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December 30, 2013
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Creston woman dies Friday in head-on collision A Creston woman died Friday in a head-on collision on Highway 34 near the Kent corner — located about eight miles southwest of Creston. The accident occurred 2:57 p.m. Friday. Samantha Neely, 22, of Creston was killed in the collision. According to an Iowa State Patrol crash report, Brittany Marshall, 24, of Clearfield — driving
a 2007 Dodge truck — was traveling west on Highway 34 Friday afternoon when she reached into the back seat, crossed the Neely centerline and struck Neely in a “head-on manner.”
Marshall’s vehicle came to rest in the south ditch. Neely’s vehicle — a 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix — came to rest on the south shoulder. Marshall sustained serious injuries and was transported to Greater Regional Medical Center where her condition at this time is unknown. Marshall’s passenger was not injured in the accident. Neely was prounounced dead and transported to Powers Funer-
al Home in Creston. Neely’s obituary on page 2A of today’s paper states she lived most of her life in the Creston area. She was educated at Winterset, Orient and Creston schools. She worked at Bunn-O-Matic for a short time. She also worked as a CNA at Creston Nursing and Rehab Center and most recently at Prairie View Assisted Living, where she also became licensed as
a medical aid. She is survived by several family members including her fiancé Danny Fry, parents Mark and Brenda Neely and sons Kason and Nathan Fry — all of Creston. This is the second fatality accident on Highway 34 in Union County in the past 60 days. The other occured at the intersection of highways 34 and 169 near Afton.
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Marlin wins fourth state wrestling championship
Feb. 16 Creston/Orient-Macksburg senior wrestler Jake Marlin capped his 204-6 high school career Feb. 16 winning his fourth state championship. Marlin and Denver-Tripoli’s Brandon Sorensen became the 22nd and 23rd four-time high school champs in Iowa. Marlin is the first from southwest Iowa. Marlin set a state pin record while earning the crown jewel of his four state wrestling championships, with a fall in 2:55 against fifth-ranked Adam Staudt of Charles City Feb. 16 in the Class 2A 138-pound finals. Marlin had only lost to two Iowans in his entire high school career — Dallas Houchins of Interstate 35 in the second match of his freshman year, and Matt White of Albia in the Central Decatur Tournament his sophomore year. He had not been taken down by anyone in an Iowa match all season. (His lone loss was by fall to Daniel Lewis of Blue Springs, Mo., at the Kansas City Stampede.) Marlin — who graduated from CHS in spring 2013 — now wrestles at the University of Iowa.
McDermott hired as new superintendent of Creston Schools Feb. 28 Steve McDermott — former superintendent of Newton School District — accepted an offer from the Creston School Board Feb. 28 to become the new superintendent of Creston Schools. His start date was July 1 at a salary of $143,000. McDermott “I was just thrilled,” said McDermott about when he was offered the position. “I was just so excited about the opportunity ... I learned so
CNA photo by LARRY PETERSON
State wrestling official Marv Reiland raises the hand of Jake Marlin of Creston/OrientMacksburg, who capped his 204-6 high school career Saturday with his fourth state championship, and 147th pin, a state record.
much more (about Creston) going through the interview and just became more and more enthused about the opportunity.” McDermott replaces interim superintendent Chuck Scott who spent one school year with the Creston School District.
Creston Water Board terminates Steve Green’s contract
June 21 Creston Water Board members voted unanimously to terminate Steve Green’s contract June 21 after a special report by the state auditor’s office revealed he was paid $90,000 in improper and unsupported disbursem e n t s between July 2005 Green and November 2012. The majority of that $90,000 came from Green being improperly paid for performing inspections or attending meetings on two major projects including the Creston Water Plant expansion and Summit Lake project. Those inspections happened between 2007 and November 2012 when Green was put on paid administrative leave pending
the outcome of the auditor’s report. For those two projects, Green claimed an extra 962 hours of inspection and meeting time — totaling $49,720.42 in additional compensation and retirement contributions. The problem though, according to the report, is those funds were dispersed improperly because both projects had separate inspectors. Therefore, there was no reason to pay Green for inspecting the project. Green was the general manager of Creston Water Works for more than 30 years. Green has since filed a civil lawsuit against the city of Creston and Water Works Board of Trustees. He is suing the water board for violation of wage payment collection and breach of contract. Green and his lawyer strongly disagree with the auditor’s report, stating in the lawsuit that it “is filled with conclusions unsupported by facts, inferences without basis, and incorrect conclusions about each of the alleged improper and unsupported disbursements.” In Green’s lawsuit, he’s asking to be paid wages due under his contract including accrued vacation and sick leave. Green said the breach of contract has caused him financial harm. In the lawsuit, Green asks for a trial by jury to settle this matter.
Still, no decision has been made yet whether criminal charges against Green will be filed. Assistant Attorney General Scott Brown has been assigned to the Green case, but he has not filed his decision yet with Union County Attorney Tim Kenyon.
Crestonian Barb Coenen donates kidney so fellow Crestonian can received transplant
Aug. 6 Two Crestonians made Iowa history in August. The morning of Aug. 6, Barb Coenen of Creston laid on a surgical table for three hours at Iowa Methodist Hospital. Surgeons cut her open, removed her kidney and shipped it to a complete Coenen stranger in New Jersey. Why you ask? Coenen, 51, co-owner of Maple Street Memories in Creston, made that sacrifice so someone in New Jersey would send a healthy kidney to Minnesota and then another person would send one from Minnesota to Iowa — where it could be implanted in Coenen’s friend and fellow Cresto-
Contributed photo
Dr. Qasim Chaudhry, surgeon at Iowa Methodist in Des Moines, inspects a kidney in August that he’d just removed from donor Barb Coenen of Creston.
nian Allison Danilovich by Tuesday evening. Danilovich is well known in Creston. She celebrated her 25th anniversary working in the Union County Clerk of Court’s office in August. In December 2 0 1 1 , Danilovich be- Danilovich c a m e Union County Clerk of Court. But, not everyone knows for the past 14 years she’s been living with polycystic kidney disease — an inherited disease that has damaged her kidneys to the point where they no longer functioned. Polycystic kidney disease had damaged Danilovich’s kidney’s to the point where they no longer function. So, for the past decade Danilovich has had to hook her self up to a dialysis machine for nine hours each day. Coenen’s kidney was removed at 7 a.m. Aug. 6. Her kidney was immedi-
ately shipped by commercial aircraft to New Jersey. Her kidney set the carousel in motion and a kidney from Minnesota arrived for Danilovich at Iowa Methodist Hospital about 2:30 p.m. The 54-year-old Danilovich was prepped for surgery at 2:45 p.m. and her new kidney was transplanted by Dr. Qasim Chaudhry by 6:30 p.m. Aug. 6. Later that week, the surgeon was confident her organ was working properly. “There are no words for what Barb did for me,” Danilovich said. “Thank you isn’t enough. She’s God’s miracle. She is a special person, and I hope she inspires people who are considering being a donor of any kind to check it out because there are so many people out there like me.” Doctors said Danilovich and Coenen made Iowa history as they were part of the first ever three-state kidney transplant successfully completed in the state of Iowa. Please see TOP STORIES, Page 2
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Volume 130 No. 141 Copyright 2013
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Contents
Classified . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Comics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Crossword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Deaths. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Heloise Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Local . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Tuesday weather High 24 Low 13 Full weather report, 3A