Local

The Newton Police Department has announced its latest summer traffic safety mug campaign, Travelin’ Traffic Ace XVII — Safe & Sober, to award area motorists for displaying safe and courteous driving. The campaign runs through Aug. 26.

In 1963, the Corvette Stingray set a new standard for sports cars. It wasn’t just another sports car, it had style. It was light and handled unlike any sports car for its time. It swam along the road, and people noticed.

Pete Koppin, a World War II vet and longtime resident of Newton, voiced his concerns about the city’s newest nuisance ordinances at Monday’s Newton City Council meeting.

Whitney Edgar needs your vote.

A free family outdoor class will be offered from 6 to 8 p.m. tonight, as well as July 2 and 16 and Aug. 6 and 20, to provide local families with a basic knowledge of fishing and hunting. 

The Newton Noon Kiwanis will meet from noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, 223 E. Fourth St. N. in Newton, for lunch and a program by Larry Hurto and Fred Chabot titled “An 1884 Retrospective on Downtown Newton.”

The Jasper County Board of Health will meet at noon Thursday in the County Annex Building basement conference room.

As of Monday, the following recreation areas at Lake Red Rock are closed: Whitebreast Beach, South Overlook Boat Ramp and a portion of the Volksweg Trail near Marina Cove.

Under President Obama’s America’s Great Outdoors program to promote outdoor recreation and reconnect Americans to nature, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and Director of the National Park Service Jonathan B. Jarvis recently announced the designation of 28 trails as national recreation trails, including Lake Red Rock’s Volksweg Trail.

NEWTON — The Emergency Conservation Program is administered by the Farm Service Agency and covers damage to farmland, conservation structures, as well as damage to land in the floodplain. Producers/landowners who have suffered terrace washouts, flood debris, including sand and silt deposits, in the fields, and other damage to eligible conservation structures, should contact the Jasper County FSA Office at (641) 792-5019 before starting any clean-up activities in those areas. Sign-up runs through Aug. 5.

Today’s clue in the 2013 Great Treasure Hunt is:

More than a hundred Jasper County residents looked on during the selection ceremony on Saturday as the new fair queen and princess for Jasper County were selected and crowned.

The people.

Doug Weideman (right), metal sculptor from Iowa Falls, explains the process of sculpting his dragon, “Here for the Party,” to visitors to the Iowa Sculpture Festival at DMACC on Sunday afternoon. “I like to put a little bit of whimsy into everything I do,” Weideman said. See more photos on page 10A.

Preparations are being made for the second annual Great Jasper County Museum Garage Sale on June 21 and 22.

K-EN T.T.T.

The Alzheimer’s Support Group will meet at 9:30 a.m. Thursday in the Newton Village second floor activity room.

The agenda for Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting indicates that the Cleverly family will return to update the board on the Iowa Department of Transportation’s proposed interchange alternatives of Iowa Highway 330 between U.S. Highway 65 and County Blacktop F17, which would affect three of their farms.

Part II of a Two-Part Series: The Solution

The Thunder Nites bike rally and concert were met with heavy rain and flash flood warnings Friday night, marking the second concert of the summer series to be faced with poor weather conditions.

Jasper County Fairbooks for the 2013 fair, themed “The Jasper County Fair, Where Friends Meet and Memories are Made” and scheduled for July 19-25, are available at local banks, business, libraries and city halls. If you can’t find a fairbook, contact the extension office. The fairbooks can be viewed online at www.jaspercofair.com for the complete listing of entertainment highlights and schedules, contest rules and contact information.

Mario Alberto Romo has been in the restaurant business for 12 years, but his newest challenge is managing El  Sombrero.

WEST DES MOINES — The Hy-Vee store in Newton, has been named a regional winner in Hy-Vee’s 53rd annual Springtime Party competition. 

Volunteers are currently needed to serve in medical and non-medical positions for the Jasper County Medical Reserve Corps. This group of local professionals volunteers their time and assist with activities to improve public health in their community by increasing health literacy, supporting prevention efforts and eliminating health disparities.

Skiff Hospice is partnering with an organization called Music Speaks to bring a special new service to its patients: music therapy.

Grave was arrested Wednesday for domestic abuse assault; has history of assault convictions

Although Progress Industries’ renovations and updates to its Day Habilitation program were complete by late 2012, the non-profit showcased its new space to the public on Thursday afternoon with an open house and tour.

For the last ten years, sculptors from 10 states have made the trek to Newton to create a forum for their works at the Iowa Sculpture Festival. This weekend, the festival welcomes artists who build appreciation of art through their exhibits, demonstrations and, most importantly, through sales of their art forms.

Part 1 of a Two-Part Series: The Problem

Newton’s City Council will open discussion in the leasing of one of its properties for an art exhibit at Monday night’s council meeting.

Gallagher graduates from Northern Arizona University

PEO Chapter LC will meet at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday at the home of Linda Wilcox.

Jasper County Executive Director Travis Padget and Iowa Speedway Assistant to Operations/Head of Credentials and Iowa Speedway Foundation Representative KayLea Zumbach pose with the back to school donations they received for the tornado victims of Moore, Okla.

L.D. Palmer, manager of the Newton WaterWorks, announced that the 2013 Consumer Confidence Report  was included  with the June ­­­­­­5  Jasper County Advertiser. 

All honorably discharged and active military veterans are invited to walk or ride in Newton’s 2013 Fourth of July parade.

NAMI of Jasper County will meet at 6:30 p.m. Monday in the Skiff Medical Center south board room just inside the south entrance.

Community Heights Alliance Church will host a blood drive from 3 to 7 p.m. Thursday, June 27, at the church, 2500 S. 13th Ave. E.

The Golden Agers will meet at 1:15 p.m. Tuesday at the Salvation Army. Snacks and drinks will be available at the meeting.

Cathy Angel created the “Making Reading Heavenly” reading program in hopes of motivating teachers, helping students progress with their reading skills and providing a better tool for teachers to teach language arts with, according to her website.

Truman State University President’s List

The sun fell over the prairie on Friday June 7, providing a crimson sunset and a rare sun dog. The buffalo meandered across the rolling hills in the distance. Morton Gould’s American Salute and other scores mingled with the chirping of the prairie’s native birds.

Lorie Line promises to surprise fans with June 28 ‘Intimate Evening Series’ stop in Newton

Johnny Cash wrote a hit song about walking a metaphorical line. Army veteran Mel Allen could write a catalogue of music based on his “walk.”

Classes offered at the library

Newton isn’t final stop for two hoboes

Local residents stopped by Culver’s in Newton to check out the restaurant’s car show. Culver’s hosts a car show every other Wednesday, with the next show being scheduled for June 26.

Over the past nine months, the City of Newton has been analyzing and working on improvements to its nuisance ordinances, as well as its ordinance enforcement process.

Newton is making significant strides toward becoming a Skilled Iowa Community, but according to Iowa Workforce Development’s own metrics, the city’s businesses still have goals to meet.

Kathy Jones of KAJ Studio will showcase her photographs through the month of June at Uncle Nancy’s in Newton. The exhibit is sponsored by Centre for Arts and Artists.

The Colfax Music in the Park is set for Saturday at Anspach Stage in Women’s Club Park, located at 13 E. Division St. in Colfax, and will include a performance by One Nite Stand and the Jasper County Fair Queen Coronation. 

The Newton Senior High School Class of 1954 will host a mini-potluck-reunion at 4:30 p.m. Saturday at Sunset Park Shelter House.

Members of the Newton Senior High School Class of 1961 will celebrate their 70th birthdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Woodland Park Shelter House.

The Jasper County Historical Museum will be hosting coffee time from 8:30 to 10 a.m. Saturday at the museum.  

The Parkinson’s Disease Support Group will meet at 1:30 to 3 p.m. Monday in the Wesley Park Centre Garden Room.

Newton Christian Reformed Church, 511 S. Fifth Ave. E., is holding vacation bible school from 9 a.m. to noon, June 17-21. The program is titled “Son West Roundup VBS — A Rip Roaring Good Time With Jesus.” Classes are for 4-year-olds through children entering sixth grade. There is a 3-year-old class for the children of staff members only.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The state has awarded a $1 million grant for a sports park in Pella.

Tuesday evening, the Prairie Jewel Dixieland Band from Grinnell delighted a crowd in front of the Agriculture Building at the Jasper County Historical Museum. 

Summer is here, it seems, and it’s time to go see some cool blues brought to Newton by the South Skunk Blues Society.

For the 11th year in a row, the Iowa Sculpture Festival is set for this weekend in Newton with various events, featuring a “Meet the Artists” reception and self-guided art tour, planned throughout the weekend.

Who doesn’t? Read on to learn how

The Newton Public Library hosted Iowa Public Television Kid’s Host Dan Wardell at the library Monday, and more than 300 children enjoyed his “Dig Into Reading” storytime. The library also hosted Conductor Jack on Tuesday as part of the Summer Reading Program. Nearly 200 children came to enjoy singing and dancing with Conductor Jack of Nashville, Tenn. The library is offering free events for children all summer long, and parents are invited to stop by and register their children for the Summer Reading Program and pick up a calendar of special events. For more information, visit the library’s website at www.newton.lib.ia.us.

The phrase “fit like a glove” has lost some credibility since the first OJ Simpson trial, but in the case of the newest Newton Daily News Staff Writer Dave Hon, it just happens to be true.

Theater will screen special viewings of ‘Grease’ this weekend

An influx of local officials, a lengthy agenda and several discussions during the public comments portion made for a busy Tuesday for the Jasper County Board of Supervisors.

The Newton Noon Kiwanis recently awarded Katie Hinshaw (left) and Katie Pline the Arion Awards. The Arion Award was established in 1948 to give national recognition to junior and senior class members chosen by their schools for outstanding achievement in band, orchestra or chorus. Students who receive Arion Awards attain both academic and community standing.

The Newton Senior High School Class of 1963 will celebrate its 50th reunion at 6 p.m. Saturday at Cardinal Hills, formerly the Newton Country Club.

St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church will host a “Neighborhood Fun Fair” Saturday afternoon, beginning at 2 p.m., in its parking lot.

All unemployed and/or underemployed veterans and their families are invited to sit down with local employers and VA Education and Vocational Rehabilitation Specialists during a Veteran Employment Opportunities Fair from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, June 20, at the American Legion Post #111.

A flag retirement ceremony has been planned for 6 p.m. Friday on the east end of Silent City Cemetery in Kellogg.

Bridgehouse hosts weekly nontraditional Bible study