SIXTH STRAIGHT The Creston/O-M wrestling team earned their sixthstraight trip to state duals Tuesday. More on page 7A.
creston
News Advertiser WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2015
BREAKING NEWS COVERAGE AT WWW.CRESTONNEWS.COM
Rep. Young opens service center in Creston By JAKE WADDINGHAM
CNA associate editor jwaddingham@crestonnews.com
Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District Representative David Young will be keeping a constituent service center at 208 W. Taylor St., Creston. The center reopened Feb. 4. “Congress had to cut their own budgets upwards of 24 percent, so when Congressman Young came into office, it was the same budget as the previous Congress, and as we all know, costs contin-
ue to grow,” said Congressman Young’s Chief of Staff James Carstensen. “There was the recognition of representing all the constituents Young and having the resources available for hard working taxpayers. We were able to identify a space that achieved both goals.” Young, who survived a highly competitive Republican primary
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and later defeated Democrat Staci Appel for the open United States House of Representative seat in the general election, will also have constituent service centers in Council Bluffs and Des Moines. A mobile unit is slated to start later this year to help extend Young’s reach to constituents in rural areas of the district. Laura Hartman will continue to serve as constituent service director for the Creston office. “We were very fortunate Laura agreed to join Congressman Young’s team,” Carstensen said.
“She is a great case worker and great local resident, so she understands the unique issues that people in the area would face.” When Iowa had five congressman in the U.S. House, the Creston area was represented by Rep. Steve King. He hired Laura Hartman of Creston to serve as his regional assistant in the Creston office for six years. “It is a good thing that Creston and southwest Iowa will still have a rural office to help with constituent needs,” Hartman said. During the 2012 election, Iowa
Bili Lepe of Creston helps his sister Cecilia open the sixth Casa De Oro in Iowa ■
lost a congressman and King’s district was rearranged to cover a majority of northwest Iowa. This set up a competitive race between two incumbents — Rep. Latham and Rep. Leonard Boswell — for Iowa’s new 3rd Congressional District. Former U.S. Congressman Tom Latham kept the regional office in 2013 after defeating Boswell and asked Hartman to be his regional assistant in the Creston office. Please see SERVICE CENTER, Page 2
Creston, Prescott consolidation continues The next step in this school consolidation process is a public vote slated for April 7. ■
By BAILEY POOLMAN
CNA staff reporter bpoolman@crestonnews.com
Contributed photo
Bili Lepe, right, stands with his brother Hugo, sister Cecilia and the first two customers to eat at the Casa De Oro in Chariton. There are now six Casa De Oro restaurants in Iowa.
By KYLE WILSON
CASA LOCATIONS
CNA managing editor
kwilson@crestonnews.com
The doors to another Casa De Oro opened earlier this month. Bili Lepe — the owner of the Creston location — said he’s been in Chariton consistently the past two weeks helping his sister Cecilia get her Casa De Oro Mexican restaurant off the ground. He said the community in Chariton has already welcomed them with open arms and business has been
The Casa De Oro in Chariton is located at 123 N. Main St. Other locations in Iowa include Creston, Red Oak, Jefferson, Adel and Perry.
steady. “We remodeled for about four months before opening,” Lepe said, “and that made the excitement really grow in the community. People kept stopping in to ask when we were opening. So when we did
open last Monday (Feb. 2), the response great. It’s been really busy.” Tracy Campbell, associate at True Value in Chariton, has already eaten there three times in less than two weeks. Campbell likes the price of the meals. “I can eat for $10 and that includes tip,” Campbell said. Lepe said the Chariton location has many of the traditional Mexican dishes that can be found in Creston like enchiladas, tostados, quesadillas, burritos,
tacos and fajitas. This is the sixth Casa De Oro to open in Iowa. Other locations include Creston, Red Oak, Jefferson, Adel and Perry. Lepe opened the first Casa in Creston nine years ago. He’s since helped all four of his brothers and now one sister open their own restaurant. “My goal is for all my brothers and sisters to own and manage their own restaurant. So, we need Please see CASA, Page 2
More than 20 people were present to witness a motion be approved to send a petition concerning the consolidation of Creston and Prescott school districts during a Green Hills Area Education Agency board meeting Tuesday at Prescott Elementary School. The motion indicated the currently drawn boundaries, with one exception, will stand, and employees of the two districts have gone through the legal steps to continue with the consolidation. “This board doesn’t sit in judgment of the wisdom about whether or not Creston and Prescott should be reorganized,” said Jim
Hanks, Green Hills AEA board attorney. “Instead, we look at the things that are technical requirements of the law.” The next step in the consolidation process is the vote, which will take place April 7. “Several folks, the board members, believe this choice is the best alternative left to give the public a choice what to do with the school district at Prescott, and yet, it is a sad time also,” said Steve McDermott, Creston and Prescott superintendent. “The reality sets in that the future of this school will be changed, and on a positive side, I’d say that it’s very encouraging that two school boards can get together and try to work something out.”
Objections
Several objections to the petition were filed, concerning both dissolution and boundary changes. Mike and Susan Bagby of Corning and Todd and Katie James of Prescott Please see CONSOLIDATION, Page 2
Senate approves boost in education funding DES MOINES (AP) — Legislation to significantly boost school funding got approval in the Democratic-controlled Iowa Senate Tuesday, but the plan is likely to face opposition in the Republican-majority House. Senators backed bills to boost K-12 funding for the next two school years. Under the proposal, school aid would increase by more than $200 million for the upcom-
ing academic year, according to the non-partisan Legislative Services Agency. That’s more than double the amount approved by the House for the same period. The House and Senate proposals both include funding specifically dedicated to teacher leadership training. “Iowa’s future depends on high quality local schools,” said Sen. Tod Bowman, D-Maquoketa.
“This legislation is a serious and meaningful step for Iowa schools.” Bowman said the funding level approved by the House would mean classroom crowding, outdated resources and cuts to arts or sports. School advocates had sought an even larger increase, but have offered support for the Senate plan. Republicans in the Senate questioned the funding proposals
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“To say I care nothing about education because I care what the budget looks like is absurd,” said Sen. Amy Sinclair, R-Allerton. She later asked: “What will we cut if this is the choice that we make.” The legislation now moves to the state House. But Rep. Ron Jorgenson, R-Sioux City, who chairs the House Education Committee, said he did not think the funding approved by the Senate
was affordable. “We still have education being our priority, but we want to do it in a fiscally responsible manner,” he said. A spokesman for Republican Gov. Terry Branstad said the House plan was more in line with the governor’s budget proposal, but declined to comment on the Senate legislation until they offered a full budget.
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