Washington County 4-H is now taking sponsorships and donors for the 2012 Washington County Fair trophies.  A variety of individuals, families, or businesses are needed to sponsor trophies  in the beef, rabbit, swine and poultry departments.

Call  the Washington County Extension Office, 319-653-4811, if you are interested in supporting 4-H.

The race for the Washington County Board of Supervisors has seemingly narrowed.

Incumbent District 1 Supervisor Jim  Miksch did not file nomination papers by 5 p.m. Wednesday (March 28), which is the deadline for candidates to file for their party’s nomination in the June 5 primary, according to Washington County Auditor Dan Widmer.

Read the entire story in the April 5 issue of the Wellman Advance.

Dean R. Kraft, 86, of Hiawatha, died Friday, March 23, 2012, at Dennis and Donna Oldorf Hospice House of Mercy.

Services will be conducted at 10 a.m. Monday, March 26,  at Teahen Funeral Home (Cedar Rapids)  by the Rev. Bill Harnish, and military honors will be conducted by American Legion Post 727.  Friends may visit after  9 a.m. Monday at Teahen Funeral Home.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.teahenfuneralhome.com

Memorials may be directed to the family.

Judy Reyes, 69, of Hills, died Monday, March 12, 2012, at Mercy Hospital in Iowa City.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, March 31,  at the Kirkwood Room in Iowa City with a reception following the services.

Visitation will be held 1-2 p.m. Saturday, March 31,  at the Kirkwood Room.

In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been established for the Mercy Hospital Hospice Center in memory of Judy.

Judy Reyes

Sympathy notes may be left for the family at www.lewisfuneralhomes.com.  The Sorden-Lewis Home for Funeral and Cremation Services is caring for Judy’s arrangements and her family.

For more photos of the Highland Drill Team’s spring show, click the “Photos” icon above.

Robert C. Yoder announces

his candidacy for Washington County supervisor. He is challenging incumbent Wes Rich in the June 5 Republican primary.

Yoder has owned and operated Kalona Blacksmith and Welding for the past 27 years. He says his background as a businessman is good training for public service.

“I would like to bring my business and leadership skills to this position and work to fully represent the residents of District 2,” he said.

Read the March 22 issue for the entire story.

On Monday, March 19, 135th Street from Spruce Avenue west to 140th Street will be closed to thru traffic for road reconstruction and replacement of a bridge.  This work is being done as a part of the comprehensive road improvement project the county started last year.

Crews will replace the existing bridge with a reinforced concrete box culvert.  This work will restore the road cross section and improve the ditches and drainage.  After regrading the road it will be rocked with approximately 9 inches of material.  County Engineer Jacob Thorius said, “This is another project we are doing as a part of the

Construction is dependent on weather, said County Engineer Jacob Thorius, but should be completed in about 3-4 months.  Questions pertaining to the project should be directed to the Washington County Engineer’s Office at (319) 653-7731.

Leah Dell Beckley, 73, of Kalona, died Saturday, March 3, 2012, at the Pleasantview Home.

A celebration of  her life  will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, March 9,  at the Kalona United Methodist Church in Kalona with Pastor Gerry Kahler and John King officiating.  Burial will follow at the Sharon Hill Cemetery in Kalona.

Visitation will be held from 4-8 p.m. Thursday, March 8,  at the Peterseim Funeral Home in Kalona with a Rebekah Service at 8 p.m.

. A memorial fund has been established for the Pleasantview Home and Hospice of Iowa City.

Bruce M. Reilly, 70, of Lone Tree, passed away  Sunday, January 22, 2012, at Mercy Hospital in Iowa City.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, January 26,  at the Sorden-Lewis Home for Funeral and Cremation Services in Lone Tree.  Pastor Susan Barnes will officiate the services.  Burial will be in the Lone Tree Cemetery.

Following the committal services at the cemetery, a time of food and fellowship will be held at the United Presbyterian Church in Lone Tree.

Visitation will be held from 10-11 a.m.  Thursday, January 26,  at the funeral home.

Memorials may be directed to Iowa City Hospice in memory of Bruce.  Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.lewisfuneralhomes.com.

Read the complete obituary in the Jan. 26 issue of the Riverside Current.

Investigators said Friday morning that  there is no evidence to suggest that foul play was involved in the disappearance of a rural Crawfordsville woman. Instead, the information they’ve uncovered suggests that her disappearance stemmed from the pressures she was dealing with on a day-to-day basis.

Sharon Hopf, 45, failed to show up for work Thursday morning (Jan. 5)  at Hopf Furniture in Kalona. Later that evening, Hopf was reported missing to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office by her husband and other family members who had been looking for her throughout the day.

Hopf’s vehicle was discovered two days  later  by the Warren County, Missouri Sheriff’s Office near Wright City, Missouri, which is located approximately 30 miles West of St. Louis, Missouri on Interstate 70.  The car was located at an abandoned home located at 28566 Hwy F just outside the city limits.  The surrounding area near the location of Hopf’s car was searched, but she was not located. Hopf’s car was searched and processed for evidence. During that examination, several items were collected and examined for fingerprint and DNA evidence at the DCI’s Crime Laboratory.

The Warren County, Missouri Sheriff’s Office organized and conducted a thorough grid search of a one-mile radius in the area Wednesday where Hopf’s car was located.  Again, she was not located.

Authorities stressed there is no threat to public safety stemming from this incident in and around Washington County.

The following statement was released on behalf of the family of Sharon Hopf and read by Perry Hopf, husband of Sharon Hopf, at the press conference:

” My name is Perry Hopf and my wife is Sharon.  My family and I trust that everything that can be done to find Sharon is being done.  We want Sharon to know that we understand the stress she has recently been under and just want her to contact us and let us know that she is okay.  Sharon if you see this, please know that I love you and miss you, and that you are the most important thing to me.”

The search continues for missing Kalona business owner, Sharon Ruth Hopf, 45, who was reported missing when she failed to report for work Thursday morning

Sharon Hopf

.

According to Washington County Sheriff Jerry Dunbar, Hopf was last seen at 7 a.m. Thursday when she left her home at 2886 280th Street, rural Crawfordsville.  A report that she was seen at a BP gas station in Washington at 8:30 a.m. Thursday, January 5, could not be verified said Dunbar.

Hopf was reported driving a 1999 white Chevy Lumina with an Iowa plate, 419WXF.

Dunbar said that law enforcement and other units searched the surrounding areas for the car and for Hopf, finding no trace of either.

Her husband reported her as missing.  The Hopfs are the owners of Hopf Home Furnishing advertised as Furniture, Floors and More at 101 B Avenue (corner of B Avenue and Highway 1), Kalona.

Anyone with any possible information regarding Hopf’s whereabouts is asked to the call the sheriff’s department at 319-653-2107.

Highland wrestlers couldn’t avoid being “fall guys” Thursday night.

Which was a good thing since the bonus points

Travis Cole of Highland prepares to wrap West Burlington/Notre Dame's Bryon McCarron for a pin Thursday in a 113-pound bout.

they amassed via pins ensured a sweep of Wapello (42-30) and West Burlington/Notre Dame (42-28) in a home meet.

Read the complete story in the Jan. 12 issue of the Riverside Current.