The News

Kalona

Kalona FY25 budget a go, search begins for new attorney

KALONA The Kalona City Council met Monday night and got straight to work, holding a public hearing for the FY24-25 budget, at which no comments were made, and subsequently approving said budget. …

The Kalona Rotary club admired Kalona Fire’s new pumper tanker last week.

Kalona Fire thanks community

KALONA “We had a very, very good day,” fire chief Jerry Zahradnek said of Kalona Fire’s pancake breakfast fundraiser on Saturday, April 6. Although lines were long, the department cooked as …

The Kalona Chamber joined Kuenster Plumbing, Heating & Air on Monday, April 15 to celebrate their move to their new shop at 104 G Avenue, Kalona. The business, which opened in 2008, was originally homebased; it moved to downtown Kalona in 2010 and has since expanded. The new location allows for continued growth into the future; they are currently hiring for several positions. L-R: Tandy Greiner (Appliance Barn), Jeremy Kuenster, Heather Kuenster, Tonia Poole (Kalona Chamber), Ethel Bontrager (Ethel’s Gourmet Kitchen B&B), and Grace Schumann (Stitch N Sew Cottage).

Celebrating Kuenster's relocation

Riverside

Future of Hills Elementary, students discussed at legislative briefing

KALONA Rep. Heather Hora and Sen. Dawn Driscoll held their last legislative briefing of the season on Friday, April 12, at the Kalona Historical Village, where they described myriad bills they …

Highland sets calendar for 2024-25 school year

RIVERSIDE The first day of school in Highland’s new four-day week will be August 23 for the 2024-25 school year. The school year will end May 28, two days after Memorial Day. The …

Construction work at Riverside's water plants finishing up

RIVERSIDE Riverside Mayor Allen Schneider emerged from Monday night’s City Council meeting with a smile. One reason: With back-to-back meetings lasting just an hour, he was able to …

Wellman

Wellman adopts FY25 budget, unsure about circus

WELLMAN Three of five council members turned out for Wellman’s city council meeting on Monday, April 16, at which the FY25 budget hearing was held without comment and adoption of said budget was …

Wellman Fire hosts largest ever Tenderloin Meal

WELLMAN Wellman’s volunteer firefighters, assisted by their families, hosted another successful drive-thru tenderloin meal on Saturday, April 13. Their largest crowd to date followed directions …

Clint Miller in front of Freeman Foods’ revamped produce section, where items are competitively priced and less common items such as plantains can be found.

EVERY LAST CHANCE

WELLMAN If Wellman residents want to keep their neighborhood grocery store, they will have to change how they shop. Instead of stopping in occasionally when they run out of butter or when …

Lone Tree

Aging Johnson County jail to get building monitoring system

IOWA CITY Conditions at the Johnson County jail have gotten so bad that a monitoring system is about to be installed around the building. The Johnson County Board of Supervisors approved a …

Lone Tree speech, drama students perform for community, take home awards

LONE TREE Lone Tree high school English teacher Tanya McCarty hosted an end-of-year speech and drama award show on Saturday, April 6, to award the students who excelled in speech and drama …

Lone Tree teachers to see pay raise thanks to state legislation

LONE TREE Although contracts have yet to be signed for the 2024-25 school year, Lone Tree teachers should expect raises in the near future, thanks to Iowa legislation that increased teacher …

Features

Mid-Prairie's art show

Lone Tree church starts mental health conversation

LONE TREE At a mental health and wellness workshop on Saturday, April 6, licensed mental health counselor Jennifer Brost described mental health in a small community like Lone Tree: everyone …

Washington's wonder

WASHINGTON There is a stark difference between the silver screen and a flatscreen at home. There is an even further divide between an old movie theater and one newly built. The lights …

North America’s smallest raptor: The American Kestrel

KALONA The itty-bitty American Kestrel might not intimidate at a glance, but this small raptor terrorizes many across the American continent. The kestrel’s ferocity is not it’s …

Craftsman finds inspiration in Kalona church building – and its bats

KALONA Each nook and cranny of Kalona is chock-full of antique furniture that yearns for a time when it felt young, vibrant, alive. It takes a dedicated hand and a concentrated mind to craft and …

Hills

Community Violence Prevention Program among approved ARPA projects

IOWA CITY Several Johnson County projects being funded by American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) money survived a third round of voting at a Johnson County Board of Supervisors meeting last week, …

Legislators propose Hills join Lone Tree CSD; parents say ‘not so fast'

HILLS Iowa State Representative Heather Hora and Iowa State Senator Dawn Driscoll introduced an idea to redraw school districts, allowing the Hills community to join a new school district, on …

Iowa City/Coralville

Administrator Stephanie Kronlage, in the atrium at Atrium Village in Hills.

Meet Atrium Village’s new administrator

“Coming here has been a breath of fresh air,” says Stephanie Kronlage, Atrium Village’s new administrator, who began working for the non-profit, Hills-based independent living and nursing care community in March.

Hillcrest soccer vs Danville

Hillcrest, wearing alternate uniforms inspired by Liverpool FC, defeated the visiting Danville Bears, 2-1, on April 18. Junior Micah Gerber scored both of Hillcrest's goals and with this win the …

Washington County

Washington Co. board finalizes GO bond offering

WASHINGTON In the second and final step for the issuance of not more than $2,420,000 in General Obligation bonds, the Washington County Supervisors Tuesday finalized a four-year term through UMB …

County GO bond rate ‘very good’ on four-year term; board sets hearing for 140th Street road assessment

WASHINGTON The Washington County Board of Supervisors Tuesday gave unanimous formal approval to the purchase agreement for the sale of $2,361,000 in general obligation bonds that will finance a …

Johnson County

‘Harm’ of transgender issues heats up at Board meetings

IOWA CITY During a week when the Transgender Day of Visibility was recognized nationally, the subject itself turned into a heated controversy at a couple of Johnson County Board of Supervisors …

A row of homes in Hills have been rebuilt since an EF2 tornado ripped through the community in March 2023.

One year later, a stormy reminder

On the afternoon of March 31 last year, a Friday, early spring winds howled across Iowa. Severe storms were in the forecast. Another typical late March day, right? The skies grew dark …