Newton Independent

Prairie City woman faces felony meth possession charge; 21 prescription drug counts

Newton Independent

A Prairie City woman is in the Jasper County Jail today after being charged with possession of more than 7 grams of methamphetamine with the intent to deliver, as well as 21 counts of possessing prescription drugs without a prescription.

Tammy Lynn Morton, 53, of 502 S. Norris St. was charged after members of the MINE Drug Task Force executed a search warrant on her home on Sunday where they found the alleged drugs in her bedroom, court records indicate.

The methamphetamine was found in two separate baggies in powder and pill form and weighed a total of 7.1 grams. The charge is a class B felony. She was also charged with possession of methamphetamine without a drug tax stamp.

The 21 prescription drugs found in her possession included such drugs as oxycodone, amphetamine and dextroamphetamine, hydromorphone, lorazepam and temazepam. She was charged with a serious misdemeanor for each of the separate drugs found in her possession without a prescription.

She was also charged with a simple misdemeanor count of possession of drug paraphernalia.

A preliminary hearing is set for Monday, Nov. 7. Her bond was set at $50,000 and "good behavior."

Lawmakers get first look at recommendations for a revamped Iowa mental health delivery system

Newton Independent

Preliminary recommendations to revamp the state's mental health delivery system were provided to state lawmakers today, the result of legislation last session directing the Department of Human Resources to appoint and lead work groups to recommend methods for implementing legislation to replace Iowa's current mental health delivery system by July 1, 2013.

In announcing the preliminary report, DHS Director Chuck Palmer thanked those who worked on the report with the job of lawmakers to now "to sharpen and prioritize these recommendations and to recommend a transition plan and identify funding mechanisms that will allow us to gradually transform Iowan into a best-practice state."

Among the recommendations highlighted by Palmer in the press release announcing the release of the report are:

• Development of a crisis intervention system.
• Development of peer-to-peer services.
• Development of a "system of care" for children with serious mental health needs.
• Details on how counties should organize themselves in regional systems to oversee services.

"We have insisted on casting a wide net for opinion and knowledge," Palmer said in the release. "We have found great energy for reform. We have much work remaining, including the issue of how to use limited funds to gradually develop servcies to fill indentified gaps."

Palmer said the next six weeks will be spent developing implementation plans for the work groups' recommendations, with a final report due to legislators by mid-December.

In addition to the legislation that called for the interim study work on a revamped mental health delivery system, Governor Terry Branstad signed into law a measure that repeals the county mental health and developmental disability care system effective July 1, 2013.

The full interim report may be read here.

Newton residents asked to give input on city's future

Newton Independent

Newton residents have the opportunity to help steer the future course of the community by attending a public input workshop to be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 15, at the Jasper County Community Center, 2401 1st Ave. E., in Newton.

The workshop is designed to seek ideas, opinions and input from local residents as the city works to create a new Comprehensive Plan, a roadmap to guide Newton the next decade.

A Comprehensive Plan covers topics such as economic development, houseing, land use, education, hazard mitigation and natural resources. It is used as a guide for decision-making, strategies and growth going forward.

The workshop will allow opportunities for citizens to participate in group discussions on a variety of topics that are important for the community's future. The city's hired consultants from Stanec, known as Bonestroo when initially hired, will facilitate the event.

For those unable to attend, Newton city staff is offering two other public input opportunities with similar meeting content and format:

• Noon, Thursday, Nov. 17, in the council chambers at Newton City Hall.
• 5 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 1, at the Newton Arboretum.

In addition, a citywide survey seeking input from residents will be distributed in the coming weeks.

You can follow the planning process on the city's "Newton's Future: A Comprehensive Planning Process" Facebook page or contact Newton City Planner Erin Chambers at 641-792-6622, ext. 25, for more information.

In addition, Stantec has provided the city with a background report on where Newton stands now. It includes a host of information including demographics on population and household trends, population aging trends, households, education, employers and employees, commuting patterns and household income.

You can read the report by downloading it below.

Download Draft-background-report_newton-9-28-112

 

Peterson named Living History Farms' Teacher of the Year

Betty Peterson of Baxter receives the Iowa Living History Farms' Teacher of the Year award from Daniel Jones, education director at Living History Farms during ceremonies held recently in Des Moines.

Newton Independent

Betty Peterson, a third grade teacher at Baxter Community School, was named the Second Annual Living History Farms' Teacher of the Year during the Farmstasia event held recently in Des Moines.

Peterson has been teaching at Baxter since 1988 and has been incorporating field trips to Living History Farms into her curriculum for 15 years. The trips to the farm, she said, allows students to experience what they have learned in the classroom.

"They enjoy seeing the interpreters in their period clothing and viewing the different time periods at Living History Farms," Peterson said.

She received the award on Oct. 15 at Farmstasia, a fund-raising dinner and acution event held in the historic Flynn Barn. Proceeds from the event support Living History Farms' extensive education and outreach programs which serve more than 30,000 Iowa school children annually through visits to the Farms or through outreach programs that take the Farms to the classroom.

Jasper County officials say no property tax increase from $1.45 million bond issue

By PETER HUSSMANN

Jasper County residents would pay no additional property taxes as a result of voting in support of a $1.45 million bond issue next week to make improvements to the Courthouse's heating and cooling system.

So said Jasper County elected officials after meeting Friday afternoon to open bids in advance of publication of an estimated cost of the project. More on that in a minute.

Three bids were received on the two alternatives sought by the supervisors with Two Rivers Group of Altoona submitting the low bids on both.

Two Rivers submitted a base bid of $1.446 million for a geothermal system. Its alternate bid for the construction of a traditional system added $122,000 to that cost.

A base bid of $1,915,000 (add $178,000 for alternate) was received from Central Iowa Mechanical of Des Moines with S&S Plumbing and Heating of Marengo submitting a base bid of $1,490,750 (add $644,000 for alternate).

The supervisors said they were not suprised that the alternate bids for a traditional heating and cooling system came in with additional costs. The problem for the contractors is that the work would need to be completed by March 31, 2012 in order for the county to be eligible to receive a $253,000 grant.

That hurried construction schedule worried supervisors.

"If we do the conventional and take the grant, it's less," said supervisor Denny Stevenson. "But geothermal is more efficient. My biggest concern is that we don't get it done by March 31 and we forego the grant."

Supervisor Joe Brock concurred.

"I don't support entering into this with such a time constraint," he said. "We have to focus on getting it done right."

Though the supervisors could not approve the low bid - that cannot be done until voters give 60 percent approval on the measure on the Nov. 8 ballot to issue no more than $1.45 million in general obligation bonds for the heating and cooling project - they did agree to publish notice in local newspapers that the estimated cost is $1,446,000, the base bid received from Two Rivers on the geothermal system. Should the bond issue pass, the supervisors plan to let the bid at its meeting on Nov. 15.

Following the meeting, the Newton Independent asked what impact approval of the bonding measure might have on the county's debt service property tax level.

Likely none, said Jasper County Auditor Dennis Parrott.

On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors has a resolution on its agenda to enter into a scope of services agreement with Public Financial Management, Inc., to work with the county to refinance all its outstanding indebtedness to take advantage of the historically low interest rates.

Though details of the assessment of the county's potential savings from refinancing its indebtedness are not complete, county officials expect significant savings, enough to offset the need for a property tax increase even with the additional bonding for the courthouse heating and cooling system.

The county currently has about $15 million in outstanding debt, about 15 percent of its bonding capacity.

The supervisors also make note of the county's eligibility to receive nearly $600,000 in state historic preservation tax credits for improvements made to the courthouse dating back years and including the new heating and cooling system cost.

Appeal date set on Newton council's denial of drive-through liquor store license applications

By PETER HUSSMANN

A hearing date has been set for a Knoxville woman's appeal of the Newton City Council's decision to deny her liquor license applications to open a new drive through liquor store in a vacant building in Newton.

Officials from the state Alcoholic Beverages Division sent notice of the hearing date to Traci Newendorp, who plans to open Pit Stop Liquors at the former A&W/Long John Silver's restaurant - dependent on the outcome of the appeal - and city officials late Friday.

The hearing is set for 9 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 15, at the Wallace State Office Building in Des Moines.

In a split vote, the majority of Newton council members voted against approving the liquor license applications at a meeting earlier this month. Those opposed to the new business operation voiced concern about the drive-through aspect of her liquor store business plan. Those who voted in support said they have seen similar operations in other communities where few problems have been found with their operation.

Following the denial, council members were told that Newendorp could appeal their decision and it was likely state officials would approve the applications. The city has no ordinance barring such a business operation in the community.

Letter: The coming rain

To the Newton Independent:

Money, money everywhere,
Yet so many haven't even a dime.
While dollars, pesos and the euro, too
Line the pockets of a greedy few.

Now justice is blowing in the wind,
Stirred up by the have not's pain.
The t-bag people and the Wall Street marchers
Are just the thunder of a justice-cleansing rain.

I think it's too late to build a boat,
So the only question is ...
Will money float?

Olen W. Lambert
Newton

Newton gets lots of ink in Register news coverage Sunday

Newton Independent

In case you missed it, Newton played pretty prominently in the Des Moines Register's news coverage on Sunday.

A front page story by business writer Donnelle Eller takes a look at communities in Iowa that have had persisently high unemployment rates. Obviously, with Newton's loss of Maytag (and Iowa Telecom) we fit in that category.

Eller, who draws from a recent background report put together as part of Newton's effort to revamp its Comprehensive plan (more on that later today), quotes Newton Mayor Chaz Allen as describing the decade long job losses as a "slow bleed." You can read the story here.

On a lighter note, Register features writer Kyle Munson writes of Joyce Moen's effort to get Maytag Park on the National Register of Historic Places and "preserve" the Maytag Bowl. He gives a brief overview of the years long process and notes some of the differences that arose among residents of the community, including Moen's receipt of a cease and desist order after city officials felt she was overstepping her bounds.

Mayor Allen has a nice quote describing what has transpired to date: "It's been a challenge, let's put it that way." You can read the story here.

MSNBC's Schultz to visit Newton today

Newton Independent

MSNBC's Ed Schultz of "The Ed Show" said he will show up in Newton today to ask local residents what they think about Whirlpool in light of the world's largest appliance manufacturer's announcement on Friday that it will cut 10 percent of its North American and European workforce in order to improve profit margins for shareholders.

The TV political commentator said he will be in downtown Newton about noon where he plans to stop into some shops and cafes to talk to folks about how things have been going here since Whirlpool bought Maytag in 2006 and shut down local operations a year later, a corporate decision that slashed about 4,000 local jobs.

Schultz said he plans to report on his trip to the Newton de-Whirlpoolized zone on Monday.

This just in: Mr. Schultz will be at the Mid-town Cafe at noon today.

Friday Forecast

Newton Independent

Halloween happenings, as well as upcoming holiday events, are featured in today's edition of the Friday Forecast, an online event calendar put out weekly by the Greater Newton Area Chamber of Commerce.

Jasper County woman sentenced in animal cruelty case

Newton Independent

The Jasper County woman charged with animal cruelty after malnourished horses in her possession were seized by law enforcement from a property west of Newton in August received a 30 day suspended jail sentence, fined $315 and placed on one year probation during court proceedings this week.

Lisa Merrick, 40, entered a voluntary guilty plea on the charge in Jasper County District Court on Wednesday with Associate District Court Judge Tom Mott handing down the sentence. In addition to the fine, Merrick was ordered to pay court costs of $140 and a surcharge of $110.25.

In late August, three horses in Merrick's possession on property near Westwood Golf Course were seized by law enforcement and animal control officers. One horse found to be severely malnourished was euthanized with two others turned over to the custody and control of the Iowa Equine Rescue and Awareness League (IERAL).

In a civil proceeding earlier this month on the disposition of the two other horses, Merrick was barred from having horses until "deemed suitable" by an animal welfare agency.

At the hearing, Judge Randy Hefner awarded ownership of the horses to Todd Coffman, contingent upon his pay costs associated with their seizure and subsequent boarding by an equine rescue operation. Within days of the order, Coffman met the financial conditions for the horses' return, paying more than $2,500 in costs and fees.

Whirlpool to cut 5,000 jobs

By PETER HUSSMANN

Whirlpool Corporation plans to eliminate 5,000 jobs from its North American and European operations, including 1,200 salaried positions, in response to a continued weak global economy.

The Benton Harbor, Mich.-based company announced its "cost and capacity reduction" plan in releasing its third quarter results today.

"As we previously indicated, in a period of uncertain economic growth and consumer demand, we would be prepared to take the necessary actions in order to expand our operating margins and improve our earnings," said Whirlpool CEO Jeff Fettig. "Given the weakening global economic environment, we are today announcing aggressive plans that will result in substantial cost and capacity reductions. The plans are the result of a comprehensive global review of our operations, products and manufacturing facilities."

On Thursday, Whirlpool said that it planned to close its Fort Smith, Ark., refrigeration manufacturing facility by the middle of 2012 and consolidate its operations in Mexico, Ohio and Amana, Iowa, where about 160 jobs are expected to be added. The Fort Smith closure will impact approximately 1,000 jobs.

The workforce reduction of 5,000 employees in North America and Europe equate to a 10 percent workforce reduction in those regions. In addition to cutting 1,200 salaried employees and the closure of the Fort Smith operation, Whirlpool said it would:

• Relocate dishwasher production from Neunkirchen, Germany to Poland in 2012.
• Take additional organizational efficiency actions in North America and Europe.
• Reduce overall capacity by approximately 6 million units.

The actions are expected to result in $400 million in annual cost savings by the end of 2013, the company said.

"We are taking necessary actions to address a much more challenging global economic environment," Fettig said. "We believe our cost and capacity reduction initiatives, recently announced cost-based price increases and innovative product launches will enable us to expand operating margins and deliver long-term value to shareholders."

In announcing its third quarter results, Whirlpool said net earnings for the period totaled $177 million, or $2.27 per diluted share, compared to net earnings of $79 million, or $1.02 per diluted share, for the same period last year.

Sales in 2011 were $4.6 billion, compared to $4.5 billion reported in the third quarter of 2010. Third quarter operating profit totaled $136 million compared with $234 million in the previous year. Weaker global demand and higher raw material and oil-related costs during the quarter offset the benefits of ongoing productivity, cost reduction initiatives and previously announced price increases, the company said.

"During the quarter, we experienced weaker than expected global industry demand and elevated material costs," Fettig said. "Our results were negatively impacted by recessionary demand levels in developed countries, a slowdown in emerging markets and high levels of inflation in material costs."

Third quarter sales in North America decreased 2 percent from the previous year to $2.4 billion. Operating profit for the region in the quarter was $62 million compared to $114 million the year before.

Based on the current economic outlook, Whirlpool expects full-year 2011 U.S. industry unit shipments to decrease approximately 3 to 5 percent.

Speedway Gas station/convenience store abruptly closes

Newton Independent

The Speedway Gas and convenience store that took over the failed Prairie Gas operation near the Iowa Speedway about two months ago abruptly closed this week.

Newton City Administrator Tom Wardlow notified city council members of the closure in a note this morning.

"In case you hear about it, I learned this morning that Speedway Gas, formerly Prairie Gas, at the 168 exit is now closed," Wardlow wrote to the council. "The owner had advised (Newton Community Development Director) Bryan (Friedman) a while ago that he planned on selling it as he felt he could not be sufficiently competitive. Since then, he apparently decided that he needed to sell a closed business rather than maintain operations."

Earlier this month, the Newton Independent reported that the California man who worked with the Newton City Council this summer to assist in its reopening was listing it for sale.

The gas station/convenience store located is being listed for sale at $699,000. The property was purchased from the bank that had foreclosed on the Prairie Gas operation for $420,000.

Whirlpool to close Arkansas plant; move some jobs to Amana, Iowa

Newton Independent

Whirlpool announced today that it will close its Fort Smith, Ark., manufacturing plant by the middle of next year and move some of the plant's current refrigerator production to its Amana, Iowa plant, an Arkansas TV station is reporting.

The company said the closure will affect approximately 1,000 employees, mainly hourly workers. There are about 800 workers at the plant currently on layoff.

Company officials, the TV station reports, said the closure is "driven by a decrease in demand for side-by-side refrigerator platforms that has resulted from the continued weakness in the global economy, and the aggressive pricing actions of global competitors - some of whose trade practices are currently under investigation by the U.S. government."

Fort Smith production will shift to existing plants in the U.S. and Mexico, the company said, "to leverage the resources and excess capacity at those facilities."

Production of built-in refrigerators will shift to Amana which will add 160 jobs to the plant. Trash compactor manufacturing will move to Ottawa, Ohio, with production of the "reduced, declining volumes" of side-by-side refrigerators being built within "excess capacity" space at a plant in Mexico.

The Arkansas TV station reported that Whirlpool employed approximately 4,600 workers at the Fort Smith factory in 2006.

Pella Corp. announces plant closings; workers asked to retire or leave

Newton Independent

KCCI TV is reporting this afternoon that Pella Corporation plans to close a plant in South Carolina and is offering incentives to its workers in Iowa and elsewhere to retire or voluntarily leave as the continued U.S. housing slump hits the company.

The report says Pella's West Columbia, S.C., plant, that employs nearly 150 people, will close by the end of December.

Reports out of Ohio last week indicate a Pella plant in Fairfield is also scheduled to close in December.

KCCI reports that Pella is offering workers incentives to leave its operations in Carroll, Shenandoah, Sioux Center and Pella, as well as facilities in Illinois and Oregon.

Enos named Bachmann's deputy state campaign manager

Newton Independent

Wes Enos, who was unsuccessful in his attempt to gain the Republican nomination to run against Sen. Dennis Black, D-Lynnville, in the Iowa Senate District 21 election last fall, is the newly appointed deputy state campaign manager for GOP presidential candidate Michele Bachmann.

Enos will assist Eric Woolson, who was recently named Bachmann's state campaign manager for the upcoming Republican caucus.

Woolson and Enos both worked on Mike Huckabee's presidential caucus campaign in 2008.

Enos lost in a three way-race in the June 2010 Republican primary election for Senate District 21, an area that encompasses Jasper County and a portion of the eastern part of Polk County, won by Joe Pirillo. Also running in the primary was Michael Adams Jr. Black beat Pirillo in last fall's election.

The Bondurant man also lost in a bid for election to the Polk County Board of Supervisors in 2006.

PAETEC shareholders agree to Windstream merger

Newton Independent

Shareholders of PAETEC, a New York state-based telecommunications firm, today agreed to the $2.3 billion merger agreement with Windstream Corporation, the Little Rock, Ark., company that has made several recent acquisitions, including former Newton-based Iowa Telecom.

PAETEC officials said that during a special meeting in New York City today, approximately 99 percent of the shares voting at the meeting of stockholders voted in favor of the adoption of the merger agreement with Windstream.

Upon completion of the merger, which is expected by the end of the year, PAETEC shareholders will receive 0.460 shares of Windstream common stock for each PAETEC share owned. Windstream expects to issue approximately 73 million shares of stock valued at approximately $891 million.

Windstream will also assume or refinance PAETEC's net debt of approximately $1.4 billion at the time of the closing.

PAETEC has approximately 5,000 employees, including about 875 in the Rochester, N.Y., area. The company was founded in 1998.

Shares of PAETEC were up 13 cents to $5.53 in early afternoon trading with Windstream stock up 30 cents to $12.20.

Skiff's trick-or-treating tradition continues

Newton Independent

Skiff Medical Center in Newton will once again tranform its halls into a Halloween haven for local children and families by hosting trick-or-treating from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday.

Since 1994, Skiff has hosted a Beggar's Night experience for local children with costumed employees and community volunteers handing out candy to children winding their way through whimsical and (gently) spooky settings.

This year, in addition to hospital employees, the Newton Community Theatre has chosen to again take part in handing out treats to area children.

"We're delighted the Newton Community Theatre is partnering with us again this year to make the event even bigger and better," said Leisa Zylstra, Skiff's events and community coordinator.

The Skiff Auxiliary will again be taking photos of costumed kids (and parents, too, if they wish) on an autumn-themed set in front of the hospital. Photos will be taken throughout the evening with the 5X7 color photos available for pickup from 10 a.m to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 2, at the Skiff Auxiliary gift shop inside the main entrance to the hospital. Cost is $5. All proceeds go to benefit hospital improvements.

New this year is the addition of Domino's, which will be on site selling pizza and other refreshments to trick-or-treaters. Domino's has agreed to donate 20 percent of all proceeds to the Skiff Auxiliary.

The event is free. Participants are invited to bring a non-perishable food item to donate to the local food pantry.

Researchers making headway to help TPI Composites in Newton make a better wind blade

Newton Independent

Researchers at Iowa State University are advancing in their work to build a better wind turbine blade, a multi-faceted effort involving TPI Composites in Newton and a federal laboratory in New Mexico.

PhysOrg.com ran an article on Wednesday on the work under way in Ames aimed at developing new, low-cost manufacturing systems that could improve the productivity of turbine blade factories by as much as 35 percent.

Iowa State's Wind Energy Manufacturing Lab has been open about a year and was built as part of a three-year, $6.3 million research project. The study is a joint effort of researchers from TPI Composites, ISU faculty and officials with the U.S. Department of Energy's Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque.

The article in the online publication, submitted by writers at ISU, says that the ultimate goal of the project is to make wind energy a most cost competitive energy option by developing better, more efficient manufacturing processes. Currently, manufacturing in the industry is largely done by hand with researchers hoping to find methods to automate the process.

"In the early stages of the research, there were a lot of investigations to understand all the problems we're addressing," one of the ISU researchers states in the article. "But now we're at that phase where real intellectual property is coming out of the lab."

TPI Composites employs approximately 700 people in Newton, the city's largest employer.

Saturday hours of operation at Newton landfill coming to an end

Newton Independent

This is the last Saturday the Newton Sanitary Landfill will be open until next spring, city officials are reminding local residents.

The Newton landfill will be open from 7 to 11:45 a.m. Saturday.

The landfill will again offer Saturday hours of operation beginning on the first Saturday of April 2012.

Regular landfill hours are 7:30 a.m. until 4:15 p.m. Monday through Friday.