SPECIAL GUEST
NEW SPARTAN
Blaine Lotz, the 2014 World Livestock Auctioneer champion, will be at Creston Livestock Auction 11 a.m. Wednesday, see PEOPLE/NEWS, page 5A. >>
Nodaway Valley’s Delson Grantham signed to be a part of the Southwestern Community College golf team on SPORTS, page 1S. >>
creston
News Advertiser
SHAW MEDIA GROUP SERVING SW IOWA SINCE 1879 BREAKING NEWS COVERAGE AT WWW.CRESTONNEWS.COM
TUESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2014
Signs of support
QUICK NEWS Officials worry over rise in unvaccinated children
CNA photo by JAKE WADDINGHAM
A crowd of more than 40 protestors wave signs across the street from Supertel Inn in Creston before a union meeting Monday that addressed BNSF cutting trains back to one-man crews.
Ballots will be counted Sept. 9 and all three crafts — conductors, trainman and switchman — must vote no to keep two-man crews on BNSF trains By JAKE WADDINGHAM CNA associate editor jwaddingham@crestonnews. com
More than 60 local union members and some spouses met with International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers representatives to discuss an agreement between the union and Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway (BNSF) Monday at Supertel Inn in Creston. If passed, it would allow BNSF to reduce the current conductor and engineer two-man crew on trains to a one-man crew on 60 percent of BNSF railways, including Creston. “The general chairman presented a powerpoint presentation in which he was promoting the agreement that he has laid out,” said Jim Garrett, a BNSF
One-man crew details
The agreement would eliminate the conductor and the engineer would work with assistance from a “master conductor” working from a control center and the PTC safety system on 60 percent of BNSF Railways, including trains that pass through Creston. PTC is a satellite-guided system of sensors and computers mandated by Congress in 2008. It helps stop, slow and reroute trains. engineer from Creston. “Then they allowed some questions and answers after that.” Garrett said the nature of the questions were not in favor of making the switch to one-man crews. Community involvement Outside the meeting, more than 40 concerned family, friends, union and community members held signs opposing the switch to one-man crews. “I thought it was a great showing of support,” said Tessa Hull, who has helped organize groups
to raise community awareness about the potential switch to one-man crews. “We even had engineers there in support, so not only do the conductors not want to lose their job, but the engineers want them to stay on the train, too.” Hull said she will continue to help organize awareness for HR3040 on www.petitions. moveon.org. “Getting it passed on the federal level is in our best interest right now,” Hull said. “We are hoping for a no vote, but you
Collectibles and curiosities By SARAH BROWN | sbrown@crestonnews.com One man’s collection is bringing a bit of nostalgia to family, friends and strangers. Wally Miller, 71, and his wife Judy, both of Creston, unveiled a collection of ag-related memorabilia Thursday. The collection, Down on the Farm Museum & Emporium, is located inside a large shed at his acreage, 1200 S. Division St., just south of Highway 34. Miller said his love for agriculture started as a young child growing up on his family’s farm northeast of Creston. It was during those days his collection of toy tractors and ag-related products began. Up until a month ago, the entire collection was in cardboard boxes. “You get too many to put on a shelf in the house, so, you box them up and put them away,” Miller said. “But, eventually, when you get it all out, you got this.” The collection features hundreds of toy tractors, belt buck-
CNA photo by SARAH BROWN
around his shed helps paint a picture of Creston’s industrial history. “Most of the signs are from here,” Miller said. Miller points out the signs from the area — a Texaco sign
WEDNESDAY WEATHER
CONNECT WITH US
COMPLETE WEATHER 3A
crestonnews.com | online 641-782-2141 | phone 641-782-6628 | fax Follow us on Facebook
82 68 PRICE 75¢
Creston News Advertiser 503 W. Adams Street | Box 126 Creston, IA 50801-0126
Copyright 2014
Volume 131 No. 61
2014
Please see RAILROAD, Page 2
Down on the Farm — Wally Miller’s personal collection of ag-related toys, equipment — now on public display.
Wally Miller stands next to his 1943 H Farmall tractor, that his cousin Kenny Miller purchased from Metz Implement in Creston. Before Kenny left with the U.S. Army for Korea in 1952, he sold it to Wayne Miller, Wally’s father. “This is the tractor I learned how to plow on,” Miller said. Today, Miller uses the tractor to mow, disc, pull wagons, spray weeds, rake hay and give rides.
les, artwork and a miniature library. The rustic farm equipment serves as a reminder of how far ag-technology has come. Listening to Miller describe the vintage signs displayed
never know.” Agreement The agreement between BNSF the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers General Committee 001 known as SMART-TD — formerly the United Transportation Union — is subject to ratification by its members. Ballots were sent out this month and must be returned by Sept. 8 so they can be counted the morning of Sept. 9. “We have reached an agreement with SMART-TD dealing comprehensively with the major issues facing rail transportation ground service employees in the 21st century,” BNSF Railway said in a statement sent to the Creston News Advertiser.
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.
from Afton, an Earl May sign from where Casa de Oro now sits, and a Vicker Feed sign, where his family purchased feed for many years. “Many of those companies consolidated or are history now,” said Miller. Collecting Approximately 20 percent of the toy tractors Miller owns were ones he collected as a child. “Often, dealers would give a toy or something to the kids,” Miller said. Many of the items in Miller’s shed appear to be collectible. As time goes on, he’s learning more about each item, how long they were produced and how many in a series. “You can have six of something and the next guy that walks in says, ‘you don’t have this one,” Miller said. “I didn’t Please see COLLECTIBLES, Page 2
DES MOINES (AP) — Iowa health officials are concerned about an increase in the number of parents who are opting not to vaccinate their children. Parents received vaccination exemptions in the 2012-13 school year for nearly 8,000 children, which is more than triple the number from 12 years ago, The Des Moines Register reported. While the figure represents less than 2 percent of all Iowa children, health leaders say they are worried about the rise in unvaccinated children. Rick Kozin, Polk County’s public-health director, said some parents might not realize that unvaccinated children could lead to a disease outbreak in schools. Iowa laws allow two kinds of exemptions, and they are for medical or religions reasons. Some children avoid vaccinations for medical reasons, such as allergies. Less than a third of Iowa’s vaccination exemptions are for a medical reason, which must be verified by a health care professional. The rest are classified as religious exemptions, which only requires a parent to sign a statement saying the immunizations conflict with their religion.
Farm trade groups form water quality alliance
DES MOINES (AP) — Three Iowa farm trade groups have formed an organization called the Iowa Agriculture Water Alliance to push farmers harder on the implementation of farm practices designed to clean Iowa’s water. The group’s goal is to get more farmers to participate in the state’s Nutrient Reduction Strategy, a voluntary program initiated Gov. Terry Branstad’s administration. Environmental groups including Iowa Citizens for Community improvement want measurable and enforceable standards. They say the new alliance will do little to improve Iowa water. Iowa CCI says it’s a corporate public relations campaign that won’t change a thing. Branstad announced the creation of the alliance Monday with officials from Iowa Corn Growers Association, Iowa Soybean Association and the Iowa Pork Producers Association. The soybean group’s CEO Kirk Leeds is board chairman of the nonprofit alliance.
Nearly $1M Iowa barrier to Asian carp working
MILFORD (AP) — A nearly $1-million electronic fish barrier has succeeded in stopping invasive Asian carp from the Iowa Great Lakes, officials said. The fish first swam into the lakes during flooding in 2011, the Sioux City Journal reported. They had previously been kept out by dams on the Little Sioux River in Harrison County and near Linn Grove. The Asian carp species are thought to be a major threat to native aquatic species throughout the Midwest. One species, the silver carp, poses a safety hazard because they leap from the water when startled. In 2011, commercial fishermen netted 82 bighead fish and 55 silver carp in East Lake Okoboji. Officials feared the fish would reproduce quickly, which would damage the bodies of water and threaten the $300-million tourism industry at the Iowa Great Lakes and Dickinson County.
Look in today’s edition of the Creston News Advertiser for the
Enter to wi $25 shop n a ping spree
Football Contest