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Blues artist Bob Pace kicked off the Blues Under the Blue Roof music series at the Newton Public Library Monday evening to a packed house of nearly 70 fans. Pace was accompanied by Neil Stoffregen on keyboards. Next up: Bryce Janey, set for 6:30 p.m. Feb. 13. All concerts are free to the public.

The Marshalltown Area Tumbling/Trampoline team traveled to Indianola on Jan. 7 and 8 to compete at a USTA/AAU invitational meet.

Robert Knabel of Collinsville, Ill., will become Newton’s city administrator.

Despite a decrease in the city’s tax levy, Newton residents may still see a slight uptick in their property taxes under a proposed budget presented to the Newton City Council on Monday evening.

The Newton Community School District Board of Education met with district principals and administrators Monday night for a budget planning work session. Among hot topics discussed were the cash reserve levy, district facility usage ideas and potential program or staff reductions.

On Monday, Jan. 30, several Newton FFA students visited the Iowa State Capitol. Pictured are Newton FFA instructor James Horn and students Nathan Lenz, Kole Wilson, Brady Van Sickle and Ashley Shaw with Rep. Dan Kelley.

Beginning Monday, the Newton Sanitary Landfill will close one hour earlier on weekdays, making the new hours from 7:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Des Moines Area Community College is offering a non-credit welders for manufacturing class at the DMACC Newton Campus.

An orientation for eighth grade students going into ninth grade for the 2012-2013 school year will be at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 21, in the Newton Senior High School Center for Performance.

Eagle lovers are invited to a full day of free family friendly activities celebrating the 24th annual Bald Eagle Day on Saturday, March 3.

Eagle lovers are invited to a full day of free family friendly activities celebrating the 24th annual Bald Eagle Day on Saturday, March 3.

Sliding enthusiasts like this child at Sunset Park received about 3 inches of snow on Saturday, perfect for sledding, tubing and snowboarding. The heavy snow was less fun to clean up as Bruce Schroder noticed as he attempted to clean his sidewalks with a snowblower. Temperatures were expected to rise above freezing today before dropping on Tuesday with a chance for more snow.

After being on hiatus while the South Skunk Blues Society went through some difficult times, the Blues under the Blue Roof series returns tonight when soulful blues guitarist Bob Pace kicks off a month full of blues-related programs sponsored by SSBS.

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 Amy Barth titled “Being a Caregiver.”

Jasper County Board of Supervisors

The Newton Police Department has received information that Newton residents are receiving telephone calls from individuals claiming to be Microsoft representatives.

The Newton Daily News won a number of awards during the 2012 Iowa Newspaper Association banquet Friday evening. Entries were judged by members of the Nebraska Newspaper Association.

Newton Police are investigating the death of a Newton infant who died last month.

Five Newton Senior High School students competed in the Ames Regional Science Bowl on Saturday, Jan. 28, at Iowa State University in Ames, answering dozens of science and math questions.

Soulful guitarist Bob Pace, along with keyboard accompaniment, will kick off South Skunk Blues Society’s Blues under the Blue Roof series on Monday from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

The Knights of Columbus is sponsoring a Valentine Bingo event beginning at 7 p.m. Saturday at the McCann Center in Newton. The event will feature cash prizes, door prizes and a raffle for two seats on the bus and tickets for a Chicago Cubs game at Wrigley Field in June. Attendees are encouraged to come early. There will be food and beverages available during the 20 bingo games, which usually end by 9 p.m.

Throughout 2011, the Iowa Department of Corrections (DOC) has struggled with state legislative appropriators on the proper funding levels for Iowa’s nine government operated prisons. But a supplemental appropriations bill making its way through the general assembly, which could add $8.5 million to the department’s 2012 fiscal year budget, cleared a hurdle Wednesday when the Iowa Senate passed the measure 26-23.

After nearly a week of budget workshops, the Jasper County Board of Supervisors is set to wrap up the county budget with one more meeting, scheduled for Feb. 16.

The Iowa Speedway Foundation, partnering with Haven of Hope, will showcase a brand new fundraiser — Purses With Purpose — from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 9, at the speedway’s Newton Club.

PEO Chapter AO will meet on Tuesday at the home of Joan Tyler.

Jasper County Conservation will host an Older, Wiser, Livelier Seniors program beginning at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Jasper County Community Center.

AMES — Several local students graduated from Iowa State University this fall, including Newton residents Desirae Jaye Kenney Kingery with a bachelor of science degree in animal ecology; David Thongvanh with a bachelor of science degree in technical communication; and Michael Lee Wormley, graduating cum laude with a bachelor of science degree in agronomy.

AMES — More than 5,908 Iowa State University undergraduates have been recognized for outstanding academic achievement by being named to the 2011 fall semester dean’s

Palos Heights, Ill. — Newton resident Johnathan Groenenboom and Sully residents Heather VanSant, Andrew VanSoelen and Paige Zylstra were named to the Trinity Christian College dean’s list for fall 2011. Trinity students must be enrolled full time and earn a minimum 3.5 grade point average to be named to the list.

Hairstyling educator Steve DeCaro visited Trenz, 121 First Ave. E., in Newton recently for a training session with area stylists. Pictured here, DeCaro offers tips to Donna McCarl who works in Ankeny.

Bud Courtney tees off on the disc golf course at Maytag Park Wednesday afternoon, as Randy Dunagan, Rod Grafton and Rusty Channon wait their turn. The men are members of the Grand View Country Club, and they say they enjoy playing the Maytag disc golf course, calling it one of the best in the state. Today will be another good day for disc golf, but rain is expected to move in Friday, turning to a snow mix on Saturday.

Budget talks with the Jasper County Board of Supervisors continued Wednesday with discussions from the Jasper County Library Board, Mental Health Department and Domestic Violence Advocates/Sexual Assault Center.

Nick Cummins, golf course superintendent at Westwood Golf Course in Newton, was named Iowa Superintendent of the Year at the Iowa Golf Course Superintendents Association annual meeting on Jan. 18.

The Knights of Columbus is sponsoring a Valentine Bingo event beginning at 7 p.m. Saturday at the McCann Center in Newton.

The Kellogg Lions Club is hosting a pancake breakfast from 7 to 9 a.m. Saturday at the cabin in Holmdahl Park in Kellogg.

Lynnville-Sully Community School District kindergarten registration is scheduled for 3:35 p.m. Tuesday in the elementary/middle school north media center.

A blood drive is planned for 1 to 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 16, at the DMACC Newton Campus Conference Center.

PEO Chapter ME will meet Saturday in the Park Centre Garden Room. 

Newton Senior High School teacher and assistant boys basketball coach Tom Weeks walks onto the court with his wife, Susan, and son, Steve, during an honorary ceremony between games during Tuesday’s Coaches vs. Cancer Night. Weeks, a four-time cancer survivor, was honored alongside NHS staff members Brenda Newell, Archie Ergenbright and Tim Trier, along with other members of the community for their battles with cancer. The girls basketball team wore pink uniforms for breast cancer, while the boys wore blue warmup shirts for colorectal cancer.

The sale of Springboard Engineering in June 2011 to Underwriters Laboratories provided the impetus for organic growth, both in employees and equipment. Now the reliability testing and engineering advisory company that rose from the demise of Maytag Corp. is expanding its operations to the other side of First Avenue East.

Hundreds of Canada geese have been finding this cornfield west of the Newton Airport a good place to loaf. The warm winter has provided the geese with plenty of open water and ground cover in the area. Temperatures in the area of have soared this week to the upper 50s and low 60s. However storms forecasted for the weekend may send the geese flying south again.

Newton Development Corporation’s Leadership Development program is set to launch later this month with an opportunity for Jasper County residents to improve their leadership skills.

The Newton Police Department is reminding football fans that if your Super Bowl celebration includes alcohol, make the right decision before kickoff and always have a designated driver.