Lower Sales Tax Revenue Means A Rise In City Property Taxes

The Washington City Council has a public hearing on their proposed city budget for the upcoming fiscal year. City Administrator Dave Plyman says since the casino has been operating the money the city gets from the casino has gone to capitol projects, and money from sales taxes has been used to offset property taxes. Plyman says with lower money generated by sales tax, and with the city allocating money from the casino to needed capitol projects, there will be an increase in what residents pay in property taxes under the proposed budget. Tonight's public hearing on the budget is part of their regular meeting which begins at 7pm at the public library.

Brighton Township Trustee Vacancy

Washington County Supervisors want to hear from the existing Brighton Township Trustees before making an appointment to fill a current vacancy. There are three seats and Supervisor Chair Jim Miksch said at yesterdays supervisors meeting that the two trustees haven't been able to recommend someone to be appointed to fill the vacant seat. Mike Murphy expressed strong interest in being appointed at the supervisor meeting this morning but supervisors want to talk to the two current trustees first to see if they can't agree on a recommendation. The vacancy exists because no one filed to run for the seat in the last election.

Washington Guard Member Meets Senator Harkin

A Washington High School student was among a group of Iowa National Guard members who recently met with Iowa U-S Senator Tom Harkin. Michael Cavin was among those who paid a visit to the Senator's Washington D.C. office. Harkin told the group he was very proud of the young men and women have chosen to serve Iowa and the United States with great pride and commitment. Harkin added it was great to meet with them and share some his own stories as veteran. Michael Cavin is currently a senior at Washington High School.

Washington After Prom Committee Seeking Donations

Washington High School After Prom preparations are underway. After Prom Committee Chair Brenda Fishback says the committee is seeking donations to be used for door prizes at the event. She says whether it is video games, gas cards or gift cards to eating establishments there are lots of great ideas. Fishback says you can donate money and the organizers will use it to purchase a prize. Donations can be dropped off to Eastern Iowa Chiropractic.

Kalona Trail System

Washington County Engineer David Patterson appeared before the Kalona City Council to present plans for a trail system from Kalona to Richmond when the Kalona City Council met Monday. Patterson noted that the Washington County Trails Plan and the Kalona Comprehensive Plan both call for a pedestrian/biking trail connecting Kalona and Richmond. Patterson will also report on the study, which the city helped fund, on retrofitting and upgrading the old English River Bridge that is now closed.

Hunter Safety Course

A Louisa County hunter safety class will be offered on Thursday, March 26, 6:00 - 9:00 p.m. and Saturday, March 28, from 8:00 a.m. 4:30 p.m. at Langwood Education Center. Katie Hammond with the Louisa County Conservation says students must attend both classes in order to become certified. The course includes classroom lessons as well as live fire and shooting demonstrations. Iowa residents born after January 1, 1972 and nonresidents born after January 1, 1967, must satisfactorily complete a hunter education course in order to obtain a hunting license.

Purple Martin Workshop

A workshop/seminar on attracting Purple martins will be held Saturday, March 28, beginning at 9:10 A.M. at the CAM Iowa Clothing Center, 1005 Nutmeg Ave in Kalona. Jim Walters is one of the coordinators and says the purple martin is one of our most wanted songbirds since a well-maintained colony brings joy to any neighborhood. Martin populations are rebounding across North America as people put up improved housing and learn proper monitoring techniques. There will be a $2.00 registration fee and lunch will be available at the site. The event will be held Saturday, March 28 at the CAM Iowa Clothing Center in Kalona.

Washington Sheriff Moves to Jail

The Washington County Sheriff's Office has completed their move to the new jail. There was thought they may have had to delay the move a couple of weeks to finish getting systems such as phones set up but in a release yesterday, it was announced the relocation is complete. The sheriff has said he wants to be based at the jail to be able to quickly respond to problems that may come up. The phone number to reach the sheriff's office will remain the same.

Washington Band Stand Renovations

Renovation work on the Washington bandstand on the square could begin in August. City Parks Board Member Don Pfeiffer says that is dependent on the amount of money the board is able raise. He says they have secured a $130,000 grant from the Riverboat Foundation and they'd need to raise around another $170,000. Some of the things they want to do include replacing the tiered stage with a flat stage and improve acoustics. Pfeiffer says they plan to begin fund raising events very soon and hope to have enough before summer starts to be able to begin work in August.

County Supervisor Meeting

Washington County Supervisors will look at quotes for roadway painting at their meeting today. The Washington County Engineer's office will present the quotes to supervisors. They will also consider an equipment purchase to be used on county secondary roads, fill a Brighton Township Trustee position and get a structural report on the English River Bridge. The Supervisors' meeting starts at 9:30am in the basement of the courthouse.

Edible Insect Program At Marr Park

Most Americans don't eat insects but there is program on Saturday talking about the many people around the world that do. According to Marr Park Naturalist Pam Holz the United States and Europe are the only places that don't eat insects. Holz says they are putting on Bug Banquet: Edible Insects, a program that talks about just what the title describes and the nutritional value. It will be Saturday at 1:00 pm at the Conservation Education Center at Marr Park. The cost is $3.

IMS Concert

Come enjoy an afternoon concert of musical talent presented by Iowa Mennonite School students. The concert will be given on Sunday, March 8th at 3:00 p.m. in Celebration Hall at Iowa Mennonite School. This concert is a fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and donations will be accepted at the door. Light refreshments will also be served.

Kalona Days

Kalona is gearing up for Kalona Days, festival director Dave Finley is now accepting applications for food vendors, arts & crafts vendors, as well as groups, organizations and businesses that wish to have a booth or display at this 2 day event. Kalona will celebrate its 130th birthday during the festival with a parade, entertainment, contests, classic car show, dance and games for all ages. Organizers are constructing what may be the largest quilt cake of its kind in America. For information or a vendor application please call the Kalona General Store 319-656-3535.

Low Income Energy Assistance

Alliant Energy is reminding qualified Iowa residents that they can apply for Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funds now through April 15. To obtain energy assistance, qualified utility customers can apply for LIHEAP funds until April 15, 2009. Applicants are encouraged to apply as early as possible. For more information on where or how to apply for LIHEAP funds, people can contact their local community action agency or visit www.dcaa.iowa.gov and click on Bureau of Energy Assistance.

New Doctor Coming To Washington

A new doctor is coming to Washington. Washington Hospital and Clinics says Dr. Lloyd Holm is moving here from Omaha. Dr. Holm is an OB/GYN and will practice at Women's Healthcare of Washington. He will replace Dr. Nathan Thomas who is moving to Texas in July. Dr. Holm has been serving as an associate professor at the University of Nebraska and will begin work in Washington in June.

IMS Boys Make State Tournament

The IMS boys basketball team has qualified for trip to the state tournament in Des Moines. Saturday night, IMS beat Prince of Peace out of Clinton 59-51. So now IMS will have to wait to see exactly when and who they will play next Monday. The activities association won't post the pairing until all of the sub-state games are finished. There are still four sub-state games that will be played this evening. Once the finals are in, the state will post pairings which will make it clear when next Monday, IMS will play.

Antler Measuring

Deer hunters interested in having antlers measured should bring them to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Southeast District Office on March 2 or March 4. Donald Pfeiffer with the DNR based in Lake Darling says measuring will be held today from 1 p.m. until 8 p.m. and Wednesday from 1 p.m. until 8 p.m. The Southeast District Office is located in Lake Darling State Park, three miles west of Brighton on State Highway 1 and 78. If you would like to reserve a specific time between 1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., please call 319-694-2430 for an appointment. Those not making appointments and others after 5:00 p.m. will be on a first come-first served basis. Allow 20 minutes for each antler set to be measured.

County Offering Historic Preservation Grant

Non-profit groups undertaking historic preservation projects in Washington County could be eligible for a grant from the county. The Washington County Historic Preservation Commission says they've been authorized to distribute $4000 to help with such projects. Projects that are eligible include those that involve securing, maintaining, acquiring, or retaining historic sites, structures, or artifacts that are at least 50 years old and have significance to the county. Grant applications are due March 15th. If you would like more information you can call 653-3879.

Talley's Folly Coming To Washington

The Old Creamery Theater Company is bringing a production of Talley's Folly to the Washington Community Theater in mid March. According to the group Talley's Folly is a charming story about one evening in the courtship of two unlikely lovers. Performances will be March 13th and 14th and March 20th and 21st with start times at 7:30 each evening. For tickets you can call the box office at 653-5175.

Armenian Program at the Kalona Public Library

There will be a program at the Kalona Public Library about Armenia and its culture, songs, music and language. Youth Services Librarian, Marissa Tartaglia says the main goal of Armenia: the Sleeping Beauty is to teach American children about Armenia: culture, language, music and art. The classes will be taught by two foreign exchange students from Armenia, Arevik Torosyan and Armen Sahakyan. This is a 6-week program starting March 7th and ending May 2nd, every Saturday from 10:30am to 12:00pm at the Kalona Public Library.