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Monday, January 27, 2014 OBITUARIES Jerry E. Allspach, 65 Leila Herr, 95 Christopher Jones, 44 Edwin McKinney, 61 INSIDE TODAY
Local
Local couple wins volunteer award Page 2A
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Newton, Iowa
Neuropathologists disagree on child’s cause of death By Bob Eschliman Daily News Editor Editor’s Note: The content of this article is based largely on the testimony of medical experts who were involved in or reviewed Kaiden Olea’s autopsy. It will be disturbing to some readers. The jurors in the first-degree murder trial of Joseph Olea heard from two neuropathologists Friday who gave very different medical opinions regarding what caused the death of Olea’s 6-month-old son a little more than two years ago.
Neuropathologists are medical doctors who study disease and disorders of nervous system tissue. First, Dr. Patricia Kirby, who teaches neuropathology at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, testified on the state’s behalf. Later, they heard from Dr. Zhongxue Hua, an assistant professor of pathology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Jacobi Medical Center in Bronx, N.Y., who testified on the defense’s behalf. Hua testified out of order due a scheduling conflict. The state has not yet rested
Setting Records
its case against Olea. Kirby testified as to her credentials, noting she is board certified as a neuropathologist in both her native South Africa and in the United Kingdom. She has been at UIHC since 1996 and is contracted with the State Medical Examiner’s Office as a consulting neuropathologist. She testified she received Kaiden’s brain and spinal cord from the State Medical Examiner’s Office about two weeks after TRIAL See Page 5A
Dept. of Corrections identifies inmates involved in Sully Truck Wash incident By Daily News Staff
Sports
Cards boys, girls sweep Norwalk Page 1B
Weather Zach Johnson/Daily News The annual Pink Nose/Blue Toes 5K run started off in record fashion with the lowest temperature in event’s history at 14 degrees with 24 mile per hour winds. The overall winner of the race was Robyn Friedman. “I thought the event went really well, especially with the frigid temperatures, which was a record low for the event,” event coordinator Leisa Zylstra said. The proceeds from the event went to the obstetrics department at Skiff Medical Center.
Tuesday
High 15 Low 6
Bishop seeking re-election as treasurer By Daily News Staff
Wednesday
High 35 Low 22 Weather Almanac
Friday, Jan. 24 High 38 Low 2 .1 inch of snow
Sat., Jan. 25
High 41 Low 13 .1 inch of snow
Sun., Jan. 26 High 43 Low -5 No Precipitation
Jasper County Treasurer Doug Bishop announced Friday he will be seeking re-election to his current position. “Over the past eight years, we have worked hard to ensure that the highest level of customer service has been maintained,” Bishop said. “We have moved up to the third highest Bishop number of driver’s license renewals in county operated stations in the state. The re-organization of our motor vehicle and driver’s license departments has created an average turn around time of less than 15 minutes.” Bishop also noticed many other customer-based changes have been imple-
mented during his time as county treasurer, including: • Streamlined office setup • Online tax payments • Online and in office credit/debit/echeck payment system • Expanded monthly tax payment plan • Touch screen driver’s license testing • Moved towards becoming a Paperless office • Computerized tax sale • Expanded online property tax information • Saturday office hours “Each of these changes has either increased revenues or lowered expenses, which creates a direct savings to the taxpayers of Jasper County,” Bishop said. “If re-elected, I pledge to continue the same level of service and dedication. It has been an honor and privilege to serve as your treasurer. I hope to have the opportunity to continue to serve the citizens of Jasper County in the future.”
Also: Astrograph Page 5B
County Assessor to provide tax credit recommendations to supervisors
Calendar Page 3A
By Ty Rushing Daily News Staff Writer
Classifieds Page 4B Comics & Puzzles Page 6A Dear Abby Page 6A Opinion Page 4A Obituaries Page 3A Police Page 3A Our 112th Year No. 175
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On Tuesday, Jasper County Assessor John Deegan will give the Jasper County Board of Supervisors his list of properties that should and shouldn’t receive the Business Property Tax Credit. According to the Iowa Department of Revenue, the Business Property Tax Credit is part of the overall 2013 property tax reform bill that was enacted by the Iowa Legislature and signed by Gov. Terry Branstad. The credit is applied toward property tax due on the 2013 property assessment and is payable in the fall of 2014 and the spring of
2015. Jan. 15 marked the last day that Iowans could apply for credit. Six Jasper County businesses/families application for the credit were disallowed by Deegan, including four Aterra properties. Aterra previously challenged the assessor’s office in 2009 claiming its properties were assessed for more than their actual value. In January 2009, it filed an appeal with Jasper County Board of Reviews, which ruled in favor of the assessor’s office. This was followed up by a September 2009 appeal to the Iowa Property Assessment Appeal Board. Aterra also lost that
appeal as well and the IPAAB ruled that it supported the January 2009 decision from the county on the matter. In its decision, IPAAB stated that: “In the opinion of the Appeal Board, the evidence does not support the claim that the properties assessed for more than the value authorized by Iowa Code section 441.21. We therefore affirm the assessment of (Aterra properties) as determined by the Jasper County Board of Review as of Jan. 1, 2009.” Staff writer Ty Rushing may be contacted at (641) 792-3121, ext. 426, or at trushing@newtondailynews. com.
On Friday afternoon, Iowa Department of Corrections Deputy Director Fred Scaletta identified two Newton Correctional Release Center inmates who were injured while working at the Sully Truck Wash Company during a Tuesday incident. Justin Hurdel, 36, was found unconscious and transported by ambulance to Skiff Medical Center in Newton. Shortly thereafter, he was transferred to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Hurdel was held under observation until his discharge Thursday. He returned to the minimum-security Newton CRC. Willie Mercer, 26, was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported by Wallace Family Funeral Home to the State Medical Examiner’s Office in Ankeny where an autopsy has been ordered. The cause of death has yet to be determined. The incident remains under investigation by the Sully Fire Department.
Local man sentenced in Des Moines meth investigation By Daily News Staff DES MOINES — A Newton man was among 10 individuals sentenced on federal drug trafficking charges Following the execution of multiple search and arrest warrants in December 2012, 10 individuals — including Danny Lee Iseminger, 54, of Newton — were charged in the Southern District of Iowa with conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and other substantive drug offenses. All 10 pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and were sentenced by U.S. District Judge John A. Jarvey on Thursday and Friday. The sentences are as follows: METH See Page 7A
Man arrested for child endangerment in Monroe By Daily News Staff Twenty-six-year-old Jesse Lucas Abner of Knoxville was charged with child endangerment and operating while intoxicated after police found his son walking along Highway 14 on Tuesday night. At about 7:20 p.m., Marion County sheriff ’s deputies and Monroe police were alerted to a report of a child walking alone along the highway in the cold. When officers found the 6-year-old boy, he told them his father was at the south Casey’s in Monroe. According to police records, police found Abner intoxicated. He is charged with child endangerment and operating while intoxicated and cited for open container. The Jasper County Sheriff ’s Office confirmed that Abner arrived at the Jasper County Jail at 8:03 p.m. Tuesday and posted bond for $1,000 Wednesday morning.