Newton
Serving Newton & Jasper County Since 1902
Daily News
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Friday, July 25, 2014
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Newton, Iowa
School district to discuss state progress results
OBITUARIES Pauline D. Daugherty, 94 INSIDE TODAY
By Ty Rushing Daily News Senior Staff Writer
Entertainment Youth productions at NCT tonight Page 2A
Jamee A. Pierson/Daily News Bar seating as well as traditional restaurant seating is now available at the new full service Market Cafe, located in Hy-Vee.
Health
Market Café restaurant opens at Newton Hy-Vee
Dr. Edwards receives patient safety award Page 5A
By Jamee A. Pierson Daily News Staff Writer
Sports
Newton golfer scores double eagle Page 1B
Weather
Saturday
High 88 Low 65
Sunday
Newton Daily News
Weather Almanac
Thurs., July 24 High 79 Low 60 No Precipitation Also: Astrograph Page 5B Classifieds Page 4B Comics & Puzzles Page 6A Dear Abby Page 6A Opinion Page 4A
Judge Terry Rickers dismissed an involuntary manslaughter charge Monday against 29-year-old Newton resident Matthew A. McNeer. McNeer was charged in February following the drug-related death of 38-year-old Steven D. Petro, who died after purchasing methamphetamine from McNeer. McNeer was sentenced in June to 10 years McNeer in prison for possession of methamphetamine with intent to deliver, a Class C felony, in connection with the case. McNeer also was ordered to pay
$16,232.18 in restitution to Petro’s wife and a $1,000 fine plus court costs. After responding to a report of an unresponsive male, identified as Petro, at 3:55 a.m. Feb. 5 at 213 W. Third St. S. in Newton, authorities determined McNeer provided less than a gram of meth to Petro in exchange for Vicodin pills shortly before Petro was found unresponsive by his wife. Petro was treated at a Des Moines hospital but died the day after he was found. McNeer also had been charged with third-degree burglary in a separate case, and that charge also was dismissed this week. McNeer was charged April 4 after Newton resident reported a checkbook and a few dollars in coins stolen from his home in the 400 block of East 16th Street North. McNeer was interviewed April 8 and admitted to entering the residence without permission and taking the items.
SINA See Page 5A
NASCAR Hauler Parade coming to Newton
Obituaries Page 3A
Newton Daily News
Police Page 3A Our 113th Year No. 48
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dining and have their purchases held or just come into the café for a meal. “Even with the restaurant they have the option to go get their Chinese and bring it in to eat,” Wearmouth said. The Market Café also has a fully stocked bar with seating and several flatscreen televisions throughout the restaurant for patrons to enjoy. “Monday from 4 to 9 p.m. we offer wing night, you get six bone-in wings for $5 that will be great for game day specials,” Wearmouth said. Reservations are available but there will always be space for those stopping in while shopping, he said.
Involuntary manslaughter charge dismissed in drug death case
High 81 Low 59
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Along with your groceries, you can now have a full-service, sit-down meal at the Market Café, located in the northeast corner of the Newton HyVee. Open Thursday, the Market Café is unique in that it works will all of the departments in the grocery store to serve the meals in the restaurant. “Market Café offers the same friendly environment you get from your Newton Hy-Vee, and we just wanted to bring our service to the next level (in a restaurant setting),” restaurant manager Jack Wearmouth said.
Doors are open from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. with daily specials as well as a full menu for all three meals. Sunday morning an extravagant brunch will be served with a Bloody Mary bar and Mimosas as well as a carving station, made to order omelets and eggs benedict. The floral shop will also be involved with arrangements. “We’ve already had a lot of compliments and some early favorites with our chicken tenders that have a seasalt vinegar rub and the peanut butter burgers that are very unique,” Wearmouth said. Customers have the option to eat and then get their groceries, shop before
Jim Gilbert was thrilled last year with the progress the Newton Community School District students made in the Adequate Yearly Progress report issued by the state. Gilbert, the district’s associate director of Elementary Education Services, will update the NCSD board of education on Monday with AYP results from the 2013-2014 school year. AYP is a metric used by the Iowa Department of Education to track schools and districts compliance with the No Child Left Behind Act. Results for AYP are based on student Gilbert performance during the Iowa Assessments. Schools performances are graded via several Annual Measurable Objectives, or AMO, which score children in math and reading, who are in the third through eighth or 11th grades. AMO terms include: • MET, which is how a school met the trajectory. • Watch List, a school that didn’t meet the trajectory for one year. • SINA, which stands for a school in need of assistance. A SINA is a school that hasn’t met the trajectory for two consecutive years. This is also includes different levels of SINA, for example, a SINA-1 school hasn’t met the trajectory in three years. • Delay, a school that goes back and forth between meeting and not meeting trajectories through the years, and, like SINA, this measure can also have a number added to the end. • REM is a school removed from the watch list. It takes two consecutive years of meeting trajectories to be removed from the list. • DINA, a district in need of assistance, which happens if a district doesn’t meet the state’s AYP participation goals or AMO in either the all students group or any one of the subgroups within the required grade spans in the testing subject area for two consecutive years. Also, when a district does not meet the goals for district level K-8 average daily attendance rates and high school graduation rates for two consecutive years; it can be identified as a district in need of assistance. During a May board meeting, Gilbert revealed the district’s preliminary assessment results, and based on those, he said none of the grade levels met the 100 percent proficient mark NCLB made a requirement for SY 14. If those results hold true, several schools in the district could be moved into the SINA category, or if a school is already on the list, it could be moved into a higher level of SINA. “We reached probably a statistical impossibility,” Gilbert said in May. “What we’re focused on is, you know what? How much did our kids grow? The state now is tempering that back
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NASCAR and Iowa Speedway will team up to bring the NASCAR Nationwide Series Hauler Parade to downtown Newton beginning at 6 p.m. July 31. The NASCAR Nationwide Series haulers will rumble through the streets of Newton for race fans to enjoy on their
way to Iowa Speedway. “One of the many advantages to hosting a major NASCAR event weekend is the energy and excitement that comes along with it,” Iowa Speedway President Jimmy Small said. “By working with NASCAR, we are able to provide an additional entertainment option to the community which has so graciously supported us.
Between the Hauler Parade on Thursday and the races on Friday and Saturday nights, we hope the entire City of Newton is able to enjoy the familyfriendly fun.” Race fans can watch the Hauler Parade from anywhere along the route, including the start at Iowa Speedway, but are encouraged to attend the designated viewing areas at May-
tag Park, located at 301 S. 11th Ave. W. The parade will start at the speedway, move east bound on Rusty Wallace Drive, make a left on Iowa Speedway Drive then head west on First Ave. before making another left on West Fourth Street South. PARADE See Page 5A