SIX CHAMPIONS Creston/O-M wins the Panther Invitational behind six individual champions. Joe Ricker becomes Mount Ayr’s winningest wrestler in school history. See the full report in sports, page 5A. >>
creston
News Advertiser
SHAW MEDIA GROUP SERVING SW IOWA SINCE 1879 BREAKING NEWS COVERAGE AT WWW.CRESTONNEWS.COM
MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2015
Branstad to kick off sixth term with limited goals DES MOINES (AP) — Gov. Terry Branstad is kicking off his sixth term with a limited list of goals, most notably increasing roads funding, but so far without any major legacy project on the horizon. Branstad will give the annual condition of the state address Tuesday, laying out his policy and budget priorities. He is expected to renew support for expanding broadband Internet and cracking down on bullying, as well as offering a pledge to secure more funding for Iowa’s bridges and roads, many of which are considered deteriorating or deficient. “Generally speaking, we’re not
looking at any big surprises,” Branstad said when asked about his speech. “We came back to restore fiscal stability and get the state budget in order and focus on jobs and economic development and education reform and we want to stay on that Branstad track.” This is different than four years ago when the Republican Branstad had just been elected to a fifth term after time away from office.
He ran then with an ambitious plan to create jobs and reform government. “I think you’ll have a session here where anything goes,” said longtime Branstad adviser Doug Gross, who noted that Branstad appears to be cautiously approaching road funding and a potential increase in the state fuel tax. “The governor is a very adept politician. He may be making a calculation that the real goal is to get road funding done. He’s going to try to low-key it rather than up-key it. This is a situation that’s very volatile.” Tyler Olson, who briefly ran for
the 2014 Democratic nomination for governor before dropping out for personal reasons, said he’d like to hear a bigger vision from Branstad. “The job market is changing. Economic development is changing. How we educate our kids should be changing. I would love to one, hear some acknowledgment of that and two, how the state is going to respond to that,” said Olson, a former legislator and Democratic Party chairman. Road funding may require a big push from Branstad this year. He has been careful not to publicly commit to a course of action, though
one option is to raise the state’s fuel tax, currently at 22 cents a gallon, including fees. That has not been raised since 1989. Branstad has said the agenda he laid out in 2010 was always meant to take five years, so he’s still working to meet those targets. When Branstad ran in 2010 he was attempting a political comeback against an incumbent Democrat and pledged to create 200,000 new jobs, increase family incomes and reduce the cost of government. Please see BRANSTAD, Page 2
Officials monitor flu outbreaks at Iowa care centers
Hunters harvest more than 97,000 deer in 2014-15 season Water fowl hunters report a solid year with a wide variety of targets ■
By JAKE WADDINGHAM
CNA associate editor jwaddingham@crestonnews.com
Iowa’s deer hunting season came to a close over the weekend with the conclusion of the late muzzleloader season and late archery split Jan. 10. More than 97,143 deer were harvested statewide, according to the Iowa Department of Resources most current numbers. Union County reported about 1,020 deer harvested and Carlton was almost evenly split between bucks and does. “Overall, our season went well,” said Corey Carlton, game warden for Union
and Ringgold counties. Ringgold County reported similar harvest totals. One of the biggest changes for Iowa deer hunters was the discontinuation of January’s antlerless season, forcing hunters to target does more frequently during the regular shotgun season. “The reason (January antlerless) was abolished was because we have gotten our population numbers down to target level,” Carlton said. Carlton said shotgun season remained Iowa’s most popular season for hunting deer, but there was a big jump in hunters trying late muzzleloader. The weather during shotgun season was varied. While the temperatures cooperated most days, the lack of snowfall made tracking deer movements difficult. Hunters battled high winds and low temperatures to end the 2014-15 hunting season, which Carlton said led to bigger problems than poor hunting conditions. “No one wants to get out of the truck,” Carlton said. “That brings in several
problems. Guys are shooting out of the truck or from the road, shooting onto a property without knowing who could be out there.” Since 2011, SF 2379 allows hunters in Iowa to travel with a loaded handgun, rifle or shotgun in a motorized vehicle. This does not apply to snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles. Carlton said a large majority of hunters do travel with loaded firearms, making the temptation to fire from illegal areas much greater.
Water fowl One of the biggest highlights from the 2014-15 hunting season was the strong showing of geese and ducks. “This has probably been the best year for water fowl since I have been here,” Carlton said. “New birds were coming in before the weekend, which is when a lot of our hunters are able to get out and Please see HUNTERS, Page 2
DES MOINES (AP) — At least 32 care centers in Iowa have had outbreaks of influenza recently, according to health officials who say it’s difficult to fight off the disease despite such safeguards as vaccination and sanitation measures. Dr. Patricia Quinlisk, medical director for the Iowa Department of Public Health, said she’s received daily reports of the disease affecting nursing homes, assisted living centers and other care facilities, The Des Moines Register reported. “It’s certainly much higher than it’s been in the past,” she said of the frequency of the reports. At the Bishop Drumm Retirement Center in Johnston, every resident and employee was vaccinated against the flu. But the virus spread at the center in December. Several residents required hospitalization. “It was awful for them here,” said Priscilla Myers of Johnston, whose mother, Rosemary Hall, was one of about 35 residents infected. “It seemed like they all got the flu at once.” Quinlisk, the state’s top
infectious disease expert, said the flu contributes to hundreds of deaths of older people in Iowa during a typical year. The state department said 64 percent of Iowa residents hospitalized for flu complications this winter have been 65 or older. Mischelle Denison’s mother-in-law, 87-year-old Darlene Denison, was moved to Bishop Drumm last year. Mischelle Denison said she is concerned about illnesses such as the flu because care facilities have people with weak immune systems in close proximity. Darlene Denison herself became infected with the flu. The development meant family members had to put on medical gowns, masks and gloves when visiting her. “But she took it all in stride,” Mischelle Denison said. Quinlisk said she won’t have a solid number of deaths related to the flu until death certificates are analyzed. But she said that will still make it tricky to track, since the flu isn’t always listed as a contributing cause of death for an older person with other health ailments.
Nice form: St. Malachy student Colby Burg, 11, of Creston releases a free throw Saturday morning during the annual Elk’s Lodge Hoop Shoot held at Southwestern Community College. Burg was one of more than 75 kids between the ages of 8 and 13 who participated in the event this year. Winners from each age group now advance to district competition in Des Moines Jan. 24. CNA photo by KYLE WILSON
CNA photo by JAKE WADDINGHAM
Jumpstart Jam: Julie Lange, right, starts her workout during Deb Peterson’s morning circuit class at Southern Prairie YMCA’s Jumpstart Jam Saturday. The event allowed anyone to preview most of the fitness classes offered at the YMCA. Executive Director Jacki Steffen said they had 30 people sign up for new memberships, triple the amount from the previous year.
TUESDAY WEATHER
CONNECT WITH US
COMPLETE WEATHER 3A
crestonnews.com | online 641-782-2141 | phone 641-782-6628 | fax Follow us on Facebook
18 10 PRICE 75¢
Creston News Advertiser 503 W. Adams Street | Box 126 Creston, IA 50801-0126
Copyright 2015
Volume 131 No. 159
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.
FREE DIAGNOSTIC TESTING AND CONSULTATION FREE HEARING EVALUATION CRESTON LOCATION 319 W ADAMS
641-782-2494
12 IOWA LOCATIONS: ASIAUDIOLOGY.COM/LOCATIONS