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The Iowa House has passed House File 2456, which bans cell phones while driving.

The Fairfield Community School District Board of Directors voted 6-1 Monday night to close Lincoln Elementary School and relocate all fifth-grade classes to the middle school beginning in the 2010-11 school year.

Jefferson County Fair Board Secretary Jared Schultz outlined several long-range plans to improve facilities at the fairgrounds while seeking financial support from the Jefferson County Board of Supervisors Monday.

After reviewing the items included in the city’s plan for bonding, debate turned to the type of parking lot that should be constructed at the corner of Briggs Avenue and Second Street during Monday’s meeting of the Fairfield City Council.

Although the sap is running a couple of weeks behind schedule, tapping trees and collecting the sap to make maple syrup is in full swing at Jefferson County Park. Friday, several home-schooled children gathered to learn about the techniques. RIGHT: One of the students catches a drip to taste the sap. BOTTOM: Jefferson County Naturalist Therese Cummisky tells the youngsters that when it warms up in the daytime the sap flows up the tree to the buds, using her hands to demonstrate the developing leaves. Then, as temperatures cool at night, the sap runs back down. Using Maria Ciunga as a tree, Cummisky showed the class how a hole is drilled, a spile (or spout) inserted and a bucket hung to catch the flowing sap. The group then went out to tap a tree, and taste the sap. A public program is set for March 20 at the Jefferson County Park Nature Center, unless the sapping season is shortened due to warm temperatures.

The Jefferson County Board of Supervisors allocated $10,000 to completion of the Fairfield Loop Trail during this morning’s meeting.

The candidate filing periods for the June 8 Primary Election began this month.

District Board of Directors is scheduled to make a decision on closing Lincoln Elementary School and moving all fifth graders to the middle school beginning with the 2010-11 school year during the monthly meeting set for 7 p.m. today at the Administration/Curriculum/Technology Center.

The Fairfield Area Chamber of Commerce still had a few tickets available for the Annual Awards Banquet Presented by MidWestOne Bank this morning ... but they’ll go fast, according to chamber staff.

Free public lecture entitled "Climate Catastrophe: How Organic Agriculture and Green Technology Can Help Us Survive the 21st Century" on Wednesday, March 10, 7:30pm at the Fairfield Public Library.