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DAILY NEWS TUESDAY, OCT. 18, 2016 • WHERE TO GO WHEN YOU NEED TO KNOW
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Harkin tells county Dems to hit phones hard By Jason W. Brooks Newton Daily News
Mike Mendenhall/Daily News A burned excavator still sits at a construction site along the Dakota Access Pipeline route southeast of Reasnor on Tuesday — three days after it and three bulldozers caught fire on the property causing $2 million in damage. This is the third incident of suspected arson along the pipeline route in Jasper County and a fourth was confirmed in Mahaska County in August. Dakota Access, LLC and Precision Pipeline are offering a $100,00 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in the case.
Former U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin knows running for president is a tough job. Harkin, a 40-year Congressman who retired in 2014, made an appearance at the Jasper County Democrats’ headquarters on the courthouse square in Newton on Monday. He stumped for presidential candidate and fellow Democrat Hillary
Clinton and encouraged volunteers to help get absentee voting completed — and he briefly addressed his own 1992 presidential campaign. “I’ve known Hillary Clinton for 25 years,” Harkin said. “I ran against her husband for president in a campaign that was, for me, mercifully short. Someone wrote ‘Harkin wanted to run for president in the worst way — and he did.’” HARKIN | 3A
Dakota Access offers $100K reward for arson tips By Mike Mendenhall Newton Daily News
BREAKING NEWS
Dakota Access, LLC is offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for several construction equipment fires at work sites along a crude oil pipeline route in central Iowa. Fires damaging three bulldozers and one excavator Saturday night near Reasnor will cost the company and its subcontractor approximately $2 million. This is combined with August equipment fires in Jasper and Mahaska
This story first appeared online at www.newtondailynews.com
counties which total approximately $3 million. The Jasper County Sheriff ’s Office reported Monday a preliminary investigation has revealed the likely cause is arson. In a statement Monday, Dakota Access spokesperson Vicki Granado said the company “has experienced the intentional burring of construction equipment by unknown individuals. These illegal actions have result-
ed in millions of dollars in damage.” Dakota Access and Precision Pipeline are offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible. Those with information about anyone who may have been involved, or have information regarding any other vandalism associated with the pipeline project, is asked to call Dakota Access vandalism hotline at 1-855-430-4491. Dispatchers received a 911 call around 11:38 p.m. Saturday from ARSON | 3A
Jason W. Brooks/Daily News Former U.S. Senator Tom Harkin addresses Jasper County Democrats on Monday during his appearance at local headquarters. Harkin said the Nov. 8 general election will determine “more of our direction as a nation than anything since the Civil War.”
CVB to receive final city funds By Jamee A. Pierson Newton Daily News Final decisions were made Monday by city council concerning the future of the relationship with the Newton Convention and Visitors Bureau. The city will release about $13,000 in fourth quarter funds from fiscal year 2015-2016, but declined to allocate $110,000 previously earmarked for the CVB from the fiscal year
2016-2017 budget. Interim City Administrator Jarrod Wellik led the discussion to answer several questions including what the council wanted to do with previously allocated funds. The topic was only a discussion item with no official council action taken. “We’ve had discussion as a council over the past year in terms of what direction we want for marketing the community,” councilwom-
an Evelyn George said. “Really having an integrated marketing strategy where groups are working together and we are leveraging our resources, that’s why we as a council decided to add the community marketing manager position and the marketing board in the study group.” The partnership with the “marketing arm of the city” came into question in July following a COUNCIL | 3A
Jamee A. Pierson/Daily News Councilwoman Evelyn George and interim city administrator Jarrod Wellik discussed the future relationship between the city and the Newton Convention and Visitors Bureau at the regular city council meeting on Monday. The council decided to release more than $13,000 in funds originally allocated to the CVB from fiscal year 2015/2016, but declined to give funds in the amount of $110,000 from last year’s budget.
Election Central: Q&A with Iowa SD 14 candidates Editor’s Note: The following is part the Newton Daily News’ Election Central coverage ahead of the 2016 General Election. Today’s edition features the replies of Iowa Senate District 14 candidates, Republican incumbent Amy Sinclair and her Democratic challenger Ruth Smith. Submissions were not edited for grammar, spelling or punctuation. Why are you running for state senator? Amy Sinclair Four years ago, I was serving Wayne County on the Board of Supervisors, supporting my husband in his role as the new elementary principal at Wayne Commu-
Sinclair
Smith
nity, and raising my three children to be responsible citizens. Our family was also continuing the work of the family farm, which has been owned by Sinclairs since 1889, and I was working as the business office manager for a local grain elevator. At that time, I saw such a discon-
nect between what happens in each individual’s life and the work done by our state government. I saw unfunded mandates being passed down to local governments. I saw the autonomy of the local school board being eroded by one-size-fits-all decrees from an executive agency. I saw agriculture, both our family’s operation as well as the family-owned business for which I worked, being overwhelmed by the weight of regulation, regulation that more often than not accomplished nothing in terms of protecting and preserving the environment. I ran for the senate then because I wanted to bring some common sense to the pro-
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Ruth Smith I am running for the State Senate for three reasons: (1) the political system needs to change and I am determined to be a part of that change, (2) rural Iowa needs strong representation at the Capitol Building and I am capable of repre-
senting all rural needs, (3) my obsession with public service drives me to seek opportunities which have significant impact on our communities. In my opinion, BIG MONEY donors in political campaigns have driven our political parties to absurd, extreme positions on most issues. I believe all leaders should THINK to solve tough problems and not be controlled by these donors. As YOUR State Senator, I will NOT be controlled by BIG MONEY. I am not accepting any corporate or special interest group donations, only personal donations from Iowans. DISTRICT 14 | 8A
FEATURE
WHERE IT’S AT Astrograph......................5B Calendar..........................5A Classifieds......................4B
cess through the benefit of my wide array of personal experience. I wanted to help make state government work for the common Iowa citizen. And that is still my goal, still my purpose in seeking to serve in the Iowa Senate. We must simplify our tax system, reign in our regulatory process, and return the bulk of government to local control.
Comics & Puzzles...........6A Dear Abby........................6A Local News......................2A
Obituaries.......................5A Opinion............................4A State News......................7A
Local Century, Heritage farms
Families honored for years of farming / 2A
Volume No. 115 No. 106 2 sections 16 pages
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