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Cardinal boys capture home victory over Boone / 1B
DAILY NEWS FRIDAY, APRIL 15, 2016 • WHERE TO GO WHEN YOU NEED TO KNOW
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NHS Hall of Fame Class of 2016 announced Newton Daily News The names of the six people who will be inducted into the Newton High School Hall of Fame this year were announced Thursday.
Treye Jackson, Dr. Andrew Hershey, M.D., David Jones, Ph.D., Cindy Cohn, J.D. and the late Lyle D. Goodhue, Ph.D. and Frank “Bucky” O’Connor make up the 2016 class. It’s the third year for the
Hall of Fame, which includes contributors from athletics, academics and the community. The Hall of Fame’s third induction class will be honored at the All-Classes Brunch on
June 11 as part of Alumni Weekend. Jackson, class of 1981, is one of Newton High School’s most celebrated athletes, helping lead the 1980 Cardinal football team to a state title
HOF | 3A
Venture Homes looking to grow in Newton
Mid-American Energy announces wind power commitment
By Jamee A. Pierson Newton Daily News
By Jason W. Brooks Newton Daily News
D
ES MOINES — A major announcement Thursday by one of Iowa’s largest energy companies could have an impact on Jasper County industries. Des Moines-based MidAmerican Energy Company announced its plans to spend $3.6 billion on a wind turbine operation that would generate enough energy to power about 800,000 Iowa homes — an effort officials called the largest economic development project in state history. Bill Fehrman, the utility’s CEO and president, announced the company’s 11th wind project at an event on the Iowa State Fair Grounds attended by Gov. Terry Branstad and other state officials. Branstad thanked company leaders for their unprecedented investment, calling the project a “major milestone” in Iowa’s rapidly-growing wind energy industry. The announcement was the latest effort by Branstad to promote wind energy. Earlier this year, he pointed out Iowa, which also has wind-industry equipment manufacturing plants such as TPI Composites, Inc. and Trinity Structural Towers of Newton, is getting more than 31 percent of its energy from wind — more than any other state in the country. “Once the project is complete, the state will be on track as the very first state in the nation to generate more than 40 percent of our energy from wind power,” Fehrman said. The utility will create wind energy that equals 85 percent of its annual customer sales in Iowa with the
and becoming one of the first Iowan to win the 100-, 200-, and 400-meter titles at the state track meet on the same day when he did it in 1981.
completion of the project, according to Fehrman. MidAmerican is the state’s largest utility. “Our company has a very bold dream and that dream is to someday deliver 100 percent renewable energy to our customers,” he said. Company officials didn’t release where the roughly 1,000 turbines would be built, but said the utility will finalize locations while the Iowa Utilities Board considers the project. Fehrman said he hopes to have the project approved by mid-September, which would put MidAmerican on track to adding 2,000 megawatts of wind energy in the state by 2020. The power company already has wind farms operating or being built in 23 out of Iowa’s 99 counties since the company’s first turbines were installed in 2004, Fehrman said. Iowa Economic Development Authority Director Debi Durham, who also attended the Thursday press conference, said wind power supports about 7,000 jobs in the state. The latest project proposal will employ 1,100 construction work-
ers along with about 95 permanent workers, Fehrman said. The company is not asking for state aid to help fund the project, and Fehrman said it won’t come at the cost of customers, either, relying instead on existing federal tax credits. Clean energy advocates applauded the company’s efforts following the announcement. “MidAmerican made clean energy history today,” said Bruce Nilles, the senior director of the Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal Campaign, “Iowa’s and MidAmerican’s rapid transition from dirty coal to affordable wind offers a game changing new model for how utilities will reach 100 percent renewable energy more quickly than anyone would have predicted.” TPI Composites Inc. personnel could not be reached for comment by presstime. The Associated Press contributed to this story. Contact Jason W. Brooks at 641-792-3121 ext. 6532 or jbrooks@newtondailynews.com
Venture Homes is looking to expand its footprint in Newton with plans for another house in the Fountain Hills development. The Newton City Council will look at the company’s proposal along with a slew of other business items at its Monday meeting. The West Des Moines company entered into a contract with City of Newton in 2014 to construct two high quality single-family homes. Also in the contract, Venture Homes gained exclusive rights to acquire any of the additional lots in Fountain Hills for $1 each through the end of 2006. The builder is requesting to purchase Lot 15 to develop a similar style and quality home as the two previously built. Both houses Venture Homes constructed in the development have sold. Also before the council is the 20162017 non-union compensation plan. It has been the practice of the city to give non-union employees the same pay increase as the agreed-upon contractual amounts as the union contract. A 3.25 percent increase was approved for the fire, police and teamster unions and that amount is recommended for all non-union employees as well. Because of salary changes, nonunion employees as well as union staff will increase their contribution to health insurance costs. Employees will pay 5 percent of their premium cost, plus 10 percent of the total dependent costs. Also, as of the beginning of 2017, employees will pay 20 percent of the increase of all premiums. The council will also look to award the contract for the West Fourth Street North Sanitary Sewer Extension Project. Newton Public Works has been contacted by the Jasper County Board COUNCIL | 3A
Board of Health seeks to include new doctor By Jason W. Brooks Newton Daily News A new physician may be joining the Jasper County Board of Health. At Thursday’s regular monthly meeting, board members voted unanimously to replace the sole physician who holds a seat on the board. Since the threeyear term of Dr. Zachary Alexander is over, the board voted to recommend Dr. Stephanie L. Bantell of the Newton Clinic to join the board. Board member Mar-
got Voshell praised the idea of bringing Bantell, whose areas of interest include obstetrics, diabetes management, weight-loss medicine and cesarean deliveries. “I think she would be an outstanding person to have on the board,” Voshell said. The board will now recommend Bantell’s name to the Jasper County Board of Supervisors, whose approval is needed to formally appoint a new member. The other main topic at Monday’s meeting
was the ongoing effort of the recent formed Jasper County Public Health department to organize its facility and provide services. Director Becky Pryor spoke at the meeting — held in a break room of JCPH’s offices in the basement of the County Annex Building — discussed remodeling and expansion into what was formerly JEDCO Director Chaz Allen’s office. “It’s been tough, but we’re staying open, and still helping people who come in,” Pryor said.
Jason W. Brooks/Daily News Stacy Jobes, the maternal and child health director for the Visiting Nurse Services of Iowa, makes a presentation at Thursday’s Jasper County Board of Health meeting. An unrelated action taken at the meeting was to approve submitting the name of a doctor to the Board of Supervisors to potentially replace a doctor who is leaving the board.
Pryor also discussed information shared at the 2016 Iowa Gover-
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FEATURE
WHERE IT’S AT Astrograph......................5B Calendar..........................5A Classifieds......................4B
nor’s Conference on Public Health, held Tuesday and Wednesday
Comics & Puzzles...........6A Dear Abby........................6A Local News......................2A
Obituaries.......................5A Opinion............................4A State News......................7A
Positive deeds rewarded
PBIS program a key tool at schools / 2A
HEALTH | 3A
Volume No. 114 No. 235 2 sections 16 pages
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