47 TODAY....SUNNY.

MCHS STUDENTS WERE EVACUATED FOR ABOUT AN HOUR THIS MORNING BECAUSE OF A GAS LEAK OUTSIDE OF THE SCHOOL BUILDING. FIREMEN WERE CALLED AFTER THE SMELL OF SMOKE, NEAR THE NEW CLINTON COMMUNITY BUILDING. BLACK HILLS
ENERGY CAME AND REPAIRED THE LEAK AND BY 9:30 A.M. THE STUDENTS WERE BACK IN SCHOOL.

AT THE RECOMENDATION OF PROGRAM DIRECTOR HELEN SNELL, THE MAQUOKETA SCHOOL BOARD APPROVED EXTENDING THE FOUR-YEAR-OLD PRESCHOOL TO FIVE HALF-DAYS, FROM FOUR DAYS. IT WAS NOTED THAT MOST SURROUNDING DISTRICTS OFFER FIVE DAYS.

UNEMPLOYMENT RATE FIGURES WERE ANNOUNCED AGAIN THIS WEEK AND IN JACKSON COUNTY, THE RATE WENT DOWN A BIT, TO 8.8 PERCENT. IT WAS 9 IN
JANUARY.

WORD HAS BEEN RECEIVED OF THE DEATH OF 85 YEAR OLD RAYMOND HOLM
OF DES MOINES AND FORMERLY OF MAQUOKETA. HE DIED BACK ON FEBRUARY 10TH IN DES MOINES AND AT ONE TIME, FARMED IN THIS AREA. GOOGLE
GRANDVIEW PARK FUNERAL HOME FOR MORE DETAILS.

VIC AND DIANNE RATHJE OUT AMANA WAY GOT THEIR APRIL/MAY ISSUE
OF "OUR IOWA" IN THE MAIL YESTERDAY AND THE ISSUE HAS A FEATURE,
"THE PRETTIEST FARM IN IOWA" AND OWNED BY KMAQ-AREA LOCALS MIKE AND JULIE DELANEY.
DIANNE SAYS IT IS AN EXCELLENT STORY AND TELLS ALSO ABOUT THEIR
HERD OF 80 ALPACAS.

SORRY TO REPORT THE CLOSING OF A DOWNTOWN BUSINESS. BUGS COFFEE
CAFE' HAS CLOSED. IT OPENED LAST FALL. IT WAS A NICE PLACE....GOOD SANDWICHES AND SPECIAL BEVERAGES....WE WILL MISS IT. I ASSUME IT JUST WAS NOT DOING ENOUGH BUSINESS.
FOR MORE BUSINESS NEWS.....SEE BELOW THIS REPORT. OH YES, MANAGEMENT FROM THE GOODWILL STORE WILL BE ON KMAQ'S JUST TALK TOMORROW. YOU
CAN HEAR THE SHOW BY GOING TO OUR HOME PAGE AND IN UPPER LEFT CORNER,
CLICK-ON THE ON THE AIR BUTTON.
ONE MORE COMMENT REGARDING DOWNTOWN......A NEW BRICK FRONT IS BEING
PUT ON RICK DECKER'S BUILDING ON EAST PLATT, ON THE CORNER WHERE THE
TERM CITY BUSINESS WAS. (HARRIS PENROSE COMPANY MANY YEARS BACK. I
WONDER WHAT ALWAYS SOFT-SPOKEN ROY MOREHEAD IS DOING THESE DAYS?) THAT NICE CORNER LOCATION IS FOR RENT WITH THE NEW FRONT WILL MAKE IT EVEN A NICER PLACE FOR A NEW BUSINESS.
I WISH ANOTHER FURNITURE STORE WOULD COME TO TOWN. SPREAD THE
WORD THAT MAQUOKETA WOULD BE A GOOD LOCATION FOR A FURNITURE
STORE. YOU CAN'T BUY A NEW CHAIR OR ANY FURNITURE IN ALL OF
JACKSON COUNTY. JACKSON COUNTY ONCE HAD 6 FURNITURE STORES.
BACK IN 1878 MAQUOKETA HAD 3 CABINET SHOPS. SUPPOSE THEY ALSO
SOLD FURNITURE?

THANKS FOR CHECKING IN! HAPPY TRAILS!

DENNIS VOY