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DAILY NEWS FRIDAY, MARCH 25, 2016 • WHERE TO GO WHEN YOU NEED TO KNOW
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Bridge over Interstate 80 closing April 4 By Jamee A. Pierson Newton Daily News A bridge deck overlay project will close the East Fifth Street South bridge over Interstate 80 in Newton starting April 4. The work is scheduled to be finished in midMay and reopened to traffic at that time. “A bridge deck overlay consists of the removal of approximately a quarter inch of the bridge deck (driving surface) and the placement of 1 and 3/4 inch of new concrete to restore the driving surface condition,” Iowa Department of Transportation Construction Engineer Mark Dunn said. “It usually also includes some spot repairs that go deeper, as needed. This particular project also includes some other minor concrete repairs, bridge drain repairs and the replacement of the guardrail.” During construction, traffic will be detoured around the closure using South 44th Avenue East, East 12th Street South and South 13th Avenue East. Dunn said the construction should not affect interstate driving lanes except for a brief shoulder closure under the bridge for concrete repair on of the piers. “If we have any spots where fulldepth repairs are needed in the bridge deck, we will need to close a
The DOT will also be doing a bridge deck joint repair on the interstate over Rock Creek, three miles east of Highway 224 near Kellogg. Two lanes will remain open during the daytime hours. During one stage, a lane closure will be required, which will only be done at night. A start date has not yet been determined on the project.
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Kindergarten roundups happening in mid-April
Registration forms on district website By Jason W. Brooks Newton Daily News
lane on I-80 if it is over the roadway. That will not be fully known until the contractor begins removals,” Dunn said. “Any lane closures affecting I-80 will be done at night only.” In Jasper County, the DOT is continuing the outside shoulder project between Colfax and Altoona. Dunn said there is major work to be completed in the eastbound lanes and a few a few minor areas to finish on the westbound lanes. Work will begin April 4 on that project.
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Parents of Newton-area children who will be age 5 by Sept. 15, 2016, are asked to register for an upcoming assessment event. The Newton Community School District is holding its annual Kindergarten Roundups. These sets of two-hour round-up assessments and follow-up parent meetings help the district determine the overall readiness level and needs of next year’s incoming class, as well as see which students might benefit from a summer Jump-
Start program. There is no longer a year of transitional kindergarten offered by Newton schools. Parents are asked to download a Roundup registration form to their current K-3 school attendance center (Berg or Thomas Jefferson elementary schools) prior to Thursday. The form can be found at www. newton.k12.ia.us. Even though the district will have four K-4 schools next year, this year’s two roundups will be for the current K-3 schools, Thomas Jefferson and Berg. ROUNDUPS | 3A
Contact Jamee A. Pierson at 641-792-3121 ext. 6534 or jpierson@newtondailynews.com
Jamee A. Pierson/Daily News Work will begin on the East Fifth Street South bridge crossing Interstate 80 on April 4. The bridge will be closed approximately a month and a half during construction with a completion date projected for mid-May.
Jason W. Brooks/Daily News Newton Community School District students enjoy lunch on a recent school day. The district’s annual “Kindergarten Roundups” are slated for mid-April.
Many job seekers, Lockers, parking lot among NCSD meeting items employers meet Agenda includes discussion of at annual job fair name for new By Kate Malott Newton Daily News Four local entities partnered together to create an opportunity for employers and the workforce to meet Thursday night at Newton DMACC. Newton Development Corporation, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach of Jasper County, DMACC and the Goodwill Career Connection Center joined forces to host the annual job and career fair. About 75 job seekers and 45 employers attended the event. “Job fairs are beneficial to the community because they give companies the opportunity to highlight positions
available people don’t normally think of, and it gives job seekers the ability to meet with multiple employers in one evening and can be less intimidating than dropping off resumes,” Goodwill Career Connection Center Director Miranda Kulis said. Manatts Construction Company was one of the employers in attendance. The company is currently seeking employment for machine operations positions in Newton as well as other general labor and truck driving positions in central Iowa, Manatts Human Resources Generalist Jamie Edelen said. JOBS | 3A
administration building
By Jason W. Brooks Newton Daily News The Newton Community School District Board of Education might not spend much time on any one particular topic at Monday’s regular meeting, but it certainly has many items on its agenda. Monday’s meeting is set for 6:45 p.m. in the Emerson Hough conference room. It will be preceded by a general budget discussion meeting, led by superintendent Bob Callaghan set for 5:15 p.m. One of the few action items on the
File Photo Lockers are a part of the indoor landscape at Aurora Heights Elementary School. Discussion of purchasing and installing lockers at Emerson Hough and Woodrow Wilson schools is one of the items on the agenda for Monday’s Newton Community School District Board of Education regular meeting.
agenda will be consideration of proposed budget summary for Fiscal Year 2017, as it will be presented at the meeting. A budget must be submitted to the state
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ings about potential expenditures at the board’s April 11 meeting. Consideration of playground equipment construction SCHOOL | 3A
FEATURE
WHERE IT’S AT Astrograph......................5B Calendar..........................5A Classifieds......................4B
by April 15, and a final hearing on the budget will likely be set for the board’s April 11 meeting. The board is also expected to schedule hear-
Comics & Puzzles...........6A Dear Abby........................6A Local News......................2A
Obituaries.......................5A Opinion............................4A State News......................7A
School lines being drawn
K-4 schools will have new boundaries / 2A
Volume No. 114 No. 220 2 sections 14 pages
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