AWARDS CEREMONY
IMPROVED TIMES
An awards ceremony for 4-H members in Adair County is slated 2 p.m. Nov. 16 at the Warren Cultural Center in Greenfield. Turn to page 10A for more information.
The one-two punch of Cooper McDermott and Jay Wolfe of Creston placed 13th and 16th, respectively, at the state cross country meet Saturday. More in SPORTS, page 5A.
creston
News Advertiser
SHAW MEDIA GROUP SERVING SW IOWA SINCE 1879 BREAKING NEWS COVERAGE AT WWW.CRESTONNEWS.COM
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2014
Fire chars house on East Townline Street By KYLE WILSON
ture died in this fire. No other deaths or injuries were reported. Jackson said the Jackson fire started in the garage. The cause of the fire is unknown at this time, though. The fire also damaged a neighboring house on Chesnut Street — melting the family’s vinyl siding. Fire departments responding Saturday morning included Creston and Afton. Firefighters were on scene there for about three hours.
CNA managing editor kwilson@crestonnews.com
A fire that started 5:58 a.m. Saturday completely charred the south side of a house at 800 E. Townline St. in Creston. The house is owned by Denny and Amanda Green. Todd Jackson, fire chief in Creston, said damage to the property is estimated at $120,000. That estimate includes the home’s contents and owner’s vehicles. “The owner tried to extinguish the fire himself, but it was too well involved,” Jackson said. Two cats inside the struc-
It was the second consecutive day Creston firefighters fought a morning fire. At 4:11 a.m. Friday, firefighters were called to the Adams-Union County line for hay bales that were on fire. Some Creston firefighters were on scene there for nearly 11 hours Friday with more than 1,000 hay bales burning in all. Loss estimate in that fire is estimated at $125,000. The hay bales were on Donald Gordon’s property at 1488 Union-Adams Avenue. Orient, Corning, Afton and Prescott fire departments also responded to the hay bale fire.
CNA photo by KYLE WILSON
This house on East Townline Street in Creston caught fire around 6 a.m. Saturday.
the learning center
Learning differences less of a challenge with TLC
Contributed photo
The Learning Center of Southwest Iowa board members include, from left, Jacki Steffens, Suzanne Johnston, Jean Sheridan, Sarah Gunsolley, Kathy Ralston, Elizabeth Green, David Beck, Reasa Sturm, Scott Driskell, Bob Deranleau and Wendy Greenman.
By SARAH BROWN
One in five students in classrooms today have some form of Dyslexia and 11 percent have ADHD, according to The Learning Center Board of Directors statistics. ■
CNA staff reporter
sbrown@crestonnews.com
Jean Sheridan is enthusiastic about The Learning Center of Southwest Iowa. And, for good reason. Students who have struggled are finally getting the help they need. The Learning Center of Southwest Iowa is a 501c3 nonprofit organization designed to provide children who learn differently with supplemental screening and tutoring services and support needed to achieve academic success.
Pilot program The Learning Center launched a pilot program in July on the campus of Southwestern Community College. There, they have served 17 elementary and middle school aged students from Creston. To
make room for growth, Greater Regional Medical Center has offered space at the former public health building, 1715 W. Prairie St., Suite No. 4. “One of the things that was most exciting for me at this point in the development is the response we had from parents,” said Jean Sheridan, board president of The Learning Center of Southwest Iowa. Sheridan said the response from parents was so poignant — that they finally felt they could do something to help their children. “They felt so helpless,”
Sheridan said. “They saw their students struggling, saw their hurt and feeling like they were failures. This, for them, even in just a few months, has given them the kind of hope to make it better for them.” Sheridan said, when one person is struggling, it affects the entire family. “We hope to provide family support for families with young people struggling ... with learning differences,” Sheridan said. “I was so touched by the parents who were willing to step forward to say, this is what we found and this is why we are grateful.”
TUESDAY WEATHER
CONNECT WITH US
COMPLETE WEATHER 3A
crestonnews.com | online 641-782-2141 | phone 641-782-6628 | fax Follow us on Facebook
55 41 PRICE 75¢
Creston News Advertiser 503 W. Adams Street | Box 126 Creston, IA 50801-0126
Copyright 2014
Volume 131 No. 109
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.
The need The board of directors shared the following statistics with attendees at an informational meeting: • 1 in 5 students in classrooms today have some form of Dyslexia • 50 percent of children with Dyslexia will have difficulty with math • 7 percent of students have Dyscalculia, a math disability • 11 percent of children have ADHD • One in 68 U.S. children has an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), a 30 percent increase from 1 in 88 two years ago “We looked out the window and didn’t see anything out there, right here in Southwest Iowa,” Sheridan said. “Then, we looked Please see TLC, Page 10
Restaurant offers discount for no cell phones SIOUX CITY (AP) — A northwest Iowa restaurant is offering its customers an incentive to put away their cell phones and talk to each other. The Sioux City Journal reports Sneaky’s Chicken promises a 10 percent discount to customers who give up their cell phones while eating dinner at the restaurant on Wednesdays. Owner Dave Ferris and his daughter, general manager Christy Wright, came up with the idea after they noticed a decline in conversation among customers who seemed preoccupied with their cell phones. Wright says nearly all their customers participate in the promotion by putting their phones in a box their server brings to the table.
Number of rural Iowa lawyers dwindling steadily DES MOINES (AP) — The number of lawyers practicing in rural parts of Iowa is steadily declining because older lawyers are retiring and few young lawyers are moving to those areas. The Des Moines Register reports that the lack of lawyers is forcing people from rural parts to drive significant distances for legal Please see LAWYERS, Page 2
Write in Rowdy Bolinger O.I.F Marine Corps Veteran for Hospital Board Vote November 4th