5 MINUTES WITH
BROWN SIGNING
This week’s “5 Minutes” feature is with Keith Worland, new executive director at the Southern Prairie YMCA in Creston. More with Worland on page 6A. >>
Lenox’s Spencer Brown has signed his National Letter of Intent to play football at the University of Northern Iowa in the fall. More in SPORTS, page 1S. >>
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News Advertiser WEEKEND EDITION
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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2016
CHS sends 11 teams to state speech Saturday ■ Creston’s participation in large group speech competition has more than doubled in its first year under speech coach Laura Granger.
By IAN RICHARDSON CNA staff reporter irichardson@crestonnews.com
C
lothed in white shirts and black trousers with red scarves tied around their heads, 15 Creston High School students formed a circle on the auditorium stage Thursday night, working themselves into the pirate mood. “Give me your best pirate face,” called speech coach Laura Granger, prompting a chorus of “arrghs” and snarls. “Lips curled up, eyebrows flashing.” Following some additional character exercises, the members Granger of Creston’s large group speech team began practicing their choral reading performance, titled “Pirates of the Choral.” Co-written by Granger herself, it’s a witty piece written especially for the category, which blends reading, acting and choreographed movement. The choral reading group is one of 11 groups from Creston High School that qualified for Saturday’s state speech competition in Waukee after receiving overall I ratings at the district competition Jan. 23.
CNA photo by IAN RICHARDSON
Clayton Davis, middle, holds fellow pirate Dylan Anson in his arms during a dress rehearsal for their choral reading performance, titled “Pirates of the Choral” written by Julie Granger and Laura Granger. Also pictured, back from left, are John Reasoner, Michelle Islas and Sabrina Miller. Watch video from the rehearsal at www. crestonnews.com.
Creston had entered 16 acts at district level, totaling nearly 60 students. That involvement is more than double last year’s. Granger, who is in her first year teaching speech and drama at Creston after spending eight years at Audubon, works with the team along with high school language arts teacher Danielle Dickinson. Granger said the key to bringing so many students into the program this year started in the fall, recruiting those who typically weren’t involved in the speech program. It was a Harlan strategy that involved seasoned speech veterans like senior Mariah Harlan, who’s in her fourth year on the team. “She had us go out and
actually tell people about (speech),” Harlan said, “and I think a lot more people were interested in seeing what it was.” Granger said the result was 70 students trying out for the team, with about 60 eventually joining. And even with a group of that size, Granger said there’s been a place for everyone. “They have a saying that ‘There’s no bench in speech’ — we’ll find something that fits your strength,” Granger said. “We have people that do tech and they’re behind-the-scenes people, and we have people filming short films, and you get the people that like wearing costumes and dancing and making funny faces — we have places for them.” This dramatic growth in speech involvement comes in the same year Creston’s high school marching band grew to 105 members, the most in at least two decades. John Reasoner, a
“They have a saying that ‘There’s no bench in speech’ — we’ll find something that fits your strength.” — Laura Granger
Speech coach at Creston High School
sophomore who’s in his second year on the speech team, said fine arts seems to be on the rise at school. “I really think it’s been the last few years, and I really think it’s the administration, too, putting a lot of emphasis on it,” he said. Sixty students was enough to divide Creston into a freshman team and a varsity speech team, something the school hadn’t done in previous years. SPEECH | 2A
250 jobs at Shenandoah plant to be eliminated SHENANDOAH (AP) — Company officials say 250 hourly and salaried positions will be eliminated at the Eaton Vehicle Group plant in Shenandoah. Officials said Thursday the company is moving some of the work to plants in Mexico or Kings Mountain, North Carolina. About 85 Shenandoah positions will be retained to support manufacturing of components for the final
assembly of transmissions. Company officials say the people losing their jobs will receive full severance packages, outplacement services and will be encouraged to seek jobs at other Eaton plants. The company’s two other Iowa plants are in Belmond and Spencer. In October, the company said it would eliminate the Eaton plant’s third shift, cutting 71 workers’ jobs.
Clarinda struggles to fill former hospital CLARINDA (AP) — The 128-year-old former mental health institute in the small southwest Iowa city of Clarinda isn’t your typical real estate opportunity, and so far no one is rushing to move in. More than seven months after the state closed the Clarinda Mental Health Institute, much of the sprawling building remains empty, including entire floors that haven’t been used in decades. With its gothic architecture set amid lawns and tree-lined paths, the former institute is impressive, but it’s also a site that Iowa’s
governor labeled as outdated and inefficient. When it closed June 30, 76 people lost their jobs. “It really has been hard, just to watch all these people go out and staff lose their jobs and now we have this big building sitting here empty,” said Meredith Baker, an administrator who oversees the institute and an adjacent state prison. A state commission chose Clarinda for its third asylum in 1884, and it was completed four years later following a design thought to enhance CLARINDA | 2A
Dutch support:
Central College basketball cheerleader Ericka Abell of Creston, right, celebrates a Dutch basket during Wednesday’s 84-71 victory over Luther College. For more on the game and the performance of Central junior Colby Taylor of Creston, see page 1S.
CNA photo by IAN RICHARDSON
Crazy Days: Kathleen Schultz, left, of Greenfield and Linda Van Vleet of Orient
CNA photo by LARRY PETERSON
peruse quilting books at Quilts & Other Notions this morning. Quilts & Other Notions is one of several local businesses holding sales as part of Winter Crazy Days, which began Thursday and runs through Saturday. Quilts & Other Notions has 20 percent off everything in the store, as well as 30 percent off batiks and 50 percent off books, patterns and all Christmas, Halloween, fall and Asian fabrics. Visit www.crestonnews.com and click on the ad at the top of the homepage for more information on which stores are participating.
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