PARTY SUNNY DAY AND 20-DEGREE WEATHER. DOWN TO 5 BELOW TONIGHT.
LOOKING FORWARD TO 40-50 DEGREE WEATHER BY MID-WEEK NEXT WEEK.
DUBUQUE YESTERDAY OFFICIALLY MOVED INTO THE TOP 5 SNOWIEST EVER WINTERS. WE ARE PROBABLY IN TOP 7.

THE RESTORED HURST HOTEL IN DOWNTOWN MAQUOKETA IS NOW OWNED BY RICHMAN ASSET MANAGEMENT, INC. OF GREENWICH, CT. CHRIS ALES OF THE QUAD CITIES WAS THE OWNER. THERE WERE ABOUT $500,000 IN LIENS AGAINST THE HOTEL AND ALES HAD NOT PAID MANY CONTRACTORS WHO WORKED ON CHANGING THE HOTEL FROM A ROOMS HOTEL TO APARTMENTS. THE POLICE DEPARMENT WAS NOTIFIED THAT THE NEW COMPANY HAS CHANGED THE LOCKS AND ALES IS NOT ALLOWED ON THE PROPERTY. THE APARTMENT TENANTS (AROUND 20) HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED OF A CHANGE IN OWNERSHIP AND HAVE BEEN TOLD NO CHANGES ARE PLANNED. MAQUOKETA CITY MANAGER BRIAN WAGNER SAID THE NEW COMPANY BOUGHT OUT THE TAX CREDITS FROM ALES AS WAS ALLOWED IN THEIR INVESTOR AGREEMENT AND "LITERALLY FORCED ALES OUT".
WAGNER SAID ALE'S HURST APARTMENTS ON OLIVE STREET ARE NOT EFFECTED BY THE HOTEL DEAL.

A FORMER MAQUOKETA FUNERAL HOME OPERATOR, PETER TEAHAN, AGE 54, HAS ANNOUNED THAT HE WILL RUN FOR CONGRESS IN IOWA'S 2ND DISTRICT, AS A REPUBLICAN. QUITE A FEW YEARS AGO, HE OWNED TEAHAN FUNERAL HOME ON WEST PLATT STREET, THAT IS NOW THE JEHOVAH WITNESS BUILDING.

DEWITT, PURCHASED A HAUSBARN IN GERMANY, AND HAS MOVED IT TO TOWN. IT IS IN STORAGE NOW AND WILL BE REASSEMBLED IN THE DOWNTOWN PARK AND USED FOR A NEW CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OFFICE AND TOURIST CENTER.
DEWITT ALSO HAS A SISTER CITY IN GERMANY. THE $200 THOUSAND PLUS
PROJECT IS BEING FINANCED BY GRANTS AND DONATIONS. DEWITT HAS DONE A LOT OF WORK IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA THE LAST COUPLE YEARS AND THIS WILL BE ONE MORE THING TO ENHANCE THE DOWNTOWN AREA. DOWNTOWN DEWITT IS LOOKING GOOD AND MOST STOREFRONTS ARE FILLED.

THE EILEEN IVERS IRISH CONCERT IS TOMMORROW NIGHT AT THE OHNWARD FINE ARTS CENTER IN MAQUOKETA, AT 7 P.M. TICKETS AT THE DOOR, $28. SHE HAS A 5-PIECE BAND AND ALSO IN THE SHOW WILL BE A GROUP OF IRISH DANCERS (KIDS )FROM DUBUQUE. EILEEN WAS AN ORGINAL MEMBER OF RIVERDANCE....WAS A NINE-TIME ALL IRELAND FIDDLE CHAMPION AND HAS ENTERTAINED AT THE WHITE HOUSE.

HAVE A NICE WEEKEND.

DENNIS VOY