Tuesday, July 17, 2012

97 TODAY...
93 TOMORROW
90 ON THURSDAY
87 ON FRIDAY

IOWA GOVERNOR TERRY BRANSTAD YESTERDAY COMMUTED THE SENTENCES FOR 38 IN IOWA SERVING LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE.
INSTEAD...THE CONVICTS NOW WILL  HAVE A CHANCE AT PAROLE
AFTER SERVING 60 YEARS.    ALL 38 WERE THOSE WHO WERE YOUNGER THAN 18 WHEN CONVICTED.    BRANSTAD'S MOVE YESTERDAY COMES AFTER
A SUPREME COURT RULING IN THE CASE OF MILLER VERSUS THE STATE OR ALABAMA THAT SAID IMPOSING MANDATORY LIFE SENTENCES WITHOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF PAROLE FOR JUVENILES  VIOLATED THE 8TH AMENDMENT, WHICH PROTECTS AGAINST EXCESSIVE SANCTIONS BY THE GOVERNMENT.
TWO THAT NOW HAVE A CHANCE AT PAROLE WERE CONVICTED IN
JACKSON COUNTY.    THEY ARE....JAMES CORDER OF MAQUOKETA,
WHO IN 1987 WAS CONVICTED AT THE AGE OF 16, AND HAS SERVED OVER 24 YEARS SO FAR AND MITCHELL RONEK, NOW 45,  WHO WAS CONVICTED
AT AGE 17 IN 1984 AND HAS BEEN IN PRISON OVER 27  YEARS.

THE CITY COUNCIL HAD A LESS THAN 10 MINUTE MEETING LAST NIGHT.
THEY APPROVED A CHANGE ORDER IN THE AMOUNT OF $8,730 TO ADD WEST PLEASANT STREET NEW LIGHTING TO THE LIGHTING PROJECT IN MAQUOKETA.   
AND THEY APPROVED CLOSING A ONE-NIGHT  DOWNTOWN BLOCK ON SEPTEMBER 29TH FOR A CHAMBER EVENT, THAT WILL INCLUDE A 5-K RUN AND ANOTHER' "MUSCLE ON MAIN STREET" CAR SHOW.   THAT WEEKEND WILL ALSO BE MAQUOKETA HOMECOMING WEEKEND.

A MAQUOKETA RESIDENT, CRAIG JOHNSON, AGE 18, WAS CHARGED IN CONNECTION WITH AN INCIDENT JUNE 22ND IN RURAL MAQUOKETA.
HE WAS ACCUSED OF DAMAGING A STOP SIGN AFTER ATTACHING
DYNAMITE TO THE SIGN POST AND LIGHTING  IT....CAUSING AN
ESTIMATED $190 DAMAGE.    AFTER HEARING JOHNSON'S GUILTY PLEA,
MAGISTRATE R. J. BESCH ORDER JONSON TO PAY $510 IN FINES,SURCHARGES, COSTS AND RESTITUTION.

IN BUSINESS NEWS....TIMBER LANES WILL HAVE THEIR ANNUAL
BEACH PARTY ON SATURDAY, JULY 28TH WITH THE GREAT PLAINS
BAND.     THE FAIR IS ALSO ON THAT DAY.'

AND...DAN'S BARBER SHOW ON NORTH MAIN STREET HAS RE-OPENED FOR BUSINESS.

IN SPORTS....THREE  HIGH SCHOOL GAMES ON KMAQ TOMORROW.
THE BELLEVUE MARQUETTE GIRLS GAME AT NOON FROM FORT DODGE,
AND A SECOND CONSOLATION GAME LATER IN AFTERNOON.
AND AT 7 TOMORROW NIGHT, THE MAQUOKETA CARDINAL BASEBALL TOURNAMENT GAME AGAINST WESTERN DUBUQUE.
THERE WILL BE A SPECIAL  PAT BOLLMAN COACHES SHOW AT 5:45 TOMORROW AFTERNOON ON KMAQ, RIGHT AFTER THE NEWS BLOCK, TO TALK ABOUT THE WIN LAST NIGHT AND TOMORROW NIGHT'S GAME AT 7.

FAMOUS DAILY WORDS....KEEP COOL.

DENNIS VOY