STATE SPEECH
Creston High School students Maya Struhar and Miguel Villegas competed in the state individual speech competition at Nevada High School. See results on page 8A.
NATIONAL RUNNER-UP
A former East Union student finishes runner-up for Iowa in the NCAA wrestling championships at Scottrade Center in St. Louis over the weekend. Read more in SPORTS, page 5A. >>
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Ted Cruz launches campaign at largest Christian college Contributed photo
The award-winning 2014-15 Salt and Pepper dance team will be performing at Jam the Gym 6 p.m. Friday at Southwestern Community College. This is the final season for their coach, Meg Haines.
New features added to Creston’s Jam the Gym event Tickets are $5 and can be purchased in advance at Creston High School. This is Meg Haines’ final year as coach for Salts and Peppers.
BIRP king. “It just keeps getting bigger and bigger,” Haines said. “The kids are really excited about dancing.” Spectators will get a chance to watch the award-winning Salt and Pepper dance teams perform, as well as the Jr. Salt and Peppers, Lil’ Salt and Peppers and the SWCC Dazzlers dance team. “We have more than 80 dancers participating in second through fifth grade alone,” Haines said. “There is always a lot of interest in that age group’s performance.” The Peppers won the lights division dance for the sixth year in a row at the state competition. Creston placed second in the coed division and the Peppers were fifth with their hip hop routine. “We have eight senior boys and eight senior girls,” Haines said. “That is a big class that has always participated with the dance team.”
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By JAKE WADDINGHAM
CNA associate editor jwaddingham@crestonnews.com
One of Creston High School’s fastest growing events in popularity and size, Jam the Gym, kicks off at 6 p.m. Friday at Southwestern Community College. In her last year as coach for the Salt and Pepper dance teams, Meg Haines said there will be a lot of dance routines, plus a grand march for teams that have placed at state in the 2014-15 school year and the crowning of the TWIRP
TWIRP BIRP KING CANDIDATES The TWIRP BIRP king candidates for 2015 are Stone Hammons, Bryce Briley, Jay Wolfe, Spencer Wray, Cory Rathe and Tayler Pettit. The king will be announced Friday. One of the most popular routines last year was a father and daughter dance routine. Haines said it will be replaced with the Salt seniors dancing with their mothers. The senior Salt and Peppers will also have a special performance. The “march of champions” will be a new highlight for this year’s Jam the Gym. The football, bowling and wrestling teams will be recognized for their performances at state. The TWIRP BIRP king candidates for 2015 are Stone Hammons, Bryce Briley, Jay Wolfe, Spencer Wray, Cory Rathe and Tayler Pettit.
Get your tickets
The cost is $5 at the door,
but advance tickets are available at Creston High School all week to allow easier and quicker access into the event. “It gives people an express lane,” Haines said. “In the past, the lines have gone out the door, but last year, it worked really well and there was hardly any line because people could show their wrist bands.” Haines added more than 500 tickets were sold in advance for last year’s event. Remember, activity tickets are not accepted for Jam the Gym. “I hope we fill up the gym as quickly as we have in the past,” Haines said.
CNA photo by KYLE WILSON
Elks officers: Creston Elks Lodge #605 officers for 2015-16 were installed Saturday evening at the lodge. From front left,
they are Barb Wilmeth (esquire), Dave Koets (leading knight), Arnie Qualseth (exalted ruler), Tyler Wolf (lecturing knight) and Lee Freeman (loyal knight). Back row: Donna Stringham (inner guard), Monica Fastenow (trustee), Dick Hammond (secretary), Blade Martwick (trustee), John Cook (treasurer), Bill Oetken (trustee), Cassie Wilmeth (chaplain), Eric Shawler (trustee) and Dale Kessler (tiler).
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LYNCHBURG, Va. (AP) — Sen. Ted Cruz showed he was a candidate in a hurry early Monday morning, announcing his presidential candidacy on Twitter just after midnight, several hours before the official launch at the college founded by the late Rev. Jerry Falwell Monday morning. The Texas Republican’s choice of Liberty University for Monday’s speech indicates he plans an aggressive courtship of cultural conservatives and young voters. Cruz became the first high-profile Republican to officially enter the 2016 contest even though, like others, he has been campaigning in all but name for many months. Ahead of his speech, Cruz turned to social media and tweeted: “I’m running for president and I hope Cruz to earn your support!” In a flashy video that accompanied it, Cruz offered a preview of his nascent campaign’s message. “I believe in America and her people, and I believe we can stand up and restore our promise,” Cruz said in the web video as images of farm fields, city skylines and American landmarks and symbols played in the background. “It’s going to take a new generation of courageous conservatives to help Please see CRUZ, Page 2
Legislature considers bill on adoption leave benefits
DES MOINES (AP) — When Shelley Skuster and her husband adopted their daughter, Olivia, in 2013, the northeast Iowa couple had no paid time off from their jobs. The Skusters had considered potential challenges as they went through months of adoption paperwork. But time-off entitlements was not among those; her pregnant co-workers at a local television station received paid time off. Skuster ended up using limited vacation time and had nearby family take care of Olivia. “I’m a mom in every sense of the way that my colleague is a mom who gave birth in a hospital,” she said from her home in Waverly. “When the state and in return the employer does not recognize that and doesn’t treat it the same, it’s frustrating.” A bill making its first appearance in the Iowa Legislature aims to alleviate that. It would essentially require an employer that offers some forms of paid Please see ADOPTION, Page 2
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