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The
Official Newspaper of Anamosa, located in Jones County, Iowa
Anamosa News
Since 1855
 Thursday,
December 13, 2007 |
133rd to Receive Full GI Bill Benefits
by Michelle Phillips |
Members of the first battalion, 133rd Infantry will receive full GI Bill benefits after all.
The Department of the Army has decided to extend the orders of the men and women from the 133rd who served on active duty for nearly two years, including extended tours in Iraq. The decision will give the soldiers more than $200 additional each month while attending school. The soldiers’ orders left them just a few days short of receiving full benefits.
U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley brought the matter to the attention of the Department of Defense and the Department of the Army after receiving requests from 133rd veteran, Iowa Rep. Ray Zierkelbach and the unit’s commanding officer.
“I am very, very pleased and proud that over 300 will be getting benefits,” said Braley, “but my understanding is that over 130 still have pending paperwork.”
Braley expressed concern that some vets from the unit may not get their paperwork processed before the spring semester begins.
“It would also be good for those that haven’t filed paperwork to do so,” said Braley.
He reminded the men and women to file paperwork even if they aren’t immediately planning to attend college. The money can be used for up to 10 years after active duty.
Braley said there is still no word concerning how this happened in the first place.
“We are going to continue to investigate how this happened and if it has happened to other units.
Policies and procedures need to be put in place to make sure that is doesn’t happen in the future,” he concluded.
The 133rd is made up of Army National Guard members around the Midwest, including Iowa and Minnesota. The group returned home from Iraq in July. |
Council Hears Presentations Concerning Recycling Center and JRMC Site
By Ben Parker |
The only Anamosa City Council meeting for the month of December was not only the last council meeting of the year, but also the last for councilman Bob George. He will still be taking part in other city events through December, and his replacement, Brady Reynolds, is sworn-in in January.
In spite of December 10 being the last city council meeting for the year, the agenda was surprisingly small.
The council heard two presentations, one by Paul Nelson concerning a recycling center and the second by representatives of the Jones Regional Medical Center (JRMC) concerning site issues.
Is Anamosa big enough to concern itself with a recycling center? That seemed to be the question on most people’s minds when Paul Nelson came before the city, explaining the variety of the grants he has researched. Nelson doesn’t want to open one himself. However, being environmentally conscious, he does believe that the town could use a recycling facility. But, with a population of about 5000 people which includes the prison population, the city of Anamosa might not generate enough recyclable waste to warrant a center of its own.
The council does plan on discussing the idea in the January planning session.
Steve Ulstad, representing JRMC, presented the current site plan for property the hospital hopes to develop. He submitted a list of four requests for the new property.
The City Administrator made five recommendations:
• Refer a question on the Detention Basin to the City Engineer.
• Agree to the annexation to one of the neighboring parcels that the new center needs, as it is not inside the city limits but right on the border.
• Agree to amend the easement from the middle of the property, moving it to the southern edge.
• Agree to change the grade next to 115th street and install a guardrail on north side.
• Approve the access points request for Grant Wood Drive, Highway 64, and 115th Street, with the addition of a concrete apron on the 115th street access.
The council adopted and approved these agreements.
Other actions taken by the council:
• A waver to the city’s subdivision ordinance for the former Happy Hollow site was approved, allowing the two current plats to be recorded with the county recorder.
• Family Foods Class E liquor license, carryout beer and wine, and with Sunday privileges was renewed.
• Dale Barnes will be retiring his position on the Anamosa Police Department, going to work for the Jones County Sheriff’s Office. The council approved finding and hiring a new officer to replace him.
• Licenses for the current set of garbage haulers was approved.
• The council approved a change order for $3,265, in the city’s favor, on the wastewater treatment plant sludge-handling project. This is due to the city’s decision to keep one of the tanks at the plant instead of demolishing it completely.
• The council voted to go ahead and replace the low diving board at the Aqua Court.
• The second reading of the ordinance, amending chapter 99, that authorizes a one-time credit for sewer user fees was barely approved again. There will be a third reading.
• The council approved changes to the personnel policies handbook. The change is in regards to section 32, about insurance. The changes clarify what the city will cover if an employee is eligible, and allows the city to make that determination. The council added a further amendment requiring a minimum of 30 hours and a council vote for eligibility. |
Clinton Campaign Asks for Rose’s Resignation
By Michelle Phillips |
Judy Rose, the Hillary Clinton chairperson for Jones County, was asked to step down from her post on December 5 after she sent out a chain email concerning Barack Obama being a member of Islam and a practicing Muslim. Obama is neither a member of Islam or a practicing Muslim.
The Anamosa woman said she received the email from a grade school friend around the end of September. She sent the email to six family members, Grace Zimmerman and Jones County Democratic Chairperson Gary Hart, but included no comment of her own.
“I sent it and didn’t think a thing of it until yesterday when I got an email from Ryan, her (Clinton’s) coordinator in Dubuque, asking me to step down,” said Rose.
“It was never my intent to slam Obama. I just wanted to say ‘hey, look what’s out here,’ negative campaigning and all.”
The Clinton camp apparently was alerted to the email by a posting from Hart on the liberal, blog site, daily kos. In the blog, Hart does not refer to Rose by name, but rather talks about the negative email he received from “a Clinton county chair”.
“I’m surprised how this snowballed,” said Hart, referring to the national media attention it drew from the likes of CNN and the Associated Press.
Clinton campaign released the following statement: “There is no place in our campaign, or any campaign, for this kind of politics. A volunteer county coordinator made the mistake of forwarding an outrageous and offensive email. This was wholly unauthorized, and we were totally unaware of it. Let me be clear: No one should be engaging in this. We asked this volunteer county coordinator to step down and are making it clear to every person involved in our campaign that this will not be tolerated.”
The same statement was sent to the daily kos site and to Rose, who immediately resigned.
“No one from Clinton’s campaign ever talked to me directly,” Rose remarked and said she said she thought Clinton didn’t want the negative publicity.
Rose originally planned to resign as a delegate for Jones County District 4 but after talking with Hart and accepting his apology, has decided to retain her county position.
“This has taught me how dirty politics can get,” she said.
Hart agreed and said, “My thought is, I will be glad when primary season is over.”
At press time, there was no word on who would replace Rose as Clinton’s Jones County Chairperson, but a spokesperson from her campaign said the position would be filled. |
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