By PETER HUSSMANN
Violations of state rules concerning tobacco use by prison inmates lead to the demise of Jasper County's work release program, resulted in the termination of employment for two county maintenance department employees and lead to a simple misdemeanor criminal charge being leveled against one of the dismissed employees.
In' [...]
By PETER HUSSMANN
The former commander of the Newton American Legion Post has been awarded a $5,000 judgment against the local veterans organization after the court found he had not been repaid for using his own money to "tide" the organization over during a "period of low participation and financial difficulty."
In October, Larry [...]
Newton Independent
A new high-volume, high-speed emergency notification system will soon be tested and deployed in Jasper County.
Called the Code Red Emergency Notification System, the program allows local emergency responders to provide geographic specific, customized emergency messages to area residents' land line and cell phone telephone numbers in the event of' [...]
Newton Independent
Skiff Medical Center and Jasper County Public Health will host an H1N1 vaccination clinic from 4 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 8, in the hospital's Specialty Clinic located on the main level of the Ross Medical Arts Building, 300 N. 4th Ave. E.
The vaccines will be given on a' [...]
Newton Independent
The AFSCME Iowa Web site is indicating this morning that public employees of Iowa's largest union have voted to make $26.4 million in concessions in return for a promise of no layoffs for 479 state workers.
Voting results posted on the Web site show that 66 percent of the membership' [...]
Newton Independent
The Skiff Medical Center Board of Trustees will hold closed sessions today and Tuesday to discuss patient care quality and process improvements.
The meetings, being held at 1 p.m. today and 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, are being closed to the public because marketing and pricing strategies, along with other proprietary information, will be [...]
By PETER HUSSMANN
Jasper County's financially reeling biodiesel plant lost more millions of dollars than gallons of renewable fuel produced last fiscal year, documents filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission after the close of business Monday indicate.
Central Iowa Energy filed its year-end financial statement that showed the company incurred a' [...]
Newton Independent
The Newton Community School District's "District Improvement Team" turned over its nearly year-long study on possible new elementary school boundaries and alignments to the Newton School Board on Monday in a report that identified several different ways for the "potential reinvention" of the district.
Team members, comprised of parents, teachers and school administrators' [...]
Newton Independent
Two New York City-based securities law firms announced they plan to launch investigations into the actions of the board of directors of Iowa Telecom for possible breach of fiduciary duties concerning the planned $1.1 billion sale of the Newton-based telecommunications firm to Arkansas-based Windstream Corporation.
Press releases put out by [...]
By PETER HUSSMANN
City of Newton officials, like the rest of the community, are attempting to discern the potential economic impact to Newton following this morning's unexpected announcement that Iowa Telecom will be sold to Little Rock, Ark.-based Windstream Corporation.
In a press release today, City Administrator Tom Wardlow states that city' [...]
By PETER HUSSMANN
Skating is in Jerry Lee Chandler's blood. Forty years ago he plopped down his first 50 cents at the Newton roller rink and a bond was formed that remains to this day. That bond, however, appears soon to be broken.
Chandler, who has operated Skate Castle for the last seven years' [...]
Arkansas-based corporation will keep 'operating presence' in Newton headquarters; plans to expand call center; deal valued at $1.1 billion
Newton Independent
(Iowa Telecom issued the following press release this morning.)
Iowa Telecommunications Services, Inc., announced today that its Board of Directors has approved an agreement for Windstream Corporation to acquire the Newton, Iowa-based [...]
By PETER HUSSMANN
Jasper County's unemployment rate fell to 7.9 percent in October but still remains well ahead of the statewide average of 6.7 percent.
Iowa Workforce Development released local unemployment rate data today showing that Jasper County's jobless rate last month fell from September's rate of 8.1 percent and was well' [...]
By PETER HUSSMANN
Jasper County's Director of Buildings and Grounds, Doug McClun, who has been on paid administrative leave since an employee evaluation earlier this month, gave notice today that he plans to retire from employment with the county effective at the end of the year.
At a meeting of the Jasper' [...]
By PETER HUSSMANN
Iowa's fragile economy is driving enrollment at the state's 15 community colleges with 2009 enrollment figures topping 100,000 for the first time in their 43-year history.
The Iowa Department of Education released its annual report today on community colleges that shows enrollment increasing to 100,736 full- and part-time students, [...]
By PETER HUSSMANN
The St. Nick's Christmas Club's 'adoption' book, the heart of the 20-year-old plus organization's efforts to provide gifts, clothes and food to children and families in need of help during the holiday season, is now available at the offices of the Newton Daily News.
Over the past month, the group has' [...]
Newton Independent
A new branch of Edward Jones Financial is planned for construction on the site of the former used furniture store located across the street from the Hy-Vee gas station.
The structure at 1402 1st Ave. E. has been purchased by NEH, L.L.C., a new limited liability corporation organized in October [...]
Newton Independent
The Newton Police Department and Newton Public Works Department are reminding residents that it is against the law to "push, blow, throw or shovel" snow from residential or business sidewalks and driveways onto city streets.
City officials state that putting snow back on a street that has already been cleared [...]
By PETER HUSSMANN
The Skiff Medical Center Board of Trustees will hold a closed session for the "evaluation of personnel" at 5 p.m. Monday at the hospital board room.
Notification of the special meeting was provided early Saturday afternoon.
In calling for the closed session, the agenda states that it not to [...]
Newton Independent
Iowa's unemployment rate rose to 6.7 percent in October from a revised September rate of 6.6 percent, Iowa Workforce Development announced today.
In releasing the new unemployment levels, Workforce officials note the Iowa economy continues to face significant challenges.
"Significant economic obstacles lie ahead for the state, and the October jobs'" [...]
By PETER HUSSMANN
The Iowa Economic Development Board did not take up the issue of state financing for an Illinois company's plan to retrofit the Newton biodiesel plant into a fully functioning biorefinery when it met in Des Moines on Thursday.
The agenda for Thursday's development board's meeting included Elevance Renewable Sciences,' [...]
Newton Independent
The Iowa Judicial Branch released a new report on Thursday that shows how state budget cuts will impact court services provided to Iowans, oftentimes to the detriment of the state's most vulnerable citizens.
"Justice in the Balance" is a 20-page report that outlines the budget reductions the Judicial Branch has' [...]
Newton Independent
Skiff Medical Center employees today were given an overview of remarks made by new Interim CEO Brett Altman at the department directors' meeting held following Wednesday's board of trustees meeting. The following, at the request of the new interim CEO, appeared in today's issue of Vital Signs, the hospital's [...]
Newton Independent
Jackie Black, director of business services for the Newton Community School District, has been hired as the director of education finance for the Iowa Association of School Boards.
The announcement was made to members of the school board association in a memo dated earlier this week. The group is concluding [...]
By PETER HUSSMANN
Skiff Medical Center trustees were told at its meeting on Wednesday that the hospital emergency room has been busy treating people with flu-like symptoms with 19 admissions recorded and three testing positive for the H1N1 flu virus.
Susan Howell, the B.E. Smith-employed director of patient care services, gave an [...]
By PETER HUSSMANN
Skiff Medical Center's financial losses continued in the fourth month of the fiscal year reaching $1.27 million year-to-date, hospital trustees were told at Wednesday's monthly meeting, but it could have been worse.
Expenses from operations outpaced revenue by $82,000 in October as admissions, outpatient, surgeries and emergency department procedures [...]
Newton Independent
The following message was sent to employees at Skiff Medical Center today on behalf of the Board of Trustees following actions and announcements it made today in regard to Interim CEO Francie Jahn's immediate resignation and consulting firm B.E. Smith's pending departure:
"It goes without saying that this has been a" [...]
By PETER HUSSMANN
The Skiff Medical Center Board of Trustees today voted to accept the immediate resignation of Interim CEO Francie Jahn and place Brett Altman, director of physical medicine and rehabilitation, in the interim chief executive role at the hospital until the newly appointed CEO, Jeff Long, comes aboard in [...]
By PETER HUSSMANN
A court hearing on a move to have one of the felony charges dismissed against the Newton woman charged for allegedly misappropriating funds from the Newton American Legion Post has been continued until next month.
Earlier this month, the attorney for Shari Good filed a motion to have the [...]
To the Newton Independent
All over the news media the smart people are proclaiming bad news for Democrats. The polls of the most likely voters show that the Democrats are behind and the Chicken Little Democrats are running around flopping their wings and crying "woe is us, the most likely voters" [...]
Newton Independent
The offices of clerk of court at the Jasper County Courthouse will be closed to the public for part of each Tuesday and Thursday afternoon beginning next month following an order filed today by the state's chief justice.
Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Marsha Ternus filed an order this afternoon stating that' [...]
Newton Independent
Iowa Public Radio's Rick Fredericksen took a field trip to Newton recently to learn about a Newton native's efforts to transform the old Maytag product testing facility into a 50-barrel beer brewery.
Mason Groben, who along with about 20 investors, has opened his Mad House Brewing Company in a portion [...]
By PETER HUSSMANN
A decision on state funding for an Illinois company's plan to retrofit the Newton biodiesel plant into a fully functioning biorefinery could come as early as Thursday.
The Iowa Economic Development Board will consider a financial assistance award for Elevance Renewable Sciences when it meets at 8:30 a.m. Thursday' [...]
By PETER HUSSMANN
The chief administrative officer of part of a large Wisconsin non-profit hospital system and former finalist for the Skiff Medical Center CEO position has been named to the top post at the hospital following a special meeting of the board today.
Steve Long was appointed to fill the position previously held [...]
By PETER HUSSMANN
Jasper County's biodiesel plant could soon begin producing oils for uses that go far beyond its traditional use in diesel engines if state funding for a demonstration project is approved.
On Tuesday, the Jasper County Board of Supervisors will be asked to sign off on an application to the' [...]
By PETER HUSSMANN
Skiff Medical Center's Interim CEO Francie Jahn has provided consulting firm B.E. Smith with written notification of the hospital's intention to terminate its contract with the Lenexa, Kan.-based firm.
On Oct. 30, two-days after the Skiff trustees approved a reduction in force initiative put together with the assistance of [...]
By PETER HUSSMANN
The Skiff Medical Center Board of Trustees has called a special meeting for Tuesday morning, a day before its regularly scheduled monthly meeting, to hold a closed session to discuss CEO candidates followed by an open session to discuss hiring of a chief executive officer at the hospital.
Notice [...]
Newton Independent
The Newton Salvation Army will host its annual chicken noodle dinner and auction beginning at 5 p.m. Friday at the Army hall, 301 N. 2nd Ave. E.
Dinner will be served from 5 to 6:30 p.m. with the live and silent auctions to follow.
Tickets are $6 for adults and $3 [...]
Newton Independent
An Iowa State University civil engineering graduate has been hired as the City of Newton's new public works director.
Keith Laube, one of three finalists for the position, will begin his duties with the city on Dec. 8.
Laube is a 1990 engineering graduate from ISU. A year later, he received' [...]
By PETER HUSSMANN
The confidentiality agreements signed by members of the Skiff Medical Center Steering Committee are all - save one - dated the day before the hospital board approved the reduction in force recommendations put forward by the group following weeks of study.
Newton City Attorney Darrin Hamilton today released the confidentiality [...]
By PETER HUSSMANN
Newly named Skiff Medical Center Board of Trustees chair Debby Pence has provided City of Newton officials with the confidentially agreements sought earlier this week through an open records request by the city attorney.
In providing the information to the city, Pence said that she, not the hospital's consulting [...]
Newton Independent
More categories of area residents are now eligible to receive the H1N1 flu vaccination, according to information released by Jasper County Public Health.
The updated population groups, according to a press release issued by Skiff Medical Center, include:
People ages 6 months to 24 years old People ages 25 through 64 [...]Newton Independent
The Iowa Judicial Branch today said it would layoff 105 employees, cut 100 vacant staff positions and reduce work hours for 58 employees in continued efforts to reduce its operating expenses for the current fiscal year.
Today's actions are in addition to the 10 days of court closures and unpaid leave [...]
By PETER HUSSMANN
The Iowa Court of Appeals today denied Justin Robuck's appeal of his conviction of second degree murder in the death of Jerry Pittman II of Newton in October 2007.
Lawyers for Robuck contended his conviction should be overturned because District Court Judge Dale Hagen erred in excluding testimony from' [...]
By PETER HUSSMANN
The Skiff Medical Center Board of Trustees accepted the resignations of board members Gary Kahn and John Lee and voted to appoint board-elect members Dr. Gary Richardson and Lois Vogel to fill their unexpired terms until the two officially take office in January.
Kahn and Lee tendered their resignations, [...]
By PETER HUSSMANN
The Newton City Attorney has made an open records request to the counsel for the Skiff Medical Center Board of Trustees seeking copies of "confidentiality agreements" allegedly signed by board members at the request of its consulting firm B.E. Smith.
In a letter dated Tuesday to Edwin McIntosh of [...]
By PETER HUSSMANN
The Skiff Medical Center Board of Trustees revised its agenda for Thursday's special meeting for the second time this morning.
The board posted notice on Tuesday afternoon of its intention to meet in special session at 9 a.m. Thursday to act on board resignations. Later in the day the [...]
Newton Independent
The Newton Convention and Visitors Bureau is putting a new twist on an old tradition this year with its Holiday Treepalooza.
With the Newton Arboretum unavailable for Project Awake's traditional Festival of Trees, the Newton CVB decided to continue the tradition, but with a couple of new twists and the [...]
Newton Independent
The Jasper County Democratic Central Committee will meet at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Park Centre in Newton to continue planning for a presentation on the green economy set for next month.
The local Democratic party plans to hold a presentation called "New Energy for Jasper County" at 2 p.m. on [...]
Newton Independent
The Skiff Medical Center Board of Directors has scheduled a special meeting for 9 a.m. Thursday in the board conference room to act on one item - board resignations.
No further information has been provided. The information was provided to the Newton Independent 30 minutes ago.
Last week, two new board [...]
Newton Independent
The Iowa Supreme Court today ordered that all judges, magistrates and court staff take 10 days of unpaid leave over the course of the final seven months of the fiscal year to deal with state's revenue shortfalls.
In addition, the Supreme Court ordered that all court offices be closed on' [...]
By PETER HUSSMANN
Trials for the three people charged in connection with the alleged misappropriation of nearly $154,000 from the now defunct Jasper County Transit agency have been pushed back to February.
On Monday, Judge Gregory Hulse approved Jasper County Attorney Mike Jacobsen's motions to continue the trials of Mark Ackerman, Susan Reese and' [...]
Newton Independent
The Newton Convention & Visitors Bureau will start a new grant program in 2010 aimed at assisting local groups in holding events that promote tourism and economic activity in Newton by bringing visitors to the community.
While the CVB currently provides a variety of promotional services and resources at no [...]
By PETER HUSSMANN
Members of the city's recently-created Building Trades Board have yet to be appointed but they'll likely soon be tasked with helping the city gain greater compliance on building permit requirements.
Newton City Administrator Tom Wardlow suggested gaining the new board's input on the compliance issue in response to council' [...]
By PETER HUSSMANN
Building activity in Newton in October dropped by about one-third from the previous month's level with only four construction permits taken out with a total value of just under $400,000, statistics released by city officials indicate.
October's building activity was lead by two non-residential remodeling projects totaling $363,115. A residential [...]
Newton Independent
The Maytag Bowl project committee will hear from users of the outdoor performance venue to gain their insights on what features should be included in any renovation or reconstruction projects eventually suggested for the site.
The committee will hear from Dean Stoner of Flatland Frank and Nathan Unsworth, who was [...]
Newton Independent
KCCI television is reporting that the Clemons Chrysler Jeep dealership is planning to close its doors this coming Saturday due to the poor economy and lack of profitability at its Newton location.
According to KCCI, some of the dealership's 12 employees will be able to take positions at facilities' [...]
Newton Independent
Former Skiff Medical Center human relations director Gena Garber has taken a new position with the Iowa Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.
Garber, who began as human resources director at Skiff in 2004 after leaving Maytag Corporation, began her new position with the Annual Conference in Des Moines [...]
By PETER HUSSMANN
The Newton Independent has confirmed that the three nurse supervisors at Skiff Medical Center that earlier this week were demoted to part-time, overnight status have regained their positions at the city-owned hospital.
On Wednesday, the three nurses, with nearly 80 years of experience at Skiff, were told they could [...]
By PETER HUSSMANN
The attorney for the Newton woman charged with the alleged theft of funds from the American Legion is asking the court to dismiss one of the charges filed against her, a move county prosecutors are resisting.
James Nelson, the attorney for Shari Good, filed a motion on Tuesday to [...]
By PETER HUSSMANN
Interest by federal authorities in taking over the prosecution of individuals charged in connection with the misappropriation of nearly $154,000 from the now defunct Jasper County Transit agency is one of the issues raised by the state prosecutor in asking the court to delay their trials currently scheduled [...]
By PETER HUSSMANN
The Skiff Medical Center Board of Trustees has set closed door meetings on Monday and Tuesday to interview the four finalists for the chief executive officer position and ostensibly to extend a contract offer to the board's choice to head the city-owned hospital.
The four finalists, who have not' [...]
To the Newton Independent:
I cannot understand why there isn't headline news about the crucial layoffs and cutbacks of the nurses that we have all come to rely on. Have any ... at the Newton Daily News tried to interview any of these fine employees? This is huge for those of us' [...]
By PETER HUSSMANN
The four-member Jasper County Board of Review will begin work Friday on a record number of appeals filed in connection with the state's order to increase residential and commercial valuations on properties across the county.
Wednesday was the deadline for local residents to appeal the Iowa Department of Revenue's [...]
By PETER HUSSMANN
Skiff Medical Center's marketing and public relations director was terminated from the position he's held the last 18 years as part of the reduction in force initiative unfolding at the city-owned hospital.
John Easley was notified that his position was eliminated late Wednesday afternoon.
(Update:) When contacted this afternoon, Easley [...]
To the Newton Independent:
I want to first congratulate Jeremy Heaberlin for winning the city council at-large seat.
Just like Jeremy, I, too, was surprised by the results. I want to let everyone know that I put my heart and soul into this campaign and that I appreciate every single person that [...]
To the Newton Independent
Thank you to everyone who attended the Jasper County Democrats' Annual Soup Supper and Auction on Sunday. Your contributions will support our candidates and causes.
It was exciting to see such a large crowd come out to hear Congressman Boswell, Secretary of State Mauro, First Lady Mari Culver,' [...]
By PETER HUSSMANN
Appointed Newton City Councilman Jeremy Heaberlin said he "overwhelmed and humbled" after garnering nearly 75 percent of the votes cast in the contested at-large council race on Tuesday.
Heaberlin, who was appointed from among six candidate vying to be named to the open seat on the council due to [...]
By PETER HUSSMANN
The two new Skiff trustee board members voiced their appreciation to the voters of the community for electing them to office on Tuesday and vowed to work diligently to right the financially-troubled city-owned hospital.
Voters in Newton elected Lois Vogel, the former Skiff vice president of patient care, and [...]
Following are the precinct-by-precinct election returns in the Skiff Medical Center Board of Trustees race on Tuesday:
Ward 1, Precinct 1
Larry DeCook - 49
Gary Richardson - 70
Linda Ross - 35
Lois Vogel - 110
Bill Ward - 32
Lonnie White - 41
Ward 1, Precinct 2
Larry DeCook - 62
Gary Richardson - 90
Linda Ross - 37
Lois [...]
Newton Independent
Lois Vogel and Dr. Gary Richardson won seats to the Skiff Medical Center Board of Trustees in balloting today, unofficial results released about an hour after balloting closed show.
Vogel, the former vice president of patient care services at Skiff, was the landslide top vote getter in today's hospital board' [...]
By PETER HUSSMANN
Residential home sales remained steady in October, the local realty group said today, with sales for the month near last year's levels and ahead of the prior three.
The Newton Board of Realtors released its statistical information for October that showed 26 home sales for the month compared to 29' [...]
By PETER HUSSMANN
Baxter Mayor Steve Smith said on Monday that he made contact with the Iowa Attorneys General office in Des Moines last week so that an outside third party could take a look to determine whether the Skiff Medical Center Board of Trustees were following the letter of the [...]
To the Newton Independent
Treason can sometimes change the course of history. George Washington had to deal with treason by Benedict Arnold. But he persevered.
Now Barack Obama has to deal with the Senator from Connecticut, soft-talking Joe Lieberman.
History sometimes repeats. I hope so this time.
In Washington's day we needed freedom.' [...]
Newton Independent
The Newton Christian School will hold its annual benefit dinner at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13, at the Community Heights Alliance Church Worship Center, 2500 S. 13th Ave. E.
The keynote speaker for this year's dinner is Robert E. Stouffer, PhD. Dr. Stouffer is the superintendent of the Des Moines' [...]
Newton Independent
Iowa Telecom announced late Monday that it has completed its acquisition of substantially all of the assets of WH Comm, a division of Wright-Hennepin Cooperative Electric Association in Rockford, Minn., for $1.1 million.
The company provides telephone and high speed internet services in several communities near the western suburbs of Minneapolis. As [...]
By PETER HUSSMANN
WHO-TV reported on Saturday night that the Iowa Attorneys General office is taking a look into possible violations of the Iowa Open Meetings law by the Skiff Medical Center Board of Trustees.
That the attorneys general office has gotten involved should really come as no surprise. A little reading between the [...]
Newton Independent
WHO-TV 13 featured a piece on the troubles at Skiff Medical Center on its newscast Saturday, including a clip from Newton Mayor Chaz Allen saying the Skiff board of trustees needs to be more transparent in its operations.
While the report focuses on the reduction in force initiative approved on [...]
