CHAMBER GIVEAWAY Peggy Van Pelt at Creston Chamber of Commerce reports that all ticket prizes in the Chamber’s Holiday Giveaway have now been claimed. Thus, no redraw will be needed this year, which is a first for this giveaway event.
STINGRAY RESULTS Several members of the Southern Prairie YMCA Stingrays swim team placed high during a recent meet in Newton. For full results from the meet and info on their upcoming meet, see page 6A of today’s newspaper. >>
creston
News Advertiser
SHAW MEDIA GROUP SERVING SW IOWA SINCE 1879 BREAKING NEWS COVERAGE AT WWW.CRESTONNEWS.COM
MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2015
Today’s storm to bring 1 to 3 inches of snow A snowstorm expected to hit southwest Iowa this afternoon will bring 1 to 3 inches of snowfall — according to the latest report from National Weather Service. This storm is expected to move into Iowa during midto-late afternoon and will be accompanied by strong winds, bitter cold and icy roadways. Meteorologists are warning roads will be snow covered and commuters should drive slow. While Creston is expected to only receive 1 to 3 inches of snowfall, more
accumulation is expected to the north with Des Moines preparing for 4 to 6 inches and Ames at 6 to 8 inches of snowfall. Isolated areas of Cedar Rapids and Fort Dodge could see 8+ inches. NWS said the storm will
move out of Iowa early Tuesday and dangerous wind chills will follow Tuesday and through the middle of the week. Wednesday’s high temperature is predicted at -2 degrees with wind chills anywhere from -10 to -20 degrees. CNA photo by KYLE WILSON
IN THE PICTURE: Shelly Robinson of Creston uses a new Cub Cadet snowblower to clear snow off her driveway on West Spencer Street Sunday afternoon. The weekend snowstorm dropped anywhere from zero to 3 inches of snowfall in southwest Iowa with most of Creston receiving about 1 inch. However, another round of snow is expected this afternoon with National Weather Service estimating accumulations at 1 to 3 inches.
5 things to know
GOP in charge, Congress to challenge President Obama WASHINGTON (AP) — The new Congress convenes Tuesday with Republicans in control of the House and Senate as a formidable counterpoint to President Barack Obama in his final two years in office. The GOP is intent on upending the president’s policies, including his 5-year-old health care law, his recent immigration actions sparing millions from deportation, Obama and environment and business regulations. Unnerved by the prospect of a negotiated deal with Iran over its nuclear program, several Republicans, with some Democratic help, plan a pre-emptive strike of tough new sanctions on Tehran. Obama has the power to veto legislation, an action he’s
taken only twice in six years. Expect plenty more in the next 24 months in showdowns between the Democratic president and the GOP-led Congress. Five things to know about the new Congress in the year ahead: MIDCOURSE CORRECTION Gas prices and unemployment are down while economic growth and consumer confidence are up as a once-stagnant economy is humming. Will the so-called Obama recovery force a GOP Congress to recalibrate, abandoning the 2011 budget pact and its across-the-board spending cuts that took a significant chunk out of the deficit? No. Even though the $483 billion deficit for 2014 was the smallest since President George W. Bush’s last full year in office, the GOP is determined to cut spending and rein in the reach of the federal
government. Even the desire to secure more money for the military is unlikely to undo the reductions that will last through 2021. “I’d like to have more money for defense,” incoming Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said in a recent interview with The Associated Press. “What I want is the overall cap to stay in place if possible. And it’s a challenge because to restore money on defense, the Democrats are going to want to restore money on the domestic side. So it’s a big challenge.” The new committee chairmen in the House and Senate will use the annual spending bills to push for even deeper budget cuts. BOEHNER’S CHALLENGE House Speaker John Boehner will have a commanding majority, the largest for the GOP in 84 years. A prolific fundraiser and relentless campaigner, Boehner helped elect 44 new Republicans,
Structure fire:
Creston firefighters work on ventilating a house after a structure fire 2:53 p.m. Friday at a rental property owned by Jack Willis, 312 N. Elm St, Apt. 1. According to a Creston Fire Department report, firecrews extinguished a fire in the kitchen of an apartment occupied by Crystal Smith. According to Creston Fire Chief Todd Jackson, the fire is believed to have started by combustibles that were placed on top of the stove. Loss estimate is $20,000. CNA photo by SARAH BROWN
many of them business-oriented and more amenable to U.S. Chamber of Commerce priorities than Boehner to tea party goals. That gives Boehner more room to maneuver in securing the necessary 218 votes to get legislation passed, out of the 246 seats the party will hold on Tuesday. But there are still at least a dozen rambunctious Republicans willing to challenge the leadership. Texas Rep. Louis Gohmert, a tea partyer, has said he will challenge Boehner for speaker when the House votes for its leader on Tuesday. Another conservative, Florida Rep. Ted Yoho, is considering a long-shot challenge. Two other Republicans — Jim BridenPlease see CONGRESS, Page 2
Iowa towns struggle to afford sewer upgrades DES MOINES (AP) — Many small Iowa towns are struggling to afford costly state-mandated upgrades to their sewage systems to limit pollution. Some towns are considering unincorporating to avoid the cost of installing a centralized sewage system to replace individual septic tanks, the Des Moines Register reported Saturday. Officials worry that the cost of implementing those expensive systems could worsen population loss. “Having an $80 sewer bill doesn’t help trying to woo people,” said Mount Union Mayor ■ Some towns John Marek. The state Departare considerment of Natural Reing unincorsources notified the porating to eastern Iowa town 10 years ago that it had avoid the cost to upgrade its system of installing to reduce pollution. In a centralthe four years since it installed a centralized ized sewage plumbing system, the system to Mount Union has lost replace indi40 percent of its population, Marek said, vidual septic and now it’s looking at tanks. filing bankruptcy and unincorporating because of the sewer. In the central Iowa town of Luther, the dispute over a proposed $1.4 million plumbing system for about 120 residents prompted several top officials to resign. “In the state of Iowa, the majority of cities across the state are under 500,” said Dustin Miller, director of government affairs for the Iowa League of Cities. “How do you engineer for population loss?” Department of Natural Resources spokesman Kevin Baskins said that he understands the challenges towns face but that there are concerns about pollution from people who live downstream. The department is responsible for enforcing laws that protect air, land and water from pollution. Please see SEWAGE, Page 2
TUESDAY WEATHER
CONNECT WITH US
COMPLETE WEATHER 3A
crestonnews.com | online 641-782-2141 | phone 641-782-6628 | fax Follow us on Facebook
16 -8 PRICE 75¢
Creston News Advertiser 503 W. Adams Street | Box 126 Creston, IA 50801-0126
Copyright 2015
Volume 131 No. 151
2014
If you do not receive your CNA by 5 p.m. call 641-782-2141, ext. 6450. Papers will be redelivered in Creston until 6:30 p.m. Phones will be answered until 7 p.m.
Become a Fan on Facebook! facebook.com/crestonnewsadvertiser