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Thursday, October 24, 2013 OBITUARIES Maxine Brandt, 89 Charlotte Ibbotson, 74 Betty J. Slatton, 74 Lila Steward, 76 Timothy Wilcox, 66 INSIDE TODAY
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Newton, Iowa
Councilors face tough decisions about Housing Initiative By Bob Eschliman Daily News Editor The six members of the Newton City Council have a lot of decisions to make between now and when it is asked to take up the Newton Housing Initiative at its Nov. 4 meeting. Monday’s marathon meeting, lasting two hours and 41 minutes, did so largely because of council discussions about the initiative. Councilors were divided on a number of aspects of the plan, although
there appeared to be a consensus that most were supportive of the initiative in general. City Administrator Bob Knabel gave a brief presentation on two major aspects of the initiative that he said required discussion before proceeding: funding and implementation. He asked the council to provide him with a consensus of whether or not city staff should continue to work on the project afterward. Following several lengthy discussions and open disagreements about various aspects of the proposal, councilor Noreen
Otto told Knabel she thought he should bring it to the council for action at the Nov. 4 meeting. Funding Discussion The price tag for the Housing Initiative, as currently proposed, is $3.65 million. There was discussion about whether or not certain components were necessary, whether or not certain components were COUNCIL See Page 5A
Candle light vigil to be held for victims of domestic violence
Local
First graders take library tours Page 2A
By Ty Rushing Daily News Staff Writer
amateur and professional photographers to submit photos online to the Iowa Tourism Office’s Facebook page. The top three photos selected by ITO staff will be put up for a public vote Nov. 4-8, with the winner announced Nov. 12. More than 100,000 Iowa Travel Guides are distributed to travelers throughout the U.S., while the online version is viewed thousands more times annually. The full-color,
If you or someone you know has been a victim of domestic violence, tonight the Ottumwa Crisis Center will afford you the opportunity to pay tribute by hosting a candle light vigil in the parking lot of the United Way of Jasper County. The United Way of Jasper County is located at 312 First Ave. W. and the vigil will start at 6 p.m. Pamela Romaine, the OCC advocate for Jasper County, gave some more background on the event. “October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. During this time we try to have events that will help raise awareness to the problem of domestic violence,” Romaine said. “We anticipate it lasting 30 to 45 minutes. The United Way has graciously offered to host this event in their parking — Pamela Romaine, lot, weather perOttumwa Crisis Center mitting. Otheradvocate for wise, it will move Jasper County into the United Way’s conference room.” Romaine expects this event to stir up a lot of emotions for those who attend. “One of the real heartfelt parts of a domestic violence vigil is that we read small snippets about individual victims who have lost their lives to domestic violence right here in Iowa,” Romaine said. One such incident took place in Newton on Oct. 9, 2010. According to records, Jay Dee Mack, a Newton resident, was alleged to have shot his girlfriend Angela Ancer, also from Newton, to death. Mack was found guilty of the crime on July 20, 2011, and was sentenced to 50 years in prison on Aug. 8, 2011. This event is not the only thing OCC has done to help spread awareness on domestic violence issues. OCC helped spur Newton Mayor Mike Hansen to formally declare October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month in the city. “Having the mayor sign a declaration declaring October Domestic violence Month is awesome,” Romaine said. “I cannot express enough the importance of having this community work together to provide services that insure the safety of domestic violence victims. Domestic violence victims need advocates, law enforcement, legal services, service providers and medical care working together to fight this cause.” OCC covers 11 counties and Romaine not only represents Jasper County in the organization, but she is a Newton resident, as well. She said her job as an advocate is to provide victims one-on-one counseling, medical advocacy, man the 24 hour crisis line, make referrals, and provide information.
CONTEST See Page 7A
VIGIL See Page 5A
Sports
Newton to take on Ballard Page 1B
Matthew Nosco/Daily News Svitlana Miller recites the naturalization oath of citizenship during a ceremony on Wednesday. Miller waited four years for the opportunity to naturalize after her wedding in 2009.
I am a citizen
Sports
NHS Volleyball Senior Night
By Matthew Nosco Daily News Staff Writer
Page 1B
Weather
Friday
High 53 Low 38
Saturday
High 49 Low 27 Weather Almanac
Wed., Oct. 23 High 42 Low 31 Trace of rain Also: Astrograph Page 5B Classifieds Page 4B Comics & Puzzles Page 6A Dear Abby Page 6A
By Bob Eschliman Daily News Editor
Obituaries Page 3A Police Page 3A Our 112th Year No. 111
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studies. “Maybe I can work for [U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services], and I can help others get their citizenship,” Svitlana said. “I’m excited to vote too… I’ll vote in this election, but I’m looking forward to voting for the President.” Svitlana is part of the Young Professionals of Jasper County and serves on the board for the Organization Promoting Everlasting Neighbors, which helps to foster the relationships between Newton and its sister cities of Smila, Ukraine and Wu Chi, Taiwan. She has also been invited to Project AWAKE, a group that works with the Arboretum along with other natural improvements around the community. With her civic-minded attitude as well as her past and future in community service, Svitlana fits well into Thomas Jefferson’s vision: “A nation, as a society, forms a moral person, and every member of it is personally responsible for his society.”
Newton Convention & Visitors Bureau encourages participation in photo contest
Opinion Page 4A
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No magic switch was flipped, and Svitlana Miller doesn’t really feel any different, aside from being excited and a little bit relieved, but after a four-year application and waiting period, she can finally call herself a citizen of the United States of America. Surrounded by her friends and family, as well as 31 other new citizens from 22 different countries, Svitlana swore to renounce her allegiance to Ukraine, support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States against all enemies, bear true faith and allegiance to the same and serve her new country as required by the law. As she was called forward to receive her Certificate of Citizenship, she was met with resounding applause and cheers from her family. “I’m really excited for her. It’s been a long process and we’re glad that this is finally it,” said her husband, Zach Miller. Svitlana moved to the
United States with her mother, Mariya Dovganyuk, eight years ago after her sister had a child. Mariya wanted to be closer so that she might help raise her grandchildren, so they moved to Iowa. Svitlana graduated from Pella Christian High School and enrolled in DMACC, where she met her husband. The pair were married in March of 2009. Soon afterward, Svitlana applied for her citizenship and has since been waiting through the process as well as conducting numerous interviews and tests. In that time she has finished her associates degree at DMACC as well as obtained a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Central College. Now she works as an academic advisor for Buena Vista University while pursuing her master’s degree at Drake. One of the benefits of her new status is that she can now work in a government position, which she hopes to do after completing her
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The Iowa Tourism Office will be accepting, now through Sunday, photos of locations throughout the state for use in the official Iowa Travel Guide. One worthy photo, however, will land on the cover of the guide. “We would love Newton to be on the cover— or at least in the running — of the Iowa Travel Guide,” Newton Convention & Visitors Bureau Executive Director Linda Bacon said. That’s why she’s encouraging local
“One of the real heartfelt parts of a Domestic Violence Vigil is that we read small snippets about individual victims who have lost their lives to domestic violence right here in Iowa.”