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Newton tennis squads capture wins against DM East / 1B
DAILY NEWS TUESDAY, APRIL 11, 2017 • WHERE TO GO WHEN YOU NEED TO KNOW
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NPD investigating shooting at convenience store Newton Daily News A man was shot at a Newton convenience store Monday night. The Newton Police Department responded to a report of a fight involving several people at New Star, 702 First Ave. E. at 9:30 p.m. When officers arrived they found all parties involved had fled the scene. There was dam-
Jamee A. Pierson/ Daily News Police were called to the scene of a fight at New Star Monday night. When officers arrived, all parties had fled with blood left at the scene.
age to the store’s front door and blood at the scene. A 20-year-old man was later found at a local hospital and was treated for non-life threatening injuries. The victim has since been released from the hospital. A suspect has been identified and the investigation is ongoing. Police believe this is an isolated incident and not a random act of violence.
Mariposa County Park restoration expected to begin this fall Justin Jagler/Daily News Mariposa Lake will likely be drained late this summer for a major dredging project, in which more than 146,000 cubic yards of sediment will be removed.
Project includes dredging of lake, addition of boat launch By Justin Jagler Newton Daily News Major restoration to Mariposa County Park is expected to begin later this year. A complete dredging of Mariposa Lake will be the centerpiece of the project. Jasper County Conservation Director Keri Van Zante met with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and project engineers Shive-Hattery to review the process last week. The engineers are about 60 percent done with their designs and hope to be 90 percent done with designs this summer. Before the process started last year, there was a public meeting to discuss it. Another public meeting will be held this summer right before the project starts, Van Zante said. The recreation area northeast of Newton, which also boasts a hiking trail and campground, will see a makeover to its small lake. The entire project is esti-
Justin Jagler/Daily News The buffalo currently living in the Mariposa wildlife area will be transferred to a larger space before the restoration project starts. The sediment containment site will take up much of the wildlife area.
mated to cost $1.9 million, although the restoration has not gone out for bids yet. The DNR’s lake restoration program will fund much of the project. Van Zante hopes to come
up with about 20 percent of the money through grants. Jasper County Conservation aims to have the lake drained by MARIPOSA | 3A
Administrator contracts debated at school board meeting Board approves package increases, extends superintendent contract By Justin Jagler Newton Daily News Newton Community School District Board members were divided Monday night over administrator contracts. A total package increase of 1.27 percent for administrators was eventually passed after a motion for a 2 percent increase was narrowly voted down. There was also lengthy discussion about the superintendent’s contract extension, which was approved through 20192020. Teachers and other district employees, such as secretaries and head custodians, received a 2 percent increase in their compensation packages. Board member Donna Cook suggested the same 2 percent compensation bump for administrators and voted against the 1.27 percent increase. “Two percent is consistent with everyone else,” Cook said. “It just seems the fair way to go to me. I don’t want to make balance on the backs of administrators anymore so than I do on the backs of teachers.” The 1.27 versus 2 percent increase for administrators comes down to $14,000 dollars in a general fund of more than $31 million. How-
ever, the opportunities to make cuts are few and far between. “ I n the four Callaghan y e a r s that I’ve been here, we have reduced our non-personnel expenditures from close to $6.5 million to our present stance of $5.5 million,” Superintendent Bob Callaghan said. “I am not confident that we can reduce the non-instructional area any more than we have.” To balance the budget, said Director of Business Services Gayle Isaac, the district is looking at attrition. When teachers resign or retire, the district will aim to fill the positions with lower-paid personnel. Board members Cook, Andy Elbert and Robyn Friedman supported the 2 percent increase for administrators and voted against the 1.27 measure. Ann Leonard, Sheri Benson, Josh Cantu and Board President Travis Padget provided the affirmative votes necessary to pass the 1.27 percent increase. NCSD | 3A
Monroe man to face trial for shooting firearm at local motel By Kayla Langmaid Newton Daily News A Monroe man wanted for assault and firing shots in the air at a local hotel in February will appear for a jury trial in June on charges of intimidation with a dangerous weapon. Matthew S. Holett, 25, of Monroe, was arrested in another county March 1 on an
active warrant relating to a Feb. 17 incident, in which police say Holett pointed a firearm at people and fired shots in the air at a Holett hotel in Newton. Holett pleaded not guilty
in Jasper County District Court. A jury trial is set for June 14. During the February incident, Newton police responded at 6:19 p.m. to America’s Best Value Inn in reference to an active fight and shots fired. Witnesses told police Holett had pointed a firearm at people and fired shots in the air following a fight that started inside
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was arrested and taken to the Jasper County Jail and was released on $5,000 bond. Holett was sentenced to five years in prison in 2015 after he pulled a handgun on a Colfax police officer during an arrest in December 2014. Contact Kayla Langmaid at 641-792-3121 ext. 6513 or klangmaid@newtondailynews.com
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the hotel and then moved outside. One person told police they “had never been in such fear in their entire life,” a police report states. Police reached Holett by phone later that evening. Holett told police he had been at the motel and was involved in a fight. Holett is accused of committing a Class C felony. He
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Take ‘A Journey’ with Chapman
Newton author’s new book looks at 50s life / 8A
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