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Friday, October 18, 2013
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Newton, Iowa
Koob to talk about the real ‘Argo’ Sunday at Capitol II
OBITUARIES A. Dean Mannetter, 85 Dean Hopman, 53
Ty Rushing Daily News Staff Writer
INSIDE TODAY
Local
Basketball tryouts at YMCA Page 2A
Kathryn Koob routinely had to tell herself, “It could be worse.” For most people, it would be hard to imagine something worse than being held hostage at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran, Iran, for 444 days. “My captivity, so to speak, ended up being very public, and it was political in nature,” Koob said of being one of the 52 Americans held captive in the Iranian Hostage Crisis. “But what people have to do is look at their own lives. That’s one of the survival tricks that I used.” “For instance, when I really got to feeling sorry for myself, I thought about people that were worse off than I was,” she continued. “For example, I can’t imagine being the parent of a child with a terminal illness. That’s something you can’t
support,” which was something she didn’t have in Iran. She said her imagination and her faith were the keys to her survival. “In many respects, I was alone. Except, I knew that my friends and my family were praying for me and thinking about me,” she said. “I thought about the things they would be doing, their daily routine and that kind of stuff. I imagined them wondering about what I was doing and things like that.” — Kathryn Koob, one of 52 Americans held Koob, who taught at Newton Senior captive in the Iranian Hostage Crisis High School from 1964 to 1968, is returning to her old stomping grounds this change. I couldn’t change being a political Sunday. She will be the feature speaker at prisoner and they couldn’t change their the Capitol II Theater’s free special-presentation of the Academy Award winning child’s illness.” Koob said the biggest difference be- film “Argo,” which starts at 1 p.m. tween her situation and the one she de‘ARGO’ scribed with the terminally ill child was See Page 5A the family could depend on a “present
“In many respects, I was alone. Except I knew that my friends and my family were praying for me and thinking about me.”
‘Dark Night at the Museum’ Sports
Hawk girls are SICL champs Page 1B
Iowa Corn revving up for bigger, better 2014 at Iowa Speedway Special to the Daily News
As a former elementary school teacher and pediatrician Skiff Medical Center Kid Care MD, Ruth Spierenburg loves working, reading and relating with children.
Iowa Corn is back as a sponsor for the 2014 and 2015 IndyCar Series races at the Iowa Speedway with major enhancements to the events in Newton. In 2014, 50 laps will be added so the race will be the Iowa Corn Indy 300, and the race will be on Saturday night, July 12, under the lights. Fans will enjoy ethanol-powered racing with the Iowa Corn Indy 300 and American Ethanol 200 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series all in the same weekend. “By bringing together IndyCar and NASCAR, fans will enjoy the ultimate race weekend at the Iowa Speedway. Iowa Corn wants fans to enjoy 50 more laps, and the IndyCars racing under the lights can’t be beat,” said Craig Floss, CEO of the Iowa Corn Growers Association and the Iowa Corn Promotion Board. “We are excited to bring together two of our major promotions to engage fans in the biggest racing weekend that Iowa has experienced so far at the Iowa Speedway. We are honored and excited to be a part of the action.”
SPIERENBURG See Page 5A
SPEEDWAY See Page 5A
Sports
Aquagirls prepare for Oct. 26 meet Page 1B
Above: Submitted Photo. Left: Dave Hon/Daily News The Jasper County Historical Museum will host a family-friendly “Dark Night at the Museum” from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday. All are invited to hear a singing Civil War soldier, watch a mad barber, hear the radio broadcast of “War of the Worlds,” find creepy clowns and a school marm who spent too much time alone and see Maytag’s Ol’ Lonely, who is still lamenting with nothing much to do. A room in the museum, pictured above, is ready to accept visitors during the event, and the coffin at the left will be on display. Attendees are encouraged to wear costumes. The cost is $5 per person.
Weather
Saturday
High 54 Low 31
Dr. Spierenburg publishes children’s book Sunday
Kate Malott Daily News Staff Writer
High 61 Low 37 Weather Almanac
Thurs., Oct. 17 High 61 Low 37 No Precipitation Also:
U.S. Army veteran enjoys service, hates the desert
Astrograph Page 5B
Dave Hon Daily News Staff Writer
Classifieds Page 4B Comics & Puzzles Page 6A Dear Abby Page 6A Opinion Page 4A Obituaries Page 3A Police Page 3A Our 112th Year No. 107
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Jim Marconi figured one thing out during his two years in the U.S. Army: He doesn’t like the desert. When Marconi was 26, he was drafted into the Army, where he served as an engineer on a base in Texas. The base was in the desert and he said his bunk was often inhabited by critters. One night, he found a scorpion in his duffle bag, which he had been using as a pillow. Marconi got out his trench shovel to kill the scorpion. “I must have beat on that thing for five minutes,” he said. “But I got him taken care of.”
Marconi said copperheads and black widow spiders were also more prevalent and bolder in Texas. Aside from the ails of desert life, Marconi said he enjoyed his time in the service. “Really, I didn’t mind it at all,” Marconi said. “I was adaptable, more or less. It was not a bad duty at
Dave Hon/Daily News After being drafted into the U.S. Army just before the Vietnam War, Jim Marconi served as an engineer on a base in Texas.
all, as far as I’m concerned. The military is a lot different than it is back then.”
Marconi said some of the changes he’s seen over the years includes higher wages
and a lower tolerance for shenanigans. He said while he was stationed in Texas, some of the men decided to play a joke on another man who was afraid of snakes. They tricked him into thinking a snake had entered his tent and so he took off running, while in the tent, and ran into the field sergeant’s tent. The next day, the man didn’t show up for formation, but luckily some of the other men called his name for him. Marconi said what he liked most about his time in the service was the diversity among the men. MARCONI See Page 5A