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Newton High football prepares for Waterloo East / 1B
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Thanks for Franks is one week away Young Professionals host 12th annual event downtown By Jason W. Brooks Newton Daily News
Distracted driving accidents on the rise in Iowa; officials encourage drivers to put away cellphones By Kate Malott Newton Daily News
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he number of car crashes from a distracted driver on their cellphone or mobile device in Iowa has made a steep rise from 2014 to 2015, according to a Iowa Department of Transportation report released this summer. Texting while driving accidents are occurring more than ever before in the state and local officials encourage those on the road to put their cellphones away when behind the wheel. The Problem Distracted driving is caused by any activity to divert a person’s attention away from the primary
task — driving — and could endanger any nearby person on the road. Talking to passengers such as a family or friends, eating, drinking, reading, even grooming are all common distractions, and most recently, the use of a cellphone or texting while driving has become a concern to many law enforcement and residents. “We get the reports often of a drunk driver, but it’s a driver on their phone. They are traveling slower or weaving back and forth across the center line,” Iowa State Patrol Senior Trooper Doug Cutts, of Newton, said. Although any use of a cellphone while driving can cause distraction, texting is even more dangerous because it re-
quires more concentrated thinking and taking a hand off the wheel. It requires visual, manual and cognitive attention from the driver. Texting while driving is by far the most alarming distraction, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. “When it comes to cellphones and technology, it’s really becoming a major issue because everyone has them,” Cutts said. From 2011 to 2014, the percentage of reported drivers owning a smartphone increased from 52 percent of drivers to 80 percent, according to State Farm. Research shows distracted driving accidents are most common
in drivers 29 years old and younger. Forty-nine percent of drivers involved in fatal crashes, on their cellphone at the time of the accident, are between the ages of 15-29. The 15 to 19 year olds make up 11 percent of those drivers; the 20 to 29 year olds make up 38 percent, NHTSA reported. J.T. Hicks, 26, of Newton, said he and his friends text and drive. Although it has become a normal habit for many his age, he knows it’s dangerous. “I’ve done it, but I don’t agree with it or do it all the time. I try not to do it because it’s hard to keep focused on the road,” Hicks said. DRIVING | 8A
During the early years of the “Thanks with Franks” event, efforts were made to help the annual thank-you from area businesses grow. In the 2016, organizers of the 12th annual Thanks With Franks are simply trying to manage what has become a tremendously popular event. Thanks With Franks, set for 6 p.m. on Sept. 8 on the Jasper County Courthouse lawn, offers free hot dogs to the public as a customer appreciation gesture from local businesses, while supplies last. Young Professionals of Jasper County President Svitlana Miller, whose organization puts on the event, said there is so much community interest, changes needed to be made to the competitive event. “We’re going to try to keep the number of teams under 50,” Miller said. “It’s a great event for businesses to show appreciation, and for the community to do something together.” There were about 5,700 hot dogs handed out at the 2005 event, which had between 12 and 15 teams. Last year, there were more than 10,000 hot dogs served by 43 teams, with supplies at most booths gone in about an hour. In 2016, there could be nearly 14,000 hot dogs given away. FRANKS | 3A
File photo The 12th annual Thanks with Franks event is scheduled for 6 p.m. Sept. 8 at the Jasper County Courthouse square in Newton. Each participating team this year will be allotted 280 hot dogs.
City continuing work on an effective, efficient, democratic governance By Jamee A. Pierson Newton Daily News
Jamee A. Pierson/Daily News City of Newton senior management analyst Natalie Umsted speaks at a council meeting about the progress on the city’s action plan.
The Newton City Council was recently given an update on the city’s progress in the area of having an effective, efficient, democratic governance for a final time during what has been a first year of updates. Having an effective, efficient, democratic governance is one of the four essential purposes the city identified as
apart of the 2015-2017 strategic action plan that serves as a detailed guide of what city staff is working on to further the city’s goals. As defined, the city’s purpose of having an effective, efficient, democratic governance is to protect and prudently manage the city’s resources to enhance transparency, accountability, integrity, efficiency, effectiveness and innovations of all operation to
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ogy to provide better information access and convenience and finally to enhance organizational systems and develop a high quality workforce. “In the past several months, staff has started reviewing information to update the website to include software design and content improvements,” senior management analyst Natalie Umsted said.
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WHERE IT’S AT Astrograph......................5B Calendar..........................5A Classifieds......................4B
provide responsive customer service to support database decision making with timely short term and long range analysis and to attract, motivate and develop a high quality workforce dedicated to collaborative decision making. Within the overall purpose, the city has three goals to focus work. First, to be good stewards of financial resources and assets, the second to align technol-
Comics & Puzzles...........6A Dear Abby........................6A Local News......................2A
Obituaries.......................5A Opinion............................4A State News......................7A
Symptoms of a concussion
Warning signs to be fully aware of / 2A
ACTION | 3A
Volume No. 115 No. 74 2 sections 16 pages
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