BREEZY, SUNNY AND IN UPPER 50'S.
WARMER TOMORROW AND WEDNESDAY.
VERY LITTLE RAIN OVER THE PAST WEEKEND.

A LONGTIME MAQUOKETA RESTAURANT WAS SEVERLY DAMAGED BY
FIRE AROUND 5 THIS MORNING.    FIREMEN WERE CALLED TO OBIE'S
RESTAURANT ON HIGHWAY 64, AT WEST EDGE OF MAQUOKETA.
FIRE CHIEF MARK BECK SAID THE FIRE MARSHALL HAS BEEN CALLED IN
BECAUSE OF THE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE AND THE UNKNOWN CAUSE.
OBIE'S IS CLOSED SUNDAYS AND OWNER DONNA HEISTER SAID SHE
LEFT LAST NIGHT ABOUT 7 O'CLOCK AND THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS
WHEN SHE LEFT.    CHIEF BECK SAID WHEN FIREMEN ARRIVED, SMOKE
WAS BILLOWING FROM THE KITCHEN AREA.     THE KITCHEN WAS
EXTENSIVELY DAMAGED AND SMOKE, HEAT AND WATER DAMAGE WAS DONE TO OTHER AREAS.    HEISTER SAID THE HEAT WAS SO INTENSE THAT IT MELTED CLOCKS IN THE DINING ROOM.     SHE ESTIMATED MORE THAN $200,000 IN DAMAGE AND SHE SAID SHE IS INSURED.    SHE HAS OWNED THE
BUSINESS FOR 6 YEARS AND WORKED THERE ABOUT 20 YEARS BEFORE
BUYING IT.    SHE SAID SHE WILL RE-OPEN BUT EXPECTS IT WILL BE
CLOSED FOR AT LEAST A MONTH.
I WENT PAST THE BUSINESS SATURDAY NIGHT AROUND 7 AND THE
PARKING LOT WAS FULL.   IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN A POPULAR RESTAURANT
AND BAR. 

THE CITY OF MAQUOKETA HAS AGREED TO PURCHASE TWO NEW WELCOME
BANNERS TO PUT UP AT TWO LOCATIONS.    EACH WILL BE 4 FOOT BY 20 FOOT AND WILL COST $700.   THEY WILL FIRST BE USED FOR TORQUEFEST  THE FIRST WEEK OF MAY.

SCHOOL BOARD MEETING TONIGHT.

IN SPORTS, THE MAQUOKETA CARDINAL BOY'S GOLF TEAM PLAYED IN
THE WEST DELAWARE INVITATIONAL AT MANCHESTER SATURDAY AND PLACED 2ND WITH A TEAM SCORE OF 327.    THERE WERE 72 GOLFERS AND
TY THEDE OF MAQUOKETA WAS THIRD WITH A SCORE OF 76.    HE WAS JUST BEHIND TWO GOLFERS THAT TIED AT 75.

THANKS FOR CHECKING IN AGAIN.

DENNIS VOY