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FRIDAY, AUG. 11, 2017 • WHERE TO GO WHEN YOU NEED TO KNOW
Opening day at Iowa State Fair brings plenty of new attractions
Kick off!
David Dolmage/Daily News Brooke and Katie DeVries, 5, stand with their mother Carol, during judging at the Twins, Most Alike Competition on Thursday at the Iowa State Fair. The girls won 4th place in their age division.
a blast so far. It’s not that the competition is so different than when she was crowned the Jasper County fair queen, but rather, there’s so much more competition. She admitted she’s nervous, but knowing that everyone else is feeling the pressure helps. “It’s nice knowing that there’s 102 other girls going through the same thing,” Michener said. On Thursday Michener made her first official appearance at the Iowa State Fair, introducing herself at the Anne and Bill Riley
stage, along with the rest of the contestants. After the introductions, Michener headed off to check out the big slide, a fair favorite. Michener wasn’t the only Jasper County resident making an appearance on the Anne and Bill Riley stage yesterday, for the DeVries family, it’s become a tradition. Carol DeVries brought her 5-year-old twins, Brooke and Katie, back to the fair so they could compete in the Twins, most alike FAIR | 3A
ily Food Center, with a prizewinning pineapple upside down cake tucked under one arm, and a sack full of freshly baked bread tucked under the other arm. She started baking at 7 a.m. Wednesday, and it wasn’t until that night when she finally finished her dish. Once all of her baking was done for the day, Olson started the paperwork that accompanies each contest entry. She’s required to submit proof of purchase BAKING | 3A
David Dolmage/Daily News Phyllis Olson, of Newton, stands with a slice of pineapple upside down cake during the first day of the Iowa State Fair.
Progress on schedule at NCSD By David Dolmage Newton Daily News Newton Community School board members will be busy putting the finishing touches on the 2017-18 school year at their meeting Monday night. Progress is moving swiftly on several projects, and teachers and administrators are excited to welcome students back to class when the school year begins on Aug. 24. Numerous construction projects are nearing completion, with many already completed. Asbestos abatement work at Berg Middle School has been completed, with most of the carpet removed from the building. Work at Berg was done in
hopes of paving the way for the new building, and including stripping the asbestos based mastic from the original tiles and removing carpet. This process will allow the school to demolish the building as soon as the new facility is completed. Phase one is completed, and school administrators said they expect to start a second phase of asbestos abatement during the summer of 2018. Progress is also moving along at the softball field, which is being constructed at a cost of $600,000. The project, which will include bleacher seating and a scoreboard is being constructed. The infield has been completed and is ready for the application
of the infield, the foundations for the dugout and equipment room are being poured this week. Superintendent Bob Callaghan said he expects the project to be completed by Nov. 15. “We’re on target and on track with this project,” Callaghan said. At Newton High School the parking lot project is also in the final stages. Asphalt work has been completed and crews are working on striping the parking lot this week. Callaghan said the upgrades will transform the lot, which was badly in need of repair. “The last time this parking lot had any work NCSD | 3A
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The Jasper County Board of Health’s meeting with the Jasper County Board of Supervisors Tuesday was not the first time members have expressed their concerns with the agency’s current facility. A plan of whether the building will take on extensive repairs or be abandoned continues to be up in the air. The Jasper County Board of Health reflected on the status of the annex building and potential steps that could be taken at its Thursday meeting. The Jasper County Board of Health is currently housed in the basement of the Jasper County Annex Building. The basement is an area of concern with issues including mold, flooding and leaking windows. A review by the architecture engineering consulting firm Shive-Hattery found estimated cost of to begin work addressing the building’s ailments could reach $650,000 The board of health, along with JCHD, have been exploring options for a new location for the department since February. On their wish list is a space that is ADA accessible, offices, a proper meeting room and restrooms among more detailed specifications. “We had a nice productive meeting and I felt very positive about the outcome and their willingness to support us on the current location,” board chair Margot Voshell said. “It looks like we will move forward with either seeking an alternate location or whatever the supervisors decide is best for not only the health department but for everyone in this building.” Voshell said the supervisors want to do a space analysis, meaning looking at the building to see what it would take to keep everyone in the annex building with the exception of the basement. “I do feel confident that they didn’t think the basement was an appropriate space,” Voshell said. “I think they will also look at other buildings in the community that could house everyone.” Jackie Sparks, board of health, said she believes the BOH should be proactive to guarantee things move along. Voshell said there is definitely more to come and they will remain diligent. BOH | 3A
Blast from the past
Jamee A. Pierson/Daily News Architects from the firm Walker, Coen and Lorentzen shed light on the current condition of the former Hotel Maytag and the restoration work the firm, along with developer Hatch Development Corporation, plan to do during the redevelopment of the property during a Newton Chamber of Commerce tour on Thursday. Pictured is the north wall in the “Cameo Room” where fine dining took place.
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By Kayla Langmaid Newton Daily News
Newton woman has competed in state fair competitions for years
Ask anyone who knows her, and they’ll tell you; Phyllis Olson loves to bake. Olson, a lifelong Newton resident will tell you she does it because her husband loves to eat, but that’s just the icing on the cake. She’s been baking all her life, and come state fair time you’ll find her in the judging booths, with an armload of goodies. On opening day at the Iowa State Fair, Olson was in the Elwell Fam-
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BOH discusses annex building, approves new positions
Phyllis Olson loves to bake By David Dolmage Newton Daily News
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By David Dolmage Newton Daily News The Iowa State Fair officially started Thursday, but Jaclyn Michener had a head start on everyone else. Michener, a senior at Newton High School, and the reigning Jasper County Fair Queen, has been preparing for the state fair queen contest Michener since Tuesday. She’s been staying at the Prairie Meadows Hotel all week to prepare for the contest, along with 102 other contestants, all vying to become this year’s state fair queen. The girls have been taking workshops, modeling classes and working out together. Michener said while the process has been intense, she’s having
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