Newton
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Thursday, Sept. 18, 2014
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Newton, Iowa
Newton Seed Store to be demolished City purchased building, will market for redevelopment By Jamee A. Pierson Daily News Staff Writer
Jamee A. Pierson/Daily News The Newton Seed Store on North Third Avenue West has been a mainstay in the downtown Newton area since 1944. After the City of Newton purchased the building, it will soon be demolished and marketed for redevelopment.
February trial planned in Copper Dollar Ranch case
Gary and Connie Grimes will be closing the doors of the Newton Seed Store after the Newton City Council approved a resolution to buy the property at Monday’s meeting. Located at 224 N. Third Ave. W., the Grimes have owned the business since 1978.
The store has been at the location since 1944. “With the projects they have going on they thought it would be beneficial to recruit some other type of business or projects in the area,” Gary Grimes said. The building, which is adjoined to a city-owned structure that was the Water Works garage, has received water damage, which is caused by the Water Works’ building lack of roofing. “It was easier for the city to make a decision, instead of putting money into the build-
ing,” Gary Grimes said. The city purchased the building for $135,000, which was the Grimes’ asking price. The money will come from the North Central Tax Increment Finance District fund. “We’d have liked to put more money into keeping the building up in condition, but you have to have that type of income. We haven’t done a lot because we have been in that redevelopment area for 25 SEED STORE See Page 5A
Wittemberg landmarks gain Underground Railroad designation
By Mandi Lamb Daily News Associate Editor Theresa L. “Terri” Supino’s double first-degree murder trial in the 31-year-old Copper Dollar Ranch case will begin Feb. 2 in Black Hawk County. Fifth District Judge Terry Rickers filed an order Wednesday setting the time and location of the trial, which is expected to last three weeks and will be in the Black Hawk County Courthouse Courtroom #301, 316 E. Fifth St. in Waterloo. During a pretrial conference in late August, Rickers Supino approved a request from Supino’s attorneys for a change of venue, stating there would be “substantial prejudice” against the 54-year-old if her trial were held in the Newton or Des Moines areas. The bodies of Supino’s estranged husband, 20-year-old Steven J. Fisher, and his girlfriend, 17-year-old Melisa L. Gregory, were found the morning of March 3, 1983, at the former Copper Dollar Ranch, located about four miles northwest of Newton. Both appeared to have been attacked with an unknown weapon, initially thought to be a large caliber firearm. Autopsies performed on the victims indicated both died as a result of multiple “chop wounds” — 13 to Fisher’s head and 17 to Gregory’s face and head — inflicted by a heavy-edged instrument. Fisher also had a fracture to his lower sternum and abrasions to his groin. Both victims also had bruising and cuts to their arms and hands, and neither had alcohol or illegal narcotics in their systems at the time of their deaths. Supino was arrested March 3, on the 31st anniversary of Fisher and Gregory’s deaths, at her home in Altoona. She is being held in the Jasper County Jail on a $300,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court for another pretrial conference at 9:30 a.m. Dec. 1.
Abigail Pelzer/Daily News Local historian Larry Hurto stands near the marked grave of John King in the Wittemberg Cemetery Wednesday. King hid escaped slaves in his barn in the 1850s and 1860s until they were established in the Wittemberg community. Wittemberg landmarks have gained inclusion into the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom following Hurto’s two years of research on the community.
By Abigail Pelzer Daily News Editor Two Jasper County landmarks that served as a sanctuary for escaped slaves in the 1850s and 1860s have gained inclusion into the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. The designation follows an arduous process by local historian Larry Hurto, who began work on the effort two years ago and logged some 500 hours researching the Wittemberg community, home to the Wittemberg Church and Cem-
etery, located about four miles north of Newton. The Wittemberg community was settled by natives of southern Ohio, many of whom were committed to anti-slavery principles. The founders established the Wittemberg Manual Labor College in 1855. Any student or shareholder regardless of class, race, or gender who was not a slaveholder was welcomed. The college, a technical school for agriculture, mechanical arts and domestic science, was founded largely by pioneers of the Wittemberg
church who practiced the Free Presbyterian faith, an offshoot of the Presbyterian faith that opposed slavery. Hurto said in 1861 and 1862 there were 28 escaped slaves in Newton. They found refuge on the farms near Wittemberg, Hurto said, and people in the community fed and sheltered them while teaching them farming techniques. At least four of the former slaves would go on to fight in the Civil War, Hurto said. WITTEMBERG See Page 5A
Child care center to open at former Cardinal Hills location Center part of effort to open full-service med spa By Jamee A. Pierson Daily News Staff Writer A new child care center is opening at the former Cardinal Hills Pro Shop. The Gingerbread House Preschool and Childcare Center will serve children from ages six weeks to five years who are not enrolled in school. No
start date is set yet, but an open house will be announced soon. Along with the child care center, a full-service med spa is being planned for the clubhouse, 601 W. 12th St. S. “We wanted to offer hourly daycare for the women with little kids (who come to the spa),” said Dr. Connie Ertl, one of the principles in the new venture. After crunching the numbers, Ertl found that opening an entire child care center would make more sense financially then having child care pro-
viders available at all times with no guarantee of children. “After some research, it became apparent that there was definitely a need for quality child care in the Newton area,” Ertl said. The pro shop that will hold the center is currently being rented from Bill Talsma. Since the building needed a remodel to house the childcare center, furniture and other supplies are still being shipped, which is holding up the start date. “Staff has been hired and spots are
already filling,” Ertl said. “We expect to be full by opening day.” The former Newton Country Club was sold at auction for $475,000 in October of 2013 to Bill and GeorgeAnne Talsma of Newton from Mark Davis of RJDJAD Golf LLC. Davis had purchased it in the spring of 2012 for $300,000 through a foreclosure sale. Contact Staff Writer Jamee A. Pierson at (641) 792-3121 ext. 6534 or jpierson@ newtondailynews.com.
Simple helpful steps for those with diabetes
Cardinals not taking winless Bobcats lightly
One of the ways people with diabetes can help manage their disease is balancing food with physical activity, according to the American Diabetes Association.| 7A
“District is what counts. It is what gets you to the playoffs,” said Newton High junior linebacker Duncan Lee after last week’s Class 3A District 6 opening win for the Cardinals. | 1B
INDEX Local News • 2A 7
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Calendar • 3A Obituaries • 3A
Today
High 72 Low 52
Police Blotter • 3A Opinion • 4A
Comics & Puzzles • 6A Dear Abby • 6A
Classifieds • 4B Astrograph • 5B
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Volume No. 113 No. 86 2 sections, 14 pages