Newton
Serving Newton & Jasper County Since 1902
Daily News
75 cents
Thursday, Aug. 14, 2014 OBITUARIES Lucas Bolton, 30 Irma O. Hopkins, 87 Steven K. Nichols, 59
www.newtondailynews.com
Newton, Iowa
Ty Rushing/Daily News A number of public officials, including Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds, U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack and Jo-Ellen Darcy, assistant secretary of the U.S. Army’s civil works division, were on hand for the groundbreaking ceremony of the Red Rock Hydroelectric Project in Pella on Wednesday.
INSIDE TODAY
News
Local veteran in state fair parade Page 2A
Lawmakers show support for $380M hydroelectric project By Ty Rushing Daily News Senior Staff Writer PELLA — Iowa’s efforts to remain one of the nation’s largest consumers and generators of renewable energies received a more than a quarter million dollar shot in the arm Wednesday. Ground was broken for the $380 million Red Rock Hydroelectric Project, which
Health
Wellness through volunteering Page 7A
will retrofit the dam currently in place at Lake Red Rock with the ability to produce energy for up 18,000 homes in four states. “Iowa has been a national leader in renewable energy dating back to the ‘80s,” said Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds, who helped celebrate the groundbreaking. “We have always kind of bought into the ‘all above’ strategy and a very diversified portfolio. We do that by prioritizing our investments
Sports
Page 1B
By Jamee A. Pierson Daily News Staff Writer
Weather
Friday
High 83 Low 68
Saturday
High 79 Low 66 Weather Almanac
Wed., Aug. 13 High 82 Low 58 No Precipitation
Mike Mendenhall/Daily News Doris and Virgil Saak of Baxter walk hand-in-hand down the Grand Concourse of the Iowa State Fair Aug. 8. The 92 and 94-year-old’s, respectively, have attended every state fair together since 1946.
Baxter couple keeps state fair tradition since 1946
Also: Astrograph Page 5B
By Mike Mendenhall Daily News Staff Writer
Classifieds Page 4B Comics & Puzzles Page 6A Dear Abby Page 6A Opinion Page 4A Obituaries Page 3A Police Page 3A Our 113th Year No. 62
98213 00008
DAM See Page 5A
New teachers welcomed by local businesses at luncheon
Small’s team continues strong tradition
7
in renewable energy like wind, solar, biofuel and by doing hydro, it puts Iowa ahead of many other states.” Missouri River Energy Services (MRES), based out of Sioux Falls, S.D., partnered with the City of Pella to bring this project to the area.
4
DES MOINES — During the height of the Great Depression, the Iowa State Fair held the third of four head-on locomotive collisions. It’s a pretty well-documented story. It was 1932, and the presidential race between Herbert Hoover and Franklin D. Roosevelt was putting the candidates head to head on and off the rail. Each car was labeled with a candidate’s name as they sped toward one-another at full speed, ending in a massive fireball. This was the first visit to the Iowa State Fair for then 10-year-old Doris Bach.
“I remember the famous train wreck. I was in grade school at the time, but I was there,” Doris said. She would not return to the fair again until 1946 — the first fair held post World War II. And she would return as Doris Saak. She and her husband Virgil Saak have now attended every Iowa State Fair since. In total, the Saak’s have seen 68 fairs together. Married Aug. 29, 1945, attending the fair was a wedding anniversary tradition. Before the fair schedule moved to the beginning of the month, Doris and Virgil would pack a picnic lunch of potato salad, fried chicken and all the
fixins and travel to Des Moines to celebrate. The couple’s mothers “Mrs. Bach” and “Mrs. Saak,” as Doris calls them, also shared a birthday that same day. Each year the mothers would join their children for state fair fun. After a morning of listening to old-time music at Pioneer Hall, seeing the Agricultural Building, the shopping at Grandstand flea markets, the family would return to their parking spot and open the picnic basket. The couple raised their family on a century farm near Baxter. Before retirement, Doris taught SAAKS See Page 5A
New teachers to the Newton Community School District and the Newton Christian School were welcomed at a luncheon hosted by the members of the Greater Newton Area Chamber of Commerce Wednesday. The event was at the DMACC Newton Campus with lunch provided by Moo’s BBQ. Chamber Executive Director Craig Light opened with a word of welcome to all of those in attendance. “We’re so fortunate to have each and every one of you involved in educating and developing our youth, our children, our future neighbors, business owners and community leaders,” Light said. Mary Patterson, dean of students at the Newton Christian School, led an invocation before lunch was served. The Gold Apple Sponsors, which include Buena Vista University, Capstone Behavioral Health, The Dental Practice and First Newton National Bank, each spoke and gave a word of welcome as well as how they participate in the community. Before an introduction of each of the new teachers, Bob Callaghan, Newton Superintendent, spoke about the community support that Newton has and gave thanks to the school board members and the sponsors of the event. Then each principal in the district, as well as Patterson for Newton Christian, introduced the new teachers in their schools. TEACHERS See Page 5A
Jamee A. Pierson/Daily News New teachers along with administrators and chamber members gather for a welcome luncheon hosted by the Greater Newton Area Chamber of Commerce.