When federal officials temporarily closed the Rowley, Iowa, post office in May 2008 due to toxic mold, a retired farmer took matters into his own hands. Rowley resident Jim Grover purchased the 40-year-old post office building in June and immediately began making the repairs necessary to reopen the building. Improvements included a new coat of paint inside the post office following the mold removal, and a $9,000 investment in a new roof to prevent future leakage and molding.

The Post Office reopened December 26, 2008, following an official inspection of the building conducted by the U.S. Postal Service. In the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier, Rowley Mayor Rita Knutson described the post office reopening as an “awesome… Christmas present.” Rowley is a community of 290 residents located in south-central Buchanan County in Northeast Iowa.