The Jasper County Conservation Board will be breaking ground at 3 o’clock this afternoon for phase one of the Environmental Education Center Project. The 7,200-square-foot building will house the offices for the County Conservation Department and have classrooms for educational programs. It’s being built on the east edge of Newton just south of Interstate 80, on county owned land by the Sheriff’s office and jail and proposed new County Secondary Roads Department site. Jasper County Conservation Director Keri Van Zante says the low $2.9 million bid came in higher than expected, so they still need to raise $300,000 to $400,000 to keep everything in the design they want. She notes a Challenge Grant, if reached, will cover a good portion of that.

“Our friends Jeff and Jodi King are challenging the community with a $100,000, dollar for dollar match. So if the community donates $100,000, they will match that $100,000.”

The King’s are the owners of Keystone Laboratories in Newton. If the Challenge Grant is met,, the new facility will be named after their daughter Dana King Ceretti, who died of cystic fibrosis in December 2009.