Archive for February, 2009

The Mid Prairie School District is making up snow days. Superintendent Mark Schneider says Monday was normally scheduled to be a day off for students for Presidents Day but with the many cancellations that the snow has caused they will be holding school to make up for those cancelled days. Schneider says it will be a normal school day with school starting and stopping at regular hours. He says making up the snow days through the year helps to keep the last day of school from getting pushed back too far.

Hunter education courses will be offered in Washington in just a little over a week. The DNR puts on the class. Anyone born after 1972 has to have a hunter education certificate when they purchase a license. The seven session class will be at Washington Junior High February 24th, 25th, and 26th and March 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th. Class will be from 3:30-5pm each day. Participants should be at least twelve years old. Registration forms will be available at Washington Junior High and are due February 23rd. You can call Jim Cuddeback for more information at 319-653-4789.

The Metro Mix Chorus of Sweet Adelines International is taking orders now to sing for your special someone. Abby Dodd with the group says arriving unannounced, a quartet will search out the recipient in an office, home, restaurant, school or almost any setting. Reservations for singing valentines can be made by calling 319-361-8509

The Kalona Post office has seen an increase in Valentines Day cards being sent out. Post Master Gae Walton says this year she has seen more people sending and receiving Valentines Day Cards. Walton says she believes that it is due to the economy that people are just sending cards to show there love and affection rather than sending out bigger bulkier gifts.

Have breakfast for supper and help a good cause. The Crawfordsville Lions are having their pancake, sausage, and egg supper this evening from 4-7pm at the WACO Elementary School in Crawfordsville. Tickets for adults are six dollars at the door and tickets for kids 12 and under are three dollars and preschoolers are free. Half of the proceeds benefit Jenna Waters.

It appears the removal of the school construction item in the economic stimulus package Congress has been working on, has a direct impact on Washington. Iowa U-S Representative Dave Loebsack plans to visit the Washington School District at ten o’clock Tuesday morning. Interim Superintendent Dave Sextro says his understanding is that Loebsack was going to discuss the spending of around $800,000 the district was going to get as part of the package, but that was removed. Sextro says Loebsack still plans to visit and discuss green schools and green construction.

The Keota School Board is talking about a change in superintendents. Board President Jared Lyle says they have been talking to different school districts about sharing a superintendent and last week met with the Mid Prairie board president and vice president about the possibility of sharing a superintendent starting with the 2009-10 school year. Mid Prairie Superintendent Mark Schneider says this is strictly a discussion item at this time. Schneider says this will be on the agenda for the next board meeting on Monday, February 23rd.

Paws and More is encouraging you this Valentine’s Day to keep your pet close to your heart with a micro-chipping event. A micro-chip with your contact information is implanted just under the skin around the neck of your pet and can be scanned to retrieve contact information. The micro-chipping is being offered for $25, which is a reduced rate. You can stop by Paws and More behind Casey’s today, tomorrow, or Sunday between noon and four. No appointment is needed.

The Washington High School Speech Team is sending three events to the All-State Speech Festival in Ames a week from Saturday. Speech Coach Jan Gallagher says you have to score high at a state competition to be invited. She says they received all-state recognition before but have never been invited to perform at the festival. Gallagher says they are going to put on a performance for residents next Thursday at 7:30pm in the high school auditorium to raise money for the trip.

IMS Students are selling singing valentines on Saturday. Kristen Brenneman with IMS says the students travel around the area such as Wellman, Washington, Iowa City, and other communities, singing valentines to people. She says they have been doing this for over 5 years. For those interested you can call IMS at 319-656-2073 and speak with Mary Lou. The cost to sing to a single person is $35 and to sing to a group of people is $65. They’ll be singing from 8am to 4pm.