4/100 OF AN INCH OF RAIN AROUND 8 LAST NIGHT. TODAY, CLOUDY AND COOL WITH HIGH IN 60'S,

AT THE MAQUOKETA CITY COUNCIL LAST NIGHT....

IT WAS LEARNED THAT MMEU(MAQUOKETA MUNICIPAL ELECTRIC LIGHT AND POWER) AND THE CITY IS PLANNING TO START DISCUSSIONS WITH THE INTENT OF ACQUIRING THE LOCAL NATURAL GAS COMPANY SERVING MAQUOKETA. THERE WAS A 90-MINUTE CLOSED SESSION ON THE SUBJECT LAST NIGHT, PRIOR TO THE REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING. THE CURRENT GAS SUPPLIER, IS AQUILA AND THEIR FRANCHISE WITH THE CITY EXPIRESS IN MAY OF NEXT YEAR. THIS COULD BE INTERESTING...AND IF IT HAPPENS, COULD BE BIG FOR MAQUOKETA AND ITS CITIZENS. AN ELECTION WOULD BE A PART OF THIS IF THE TALKS GO ANYWHERE.

ALSO LAST NIGHT, THE COUNCIL IS THINKING OF PULLING THE PLUG ON SOME OF THE MAQUOKETA RIVER TRAIL. THE ORIGINAL PLAN WAS TO GO ALONG THE LENTH OF THE RIVER ALL THE WAY TO THE BICENTENNIAL PARK ACROSS FROM THE HOSPITAL. INSTEAD, THE COUNCIL IS THINKING OF A SHORTER VERSION,STARTING ON THE DIKE BEHIND THE BALLPARKS AND ENDING UP ON NORTH 5TH STREET AT THE CURRENT BOAT DOCK. I HOPE THEY CAN STILL GO ALL THE WAY TO THE PARK, SO MORE OF THE RIVER COULD BE ENJOYED BY WALKERS AND PARK VISITORS. THERE IS A GRANT TO DO ABOUT HALF OF THE WALK. THE ORIGINAL PLAN CALLS FOR ANOTHER 20 FOOT EASEMENT THE CITY DOES NOT NOW HAVE AND THE OWNER, JOHN THOLA, IS ASKSING $40,000 FOR THE ADDITIONAL EASMENT. PLUS, IT HAS BEEN DETERMINED THAT THE CITY WOULD HAVE TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR EROSION CONTROL OF THE RIVER BANK IN THE FUTURE AND THIS COULD BE COSTLY.

SOME VANDALISM....THE DOOR OF THE 5TH WARD PARK WELL HOUSE WAS DAMAGED...
PRAIRIE CREEK GOLF COURSE AT SOUTH EDGE OF TOWN HAD MARKERS AND FLAGS PULLED FROM THE GROUND....AND BEV RILEY OF 5TH STREET REPORTED THE HOOD AND REAR DOOR OF HER 2003 DODGE WAS KEYED.

CORRECTION ON THE WINNER OF THE CAR AT BELLEVUE SUNDAY. HE IS JOSH SCHECKEL....I REPORTED JOHN. HE IS THE OWNER OF JJ SCHECKEL CONSTRUCTION ON HIGHWAY 52 SOUTH OF BELLEVUE.

COURT NEWS: TARA TALLMAN, AGE 19, WAS FINED $82 ON CHARGES OF DISORDERLY CONDUCT.
AND CHARGES OF THEFT IN THE 5TH DEGREE WERE DISMISSED AGAINST RYAN TRACY, 22, OF MAQUOKETA.

LIGHT RAIN IS COMING DOWN IN MAQUOKETA RIGHT NOW.

HAD COFFEE YESTERDAY WITH LEON MORRIS OF TEXAS AND FORMERLY OF MAQUOKETA. HE GRADUATED FROM MCHS AND WENT INTO THE ARMY WHERE HE WAS A PILOT FOR 20 YEARS. THEN AFTER RETIREMENT IN THE ARMY, HE WENT INTO TRAINING TO BECOME A COMMERCIAL AIRLINE PILOT...AND HAS BEEN A PILOT FOR SEVERAL YEARS, CURRENTLY, DOING A DAILY RUN FROM DALLAS TO MINNEAPOLIS AND BACK. HIS PARENTS ARE MORRIE AND DOROTHY MORRIS, BOTH RETIRED, MORRIE FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND DOROTHY FROM KMAQ. HE WILL HAVE TO QUIT FLYING IN ABOUT 3 YEARS WHEN HE REACHES THE MANDATED RETIREMENT AGE FOR COMMERICAL PILOTS, OF 60.
GOOD SEEING HIM AGAIN. HE HAD HAD A BUSY LIFE AS A PILOT...TOO BUSY TO GET MARRIED.

BILL AND JUNE URBANEK AFTER 26 YEARS, LEAVE MAQUOKETA FOR GRAND ISLAND, SOUTH DAKOTA. THEY HAVE SOLD THEIR MAQUOKETA HOME AND PURCHASED ONE THERE, CLOSE TO A COUPLE OF THEIR KIDS. THEY WINTER IN FLORIDA. HE WAS SUPT. OF MAQUOKETA SCHOOLS FOR MANY YEARS UNTIL RETIRING AND HAS BEEN A LONGTIME MAQUOKETA ROTARIAN. THEY LEAVE NEXT WEDNESDAY.
WE WILL MISS THEM IN MAQUOKETA AND WISH THEM THE BEST AT THEIR NEW COMMUNITY. HE PLANS TO STAY IN ROTARY.

ST. REP. BOB OSTERHAUS WILL BE A DELEGATE TO THE DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION LATER THIS MONTH.
HIS CHICAGO CUBS ARE FADING.

CHECK BACK AGAIN SOON.

DENNIS VOY