Globe-Gazette from Mason City, Iowa • 1

US nor; FRIDAY, JAN. 16, 2009 -750 ETTE gaz: Fear not, warmer days are coming, but for now We're Online At g3o538gazett2.com 1 i) (Si Witness to history? Nebraska man may have been the last person to speak to the pilot of Buddy Holly's ill-fated plane By JOHN SKIPPER John.skipperglobegazette.com A pilot who may have been the last person to make contact with the plane car- Buddy ljT v.v Si, Ed Greiman of Garner keeps his the animals are hardy enough to herd of cattle outdoors during endure the cold weather. Remember: Treat your car with a little TLC By LAURA ANDREWS laura.andrewsglobegazette.com GARNER On a day not fit for man or beast, it's the beasts who have the most endurance. "This last week has not been very fun," said Brenda Anderson of Garner, who rais- VIDEO es cattle with her husband Grant. ny 1 The low tem perature Thursday morning in Garner, as well as Mason City and Clear Lake, was 27 below zero, said KIMT-TV meteorol: pst Jessica McLaughlin.

That mark was only one degree warmer than the record low for Jan. 15 of 28 below zero set in 1994. Winter itself is harder on livestock farmers, but the recent cold snap is brutal. "I'd say it's been colder, but then you get cold days like today," said Ed Greiman, who raises cattle near Garner. "These are the ones that are really bad." The cattle themselves are pretty hardy.

Greiman's feed-lot cattle are indoors. His cows are outside, as are the Anderson's. As long as the cattle keep dry and have windbreaks, extra feed and bedding they'll do OK, Greiman and Anderson said. To make all that happen, extra hours are spent removing snow, making sure automatic feeders don't freeze and breaking ice from the tops of water troughs. "We have heaters on the water, but when it gets down to this cold it's quite often they don't work as well," Anderson said.

Cows that are calving get extra attention. Anderson has cows calving now and Greiman will soon. "That's been a real challenge making sure you get the right cows into the barn so you make sure they don't have it outside," Anderson said. Both farmers check on calving cows during the night, bring them inside a heated building when they're close to giving birth and then move them back outside after a couple of days if the mother and calf are doing OK. "They (calves) handle the cold pretty well," Anderson said.

"That's always amazed me. He (Grant) could kick them out after a couple of days and they'd be fine." Mr jl if t'i jr i1 i Holly and IrflgSI two other singers says he tried frantically to help the desperate pilot of the aircraft. "Even after 50 years, it still gets to me," said Al Potter, 92, who lives in Aurora, Neb. In an interview with the Potter relived the cir Potter cumstances that may make him the last known link to the ill-fated 1959 flight that claimed the lives of Holly, Richie Valens, J.P. Richardson, whose stage name was The Big Bopper; and the pilot, Roger Peterson.

In 1959, Potter was employed as what he calls "a flying technician" for Dunbar-Kappel, a grain equipment company then based in Batavia, 111. On Feb. 3, shortly before 1 a.m., he was flying from Chicago to Scottsbluff, when he encountered what he thought was an ice storm over Mason City. "I heard radio traffic from a pilot who said he was in trouble," said Potter. "We were both on the same frequency as Mason City and we must have been very close to one another because I could hear him See POTTER, A2 Bush bids farewell to the nation WASHINGTON (AP) Unpopular but unbowed, President George W.

Bush defended his tumultuous two terms in a farewell address to the nation Thursday night, claiming a series of successes at home and abroad. Reaching back to the it v. i' an I Bush -sir i -li. Peterson I JEFF HEINZThe Globe Gazette Matt Thome and his sister, Ashley, try to get his fiancee's car started Thursday morning so she could get to work. Ashley drove across Mason City to assist in the 22-degrees-below zero weather.

By PEGGY SENZARINO peggy.senzarinoglobegazctte.com MASON CITY Dead batteries, frozen fuel lines and low tire pressure are plaguing drivers as they try to get their vehicles going in the frigid temperatures gripping North Iowa this week. Mechanics at Charlie's Auto Repair in Mason City replaced 10 to 15 dead batteries Thursday after temperatures hit 27 below zero. "We are replacing batteries like crazy right now," said owner Charlie West. West said drivers should pop the hood and see if there is corrosion around the battery connections, one sign of possible problems. Dean Blake at Auto Service, also in Mason City, said the age of your battery is another clue that it might need some attention.

"After four or five years, you better be checking your battery," Blake said. West recommended using a block heater to keep the engine warm. And if possible, park the car inside. He also said drivers Expect a warmup for the weekend MASON CiTY-The end is in sight. According to KIMT assistant chief meteorologist Jim Politis, the temperature will climb above zero today with a high expected near 10.

Look for the temperature to be near zero around noon, Politis said. However, that doesn't mean the winter weather is over for good. A few flurries will arrive late today. Politis said we could see light freezing drizzle as warm air moves into the atmosphere. The potential 'for flurries will continue tonight and into Saturday, but the arctic temperatures are moderating.

Lows tonight and into Saturday will be above zero. That sets us up for a high temperature in the lower 20s on Saturday. I Sunday and Monday will i both be mostly cloudy with a slight chance for a few I snowflakes. The high temper-: ature could actually reach the freezing mark on Wednesday By Peggy Senzarino For a complete forecast, turn to Page A12. INSIDE TODAY Hampton native to perform in D.C.

Hampton native David Art-ley will be participating in Barack Obama's inauguration on Tuesday. Sgt. Maj. Artley will be piaying the trumpet in the U.S. Army Band at the inauguration.

North Iowa, A3 The bold, new cf wallpaper Wallpaper Is making a comeback. Artistic prints and graphics, bold looks and foil paper are available. Best of all, wallpaper has become easier to put up and remov A6 MEDEX BusinessMarkets Classified Comics Entertainment Iowa News National News North Iowa Obituaries Opinion Sports Sudoku Puzzle World News A7 B4-6 A9 A8 A4 A5 A10 A11 B1-3 A8 A5 CX3 GLOBE CONTACTS Business Office: 641-421-0500 News Sports: 641-421-0524 800-421-0524 fy it-. TERESA PRINCEVThe Globe Gazette the winter. With proper care, filter.

"It doesn't cost that much to keep the fuel filter clean," Blake said. A dirty filter makes the system have to work harder. Using an ethanol blend of gasoline prevents fuel line freeze-up, Blake said. Blake also tells drivers to have a little patience on these cold, cold days. "Once that car starts, let that car run for five minutes before you take off," Blake said.

K' AP photo bird strike" said Doug Church, a spokesman for the National Air Traffic Controllers Association. He said the controller told the pilot to divert to an airport in nearby Teterboro, N.J. It was not clear why the pilot did not land at All safe after jet ditches in New York City river should take a little extra time to clean off the snow and ice against the windshield to allow for more air flow. Check the wiper blades and be sure to clean off any ice. Blake said there's a myth that new cars can run for thousands and thousands of miles without a tune-up.

"They still have to be maintained or tuned," Blake said. He recommends annual replacement of the car's fuel st peraturo was 36 degrees, Coast Guard Lt, Commander Moore said. He estimates that hypothermia can hit within five to eight minutes at that temperature. US Airways Flight 1549 took olf at 3:26 p.m. It was less than a minute later when the pi iot reported a "double US Airways plane may have collided with a flock of birds NEW YORK (AP)-With both engines out, a cool-headed pilot maneuvered his crowded jetliner over New York City and ditched it in the frigid Hudson River on Thursday, and all 155 on board were pulled to safety as the plane slowly sank.

One victim suffered two broken legs, a paramedic said, but there were no other reports of serious injuries. The plane, a US Airways Airbus A320 bound for Charlotte, N.C., struck a flock of birds during takeoff at LnGuardia Airport and was submerged up to its windows in the river by the time rescuers arrived. Some passengers waded in water up to their knees while standing on the wing of the plane. "He was phenomenal," passenger Joe Hart said. "He Passengers await rescue as they stand on one of the wings of a downed US Airways Airbus A320 Thursday in New York City.

The jet went down in the Hudson River. Sept. 11 attacks, when the public rallied behind him, Bush declared the United States will "never tire, never falter and never fail." Leaving office with the highest disapproval rating since Richard Nixon, Bush said, "You may not agree with some tough decisions I have made, but I hope you can agree that I was willing to make the tough decisions." The brief speech offered Bush one last chance before he leaves office Tuesday to See BUSH, A2 landed it I tell you what the impact wasn't a whole lot more than a rear-end (collision). It threw you into the Bent ahead of you." "Both engines cut out and he actually floated it into the river," he added. The crash took place on a 20-dogrce day.

The water tem-.