Dennis' Daily Worldwide Report

Rain this morning, sunshine and warm this afternoon.....Ed Grady, age 72, editor of the Maquoketa Newspaper from 1952 until l969, died last weekend in St. Paul Park, Minnesota, after a long bout with cancer. He was a popular newspaperman here in Maquoketa and new just about everyone in the County. He left Maquoketa to join the Minnesota Farm Bureau communications division. He is survived by his wife Roberta, two daughters and a son. He was buried in his hometown of Monona, Iowa.
Dennis Voy
- Tuesday, September 29, 1998 at 18:55:08 (EDT)

Maquoketa lost the Homecoming game Friday night, 14 to 7.
Dennis Voy
- Sunday, September 27, 1998 at 19:23:58 (EDT)

Cool but nice day in Maquoketa. Excitement builds for Homecoming. The big game against Western Dubuque is tomorrow night at Goodenow Field. Maquoketa is 3 and 0 and Western Dubuque is 2 and 1. The Homecoming Queen is Abby Stockham, daughter of Dave and Diane Stockham and the King is Seth Wing, son of Mike and Vicki Wing. The Parade is at 1:30 tomorrow afternoon and I'll be one of the judges.....WISH YOU ALL COULD BE HERE FOR THE GAME.
Dennis Voy
- Thursday, September 24, 1998 at 18:14:28 (EDT)

No, this was not first day of Fall. Fall arrives soon after midnight, Wednesday.....Maquoketa won their football game Friday night at South Tama and are now 3 and 0. Homecoming this Friday night. The band will be in new uniforms at half-time, purchased by the Band Boosters at cost of $35,000. Most of the money earned in their half-time football food stand. The old uniforms were about 15 years old. The band will also be in the new outfits a week from this Saturday when the annual Octobefest Of Bands will be held here in town.......Mugsy Deery, wife of Brad Deery, died over the weekend after a long battle with Cancer. She was 39. Brad owns the big car dealership here in town that was Rasmussen Motors. He has had it nearly a dozen years and the first five years, the young couple lived in Maquoketa. Then, Brad bought another dealership in Burlington and they have been living there ever since. She is survived by husband Brad and 3 small children.....Reid Erikson, former resident, banker, in Maquoketa, also died over the weekend....and that will have to do it for today.
Dennis Voy
- Monday, September 21, 1998 at 18:34:36 (EDT)

It started raining at around ll last night and hasn't stopped since.....we are over 3 inches....and will probably reach 4 before it stops tomorrow......Maquoketa electric rates are going down, effective January l, 1998....around 10%. That's because our local light plant will start buying wholesale power then form a different source, at a lower rate.....resulting in $500,000 a year in wholesale savings.....and the local utility board has decided to pass the savings on to every customer. Keep in mind, Maquoketa is unique and can do this because we own our own electric plant that can go on-line when necessary and produce all the power needed, when the wholesaler asks. Our plant has to be kept up to date to have this capability. Not too long ago, a new million dollar generator was put in locally to replace and old one and now the board will do it again. With reserves buildt up, a new geneator will be purchased soon to replace a l939 model. Maquoketa electric rates are low....a real plus for citizens and business....and now when they become even lower, new industry is possible......And that will do this report for today.
Dennis Voy
- Monday, September 14, 1998 at 18:37:09 (EDT)

Great weather day, but warm...high 88. Great day for Iowa State, they upset Iowa this afternoon at Iowa City. A good thing for Iowa football in general. And..the Maquoketa Cardinals defeated Monticello last night here in Maquoketa and are now 2 and 0. Have a nice weekend.
Dennis Voy
- Saturday, September 12, 1998 at 17:43:53 (EDT)

Great day again in Maquoketa......The Jackson County Public Hospital Board, instead of going through a jury trial with former Maquoketa Doctor Paul Barber, settled out of court for his back rent on office space at the hospital. He owes the hospital nearly $70,000 but the hospital board has agreed on $30,000. Each pays for their own legal fees. Dr. Barber left Maquoketa in 1993 and the dispute has been going on since. Good that it has finially been settled. The doctor will pay $l5,000 this month and the other $l5,000 nest January......Gary Drew, former Pizza Store owner in Maquoketa and an original member(but not now) of the Auditorium Committee, announced today that he, his wife and some other un-named residents are going to build a new Fine Arts Center on East Platt Street, for around $600,000. It will start off as a 700 seat auditorium, but the 3 acres, already purchased by Mr. and MRS. Drew, will have room for a rec center add-on later that will include a swimming pool....and also later, an add-on 200 seat theatre. He and a board to be announced hope to start building this fall and build as the money is raised. This announcement comes after the defeat Tuesday for a Bond Referendum to build a 4-million dollar auditorium onto the High School. Will Gary Drew's idea fly? Time will tell and I'll keep you posted......Maquoketa State Bank will have a 5-day celebration next Monday thru Friday to celebrate their 40th year in Maquoketa. More later. And that will do it for today.
Dennis Voy
- Thursday, September 10, 1998 at 18:50:24 (EDT)

Great weather here in Iowa....you poor folks out West and down South....sorry you can't be here in God's Country, enjoying the best weather......Well, Maquoketa will not be getting a $4-million-dollar auditorium. The issue was defeated yesterday in the School Election here in town. Only 29% voted for a bond issue and 7l% said NO....over 2,200 went to the polls, a good turnout. There were half-hour long lines all day at the Courthouse......Cindy Fier and Bruce Pauls were both re-elected to the School Board. Kevin Rockwell got over 400 votes as a write-in candidate against Pauls, which was good......Gary Ihrig of Maquoketa yesterday afternoon wrecked his big truck.....not his fault....another semi came up from behind him on highway 61 near the Hurstville tu'rn-off and couldn't stop. Truck debris all over the road...traffic has to be re-routed, but fortunately no one was hurt.....In case you have not heard, Mark McGuire hit his 62nd record breaking home last night. We had both election-coverage and the game on the air together, switching from one to the other....Well, I'm late for supper, so must close for today. Thanks for visiting.
Dennis Voy
- Wednesday, September 09, 1998 at 19:03:05 (EDT)

Iowa won today.....Maquoketa beat Waterloo Columbus last night, there, 49 to 27. The Sophomores also won.... Maquoketa is in a dust bown....they seal-coated Main Street this week...and it is dusty....unhappy merchants and shoppers. Hot today, around 90. ......Two killed in head-on accident at 6:30 last night, just south of Preston. Killed, LaVonne Walgamuth, age 38, of Bellevue and Paul Leinbauch, age 79, of DeWitt. His wife injured.....Jolene Starr, Mrs. Gary Starr, has been elected to the 1998 Chairman's Cabinet of New York Life Insurance Company. She has been a very successful agent with NY Life for many years. Gary,her husband it a longtime Maquoketa painting contractor and they have 3 children.....Arlene Schurbon of Maquoketa, age 70, died this morning at the local hospital and services are also pending at Carson & Son Funeral Home for Leonard R. Tracy, age 75, of Baldwin, who died last night at the hosital in Iowa City.....Big election in Maquoketa Tuesday for school board members....big turnout in Maquoketa expected because of the issue on building a new 3-plus-million-dollar auditorium at the high school. On KMAQ's Views & Interviews POLL this week, the "yes vote" was 5 and the "no vote" was 28.....The MCHS class of 43 us having their big reunion tonight at the Decker Hotel.....Have a nice Holiday weekend.
Dennis Voy
- Saturday, September 05, 1998 at 18:27:58 (EDT)

Happy September. Month started off with a little rain early this morning and then turned into a nice day, with a high of 81.....The Maquoketa Sentinal Press has a new Business Manager. His name is Tim Evans and he comes to Maquoketa from a city in Ilinois. I will be meeting him next week here at the station and will tell you more about him after that meeting. He will assist Doug Melvold in the day to day operation of the twice a week paper. The larger of the two comes out on Tuesday nights and delivered on Wednesday and the smaller tabloid comes out Friday night with delivery Saturday. Good newspapers. Run by the Melvold family over 50 years. Bob Melvold, I understand, turned 80 last week and is still active with the paper in a part-time way....covering meetings and writing a weekly column......I hope you all check KMAQ's "Guestbook" on a regular basis. I have been noticing quite a few entries lately. Interesting reading and be sure and join the guestbook yourself, if for no reason than to answer a question from it that you have the answer.....Just go back to the KMAQ main page and "click" the guestbook button.....I have been covering a vacation schedule again the past week, and so therefore had not done well with this report....sorry again....I will try to do better in September. Thanks for your visit again.
Dennis Voy
- Tuesday, September 01, 1998 at 19:03:42 (EDT)