Newton
Serving Newton & Jasper County Since 1902
Daily News
75 cents
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
www.newtondailynews.com
Lott, Wolcott met at Newton Correctional Release Center
No Paper Wednesday — Happy New Year! OBITUARIES ‘Jerry’ Anderson, Jr., 79 Mary M. Jordan, 81 Suanne M. Rolader, 54 Marjorie J. Singer, 92 Marcia Thomasson, 64 Donald D. Trease, 77
By Bob Eschliman Daily News Editor
INSIDE TODAY Ty Rushing/Daily News Newton Public Library’s Technical Services Librarian Susan Beise and Public Services Librarian Nicole Lindstrom showcase some of the tools they are using to teach patrons how to use e-readers. Thanks to a new grant, the library is about to have a wider array of e-readers to use for training.
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Hawkeyes prepare for Outback Bowl Page 5A
Agriculture
FSA holding committee election Page 10A
Weather
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High 12 Low -2
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High 5 Low -11 Weather Almanac
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High 12 Low -3 2.1 inches of snow and .11 inch of precipitation Also: Astrograph Page 9A Calendar Page 3A Classifieds Page 7A
By Ty Rushing Daily News Staff Writer With the world continuing to transition to digital formats, the Newton Public Library has taken steps to ensure it can continue to provide up-todate services to its patrons. NPL was recently awarded a $1,500 Library Technology Grant from Iowa Library Services and is planning to use the funds to purchase the latest model iPad, a Kindle Fire HD and a Nook HD to ensure its staff is trained in the use of all three ereaders. “We just asked for the base amount so that we can get three e-readers. That way, we covered our bases on having all the major suppliers,” NPL Public Services Librarian Nicole Lindstrom said. “We didn’t ask for the older Kindles, because we already have training on those, and a lot of our staff have e-readers ourselves.” Lindstrom said the staff has been borrowing each other’s personal ereaders so they could try to
provide an equal amount of service for each device to patrons. “The newest editions of the tablets are too expensive for us to buy on our own to teach the public. So that’s why we requested the grant, so we can have a library set,” Lindstrom said. “They will only be used for staff development, but we will be taking them home ourselves to train with, and they won’t be going out to the public.” Although the staff at NPL tried using each other’s devices to train, Lindstrom felt this never really allowed them time to fully verse themselves in each other’s devices and thinks the grant funds will provide the solution. “The biggest benefit will be we won’t have to shuffle patrons between librarians,” Lindstrom said. “In the past, what would happen is patrons would come up with their e-reader, and some of us aren’t as trained as the other librarians (on devices). So, I would get most of them sent to me, or they would
have to make an appointment and come back later, and we would lose patrons in the shuffle. They would not come back to learn how to download an ebook or learn how to use their tablet.” Once the devices arrive, NPL expects each employee to spend a maximum of two weeks training on each device and for the entire staff to be fullytrained within the next four months. Although complete staff training is a ways away, NPL still encourages patrons to seek its assistance in learning to use e-readers and welcomes visitors at its Information Desk or via phone call at (641) 792-4108. “Our goal is to eliminate the shuffle between people and the need for appointments, so that whoever is on desk can answer any question about a tablet that they receive,” Lindstrom said. Staff writer Ty Rushing may be contacted at (641) 7923121, ext. 426, or at trushing@ newtondailynews.com.
Annual Christmas tree pick-up next week By Daily News Staff Next week, the City of Newton will offer the free collection and disposal of Christmas trees for residential property owners. Trees should be placed at the curb on residents’ regular trash day during the week of Jan. 6-10. For the safety of those picking up the trees, and to speed up the disposal of the trees later, all tree stands, nails and metal fasteners must be removed.
By Zach Johnson Daily News Staff Writer
Dear Abby Page 6A Opinion Page 4A Obituaries Page 2A, 3A Police Page 3A Our 112th Year No. 157
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Newton Public Library using grant funds for e-reader training
If a plastic bag is used to cover the tree while it is being removed from a residence, it must be removed and properly disposed of before placing the tree at curbside. Also during the week of Jan. 6-10, the Newton Sanitary Landfill will not charge for trees brought in. There will be a $1 charge for trees brought in before or after that timeframe. For more information about Christmas tree pick-up, call the Newton Public Works Department at (641) 792-6622.
Based on Iowa Department of Corrections records, it would appear suspicions that three relatively new residents of Newton who were recently arrested on methamphetamine manufacturing charges met while incarcerated may be accurate. Arthur William Wolcott, 51, was arrested Monday, Dec. 16, following a routine traffic stop near the Newton Community School Wolcott District’s Emerson Hough facility after it was discovered he was in possession of methamphetamine. After he was taken into custody, a further search of the car he was driving revealed what appeared to be two pipe bombs. A short time later, members of the MidPaul Lott Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force executed a search warrant upon the home Wolcott shared with Paul Anthony Lott, 45, and Cheri Rene Lott, 54, a few blocks away. The Lotts were home at the time. The law enforcement officers discovered Cheri Lott a “one pot” meth lab, along with other methmaking materials, during their search of the home. All three were additionally charged with conspiracy to manufacture more than 5 grams of methamphetamine. After the arrests were announced, some residents wondered how Wolcott, who lived in north-central Iowa for nearly 20 years before 2011, and the Lotts, who had been residents of Oklahoma prior to 2009, could have come to live together in Newton. A few pointed to the medium-security Newton Correctional Facility. Wolcott, who previously lived in Cerro Gordo County, was convicted in July of 2011 on charges of assault and willful injury for attacking his roommate with a metal bar during a disagreement over household chores. Wolcott was sentenced to five years but was placed on parole in October of 2011. Iowa Board of Parole and Department of Corrections records both indicate he had been discharged from parole earlier this year. For all but 45 days of his incarceration, Wolcott was held at the Newton Correctional Facility and the minimum-security Newton Correctional Release Center. METH See Page 12A
Newton Main Street Committee needs you to fill the bus
Comics & Puzzles Page 6A
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Newton, Iowa
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It’s presentation time. The Newton Main Street Committee has raised the funds, completed the application and got the pledges of support from people in the community saying they support for Newton Main Street. The committee has only one task left to complete before Main Street Iowa makes its decision about which towns will become the newest Main Street communities in 2014. Hawkeye Stages has
donated a bus to make the journey Jan. 16 to the Iowa Economic Development Authority office in Des Moines. “We want to fill the bus so we can show the Main Street Iowa Board why Newton is 100 percent ready to work together and utilize the Main Street Program’s approach to downtown revitalization,” Greater Newton Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Darrell Sarmento said. The bus will be leaving from Hawkeye Stages at 8 a.m. Jan. 16 and
Submitted Photo Hawkeye Stages has donated a bus for the Main Street Committee and local residents to travel to Des Moines for the presentation to the Main Street Iowa Board on why Newton should become a Main Street Community. The bus will leave at 8 a.m. Jan. 16.
will be back to Newton at 11:30 a.m. “Everyone will need to make a reservation to get a seat on the bus as
space is limited,” Sarmento said. “You can reserve your seat at the Chamber office.” The decisionregard-
ing whether or not Newton will become Main Street Program is slated to be released in early February.