NEWTON
RECORD DAY FOR UNI
Panthers score big win over South Dakota State / 1B
DAILY NEWS THURSDAY, DEC. 8, 2016 • WHERE TO GO WHEN YOU NEED TO KNOW
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Three businesses honored for energy efficiency efforts By Jamee A. Pierson Newton Daily News Three local businesses received recognition for efforts to become more energy efficient at the Hometown Rewards awards luncheon on Wednesday. Hometown Rewards Community Coordinator Jackie Boat presented the awards to McCall Monument, Newton Enterprises and Newton Water Pollu-
tion Control for their work to save more than 440,000 kilowatt hours of energy per year and further the city toward its energy efficiency goals. The Hometown Rewards program, through Alliant Energy, rewards Iowa communities for cutting back energy use. Since partnering with the City of Newton in 2015, it has established three goals and at this point have achieved two with the third
in progress. To begin, it worked to engage 25 percent of commercial/industrial customers through energy assessments or rebates. The program also worked to reduce energy consumption from government buildings/operations by 8 percent. Both of those goals have been accomplished in two years. A goal in progress is to increase in REWARDS | 3A
Jamee A. Pierson/Daily News Hometown Rewards Community Coordinator Jackie Boat; Alliant Energy representative Rob Buchanan; Dave Wintherp, of Newton Enterprises; Keith Laube director of Newton Public Works; Wyatt Barnett, of McCall Monument; and Alliant Energy representative Amanda Accola at the Hometown Rewards awards luncheon on Wednesday.
Park Centre’s own Christmas elf By Jamee A. Pierson Newton Daily News For many years, Park Centre has had a Christmas visitor who brings happiness and cheer along with being helpful to those at the residence. But when Susan Waldman’s father passed away just two weeks ago, residents and team members wondered if she would be back, given her grief was so fresh. They need not have worried. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be,” Waldman said with tears in her eyes as she attached a sparkly silver ribbon to an elegant blackand-white foil package. “I walk by my dad’s apartment every day and I want so badly to be able to talk with him. But I get so much from the people here — their kind words, their hugs. They’ve all lost loved ones. They know what it’s like.” Waldman, Park Centre’s own Christmas elf, started wrapping packages — free of charge — for the community’s residents and team members not long after her parents, Bob and Mary Kilfoil, moved into independent living. From the beginning of December through just before Christmas she wraps an estimated 300 to 500 boxes each year, helping those who are no longer able to or those who need to save time during the busy holiday season. “I used to have a business wrapping gifts, and when the economy went south and I shut that down, I had all these supplies left,” Waldman said. “I thought, why not come here and put them to good use? That way, I could also stop by mom and dad’s apartment to share a laugh or a hug every day, all through December.” Waldman’s mother died in 2013 and with the recent passing of her father, she has found that setting up shop in his former home keeps him close. She also said there’s no better way to ease her grief than to focus on giving back, especially at Christmastime. “She’s a part of the family here, even more so now that her parents are gone,” Margot Voshell, Park Centre’s Director of Marketing said. “She gives so much of herself and takes nothing in return. And she performs such an important service; every year, the team and the residents are so glad to see her smiling face.” Walden said if she could have one wish this Christmas, it would be for everyone to know how special Park Centre is in the lives of so
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If you have filed a report with the Jasper County Sheriff ’s Office about stolen property, those items might be sitting on one of two pallets, waiting for you to claim them. The sheriff ’s office announced this week there are about two pallets filled with a wide assortment of items seized at some point over the past two years. Ranging from hand tools to jewelry and similar small items, all of this property was seized in 2015 or 2016. Deputy Jeremy Burd-
ess said the items were recovered in the course of a variety of types of investigations. However, the one thing all the items have in common is that none of the property was listed by businesspeople or homeowners when they filed reports with the sheriff ’s office. “This only applies if someone has filed a report with us,” Burdess said. “If a report was made to the Newton Police or Prairie City, Monroe or Colfax, or another police department, you’ll have to go to them.” PROPERTY | 3A
Study shows marginal summer progress at best Submitted Photos Park Centre’s resident Christmas elf, Susan Waldman, helps wrap hundreds of presents for residents and team members during the holiday season.
UI reading project monitors summer loss By Jason W. Brooks Newton Daily News
many individuals and families. “It’s easier for me to cope this year, being in this wonderful place, and it’s the least I can do to give back to the people who made my parents’ lives happy here,” Wald-
Astrograph......................5B Calendar..........................5A Classifieds......................4B
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Residents with a case number can see if seized goods are theirs By Jason W. Brooks Newton Daily News
man said. “I still feel them with me as I walk these halls, and that’s a blessing.” Contact Jamee A. Pierson at 641-792-3121 ext. 6534 or jpierson@newtondailynews.com
A recent study that involved Newton Schools and 42 other Iowa school districts revealed a few conclusions, though participants were hopeful the study would have revealed more. The Iowa Reading Research Center, located at the University of Iowa in Iowa City, conducted a study of summer reading programs in 43 of the state’s school districts and one community organization who agreed to participate. This included the Newton Community School District.
The program found the programs helped students who were struggling with reading maintain their reading skills during the summer months. However, the study produced no significant evidence that such programs help students move ahead in skills. On average, the three approaches were equally effective at preventing learning loss that is typically associated with summer break, but did not lead to statistically significant growth on tests of students’ reading ability. “This is the pilot we participated in last summer,” Gilbert said. “It looks like mainly inconclusive results, except for the fact that summer school, in general, helped to prevent reading loss.” READING | 3A
FEATURE
WHERE IT’S AT 75 CENTS
Sheriff’s office has two pallets of stolen property
Comics & Puzzles...........6A Dear Abby........................6A Local News......................2A
Obituaries.......................5A Opinion............................4A State News......................7A
Making your holiday treats
Make pistachios part of your holiday / 2A
Volume No. 115 No. 142 2 sections 14 pages
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