From the monthly archives:

October 2004

A Charles City accounting firm has given Worth County officials a report showing the books are a mess at the county emergency-management commission. At a commission meeting in Northwood Thursday night, county supervisor Ken Abrams, one member of the commission, looked over the report that showed little record-keeping for money spent by the former head of the agency. He says a credit-card bill was paid but there’s no record of what the credit card was used to buy that totaled over 100-dollars. Abrams noted the report shows spending with no receipts filed, and little detail on many purchases by the commission’s former director. He mentions to several small sums “not accounted for, from four-dollars to 42-dollars,” saying there’s no documentation of what was bought, just bills that submitted and paid. The accounting firm says what it did was not an audit, just a review of the agency’s funding and its spending for the fiscal year that ended in June. The review was requested by an interim director, after former director Marty Martin quit to run for sheriff. Martin says the review of his old books was a good idea. Martin says when he took the job, the office had been vacant for at least three months and the only training or guidelines he got was a brief talk with the former coordinator. Martin says he thinks it’s “great” that they’re putting guidelines together, saying it will improve the efficiency of the office. After he stepped down as director, the emergency-management commissioner for Mitchell County, Ray Huftalin, took on interim duties managing the Worth County commission as well, and requested the financial reports for both of them. Martin, who’s retired from the Mason City police department, served two years as head of the emergency-management commission and now is challenging Worth County sheriff David Gents in Tuesday’s election.

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Independent Congressional candidate touts pro-abortion stance

by admin 10/30/04 12:07 PM

The Independent candidate running for Iowa’s first district congressional seat is making a last-minute appeal to so-called “pro-choice” voters as the two major party candidates in the race are both pro-life. Denny Heath of Clinton — the Independent candidate in the first district — says “it’s all about the freedom to choose what to [...]

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Heart Connection offers holiday cards

by admin 10/30/04 12:06 PM

This weekend’s arrival of Halloween means Thanksgiving and Christmas aren’t far behind, prompting some folks to think ahead to their holiday cards. Tony Timm, associate director of the Heart Connection Children’s Cancer Programs urges Iowans to consider sending colorful cards purchased through the non-profit group, drawn by children. Timm says the artists all attend the [...]

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New wind farm sees first turbines go up

by admin 10/30/04 12:02 PM

A ceremony in northwest Iowa celebrated the raising of the first wind turbines in a 107 turbine wind farm near Shaller. MidAmerican Energy vice president Jack Alexander talked about the project. He says this “Intrepid” wind project will be located in Sac and Buena Vista counties, the other site is located in Wright and Hamilton [...]

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State says drop in enrollment won’t cause major problems

by admin 10/30/04 11:59 AM

The Iowa Department of Education reported this week that enrollment is down this fall in Iowa schools. The statewide public-school attendance total of 483-thousand was down by 16-hundred-32. The agency’s Kathi Slaughter says schools that may need more desks or fewer lockers have to adapt to the changing numbers, but she says [...]

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High School Football Scores – October 29, 2004

by admin 10/30/04 10:57 AM

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 28
Assumption, Davenport 33, Pleasant Valley 8 Cedar Rapids, Kennedy 38, Linn-Mar, Marion 20 Council Bluffs, Abraham Lincoln 38, Sioux City, North 6 Gehlen Catholic, LeMars 42, River Valley, Correctionville 0 Valley Community, Elgin 47, Tripoli 0 West Central, Maynard 38, Don Bosco, Gilbertville 0
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29
CLASS 4A
Ames [...]

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Giuliani attacks Kerry during stop in Mason City

by admin 10/30/04 12:00 AM

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani made a stop in Mason City Friday on behalf of President Bush, a day after Giuliani said it was American troops who bear “ultimate responsibility” for missing explosives in Iraq. On Friday, a soldier said he had been in charge of destroying explosives from the weapons depot in [...]

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