Newton
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Friday, March 14, 2014
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Newton, Iowa
Raceway Ridge developers to drop bid for sales tax incentive
OBITUARIES
By Bob Eschliman Daily News Editor
Robert D. Burns, 75
The City of Newton and developers of the Raceway Ridge project on the north side of Iowa Speedway announced Thursday afternoon they will not seek an Iowa Reinvestment District designa-
INSIDE TODAY
tion from the state. “The applications for these reinvestment districts are due to the State tomorrow, and the plan is for Premier [Development, owners of Raceway Ridge] to not submit an application during this round of funding,” City of Newton Director of Finance
& Development Bryan Friedman said. “As the program evolves, an application would likely be submitted in the future.” Troy Strawhecker of Premier Development, one of the partners in the ownership of the land and the city’s primary contact on the Raceway Ridge devel-
opment, said plans to develop all 66 acres of land adjacent to Iowa Speedway would continue. He said the uncertainty and timing of the Iowa Reinvestment District program led them to decide to forego applying for the sales tax incentive. “The City of New-
‘Les Miserables’ at NCT
Local
Rotary Students of the Month Page 2A
ton’s investment in retail data, in conjunction with our own studies on feasibility, give us confidence that we will be making announcements on project size and scope before summer is complete,” he said. RACEWAY See Page 5A
Brock to run for re-election By Ty Rushing Daily News Senior Staff Writer “I am honored to announce my intent to run for re-election to the Jasper County Board of Supervisors.” Those were the words of Joe Brock, the current board chair of the supervisors, as he made his official announcement of his intention to run again for a seat on the board. Brock first began serving on the board in 2010 and is one of the two current Democrats on the board, with the other being Dennis Stevenson, whose term doesn’t expire until 2016. Board member Dennis Carpenter is the lone Republican on the board and his seat is also up for grabs this year. In his time on the board, Brock has helped oversee a number of changes within the county and listed a few of them. “Over the past four years, we have worked hard to lower the tax levy, yet; keep the same level of services for the taxpayers,” Brock said. “This was not an easy task, but through the cooperation of the elected officials, department heads and employees, we have managed to do just that.”
Local
Baxter FFA advances to state Page 3A
Submitted Photos Above: Anthony Moran, who plays Gavroch, is pictured during a dress rehearsal of “Les Miserables,” which opens tonight at the Newton Community Theatre. Right: Dan Schlup, Stephanie Moran, Scott Schaeffer, Gary Kopsa and Larry Mahlstedt appear in another scene during the musical. “Les Miserables” performances are set for 7:30 p.m. tonight, Saturday, Tuesday, Thursday and March 21 and 22 at the Newton Community Theatre. There also will be a 2 p.m. show on Sunday. Tickets are $17 for adults and $15 for children (age 18 and younger).
Sports
NHS players get LHC honors Page 1B
Weather
Saturday
High 55 Low 26
Sunday
BROCK See Page 5A
Two arrested in Wednesday night drug raids By Bob Eschliman Daily News Editor
High 34 Low 23 Weather Almanac
Thurs., Mar. 13 High 62 Low 41 No Precipitation
Astrograph Page 5B Classifieds Page 4B Comics & Puzzles Page 6A Dear Abby Page 6A
RAID See Page 5A
By Zach Johnson Daily News Staff Writer
Obituaries Page 3A Police Page 3A Our 112th Year No. 209
98213 00008
By Zach Johnson Daily News Staff Writer
Daughter left with memories, pride of her WW II veteran father
Opinion Page 4A
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COUNCIL See Page 3A
Council meeting to highlight second consideration of Residential Accessory Building Ordinance The Newton City Council will have the second consideration of an ordinance regarding residential accessory buildings during Monday’s meeting. Bryan Friedman, director of finance and development, explained during the March 3 meeting that the ordinance would remain the same for buildings with a less than 1,000-square-foot footprint but added a conditional use permit
Also:
process for the construction of an accessory building with a footprint greater than 1,000 square feet on properties located in the R-1, R-2 and R-3 zoning districts. The council also will consider a new contract with the police union. The proposed contract for the upcoming year had minor changes, including to the insurance rates of police officers and
Two drug search warrants executed Wednesday evening by members of the Mid-Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force, the Newton Police Department Tactical Team and the Jasper County Sheriff ’s Office SERT and K-9 unit resulted in the arrests of two Newton men. At approximately 9:15 p.m., officers executed the warrants at 321 E. Eighth St. S. #14 and 10 Bungalow Court. During those searches, illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia were found. As a result, Kerry Lynn Guy, 49, and Everett Ray Wagner, 58, were arrested.
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Elmer Booth, an U.S. Army veteran of World War II, lived a short time in Jasper County before he got married and headed off to war. His daughter, Sharon Temple of Newton, only has stories to remember her fallen soldier. The past for Temple was filled with heartache, but has grown to have a
great sense of pride for the soldiers and veterans in Jasper County.
“I was just a baby when he was killed,” Temple said. “My biological mother didn’t want me and she wanted to divorce my dad. I was always told she wrote him a letter saying that, which was one reason why he let himself be killed because she wanted a divorce and to give me away. That is the story I was always told. Whether it’s true or not, I don’t know.”
Temple’s grandparents took her in, raising their first granddaughter, but Temple only knew them as mom and dad. “When I got to be in seventh grade, they told me the truth,” Temple said. “They told me of how my father was killed and my grandmother gave me a whole bunch of stuff that she kept about me. It never made the difference because my grandparents
were all that I knew, but I was happy to know the truth and also sad to know that my father was killed in action.” It was after receiving the news Temple began to learn more about her father. She met one of his brothers named Fritz. They have a continued connection since first meeting. BOOTH See Page 5A