NDN-10-1-2015

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REACHING FOR THE GOAL

NEWTON

Cardinals prepare for next district matchup against Ballard / 1B

DAILY NEWS THURSDAY, OCT. 1, 2015 • WHERE TO GO WHEN YOU NEED TO KNOW

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Grant aims to help keep vets from being homeless Organization does not have a direct Jasper County presence By Jason W. Brooks Newton Daily News

Jamee A. Pierson/Daily News The Newton Police, Fire and Public Works departments have been involved in more community events in recent months as part of the city’s action plan goal of making the city a safer place.

Goal moving forward: Making Newton a safer community By Jamee A. Pierson Newton Daily News Progress is being made to make Newton a safe community as work continues to fulfill goals in the city’s action plan. Making Newton a safe community was the first essential purpose to be discussed at the last council meeting, starting the monthly update process for all four essential purposes on a rotating schedule. “This last winter, we passed an action plan after a planning process ... (The action plan) started last July and will go until July 2017. We are doing

monthly reports on the action plan and the first one is addressing our public safety essential purpose,” Management Analyst Natalie Umsted said. The city’s objective for making a safer community is stated as: “The city’s purpose is to protect the community and fairly enforce the law, to educate residents and to provide information on safety prevention; to be well prepared in order to promptly respond to emergencies and calls for service. To provide the protection of the environment and the lives of residence and visitors and provide a safe

Three-hour parking limit still in effect downtown By Jamee A. Pierson Newton Daily News As of Thursday, the five city-owned metered lots will be free parking. The lots will not, however, be out of the sphere of the three-hour parking limit. “The three-hour parking limit in the downtown area will remain in place and will be enforced. Only the meters are being taken out,” City Administer Bob Knabel said. The same is true of the 12 parking meter spots on the square. Each spot will return to threehour parking. Confusion by residents came as the changes were made to the lots after the city council approved the removal of the meters. Any resident who

has purchased a parking permit from the Newton Police Department for the city-owned lots will be refunded the prorated amount remaining on their parking permit. The refund will be sent out during the month of October. The Public Works PARKING | 7A

transportation network that is well-maintained.” “Through that, we identified several areas of service that were goals that we wanted to address in the next two years,” Umsted said. Those goals are divided into three sections: enforce laws, do public safety education and respond to all emergencies. The goals for the enforcement of the law include reducing traffic accidents and recurring thefts and burglaries and reducing crime in multiunit housing complexes. SAFETY | 3A

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VETERANS | 3A

Submitted Photo from Change.org Homelessness among veterans is an issue that’s a target of the Veterans Administration’s Supportive Services for Veteran Families program. Amid this year’s grant money was about $1.6 million awarded to Primary Health Care, Inc., but that organization doesn’t currently have a permanent office in Jasper County.

More cameras planned for NHS Superintendent wants to install about 16 more sets of eyes on campus By Jason W. Brooks Newton Daily News Even though Newton Community Schools District spent nearly $200,000 two years ago to add to its video surveillance abilities on campus, there are still some spots that aren’t covered — especially at Newton High School. While the camera coverage on NCSD campuses is certainly improved over its pre-2013 levels, Superintendent Bob Callaghan said, he’d like to see about 16 more cameras installed at the high school in the months ahead. “The coverage we have now is less than adequate for what is

Jason W. Brooks/Daily News Cameras cover much of the square footage in and around the Newton High School campus, but not all common areas. Superintendent Bob Callaghan said he would like to have about 16 more cameras installed.

needed to ensure student safety,” Callaghan said. The improvements won’t need to go before the board of education unless the estimated need exceeds $12,500, per board policy. Callaghan said he and district staff are still determining exactly where cameras will be needed

in order to cover all areas. Hallways pose a particular complex challenge, Callaghan said, especially in buildings that have been modified more than once, with smaller, unconventional passages and rooms created. The indoor area near NHS’s Center for Performance, for ex-

ample, is a catacomb of nooks, crannies and angular walkways. Also, even though Newton Police Department school resource officer Brian Foster patrols the entire campus and surrounding areas — sometimes on bicycle — it’s impossible for CAMERAS | 3A

FEATURE

WHERE IT’S AT Astrograph......................5B Calendar..........................5A Classifieds......................4B

A recently awarded federal grant seems like it will have a positive effect on veterans who are at risk of becoming homeless, but the exact impact it will have in Jasper County is unclear. Grants totaling about $3.1 million were announced as part of an annual cycle that is part of the Supportive Services for Veteran Families program. Amid that grant money was about $1.6 million awarded to Primary Health Care, Inc., a Des Moines-based organization that serves housing

outreach and case-management needs in Jasper, Dallas, Marshall, Polk, Story and Warren counties. Jasper County Veterans Affairs Director Chris Chartier said he’s optimistic vets in his area will receive benefits from Primary Health Care. However, its closest office is in Marshalltown. “Although the grant has been around for quite some time, PHC has only expanded to include Jasper County last year,” Chartier said. “Without their organization having a footprint in Jasper County, our exposure and facilitation of these grant funds is currently limited.” Chartier said his office’s primary mission is to help connect veterans with the right organizations or agencies that specifically target

Comics & Puzzles...........6A Dear Abby........................6A Local News......................2A

Obituaries.......................5A Opinion............................4A State News......................7A

The use of the slow cooker

Find nutritious options to utilize this tool / 2A

Volume No. 114 No. 97 2 sections 14 pages

Thank you Kenneth Nelson of Newton for subscribing to the Newton Daily News. To subscribe, call 641-792-5320 or visit newtondailynews.com.


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