Newton
Serving Newton & Jasper County Since 1902
Daily News
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Monday, July 28, 2014 OBITUARIES Kevin E. Orndorff, 48 Dr. Leo Charles Peters, 82
www.newtondailynews.com
Newton, Iowa
Ridiculous Day
Colfax family escapes weekend house fire
INSIDE TODAY
By Mike Mendenhall Daily News Staff Writer COLFAX — A Saturday house fire on Colfax’s westend was the latest in a series of blows for homeowner Donna Noftsger. The 61-year-old sat across the street Saturday afternoon, surrounded by family and friends, as Colfax and area fire crews fought to save her home at 307 W. Division St. “We were outside the house having a garage sale when we noticed the house was on fire,” she said. “I lost my husband only 10 months ago.” Fire crews respond to the call at 2:48 p.m., and smoke was emerging from windows and exterior vent’s of the dwelling’s top floor when they arrived. Colfax Fire Chief Dennis Lester said the fire was concentrated in the
Local
Durbala wins volunteer award Page 2A
FIRE See Page 5A
County Fair
Barnyard Babies winners Page 7A
Sports
All-Elite track honors Page 1B
Weather Mike Mendenhall/Daily News Saturday’s annual Ridiculous Day on Newton’s downtown square brought shoppers from throughout the city to hunt for special deals at local shops’ sidewalk and store-wide sales. Top: Stephanie Machin of Newton searches through scented goodies outside Beckman Gallery with Pat Wallace of Newton. Above left: Diana Pals of Shell Rock checks out Halloween decor with Gavin Stoner of Newton. The day also brought the Cool Cars ‘Round the Courthouse Car Show to the westside of the square. Above right: Jacob Evans of Runnells peers inside a 1935 Dodge Brothers car owned by Newton’s Herman Cupples.
Tuesday
High 79 Low 55
Tax-free holiday this weekend in Iowa
Wednesday
By Jamee A. Pierson Daily News Staff Writer
High 80 Low 56 Weather Almanac
Also:
Mark your calenders for this coming weekend and head out to expand your wardrobe during Iowa’s tax-free holiday. Great for back to school, this Friday and Saturday pay no sales tax on all clothing and shoe purchases under $100. Throughout the state of Iowa, customers will save 6 percent on sales tax as well as any local option sales tax that may regularly be applied. Here are a few tips on how to save: • Only store coupons, not manufacturer coupons, can be used to reduce the price of an item to qualify it for the sales tax exemption. For example if a coat is $105 and you have a store coupon for $10, it reduces it to $95 and is eligible for the exemption. • If an item is eligible during the tax-free weekend for exemption and is put on layaway, the exemption will apply even if you pay it off after the weekend. The same is true of rain checks. • Under Iowa law, all retailers are required to participate that are open for business starting at 12:01 a.m. Friday through midnight Saturday.
Classifieds 3B
TAX FREE See Page 5A
Friday, July 25 High 78 Low 62 No Precipitation
Sat., July 26
High 82 Low 66 No Precipitation
Sun., July 27 High 76 Low 65 No Precipitation
Comics & Puzzles Page 6A
By Mike Mendenhall Daily News Staff Writer
Obituaries Page 3A
Our 113th Year No. 49
98213 00008
Work hard, play harder
PCM bullying civil suit dismissed
Opinion Page 4A
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Mike Mendenhall/Daily News A firefighter climbs the side of a burning home at 307 W. Division St. in Colfax on Saturday to put a hose through an exterior vent. The house caught fire at 2:48 p.m., and owner Donna Noftsger and her family escaped unharmed.
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NEWTON — A 2013 civil suit accusing the Prairie CityMonroe School District of ignoring bullying allegations by a former student was dismissed from Jasper County Civil Court last week. The unnamed “Jane and John Doe” plaintiffs voluntary dismissed the suit with prejudice, filing the motion through
their attorney July 22. According to Jasper County District Court records, the case was previously scheduled for a jury trial July 21. In their civil complaint, originally filed in June 2013, the plaintiffs claim the PCM School District and district superintendent Jane Babcock took no action to protect their LAWSUIT See Page 5A
Mike Mendenhall/Daily News Following countless hours given by planners, installers and volunteers, new playground equipment was ready for play Saturday at Maytag Park. Several families were already enjoying the equipment by Saturday afternoon. Levi Gregory, 4, of Newton, is shown climbing on a maze of orbs within the park’s new setup with 11-year-old Thomas Yoakum, also of Newton.