Newton Independent

Jasper County highway intersection listed as among most dangerous

 
The intersection of US Highway 65 and Iowa Highways 117 and 330 in northwest Jasper County is listed fourth in the 2005-2009 Statewide Intersection Safety Improvement Candidate Location List. That is just some of the information that can be found in the Iowa Department of Transportation's updated crash data web site. The information on the web site offers summaries and profiles on key safety issues, such as crashes involving speeding, motorcycles, unbelted persons and crossing the center line. On the map above, the red dots indicate traffic fatalities in Jasper County between 2004 and 2008. The yellow markings indicate accidents where major injuries occurred.

- Newton Independent

Open enrollment period for child-only health policies set

Newton Independent

Beginning July 1, Iowa children will be offered guaranteed-issue health insurance with no need to be on a parent's plan.

An administrative rule adopted by the Iowa Insurance Division that becomes effective June 8 will permit the enrollment of children regardless of their health in a type of coverage known as "child-only" policies. Such policies can be a good option for some families when traditional family coverage is not practical or affordable or in other circumstances.

Federal Affordable Care Act provisions that became effective in September 2010 guaranteed the ability of all children, even those with serious health problems, to enroll in health insurance coverage. The administrative rule adopted in Iowa specifies the times during which enrollment must be permitted to occur, but does not restrict the companies from offering the opportunity to other times as well.

"For so many families, child-only policies are the best option," said Iowa Insurance Commissioner Susan Voss. "We wanted to see insurers continuing to offer them as a choice for families. This open enrollment approach is being used in several states and works for the benefit of parents and kids across the state."

The rule requires each company selling child-only policies to conspicuously post on its web site and in other advertising media the process for the open enrollment period with its company. Companies selling this type of policy will all have the same open enrollment season, July 1 through Aug. 14, and each will allow a guaranteed acceptance of enrollment of individual children who apply during that time.

To take advantage of the opportunity, families should seek the advice of a local, independent insurance agent.

Questions about the open enrollment into a child-only policy can also be answered by the Insurance Division's Consumer Assistance Program. Call toll free 877-955-1212 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Iowa Court of Appeals affirms Newton woman's conviction

By PETER HUSSMANN

The Iowa Court of Appeals today denied a Newton woman's claim of ineffective counsel during her sentencing in November 2010 on a charge of assault causing bodily injury.

Christy Nida, 29, was charged after she was involved in an altercation with another woman outside a Newton bar.

After entering a written plea of guilty, Nida appeared before District Associate Judge Thomas Mott for sentencing. Prosecutors recited Nida's criminal history and recommended a one-year suspended sentence, one year probation and the minimum fine.

Nida's defense counsel asked "that she be sentenced according to the plea agreement."

Judge Mott sentenced Nida to one year in jail, all but 60 days suspended, two years probation and a $500 fine.

Nida appealed her conviction citing ineffective assistance of counsel. She claims her defense counsel did not object when the prosecutor breached the plea agreement by reciting her criminal history at the sentencing hearing.

The Iowa Court of Appeals said there was no evidence that a plea agreement existed.

"Aside from defense counsel's single statement asking that defendant be sentenced according to the plea agreement, there is no evidence in the record showing there was a plea agreement, and if there was, the terms of the agreement," the court wrote in affirming Nida's conviction.

DOT seeking information about motor vehicle enforcement case

Newton Independent

The Iowa Department of Transportation is seeking information from anyone who may have conducted business with the following individual or businesses and has similar complaints to those investigated by the department.

James F. Austin, 66, of Greene was arrested May 13 by officers with the DOT's Office of Motor Vehicle Enforcement and Butler County Sheriff's Office.

Austin, a former licensed Iowa automobile dealer, once operated the used car dealerships known as Austin Auto Center and The ClassicConnection in Greene and now operates JSA Classics in Greene.

The arrest stemmed from complaints received by the DOT regarding business practices and motor vehicle transactions conducted by JSA Classics. Austin was charged with one of count of Class D felony theft by deception, two counts of aggravated misdemeanor fraudulent practice and one serious misdemeanor for false application for a motor vehicle title.

Anyone with information concerning the business practices of any of these dealerships is encouraged to contact the Iowa DOT's Office of Motor Vehicle Enforcement at 866-906-4636 or via e-mail at invmve@dot.iowa.gov

 

Branstad: It's too late to make changes to voluntary pre-school for next year

Newton Independent

Gov. Terry Branstad said Tuesday that he doubts it will be possible to implement his plan to revamp the voluntary pre-school program for 4-year-olds in the coming school year.

The Cedar Rapids Gazette reported the governor's remarks made during his stop at a town hall meeting in Elkader.

The governor said at this late date his plan to require all parents to pay at least a portion of the cost of pre-school would likely not be able to be enacted in time to be implemented this coming fall.

Memorial Day services at Wittemberg set

Newton Independent

Memorial Day services at Wittemberg Cemetery will be held at 9 a.m. Monday, May 30.

Dar Walks Out of the Lakota Tribe in Pine Ridge, S.D., will speak on the way the Lakota honor their veterans.

Seating is limited. Individuals attending are encouraged to bring their own lawn chairs.

Letter: Thanks for making Skunk fund-raiser a success

To the Newton Independent:

It was a good time had by all of the blues fans that came out this past Saturday to the Speakeasy to listen to some very cool blues laid down by the Sumpin Doo Band. It is no wonder that George and Gil Davis are in the Iowa Blues Hall of Fame. It was a great show.

The South Skunk Blues Society is making progress toward the goal of raising enough to put on the 19th annual Bowlful of Blues. A decision will be made at the June 12 membership meeting about whether we have sufficient funding to proceed with the 19th annual Bowlful of Blues.

New and renewal memberships continue to roll in. Plan to attend the next fundraiser on June 11 at the Sugar Grove Winery when Hot Tamale and the Red Hots pour out some more of that easy listening blues from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.

South Skunk wants to thank the following businesses for their support with items that were donated and given away at last Saturday's raffle: Revolution Cycle - Baxter, Tires Plus - Newton, Quiznos - Newton, Uncle Nancy's - Newton, Country Corner - Baxter, El Sombrero - Newton, The Underground - Newton, Big Red Dog Productions - Des Moines, Skin Illustrations - Newton, Bob Dorr and Hot Fudge Music, Too Slim and the Taildraggers and Matt Woods and the Thunderbolts. A huge thank you goes out to Dennis Fowble's family for the donation of approximately 600 blues CDs that will be sold to help raise funds for the South Skunk Blues Society.

If you are interested in purchasing some CDs, joining the South Skunk as an individual or corporate sponsor, or donating items for future fundraisers, please feel free to contact me. Yours bluely.

Craig Peterson
President
South Skunk Blues Society
641-227-3209
southskunkblues.org

Letter: Branstad should lead on passenger rail

To the Newton Independent:

Governor Branstad, it is time to tell us where you stand on passenger rail and Iowa's transportation future. Iowans are calling on you to recognize this opportunity and step forward to make it happen.

In October, Iowa was awarded $230 million in federal funds to establish passenger rail service between Chicago and Iowa City via the Quad Cities. The route is part of a long-term effort to connect Iowa City to Des Moines, and then to the national passenger rail system at Omaha.

Unfortunately, House Republicans want to reject this federal investment of nearly a quarter of a billion dollars in Iowa railroads, Iowa jobs and the Iowa economy.

If we're serious about reducing our dependence on foreign oil, the choice is obvious. The Iowa City-Des Moines passenger rail route is projected to result in 900,000,000 fewer vehicle miles traveled and about 11 million fewer gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel consumed. Those are long-term benefits to the Iowa economy and Iowa travelers.

If we're serious about job creation, the choice is still obvious. According to the DOT, Iowa will receive $2.77 in economic benefits for every federal dollar. Passenger rail increases tourism and business opportunities. That's why chambers of commerce across the state enthusiastically support this plan.

This is a one-time offer. Federal funds would cover about 80 percent of the start-up costs, and if we turn them down they are gone forever.

House Republicans claim that the estimated $3 million in annual operating costs is an expensive "subsidy," while what they fail to acknowledge is that we "subsidize" all forms of transportation.

We spend hundreds of million each year to build and repair roads, bridges, airports and bus stations. When you get serious about the dollars-and-cents, passenger rail is actually a more cost-efficient investment for the state.

Governor Branstad, you have yet to speak up on this issue and time is running out. Why not listen to your own transportation experts? Your choice to lead the Iowa Department of Transportation, Paul Trombino, believes that passenger rail is "a robust, diverse transportation system that meets the public need." Former DOT Director Nancy Richardson also supports passenger rail.

Governor Branstad, this massive federal investment in Iowa's passenger rail system means jobs and future economic growth for our state.

Sen. Matt McCoy
Des Moines

Freedom Flight fund-raiser Friday

Newton Independent

Veterans from Jasper County will be pumping gas at the Newton Hy-Vee gas station on Friday to help raise funds for this fall's Freedom Flight.

Hy-Vee will donate 10 cents from every gallon sold from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday.

Representatives of the Newton American Legion are again organizing a trip to take Jasper County veterans to visit the memorials in Washington, D.C. A planning meeting is set for 6 p.m. Tuesday, May 31, at the Newton Elks Lodge.

Newton Water Board to meet

Newton Independent

The Newton Water Board will meet at 8 a.m. Wednesday in the council chambers at Newton City Hall.

Agenda items include action on tap fee revisions, an update on the Fox Engineering flood mitigation design plan for the Newton Water Treatment Plant and discussion of the consumer confidence report and development updates.

Letter: I looked in the mirror today

To the Editor:

I was driving down the street this morning and came upon some discarded trash in the street. Then, as a reaction, looked in the mirror and asked myself, who would go out of their way to open their window and just throw trash in the street? Soon it will be trampled and blowing in the wind, I thought.

So let me ask, have YOU looked in the mirror lately?

Are you the kind of person that would just throw trash out the window with careless regard fro all others?

On a much larger and philosophic scale, are you a good brother, a good sister, a good father, a good mother or a good friend?

Don't know about your circumstances, but I grew up in a ghetto and saw on a daily basis habits people took on that would not help them or their children in our society. While I could've taken on these same bad habits, I decided to go the other direction. I decided not to follow these behaviors.

I would hope you do some soul-searching and decide that doing the right thing is the best thing for you, your children and the society in general.

I would urge you to think about how doing actions differently the next time might change the outcomes of your life and those around you. We all know we always have enough challenges around us anyway, so we don't need to create anymore for ourselves. I wish all a better life and have come to know that have one has to start with us.

Bill Wyre
Newton

Jasper County's unemployment rate falls full percentage point

By PETER HUSSMANN

Jasper County's unemployment rate fell a full percentage point in April to 8.1 percent, the lowest unemployment rate of the year.

Iowa Workforce Development released county-by-county unemployment statistics today that showed the number of unemployed people in Jasper County fell by nearly 200 to 1,410 with the number of those employed jumping 110 from the previous month to 16,060.

April's Jasper County unemployment levels marked the sharpest drop of the year. The rate stood at 9.3 percent in January and fell by one-tenth percent in each of the ensuing two months. Jasper County's unemployment rate stood at 8.2 percent in April 2010.

Though Jasper County saw a sharp drop in its unemployment rate, it still remains one of the highest in the state and more than two percentage points above the statewide level of 6.0 percent. Only four counties had higher rates, Hamilton (12 percent), Lee (9.2), Muscatine (8.8) and Webster (8.6), than Jasper County's 8.1 percent rate.

A county-by-county map of Iowa's unemployment rates can be viewed here.

UL to acquire Springboard Engineering

Newton Independent

UL, a world leader in advancing safety, announced today a definitive agreement where UL will acquire the assets of Newton-based Springboard Engineering, Inc., an engineering advisory services company founded by former Maytag design engineers.

"This acquisition will enable UL to strengthen and expand our capabilities to serve key customers in the HVAC, appliances and components segments and give us a comprehensive suite of services to support global manufacturers, said Sajeev Jesudas, president, UL Verification Services based in Northbrook, Ill. "Springboard Engineering's experience and capabilities will allow us to increase our safety and performance testing capacity and expand our offerings in key growth markets such a ENERGY STAR and smart appliances."

Jordan Bruntz, president of Springboard, said UL's acquisition of the Newton company will help both create safer products for consumers.

"Springboard Engineering and UL share complementary offerings and we fully expect this will play a critical role in deepening our relationships with our combined customers," Bruntz said. "With our combined focus on safety, performance, energy testing and engineering services, together we can play a key role in helping companies create safer and more energy efficient products."

Upon completion of the transaction, Springboard Engineering will become part of UL's Verification Services business. Springboard Engineering will continue to be headquartered in Newton after the deal closes at the end of May. Bruntz will remain in his role as the president of Springboard Engineering.

UL and Springboard Engineering acted as their own financial advisor for the transaction.

The City of Newton assisted the development of the Springboard Engineering business in 2007 by providing 10 years worth of economic development property tax rebates on the amount of property taxes collected by the Tax Increment Financing District it sits in attributable to the $800,000 minimum assessment. The assessor's office indicates the property carries a current assessed value of $888,370.

The Newton City Council would need to take action at a public hearing in order to transfer the eight years remaining on the property tax rebates to UL. In addition, the council at that time could keep the rebate incentives the same or modify them at that time.

In February, the Iowa Economic Development Board declined Springboard Engineering's proposed financial settlement with the state over its failure to meet the job creation and wage requirements made part of a financial assistance package it received to help establish the Newton engineering firm.

Springboard, started by a group of local design engineers following the closure of the Maytag and Whirlpool operations in Newton, received $400,000 in state assistance ($200,000 loan and $200,000 forgivable loan) and in return were required to create 61 jobs with 58 paying $20.72 per hour.

The press release today did not indicate if any new positions would be coming to Newton due to UL's acquisition of the business.

However, Newton Mayor Chaz Allen said he spoke with UL representatives today who said the company plans on expanding and growing the business in Newton.

"This is a good thing," Allen said. "UL has an international reputation. They are extremely happy with the talent they have in Newton."

Authentically local campaign reclaims the word 'local'

Newton Independent

The Newton Independent has joined forces with a group of more than 40 independently-owned hyperlocal news sites to launch an "Authentically Local" branding campaign to emphasize the importance of supporting homegrown media, stores and places.

"Local" has recently emerged as one of the most potential lucrative corners of the economy, and corporations are rushing to it like speculators to a gold rush. Economists estimate the local advertising market is about $100 billion a year, and numerous organizations are making a play, including Groupon, Living Social, Google, Facebook, Apple and AOL.

"The Authentically Local campaign seeks to illuminate the difference between authentic local businesses and those that are just cashing in - before every town in America becomes one giant strip mall," said Debbie Galant, founder of Baristanet, who announced the campaign at the GeoWorld Summit in New York City earlier this month. "This is not just about us, the owned-and-operated sites that write about place. It's about place."

"Local journalism doesn't scale and it doesn't need to scale. It needs to emerge from people deeply engaged in their local community, determined to make a difference and provide a vital service," said Lance Knobel, a co-founder of Berkeleyside.com

The branding campaign will be extended to bricks-and-mortar business, and will include a mission statement, buttons, and multi-author blog at AuthenticallyLocal.com.

"We're in this with our advertisers," said Timothy Rutt, the editor and publisher of Altadenablog in Southern California. "Because we're local, we spend our advertisers' dollars in the community. We don't ship it out of town to a big corporation."

A list of founding sites, which collectively reach 800,000 readers a month, can be found on the web site by clicking on the "Authentically Local" button at the upper left corner.

Reporter's Notebook: Food for thought

By PETER HUSSMANN

I have no doubt the Newton City Council is going to enact a citywide footing drain disconnection program sometime in the near future. And I have no doubt some city residents are going to scream when they become aware of its implications on their properties.

A week ago, first consideration of an ordinance that would have enacted such a program stalled after one council member suggested the breadth of its initial execution did not spread far enough and another questioned the financing method to be used that would result in huge sewer rate increases for all Newton property owners, even those not found with sanitary sewer drain disconnections, to pay the millions of dollars the program would cost.

What city staff is doing now to tweak the ordinance to gain council support is anybody's guess. But it is certain the issue will come before the council again - and soon.

Over the weekend, an alert reader sent me some information concerning Ann Arbor, Michigan's experience in dealing with its sanitary sewer inflow and infiltration problems, a situation common throughout a large portion of the country. The article on Ann Arbor's efforts to alleviate excess inflows into its sanitary sewer system appeared years ago in Stormwater magazine, the Journal for Surface Water Quality Professionals.

Though a bit technical, the article does provide some good information on the problems cities face from drain footings running into the sanitary sewer line. But what it does a good job of explaining is how Ann Arbor city officials got community buy-in from the get-go, a plan that mitigated the teeth-gnashing from homeowners down the road.

The City of Ann Arbor has also put together a Homeowner Information Packet, a 16-page document that gives background on the studies the city undertook to find remedies to the problems, the various solutions proposed and a step-by-step process that homeowners can expect when it comes time to have their drain footings disconnected.

Incidentally, Ann Arbor has been at this for 10 years now and is not near done. Oh, and they pay up to $4,100 to the homeowner to have the disconnection made by a qualified contractor.

Just some food for thought where we might learn a thing or two from somebody who's already gone through the process.

 

Reporter's Notebook: Take that city hall

By PETER HUSSMANN

Pizza advertising flyers don't usually make me laugh out loud. One that came last week, however, did just that.

No, it wasn't that the flyer was marked by a huge typo advertising for "Dread Bowl Pasta" or "Cinna Stinks." That would have elicited only a smile and a chuckle.

What was so different about this particular flyer was that it broke a typical rule of advertising - don't tick off half your potential buyers by wearing your political beliefs on your sleeve. But then this particular advertiser is not one most would call typical.

So here's what the pizza flyer said: "Proud to be a non-government subsidized restaurant! When I give you my word, I honor it! Locally owned for over 21 years. Scott Creech."

For those who may not know, Mr. Creech is still steaming more than four years after the Newton City Council gave the operators of the Newton Pizza Ranch restaurant an economic development grant of $111,000 to assist with its opening in southwest Newton. In addition, the owners received a one-time tax rebate of $7,500 in return for a minimum assessment of $555,000 until the year 2017.

That burned Mr. Creech at the time and apparently still does. And I don't know if all of his advertising flyers have said that since that time or not, but the one that came last week certainly caught my eye.

Oh, and for the record, Pizza Ranch currently carries an assessment of $563,450 and pays $23,452 in property taxes. The Domino's Pizza building on First Avenue carries an assessed value of $119,830 and pays $4,988 in property taxes. That value is down from the assessment several years ago of $142,120 when it paid $6,022 in taxes, the assessor records indicate.

Like I said, Mr. Creech's shot at the city council took me by surprise being something you don't see everyday. Bet Domino's doesn't get too many orders from city hall. Bet Mr. Creech doesn't care.

 

 

 

Newton council to discuss hike/bike trail

Newton Independent

The Newton City Council will hold a special meeting at 5 p.m. Tuesday at the Newton Arboretum to discuss with residents living in northeast Newton the hike and bike trail planned for construction in the future in the area.

The meeting will mark the second neighborhood discussion on the topic after residents living along the initial proposed route voiced concerns over the impacts the trail would have on their properties.

The meeting is for discussion and informational purposes only with no council action scheduled to occur.

Skiff honors first recipient of DAISY nursing award

Vicki Gunsaulus, a nurse with more than 32 years experience at Skiff Medical Center, was recognized by Skiff Medical Center for her nursing excellence and professionalism during the hospital's first DAISY award ceremony held at the Newton hospital earlier this month.

Newton Independent

A nurse with 32 years of experience at Skiff Medical Center was recognized for her excellence during the organization's first DAISY award ceremony on May 6, which was also National Nurses Day.

The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses was presented to Vicki Gunsaulus, RN, following a nomination by co-worker Patty Dykstra.

"I have seen her save many lives, including a baby who wasn't breathing," Dykstra said. "What Vicki does is outstanding."

Gunsaulus, a nursing supervisor, attended the early morning ceremony without even knowing she was nominated.

"I'm not a spotlight person," she said, still wiping away tears after being given the award. "I'm just honored and thrilled."

The DAISY Award, presented in collaboration with The American Organization of Nurse Executives (AONE), is part of the DAISY Foundation's program to recognize the efforts nurses make everyday. The not-for-profit DAISY Foundation is based in Glen Ellen, Calif., and was established by family members in memory of J. Patrick Barnes. He died at the age of 33 in late 1999 from complications of Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP), a little known, but not-uncommon auto-immune disease. DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System.

The care Barnes and his family received from nurses while was ill inspired the unique means of thanking nurses for making a difference in the lives of their patients and patient families.

"Nominations for the DAISY Award are welcomed from anyone who is touched by extraordinary excellence in nursing care," said Chief Nursing Officer Mary Swoboda. "This could include patients, family, physicians or co-workers. Nomination forms can be found throughout the hospital and will soon be available on Skiff's web site. The nominations are reviewed and award winners are selected on a quarterly basis by the Nursing Coordinating Council. This council consists of professional nursing representatives from all areas of the organization. We're proud that Vicki will go down in history as Skiff's first DAISY nurse."

At the ceremony, Gunsaulus received a certificate commending her for being an extraordinary nurse. The certificate read: "In deep appreciation of all you do, who you are and the incredibly meaningful difference you make in the lives of so many people."

She was also given a sculpture called "A Healer's Touch," hand-carved by artists of the Shona Tribe in Africa.

"You're everyone's mentor," said Lisa Dobbie, a registered nurse in the Emergency Department told Gunsaulus at the ceremony. "We couldn't find a more perfect nurse."

Skiff CEO Steve Long said the DAISY Award is well-aligned with the hospital's iSpark values (integrity, service, passion, advocacy, responsibility and kindness).

"Those nominated for this award exhibit their commitment to two of the most important values," Long said. "Passion for our work and kindness in the way we do it."

 

Letter: The truth about the Rapture

To the Newton Independent:

I know a lot of you are laughing at that old preacher who predicted that the Rapture was going to happen last Saturday. But hold on folks, I believe that the preacher might have been right on the money with his prediction.

And it was just like the last time He destroyed the world when He found only one family worth saving. I think it was me and my family this time and I was ready to go.

But last Friday my wife got up in the dark of the night and stubbed her big toe on the leg of the bed frame. Now, I have warned my wife that being married to a saint like me did not give her an automatic ticket into heaven, so when God heard her calling that bed frame all those cuss words, well God crossed us off the list, too.

I am not mad though, because I know that my wife learned all those cuss words from me before I decided to be a saint. And if you really think about it, my wife's cussing saved you all from the predicted destruction.

Olen W. Lambert
Newton

County museum to host public program presented by Army Reserve captain

Newton Independent

Captain Kristin Macy, an Iowa native with 20 plus years in the United States Army Reserve, will present a program at 7 p.m. tonight as part of the Jasper County Historical Museum's second general public meeting of the year.

A commissioned officer in the Medical Corp., Macy will present a program on her extensive military collection. The program will be held at the Historical Museum in Newton, 1700 S. 15th Ave. W.

In addition to the program, Historical Museum members will cover old business and discuss new business during the meeting. Refreshments will be served following the program. The public is invited.

For more information, contact Audrey Rex, Jasper County Historical Museum director, at 641-792-9118.