3/4 INCH OF SNOW YESTERDAY. OVERNIGHT LOW OF 11-BELOW AND TODAY, SUNNY AND COLD.

THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES IS WEIGHING IN ON THE MAJOR DOWNTOWN FIRE IN MAQUOKETA. MAQUOKETA CITY MANAGER BRIAN WAGNER SAID A DNR OFFICIAL TALKED TO HIM TODAY ABOUT ASBESTOS REMOVAL. WAGENER SAID THE DNR WANTS THE CITY AND PROPERTY OWNERS TO HOLD OFF DOING ANY CLEAN-UP UNTIL AN INSPECTION OF THE AREA HAS BEEN MADE.
WAGNER SAID THE CITY WILL COORDINATE A MEETING WITH THE PROPERTY OWNERS NEXT WEEK TO TALK ABOUT THE CLEAN UP. HE SAID THERE IS SOME INTEREST IN HIRING A JOINT ASBESTOS CONSULTANT FOR THE DEMOLITION.
THE CITY ISN'T TAKING A MAJOR ROLE IN THE DEMOLITION BECAUSE IT IS PRIVATE PROPERTY. WANGER SAID THE CITY WANTS TO SEE THE RUBBLE REMOVED FROM THE CITY SIDEWALK SO THE CAN GET TO THE CITY WATER SHUT OFFS. WAGNER SAID IT IS LIKELY THE CITY WATER IS STILL RUNNING UNLESS THE PIPES ARE FROZEN. AND AQUILA WOULD ALSO LIKE TO GET INTO THE BACK OF THE BUILDINGS BECAUSE THEY HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THEIR GAS LINES AND METERS.
THE CITY MANAGER ALSO SAID HE HAS NOT HEARD WHETHER THE PICKLE BARREL RESTAURANT BUILDING IS STRUCTURALLY SOUND. FIRE CHEIF BECK SAID THEY ARE STILL MONITORING THE FIRE AREA AND HE SAID ANY WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM THE AREA IS LIKELY STEAM, AND THAT IF THERE IS BLACK SMOKE, THERE'S FIRE.
THE AERIAL MAQUOKETA AERIAL TRUCK WILL GO TO ALEXIS IN ILLINOIS FOR REPAIRS. CHEIF BECK SID THE PUMP WAS BROKEN AND HE ESTIMATES THE REPAIR BILL WILL BE $10,000. THE TRUCK, A 1985 MODEL, WAS PURCHSED BY MAQUOKETA 5 YEARS AGO AND HAS NOT BEEN USED MUCH.
AND....WE LEARNED TODAY THAT BRIAN AUNAN, CPA, WHO HAD A SUITE AT THE
SMILES ON MAIN DENTAL BUILDING, WILL HAVE TEMPORARY OFFICES AT THE U.S. BANK.

THE UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IN IOWA INCREASED IN DECEMBER TO 4 PERCENT, UP FROM 3.9%......AND FOR JACKSON COUNTY, THE JOBLESS RATE WAS 4 PERCENT IN NOVEMBER AND WENT UP TO 5.5 PERCENT IN DECEMBER.

THE PEACE PIPE PLAYERS HAVE ANNOUNCED THE CAST FOR THEIR UPCOMING NEIL SIMON PLAY, "THE ODD COUPLE". MARTY DAVISON WILL PLAY FELIX AND BRUCE ENGEL WILL BE OSCAR. ALSO IN THE COMEDY WILL BE: JOEL DAVIDSON,
CHRIS RAKER, ED SZABO, TIM TAYLOR, ERICA BARKER, AND CARRIE DAVISON ROUSE.
LORI HOUSTON AND REBECCA KUTSCH WILL BE CO-DIRECTORS. THE PLAY WILL BE PUT ON AT THE OHNWARD CENTER FEBRUARY 29TH AND MARCH 1ST AND 2ND.
TICKETS, AT $12, WILL BE AVAILABLE IN ADVANCE AT OSTERHAUS PHARMACY.'

AND SO LONG UNTIL NEXT TIME.

DENNIS VOY