A special ribbon cutting ceremony on Wednesday will mark the re-opening of the Raccoon River Valley Trail bridge south of Jefferson that had collapsed in March of 2019. The Ambassadors of Jefferson Matters: A Main Street and Chamber Community will host the 4 p.m. event on Aug. 25 at the bridge located south of 252nd Street. Guest speakers include Greene County Conservation Director, Dan Towers, and journalist, Chuck Offenburger. The bridge is now open to pedestrians and bicyclists after large chunks of ice slammed against the wood pilings, which caused about 70 feet of the 600-foot span to fall into the river. According to Towers, over the past two years, Greene County Conservation has been working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for federal funding to cover 85 percent of the repairs needed. In the event of inclement weather, the ribbon cutting will be held at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 26.
