second Avenue and East Main Street at its regular meeting Wednesday night. The old library sits on the northwest corner of the intersection, and the city?s plan to move some of its offices there has brought attention to the traffic light that regulates the intersection.    Council member Merlin Hagie raised the issue of

Businesses in Washington County had a mostly successful day of sales on ?Black Friday,? the Friday after Thanksgiving. Some businesses opened their doors before sunrise to accommodate the early-morning shoppers, while other businesses saw their sales pick up in the afternoon.    The RadioShack in Kalona opened more than three hours earlier than normal, and that still wasn?t early enough for some shoppers. Casey

Washington?s square was lined with people Friday night to witness the 14th Annual Lighted Holiday Parade. Attendees saw Santa Claus on a motorcycle, a group of people wearing Christmas trees on their heads and, of course, dozens of nicely decorated floats. Main Street Washington Director Amy Vetter said the parade went as planned and that she was very pleased with how it turned out.    ?We heard lots of great things

When I?m lying in bed, half-asleep, looking over to see how many minutes are left until I have to hit the snooze button again, I will ask myself, ?Self, why didn?t you go to bed earlier?? And I never have a good answer. The best I come up with is that I couldn?t believe it would be this difficult to wake up after a whole six hours of sleep.I think what happens is that every once in a blue moon we are able to wake up