THE WEATHER WAS BEAUTIFUL HERE FOR CHRISTMAS DAY.
CLOSE TO 40. TODAY, PRETTY NICE TOO.

BREITBACH'S COUNTRY DINING CONTINUES TO MAKE THE
NEWS. THE OWNER SAYS HE WILL REBUILD AND HOPES TO
RE-OPEN IN MAY. ABOUT 500 CARS PASSED BY THE BURNED OUT STRUCTURE ON CHRISTMAS DAY. THE CAUSE OF THE FAMILY LIKELY BEGAN WITH AN LP GAS LEAK. A FEW THINGS WERE SAVED, INCLUDING A SIX-FOOT HAND-CARVED CUCKOO-CLOCK FROM GERMANY. A BLANKET LEFT BEHIND BY OUTLAW JESSE JAMES IN THE 1800'S AND THE DEED AND ABSTRACT FROM 1852 WERE DESTROYED. MIKE BREITBACH SAYS HE IS THANKFUL NO ONE WAS HURT.

JIM HESS, AGE 31, OF MAQUOKETA, MATCHED FOUR WHITE BALLS PLUS THE POWERBALL TO WIN $10,000 IN THE DECEMBER 19TH POWEBALL DRAWING. HE PURCHASED HIS WINNING TICKET AT KJ'S CONVENIENCE STORE ON WEST PLATT IN MAQUOKETA.

ON THE POLICE BLOTTER....THE GREAT WALL CHINESE RESTAURANT IN DOWNTOWN MAQUOKETA REPORTED THAT THE WINDOW IN THEIR FRONT DOOR WAS BROKEN.

THE IOWA DNR AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION COMMISSION ARE ACCEPTING COMMENTS ON THEIR PROPOSALS TO CHANGE THE WATER QUALITY LISTINGS FOR RIVERS AND STREAMS ACROSS THE STATE. IN JACKSON COUNTY, THEY ARE LOOKING TO CHANGE THE NORTH FORK OF THE MAQUOKETA RIVER AND DEEP CREEK BOTH TO A2, A LOWER CLASSIFICATION. THE A2 LOWER CLASSIFICATION IS FOR STREAMS NOT IN NEED OF PROTECTION TO KEEP THEM SUITABLE FOR HUMAN RECREATIONAL USES. BOTH THE NORTH FORK AND DEEP CREEK ARE ON THE LIST FOR A LOWER CLASSIFICATION BASICALLY BECAUSE THE DNR HAS NO RECORD OF COMMENTS THAT PEOPLE USE THESE TWO STREAMS FOR RECREATION. THE NORTH FORK IS JUST UNDER 70 MILES LONG AND DEEP CREEK IS JUST OVER 8 MILES LONG, AND
LOCAL CITIZENS ARE UPSET ABOUT THE PROPOSAL BECAUSE CONTRARY TO DNR RECORDS, THE NORTH FORK OF THE RIVER IS USED FOR CANOEING, TUBING, FISHING, AND OTHER RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES. IF THE RIVER IS DESIGNATED
TO A LOWER CLASSIFICATION, THE RIVER WILL BE OFF LIMITS
TO ALL RECEATIONAL ACTIVITIES. PUBLIC COMMENTS
ARE WELCOME, AND THE DEADLINE FOR COMMENTS IS
JANUARY 2ND. THERE IS A QUESTIONAIRE THE PUBLIC
CAN FILL OUT AND RETURN TO THE DNR HEADQUARTERS
IN DES MOINES. ANYONE WANTING TO FILL OUT THE QUESTIONAIRE CAN PICK ONE UP HERE AT KMAQ. BUT
AGAIN, IT MUST BE E-MAILED OR POSTMARKED NO LATER
THAN JANUARY 2ND. OTHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE
DE-CLASSIFICATION PROCESS IS ALSO AVAILABLE HERE AT KMAQ LISTENERS ARE NOT TO CONFUSE THIS PROPOSAL WITH THE ENTIRE MAQUOKETA RIVER. THE MAQUOKETA RIVER SOUTH FORK IS NOT BEING CONSIDERED FOR RE-CLASSIFICATION, JUST THE SMALLER NORTH FORK. AND ALSO DEEP CREEK IN JACKSON COUNTY. ALSO ON THE LIST OF STREAMS SCHEDULED FOR RECREATIONAL OR AQUATIC LIFE DOWNGRADES ARE: ELK RIVER AND YANKEE RUN IN CLINTON COUNTY, ROCK CREEK AND SUGAR CREEK IN CEDAR COUNTY,
AND TWO SEGMENTS OF BUFFALO CREEK IN JONES COUNTY.

THANKS FOR CHECKING IN AGAIN.

DENNIS VOY