PERFECT DAY TODAY....SUNNY....LIGHT WIND...IN 70'S.
WILL BE GREAT NIGHT FOR THE FAIR PARADE AND AT THE FAIRGROUNDS AFTER.
CHANCE OF RAIN TOMORROW.
MAQUOKETA HAS RECEIVED A $99,000 GRANT TO ASSIST WITH BUSINESS
DEVELOPMENT. THE MAQUOKETA INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE SERVICE, OR MIDAS, WHICH IS THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ARM OF THE CITY, HAS RECEIVED THE GRANT. CITY MANAGER BRIAN WAGNER SAID THE MONEY
MOST LIKELY WILL BE USED AS A REVOLVING LOAN FUND, SIMILIAR TO ONE USED BY JACKSON COUNTY. THAT LOAN FUND ALLOWS BUSINESS OWNERS TO APPLY FOR
LOW INTEREST LOANS TO START UP COMPANIES OR EXPAND.
THE MAQUOKETA HOSPITAL BOARD MET YESTERDAY AND VOTED TO ELIMINATE
TWO DEPARTMENTS AND ONE COMMUNITY SERVICE. IT MOVE IS ESTIMATED TO SAVE THE HOSPITAL $445,000 A YEAR AND WILL PUT ABOUT 35 PEOPLE OUT OF
WORK. THERE ARE 196 ON THE PAYROLL AT THIS TIME. BY NOVEMBER 1ST, THE HOSPITAL WILL ELIMINATE THE DIALYSIS UNIT, THE SKILLED NURSING LONG TIME CARE UNIT, AND WILL NO LONGER COOK MEALS FOR THE MEALS ON WHEELS PROGRAM IN MAQUOKETA. AN EFFORT WILL BE MADE TO FIND ANOTHER
PLACE TO PROVIDE THE MEALS. ABOUT 45 RESIDENTS NOW GET MEALS MONDAY-FRIDAY. THIS PAST SPRING, THE SATURDAY AND SUNDAY MEALS WERE STOPPED BY THE HOSPITAL. HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATOR CURT COLEMAN SAID HIS
OFFICE IS WORKING WITH THE FAMILIES OF THE 14 RESIDENTS AFFECTED
BY CLOSING THE LONGTERM UNIT. IT IS HOPED THEY CAN BE MOVED TO A DIFFERENT PLACE BY NOVEMBER. THERE ARE TWO NURSING HOMES IN MAQUOKETA PLUS OTHERS IN THE AREA THAT MAY BE ABLE TO ACCOMODATE
THE 14. THE DIALYSIS UNIT AT THE HOSPITAL OPENED IN 2002 AND CAN
ACCOMODATE 22 PATIENTS. BUT RECENTLY, THE NUMBERS HAVE DECLINED SO THERE ARE 14 PATIENTS NOW. COLEMAN SAID DOCTORS ARE NOW DOING A BETTER JOB OF MANAGING HYPERTENSION AND PATIENTS ARE NOT HAVING TO
GO ON DIALYSIS. HE SAID NUMBERS HAVE ALSO DROPPED IN OTHER HOSPITALS IN THIS AREA.
ONE PERSON WAS TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL WITH POSSIBLE INJURIES FOLLOWING A ONE-VEHICLE ACCIDENT AROUND 1:30 YESTERDAY AFTERNOON JUST OVER A MILE NORTH OF MAQUOKETA. THE DRIVER, JOY BAILEY-CARTER, 55, OF MAQUOKETA,
LOST CONTROL WHILE DRIVING NORTH ON HIGHWAY 61. SHE WAS CHARGED WITH FAILURE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL AND DAMAGES CAME TO AROUND $5,500 TO HERE 2003 MODEL CAR.
A MAQUOKETA WOMAN BACKED INTO AN RTA BUS YESTERDAY MORNING.
CAROL MILLER, AGE 40, WAS BACKING OUT OF A PRIVATE DRIVE ON EAST QUARRY
AND HIT THE RTA BUS DRIVEN BY JEFFREY CLARK, 44, OF MAQUOKETA.
THE MONSTER TRUCK WAR IS AT 8:30 TONIGHT AFTER THE PARADE.
IT'S FAIRTIME IN MAQUOKETA. WISH YOUR WERE HERE.
DENNIS VOY