MOSTLY CLOUDY TODAY WITH A HIGH OF 42.

THE BELLEVUE MARQUETTE GIRLS LOST THEIR STATE TOURNAMENT GAME
LAST NIGHT. THEY HAD A 10 POINT LEAD STARTING THE 4TH QUARTER BUT WERE ABLE TO SCORE ONLY 6 POINTS THE REST OF THE GAME.
DEWITT PLAYS TONIGHT AT 7:45.
MONTICELLO LOST THIS AFTERNOON.

THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES RESEARCHERS CHECKED THE BATS AT THE MAQUOKETA CAVES START PARK THIS WEEK AND FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF A FUNGUS WHICH KILLS BATS. THE CAVES WERE CLOSED DOWN LAST YEAR BECAUSE OF THE FEAR OF THE SPREAD OF THE FUNGUS. THE DNR HAS NOT DECIDED WHETHER THE CAVES CAN RE-OPEN THIS YEAR. THE REST OF THE PARK, FOR PICNICS, HIKES, CAMPING, ETC. WAS OPEN LAST YEAR AND IS OPEN NOW. BUT, IT IS THE CAVES THAT BRINGS THE VISITORS. THE CAVES RANGER, SCOTT DYKSTRA, SAID HE HOPES THE CAVES CAN OPEN THIS YEAR. NORMALLY, NEARLY A QUARTER OF A MILLION PEOPLE VISIT THE MAQUOKETA CAVES STATE PARK EACH YEAR. LAST YEAR, THERE WERE LESS THAN A THIRD OF THAT NUMBER. AND THE REDUCED NUMBER HURT A LOT OF BUSINESS PLACES.

MAQUOKETA COMMUNITY SCHOOLS SUPERINTENDENT KIM HUCKSTADT SAID
NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET WILL NOT REQUIRE ANY LAYOFFS UNLESS SOME GRANTS
DO NOT COME THROUGH. DURING THIS WEEK'S BUDGET WORKSHOP, HE SAID THEY HAVE ALREADY CUT ABOUT $230,000 OUT OF NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET. MANY OF THE CUTS COME FROM NOT REPLACING EMPLOYEES WHO ARE RETIRING.

THE MAQUOKETA FFA CONSIGNMENT ANNUAL SALE IS THIS SUNDAY BY THE HIGH SCHOOL AND THEIR ANNUAL FISH FRY IS FRIDAY NIGHT, MARCH 11TH.

THANKS FOR THE VISIT.

DENNIS VOY