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Newton softball topples Grinnell, goes 1-1 at tourney / 1B
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Reconnecting Cardinals
Alumni weekend draws hundreds to Newton By Kayla Langmaid Newton Daily News
Anthony Victor Reyes/Daily News World War II veteran Lawrence Halter throws his famous drop ball for the first pitch at the Iowa Cubs game Sunday at Principal Park in Des Moines as Doug Bishop, who helped organized the opportunity looks on.
American Hero
Hundreds of Newton High School graduates returned to Newton during Alumni Weekend to reconnect with fellow Cardinals. The weekend’s festivities consisted of an all-class open house reunion Friday at Iowa Speedway followed by an all-class brunch Saturday at the high school.
The annual brunch has been organized by the Newton High School Alumni Association since the 1940s. In more recent years, the alumni association added the NHS Hall of Fame to honor individuals and organizations that have made exceptional achievements in their field. The Hall of Fame Class of 2017 inductees included David Clement, class of 1967, Ole Eidahl, James Gaylor Ph.D., class of 1952, Chad Guthrie, class of 1989, Thomas Shives M.D., class of 1966 and Avery Wilson, class of 1947. The inductees must fulfill eligibility criteria ALUMNI | 8A
World War II veteran throws ceremonial first pitch for I-Cubs By Jessica Lowe Newton Daily News DES MOINES — As the sun beat down from the bright blue Iowa sky, 97-year-old Lawrence Halter stepped onto the green grass of Principal Park Field during an I-Cubs home game Sunday afternoon. Sporting his Cubs hat and a World Champions T-shirt, the Baxter man waived at a cheering crowd with every step he took to reach the pitcher’s mound. “I feel like I could fly,” Halter said as he waited on the field for his name to be called. Halter’s moment in the spotlight has been in the making for months thanks to his friend and fellow Baxter resident Doug
Bishop, who organized the opportunity. Bishop purchased the chance for someone to throw out the first pitch at a United Way of Jasper County fundraiser in November 2016. Thanks to more than 30 people the group raised $660 and secured Halter’s chance at a major pitch in the minor leagues. “I thought, you know, this guy survived three beach landings, spent four years overseas, made it through a stroke, lived a good long life and what greater deal could we do than to have Lawrence Halter at 97 years old throw out the first pitch,” Bishop said. The Baxter man was born and raised in the small Jasper County community and was drafted in the Army in June of 1941. His
life, like 16 million other men and women who served during World War II, took a sharp turn in course on Dec. 7, 1941. Halter said he finished his basic training and was shipped to Hawaii where they learned maneuvers for beach landings “Started out in Hawaii where we practiced amphibious landings,” Halter said. “Then we went to Marshall Islands and took them. Then came back to Hawaii and recuperated and got replacements for the ones we lost. Then we went to Saipan and after we took those islands we boarded ship and went to the Philippine Islands but they didn’t need us so we went on to Okinawa.” HERO | 3A
Kayla Langmaid/Daily News Chad Guthrie, class of 1989, was inducted to the Hall of Fame for athletics during the awards ceremony Saturday morning at the alumni breakfast.
Community celebrates Berg Middle School groundbreaking By Justin Jagler Newton Daily News On a warm, sunny morning at Berg Middle School, dozens of Newtonians gathered Friday to celebrate the groundbreaking of the new Berg building. Newton Community School District administrative staff and board members, city leaders, elected officials, construction and bond committee members and more showed up for the ceremony. Todd Berg, who is the grandson of the school’s namesake
Justin Jagler/Daily News Newton Community School District leadership ceremoniously digs into the earth Friday morning where the new Berg Middle School will be built.
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pany, Inc., which is taking on the construction project. Before ceremonious shovels dug into the earth just north of the current Berg building, Superintendent Bob Callaghan introduced many of the influential people who made the project possible. The future of Newton’s educational process is going to be in good hands inside the new Berg, he said. “This building is going to be futuristic,” Callaghan said. “There’s a
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WHERE IT’S AT Astrograph......................5B Calendar..........................5A Classifieds......................4B
B.C. Berg, journeyed from Wisconsin to be part of the groundbreaking. B.C. began his 37-year career as superintendent for Newton’s schools in 1922, according to the Newton Alumni Association. His grandson said it was great to be at the groundbreaking. B.C. strongly believed in education, Todd said, and the family is happy the name will remain. FRK Architects and Engineers, which designed the new building, was represented in addition to Hansen Com-
Comics & Puzzles...........6A Dear Abby........................6A Local Sports......................1B
Obituaries.......................5A Opinion............................4A State News......................7A
BERG | 3A
Relay for Life, Team Dana BBQ
See pictures from weekend events / 3A
Volume No. 116 No. 11 2 sections 16 pages
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