A look back at local news in 2017


Kim Brooks
Babbling Brooks Column
By: 
Kim Brooks
Express Editor

     A few weeks ago I pulled out all of the Express’ past issues for the year, and I was reminded of all the great coverage we had in 2017. Here’s a recap…

     We started the year off with a new U.S. President, and some locals were in Washington, D.C. for the historic occasion, including Charlie Becker and Ben and Hilary Hogan with their daughter Agnes.

     Devan (Haag) Chmelar, a Monticello native who now resides in North Carolina, took the train to D.C. on Jan. 21, the day after the inauguration, to take part in the historic Women’s March. Macey Spensley of Monticello was also part of the March in Des Moines, one of many Sister Marches that day throughout the country.

     It was in February that the Great Jones County Fair and its partners kicked off a campaign for a new equestrian center on the fairgrounds. By fair week in July, the enclosed center and covered horse arena were in use by 4-H and FFA exhibitors and fairgoers. (And this fairgoer who got to cover the Hose Show this year enjoyed the reprieve from the sun and heat under the roof of the new arena!)

     We had two major house fires in Monticello this year, both late in the night. The Al Hughes’ home on N. Chestnut Street took place in April. A house fire on W. Grand Street, owned by Gary and Keith Wernimont, took place in July. Both properties were ruled a total loss.

     Following the Hughes fire, the City of Monticello purchased the lot and sold it to a local developer. Come 2018, a new home will be built.

     I had the privilege this year to speak to two different families in Monticello who both experienced unimaginable tragedies with two different endings.

     On Dec. 18, 2016, Molli and Brandon Hunter were coming back to Monticello from a family Christmas near Anamosa when an accident on Highway 151 took the lives of their two youngest children, Diamond and Donald. I interviewed the parents, along with their then-14-year old daughter Hope, five months after the accident. Aside from continued medical appointments due to their injuries stemming from the horrific accident, the Hunter family has spent the year reflecting and trying to move on.

     In October, 17-year-old Austin Martin was involved in a one-vehicle accident that could have had a different outcome. He was supposedly thrown from his truck as it rolled on a rural gravel road. Austin was airlifted to Iowa City due to the extent of his injuries and had a rough few weeks upon his return home. But over a month later, his spirits were high and he was ready to get back to school and work again.

     His parents, Jennifer and Bruce Martin, said it was a “major blessing” that things weren’t any worse.

     I was excited to be part of several groundbreaking, first-time events this year in Jones County. Vision to Learn, which was organized by Sherri Hunt with the Jones County Community Foundation, visited the elementary schools in the county to provide free vision screenings. Those students who needed eyeglasses as a result of those screenings received two free pairs of glasses. What a neat project!

     Hunt, who is also part of the Jones County Family Council, worked hard and secured enough donations and grants to bring the nationwide “Shop with a Cop” initiative to Jones County just before the holidays. Again, another great resource for our county!

     The Monticello Parks and Rec Department, led by new employees Jacob Oswald and Casey Reyner, offered the first (and hopefully not the last) doggie swim party this summer. It was a hit with dogs and families alike!

     Natural disasters allowed the Express to showcase the human side of such devastation. In July, summer storms brought about a tornado that literally blew through Jones County. Several farms and rural homes were hit, some taking on more severe damage than others. As always, people can be pretty resilient after losing a barn or their home. That was certainly the case with the Hogan family when they got to work to rebuild their hog barn.

     Former Monticello family, John and Charity Maehl, experienced the wrath of Hurricane Irma when it hit Florida in September this year. John works for the Florida Park Service, and while the family’s home was spared, many of the parks he manages had some major cleanup ahead of them.

     Three of my favorite stories this year highlighted the lives of two local residents, and a third showed how others come together to honor someone else’s memory.

     Teresa Tobiason always knew she was adopted, but it wasn’t until both of her parents had passed away that she really began the search for her birth parents and remaining family. Throughout 2017, Tobiason was introduced to several biological family members she had never met. It’s been a special treat for me to hear about all of these encounters.

     Lyle Hosford passed away in August at the ripe ole age of 103! But in July, I got to sit down and visit with him as he reflected on his century-old life. That man was as sharp as a tack! And his sense of humor could not be beat! I’ll never forget the last thing Lyle said to me as we departed. I wore a pair of capri pants with worn holes in the knees. The latest style, right? Well, Lyle took one look at my pants and said, “If I had a nickel for every time someone wished me a happy birthday today, I would have enough money to buy you a new pair of pants!” That certainly got a laugh for those in the room, and I will think twice before wearing worn clothing again.

     In October, Sacred Heart School dedicated a free little library to former student Cassi Reiken, a third grader who passed away earlier in March. Her classmates read special memories they recalled about Cassi, bringing everyone to tears. Former Principal Jim Zimmerman, built the library, adding touches of pink, Cassi’s favorite color.

     2017 has certainly been a great year of news, sports, agriculture coverage and more here at the Express. And we’re rolling right back into the think of it as 2018 fast approaches!

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