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Friday, Aug. 8, 2014
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Former Park Centre employee ordered to pay restitution
OBITUARIES Ralph Vallem Lee
By Abigail Pelzer Daily News Editor
INSIDE TODAY
The former marketing director of a Newton retirement community has been ordered to pay $4,500 in restitution to the business after he pleaded guilty to firstdegree theft in June. Scott Hirsch, a 39-year-old Montezuma man, was charged with theft from Park Centre in January following an investigation in which the Newton Police Department discovered $11,847 was stolen from Park Centre. Hirsch was charged for taking 16 checks and depositing them into his personal checking account. Local authorities began the investiga-
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tion in December. According to court documents, when questioned about the incident a Park Centre employee in early November, Hirsch played it off as an honest error and promised to repay it. Later that month, First Newton National Bank informed Park Centre that several checks made out to Park Centre had been deposited into Hirsch’s account at the University of Iowa Credit Union. When confronted, Hirsch delivered a letter of resignation and a signed letter confessing to depositing 12 checks totaling $9,847 into his account. On Jan. 8, the Newton police received copies of 11 checks to Park Centre deposited into Hirsch’s account. Of the 11
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Contact Editor Abigail Pelzer at (641) 792-3121 ext. 6530 or apelzer@newtondailynews.com.
Newton Daily News
David LaVera was initially charged with enticing a minor and carrying weapons, and is now also charged with thirddegree sexual abuse, two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, two counts of invasion of privacy and another count of attempting to entice a minor. His initial charges came in June after police say he claimed to be an actor from the “Twilight” movie series and used his alleged celebrity status to entice a 14-year-old girl to a park in Baxter after having sexually explicit conversations with the teen on Facebook. In an interview Thursday, Superintendent Bob Callaghan said that he and District Business Manager Gayle Isaac will
The Newton YMCA announced today the Y is restructuring to further increase its service to Jasper County and provide more positive programming for all ages. Beginning Oct. 1, Executive Director Tom Vanderlaan will transition into a new role at the Y as Program Executive. The 20year veteran of the YMCA will Vanderlaan take on management of recreational and competitive sports, health and wellness and aquatics departments. The restructuring comes after more than 18 months of strategic planning led by Buckley Vanderlaan and the Y’s Board of Directors. “My passion and background has always revolved around sports and working with kids and their development,” he said. “It’s who I am. I Karr am excited about being able to put 100 percent of my work into handson, direct impact on kids and families.” During Vanderlaan’s tenure as executive director the YMCA has remodeled its facilities, including new conference rooms, updates to all workout areas and the addition of child care to the main campus. He also has taken an active role in the community by serving on a variety of boards and committees. He facilitated disbursement of more than $150,000 a year in financial assistance, led collaborative efforts to further ties with the Newton High School Athletic Department, and helped bring competitive sports — basketball, volleyball and Little League baseball — under Y management. “I love the YMCA and want to further see us grow to meet the needs of the community,” Vanderlaan said. “I see lots of potential for the YMCA and am excited about the new opportunity.” With Vanderlaan’s new position, Director of Finance & Business Development Frank Buckley will take the helm of the Newton YMCA as Executive Director. Buckley has served in his current position for more than four years helping to develop partnerships with area businesses and organizations, managing the endowments
SCHOOL See Page 5A
YMCA See Page 5A
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Sports
BDS Motorsports promotes Newton Page 1B
Weather
Ty Rushing/Daily News Twins Charlie and Ian Bennett got a chance to play together on stage at the Bruce L. Rastetter 4-H Exhibits Building at the Iowa State Fair on Thursday. The brothers will both attend Grand View University in the fall.
Newton twins show off piano skills at State Fair By Ty Rushing Daily News Senior Staff Writer
Saturday
High 79 Low 61
Sunday
High 82 Low 64 Weather Almanac
Thurs., Aug. 7 High 71 Low 67 No Precipitation Also: Astrograph Page 5B
DES MOINES— Charlie and Ian Bennett may have only started formally playing the piano six years ago, but the 18-yearold twins come from a musical family. Their cousin and instructor, Virginia, holds a doctorate in music and has been teaching piano professionally and privately for a number of years. On Thursday, the pair showcased what six years of instruction can do by performing a duet on the big stage at the Bruce L. Rastetter 4-H Exhibits Building at the Iowa State Fair. They even dressed alike for the occasion. Both said they have been to the state fair previously
for different events, however, they had never performed together on stage there before. They selected “March to Militarie” by Franz Schubert, which is fitting as he is considered one of the greatest composers of the Romanticera and Romantic music is their favorite type of genre to play. Before they began, Charlie said he wasn’t too nervous about playing with his brother but that he was more worried about his solo act later on. Once they hit the stage, the duo showed no nerves even as their father, Bill, recorded them on his iPad from his seat near the front row. After they walked off the stage, both brothers seemed satisfied with how
it went. “(I think) it was really good,” Charlie said. “It went well,” Ian added. Charlie said the success of their performance helped ease his mind for his solo act later on in the 4-H building, although he admitted playing on stage “is exhausting.” Ian and Charlie are members of the World Changers 4-H Club in Newton and both are preparing to start at Grand View University in the fall. Charlie is majoring in graphic journalism and Ian will major in political science. Contact Senior Staff Writer Ty Rushing at (641) 792-3121 ext. 6532 or at trushing@newtondailynews.com.
School board to take action on visitors policy Monday
Classifieds Page 4B Comics & Puzzles Page 6A
Policy came under attack after alleged ‘Twilight’ actor visited two Newton schools
Dear Abby Page 6A Opinion Page 4A
By Ty Rushing Daily News Senior Staff Writer
Obituaries Page 3A Police Page 3A Our 113th Year No. 58
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checks, only seven were on the list of 12 that Hirsch confessed to depositing in his account. The four additional checks totaled $2,000, and Hirsch was charged in connection with the theft of all 16 checks. After pleading guilty to one charge of first-degree theft in June, Hirsch received a deferred judgment and was sentenced to two years of probation. He is also ordered to pay a $1,305 in fines and court costs. Hirsch was previously convicted of fourth-degree theft in Poweshiek County in 2000 and of fifth-degree theft in Des Moines County in 2002.
Newton YMCA announces restructuring
Baxter teens participate in 4-H exhibit at Iowa State Fair
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Newton, Iowa
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The topic of school security has been a hot button issue in the Newton Community School District after a 33-year-old California man now facing several criminal charges visited two Newton schools and attended a school sponsored pool party in late-May and early-June. With less than two weeks until school begins, the board of education will take action on what to do about the district’s current visitors policy at Monday’s meeting.