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Newton prepares for game against Indianola / 1B
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IDOT fix to deadly highway makes progress Two-year interchange project on schedule By Anthony Victor Reyes Newton Daily News
By Jamee A. Pierson Newton Daily News
Contact Jamee A. Pierson at 641-792-3121 ext. 6534 or jpierson@newtondailynews.com
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Heating outage at law enforcement center requires $53K solution The Jasper County Board of Supervisors approved a $53,000 replacement of 10-year-old boilers at the Jasper County Law Enforcement Center at a special meeting on Wednesday. “Our two boilers that heat the building are basically toast. We have limped one along with the Halferty parts from the other, but the vendors have looked at it, they are just too dangerous to fix, in fact, the one remaining blew out yesterday,” Jasper County Sheriff John Halferty said. “We are going into the winter season, and we need heat.” Halferty said the 50 inmates at the jail are not affected by the outage, and all inmates have both heat and air from an alternative system. The outage affects the remainder of the law enforcement center including office areas. Supervisor Doug Cupples asked county maintenance director Adam Sparks if there are any positives at looking into a forced air system instead of the boilers. Sparks said the alternative system would be better and more efficient but to put it in place the entire building would have to be gutted the county would be starting from the ground up with costs reaching more than $1 million. “The building was built in 2005, I came here in 2007 and in 2008 we replaced both of the heat exchangers and boilers then because of supposed backward wiring and the system was running backward,” Sparks said. “They were low dollar boilers to begin with. They should last 20 years, so we’ve already replaced heat exchangers once and we’re barely knocking on 12 years.” The best move for the county, according to Sparks, is to put in good quality, high-efficiency boilers to get the best money out of the system already in place. Following the approval by the board, Sparks said work had already started to replace the system at the law center.
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File Photo In this June file photo, Gov. Kim Reynolds speaks during a tour at Beck’s Hybrids in Colfax. In a press conference Wednesday, Reynolds pledged her continued support for biofuels despite an EPA proposal that would deminish production targets in the Renewable Fuel Standard program.
Reynolds pledges support for biofuels amid EPA concerns
Local lawmakers concerned with ‘significant effect’ in Newton
By Barbara Rodrigues and David Dolmage The Associated Press, Newton Daily News PELLA — Iowa’s Republican governor on Wednesday called on President Donald Trump and his administration to preserve a federal program mandating biofuels such as corn-based ethanol be blended into gasoline and diesel following a proposal from the Environmental Protection Agency to lower production targets for renewable fuels. Gov. Kim Reynolds highlighted the issue amid a proposal by the EPA to lower production targets for biofuels in the so-called Renewable Fuel Standard program, known as RFS. She elevated her concerns by speaking at a press conference alongside RFS sup-
porters such as farmers. Reynolds, a staunch supporter of Trump, said she spoke with the president ahead of her remarks at an agricultural cooperative in Pella. She said that she also had a phone conversation with EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. “Both of them personally affirmed to me their continued commitment to the renewable fuel standard,” she told reporters. While Reynolds has made it clear she’s working hard to preserve the existing production targets, local lawmakers in Newton, where renewable energy represents a big part of the economy, remain concerned. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders confirmed Trump’s call with Reynolds during a briefing in Washington but said “no definitive decision was made on RFS.” Reynolds’ press secretary, Brenna Smith, said a decision can’t be made until a public comment period on the plan ends Thursday. The EPA oversees the decade-old EPA | 3A
MINGO — Traveling on a one-mile stretch of Highway 330 between Highways 117 and F17 will get a little easier by the end of the month with the end of the construction season creeping right around the corner. “We are progressing this year to get done the amount we wanted to. That will leave us to pave next year,” said Andy Loonan, Iowa Department of Transportation District 1 field service coordinator. “It is a two-year project. We will get the grading done this year, so we can put the concrete on top, which will give us a much better product.” The diamond interchange project, which began April 3, will connect Highway 65 North to Highways 117 and F17 with a bypass. By 4 p.m. Oct. 31, the one-mile stretch is projected to open up to its full four lanes. Traffic is currently restricted to one-lane. “Next year with the paving, there will also be some temporary detours that we set up there,” Loonan said. “We haven’t figured out where they are, but there will be some short-term closures when we are rerouting county roads to get to the new connection with the interchange.” Officials said the construction aims to make this one-mile stretch safer for motorists to travel and decrease the potential of deadly crashes in the area. According to IDOT, the U.S. 65 and Iowa 117 intersection experienced 103 crashes and eight fatalities since 2003. The Highway F17 intersection had 34 crashes and four fatalities since 2003. “We have had two crashes since May. They have both been property damage only, so minor without (major) injuries. So nothing bad, which is good,” Loonan said. “Nothing severe, but it is another HIGHWAY | 3A
Anthony Victor Reyes/Daily News According to IDOT, the project is on budget for the grade and pavement work, which was estimated at $5.76 million. The project’s right of way costs are currently $720,000 over budget.
Candidate Q&A: Mullan for Ward 4 council seat This is one of nine candidate profiles to be featured before the upcoming Nov. 7 city election in Newton. Steve Mullan, an incumbent city councilman is running unopposed for his seat in the city council’s Ward 4. Name: Steven G. Mullan Employment: Former career teacher — now self-employed Hometown: Earlville Years of Newton residency: 50 Running For: Ward 4 City Council
What do you feel is the most important issue Newton will be facing during your term on the city council? Newton Mullan must continue to attract job opportunities and a variety of affordable housing. What do you think has
been the biggest achievement for the City of Newton in the last four years and what do you think has been the greatest struggle? Many achievements have and will continue to occur, because the council has been progressive. A number of very good companies have made Newton a base for their operation, creating job opportunities. Also, the Main Street program continues to enhance the downtown area. The Chat study highlighted the need for
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out the city have been made possible though the combined efforts of the Newton Development Corporation, Newton Marketing Board, Newton Main Street Board, and community leaders. The greatest struggle will continue to be providing needed services, i.e. fire, police, and infrastructure needs with budget constraints while continuing to address future needs. MULLAN | 3A
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WHERE IT’S AT Astrograph......................5B Calendar..........................5A Classifieds......................4B
a variety of housing, and, as a result, the council has sparked the D & D program, eliminating some 50-plus Dangerous and Dilapidated houses/businesses, creating space for new development. The city now has Fairmeadows North,Cardinal Ridge, and Fountain Hills providing housing opportunities and a growing tax base. Second Avenue South, with new parking lots and streetscape, along with homes that have been and are now being constructed through-
Comics & Puzzles...........6A Dear Abby........................6A Local Sports......................1B
Obituaries.......................5A Opinion............................4A State News......................7A
Positive feedback for Sunset
Park designs revealed at open house / 7A
Volume No. 116 No. 108 2 sections 16 pages
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