NEWTON
TURNING IT OVER
Newton girls fall to Norwalk in conference play / 1B
DAILY NEWS MONDAY, JAN. 19, 2015 • SERVING NEWTON & JASPER COUNTY SINCE 1902
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Madin recalls people he met overseas
Went on to work 47 years at Maytag plant By Jason W. Brooks Newton Daily News
Seventy years ago, John “Jack” Madin only came face-to-face with Japanese military once during his time in the U.S. Army. That was in 1945, after Japan had surrendered to the U.S. aboard the USS Missouri. And just days after Madin and other American troops met up with the Japanese as World War II came to an end, he found himself at the world’s best-known ap-
pliance maker — in his hometown. Madin, 94, served in the Army for three years, then worked for Maytag for the next 47 years. “I started at Maytag three days after I got back to Newton,” he said. “I would have finished at age 65 with 50 years in, were in not for the three years I was in the Army.” Those three years were spent mostly with the signal corps in Southeast Asia, setting up new communication field gear and making repairs to some of it. Those experiences helped prepare Madin for a long career in the offices of Maytag, a MADIN | 3A
Jamee A. Pierson/Daily News Sen. Chaz Allen, Rep. Greg Heartsill, Sen. Amy Sinclair and Rep. Dan Kelley were all present for the year’s first Legislative Coffee held by the Jasper County League of Women Voters Saturday.
First Legislative Coffee draws a crowd
Questions raised on Bakken Pipeline By Jamee A. Pierson Newton Daily News
Jason W. Brooks/Daily News Carol Macksey said her father, Jack Madin, has always talked about promptness and organization. Madin, shown here with a collage of World War II-era photos, served in the Army signal corps in Southeast Asia.
A large crowd packed the Hy-Vee Club Room for the first Legislative Coffee of the year hosted by the Jasper County League of Women Voters Saturday. Rep. Greg Heartsill, Rep. Dan Kelley, Sen. Chaz Allen and Sen. Amy Sinclair were present to give remarks and answer questions. Sinclair started off the event with her new committee assignments including education, local government and commerce. “We are stepping into a structural deficit without budget so anything this year is going to be tough,” Sinclair said. Heartsill followed with his committee assignments which are similar to the past year. He is vice chair of government oversight, vice chair of
local government, judiciary and public safety and his new assignment is on environmental protection. The area’s newest senator, Allen, entertained the crowd saying he would only take three minutes instead of the 10 allowed. “I don’t want to say too awful much because there are things that have gone on while I wasn’t there for the past 36 years that I don’t know anything about that I seem to get caught up when I bring what I think is a new idea, we should try this and everybody is like we’ve been doing, trying this for 36 years,” Allen said. He will serve as vice chair on ways and means, commerce, veterans affairs, human resources and local government. Kelley returns to the same committee assignments he had in the past including ways and means, environmental protection, agriculture,
state government, administration and regulation budget and international relations. Kelly also touched of the hottest topic of the morning when discussing bills he is working on. “One (bill) will call for soil and water testing along the pipeline should it happen,” Kelley said. Various people in the room had questions about the proposed Bakken Pipeline from the environmental impact to eminent domain. They discussed eminent domain pertaining to a private company and private property. “It is only suppose to be used for public use, not to take from one private individual and give to another or private developer,” Heartsill said. He explained a previous precedent in Connecticut where the LEGISLATURE | 3A
Loebsack’s tour included Kellogg Fire Department Congressman listened to staffing, equipment concerns By Jason W. Brooks Newton Daily News KELLOGG — Ask any volunteer firefighter to describe the age of a department’s equipment, and there are likely to be some older items. That’s what Kellogg Fire Department personnel and other area first responders were able to discuss with U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack on Friday in Kellogg. Loebsack made a three-stop, one-day tour of rural fire departments in Kellogg, Pleasantville and Corydon, discussing proposed legislation that will provide tax relief for first responders, and listening to concerns about funding and equipment. Adam Gannaway, one of the Kellogg volunteer
firefighters, was one of those present as Loebsack looked through some firefighting gear. “All the gear he just looked at, that’s going to have to be replaced in the next three years,” Gannaway said. “It isn’t simply that it’s old or doesn’t work well. Federal standards mean gear has to be replaced at certain times, and volunteer departments are on very small budgets.” Loebsack began by announcing he’s one of eight representatives who are co-sponsoring a House of Representatives measure that would provide tax relief for firefighters and other emergency medical personnel. The measure, HR 343, is sponsored by West Virginia Republican David
McKinley, who introduced it Wednesday. The bill was sent to the House Ways and Means Committee. “This is a bi-partisan bill that would provide an opportunity for the volunteers who make up more than 90 percent of Iowa firefighters,” Loebsack said. “We know you guys don’t do this for the money, but this might make things a little easier.” A December press release from Loebsack’s office details some provisions of the legislation. According to the chief of the National Volunteer Fire Council the average responder donates services worth more than $18,000 each year. The release also mentions how tough it has become to retain firefighters. Loebsack said at the meeting that for volunteers whose regular in-
Jason W. Brooks/Daily News U.S. Rep . Dave Loebsack listens Friday to Kellogg volunteer firefighters describe some of their equipment, training and funding situations. Kellogg was one of three rural Iowa volunteer fire stations Kellogg visited Friday.
come puts them in the “15 percent” IRS income tax bracket, the credit would be worth about $900. All of Kellogg’s volunteers must be certified EMTs as well, and several people in attendance Friday told Loebsack the cost and time commitments of training and retraining can be daunting. Gannaway said the department has about
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in Jasper County don’t have EMS personnel, even if there’s a volunteer fire department. That puts more stress on nearby departments to serve that community, he said, and those departments must have the technology and means to quickly get to a scene. Sparks pointed out that firefighters still need
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WHERE IT’S AT Astrograph......................5B Calendar..........................5A Classifieds......................4B
20 firefighters now, having peaked at 25 at one point. In addition to some other Kellogg firefighters, also in attendance were Jasper County Sheriff John Halferty, Jasper County Emergency Management Director Jim Sparks and Grinnell Fire Chief Dan Sicard. Halferty pointed out that some communities
Comics & Puzzles...........6A Dear Abby........................6A Local News......................2A
Obituaries.......................5A Opinion............................4A State News......................7A
Chamber dinner Thursday
Annual event set to begin at 5 p.m. / 2A
KELLOGG | 3A
Volume No. 113 No. 170 2 sections 16 pages
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