Lockridge
The Pizza Ranch in Fairfield has closed, the restaurant announced on social media this week. The owners said the closure happened last month due to unexpected circumstances that left the restaurant with only one manager. Pizza Ranch has operated in Fairfield for more than eight years, with the current ownership group having run the location for approximately eight of those years since 2019.
A new Medical Examiner Investigator was appointed by the Washington County Board of Supervisors Tuesday. Joshua Laws of Washington was appointed to the role, and will join Washington County Medical Examiner Dr. Paul Towner on staff in a medical examiner investigator role. Laws also currently serves on the Washington County Ambulance, Fire Department, and EMS and Rescue Unit.
The Mount Pleasant Community School District is pursuing plans to establish a public charter school serving students in grades 6 through 12, potentially introducing a year-round calendar, a four-day instructional week, and a different approach to classroom learning. According to a November 6 weekly staff update from district administration, the...
Plans for a massive $15 billion southeast Iowa steel plant project that will bring thousands of jobs to Lee County are a step closer to reality. The Lee County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved this week a term sheet setting the framework for local tax and community benefit payments for the Mesabi Metallics steel project, which is expected to be the largest integrated steel complex in U.S. history.
OTTUMWA, Iowa - Iowa recently rolled out a new system that notifies owners about transactions involving their properties — especially the ones they didn’t know they had authorized in the first place. Wapello County Recorder Lisa Kent has been advocating for a program like the new statewide Iowa...
LEE COUNTY – The Lee County Board of Supervisors put their stamp on an incentive package that was discussed last week to spur construction on a $15 billion steel plant in Lee County. The board approved the term sheet with a unanimous 5-0 vote in what Supervisor Chuck Holmes...
New holiday activities, financial support for a major community project, and city improvements were among the topics discussed by the Mount Pleasant City Council Tuesday evening. Sophia Walderbach, a Mount Pleasant High School senior interning with Main Street Mount Pleasant and the Mount Pleasant Area Chamber Alliance, presented plans to...
With freezing temperatures arriving, the City of Libertyville has moved the canned goods and glass jars from the Libertyville Little Pantry into City Hall, where they will be available during regular office hours. All other donated items will remain outside. The city is asking donors to switch to dry, packaged,...
A proposed solar farm near Letts is headed to a public meeting with state regulators after Louisa County turned down a permit for the project. The Louisa County Board of Adjustment voted 4 to 1 in September to deny a special-use permit for Southpaw Solar. The company has since asked the Iowa Utilities Commission to hold an informational meeting about a state certificate for the project.
Blue Rose Ballroom & Bistro has received a Rose Award for Excellence in Design from the Fairfield Beautification Commission, recognizing the business for its exceptional craftsmanship and commitment to creating a space of remarkable beauty and character. The commission praised the venue’s sophisticated blend of Venetian plaster, natural wood, custom...
After holding several discussions and meetings with a Minneapolis-based engineering assessment and construction program management firm, the Wapello School Board agreed during its Nov. 11 monthly meeting to strike out on its own to complete several large facility projects. The HawkEye reports the board had met with representatives of SitelogiQ during its Oct. 20 monthly meeting and received cost estimates and other information for many of the projects identified by a facility assessment the company completed this summer. The estimates were around $5 million for projects deemed most feasible, with a more expansive project that would cost nearly $10 million. Among the work identified in the assessment were roof repairs, HVAC initiatives, electrical upgrades, restroom modifications, ceiling replacements and other efforts. The board had delayed making any decision until its November meeting, where most of its members agreed the district could handle the projects itself. SitelogiQ completed the assessment and other work at no charge to the school district. School officials did not indicate when more discussions on the projects might be held.
OTTUMWA, Iowa - On Wednesday, Ottumwa's American Legion O.B. Nelson Post No. 3 held a public Veterans Day ceremony and gave away free lunch in honor of those who served. Speakers emphasized the importance of appreciating the sacrifices made not only by service members as they fought to protect our freedom, but by their families as well.
A long-needed construction project is set to begin Monday in Washington County. On November 16th, Peterson Contractors, Inc., of Reinbeck, Iowa, will begin construction on the replacement of McKain’s Bridge over the Skunk River on Dogwood Avenue (W21) in southwest Washington County. The existing bridge will remain open to traffic during this initial phase of construction, although traffic may be reduced to one lane as work progresses.
Potential sites for solar panels on county property were presented and discussed by the Washington County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday. Eagle Point Solar gave a presentation on multiple county sites that solar panels could be added. The sites include the Orchard Hill facilities and Emergency Operations Center on Lexington Boulevard, the secondary roads shop at 821 East 7th Street, and Washington County Courthouse grounds in downtown Washington. These would be freestanding solar arrays.
Residents in the Mediapolis area are being advised of a planned power outage scheduled for Thursday night into Friday morning. According to a notice shared by Mediapolis News and posted by KILJ Radio, Alliant Energy has scheduled an outage to perform maintenance on its Mediapolis substation. Power is expected to...
Legal and state regulatory options have now been launched by Ranger Power of Chicago to avoid the Sept. 1 denial of a special use permit by the Louisa County Board of Adjustment. The HawkEye reports that Zoning Administrator Bruce Hudson told the Louisa County Board of Supervisors this week the company had filed a lawsuit over the denial of the permit for the proposed 450 megawatt solar, energy storage and agrivoltaics Southpaw Solar Energy project in northern Louisa County. In addition to the lawsuit, the company has also submitted an application to the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) for a state permit. If granted, the permit would override the local decision and allow the facility to be constructed on approximately 5,700 acres. The local board denied the special use permit because of the impact of the proposed facility on some of the county’s best farmland.
