Newton
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Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2014
www.newtondailynews.com
Newton, Iowa
New vet memorial sparks courthouse parking debate
OBITUARIES Cornelia M. Harthoorn, 101 Dr. Robert D. Sparks INSIDE TODAY
By Ty Rushing Daily News Senior Staff Writer
News
‘Oak Ridge Boys Christmas Show’ Page 2A
Religion
‘Smoke on the Mountain’ debut Page 8A
Submitted Photo Judd Hoskins stands next to his drawing “Typewriter Girl” that recently won People’s Choice Award at the Iowa State Fair.
Newton man earns recognition for fine art
Sports
Hoskins wins People’s Choice at Iowa State Fair
Cards lose at home meet Page 1B
By Kate Malott Daily News Staff Writer
WEATHER
The People’s Choice Award allows fairgoers to participate as judges at the Iowa State Fair, choosing the one piece of fine art they consider the best, most interesting and most pleasing. This year, the people chose
Newton resident Judd Hoskins’ drawing “Typewriter Girl” as their favorite work of fine art. Voters are given the opportunity to choose from the hundreds of pieces on display as well as all mediums including sculpture, oil painting, glass, digital and drawing. According to Iowa State Fair Fine
Although the Jasper County Veteran Memorial was dedicated last month, issues of miscommunication on the project came to the forefront at Tuesday’s Jasper County Board of Supervisors meeting. Doug Bishop, county treasurer and chair of the committee that built the memorial, came to the board to update them on several measures pertaining to the complex when the issue of creating limited parking on the east side of the courthouse — where the complex is situated — arose. Bishop, who was accompanied by a dozen county veterans that represented organizations ranging from the American Legion on up to the World War II Last Man Standing club, asked the board to consider creating limited parking on the east side of the courthouse to maintain the “reverence” of the memorials. The parking area between the rock and the walls is currently used by several county offices for everything between maintenance to taking inmates to court. “Fella, it’s bigger than just saying that ‘no one can park here.’ We have to define what limited is and those types of things. It’s not really as simple as just not parking because you can’t get a picture taken,” Jasper County Auditor Dennis Parrott said. As Jasper County’s auditor, one of Parrott’s responsibilities is the aesthetic appeal of the courthouse. He said he foresaw this becoming an issue and has been taking pictures chronicling parking issues. Parrott suggested that the board, himself MEMORIAL See Page 5A
HOSKINS See Page 5A
Thursday
High 82 Low 69
School district updating more policies in response to LaVera By Ty Rushing Daily News Senior Staff Writer
Friday
High 81 Low 67 WEATHER ALMANAC
Tues., Aug. 26 High 79 Low 65 .11 inch of rain ALSO: Astrograph Page 5B Classifieds Page 4B
The fallout from a California man’s visits to several Newton schools continues to affect policymaking within the Newton Community School District. David LaVera visited Berg Middle School, Aurora Heights Elementary School and attended an out of school pool party between late May and early July. While at the schools, LaVera signed autographs as “Twilight” actor Kiowa Gordan and even gave a stunt performance at the BMS gym. Since those appearances at the schools, LaVera has been charged by law enforcement officials with enticing a minor, attempting to entice a mi-
nor, two counts of invasion of privacy and two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor among other charges. The NCSD Board of Education has been proactive in researching its policies since his initial charges were announced on June 10. It updated its visitors policy at its first meeting in August after two months of research, and at Monday’s meeting, the board adopted a new school visitors procedures/volunteers in schools handbook. “The issue here, is about the safety of other children who are not under your care or guardianship or are not your biological child … it’s a fine line,” said Superintendent Bob Callaghan.
By Ty Rushing Daily News Senior Staff Writer
Obituaries Page 3A Police Page 3A Our 113th Year No. 71
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Both Jasper County and the City of Newton are only 80 people away from becoming two of the largest Skilled Iowa Communities in the state of Iowa. Craig Immerfall, of Iowa Workforce Development, presented this information the Jasper County Board of Supervisors during Tuesday’s
meeting, with the board later approving a resolution to participate in the program. There are currently nine Skilled Iowa Communities present in the state. “What the Skilled Community is, is one piece of a larger initiative called Skilled Iowa. Skilled Iowa is an economic development initiative for the state of Iowa as a whole,” Im-
Newton Daily News
merfall said. The purposed of Skilled Iowa is to solve the lack of middle skill workers available in the workforce. One way of combating this is offering up the free National Career Readiness Assessment test. The test would then give a certification of bronze, silver, gold and platinum, SKILLED IOWA See Page 5A
LOWE See Page 2A
SCHOOL See Page 5A
Jasper County, Newton close to being Skilled Iowa Communities
Opinion Page 4A
United Way of Jasper County names new executive director The United Way of Jasper County will have a new face beginning Sept. 3. Jessica Lowe, of Newton, has been named the incoming Executive Director at the United Way. “I am excited about the opportunity to be a part of the United Way of Jasper County,” Lowe said. “The job allows me to continue to work with nonprofits and to have an impact on lives throughout the county.” Lowe has served as the Marketing and Lowe Membership Director at the YMCA since April 2010. Prior to joining the YMCA, she was a staff reporter and niche publications editor at the Newton Daily News for nearly five years. Lowe will replace longtime United Way Executive Director Travis Padget. Padget’s last day is Sept. 12, and he has accepted a position with Edward Jones Investments. “Travis has done amazing things at the United Way and has left big shoes to fill,” Lowe said. “As executive director, Travis has increased giving, helped facilitate the purchase of a new building and permanent home
Comics & Puzzles Page 6A Dear Abby Page 6A
Ty Rushing/Daily News A debate between elected officials rang out at Tuesday’s Jasper County Board of Supervisors meetings over parking on the east side of the courthouse near the new Jasper County Veterans Memorial Complex.