Fairfield News

The Jefferson County Compensation Board is recommending a 2.5 percent salary increase for elected county officials, with the exception of a suggested 3 percent raise for the sheriff.The Jefferson County Board of Supervisors cannot exceed the recommendation, but may reduce it by a consistent percentage during the budgeting process.?When we started trying to upgrade to get our salaries in line on our county ...

The Jefferson County Board of Supervisors is recommending the Department of Natural Resources approve one of two hog confinement expansions planned by Ryan Robertson.Robertson has applied for construction permits to expand KK Finsher at 1031 Quince Ave. in Penn Township and Brighton Finisher at 1083 Germanville Road in Walnut Township by 1,200 head each. Each currently houses 2,400 head.Following a public ...

Santa Claus will make his annual Christmas Eve visit to Fairfield, sponsored by the local Rotary Club, late Saturday afternoon.Just as he has almost every year for the past 80, Santa and his entourage will arrive in Central Park between 5-5:30 p.m. to pass out treats to children and to take their last-minute gift wishes.The Christmas Eve ritual begins about 4:15 p.m. when parade, including Santa?s tractor-po...

Three veteran Brighton City Council members, with a combined experience of 52 years, attended their last official city council meeting Tuesday before retiring.Councilmen Melvin Rich, Jim Miller and Fairfield native Rob Pettit retired from the council after the meeting. None had run for re-election during the November election. A small celebration was held for them in the community room of Brighton City Hall ...

Increased exports helped push Iowa?s ethanol production to a record 3.7 billion gallons in 2011, renewable fuel officials said.The Des Moines Register reported that production at the state?s 41 ethanol plants increased by about 200 million gallons over last year.Overall ethanol production in the U.S. is estimated at 13.8 billion gallons in 2011 with foreign demand accounting for about 1 billion gallons of ...

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Why do kids believe a chubby guy in a flying sleigh can deliver joy across America? Because their parents do. A whopping 84 percent of grown-ups were once children who trusted in Santa?s magic, and lots cling to it still.Things are changing fast these days, with toddlers wishing for iPads, grade schoolers emailing their Christmas lists and moms wrestling over bargain toys at midnight sales. ...

The Fairfield Police Department responded to an accident at 9:48 p.m. Thursday on Adams Avenue. According to the accident report, a westbound 1993 Buick Lesabre drove off the right side of the road and struck a 2000 Honda Civic, legally parked in a private drive. Teresa Ann Mathias, owner of the Lesabre, was found in the passenger seat of the vehicle. Due to insufficient evidence no charges were filed against ...

These traffic charges were filed with the Jefferson County Clerk of Court:Kevin T. Forward, Bedfordhills, N.Y., speeding.Kathryn Rada Hoskins, 2052 140th St., speeding.Norman Kenneth Lux, 2209 W. Burlington Ave., speeding.Christopher W. Strube, Centerville, speeding.Kyle A. Nett, Payson, speeding.Elizabeth Ann Hektoen, Janesville, speeding.Chad Michael Benedict, 2535 Union Ave., passing too ...

Jefferson County Health Center will soon be getting a new eye microscope for cataract surgeries following the board of trustees? approval to spend $50,000 on the equipment.Joneane Parker, vice president of clinical services, told the trustees during the board?s regular monthly meeting Monday evening a new eye microscope is necessary because the technical support for the one currently being used has dwindled to ...

The Fairfield school board Monday gave school district administrators the go ahead to recommend a Fairfield-based classroom and program for students with behavioral issues.Superintendent Art Sathoff provided a written outline comparing two programs under review: Christamore and KeBecca.The total expenditure for the Christamore services last year ? tuition plus transportation, including the bus overhead ...

Proceedings in the Iowa House will be streamed live over the Internet when lawmakers begin the legislative session next month.House Speaker Kraig Paulsen says six high-definition cameras have been placed in the chamber, offering people direct access to debate.Paulsen, a Republican from Hiawatha, called it ?an openness, transparency issue.?Video won?t be streamed when the House is recessed or in the midst ...

The Van Buren County Board of Supervisors approved the renewal of the Master Matrix Monday.The matrix is a scoring system through the Iowa Department of Natural Resources that can be used to evaluate the siting of permitted confinement animal feeding operations. Counties that have adopted a construction evaluation resolution can use the Master Matrix in determining whether or not a confinement should be built. ...