Fairfield News

Fairfield residents may not be aware of Iowa?s new school bus law or its tougher sanctions, said Fred McElwee, director of auxiliary services for the Fairfield Community School District.?It is much more strict now, and the public is not aware of it,? said McElwee. ?It?s important to let our community know.?Gov. Terry Branstad signed into law the ?Keep Aware Driving ? Youth Need School Safety Act,? in March, ...

Sixteen law enforcement jurisdictions across eastern and southeastern Iowa, including Van Buren County, will receive $36,553 through the U.S. Department of Justice Bulletproof Vest Partnership.The BVP provides funding to state and local law enforcement jurisdictions for purchasing bullet-resistant body armor for law enforcement officers.

WASHINGTON, Iowa (GTNS) ? According to court records, Tyler Myers had two juveniles in his vehicle during a high-speed chase with Washington County Sheriff?s deputies that lasted about 45 minutes and ended in Iowa County.Myers, 21, of Williamsburg, is charged with possession of a controlled substance, two counts of child endangerment, felony eluding, no valid driver?s license, criminal mischief, no proof of ...

Fairfield received about 3.17 inches of rain Saturday and Sunday resulting in about 95,042 gallons of sanitary sewer overflow from the collection system flowing into Crow Creek.Fairfield has a serious inflow and infiltration problem as shown by these sanitary sewer overflows.In Fairfield, sanitary sewer overflows are exacerbated by an aging sewer infrastructure with defects such as broken and cracked pipes and ...

A study released by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Monday says the agency did what it could to manage the historic 2011 flooding on the Missouri River, but that more repairs, research and monitoring are needed to mitigate damage in future high flow years.Experts from the Corps of Engineers conducted the study, which focuses on vulnerabilities that remain after the Missouri River rose to record levels last ...

Roadwork was again a major topic of discussion at the weekly Jefferson County Board of Supervisors meeting today.The supervisors agreed the county will add a second seal coat to Salina Road, using limestone chips and a different binder than was used this summer when the road was seal coated with boiler slag.?The binder will be different because the outdoor temperatures are different,? said Scott Cline, county ...

Fairfield?s Harper Brush Works Inc. filed an ?emergency motion for order approving auction and bid procedures? Thursday with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Southern District of Iowa.The request to the court came on the heels of the 112-year-old Fairfield manufacturer entering into an asset purchase agreement with Q.E.P. Co. Inc. of Boca Raton, Fla., earlier Thursday. Q.E.P. agreed to pay $2.2 million ?plus the ...

Robert Estle of Estle Construction starts the long process of moving mud accumulation from the drained pond at Whitham Woods west of Fairfield Thursday afternoon. The Jefferson County Parks pond was drained earlier this spring and will be rebuilt to a similar size. The completion date for the project is estimated to be sometime in 2014.

Visitors spent more money in Jefferson County last year than in 2010 helping to create jobs and increased sales tax revenue.According to a report released by the Iowa Economic Development Authority, visitors to Jefferson County spent $36.55 million in 2011, up by 7.38 percent from 2010. Overall, visitors spent nearly $7.3 billion statewide in 2011.In Jefferson County, those dollars generated 350 jobs, with a ...

Correction: Haunted Barn opens Oct. 19 Van Buren County Jaycees? Haunted Barn opens Oct. 19 and will be open 7 p.m. to midnight Fridays and Saturdays through Oct. 27, and also Halloween night.Admission is $5. To find the haunted barn, take Highway 1 to Birmingham. At the flashing light, turn east on East Cedar Street and continue until it becomes 115th Street. Turn north on Quail Avenue. It is the first barn ...

?Tis the season ? for colder weather, more indoor activities, seasonal stress and flu shots.Flu shots, or annual vaccines, help protect against the influenza virus.Area doctors? offices and local pharmacies offer flu shots, usually for $25.?The flu season usually starts around Christmas,? said Jay Heitsman. a physician at Medical Arts Clinic. ?It?s good to get the flu vaccine about six weeks prior to the start ...

The Fairfield City Council passed the final reading of the Touch Pad Meter Policy, Ordinance 1092, Monday night, changing the city?s default device to a touch-pad meter instead of a radio-read meter.Water department superintendent Carl Chandler said going forward personnel will offer new accounts touch-pad meters or a choice of whatever else they have available.The city also is removing opt-out fees for ...