By CHUCK OFFENBURGER JEFFERSON, Iowa, June 5, 2018 — If you’ve known Terry Rich well over the years, you’ll be shocked at this — when I asked him the other day what being named the 2018 “Bell Tower of Fame” award winner means to him, he lowered his chin, choked back some emotion and said softly,…
By CHUCK OFFENBURGER JEFFERSON, Iowa, June 6, 2018 – By proclamation of the Greene County Board of Supervisors, this past Sunday, June 3, was officially “Carla and Chuck Offenburger Day” here in our home county. Reports from the field are that there were no injuries, property damage, fights, protests or arrests. Carla and I are…
The ceramic tile mosaic “The Land of Plenty” – 14 feet in diameter and made from more than 48,000 hand-cut and hand-placed pieces – is probably the most fantastic art installation in the whole county. “It’s symbolic of your community, your history, your culture, your economy,” says one of America’s leading ceramic artists of today.…
By CHUCK OFFENBURGER JEFFERSON, Iowa, Oct. 16, 2017 — The “Courthouse 100” committee, which for nearly two years has been planning events celebrating the centennial of the Greene County Courthouse, has had some fun surprises while sifting through the history of the inspiring building in Jefferson. That history, and the continuing operations of county government…
By CHUCK OFFENBURGER PEOSTA, Iowa, Feb. 6, 2017 — His mind wanders easily and frequently. He barely hears at all. But the 92-year-old monk Father Jim O’Connor, our trusted spiritual mentor, can still drop you with his humor. “Oh,” he cooed when I said something nice to him during our latest visit here at New Melleray Abbey…