WE HAD CLOUDY SKIES THIS MORNING AND SOME HEAVY RAIN THIS AFTERNOON.
HIGH OF 75.    MORE RAIN TONIGHT, BUT NO RAIN IN FORECAST FOR TOMORROW.

A FUNGUS THAT THREATENS BATS HAS PROMPTED THE DNR TO CLOSE CAVES
IN STATE PARKS IN IOWA AND ILLINOIS, INCLUDING THOSE CAVES AT THE
MAQUOKETA CAVES STATE PARK.    THE REST OF THE PARK WILL STAY OPEN.
THE DNR SAID THEY HAVE NOT FOUND INDICATIONS OF A FUNGUS IN IOWA YET,
BUT THE FUNGUS IS SPREADING ACROSS THE MIDWEST AND KILLING BATS.   AN ESTIMATED ONE MILLIONS BATS HAVE DIED SINCE IT WAS FOUND IN 2006 IN NEW YORK.

A BOY WAS BORN WEDNESDAY AT FINLEY HOSPITAL IN DUBUQUE TO TROY AND
BARB COAKLEY OF DUBUQUE.    GRANDPARENTS ARE BUTCH AND BONNIE COAKLEY AND DAVE AND ELAINE LUETT.

THE STOCK CAR RACES TOMORROW NIGHT IN MAQUOKETA WILL BE SPONSORED BY KMAQ.    AS IN PAST YEARS, I'LL BE AT THE RACETRACK INTERVIEWING OFFICIALS
AND DRIVERS FROM 4:30 UNTIL 6 TOMORROW NIGHT.   THE RACES START AT 6.

HAVE A GOOD WEEKEND.

DENNIS VOY

WELL, AS YOU CAN SEE, PROGRESS IS BEING MADE.   THIS PHOTO WAS TAKEN THIS
MORNING AND WORK CONTINUED TODAY UNTIL THE RAIN CAME EARLY THIS
AFTERNOON AND STOPPED HAULING FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK.    THE CONTRACTOR TOLD CITY OFFICIALS TODAY THAT THE PROCESS OF CLEANING UP THE DOWNTOWN MAQUOKETA FIRE MESS HAS GONE WELL.      THIS MONDAY, THE ORNATE COLUMNS WILL BE LOADED ONTO A CITY  PUBLIC WORKS TRAILER FOR DELIVERY TO THEJACKSON COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY.   ALSO, NEXT MONDAY OR TUESDAY, THE CONTRACTOR PLANS TO CLOSE OFF MAIN STREET IN FRONT OF THE SITE IN ORDER TO ABANDON THE WATER AND SEWER LINES THAT WERE USED TO SERVE THE BURNED DOWN BUILDINGS.    THERE ARE FOUR WATER AND ALSO FOUR SEWER SERVICES.    BOTH LANES OF MAIN STREET WILL BE CLOSED TO TRAFFIC FROM PLEASANT TO THE NORTHEND OF THE CLEANUP SITE.     THE CLOSURE COULD BE 2 DAYS TO THE ENTIRE WEEK.      LOCAL TRAFFIC TO ACCESS THE BUSINESS IN THAT MAIN BLOCK  WILL ACCESS OFF OF PLATT STREET.
DENNIS VOY

I WILL BE OUT OF TOWN WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY.
THE NEXT PHOTOS WILL BE ON FRIDAY MORNING.
SEE ENTRIES EARLIER TODAY.
DENNIS VOY

FINIALLY!         JANUARY 19, 2008  -  APRIL 27, 2010
CLICK-ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE IT AND READ MORE BELOW.
DENNIS VOY

THE CLEAN UP IS UNDERWAY!   READ MORE BELOW!
 

KMAQ-FM WAS AT THE SCENE THIS MORNING TO COVER THE FIRST DAY OF THE
BIG FIRE MESS CLEAN-UP IN DOWNTOWN MAQUOKETA.    LEIGHTON HEPKER AND I
WERE ON-THE-AIR FROM 10:05 UNTIL 11 A.M. AND WE INTERVIEWED THE FOREMAN
FOR THE CLEAN-UP, THE CEDAR RAPIDS ENGINEER OVERSEEING THE WORK FOR THE CITY, CITY MANAGER BRIAN WAGNER (SHOWN TALKING TO LEIGHTON), FORMER MAYOR AND FIREMAN TOM MESSERLI,  AND DOWNTOWN BUSINESS NEIGHBORS TO THE FIRE SCENE, ROCHELLE RAY, KAREN BREITBACH AND MICHELLE ATIENZA.    CLICK-ON PHOTO TO ENLARGE IT ......AND SEE AND READ MORE BELOW.   MORE PHOTOS COMING DURING THE WEEK AND BY FRIDAY, I SHOULD HAVE PHOTOS SHOWING A DRAMATIC DIFFERENCE.    FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT CAN HEAR KMAQ,
WE WILL RE-BROADCAST THIS MORNING'S REMOTE BROADCAST ....TONIGHT....
AT 6:05 ON KMAQ-AM-1320.    SPREAD THE WORD.
DENNIS VOY

WORK IS UNDERWAY AS YOU CAN SEE.    NOT MUCH OF A CHANGE YET.
SOME BACK WALLS WENT DOWN THIS MORNING.    BIG TRUCKS WITH
LINED DUMPSTERS ARE HAULING THE DEBRIS TO MILAN, ILLINOIS.   CLICK-ON
THE PHOTO TO ENLARGE AND NOTICE THE BIG PIECE EQUIPMENT
ON TOP OF THE PILE.   THERE ARE TWO OF THOSE AT WORK.
DENNIS VOY

ON THIS BEAUTIFUL APRIL 27TH IN MAQUOKETA....

THE BIG STORY IS.....

THE CLEAN-UP OF THE DOWNTOWN FIRE MESS STARTED THIS MORNING.

KEEP WATCHING FOR PHOTOS AND BY THE END OF THE WEEK,  IT SHOULD
START LOOKING GOOD.

IT WILL BE A COUPLE WEEKS BEFORE THE JOB OF PUTTING BLACK DIRT IN THE
BIG HOLE AND THE SEEDING OF GRASS IS COMPLETED.

DENNIS VOY

THIS PHOTO WAS TAKEN AT THE CLINTON ENGINES MUSEUM EARLIER THIS MONTH
ON BROWN BAG LUNCH TUESDAY.    THE STORY ABOUT THIS PHOTO IS BELOW.
SO, STUDY THE PHOTO AND THEN SCROLL ON DOWN TO READ ABOUT IT.
THIS CABINET BELONGED TO LONGTIME LATE BUSINESSMAN BEN JACONSEN.
DENNIS VOY

THIS COPPER WORKS HAS TO DO WITH THE BELLEVUE WAR.    MORE ABOUT THIS
AT A LATER TIME.
DENNIS VOY

TEST

SUNDAY TEST

APRIL 12 T E S T

test

THURSDAY TEST

IN THIS PHOTO I TOOK OVER THE NOON HOUR TUESDAY AT THE CLINTON ENGINES
MUSEUM, IS RICHARD GANZER, WHO IS RETIRED AND A  GOOD VOLUNTEER FOR THE
JACKSON COUNTY H ISTORICAL SOCIETY THAT SPONSORS THE TUESDAY NOON
BROWN BAG LUNCH PROGRAM EVERY TUESDAY.     RICHARD  CLEANED AND RESTORED THE ACCOUNTING CABINET THAT CAME OUT OF BEN JACOBEN'S OLD "RINGLEP HARDWARE" IN MAQUOKETA.    IT WAS GIVEN TO THE SOCIETY BY KATHY AND VERL BANOWETZ OF BANOWETZ ANTIQUES IN MAQUOKETA AND WILL BE PERMANENTLY ON DISPLAY AT THE FAIRGROUNDS MUSEUM.      RINGLEP HARDWARE STARTED BACK IN THE LATE 1880'S BY AN UNCLE OF BEN JACOBSEN.    BEN WAS BORN IN 1882 AND DIED AT AGE 95 IN 1977.    HE OWNED THE STORE FOR OVER 50 YEARS IN SEVERAL LOCATIONS, THE LAST BEING IN THE BUILDING AT THE CORNER OF MAIN AND PLEASANT THAT WILL BE TAKEN DOWN LATER THIS YEAR AFTER THE DOWNTOWN FIRE DAMAGED IT.    BE NOT ONLY WAS BEN  A LONGTIME BUSINESSMAN, BUT ALSO A MAYOR 2 OR 3 TIMES, COVERING A NUMBER OF YEARS AND WAS A VOLUNTEER FIREMAN FOR 70 PLUS YEARS.      HE AND WIFE HATTIE HAD NO CHILDREN.    HE WAS A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE, EVEN THOUGH  I  DEFEATED HIM
IN THE 1970 MAYOR'S RACE.   HIS SLOGAN THAT YEAR WAS..."DON'T SEND A VOY
TO DO A MAN'S JOB".     I  HAD TOO MUCH WORK TO RUN AGAIN TWO YEARS LATER,
SO BEN  RAN AGAIN AND WAS ELECTED AND I SWORE HIM IN AS MAYOR IN LATE
1971.    HE WAS A GOOD ADVERTISER ON KMAQ TOO AND I HAD TO CALL ON HIM
EVERY WEEK FOR A NEW RADIO SPOT.   HE NEVER CHARGED HIS CUSTOMERS
A SALES TAX.....JUST PAID THAT MONTYLY BY TAKING THE PERCENTAGE OF HIS
GROSS PROFIT.      THE CABINET IS WHERE HE KEPT CUSTOMER'S CHARGE SLIPS UNTIL BILLING THEM AT THE END OF THE MONTH OR UNTIL THEY CAME IN TO
PAY THEIR BILL.      THE STORE HAD ANYTHING....THINGS OTHER HARDWARE STORES.
DIDN'T HAVE.   BEN WAS A GOOD MAN.   AND HATTIE WAS A FINE LADY.
IF YOU HAVE A STORY ABOUT BEN, ENTER IT ON THE KMAQ GUEST BOOK.
THE TWO HISTORICAL SOCIETY MUSEUMS ARE CLOSED MONDAYS, OPEN DURING DAYTIME HOURS TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY AND AFTERNOONS SATURDAY AND SUNDAY.
DENNIS VOY

AN INCH OF RAIN LATE YESTERDAY AND OVERNIGHT, AND A LITTLE SINCE THEN.
SUNNY AND DRY NOW, BUT A TORNADO WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 TONIGHT.
THERE WAS SOME STORM DAMAGE OVERNIGHT IN NORTHERN JACKSON COUNTY.
JACKSON COUNTY ENGINEER CLARK SCHLOZ SAID AT SUPERVISOR'S MEETING
THIS MORNING THAT SOME COUNTY ROADS HAVE BEEN CLOSED BECAUSE
OF SOFT SPOTS IN THE ROAD.

MAQUOKETA'S POPULAR "LITTLE BEAR PARK" IS WEARING OUT.    THEY TALKED
ABOUT IT AT THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING LAST NIGHT.    RECENTLY, ONE OF THE RAILINGS FELL DOWN AND WHEN CITY CREWS WENT TO REPAIR IT, THE POST WAS
ROTTED.     THEY SAID 75-PERCENT OF THE POSTS ARE ROTTING FROM THE
INSIDE OUT.    THE CITY GETS A LOT OF CALLS TO MAKE REPAIRS.
THE MATTER HAS BEEN TURNED OVER TO THE COUNCIL MUNICIPAL ENTERPRISE
COMMITTEE TO DO A STUDY AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS.

BOB LARKEY, OWNER OF THE MAQUOKETA LIVESTOCK SALES, REPORTED TO
THE JACKSON COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE THAT 10 ANGUS CROSS STEERS
WERE STOLEN SOMETIME OVER THE WEEKEND FROM THE SALE BARN ON
SUMMIT STREET IN MAQUOKETA.     THEY AVERAGE ABOUT 500 POUNDS AND
WERE TAKEN SATURDAY OR SUNDAY NIGHT.     HE SAID THE STEERS HAD BEEN CASTRATED ABOUT 11 SATURDAY MORNING.   VALUE OF THE ANIMALS WAS LISTED AT $7,000.      LARKEY IS OFFERING A $1,000 REWARD FOR INFORMATION LEADING TO THE ARREST AND PROSECUTION OF ANYONE INVOLVED IN THE THEFT.    ANYONE WITH INFORMATION CAN CALL THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AT 652-3312 OR CRIME
STOPPERS AT 652-2212.

HAVE A GOOD NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY.

DENNIS VOY

THE MAIN HOME PAGE OF KMAQ WAS DOWN OVER THE WEEKEND AND
STILL TODAY.    IT IS NOT OUR FAULT.    WE HAVE REPORTED THE PROBLEM
AND  HOPEFULLY IT WILL BE CORRECTED SOMETIME TODAY.     I WAS ABLE
TO DO THIS REPORT ANYWAY AND HOPEFULLY THIS WILL GO UP WHEN ALL
IS BACK TO NORMAL.     AND,  NOW THAT YOUR ARE READING THIS, THE
PROBLEM SHOULD  BE OVER.     THE KMAQ GUEST BOOK WAS NOT EFFECTED FOR SOME REASON, NOR WAS THE 61 DRIVE-IN THEATRE HOME PAGE.     THE VOY THEATRE
THOUGH WAS ALSO EFFECTED.

A LITTLE RAIN OVER THE WEEKEND..... FOR THE MOST PART, NICE EASTER DAY
WITH SOME RAIN LATE AFTERNOON AND TODAY, NICE UNTIL AGAIN LATE IN THE
AFTERNOON WHEN  IT GOT CLOUDY AND RAINED A LITTLE.     MORE RAIN IN
FORECAST THROUGH WEDNEDAY NIGHT AND NICE FORECAST FOR THURSDAY.

NO SCHOOL IN MAQUOKETA TODAY.....THE FINAL DAY OF EASTER VACATION.

CITY COUNCIL MEETING TONIGHT.    THEY WILL BE TALKING ABOUT THE
RESURFACING OF WASHINGTON STREET BY THE HIGH SCHOOL  A WIND TURBINS
ORDINANCE WILL BE DISCUSSED.   THE OLD SWIMMING POOL BIDS FOR EXCESS EQUIPMENT IS ON THE AGENDA.    THE YMCA IS ON THE AGENDA AND THE NEW CONTRACT WITH THE DAVENPORT  Y.  
A DUMP STATION FOR THE FAIR GROUNDS IS ON THE AGENDA TOO AND
TOM HOLMAN, NEW OWNER OF THE LEGION BUILDING, IS AGAIN SCHEDULED TO
DISCUSS A WOOD BURNING OVEN FOR A RESTAURANT IN IT.

A BREAK-IN WAS REPORTED TO MAQUOKETA POLICE BY SPRAGUE SMALL ENGINE BUSINESS ON EAST PLATT.   SOMEONE BROKE IN THE BACK DOOR FRIDAY
EVENING.

THIS SATURDAY IS OPEN PRACTICE DAY AT THE RACE TRACK ON THE FAIRGROUNDS
STARTING AT 1 P.M.    FREE ADMISSION.    THE FIRST STOCK CAR RACES
WILL BE SATURDAY, APRIL 17TH.       KMAQ WILL AGAIN SPONSOR A NIGHT OF RACES, ON SATURDAY, MAY 1ST.   WE'LL BE BROADCASTING FROM THE PIT AREA, DOING
INTERVIEWS WITH DRIVERS.    BOB WAGENER IS AGAIN PUTTING ON THE WEEKLY RACES, HERE AND IN DAVENPORT.      AND HIS CHEIF ASSISTANT IS CARRIE ROUSE WITH THE TITLE MANAGER/EVENT COORDINATOR / RACE DIRECTOR.   SHE HAS BEEN DOING THIS FOR MANY YEARS.   THE WEB SITE IKS www.drttrak.com

HAVE A GOOD WEEK.

DENNIS VOY


 

MOSTLY CLOUDY, WINDY AND IN 60'S TODAY.
STILL RAIN IN FORECAST FOR TONIGHT AND SATURDAY AND NICE DAY FOR SUNDAY.

AN ATTEMPTED-MURDER TRIAL IS COMING TO MAQUOKETA.   THE TRIAL OF AN ILLINOIS MAN WHO IS ACCUSED OF SHOOTING A SABULA MAN IN NOVEMBER HAS BEEN SET FOR JUNE 7TH IN JACKSON COUNTY DISTRICT COURT.

THREE GRASS FIRES IN AREA YESTERDAY.   ITS THE SEASON AND VERY DRY.
THE WEEKEND RAIN WILL HELP.

SEVERAL MAIL BOXES WERE DAMAGED ON EAST GROVE IN MAQUOKETA
YESTERDAY.   THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS INVESTIGATING THIS LATEST VANDLISM
IN MAQUOKETA.

BIRTH:   CHRIS AND LESLEY ORTNER OF JESUP ARE PARENTS OF A GIRL BORN LAST NIGHT.   LESLEY IS THE FORMER LESLEY LEHMAN OF MAQUOKETA.    MATERNAL
GRANDPARENTS ARE DEB AND RON BURNETT OF MAQUOKETA.    MATERNAL GREAT-GRANDMOTHER IS DONNA RORAH OF DELMAR.

HAVE A GOOD WEEKEND AND HAPPY EASTER.

DENNIS VOY

80 TODAY.
JUST SHORT OF THE RECORD FOR THIS DAY.
THE LAST TIME WE HAD 80 WAS ON SEPTEMBER 15TH OF LAST YEAR, AND
WE REACHED 81.    THAT WAS 6 1/2 MONTHS AGO.
EASTER SUNDAY, SUNNY AND HIGH IN LOW 60'S.

THE CITY OF MAQUOKETA HAS RECEIVED SEVERAL GRANTS FROM THE IOWA
OFFICE OF ENERGY INDEPENDENCE, TO MAKE SOME ENERGY UPGRADES
THROUGHOUT THE CITY'S PUBLIC BUILDINGS.
WITH SOME MATCHING FUNDS, WHEN THE PROJECTS ARE DONE, THE ESTIMATED SAVINGS TO THE CITY WOULD BE JUST UNDER $10,000 A YEAR.   WORK ON THE PROJECTS IS SCHEDULED TO START ABOUT SEPTEMBER 1ST.

IN THE JUNE PRIMARY,THERE WILL BE NO CONTESTED RACES FOR COUNTY OFFICES IN JACKSON COUNTY.    THE DEADLINE TO FILE WAS YESTERDAY.     SUPERVISOR JACK WILLEY, SUPERVISOR STEVE FLYNN, TREASURER AL TEBBE, RECORDER ARLENE
SCHAUF AND COUNTY ATTORNEY CHRIS RAKER....ALL FILED PAPERS.

IT IS OFFICIAL, THE AMERICAN LEGION HAS SOLD THEIR BUILDING ON THE CORNER OF MAIN AND PLATT IN DOWNTOWN MAQUOKETA, TO A MAN IN SABULA, WHO WILL
OPEN A RESTAURANT SOMETIME IN THE FUTURE.    AND, THE MAQUOKETA VFW
ALSO SOLD THEIR BUILDING JUST NORTH OF MAQUOKETA OFF OLD HIGHWAY 61.
I HAVE NOT HEARD WHO BOUGHT IT.    BOTH ORGANIZATIONS PLAN TO CONTINUE
IN MAQUOKETA, BUT WILL MEET IN OTHER LOCATIONS, EITHER FOR A RENT FEE
OR FREE RENT.

JANET MITCHELL ON NORTH DECKER  WAS OUR RADIO BINGO WINNER TODAY.

HAVE SEEN SOME PEOPLE MOWING THEIR LAWN ALREADY.

SIX MONTHS OF MOWING AHEAD.....WHAT'S THEIR RUSH?

GOOD NIGHT!

DENNIS VOY