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DAILY NEWS WEDNESDAY, APRIL 12, 2017 • WHERE TO GO WHEN YOU NEED TO KNOW
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Justin Jagler/Daily News School board members look on as Dave Briden of FRK Architects and Engineers reviews the new Berg Middle School construction documents. FRK plans to send the documents to the printer Thursday morning.
School board approves Berg construction documents By Justin Jagler Newton Daily News
Construction documents for the new Berg Middle School were approved Monday at the Newton Community School District Board meeting. Document approval was accompanied by authorization for FRK Architects and Engineers to receive bids for the new building. Dave Briden of FRK said the company is wrapping up construction documents, which consist of hundreds of pages of drawing and specs. Following board approval, FRK now plans to send the documents to the printer Thursday morning and start taking bids for the project on May 11. The architects will then come back to the school board on May 22 for the project recommendation. The project is still going according to schedule, and construction is on pace to start this summer. The estimated cost for the project has not wandered much from the orig-
inal cost opinion. FRK anticipates a total cost of about $38.3 million. The planned color scheme for the outside of the building is dark gray brick with a cardinal red element to both the front and back of the building, as well as red accents throughout the exterior of the new middle school. Inside, Briden said the plan is to use a bright-colored carpet at the entryway of each learning community. Superintendent Bob Callaghan said the school district plans to get students involved in the color scheme for the learning communities. The district will go to current grade schoolers, who will be students at the middle school when it opens, and ask for their opinions on colors. The existing gymnasium at Berg will remain a part of the new complex. It will be painted to match the rest of the school that is built around it, Briden said. Throughout the development process, FRK met with district staff to go over con-
Five things to know from the Jasper County Board of Supervisors meeting By Jamee A. Pierson Newton Daily News 1. A fire suppression system was approved for the Jasper County Law Center. Protex Central was selected to install a clean agent suppression system for the IT room at a cost of $18,480. The basement of the law center houses more than $1 million in data and communications equipment used for among other things, controlling the jail doors. In a recent review of the center, the fire marshal noted there is not a sprinkler system or fire suppression system in that area.
To bring the area up to code, Protex Central will install new smoke detectors, pre-alarm and pre-discharge horn and strobe alerts and the fire suppression system, selected as the leading agent of choice for sensitive fire protection needs. 2. A contract was approved for renewal with Cost Advisory Services, Inc. for $6,100. Cost Advisory Services works for the county to find reimbursables from state and federal program, Jasper County Auditor Dennis Parrott said. From 2015 through current 2017 SUPERS | 3A
struction documents and proposed materials. The architects also met with city officials to review site layout, storm drainage, traffic flow and other municipal interests. Once the documents are printed, they will be sent to the state of Iowa for building code review. FRK has already met with the state fire marshal and talked through the plan, so the state is familiar with it, Briden said. Looking ahead to the bidding process, Briden said the market is difficult to predict and can change quickly. However, FRK has been in contact with some contractors. “I think we at least have good interest on the project, and so hopefully we have some good competition,” Briden said. “We have some contractors that have been kind of waiting for this project to come out because of the size of it.” Contact Justin Jagler at 641-792-3121 ext 6532 or jjagler@newtondailynews.com
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City of Newton Parks Superintendent leaving post Unsworth named Director of Lee County Conservation By Jamee A. Pierson Newton Daily News Newton Parks Administrative Superintendent Nathan Unsworth has announced he is leaving his position in Newton to become the Director of Lee County Conservation. Unsworth has been with the city since 2011.
“My educational background is in conservation and one of my goals was to always return to conservation at some point. Unsworth This job came open and seemed like a good fit for me,” Unsworth said. “It really just combines what I like to do, working with the public but now entirely on conservation.” UNSWORTH | 3A
Road treatment alternative presented for county roads By Jamee A. Pierson Newton Daily News Several dozen people turned out to talk about county roads and possible solutions to dust and stabilization issues during a Tuesday meeting. Jasper County Supervisor Doug Cupples hosted the gathering at the Jasper County Community Center to get public feedback and present Midwest Industrial Supply’s abilities to address road problems. “I had been on the job for three weeks and everything melted, along with my phone,” Cupples said. “I would wake up thinking about gravel roads.”
Jamee A. Pierson/Daily News Midwest Industrial Supply Western Regional Manager Frank Elswick explains to a full room how the company’s products can benefit Jasper County gravel roads during a meeting hosted by Jasper County Supervisor Doug Cupples on Tuesday at the Jasper County Community Center.
With county roads a major issue he was hearing about on a regular basis, Cupples said
he started to look outside of the box to see if there were any possible solutions for the deteri-
orating roads the county wasn’t already pursuing. ROADS | 3A
FEATURE
WHERE IT’S AT Astrograph......................5B Calendar..........................5A Classifieds......................4B
A Newton man has been arrested in connection to a convenience store shooting Monday evening that left 20-year-old man injured. Mawuyrayrassunan E. Noviho, 26, was identified as the shooter and was arrested Wednesday morning. Newton police responded at 9:30 p.m. to New Star, 702 First Ave. E., in reference to a fight and a firearm that had discharged. When police arrived, officers found all involved parties had fled the scene. There was damage to the store’s front door and blood at the scene. Police believe an altercation took place involving parties from two vehicles. During the altercation punches were thrown by several people. At one point Noviho retrieved a pistol from his vehicle and brandished it at several of the involved parties, police said. Noviho is accused of punching Zakk H. Weatherly, of Des
Moines, in the face while having the pistol in his hand. This caused the pistol to discharge and sent a bullet into the front door of the Noviho convenience store during the altercation outside the store, according to police. Noviho is facing charges of intimidation with a deadly weapon, a Class D felony, assault causing injury, an aggravated misdemeanor and disorderly conduct, a simple misdemeanor. Weatherly was later found at Skiff Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries to the face. He was treated and released. Weatherly was charged with disorderly conduct on Monday and was released to appear in court. Noviho is being held on $7,300 bond.
Comics & Puzzles...........6A Dear Abby........................6A Local Sports......................1B
Obituaries.......................5A Opinion............................4A State News......................7A
St. Stephen’s donates to BMS
Local church gives $2,000 to food pantry / 7A
Volume No. 115 No. 229 2 sections 16 pages
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