Fairfield News

The number of people unaccounted for from Colorado?s devastating flooding has fallen dramatically as rescuers reach stranded victims, and electricity and phone services are restored to ravaged areas, allowing residents to contact family, friends or authorities.But some of the stranded are refusing to leave their homes, prompting crews to show them photos of the surrounding destruction amid warnings that they ...

Larry Hall spraypaints a bell black this morning outside First Christian Church Disciples of Christ in Fairfield. Hall, a parishioner of the church, said the bell will be ready to ring in about a week once it is mounted in a concrete base. The bell was previously in a bell tower at the church?s former location at the intersection of Burlington Avenue and Third Street. The church moved to its current location at ...

Pope Francis has warned that the Catholic Church?s moral structure might ?fall like a house of cards? if it doesn?t balance its divisive rules about abortion, gays and contraception with the greater need to make it a merciful, more welcoming place for all.Six months into his papacy, Francis set out his vision for the church and his priorities as pope in a lengthy and remarkably blunt interview with La Civilta ...

Facing extraordinary challenges, millions of Syrian children in government-controlled areas returned to school this week despite the civil war that has left almost 4,000 schools ? one in five ? damaged, destroyed or sheltering displaced families.In Damascus, the Syrian capital, a frequent target of mortar shells fired by rebels entrenched in the suburbs, the government insisted on starting the academic year on ...

DES MOINES (AP) ? Sen. Chuck Grassley celebrated his 80th birthday with a 6-mile run.The Des Moines Register reports Tuesday that Grassley ran from his townhome in Arlington, Va., to the Capitol.Grassley aide Jill Gerber says the senator also planned to have ice cream with his staff.Grassley ? a native of New Hartford ? was born in Sept. 17, 1933. The Republican is Iowa?s senior senator and has served in the ...

DES MOINES (AP) ? A grand jury has cleared two Des Moines police officers of any wrongdoing in the July shooting death of an armed home invasion suspect.The Des Moines Register says a grand jury convened last week found that officers Theodore Stroope and Jacob Hedlund were justified in the July 5 shooting of 57-year-old Larry Hawkins.An investigation showed the officers fired a total of seven shots at Hawkins. ...

MOUNT PLEASANT (GTNS) ? Progress is being made ? slowly ? on the dispute between the city of Mount Union and the Regional Utility Service Systems.The city of Mount Union and RUSS had a hearing on the current litigation Monday at the Henry County Courthouse, ending in mediation. Judge Mary Ann Brown ruled it would be in the best interest of both parties to try to negotiate a settlement.?It was basically brought ...

The Fairfield Community School District Board of Directors set a goal a year ago to end fiscal year 2013 with $1 million in spending authority, and came close, closing the former school year out with a $996,828 unspent authorized budget balance.?It?s definitely trending in the right direction, to be short by $3,172,? said Kim Sheets, district business manager.The school board has been aggressive the past few ...

DES MOINES (AP) ? The commission responsible for setting Iowa?s water quality standards is expected to make a decision next month on whether to set new measurable standards for the state?s lakes.The Iowa Environmental Protection Commission listened to a presentation at its Tuesday meeting in Mason City from two environmental groups that have petitioned for stricter water quality standards.The Iowa Environmental ...

Sixty runners burned rubber in Fairfield?s Finest 5K Run/Walk Saturday in Chautauqua Park. Among those hitting the trail hard are, from left, Katrina Johnson, Joni Fleig, Brian Simmons (overall winner), Anika McClelland, Julie Harvey and Taryn Mottet. The Fairfield Police Association sponsored the run, which was in its inaugural year. The run was planned by the following association officers: president Dave Wall, ...

DES MOINES (AP) ? The latest Powerball jackpot is estimated at $400 million, and it's considered the nation's fifth-largest ever. Here are some things to keep in mind ahead of Wednesday night's drawing. 1. The oddsRemember, a person's odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 175 million. That's how many combinations are possible with the game's five white balls and one red ball. In this case, there have been 11 ...

ROCKWELL CITY (AP) ? Hundreds of police officers and firefighters from across Iowa and neighboring states were among an estimated 2,000 people who attended the funeral of a Rockwell City police officer who was killed in the line of duty.While the crowd inside the South Central Calhoun Middle School gym in Rockwell City on Tuesday mourned the loss of eight-year police veteran Jamie Buenting, those outside the ...