NEWTON
WINNING AT HOME
Newton boys capture team title at the links / 1B
DAILY NEWS newtondailynews.com
TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 2017 • WHERE TO GO WHEN YOU NEED TO KNOW
HIGH
75 53 LOW
Facebook.com/newtondailynews
@newtondnews
NCSD graduation rate falls below state average By Justin Jagler Newton Daily News
City council accepts donation of former country club building Jamee A. Pierson/Daily News To further development at Cardinal Ridge, the future townhome subdivision located at the former Cardinal Hills Golf Course, all structures, including the former clubhouse and pro shop will be removed from the property. City council approved the donation of the clubhouse on Monday along with an agreement to demolish the pro shop, which currently houses the Gingerbread House Daycare.
Former pro shop also approved for removal By Jamee A. Pierson Newton Daily News In a unanimous vote, city council approved the donation of the former Newton Country Club clubhouse building on its second try. Council also approved an agreement with the William and Georganne Talsma trust to acquire approximately one acre of land for a right-ofway and remove the former pro shop and current Gingerbread House Daycare. Both properties are adjacent to the previously city-purchased 4.25 acres for the future development of the Cardinal Ridge town home subdivision. Council originally saw the proposal for the former clubhouse at its April 3 meeting. The vote failed 3-1, not reaching the four vote minimum. Factors such as the unknown status of the day care building and lack of progress with already approved infrastructure work were given as concerns to the additional acquisition of the clubhouse building. “I would like to thank the staff for the work that has been
done since our last city council meeting to address the concerns about the Cardinal Ridge donation and project, I feel much better,” councilwoman Evelyn George said. “We now know that the extra building is going to be gone.” Owned by XCO II, LLC and managed by Walt Smith of Newton, the 1.63-acre parcel located at 601 W. 12th St. S. includes the former country club building. To complement and facilitate residential growth in Newton, Smith offered to donate the property to the city to be a part of the Cardinal Ridge townhome subdivision. Since purchasing the property three years ago, Smith has invested in a remodel of the building, which currently houses a chiropractic clinic, Spinal Solutions, and salon, DeVyne Solutions, among other uses. Following the transaction, all tenants, who are on short-term leases, would vacate the building and relocate to other Newton locations. To clear the property, the city plans to burn it down as a part of a fire training exercise. It would then be incorporated into future
residential development consistent with the Cardinal Ridge subdivision. The acceptance of the donation is contingent on the negotiation of a final agreement that would provide the specific details of the transaction. The details include title work, environmental investigation, vacating the building and the terms and timing of the closing, among other items. It is anticipated that this due diligence would take approximately 90 days, city administrator Matt Muckler said. Also, in order to have access to the public road network for Cardinal Ridge and to complete the removal of all buildings from the property, the city sought an agreement with the Talsmas for the removal of the former pro shop. The agreement will have the building vacant by the end of July and demolished by mid-September. The city will provide grant funding for the demolition or incorporate it into the project that will demolish the former clubhouse. “We are appreciative of the Talsmas willingness to have the right-of-way available for the full road construction and their willingness to part with the pro shop and have that incorporated into the action that was just approved COUNCIL | 3A
For five consecutive years Iowa’s statewide high school graduation rate has increased. According to data released by the Iowa D e p ar t ment of Peters Education last week, more than 91 percent of Iowa’s class of 2016 students graduated within four years. Newton Community School District, however, dipped below the state average in 2016. For the first time in at least eight years, Newton’s graduation rate fell below 90 percent. In 2016, 89.42 percent of the district’s 208-student class finished high school in four years. Newton’s class of 207 students in 2015 graduated at a rate of more than 94 percent. Going back to 2009, Newton’s graduation rate has been higher than 92 percent most years. As recently as 2013, Newton students graduated at 94.4 percent clip. In 2009 and 2010, with a graduating class of nearly 50 more students compared to 2016, Newton’s high schoolers finished in four years at a rate of more than 93.3 percent. Newton High School Principal Bill Peters said he would to delve into the numbers to get a completely accurate story behind each student. NHS sometimes takes chances on students who may be struggling, he said. “However, I would rather provide an op-
portunity for a student than worry about a number,” Peters said. Surrounding school districts in Jasper County, although much smaller than Newton, ranked above the state average. Baxter Community School District graduated 32 of its 34 class-of-2016 students in four years. Similarly, Lynnville-Sully Community School District’s 33 students in the class graduated at a rate of nearly 94 percent. It is worth pointing out that both Baxter and Lynville-Sully had higher rates in 2015, however. Baxter’s 2015 class graduated 100 percent of its students, and Lynville-Sully’s 2015 rate was 97.1 percent. Colfax-Mingo Community School District’s class 2016 graduated at a 100 percent rate. All 42 students in the class finished high school in four years. Prairie City-Monroe Community School District’s 2016 rate came in at 94.2 percent. In addition, the Department of Education reported that the state’s dropout rate also increased in 2016 to 2.8 percent from 2015’s 2.5 percent. According to the state, graduation rates and dropout rates can increase simultaneously because they measure different groups of students. The graduation rate follows one class for four years, while the dropout rate measures all students who dropped out during one school year. Overall, Iowa’s fouryear high school graduation rate has climbed 3 percent over the last six years, according to the Education Department. Contact Justin Jagler at 641-792-3121 ext 6532 or jjagler@newtondailynews.com
NAMI of Jasper Washer City Sams ready for RV camping season County’s future in limbo By Justin Jagler Newton Daily News
Final decision to be made in May By Kayla Langmaid Newton Daily News
Members of the National Alliance of Mental Illness of Jasper County are faced with a reaffiliation decision which will determine the nonprofit organization’s future. During its monthly meeting Monday night, NAMI members had high hopes to sustain
the organization’s presence in the community, along with choosing the friendliest financial option. NAMI of Jasper County president Bill Ehler said the local organization must make a decision at its next meeting if it will remain a “Model A” affiliate or change to a “Level B” affiliate, which would require it to relinquish all funds and subsequently dissolve. The reason for the
Winter is behind us, and many Iowans are coming out of partial hibernation to enjoy the changing seasons. One group from Newton has a tradition that dates back nearly 19 years every spring. Washer City Sams, a local chapter of the Good Sam Club, will be kicking off the camping season at the KOA campground in Newton on April 28. Good Sam Club is the world’s largest organization of recreational vehicle (RV) owners with more than 1.65 million members. More than 20 Good Sam chapters call Iowa home.
NAMI | 3A
CAMPING | 3A
Submitted Photo Good Sam Club Iowa chapter members are pictured at a rally last year. Washer City Sams will kick off its camping season at KOA in Newton on April 28. The group of about 20 RVs is approaching 19 years together.
FEATURE
WHERE IT’S AT Astrograph......................5B Calendar..........................5A Classifieds......................4B
$1.00
7
98213 00008
4
Comics & Puzzles...........6A Dear Abby........................6A Local Sports......................1B
Obituaries.......................5A Opinion............................4A State News......................7A
Tenderloin contest returns
Pork Producers set to launch contest / 8A
Volume No. 115 No. 232 2 sections 16 pages
Thank you Scottsdale House of Newton for subscribing to the Newton Daily News. To subscribe, call 641-792-5320 or visit newtondailynews.com.