FIVE INCHES OF SNOW LATE YESTERDAY AND OVERNIGHT IN MAQUOKETA. EIGHT INCHES SO FAR IN JANUARY. SCHOOL DELAYED 2 HOURS THIS MORNING BECAUSE OF THE SNOW AND BAD ROADS. THE MAQUOKETA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ANNUAL BREAKFAST MEETING POSTPONED UNTIL NEXT TUESDAY MORNING.
TODAY'S HIGH, 12. WARMER WEATHER....IN UPPER 20'S....SHOULD COME OUR WAY OVER THE WEEKEND.

NOTHING NEW ON THE FIRE.

HOSPICE OF JACKSON COUNTY NOW HAS LAND FOR ITS NEW FACILITY. THE SUPERVISORS TODAY SOLD THEM BICENTENNIAL PARK (7 ACRES) FOR THE ASKING PRICE OF $77,500. THE LAND, IS ACROSS THE STREET, NORTH OF THE HOSPITAL AND RUNS ALONG THE MAQUOKETA RIVER. HOSPICE HAS PROPOSED TO KEEP PART OF THE PARK AS A MEMORIAL WHICH WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC
USE. HOSPICE OFFICIALS PLAN TO BUILD A $1.4 MILLION DOLLAR 7 BED FACILITY, WITH OFFICES.

INTERESTING WATER FACTS ABOUT THE FIRE, AS REPORTED AT LAST NIGHT'S CITY COUNCIL MEETING BY TODD ALLEN OF THE ALLIANT COMPANY THAT RUNS THE WATER STYSTEM FOR THE CITY. ALLEN SAID THE DAILY AVERAGE USE OF WATER IS 745,475 GALLONS. SATURDAY, THE FIRST DAY OF FIRE, THE PLANT FLOW WAS 1.3 MILLION GALLONS AND SUNDAY, 1.4 MILLION GALLONS OF WATER. AT ONE POINT, THE CITY'S WATER TOWER DROPPEDONE-HALF FOOT IN FIVE MINUTES AND THE LEVELS IN THE TWO TOWERS DROPPED MORE THAN 15 FEET. HE SAID IF THE WATER HAD CONTINUED TO DROP IN THE TOWERS, THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN DRAINED AND COULD HAVE COLLAPSED. THE WEST TOWER HAS A CAPACITY OF 500,000 GALLONS AND THE EAST TOWER, 250,000. THE WATER DEPARTMENT FOUND IT NECESSARY DURING THE FIRE TO ASK THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO REDUCE ITS DRAW ON THE SYSTEM. THAT IS WHEN THE PLAN USED IN RURAL FIRES WAS IMPLEMENTED AND TANKER TRUCKS HAULED WATER FROM THE MAQUOKETA RIVER. ALLEN SAID THE WATER PLANT IS DESIGNED TO PUMP 1,000 GALLONS OF WATER PER MINUTE, BUT IT RAMPED UP TO 1,800 GALLONS PER MINUTE.

PATRICIA WALLACE, 72, OF MAQUOKETA, DIED YESTERDY. HER COMPLETE OBITUARY IS AT www.laheys.com.

JOE SHOLLENBERGER,36, OF CASPER, WYOMING AND FORMERLY OF MAQUOKETA, DIED JANUARY 12TH IN CASPER. HE WAS BORN IN CLINTON TO ROBERT SHOLLENBERGER AND LYNN HANSEN. HE IS SURVIVED BY A SON, ISAAC BIEHL OF MAQUOKETA AND A DAUGHTER IN KANSAS. ALSO HIS MOTHER AND STEPFATHER.

THE MAQUOKETA CARDINALS WRESTLERS WON ONE MEET LAST NIGHT AND LOST ONE.

THANKS FOR THE VISIT. TAKE CARE AND KEEP WARM.

DENNIS VOY