Washington A high number of Washington County residents headed to the polls during last week's midterm election, with many also casting their ballots early throughout much of October. Precincts such as Kalona, Wellman and Riverside each recorded more than 1,000 ballots cast. more

Des Moines Democrat Rob Sand defeated Republican businessman Zach Lahn in the Nov. 3 general election and will become Iowa’s first Democratic governor since Chet Culver, who left office 15 years ago. Lahn carried Washington County by fewer than 400 votes, according to unofficial results... more

Do you have a story to tell about an act of kindness, memorable holiday experience, or family tradition that you would enjoy sharing with the community? If so, please share it with us at The News! We're working on our Holiday Guide coming out in November, and our theme is "Stories of the Season: Celebrating Giving, Kindness and Community." We would love to include your story! Please email your submission to JJ at News@thenews-ia.com -- photos are welcome as well! Deadline is Friday, November 13... more

Washington County Board of Supervisors (District 3) (1 seat) Marcus Fedler (R, incumbent) – 1,122 votes (54.9%) JoAnn Whitmore (D) – 920 votes (45.1%) (District 5) (1 seat) Brendan DeLong (R) - 1,004 votes (60.9%) Lynette Isles (D) – 644 votes (39.1%) County Attorney Nathan Repp (R) – 7,420 votes (100%) County Recorder Teresa Mangold (R) – 7,557 votes (100%) County Treasurer Lindsay Greiner Adam – 7,539 votes (100%) Iowa House District 92 (1 seat) Heather Hora (R, incumbent) 7,307 votes (55.2%) Brittany Erikson (D) 5,933 votes (44.8%) Mid-Prairie CSD Bond: 19,000,000 (60% to pass) (YES) 1,977 votes - (67.3%) (No) 961 votes - (32.7%) Federal U.S. House Iowa District 1 (1 seat) Christina Bohannan (D) - 172,833 votes (53.6%) Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R, Incumbent) 138,105 votes (42.8%) Michael Bridgford (N) 11,805 votes (3.7%) U.S. Senate Josh Turek (D) - 670,543 votes (50.5%) Ashley Hinson (R) - 615,770 votes (46.4%) Thomas Laehn (L) - 41,177 votes (3.1%) State Governor Rob Sand (D) - 757,6326 votes (56.1%) Zach Lahn (R) - 607,415 votes (43.9%) Attorney General Nate Williams (D) - 681,097 votes (50.9%) Brenna Bird (R, Incumbent) - 657,405 votes (49.1%) Secretary of State Paul Pate (R, Incumbent) - 711,766 votes (53.2%) Ryan Peterman (D) - 625,867 votes (46.8%) Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig (R, Incumbent) -701,882 votes (52.7) Chris Jones (D) - 629,249 (47.3%) Treasurer of State Roby Smith (R, Incumbent) - 664,948 votes (50.3%) John Norwood (D) - 655,763 votes (49.7%) Auditor of State Taylor Wettach (D) - 666,632 votes (50.2%) Chris Cournoyer (R, Incumbent) - 660,159 votes (49.8%) more

Wellman With 2026 winding down, the Wellman City Council heard an update from Washington County YMCA CEO Amy Schulte, who reported that Wellman YMCA membership has returned to pre-COVID levels. Schulte said members have been returning and signing back up. About 141 members, or 17%, receive some form of membership discount, while 85 members have addresses outside Wellman... more

Certain races in Washington County will be taking place such as District 3 (Riverside, Ainsworth, Crawfordsville, Brighton and Coppock), District 5 (Ward 2 and 3 in Washington), and the state representative for District 92 (Washington and parts of Johnson County)... more

Kalona Republican candidate for governor Zach Lahn spoke to a packed house at Dutch Country Table in Kalona on Wednesday during a Washington County campaign rally. Joining Lahn were Attorney General Brenna Bird, District 92 State Rep. Heather Hora, former gubernatorial candidate and State Rep. Brad Sherman, and Washington County Board of Supervisors Chair Jack Seward. Bird opened the rally by introducing herself and discussing her support for law enforcement, voter identification requirements and Second Amendment rights. She also discussed her lawsuit against OpenAI, which she described as an effort to protect children from suicide... more

Keota - Family does not always mean being related by blood. Sometimes, it means friends and neighbors coming together to help someone in their time of need. That is exactly what happened for the Conway family, whose farm is near Keota, just outside Wellman. John Conway, a Washington County farmer, suffered a serious fall on his 80th birthday, Thursday, October 8. According to his wife, Cathy, he was on a ladder repairing a leak in his corn dryer, something he does each year around this time, when he slipped and fell an estimated 16 feet... more

Wellman - The Mid-Prairie school board heard from Ben Curtis of Eocene Environmental Group about a recent survey of district employees. Curtis told the board the results “were very encouraging,” with 206 of about 250 employees responding, a participation rate of about 82%. The survey ran from August 23 to October 3. Employees gave an average score of 8.35 out of 10 when asked whether they would recommend the district as a place to work, with about 56% rating it a 9 or 10. Employees were also asked about their motivation and its primary source. About 88% reported being highly motivated or motivated most of the time, with meaningful work being the leading source... more

WELLMAN - In addition to candidates for various local, state, and national offices, voters in the Mid-Prairie School District will see a question on their ballot next week that will allow the district to fund continued facility improvements. School facilities are integrally tied to a community’s economic vitality, say members of the district’s Facility Advisory Committee who are also district residents, parents, and business owners. more

Wellman - With the Cedar Crossing Casino & Entertainment Center in Cedar Rapids opening in less than a month, the Washington County Riverboat Foundation (WCRF) is bracing for changes. For the past 20 years, the foundation has allocated 25% of its yearly revenue to municipal grants for cities throughout Washington County. With another casino opening about an hour away, the foundation expects its revenue to decline. more

Riverside With the election coming up soon, many voters will head to the polls on Nov. 3. Two seats on the Washington County Board of Supervisors are up for election: District 3 and District 5. District 3 covers Riverside, Ainsworth, Brighton, Crawfordsville and part of Coppock. The race includes incumbent Republican Marcus Fedler and Democratic challenger JoAnn Whitmore... more

Wellman The Wellman city council denied Spencer Miller’s request to split his property after reviewing it for a second consecutive meeting. Miller owns three homes on 313½ Avenue and wanted to sell them individually. The council previously tabled the proposal to seek input from the Planning and Zoning Commission and city attorney... more

Wellman Highway 22 will remain open during roadwork in Wellman, although drivers should expect intermittent lane closures and flaggers directing traffic. According to the Iowa Department of Transportation, work will begin on Monday, Oct. 19, and is expected to finish on Thursday, Nov. 19. .. more

Wellman In just a few weeks, voters will flock to the polls. Those who live within the Mid-Prairie Community School District, including Kalona, Wellman, West Chester and portions of Washington, Iowa and Johnson counties, will have a chance to vote on the district’s proposed $19 million bond. The district has been preparing for the bond for quite some time, beginning the planning process in 2023. The proposed project includes a new events entrance, additional classrooms for fine arts and special education, a 500-seat auditorium and more. more

Washington During the Washington County Board of Supervisors session on Tuesday, October 13, the board accepted a bid for $273,872.45 for the culvert replacement on Kiwi Avenue, below the estimated cost of $330,000. The board also approved a public highway easement for Kiwi Avenue in Cedar Township and tabled action on the second easement for Kiwi Avenue at the county engineer`s request... more

Wellman In September, the National Disabled Veterans Golf Clinic took place at the Kalona Golf Course, Blue Top Ridge Golf Course in Riverside, Pleasant Valley Golf Course and Elks Ridge Golf Course in Iowa City. During Hawk Highlights, the Mid-Prairie school board heard from head girls golf coach Tracy McArtor, who helped with the clinic and shared stories about his experience... more

A fire can happen when you are not expecting one, which is why Wellman fire chief Jeremy Peck urges families to make a plan before they need it. Peck has been with the department for 28 years and has served as fire chief for almost 20 years. Peck said preparation includes talking about what causes fires, how to prevent them and what to do if one starts. “Just the lack of preparation is the major issue. Not discussing what causes fires, the wind involved with fires, how to handle a grease fire. It’s just a lack of preparation, not being ready for it.”.. more

A landlord in Wellman, Spencer Miller, who owns 313½ on 9th Ave., was proposing to split his properties. Miller owns three rental homes on one parcel and wants to sell them individually. However, city administrator Kelly Litwiller said the property does not meet subdivision requirements because it is accessed from an alley rather than having frontage on a public street... more