Lambirth Cemetery Memorial Day; Primary absentee ballots; Broadband Internet meeting set

Memorial Day service Sunday at Lambirth Cemetery

A Memorial Day service will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at Lambirth Cemetery near the Jefferson/Henry County Line Road.

A guest speaker is scheduled.

Those attending are asked to bring lawn chairs.

Memorial Day, previously known as Decoration Day, was originally dedicated to honoring Union soldiers who died during the Civil War. It has since been expanded to honor all men and women who died while in military service. Impromptu Decoration Day celebrations began in 1865, and it became an organized holiday in 1868. The name Memorial Day was first used in 1882, and it has been the official name since Memorial Day became a federal holiday in 1971.

Primary election absentee ballots available

A primary election will be held in Jefferson County June 5.

Voters can cast ballots by registering for a political party.

Absentee balloting is available now at the auditor?s office in the Jefferson County Courthouse. A request for an absentee ballot can be made at the office, which is open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, except holidays.

The last day to vote absentee is June 4, the day prior to Election Day. Absentee ballots can be voted in the office at the time of application or mailed back to the courthouse. Mailed absentee ballots must be postmarked June 4 or earlier to be counted.

A sample ballot for the primary election was printed on page 3 of Friday?s Fairfield Ledger.

For more information, call the auditor?s office at 472-2840 or email auditor@jeffersoncountyia.com.

Broadband Internet meeting Friday morning

A new statewide effort designed to expand and improve broadband Internet is being driven at the state level through a partnership between the Iowa Economic Development Authority and Connect Iowa.

A countywide meeting to gather input needed for the effort will be held at 10 a.m. Friday in the Fairfield Public Library meeting room.

The meeting will bring together representatives for all of Jefferson County?s critical facilities and will be designed to identify current broadband-related levels of service, needs, and solutions.

The goals of the meeting are to: collect data needed for the state-wide assessment; identify any special issues, such as rural infrastructure; and help make a case for local need in Jefferson County.

Once the statewide meetings are held and associated input and data is collected, the Iowa Economic Development Authority intends to develop and implement effective strategies for greater technology access, adoption and use.

The program creates an opportunity to encourage broadband development for Jefferson County in areas that are currently unserved or

underserved.

The goal of the Connect Iowa program is to accelerate the availability and use of technology toward creating a better business environment, more effective community and economic development, improved healthcare, enhanced education and more efficient government.