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Gas leak leads to road closure Construction crew hits line along North 11th Avenue East By Jason W. Brooks Newton Daily News A construction worker, digging in a roadside area along North 11th Avenue East in Newton struck a gas line Thursday, leading to streets in the area being blocked off for
several hours. City of Newton Public Works Director Keith Laube said TK Concrete had construction equipment in use preparing a section of the north side of the street, in front of Coxes’ Greenhouse, when a gas line was struck.
That caused a gas outage in northeast Newton that lasted several hours. Justin Foss of Alliant Energy said the electricity was also shut off to about 100 customers in the immediate area as a safety precaution but was restored around 6 p.m. after the leak had been repaired. The leak also led to North 11th Avenue East being closed LEAK | 3A
Jason W. Brooks/Daily News A roadside gas line was struck along North 11th Avenue East on Thursday afternoon, leaving some residents of northeastern Newton without gas or electricity for several hours. The leak was repaired and the power was eventually restored.
Governor touts wind energy progress
Iowa generating 35 percent of electricity from wind
Alford plea withdrawn in Monroe sex abuse case Vander Veer to appear in court Nov. 28 By Mike Mendenhall Newton Daily News A district court judge has granted a Knoxville man’s petition to withdrawal his Alford plea in light of new evidence in the April 2015 sexual abuse case of a 13-year-old Monroe girl. Alex T. Vander Veer, 20, was originally charged with third-degree sexual abuse, a Class C felony, in November 2015, following an investigation by the Monroe Vander Veer Police Department and the Iowa Department of Human Services. Vander Veer’s attorney and county prosecutors struck a deal, allowing him to enter an Alford plea in the case— which allows a defendant to enter a plea of guilty without making an admission of guilt — to lascivious acts with a child, a Class C felony. But Judge Terry Rickers allowed the defendant to withdrawal that plea after a sworn affidavit from an alleged witness was submitted claiming the victim fabricated the allegations against Vander Veer. In a brief filed by Vander Veer’s attorney Tuesday, the defendant now claims the statement of a Nathan Fagg, shows the allegations were “in retaliation for lack of emotional feelings” toward the victim. The brief states the defendant only entered the Alford plea to lascivious acts with a child due to the evidence entered in court against him at the time and to get a shorter jail sentence. “Mr. Vander Veer entered an Alford plea in the instant case due only to his wish to avoid the potential for a very sever penalty and lengthy prison sentence,” the brief stated. “He was initially charged with sexual abuse in the third degree, a class C felony.”
By Jason W. Brooks Newton Daily News Earlier this year, Iowa became the first state in the nation to derive more than 30 percent of its electricity from wind energy. Gov. Terry Branstad hosted an event at the Iowa State Capitol in Des Moines on Thursday to help draw attention to a newly released report from a national wind power trade organization. The American Wind Energy Association says more than 35 percent of the Iowa’s electricity came from wind turbines for the 12-month period of August 2015 through July 2016. Branstad The report also shows the state ranks second for installed wind capacity, behind national leader Texas and ahead of California and Oklahoma, is third in total turbines and is fourth in megawatts of capacity added in 2015-16. Two new Iowa wind projects have come online this year to bring Iowa’s total to 98 and 11 more are under construction. TPI Composites and Trinity Structural Towers, both in Newton, are Jasper County plants that among the 11 Iowa facilities that manufacture hardware for the wind energy industry. Chaz Allen, the director of the Jasper County Economic Development Corporation, said developments like TPI’s recent contract extension with General Electric help solidify the industry’s place in the state’s economy, as do tax credits. “It’s positive for the whole community when the wind energy industry expands,” Allen said. WIND | 3A
TRIAL | 3A
Nightmare on South 20th Avenue West By Jamee A. Pierson Newton Daily News
Jamee A. Pierson/Daily News Julie Little sits surrounded by her collection of ghoulish and ghostly decorations which spread throughout every room of her house and into her yard for friends and spectators enjoyment.
In the middle of the street, on the outskirts of Newton, sits a house with a spooky secret. It is covered in cobwebs with boarded up windows and a banner warning those to enter if they dare. Once inside, a little girl on a swing greets guests with her eyes
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nightmares, it is actually the home of Dusty and Julie Little. Julie is a huge fan of Halloween and has been sharing her enthusiasm for more than 15 years. “I started doing it when my daughter was little, about 15 or 16 years ago,” Little said. “I started decorating my house in Monroe and I HOUSE | 3A
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glowing, her head moving from side to side and an ominous song warning to stay away. Animal skeletons, a fiery cauldron and a witch with her broom welcome guests into living room, while the dining room is set for its undead guests, complete with a severed hands and eyeballs on the menu. While this house may sound like a place of
Comics & Puzzles...........6A Dear Abby........................6A Local News......................2A
Obituaries.......................5A Opinion............................4A State News......................7A
Berg receives energy grant
Funds to help with conservation efforts / 2A
Volume No. 115 No. 114 2 sections 20 pages
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