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Community

City hosts Open House to highlight 2020 community projects

Submitted by admin on Wed, 03/11/2020 - 1:00pm

NORTH LIBERTY– This year, North Liberty will make major improvements to key infrastructure.
Once completed, the infrastructure upgrades will increase transportation capacity, add pedestrian connectivity, provide recreational amenities and replace aging infrastructure in the growing community.
To learn more about the projects, the public is invited to an open house on Monday, March 30, from 4:30-6 p.m. at the North Liberty Library, located at 520 W. Cherry St.
At the open house, residents can visit with project engineers and city staff about planned infrastructure updates.


Pulkrabek to challenge for Iowa House District 73

Submitted by admin on Wed, 03/04/2020 - 1:45pm
Primary election set for June 2 ahead of Nov. 6 general election

JOHNSON COUNTY– Johnson County Sheriff Lonny Pulkrabek announced his candidacy for the Iowa House in District 73, the Iowa House Democrats website (iowahouse.org) reported on Thursday, Feb. 27.
Pulkrabek, who started with the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office in 1985, was elected sheriff in 2005 and is retiring at the end of the year.


The customer always came first

Submitted by admin on Wed, 03/04/2020 - 1:47pm
Tiffin’s Karen Ruppert looks back on a career with the postal service

TIFFIN– When Karen Ruppert closed the customer service window on Dec. 24, 2019, she also closed out a career spanning 42 years with the United States Postal Service.
Ruppert, a resident of rural Tiffin, was the postmaster of the fast-growing community from Feb. 23, 1991, until her official retirement date last month.


“Never forget where you came from”

Submitted by admin on Wed, 03/04/2020 - 1:49pm
SYNcere Printing in Tiffin: making bucks and making a difference

TIFFIN– Since 2016, Juan Santiago has been screen-printing T-shirts and other garments under the business name of SYNcere Printing (LLC). It’s a unique enterprise for a unique individual who has been an active duty Marine, a member of the Iowa Army National Guard and a High Risk Unit officer with the Iowa Probation and Parole Department.


Season finale

Submitted by admin on Wed, 02/26/2020 - 5:21pm
Liberty High’s show choirs put on an afternoon extravaganza

NORTH LIBERTY– Liberty High School’s show and jazz choirs brought down the curtain on a successful 2019-2020 season with a Spring Showcase concert featuring vocal groups Spark, Amplify, Voltage, Impact and Storm Saturday, Feb. 22, at Liberty High. Interspersed among the groups were three teasers for the upcoming spring musical “Shrek” as Agustin Colon-Sanchez (Donkey), Posey Stoeffler (Fiona) and Scott Dill (Shrek) performed solos from the show. North Central Junior High’s New Connections show choir also performed a set.


Pantry “Rolls Into Spring” with 2nd annual toilet paper drive

Submitted by admin on Wed, 02/26/2020 - 5:22pm

NORTH LIBERTY– The North Liberty Community Pantry (NLCP) hosts its second annual Roll Into Spring toilet paper drive throughout the month of March. The pantry is seeking donations of toilet paper, a product that is harder to come by than one may think.
“Last year we distributed over 10,000 rolls of toilet paper.” said pantry staff member Jake Putnam. “It’s one of the few items we have to limit, at one roll per family per week. If there are a lot of people in that family, that roll goes quickly.”


A unique facet of Iowa City history comes alive in “Beer Money”

Submitted by admin on Wed, 02/26/2020 - 5:24pm
North Liberty author Steve C. Sherman releases his sixth novel

NORTH LIBERTY– In the early 1880s, a trio of brewers in the Northside neighborhood of Iowa City had become wealthy and powerful, and Public Enemy No.1 in the eyes of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU). The clash between the WCTU and the brewers: Conrad Graf, J.J. Englert and John Dostal is the focal point for North Liberty author Steve C. Sherman’s latest book, “Beer Money,” a work of historical fiction set for release on Tuesday, March 10.


15th Annual Purple Martin Workshop/Seminar to be held next month in Kalona

Submitted by admin on Wed, 02/26/2020 - 5:26pm

KALONA– A workshop/seminar on attracting purple martins will be held Saturday, March 21, beginning at 9 a.m., at the CAM Iowa Clothing Center, located at 1005 Nutmeg Ave., 1.8 miles north of Kalona, and one mile east off Highway 1.
Presenters include:
• Carolyn Murphy, from Iowa City, will talk on "Monarchs and More"- Murphy is an Iowa Master Gardener and longtime monarch butterfly enthusiast. She has visited the wintering grounds of monarchs in Mexico and been involved in their conservation for many years.


A unique housing option for seniors in NL

Submitted by admin on Wed, 02/19/2020 - 1:33pm
Vintage Estates housing cooperative announces plans for a 55+ community

NORTH LIBERTY– A 30-unit housing development being built in North Liberty isn’t typically unusual or out of the ordinary. However, A 30-unit development slated for construction this year is unusual in it will be a housing cooperative.
Vintage Estates of North Liberty, a Cooperative Community, will build the 30 single-family homes, and a community center, on a parcel of land along S. Jones Blvd.


Johnson County issues spark legislation discussion

Submitted by admin on Wed, 02/19/2020 - 1:38pm
Legislators look to protect renters, and rein in County Supervisors

DES MOINES — Johnson County’s legislative delegation has introduced bills this session addressing local concerns related to tenants in manufactured housing communities/mobile home parks, and the actions of the Board of Supervisors relating to animal agriculture.
Senators Kevin Kinney (D-39), Zach Wahls (D-37) and Joe Bolkcom (D-43), joined 27 other senators in sponsoring Senate File (SF) 2238, “An act relating to property law by modifying provisions relating to rental properties, manufactured home communities, mobile home parks, and manufactured mobile home communities.”


7-on-7 football gains in popularity

Submitted by admin on Wed, 02/19/2020 - 1:51pm
A new football option for 3rd grade through high school exists in Tiffin

TIFFIN– What is 7-on-7 football you ask? The answer is, the game that has grown for 20 years around the state of Iowa, but has not caught hold until now.
“There have been pockets of groups that play 7v7 or, High Schools that will get groups together to practice the passing game against each other, but that is really it. There is not a lot of competitive or youth 7v7 football being played,” said Trevor Bollers Director of Iowa 7v7 football, a non-profit organization he created along with his wife Jennifer.


An afternoon of basketball gets even more exciting at CCA

Submitted by admin on Wed, 02/12/2020 - 2:50pm
Faulty motor produces smoke scare

TIFFIN– A small electric motor led to a big disruption Saturday, Feb. 8, at the Clear Creek Amana (CCA) High School in Tiffin.
The motor, part of the ventilation system for the building, and located above a hallway between the main gymnasium and the band room, failed and burned up a little before 2 p.m. Smoke from the motor set off the building’s fire alarms, which prompted the Johnson County Joint Emergency Communications Center to page out the Tiffin and Oxford fire departments for the alarm activation.