CLOUDY TODAY. LAST NIGHT, MAQUOKETA RECEIVED 1/3 INCH OF RAIN....THAT, WITH A TEMPERATURE RIGHT AROUND 32 ALL NIGHT LONG, MADE FOR SLIPPERY, BUT NOT REAL BAD CONDITIONS. NO BASKETBALL GAMES WERE CALLED OFF.
CITY STREETS AND STATE HIGHWAYS WERE SALTED, BUT COUNTY GRAVEL ROADS WERE THE WORST THIS MORNING.
TODAY'S HIGH 37 AND WE HAVE A COLD FORECAST FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS, WITH WINDY CONDITIONS, THAT WILL GIVE US A LOT OF BELOW ZERO WIND-CHILL WEATHER.

BOTH THE MAQUOKETA BOYS AND GIRLS WON THEIR GAMES LAST NIGHT AGAINST BENTON COMMUNITY. HERE IN TOWN, THE CARDINALL BOYS WON EASILY WITH ADAM HEPKER SCORING 24 POINTS AND TYLER KRUEGER, 22. THE SOPHOMORES ALSO BEAT BENTON. I HAVE NO DETAILS ON THE GIRL'S GAME, OTHER THAT THE CARDINALS WON.THERE.

THE WRESTLERS ARE HOSTING A DUALS TOURNAMENT TODAY AT THE MCHS GYM. NOTHING ON IT YET.

YESTERDAY, ROBIN CONNER OF 216 DELMAR AVENUE, DELMAR, WAS ARRESTED BY THE CLINTON COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE ON A WARRANT FOR 4 COUNTS OF ANIMAL NEGLECT. AT THAT TIME, A SEARCH WARRANT WAS ALSO SERVED AND SEVERAL ANIMALS WERE REMOVED FROM THE RESIDENCE, INCLUDING CATS, DOGS, BIRDS AND A PIG. THE CASE REMAINS UNDER INVESTIGATION.

SERVICES ARE PENDING AT THE CARSON AND SON FUNERAL HOME FOR CARL J. JORGENSEN, AGE 89, OF MAQUOKETA, AND FORMERLY OF ANDREW, WHO DIED THURSDAY AFTERNOON AT THE CRESTRIDGE NURSING HOME IN MAQUOKETA.

THE BIG IOWA CAUCUS NIGHT IS MONDAY NIGHT....AND MOST CITIZENS ARE GLAD THE NIGHT IS NEARLY HERE.
THE CANDIDATES ARE BLITZING THE STATE THIS WEEKEND. I ATTENDED MY FINAL TWO CANDIDATE SESSIONS HERE IN MAQUOKETA, LAST NIGHT AND THIS AFTERNOON. LAST NIGHT, A GOOD CROWD, DESPITE A BAD WEATHER FORECAST, SHOWED UP TO MEET AND HEAR JOHN KERRY AT THE MAQUOKETA MIDDLE SCHOOL CAFETERIA. IT WAS NEARLY FULL OF KERRY STAFF, THE PRESS, SUPPORTERS AND THOSE STILL NOT SURE, LIKE ME. IT WAS TO BE AN 8 P.M. GATHERING, BUT THE KERRY BUS WAS LATE, A GOOD HALF-HOUR. BANNERS WERE EVERYWHERE IN THE ROOM, MUSIC WAS PLAYING, THE LARGE COFFEE CONTAINERS WERE THERE ALONG WITH COOKIES AND ALL AGES CHATTED AWAY, WAITING FOR SENATOR JOHN TO SPEAK. WHEN HE FINIALLY ARRIVEED, FIRST, STATE SENATOR ROGER STEWART MADE SOME SHORT INTRODUCTORY WELCOME REMARKS AND NEXT, STATE REPRESENTATIVE BOB OSTERHAUS OF MAQUOKETA TOOK THE WIRELESS MIC AND MADE SOME FLATTERING REMARKS ABOUT THE CANDIDATE HE HAS SUPPORTED FOR MONTHS AND THEN PASSED HIM THE MIC. IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROOM, HE THEN TALKED, AND TALKED AND TALKED FOR I'D SAY 45 MINUTES, AND THEN ANSWERED SOME VERY GOOD QUESTIONS. YOU COULD SEE HE WAS TIRED (THEY SAY HE STARTED THE DAY AT 6 A.M.) BUT HE DID WELL AND WENT BEYOND HIS PLANNED TIME PERIOD. I SHOOK HANDS WITH HIM AND THEN VISITED WITH BOTH ANN AND BOB OSTERHAUS AND HEADED HOME, THINKING HOW THIS HAS TO BE AN UNBEARABLE GRIND FOR A CANDIDATE TO ENDURE DAY AFTER DAY.

THIS AFTERNOON, AS SOON AS THE IOWA GAME WAS OVER (IOWA LOST) I HEADED FOR THE MAQUOKETA PUBLIC LIBRARY COMMUNITY ROOM FOR A 1 P.M. APPEARANCE BY SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS. I GOT THERE AT 1:10...AND THE BUS WAS STILL NOT THERE AND TO MY SURPRISE, THE ROOM WAS FULL, STANDING ROOM ONLY. IT WAS NOT BIG ENOUGH FOR THE GATHERING, BUT TOO LATE TO CHANGE. I DID MANAGE TO GET JUST INSIDE ONE OF THE TWO DOORS WHERE I COULD STAND AND LISTEN TO SOME TALKING. THAT TALKING WENT ON AND ON, BY I BELIEVE, ROXANNE CONLIN AND ROB APPLE, WHO I THINK ARE EDWARD'S CO-CHAIRMEN IN IOWA. ROXANNE, A LAWYER, RAN UNSUCCESSFULLY FOR GOVERNOR IN THE 90'S AND APPLE RAN UNUCCESSFULLY FOR CONGRESS, A FEW YEARS AGO.
ROXANNE, WITH NO MIC, SAID NOTHING BUT GREAT THINGS ABOUT JOHN, TO A POINT WHERE THE PRAISE FOR HIM
WAS GETTING TIRESOME. APPLE KEPT HIS COMMENTS SHORTER. THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A PA SYSTEM. ONE WOULD THINK THAT AFTER RIDING FROM CITY TO CITY IN A $400,000 BUS, TO INSURE THE CANDIDATE WILL BE HEARD, THEY DIDN'T THINK ABOUT CARRYING IN THE CARGO AREA OF THE BUS, A GOOD $400 PA SYSTEM. ANYWAY, THE SENATOR STARTED HIS TALK (SOMEONE ACCIDENTALLY BLINKING THE LIGHTS) AND AFTER ABOUT 15 MINUTES, I DECIDED TO LEAVE. MY BACK WAS STARTING TO ACHE. AND JOHN STARTED SOUNDING TO MY LIKE CANDIDATES I'VE HEARD MANY TIMES BEFORE OVER THE YEARS.

JOHN KERRY GAVE A MUCH BETTER TALK LAST NIGHT!

MONTHS AGO, I STARTED OUT THINKING DEAN WAS THE MAN....THEN MET BOTH JOHN KERRY AND HIS WIFE AT SEPARATE EVENTS AND WAS LEANING TOWARD HIM...THEN STARTED LIKING GEPHARDT....THEN EDWARDS....AND NOW......FOR ME...THE FINAL DECISION WAS MADE THIS AFTERNOON. I'LL BE AT THE JACKSON COUNTY COURTHOUSE MONDAY NIGHT (ONE HAS TO BE THERE NO LATER THAN 6:30 P.M.) AND GIVE MY SUPPORT TO JOHN KERRY. BY THE 10 O'CLOCK NEWS, THE RESULTS SHOULD BE IN AND THE WINNER ANNOUNCED.

SO THERE...ESPECIALLY FOR YOU READERS OUT OF STATE...A LITTLE COLOR ON THE FAMOUS IOWA CAUCUS...FROM ONE WHO'S HERE...WHO'S BEEN THERE. THE ESTIMATE IS.....THAT $100 WILL HAVE BEEN SPENT ON EACH VOTE AT THE CAUCUS MONDAY NIGHT STATEWIDE.

TUESDAY, MAQUOKETA AND IOWA GETS BACK TO NORMAL.

AND DID YOU READ YESTERDAY THAT CUBS PITCHER KERRY WOOD WILL GET NEARL $10-MILLION DOLLARS FOR THE 2004 SEASON....ONE SEASON. ONLY IN AMERICA. YES...THE BASEBALL SPRING TRAINING SEASON STARTS ONE MONTH FROM TODAY....JUST A MATTER OF DAYS AFTER FOOTBALL'S SUPER BOWL FEBRUARY 1ST.

MONDAY, IS A HOLIDAY FOR STUDENTS, BANKERS, POSTAL WORKERS AND MILLIONS OF OTHERS. BUT NOT FOR RADIO STATION STAFF MEMBERS.
WE'LL ALL BE HERE AT KMAQ MONDAY....AND I'LL HAVE MY NEXT REPORT FOR YOU MONDAY AT THE REGULAR TIME.

CHECK BACK THEN..AND ENJOY YOUR WEEK AHEAD.

DENNIS VOY