by Gloria Williams

In today’s economy, many working parents are just one small crisis away from financial disaster. Applying for assistance takes time, and often their needs are more immediate. This is where the Washington County Enrichment Foundation, Inc. (WCEF) steps in.

WCEF founder and president Kelly Galiher gives an example of a mother who called for help with a blown tire. Though she has a job she loves, she had used up all of her allowable time off staying home with a sick child. She worried she might lose her job if she didn’t make it to work.

“Because we can do things so quickly, I sent out an email to the board, I got the majority of the votes back that said, ‘do it.’ I wrote a personal check to some place and met the woman, got her tire fixed and then I got reimbursed from my group later,” says Galiher. “So the beautiful part is that we can get it done now, because a lot of folks that run up against this, they don’t have time to wait. And it was that $70 tire that kept her family from falling into cycles of poverty.”

Read the complete story in the Dec. 22 issue of the Wellman Advance.

by Mary Zielinski

The Washington County Board of Supervisors Tuesday cut 0.6 percent from the County Compensation Board’s recommended three percent raise for elected officials.  The 2.4 percent raise is the same approved earlier for county department heads and employees.  The motion was approved by a 4-1 vote with Ron Bennett opposed.

The Compensation Board made its recommendation at its December 5 meeting, a proposal that would have raised the supervisor salaries to $35,093 (currently $34,071), the county attorney to $94,049 (from $91,310); auditor, to $66,025 ($64,102); recorder, $60,818 ($59,047); treasurer, $61,725 ($59,928) and sheriff, $79,799 ($77,475).  In making its recommendation, the Compensation Board wanted to keep the county’s pay level within the top 20 in Iowa.  It was noted it ranks 10th.

Read the complete story in the Dec. 22 issue of the Wellman Advance.

By Elizabeth Rhodes

During a brief meeting Monday, December 19, the Wellman council approved resolutions No. 11-45 and No. 11-46, setting January 23, 2012, at 5 p.m., for a public hearing to discuss the proposition to authorize a loan agreement and the issuance of notes not to exceed $1,000,000 for water revenue improvements and refunding loan, and to discuss the proposition to authorize a loan agreement and the issuance of notes not to exceed $1,625,000 for the General Obligation refunding loan.

Read the Dec. 22 issue of the Wellman Advance for the complete story

Christmas Eve service  will be held at 6:30 p.m. at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Wellman with Fr. Marty Goetz.

Candlelight Christmas Eve Service, Saturday, December 24, 5:30 p.m. at Kalona Mennonite Church, 902 6th St, Kalona, Iowa. Guest speaker will be Beth Miller.

Maxine M. Lee, 94, of Sigourney, Iowa, formerly of Webster, Iowa, died Saturday, December 10, 2011, at the Sigourney Care Center in Sigourney. A Celebration of Life Service was held at the Webster United Methodist Church Tuesday, December 13,  at 10:30 a.m. with Pastor Jim Stout officiating. Visitation was at the Powell Funeral Home in North English Monday, December 12,  from 4 – 7 p.m. Burial was in the South English Cemetery.

A memorial fund has been established for the Webster United Methodist Church and Keokuk County Hospice. Memorials and tributes may be left at www.powellfuneralhomes.com under obituaries.

The ALC annual mitten tree is in the lobby of the Wellman Coop Telephone Company where it will remain through Christmas.

Mittens and other cold weather items, such as gloves, mittens, hats, boots, scarves, sweatpants and sweatshirts may be left on or under the tree. Monetary donations to purchase similar items will be accepted.

The winter items will be distributed to children at Sunrise Daycare and Wellman Elementary School and Pre-School after the holidays.

By Elizabeth Rhodes

The Wellman council Monday discussed how to process resumes and interview candidates for the new Deputy Clerk position, noting it could look over resumes, but a smaller committee including City Administrator Mark Baker, City Clerk Donna Wade, Mayor Ryan Miller, and one council member would be present to interview the four to five finalists.

Read more…

By Mary Zielinski

Although the final Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) floodplain mapping may not be done until April, it already is impacting the Kalona real estate market.

City Administrator Ryan Schlabaugh Monday told the council that right now 47 percent of homes on the market within the city are in Zone A, the firm floodplain designation that will bring with it mandatory floodplain insurance for any owner who has a federally backed mortgage. The market listing for the nine homes is $1,054,700; total market listings within the city limits is $1,984,000.

Although Kalona has not yet passed a floodplain ordinance, which would give property owners access to the Federal Flood Plain Insurance Program (FPIP), the ordinance likely will be enacted next year.

Initial premiums for the federal insurance are low, but within about two years increases heavily.  And while a property owner with no mortgage is not required to have the insurance, lack of it likely would impact the property sale, officials have said.

Read the entire story in the Dec. 8 issue of the Wellman Advance

The Washington County Board of Supervisors Tuesday approved the third reading and passage of the ordinance establishing a Local Option Sales and Services Tax (LOSST).  County voters approved the measure by a wide margin in the November 8 elections and with the exception of Riverside and Brighton, there is no sunset clause in the municipalities. LOSST was first approved in the county in 2002 with Washington (city), Kalona and Coppock never setting a time limit.

Read the entire story in the Dec. 8 issue of the Wellman Advance

By Gloria Williams

Alivia Fox didn’t win anything in the recent Teen Miss Iowa pageant held in Newton October 16-17, but for her that was not the point.

Alivia Fox

“I went into it with the attitude that I’m not here to win, I’m here because I know it’s fun,” says the 16- year-old junior at Mid-Prairie. “I’m here for the experience.” This was the second time Fox entered a pageant. Last year she competed in the National American Miss, which had more girls competing and gave her some experience, though not all of it was good. “This one I thought was way more organized,” says Fox. “You had enough time to change without being rushed.” During the first pageant, the hook that kept the zipper up on her strapless dress broke.

Read the entire story in the current issue of the Wellman Advance

During its meeting November 16 at the Riverside Casino, the Washington County Riverboat Foundation (WCRF) awarded a total of $653,837 to 34 of the 80 applicants with slightly more than 50 percent going to area schools.  The amount, $327,942, in 16 grants went to Highland, Keota, Mid-Prairie, Washington, Columbus  and St. James schools for everything from musical instruments to football and track lighting.

Among the 18 non-school awards was $70,000 to the city of Riverside for the splash pad and  $7,750 to the Riverside Ball Association for a backstop replacement, both of which will benefit youth.  Another youth involving grant, awarded to Main Street Washington, is $2,000 to aid with Youth Art Show Exhibits and Displays.  The largest single grant, $80,000 went to the Highland School District for new football/track lighting at the high school, and the grant for the splash pad in Riverside was the second highest.