THROWBACK
NIGHT AT THE MOVIES
Enrollment at Mayflower Heritage Christian School had doubled in 2004 and the school added an eighth-grade class. What else was happening 10 years ago? See PAGE 2A.
The theme for Creston’s homecoming this year is “A Night at the Movies.” A parade is slated 2 p.m. Friday. The Creston/O-M football team takes on Adel-Desoto-Minburn 7:30 p.m. Friday. See more information on the homecoming festivities on PAGE 1B and a preview of the football game on PAGE 8A.
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No charges Longtime broadcaster for Iowa joins Creston Hall of Fame student in fatal fight hall of fame gary bucklin
Editor’s note: This is the second in a two-part series on 2014 inductees into the Creston Community Schools Hall of Fame at 12.15 p.m. Friday in the CHS auditorium. By LARRY PETERSON CNA staff writer
lpeterson@crestonnews.com
G
ary Bucklin may not have been born with a microphone in his hands, but it didn’t come much later. The longtime KSIB sports broadcaster remembers his start in broadcasting was in announcing the acts for his fourth-grade talent show in Bayard. “I would introduce the acts, the kids dancing and such,” Bucklin said. “I actually made a microphone stand out of a Christmas tree stand and a broom handle. I put a milk box with tin foil around it as my microphone. Then I introduced the kids in the classroom.” It wouldn’t be a stretch to think perhaps that was the best act of them all. It was a talent, and a passion, honed early in life. Eventually he would achieve his boyhood dream of working on broadcast row from the balcony in Veterans Auditorium in Des Moines, home of the state basketball and wrestling tournaments. In fact, Bucklin’s goal of making the basketball travel team as a ninth-grader in Bayard had nothing to do with playing time on the court. “If I made the travel team, I knew we’d go to Des Moines to Vets Auditorium for the (state tournament) games,” Bucklin said. “I looked up there on press row and said to myself, someday I am going to be up there on press row. Another thing I wanted to do in Des Moines was go down to KIOA and see the disc jockeys. I was a big KIOA fan
CNA photo by LARRY PETERSON
KSIB sports director Gary Bucklin in the studio where he gives daily sports reports, including the 45-minute “Mid-Day Report” at 11 a.m. each weekday. He is being inducted into the Creston Schools Hall of Fame this weekend for his decades of service to coverage of school activities.
in those days.” Bucklin would achieve that dream in 1972, broadcasting a Maquoketa Valley state tournament game for KOUR in Independence. Throughout a career that has now spanned 39 years, Bucklin has made many return trips to state tournament venues such as Vets Auditorium, Wells Fargo Arena, Principal Park and the UNI-Dome. Except for a four-year stint in the Air Force, and five years working in retail for Graham’s Department Stores, Bucklin has spent his adult life speaking into the microphone. It’s that longevity and loyalty — including many volunteer hours serving as public address announcer at local track meets and sub-varsity football games — that now brings some recognition his way. Bucklin will be inducted into the Creston Schools Hall of Fame at 12:15 p.m. Friday in the CHS auditorium, along with the late Russell Hobbs, longtime junior high principal. Bucklin is enshrined as a
“distinguished contributor.” His wife Joanne is a secretary at the high school, and hand-delivered the notification letter one day last summer. For once in his life, Gary Bucklin was speechless. “I was kind of shocked,” he recalled. “I said to myself, me? Why me? Obviously, I’m humbled by it. It’s the last thing in the world I thought I would get. Then, I got to thinking about all of the people who are already in there. There are some outstanding people on that wall. It’s amazing to think I’m going to be on the same wall with those people.” Bucklin will also appear in Friday afternoon’s homecoming parade, and be introduced prior to the varsity game against ADM Friday night.
Nomination Chuck Eilers, retired Creston High School teacher and coach, was involved in the nomination of Bucklin, who arrived in Creston in 1985 to work with former Indianola colleague Dave
Rieck. A year later he took over as sports director when Kirk Elliott moved to Kansas City, where he still works in the business with a weekly racing show on Sports Radio 810 WHB. “I know of no one in my years at Creston that has contributed more to Creston High School students and activities than Gary Bucklin,” Eilers said, citing the play-by-play events, coaches interviews on the radio, broadcasting of other activities including homecoming coronations and even Hall of Fame inductions. “Gary’s interviews of coaches and students are always done professionally, never criticizing,” Eilers said. “They are positive, fair and honest. He also has done endless announcing of high school and middle school athletics in Creston. Besides all of the broadcasting of Creston athletics, he’s done so many for all of the other area schools over the Please see BUCKLIN, Page 14
Pep rally Todd Nielsen leads CHS football parents as he charges through a banner Wednesday at the CHS homecoming pep rally. CNA photo by SARAH BROWN
COUNCIL BLUFFS (AP) — A male student involved in a school fight that led to the death of a 17-year-old student will not be charged because he used legally justifiable force in responding to the fight, authorities said Wednesday. The 16-year-old student was justified in his use of ■ School force to defend himself af- surveillance ter Dakota Escritt initiated a fight between them on Sept. camera video 25 at Abraham Lincoln High shows Dakota School in Council Bluffs, Escritt initiaccording to Pottawattamie County Attorney Matt Wil- ated the fight ber. Sept. 25. Dakota was hospitalized after the other student punched him and he hit his head on the floor. He died days later. An autopsy shows he had bleeding in the brain caused by a fractured skull. “I want to make it very clear that I am not saying that Dakota deserved what he got,” Wilber said. “This was a horrible tragedy. Nobody intended for the ultimate result that happened here.” The Associated Press generally does not identify juveniles accused of crimes. An initial assault charge in juvenile court against the student will be dropped, Wilber said. School surveillance camera video shows both teens pushed and swung at each other after Dakota Please see FIGHT, Page 2
Group wants rabbit deaths in Iowa investigated IOWA CITY (AP) — An animal welfare group is asking the U.S. Department of Agriculture to investigate the deaths of four rabbits used for research at the University of Iowa. A USDA routine inspection report found that four rabbits died this summer of “unexpected study complications” in medical laboratories under the school’s animal resources office, the Iowa City Press-Citizen reported. Details about what the study entailed were not available. The Aug. 26 report said the researchers did provide care for the animals, but didn’t contact or consult with a veterinarian about their health. The animals died between June 14 and June 16. The report said the researchers didn’t notify the veterinarian of their death until June 16. It said “direct and frequent communication” is needed so “timely and accurate information on problems of animal health, behavior and well-being are conveyed” to the veterinarian. The animal welfare group, Stop Animal Exploitation Now!, also asked for fines against the school. The group believes the university is liable for fines under the Federal Animal Welfare Act. “It is clear from the report the staff carrying out Please see RABBITS, Page 2
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2014
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