Newton
Serving Newton & Jasper County Since 1902
Daily News
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
75 cents
www.newtondailynews.com
Newton, Iowa
Bond issue has yet to be fully proposed to council
OBITUARIES Roy ‘Sonny’ Hawkins, 73
Dave Hon Daily News Staff Writer The City of Newton has a lot of visions for the future, but funding those visions will most likely require a new bond issue. In a City Administrator’s memo to the City Council, Chip Schultz of Ruan Securities, who is the city’s financial advisor, estimated that to cover the costs, a new $.07 debt service levy increase would be required. This increase, which hasn’t even been
INSIDE TODAY
Local
Woman grows 22-inch green bean Page 7A
proposed to the council yet, would last for 10 years. The property tax valuation would stay at $1.11 per $1,000 of assessed property value for 10 years after it is passed. After that time, the levy would begin decreasing, only if other bond issues have not been passed in that 10-year period. “It should be noted that there are other long-term needs that remain unfunded and the city administrator will bring back further proposals and some of those could be well suited for a bond issue,” Director of Finance and Development Bryan Fried-
‘Edna Project’
man said. Friedman said in the initial proposal stage, the cost of the housing initiative could be one part of a part issue. Friedman said the final decision and fate of any bond issue lies in the discussions and actions of the city council. “The city administrator put forth this as one preliminary option as to how this could potentially be funded,” Friedman said. “It’s COUNCIL See Page 5A
Brock attorney seeks continuance of federal child pornography trial Bob Eschliman Daily News Editor
Religion
Local drummer gives credit to God Page 8A
Sports
Cards stay in hunt for LHC title Page 1B
Weather
Thursday
High 64 Low 40
Friday
High 57 Low 36 Weather Almanac
Tues., Oct. 15 High 58 Low 45 No Precipitation
Submitted Photo The “Edna Project” — a six-foot sculpture being created by artist Herman Deaton — was open for public viewing last week and will be again during an art show from 2 to 4 Sunday at the Centre for Arts and Artists in Newton. The sculpture then will be transported to a fine arts foundry in Colorado. The CAA and Iowa Sculpture Festival raised funds to acquire resources for Deaton, CAA resident artist, to create the lifesize bronze sculpture of his mother, Edna, hanging a towel on the clothesline in the 1930s.
A federal judge will decide Friday morning if the federal trial of a Newton man charged with the production of child pornography will be delayed. James Wiley Brock, 72, is currently set to stand trial Oct. 28 on three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor in the production of child pornography and possession of child pornography. He was initially arrested and charged by Newton police with two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and two counts of invasion of privacy. A hearing to determine if evidence seized by Newton police — including more than 1,000 VHS and DVD recordings of video and images of nude minor females, video monitors, hidden video cameras, VCRs, DVD players and computers — may be admitted in court. His attorney in that Brock case alleges the search warrant was obtained as the result of information provided following an unlawful entry into Brock’s home. That hearing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Nov. 4 in Jasper County District Court. A federal grand jury handed down a four-count indictment against Brock in late August. On the first count of sexual exploitation, he is accused of knowingly inducing a 13-year-old girl into producing a “lascivious exhibition.” The alleged incident was said to have happened in a tanning bed in his home in June of 2011. The second count involves a similar charge with a 14-year-old girl that is alleged to have happened in April. The third count involves another similar charge with a 13-year-old girl that is alleged to have happened in May. It is unclear based on the grand jury indictment how many individual girls are alleged to have been victims in the case. The fourth count alleges Brock was in possession of at least one piece of child pornography. Brock’s federal public defender asked for a continuance of the trial to allow more time to look into the case, and possibly to conduct plea negotiations with federal prosecutors.
Also: Astrograph Page 5B
Halferty and board agree to delay vote on county EOC upgrade
Classifieds Page 4B
Ty Rushing Daily News Staff Writer
Comics & Puzzles Page 6A
Jasper County Sheriff John Halferty asked the Jasper County Board of Supervisors to table a vote concerning the Jasper County Emergency Operations Command Centers that he deemed to be vital to the county. “What we are trying to do there with the new armory, as our emergency operations center/emergency management site, it’s critical that we get some ability out of that building to communicate and have communications, including a backup dispatch,” Halferty told the board. “If for some reason we went down at the Sheriff ’s Office or there is a major event such as a flood — such as the flood we had in Colfax and Reasnor areas or major disaster — the
Dear Abby Page 6A Opinion Page 4A Obituaries Page 3A Police Page 3A Our 112th Year No. 105
7
98213 00008
4
emergency operation center would be open and it would be critical to have some form of comHalferty munication coming out of there. So we can be consistent and efficient in handling whatever that disaster is,” he continued. Perry-based Spring Valley Wireless had submitted a quote of $16,595 to take on the project. Some of the items included in the quote were removing and reinstalling a console at the EOC, eight hours of crane rental, placing eight PolyPhasers and grounding for lightening protection, and placing an-
tennas around the facility. Halferty said he wanted to see what other bids were out there and see what additional measures would be needed for the project. “We are going to resubmit to a couple of vendors to see if we can get some more interest,” Halferty said. “Not only that, I think there is (no) question we need to include the amateur radio association, the HAM operators. They are pretty vital in the case of large incidents in being able to communicate. We would also like to have them have the ability to communicate out of the armory as well.” Halferty went on to explain how the Newton Amateur Radio Association, Inc. has the ability communicate from his office, but would need the proposed upgrades to be able use their HAM radios to relay
emergency information from the EOC. Halferty also gave the board an update on the progress of the bulletproof wall that is being constructed at his office, which he said is going well. The board previously approved the project during the Aug. 6 meeting. Halferty’s quarterly report also was approved. His office had $145,563.96 in receipts and $154,338.60 in disbursements. His office started the quarter with a balance of $24,497.27 and ended with balance of $15,722.63. Jasper County Maintenance Supervisor Adam Sparks received approval from the board to receive consulting work for the courthouse elevator project. North Liberty-based A&J Associates won the contract and its services would cost around $5,300.