2025 was a year of contrasts and consequential moments across Journal Country. From weather extremes and high-profile projects to difficult budget debates, community milestones, and achievements that reached well beyond county lines, the year reflected both the challenges and resilience of the area. After 2024’s top story was dominated by the Marshall County Courthouse project, the weather once again rose to the forefront in 2025, setting the tone for a year shaped by both natural and civic events.
The weather story of 2025 was defined by dramatic extremes, as Journal Country swung from dangerous dryness early in the year to near-record precipitation by summer and fall, impacting emergency response, agriculture and daily life.
The year opened under abnormally dry and windy conditions that pushed fire danger to critical levels. In the spring, multiple grass fires broke out across northern Marshall County, including a large blaze west of Britton near Highway 10 that burned approximately 1,215 acres. Strong winds complicated containment efforts and prompted a wide mutual aid response from area fire departments, emergency management, law enforcement and local farmers. While no structures were lost and no injuries were reported, the fires served as an early warning of how parched the landscape had become.
By mid-summer, conditions reversed sharply. A steady pattern of thunderstorms brought heavy rainfall, flash flooding and severe weather warnings, including a radar-indicated tornado warning in August. That month alone rewrote the record books. Britton measured 10.43 inches of rain in August, surpassing the long-standing monthly record of 10.22 inches set in 1942. From June through August, the area received 23.25 inches of precipitation, making it the wettest summer on record.
By year’s end, the National Weather Service reported that the Britton area had received approximately 34 inches of precipitation in 2025. That total ranked as the second wettest year on record, trailing only 1916, when 35.79 inches were recorded.
While the rain erased drought concerns, it created new challenges. Flooded roads, saturated soils and persistent ponding made harvest difficult. Corn yields were strong where fields were accessible, but soybeans struggled in the excess moisture, and many acres were never harvested.
2 Courthouse Renovation Nears Completion in 2025
The long-planned renovation of the Marshall County Courthouse moved into its final stages in 2025, marking a major milestone in a multi-year project approved by voters and shaped by months of construction, budgeting decisions, and temporary relocations.
The project traced its roots back to August 2023, when county voters approved a $5 million bond to renovate the existing courthouse and construct a new Law Enforcement Center. The full scope of the project carried an estimated cost of about $9.6 million, with the remaining funding coming from county reserves, grants, and donations. Comstock Construction was hired as construction manager, with ISG providing architectural and engineering design services.
As construction gained momentum in late 2024, county offices temporarily relocated to off-site locations, including the former Schumaker Furniture building and the Marshall County Community Building. A formal groundbreaking was held in October, and work continued through the winter as the county navigated rising bid costs and material adjustments.
In January 2025, the commission approved the Guaranteed Maximum Price for Bid Package Two, bringing the total GMP for both phases of the courthouse renovation to $8,862,265. Bonds for the project were officially issued in March. The county also secured a grant to cover 75 percent of the courthouse camera and door lock security system, reducing the county’s share to $22,776.
Additional costs were approved in September after the courthouse parking lot was rebid at a scaled-down scope, increasing the project total by $170,692.
By November, several county offices had moved back into the renovated courthouse, including the Auditor, Treasurer, Register of Deeds, Director of Equalization, and Planning and Zoning. E911 and the Sheriff’s Office were scheduled to follow in early 2026, signaling that the courthouse project was nearing the finish line after years of planning and construction.
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