THREE INCHES (LESS THAN EXPECTED) OVER NIGHT.....AND THIS MORNING ...LATE START FOR SCHOOL AGAIN. TODAY, SUNNY AND IN THE 20'S.

THE MAQUOKETA CITY COUNCIL INFORMALLY APPROVED A FUND-RAISER TO KEEP THE OUTDOOR SWIMMING POOL OPEN THIS SUMMER. THE GOAL IS $25,000 AND THE DEADLINE TO RAISE THE MONEY, MAY 1ST. THE POOL COSTS WILL REQUIRE TWICE THE AMOUNT, BUT HOPEFULLY THE OTHER HALF WILL COME FROM REVENUE GENERATED AT THE POOL, WHICH WILL BE MANAGED BY THE Y.
THE AMOUNT TO BE RAISED IS FOR THE EXPECTED DEFICIT. THE POOL WOULD BE OPEN MAY 26 TO AUGUST 10. ADMISSION RATES WOULD BE INCREASED OVER LAST YEAR. THE FUND DRIVE WILL BE ON THE MARCH 3RD COUNCIL AGENDA FOR
OFFICIAL ACTION. IF YOU WOULD LIKE THE POOL TO BE NAMED AFTER YOU FOR THE SUMMER....JUST SEND ME YOUR $25,000 CHECK AND I WILL TAKE IT TO THE MARCH 3RD MEETING ON YOUR BEHALF. SERIOUSLY, WHEN I GET MORE INFORMATION ON HOW YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE ANY AMOUNT, I'LL PASS IT ALONG ON THIS REPORT.

A FORMER MAQUOKETA FUNERAL HOME OWNER IS BEING SOUGHT BY STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE FOR ALLEGEDLY TRICKING MILTON, IOWA, RESIDENTS WITH SCAM MORTGAGES. AND THE STORY IN THE DES MOINES REGISTER ALSO SAID THAT JOESEPH P. KEDLEY, WHILE LIVING IN MAQUOKETA, WAS FOUND GUILTY OF STEALING MORE THAN $200,000 FROM MAQUOKETA CUSTOMERS WHO BOUGHT PREPAID FUNERAL PLANS. HE HAS SERVED ABOUT 7 YEARS IN PRISON.

IN SPORTS, THE ALL-CONFERENCE GIRLS BASKETBALL TEAMS FOR THE JUST CONCLUDED SEASON HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED. MAQUOKETA, WHICH FINISHED 5 AND 9 FOR THE WAMAC SEASON, FAILED TO PLACE A PLAYER ON THE FIRST TEAM, BUT NAMED TO THE SECOND TEAM, WAS HAILEY BICKFORD, A SOPHOMORE.
SENIORS NIKKI PATTERSON AND SOPHOMORE KELSEY BOLLMAN WERE NAMED HONORABLE MENTION FROM MAQUOKETA.

ALSO IN SPORTS, MCHS GRAD ADAM HEPKER HAS BEEN NAMED THE PLAYER OF THE YEAR IN THE HEART OF AMERICA ATHLETIC CONFERENCE. IT IS THE SECOND STRAIGHT YEAR HEPKER HAS RECEIVED THE HONOR VOTED ON BY THE 11 CONFERENCE COACHES. HEPKER PLAYS (HAS BEEN A STARTER ALL 4 YEARS) FOR MID AMERICA NAZARENE UNIVERSITY OF OLATHE, KANSAS. HIS HEAD COACH IS
ALSO A MAQUOKETA GRADUATE, ROCKY LAMAR. THE MID AMERICAN PIONEERS WERE CO0-CHAMPIONS OF THE CONFERENCE WITH A 17 AND 3 RECORD AND ARE 27 AND 3 OVERALL. HEPKER LEAD MNU IN SCORING, ASSISTS AND STEALS. HE WAS THE SECOND LEADING SCORER IN THE CONFERENCE. THE PIONEERS BEGIN THE POST-SEASON CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT WEDNESDAY NIGHT AT HOME AGAISNT GRACELAND COLLEGE. FORMER MCHS HEAD BASKETBALL COACH BILL FLEMMING IS AN ASSISTANT COACH FOR LAMAR AND ADAM'S PARENTS OF COURSE ARE
KMAQ'S LEIGHTON HEPKER AND LONGTIME KINDERGARTEN TEACHER CINDY HEPKER. MANY OF YOU HAD HER FOR A TEACHER. ADAM'S BROTHER JUSTIN
IS IN MED SCHOOL AT OHIO UNIVERSITY. LEIGHTON WENT TO SCHOOL IN
SPRINGVILLE (THIS SIDE OF CEDAR RAPIDS) AND THEIR GIRL'S TEAM IS IN THE
GIRL'S STATE TOURNAMENT THIS YEAR. SO ARE THE MONTICELLO GIRLS.

CHECK THE NEW PHOTOS BELOW THAT I TOOK THIS AFTERNOON.

AND HAVE A GOOD TUESDAY NIGHT AND GOOD WEDNESDAY.

DENNIS VOY