Fairfield News

MAGISTRATE COURTCandace Faye Humphreys, 24, of Campo, Texas, pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and received a deferred judgment. She was placed on probation for six months and ordered to pay a $65 civil penalty. ASSOCIATE DISTRICT COURTBenjamin Jordan Menden, 22, 402 W. Washington Ave., pleaded guilty to simple assault and was fined $65. A 30-day jail sentence was suspended in favor of six months probation....

Pinney to be conference speaking chair Dr. Michelle Pinney of The Village Vet in Birmingham has been chosen to be the equine speaking chairwoman for the Eastern Iowa Veterinary Association?s annual conference.Pinney will arrange the speakers for the equine section of the conference, and she will be presenting a demonstration.The Eastern Iowa Veterinary Association?s annual conference provides continuing ...

Secretary of State Matt Schultz is again proposing to require that voters show identification at polling places before they can cast ballots.Schultz made voter identification the key issue of his 2010 campaign and supported a similar effort last session that failed.In announcing his proposal Thursday, he acknowledged to not knowing how prevalent voter fraud is in Iowa. But he says it?s important to close ...

Representatives from Indian Hills Community College encouraged the Van Buren Community School Board to consider joining a possible Career Academy being proposed.Karen Swanson and Tom Rubel made their pitch at the regular board meeting Jan. 18.The board also discussed information that would be needed to decide priorities for any building projects.According to Swanson, Indian Hills? coordinator of high school ...

?We?re ready,? is the message city leaders are trying to convey to Blue Zone Project judges.A seven-minute video of citizens engaging in area recreational activities submitted with Fairfield?s Blue Zone application is one way that message is demonstrated.Another is through the ongoing registration of Fairfield and Jefferson County residents in support of the Blue Zones Project.?We?re an entire community of ...

The House has unanimously sent Gov. Terry Branstad a measure increasing spending on tuition assistance for deployed veterans who want to attend public Iowa colleges.A big deployment of Iowa National Guard troops has led to increased demand for the program, forcing officials to reduce funding from 90 percent of tuition to 50 percent. The measure approved Thursday by the House adds $1.3 million to restore the 90 ...

President Barack Obama pitched his vision for boosting U.S. manufacturing during a visit Wednesday to a small factory in Cedar Rapids, a message tailored to appeal to independent voters he?ll need for a second term in office.The White House said Obama?s trip to Iowa wasn?t political, but it came after Republican presidential hopefuls spent months bashing the president?s record on the economy before the Jan. 3 ...

A measure allowing MidAmerican Energy to bill customers for the cost of a proposed nuclear power plant before construction is done has enough support in the Iowa Legislature to become law, according to a key lawmaker.Even if the measure is approved by lawmakers, the company would still have to convince the Iowa Utilities Board that it?s a good idea.Sen. Matt McCoy, a Des Moines Democrat and chairman of the ...

The Iowa City Council has taken another step toward approving traffic cameras despite a legislative proposal that would ban the speed and red-light cameras across the state.The council voted 4-3 for the cameras on Tuesday, the second of three approvals necessary for final adoption. The third vote is scheduled for Feb. 21.On Wednesday, a House transportation subcommittee voted to move the ban bill forward to the ...

City street department employees Larry Hanshaw, left, and Leo Schafer stuff branches into a chipper as they finish trimming a tree on West Grimes Avenue Wednesday afternoon. The street crew has time for such tasks this winter with fewer inches of snow to remove from the streets than in recent winters.

The Jefferson County Sheriff?s Office responded to an accident at 6:17 a.m. today, 4 miles southwest of Packwood on Butternut Avenue. According to the accident report, a 2006 Chevy truck driven by David Luke Fishel of Packwood was southbound when it missed the curve because of fog. Fishel overcorrected and rolled east of the curve. Estimated damages are $15,000 to the vehicle.

The Fairfield Iowa Convention and Visitors Bureau has announced its 2012 grant recipients, awarding $11,500 to assist with the promotion of 24 local events and activities.The visitors bureau awarded grants for the following events: Fairfield 1st Fridays Art Walk Youth Art; 1st Fridays Art Walk Film Festival; Southeast Iowa Blues Society Kick the Blues Concert; 1st Fridays Art Walk Photography: Through the Lens; ...