Archive - Feb 2013

IOWA CITY– Maintenance contracts have pushed the FY 2014 Johnson County Joint Emergency Communications Center (JECC) budget request up about $356,000, an increase of 11.3 percent over last year.
JECC director Tom Jones said he had a “pretty level budget, but for one item,” the estimated contract for upkeep on the facility’s Harris radio system. When the center first opened, three-year maintenance contracts for the E911 center were pre-negotiated to September, but the cost will now be budgeted annually.

It’s time to take a break from basketball and wrestling and talk about Iowa’s new football recruits.
I got a chance to sit down with Reese Morgan last Wednesday to talk about the new kids on the block.
Reese, who coached the offensive line for eight years, is now the defensive line coach.
First I had to ask him about Marshal Yanda, former Hawkeye offensive lineman, who helped the Baltimore Ravens win the Super Bowl.
Reese not only helped recruit him but coached him, too.

Mary Hunter, 88, died Friday, Feb. 1, 2013, at Jones Regional Medical Center in Anamosa, following a brief illness. Funeral services were held Feb. 5 at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Monticello, with interment in the Wyoming Cemetery. Pastor Darryl Larson officiated at the services. Local survivors include her son, Steve Hunter of North Liberty, and her sister, Jean (Robert) Stinocher of Solon.

Doug Olney, 48, died peacefully on Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2013, at VAMC of complications related to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).
Funeral Mass was celebrated Feb. 9 at St. Thomas More Catholic Church, with Father Walter Helms officiating. Burial with military honors was at St. Peter’s Cemetery in Cosgrove.
In lieu of flowers, an educational memorial fund has been established at Hills Bank and Trust Company for Doug and Cindy’s son, Tyler.

Coming up with a column for a particular season or a specific holiday seems like a no-brainer to most people. “How simple,” they say, “you don’t have to thrash around looking for a topic to write about.” After close to 30 years of coming up with columns about New Year’s Day, Groundhog Day, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, April Fool’s Day, May Day, Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, Father’s Day, Independence Day, Halloween, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and a few assorted other days, I can’t help repeating myself.