City Councilmen Ric Jones and Kevin Lynch wanted to talk about change Tuesday night, but not in city leadership. They were more interested in the changes for the better taking place in Dubuque over the past four years.
The incumbents handily won re-election and the council will remain intact as Mayor Roy Buol and 3rd Ward representative Joyce Connors ran unopposed.
"I expected to win and by a large margin, primarily because the city is doing really well," Jones said.
Jones retained his at-large seat over Marcos Rubinstein, 2,956 to 753, with 79.7 percent of the vote. Rubinstein agreed that it was a tough year to defeat an incumbent.
"When I got into the race, I knew it was a difficult one because Dubuque is moving forward," Rubinstein said. "Just remember what I said. As Dubuque moves forward, no one should be left behind."
Lynch defeated Bill Hammel in the 1st Ward with 72.29 percent of the vote, 827 to 317.
"Something like this, obviously, is very humbling to know that people have put their faith in me
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Hammel said he was more disappointed by the low turnout than by the result.
Only 8.8 percent of the city's registered voters cast ballots.
Towns pick change
After more than 30 years, Jim Weydert's run as mayor of Peosta, Iowa, has come to an end.
Dick Avenarius captured the mayoral race Tuesday night, tallying 119 votes to Weydert's 102 and Dennis McDonald's 13.
Incumbents Brian Recker and Ray Stephan and newcomer Cheri Biermann emerged victorious in the Peosta City Council race.
Weydert took the news of his dismissal in stride.
"I had a good, long run," Weydert said. "I wish Dick the best of luck and hope that the city continues to grow."
Former Guttenberg mayor and police chief Gerald "Red" Block ousted incumbent Jim Solomon for Guttenberg's mayoral race with 67 percent of the votes cast.
Block, who won 508 votes to Solomon's 247, told the TH earlier in the campaign that his main platform issue was the controversial dismissal of Police Chief George Morteo last March.
Facing a large slate of candidates and widespread discontent with lingering piles of fire debris, Maquoketa voters elected a new mayor and four new council members.
Four-term Mayor Tom Messerli was narrowly defeated by Councilman Jason Hute. Hute got 442 votes, or 36 percent, while Messerli earned 398 votes, or 33 percent.
"I think voters were ready for a change. With me and these new council people, we have nearly a complete turnover from the old guard of a few years ago," said Hute, 38, who works as a correctional counselor at the Anamosa State Penitentiary.
Krogmann guilty
Robert Krogmann stared straight ahead, motionless and without visible emotion when a Dubuque County jury delivered his fate.
Krogmann, 51, of Manchester, Iowa, was found guilty Friday of attempted murder and willful injury in the shooting of Jean Smith, 49, of Manchester, at her home on March 13.
Smith was shot three times -- in the stomach, arm and spine. The trial was held in Dubuque County after a change of venue was granted.
Despite a packed courtroom with both parties' families and friends, the reading of the verdict was met with no outbursts of emotion and only a few audible sounds of crying.
Smith declined comment when leaving the courtroom.
Krogmann faces 25 years in prison for the attempted murder charge and 10 years for the willful injury charge.
A sentencing date has been set for 10 a.m. Monday, Dec. 21, at the Delaware County Courthouse.
Adult dies of H1N1
A Dubuque County adult is among the latest fatal victims of the H1N1 influenza.
The Iowa Department of Public Health on Wednesday reported three additional H1N1-related deaths in Iowa -- bringing the state's death toll to 11, including one child.
"It's certainly a somber event when it hits home," said Mary Rose Corrigan, public health specialist with the city of Dubuque.
The three other recent victims were adults in Polk, Mills and Monona counties.
All but one individual had medical conditions that increased the risk of complications. The Dubuque County victim was among those with an existing medical condition.
Health officials won't release any other information.
Shooting probed
Police are investigating whether a Dubuque man received a gun in a drug transaction prior to a shooting that left a woman critically wounded Friday, Oct. 30.
Adam D. Sellers, 19, of 1696 W. Third St., was arrested on a felony count of reckless use of a firearm causing serious injury. He was taken in for questioning after police responded to his home on a report of an accidental shooting around 7:30 p.m.
Sarah M. Klinkhammer, 18, was discovered with a gunshot wound in her lower left abdomen. She suffered serious internal injuries and remains hospitalized at Mercy Medical Center-Dubuque.
Sellers initially told police that he found the gun lying on the grass near Parkway Street, according to court documents filed Monday. However, police made contact with a 27-year-old Dubuque man who said he sold the gun to Sellers for less than 1 gram of heroin. The man said he and Sellers used the heroin right away, records state.
Dubuque Police Lt. Scott Baxter said that police are awaiting the results of a blood test to determine if Sellers was under the influence of any intoxicants.
Concerns aired
Dubuque's business community asked American Eagle representatives for a return of the daily fourth flight that was cut in 2008. Business travelers also requested direct service to Dallas/Fort Worth and all points west that avoid Chicago's O'Hare International and a departure and arrival schedule that better serves their needs.
American Eagle asked for continued support in Dubuque and some patience while the airline industry battles economic turbulence.
Both entities agreed that commercial air service out of Dubuque Regional Airport is critical and that it can be better delivered. It was all part of an engaging discussion at a forum Tuesday sponsored by the Dubuque Chamber of Commerce.
"This was a conversation that needed to happen," Airport Manager Robert Grierson said. "What American needs to hear are the anecdotal stories about what affects peoples' travel decisions. My hat's off to them for being willing to hear it."
It is no small victory that American Airlines' 2010 plan retains Dubuque's three trips in and out of O'Hare each day as the company continues cutting flights and service to many of its locales, including Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
