SUNNY TODAY....IN THE 20'S....AND HEADING FOR THE MID 30'S EARLY NEXT WEEK. ABOUT TIME.

I, LEIGHTON HEPKER, RON BURNETT, JEFF FERGUSON AND WOODY
SPAIN WENT DOWN TO LAMONI YESTERDAY TO WATCH ADAM HEPKER'S BASKETBALL TEAM (MID AMERICA NAZARENE UNIVERSITY) PLAY GRACELAND. ADAM IS A JUNIOR POINT GUARD (HAS BEEN A STARTER SINCE A FRESHMAN) AND THE TEAM WON ITS 25TH GAME LAST NIGHT, AGAINST 2 LOSSES, GOOD ENOUGH TO RANK THEM (PIONEERS) 2ND IN THE NATION. AND LAST NIGHT WAS ANOTHER EASY WIN. LONG TRIP, BUT FUN. LEIGHTON DID ALL THE DRIVING. WE ALL (EXCEPT LEIGHTON OF COURSE) SLEPT QUITE A BIT ON THE WAY HOME. THE PIONEERS HAVE 1 MORE REGULAR SEASON GAME, THEN TOURNAMENT TIME. ROCKY LAMAR IS THE COACH (NEARING 500 WINS, ALL THERE) AND GRADUATED FROM MCHS. FORMER MCHS COACH BILL FLEMMING IS HIS ASSISTANT AND I TALKED TO BILL A MINUTE OR SO. LITTLE PUDGY WITH WHITE HAIR. WE HAD A COOL REFRESHING BEVERAGE ON THE WAY DOWN AT WILLILAMSBURG (NICE LITTLE "SQUARE" MAIN STREET) AND DINNER AT OSCEOLA. OUR ONLY TREAT ON WAY HOME.... SOME C SUCKERS JEFF BROUGHT ALONG. I KNOW, MORE THAN YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT
THE TRIP.

THE MAQUOKETA GIRLS WON THEIR TOURNAMENT GAME LAST NIGHT, OVER ANAMOSA. THEIR NEXT GAME IS SATURDAY NIGHT AT CEDAR RAPIDS AGAINST CEDAR RAPIDS XAVIER. THE CARDINAL BOYS START TOURNAMENT PLAY FEBRURY 26TH, AT HOME, AGAINST MT. VERNON.
AND, FOUR WRESTLERS WILL BE IN THE DISTRICT TOMORROW AT SOLON.

NEW BUSINESS GOING INTO THE DOWNTOWN BUILDING THAT WAS THE "WHOLLY SCRAP" STORE, AND FOR MANY YEARS, WAS BEN JACOBSEN'S HARDWARE STORE AND THEN KENDALL MEN'S WEAR AND THEN THE BOOK DEPOT. NO OFFICIAL WORD ON IT, BUT HEARD IT IS A SUB SANDWICH PLACE.

SOME PROMOTIONS AT MAQUOKETA STATE BANK'S ANNUAL SHAREHOLDER'S MEETING THIS PAST TUESDAY. BOB GAVIN PROMOTED TO 1ST VICE-PRESIDENT, PERSONAL BANKING CENTER MANAGER.
LONNA CLAUSSEN (MY DAUGHTER) PROMOTED TO 1ST VICE-PRESIDENT, TELLER/BRANCH OPERATIONS MANAGER, MANAGING TELLER OPERATIONS AT ALL FOUR MSB LOCATIONS. KATHY KUNDE PROMOTED TO VICE-PRESIDENT, PERSONAL BANKING AND HEATHER WAACK PROMOTED TO ASSISTANT VICE-PRESIDENT. CEO AL TUBBS REVIEWED THE FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS FOR 2006, SITING CONTINUED GROWTH WITH TOTAL ASSETS LAST YEAR GOING UP TO NEARLY $250 MILLION.
I REMEMBER WHEN ED TUBBS AND THE LATE JOHN FAGERLAND BOUGHT THE BANK IN 1965 AND IT HA $1 MILLION IN ASSETS.

STARTING TONIGHT NATIONWIDE AND HERE IN MAQUOKTA AT THE VOY 3 THEATRE, THE NEW MOVIE "GHOST RIDER", RATED PG-13 AND STARRING NICHOLAS CAGE.

GOT AN ORDER TODAY FOR RED HENTON'S NEW CD, FROM HARVEY PETERSON IN PHOENIX, ALONG WITH A NICE LETTER. HE MOVED FROM MAQUOKETA TO PHOENIX IN 1955, AND STILL HAS GOOD MEMORIES OF CLINTON AND JACKSON COUNTIES. GRADUATED FROM MHS IN 1941 AND ATTENDED MAQUOKETA'S JUNIOR COLLEGE. REMEMBERS GOING TO WALT MERRIMAN'S AG CLASS AT MHS. RED WILL SEND HIM THE CD NEXT WEEK AND HARVEY, CONTINUE TO READ THIS DAILY REPORT WHEN YOU CAN. SORRY YOU CAN'T GET THE KMAQ GUEST BOOK ON YOUR COMPUTER, BUT HOPEFULLY YOU'LL FIND OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM IS SOON AS WE HAVE BEEN HAVING SOME GOOD MAQUOKETA HISTORY ENTRIES THE LAST FEW WEEKS ON THE GUEST BOOK.

JOYCE REESE, 78, OF MAQUOKETA DIED YESTERDAY. SHE AND HER LATE HUSBAND DON OWNED THE FAMOUS BLUFF LAKE CATFISH FARM RESTAURANT, NEAR THE CAVES STATE PARK, FOR QUITE A FEW YEARS AND THEN SOLD IT TO HER DAUGHTER LINDA. HER FULL OBITUARY CAN BE READ AT www.laheys.com

FAYE HAMMER, 81, OF MAQUOKETA, DIED WEDNESDAY. HER OBITUARY IS AT www.carsonandson.com

VERNE BRADY, 86, OF MAQUOKETA, DIED LAST NIGHT. SERVICES PENDING AT CARSON'S.

DOROTHY JONES BAKED THE KMAQ STAFF A NUTBREAD AND BROUGHT IT IN TODAY. UMMGOOD. SHE KNOWS HOW TO BAKE.

SOME MAQUOKETA HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS OFFERED SINGING VALENTINES TUESDAY. 80 CUSTOMERS. REGINA SAGERS TOLD US ON THE "JUST TALK" SHOW THIS MORNING HOW NICE THEY WERE.

HAVE A NICE WEEKEND.

DENNIS VOY