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NORTH LIBERTY– Johnson County’s Behavioral Health Urgent Care Center (BHUCC), or Access Center, is taking shape after years of discussion and planning.
Matt Miller, the county’s project manager, provided an update on the facility during a Monday, Jan. 13, joint entities meeting of the Johnson County Board of Supervisors, the Iowa City Community School Board, and city councils including North Liberty, Coralville, Iowa City, Hills and University Heights.

OXFORD– Seventy percent of family farms will change hands in one form or another over the next 15 years.
Those landowners are closing in on retirement age, but the majority don’t have a farm succession plan.
That’s a problem for rural Iowa, according to accredited land consultant Mike Downey.
Downey was the featured speaker at a farm transfer workshop, hosted by Practical Farmers of Iowa (PFI), at the Johnson County Conservation Education Center at F.W. Kent Park near Oxford.

TIFFIN– A new recreation center being planned by the City of Tiffin has the potential of forging partnerships between school districts and the city, and providing facilities for high school swimming and diving teams (as well as other competitive swim clubs/teams).
Tiffin City Administrator Doug Boldt gave an update on the project during a joint meeting of the Tiffin City Council and the Clear Creek Amana (CCA) Community School District’s School Board of Directors Wednesday, Jan. 8, at Oak Hill Elementary School in Tiffin.

SOLON– This is exactly what he wants to do.
“I’m really excited to be here,” said new Solon Recreation Director Tom Harder. “This is a job that I’ve been picturing myself in for a long time.”
Harder, 26, started his position Dec. 16, replacing Ben Flaherty, who served in the job from September of 2018 to Nov. 7.
A native of Iowa City, Harder attended West High, and stayed in town to attend the University of Iowa (UI), obtaining both his undergraduate and master’s degrees in sports and recreation management.

SOLON For now, there will be no short-term rentals in residential areas.
The first reading of an ordinance limiting such rentals to commercial areas was passed at a Dec. 18 meeting of the Solon City Council.
Council members were asked to consider allowing the alternate lodging in residential zones by Michelle Bennett, of Solon, who has been offering short-term stays in a house at 113 E. Elm Street.
Council members stuck with the recommendations of the citys Planning and Zoning (P&Z) Commission, but left the door open to future modifications.