NDN-10-28-2015

Page 1

NEWTON

TIGERHAWKS ADVANCE

Colfax-Mingo bests HLV to advance in regionals / 1B

DAILY NEWS WEDNESDAY, OCT. 28, 2015 • WHERE TO GO WHEN YOU NEED TO KNOW

newtondailynews.com

HIGH

51 35 LOW

Facebook.com/newtondailynews

Variety of services available for those in mental health crisis

@newtondnews

Consultant puts heavy questions to school board in ‘clicker’ session By Jason W. Brooks Newton Daily News Prior to Monday night’s regular Newton Community School District board of education meeting, the board held its monthly leadership workshop, where a staff member or outside speaker is brought in to educate the board on a specific general topic. Monday, Rob Schwarz of Kansas-based RSP & Associates made a presentation at the leadership workshop. However, while Schwarz’s topic was broad-based, when he went to show the board how a remote clicker system can be used to poll an audience electronically, the yes-or-no questions he ended up asking were some of the most thunderous, hard-fought, moral-dilemma riddles the board has been wrestling with for the past few years. On one of the questions, phrased “I approve of the timeline for 2016-17 reconfiguration,” four board members voted yes, and three voted no. While Schwarz was merely trying to get feedback from the board on a pertinent topic, he struck a nerve with a board that has elected two new members since it voted to reconfigure grades K-6 in the spring.

Jason W. Brooks/Daily News Capstone Behavioral Healthcare Director Julie Smith, left, talks with assistant director Renae Northcutt about upcoming changes involving managed care and Medicaid. Capstone is one of several facilities that is trying to help serve the mental health needs of Jasper County with limited resources.

QUESTIONS | 3A

Iowa Medicaid’s Jan. 1 transition to managed care could solve, create issues By Jason W. Brooks Newton Daily News

M

Special Series

ental health used to be primarily in the realm of the medical com-

munity. As managed care, insurance and indigent patient care has become more complicated and costs have skyrocketed, mental health care has fallen more into the hands of smaller agencies, care organizations and volunteers. There are a number of agencies and others in Jasper County charged with helping the county’s mentally ill recover and lead productive lives. Some facilities, such as Capstone Behavioral Healthcare, have a staff aimed at addressing a number of short-term crisis or transitional mental health needs, while others, like Clearview Re-

Mental Health

CRISIS in Jasper County

covery, Inc. of Prairie City, target specific at-risk elements of the population. Capstone Director Julie Smith said she makes appointments about six weeks into the future, but will see clients during

Newton schools public input meeting postponed Newton Daily News The Newton Community School District’s planned community input meeting regarding district boundaries has been postponed. The public meeting, originally set for Wednesday evening, has been rescheduled for Nov. 17. Topics related to redrawing the Newton campus attendance boundaries prior to the 2016-17 reconfiguration are likely to include demographic data, bus routes, new growth in the city and more. The meeting is scheduled to take place at Newton DMACC’s second-floor conference area — room 210. NCSD board members, most notably Donna Cook, pointed out the short notice of Wednesday’s planned session during Monday night’s regular board meeting. The input session was announced to the public last Thursday. Representatives of RSP & Associates, based in Kansas, were at Monday’s board meeting, and were scheduled to lead Wednesday’s session.

business hours if they have a mental health emergency that doesn’t involve medical care. She said the Jan. 1, 2016 transition that will put Iowa Medicaid billing and eligibility in the hands of four managed-care companies might be a tough one at first, but those four companies have incentives to solve problems and succeed. “I’m hoping that will make things a lot simpler,” Smith said. “The two elements that might help things go smoothly is that, one, Iowa isn’t the first state where these companies are taking over Medicaid, and two, they will provide all services required to be provided by the state.” Scott Pritchard, director of Clearview, said his facility is full, with a waiting list. MENTAL HEALTH | 8A

Sidewalk design approved for west side of courthouse By Jamee A. Pierson Newton Daily News A design plan for the west sidewalk at the Jasper County Courthouse was approved by the Jasper County Board of Supervisors Tuesday. The board selected the third

alternate presented by Shive-Hattery representative Chris Bauer. The selected design will comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and keep the courthouse moving toward the future in terms of potential single door accessibility to

75 CENTS

7

98213 00008

4

the building in cases of an emergency. In the design, parking will be removed from the current driveway and be placed among the parking spaces currently located on the street. Hashmarks will designate the areas where official vehicles,

such as the sheriff ’s deputies, can park. The driveway will be reduced to an eight-foot wide sidewalk that has two ramps connected by a plateau placed halfway between the building and the street. DESIGN | 3A

Man facing attempted murder charges pleads not guilty By Abigail Pelzer Newton Daily News A Newton man charged with three counts of attempted murder after allegedly using his vehicle to try to kill three people has pleaded not guilty. John L. Britton, 50, was arrested Oct. 19 when officers responded to the scene on the 600

Britton

block of South Third Avenue East in Newton. Officers said they found a 25-yearold male victim who had been intentionally struck by a vehicle driven by Britton. The victim was trans-

ported to Skiff Medical Center with non-life threatening injuries. Britton was also intentionally striking a vehicle — occupied by a 5-month-old victim and a 50-year-old victim — in the roadway multiple times. Neither victim sustained any injuries. BRITTON | 3A

FEATURE

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

Jason W. Brooks/Daily News Rob Schwarz of RSP & Associates presented some heavy questions to the Newton Community School District Board of Education in a workshop that took place prior to Monday’s regular board meeting. The questions, along with other items on Monday’s agenda, caused the board to re-examine some of the largest transitions and projects it has planned for the months and years ahead.

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

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

First Lutheran turns 100

Church to host special service Sunday / 2A

Volume No. 114 No. 116 2 sections 14 pages

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


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.