By CHUCK OFFENBURGER JEFFERSON, Iowa, Sept. 13, 2023 — On a chilly but sunny late-fall morning two years ago, I walked into Greene Bean Coffee in Jefferson just as Debi Durham, the state’s economic development director since 2011, was walking out. She was wearing some kind of trench coat and sunglasses and carrying her cup…
By CHUCK OFFENBURGER JEFFERSON, Iowa, Sept. 1, 2023 – Oh my goodness, it is working! Diversifying and growing our workforce and population is triggering economic growth here in Greene County, exactly like we were told and shown it would do. And exactly like we’ve been telling our good people that it would do. In fact, just announcing…
By CHUCK OFFENBURGER JEFFERSON, Iowa, July 14, 2023 — There are lots of big, important issues unfolding in Iowa, across the nation and around the world right now. This column isn’t about any of them. The little news here is that Monday this past week, the two chapters of the P.E.O. Sisterhood that co-exist here…
By CHUCK OFFENBURGER COOPER, Iowa, July 4, 2023 – Oh, it looks so good right now – at 9-feet high, maybe higher, lush, thick, so green. But as I often hear my No. 1 farm pal Doug Lawton say, “You never know.” Who would have predicted a “derecho” on Aug. 10, 2020, causing the Lawtons…
By CHUCK OFFENBURGER JEFFERSON, Iowa, June 12, 2023 – The 43rd Bell Tower Festival was held here this past weekend, and I loved it. And not just because I won one of the big raffles and now have two tickets for this fall’s Iowa-at-Iowa State football rivalry game. I also loved it because my wife Mary…