HUNTING LICENSE Iowans may now begin purchasing 2015 resident hunting, fishing and other licenses. Fees remain unchanged for this year. More in SPORTS, page 8A. >>
THROWBACK NEWS Twenty years ago, JoAnn Bradley was appointed chairwoman of Union County Board of Supervisors by a unanimous vote. Read more Throwback news on page 2A. >>
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FRIDAY, JANUARY 2, 2015
Couple helps man get out of wrecked vehicle CNA photos by KYLE WILSON
A $43,000 expansion at Creston city pound, shown above, is now complete. This expansion has doubled the space at the facility, allowing enough room now to seperate the dogs from the cats.
$43,000 expansion at Creston city pound now complete By KYLE WILSON
CNA managing editor kwilson@crestonnews.com
A $43,000 expansion at Creston city pound is now complete and already helping to alleviate the longstanding overcrowding problems at the facility. The expansion — which included a pole building being constructed over the top of the original pound — has increased the total square footage at the facility from about 400 to 800 square feet. The extra space has allowed for two new dog kennel runs, storage closet for food and medications and a small office space for volunteers and city employees to formalize adoptions. “This has been a nice upgrade for the volunteers and animals at the pound,” said Mycale Downey, director of Creston Animal Rescue Effort. This expansion project started in August 2010 when Janel McLain and Marion Wagner of Creston began lobbying for improvements at the facility. They helped raise $8,000, which then prompted the city to budget
These cats share a room together at Creston city pound. To adopt these cats or other animals at the facility, call Mycale Downey at 641-782-2330.
$35,000 toward the project. They lobbied at that time, primarily, because the pound — located southwest of McKinley Lake — was only “about the size of a one-car garage” and a lack of space inside had caused overcrowding problems whereby animals had to double up in kennels or were forced to be caged outside — sometimes in extreme weather conditions. “The dogs were literally 3 feet from the cats,” McLain said, “which was causing a lot of unneeded stress to the
animals.” This expansion has allowed for volunteers and city staff to separate the dogs and cats. They are now housed in two different rooms separated by a cinder block wall so they can’t see each other and can barely hear one another. “The noise level is way down for the cats,” Downey said. McLain added: “It’s a good feeling to have this expansion complete, and good feeling to know that
we made a difference in the lives of animals and hopefully this will make overcrowding problems more manageable for the staff. I also hopes that it brings awareness to the animals out there and makes it easier for adoptions.” Downey added a concrete pad was also poured outside the facility where kennels are to be installed so dogs can be housed outside when weather allows. She added the kennels and animals are now protected by a sloped hard top roof when outside. Other improvements in the new expansion include a new, bigger hot water heater, improved heating and cooling system, updated electric “so fuses won’t blow” and extra space in the yard for the animals to run. Downey said there are currently five dogs and seven cats housed at the city pound. To adopt a pet from the pound, contact her at 641-782-2330 and leave a message. You can also go online to www.crestonanimalrescue. petfinder.com or like Creston Animal Rescue Effort on Facebook.
Dubuque nurse retires after 6 decades Betty Weber said it was her life-long dream to become a nurse after one came to her parents farm to help her mother and sister who were ill. ■
DUBUQUE (AP) — A nurse in Dubuque is reflecting on her more than 60 years of caring for ailing babies and their families. Betty Weber retired Wednesday from her work at Mercy Birth Center in Dubuque. She said her lifelong dream began when she was 3, when a nurse was brought to her parents’ farm to help after her sister was
born and her mother was ill. “From that time on, I said I wanted to be a nurse and take care of babies,” she told the Dubuque Telegraph Herald. “That was my goal all my life.” After nursing school, Weber landed a job with the obstetrics department at Mercy Medical Center-Dubuque. Weber said caring for sick babies became her passion,
and she helped facilitate Mercy’s neonatal intensive care unit, one of the first in the state. She also launched a program in 1989 that provides support and comfort to parents whose babies have died. “I used to see parents who lost a baby. They would have no follow-up afterwards, no kind of support,” Weber said. “Our meetings are just like support meetings.” Weber retired from Mercy in 1993 after more than two decades as manager of the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit. She quickly started working as a maternity child ed-
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ucator at Mercy’s birthing center. “I could spend a little bit more time individually with each parent to try to teach them a little bit more,” she said. “I tell them when they go home (to) get themselves feeling better, get the baby feeling better. I tell them (to) enjoy their baby. They’re not going to stay little forever.” Dr. Douglas Olk, chairman of the hospital’s pediatrics department, said Weber has been a role model and an inspiration for hospital employees and a tireless source of comfort for parents. “She sets the bar pretty high,” he said.
FARLEY (AP) — An Iowa couple has been credited with helping a man get out of his wrecked vehicle before it caught fire. Peosta Police Department Sgt. Nicole Minnihan says the couple was traveling westbound Tuesday on U.S. 20 in northeast Iowa when another vehicle driven by 65-year-old Mark Schuster went off the roadway. The Telegraph Herald reports Sandy Gassman, along with her husband, Tom, pulled over to help. Sandy Gassman put Schuster’s arm over her shoulder and they walked away from the wreck. Tom Gassman called 911. The couple helped Schuster get a safe distance away before the vehicle caught fire. Schuster was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. It took about 20 minutes to contain the fire, which remains under investigation.
Christmas Basket meets $19,000 goal The goal for the 2014 Union County Christmas Basket Fund has been met. The fund goal was $19,000 and, to date, $19,631.80 has been raised. Nominations for Christmas baskets were made using the Christmas basket nominations form appearing in the Creston News Advertiser and Southwest Iowa Advertiser at various times. The pick-up/delivery cards went out Dec. 12 and Christmas baskets were picked up in mid-December. Baskets include meat, canned goods donated through efforts of Boy Scouts and school and community projects and certificates redeemable at local supermarkets for perishable foods. Each child 19 and younger also receives a gift certificate for clothing items. The Christmas Basket Fund board was assisted in packing and distributing baskets Please see BASKET, Page 2
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