FOOD & DRINK

A new aspect will be included in a summer event in Jefferson, with the goal of attracting more interest from the public. Tower Tunes Live concerts return on Wednesdays in June from 12:15-12:30pm. Mahanay Maestros will perform songs of their choice on the four octave carillon of the Mahanay Memorial Carillon Tower. New this year is a contest called “Name That Tower Tune.”

In just a couple of days, several Greene County High School students will be heading to the Des Moines Civic Center to officially receive the school’s first-ever awards for a musical. Choir Director David Heupel says “The Addams Family Musical” earned lots of awards from the Iowa High School...

There’s a new eye-catching mural in Jefferson on one of the newest structures the city owns. The Greene County High School painting class completed the mural on the east side of the new Greene County Animal Shelter in the Greene County Development Corporation West Business Park along Highway 4. Art teacher Sarah Stott tells Raccoon Valley Radio the students chose the final design that depicts a dog and cat waving with an intended message of “Take me home!” She says they also wanted to incorporate animal paws as a nod to the non-profit organization of the People for Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) of Greene County.

What happens when you turn Mrs. Julie Kennedy and her Interior Design class loose in your new office space and conference room? They take two rooms surrounded by plain block walls and turn them into an office and a conference room that is welcoming for students and community members. So...

The Jefferson Public Library is hosting another author talk on Wednesday. “The Journey of Karoline Olsen” is written by Ann Hanigan Kotz, who lives with her husband in Adel. The fictional book draws on real-life inspirations from Hanigan Kotz’ life, including Norwegian relatives who live in western Iowa, in towns like Soldier. The story is about Karoline Olsen’s journey to her husband’s hometown of Soldier, after he died in 1904 from a sudden burst appendix.

The Bell Tower Community Foundation in Jefferson has announced a new contest to get people thinking creatively with music. The Mahanay Music Committee is seeking entries for “The Jefferson Chimes” contest. Individuals must create a musical fanfare that will be played on the bells of the Mahanay Memorial Carillon Tower in Jefferson whenever there is a special community event. The original, short musical phrase will be reviewed by a committee and then a recommendation will be made to the Greene County Board of Supervisors for final approval.

About 75 readers and fans of New York Times best-selling author William Kent Krueger heard him speak at the Grand Junction Community Center last Saturday. He was hosted by the Grand Junction public library. Krueger, who uses his middle name rather than his first name, is the author of the...

Another community event is happening tomorrow in Jefferson. Jefferson Matters is hosting another Java and Juice program at Warm Wishes in the downtown area on Friday at 9:30am. Jefferson Matters Executive Director Matt Wetrich invites everyone to the locally-owned store with Kristin Lang as Warm Wishes offers different kinds of greeting cards, paper products, magnets, stamps and even Jefferson-specific items. He talks about his favorite part of the corner store on Chestnut and State Streets.

The public is invited to the final music concert of the school year with the Greene County Middle School. Band Director Bob Palmer says the concert will be tomorrow night with the return of the jazz band and their performance at 6pm in the commons. After a 15 year absence of having a middle school jazz band, Palmer talks about why he wanted to bring the program back.