SHOPPING LOCAL
It’s holiday shopping season, and Brian Zachary reminds Creston citizens about the importance of supporting local businesses in his letter to the editor on page 4A. >>
OPENING VICTORIES The Creston/O-M Panther wrestling team, ranked first in Class 2A by IAWrestle.com, cruised to a pair of victories at Winterset Tuesday evening. More in SPORTS, page 8A. >>
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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2015
House No. 6
Red Cross asking for donations this holiday season
CNA photo by KYLE WILSON
DeArieas Whyte, middle, holds his 2-year-old son Dominic while standing next to his wife Vanessa at their new home at 622 N. Birch St. in Creston Monday afternoon. This is the sixth Habitat for Humanity house built in Union County. Standing with the Whytes, from left, are Habitat board members and volunteers, which include Austin Berry, Bill Taylor, the Rev. Jim Morris, Randy Huewe, Linda Stream, Phyllis Allen, Bonnie Westman, Cindy Antisdel, Don Butler, Jeremy Rounds, Troy Petersen, Arlan Biere, Nancy James, Warren Woods, James Mansour and Charlie Westman.
By KYLE WILSON
T
Family moves into sixth Habitat house on North Birch Street; seventh house being built on South Walnut. ■
CNA managing editor kwilson@crestonnews.com
he sixth Habitat for Humanity house in Union County is com-
plete. And Monday, those involved with the project congregated on the front deck at 622 N. Birch St., for a house blessing from the Rev. Jim Morris of Jerusalem United Methodist Church. Charlie Westm a n , president with Habitat for Humanity of Union Westman County, said more than 125 volunteers were involved with the project. He said this Habitat house has three bedrooms, 1 3/4 bathrooms and a crawl space shelter. “This house is on a big lot
in a nice neighborhood,” Westman said, “and the family that was selected includes two young, hardworking parents. And, the little one is just going to love all the room he has to play outside.” The Whyte family, which includes DeArieas and Vanessa and their 2-year-old son Dominic, will officially receive the keys to this Habitat house later this month. The couple has already completed an eighthour homeowner’s class and is nearly complete with 200 hours of sweat equity, which allows them to purchase the house on a 20-year loan at 0 percent interest. “We’re grateful for everything Habitat has done for our family,” Vanessa said. “We were living in a one-bedroom rental before.
It was cramped. This gives us a lot more space and my son has his own room now. I can’t tell you how much we appreciate this opportunity.” Vanessa said they plan on building a fence around the property next spring or summer to provide more safety for Dominic and enclose their two dogs. Westman said now, with the sixth house complete, Habitat members are shifting their focus to the construction of the seventh Habitat house on a lot donated by Danny Gutschenritter at 310 S. Walnut St. in Creston. “The seventh house is already enclosed,” Westman said. “Now work will begin on plumbing, furnace and electrical. Again, high school students in the Southwestern Communi-
RUNNING LIST
The six Habitat houses built in Union County, in order of completion, are at 502 N. Vine St., 402 N. Cherry St., 301 N. Division, 801 W. Jefferson St., 600 W. Montgomery and 622 N. Birch St. ty College carpentry and trades class, led by Kyle Harvey, are helping us out.” Westman said a family has already been selected for the seventh house, which has three bedrooms and two bathrooms. But, Westman said Habitat is looking for an eligible family for the eighth house. Contact him at 641-3445523 or Habitat’s main line at 782-5095, if interested.
More kindness Houses are not the only projects completed by Habitat for Humanity, though. HABITAT | 2A
The American Red Cross encourages eligible donors to end the year with real meaning by donating blood for hospital patients in need. Holiday activities, severe weather and seasonal illnesses, like the flu, can pull people away from their regular blood donation schedules. This creates a greater need for blood donations this time of year, especially around the winter holidays. To encourage donations, all those who come to donate Dec. 23 through Jan. 3 will get a longsleeve Red Cross T-shirt, while supplies last.
Healthy donors with all blood types are needed, especially those with types AB, O, B negative and A negative. To make an appointment to donate blood, download the free Red Cross blood donor app from app stores, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1800-733-2767). Upcoming blood donation opportunities are from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Dec. 18 at Nodaway Valley High School, 410 N.W. Second St., in Greenfield and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 23 at First Presbyterian Church, 907 Grove Ave., in Corning.
Lawmaker supports executing some felons in US illegally DES MOINES (AP) — An Iowa state senator and congressional candidate was criticized by Republicans and Democrats on Tuesday after he said he supports executing immigrant felons who seek to re-enter the U.S. illegally after being deported. The views of Republican Mark Chelgren were first reported by the Journal Express newspaper in Knoxville, Iowa. Chelgren is running for Iowa’s 2nd
Congressional District. Reached by phone, Chelgren told The Associated Press that his comments came during a broader conversation about terrorism and border control. Chelgren stressed he was talking specifically about immigrants with felony convictions trying to re-enter the U.S. illegally with further criminal intent. “I think capital punishment should be considered FELONS | 2A
Bush spending millions on TV, yet to rise DUBUQUE (AP) — Jeb Bush and his allies are spending circles around his rivals for the Republican presidential nomination. Yet for all the money they’ve invested — $26 million on television ads alone — they’ve yet to see a substantial return. Bush Having fallen from summer front-runner to autumn afterthought, the for-
Jeb Bush has fallen from summer front-runner to autumn afterthought, despite $26 million spent on television advertising. ■
mer Florida governor made deep spending cuts to his campaign operation in October. But he and his backers plowed ahead with a television blitz three times the size of anyone else’s, while putting a new strategic focus on New Hampshire. Some Bush allies suggested those efforts had to pay off with
improved numbers in preference polls in November. Yet as December begins, Bush remains mired in single digits — including in New Hampshire — in a race that continues to be dominated by political novices, most notably billionaire real estate mogul Donald Trump. Bush’s most loyal supporters
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argue the advertising, mostly financed by an outside group known as a super PAC, has paid off by helping stabilize a campaign that was losing ground. The brother and son of former presidents is showcasing new endorsements, and his team continues to raise a steady stream of money. In November, Bush’s campaign collected at least $1 million, a tally by The Associated Press found. Top donors will head to Miami on Saturday for a campaign update, and ahead of that gathering
Bush strategists are circulating a list of 300 contributors as a show of his staying power. But those same backers are also starting to acknowledge that time is growing short, with the leadoff Iowa caucuses now just two months away. “We’ve got to do better than expected in those first three states” of Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, said Barry Wynn, one of Bush’s biggest BUSH | 2A
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