Friday, March 02, 2007

STILL BAD WEATHER IN KMAQ-LAND.
LIGHT SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ALL DAY. 32 THE HIGH.
TOMMORROW AND SUNDAY, SHOULD BE BETTER, BUT STILL COLD.
WARMER WEATHER COMING MONDAY AND TUESDAY.
NUMEROUS ACCIDENTS IN AREA TODAY.

THE MAQUOKETA-DEWITT GAME HAS AGAIN BEEN POSTPONED....UNTIL TOMORROW NIGHT AT 7 AT THE YOURD GYM IN CLINTON. WE WILL BROADCAST IT ON KMAQ-FM.
THE BELLEVUE - ANDRW TOURNAMENT GAME HAS AGAIN BEEN POSTPONED UNTI 2 TOMORROW AFTERNOON AND IT WILL BE BROADCAST ON KMAQ-AM. TOMORROW AFTERNOON ON KMAQ-FM, WE WILL HAVE THE ST. LOUIS-FLORIDA EXHIBITION BASEBALL GAME.

A MAQUOKETA HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER HAS REPORTEDLY BEEN PLACED ON SUSPENSION AFTER ALLEGEDLY PULLING A KNIFE ON A STUDENT AT THE BASKETBALL GAME IN MAQUOKETA THIS PAST MONDAY NIGHT.
KMAQ HAS LEARNED THERE APPARENTLY NO INJURIES TO THE TEACHER OR THE STUDENT. NO INFORMATION ON WHAT PROMPTED THE INCIDENT. SUPT. KIM HUCKSTADT SAID THIS AFTERNOON HE COULD NEITHER CONFIRM OR DENY THAT REPORT. HE DID SAY HE COULD CONFIRM HE WAS DEALING WITH A PERSONNEL MATTER AND THAT IT WOULD BE INAPPROPRIATE AND POSSIBLY ILLEGAL TO SAY ANYTHING FURTHER. THE NANES OF THE TEACHER AND THE STUDENT HAVE NOT BEEN RELEASED. THE INCIDENT ALLEGEDLY HAPPENED OUTSIDE THE SCHOOL, NOT IN THE GYM. MAQUOKETA POLICE CHIEF BRAD KORANDA SAID OFFICERS WERE NOT CALLED TO THE INCIDENT MONDAY NIGHT. KORANDA SAID HE HEARD RUMORS BUT HAD NOT BEEN OFFICIALLY CONTACTED. HUCKSTADT SAID HE WOULD NOT COMMENT ON WHY POLICE WERE NOT CALLED MONDAY NIGHT. HUCKSTADT ALSO COULD NOT SAY WHETHER THE ISSUE WILL BE BROUGHT BEFORE THE MAQUOKETA SCHOOL BOARD. AND HE SAID HE IS DOING EVERYTHING WITHIN THE LAW TO DEAL WITH WHAT HE CALLED A DIFFICULT AND SERIOUS MATTER.

THE HEAD OF THE MAQUOKETA WATER AND WASTEWATER DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN FIRED BY THE COMPANY THAT MANAGES THE DEPARTMENT FOR THE CITY. CITY MANAGER BRIAN WAGNER SAID HE WAS INFORMED THURSDAY AFTERNOON THAT ROGER KIRBY HAS BEEN FIRED BY ALLIANCE WATER RESOURCES. ALLIANCE IS CONTRACTED BY THE CITY OF MAQUOKETA TO OPERATE THE SYSTEM AND THE CITY HAS NO CONTROL OVER THEIR PERSONNEL. AN OFFICIAL WITH ALLIANCE DECLINED TO SAY WHY KIRBY AS FIRED. WAGNER SAID HE WAS INFORMED THAT ANOTHER EMPLOYEE, GARY LAUGHLIN, HAD BEEN FIRED THE WEEK BEFORE AND HE DOESN'T KNOW IF THE TWO ARE CONNECTED. THE ALLIANCE OFFICIAL TOLD THE CITY MANAGER THAT HE PLANS TO BRING IN TWO EMPLOYEES WHO WILL WORK TEMPORARILY IN MAQUOKETA UNTIL NEW EMPLOYEES ARE HIRED.

PLANS ARE AVAILABLE NOW FOR BIDDERS FOR THE GYM AND CAFETERIA AT THE MAQUOEKETA HIGH SCHOOL WITH BID OPENINGS MARCH 21ST.
GROUNDBREAKING IS SCHEDULED FOR APRIL 1ST. A LAST MINUTE CHANGE WAS ADDED TO THE PLANS. THE STATE FIRE MARSHALL'S OFFICE NOW SAYS THE AREA MUST HAVE A SPRINKLEY STYSTEM. THIS WILL ADD ANOTHER ESTIMATED $100,000 COST TO THE PROJECT.

HAVE A GOOD WEEKEND EVERYONE.

DENNIS VOY