Who says you can’t go home?

Ty reflects on Newton and what the town meant to him ahead of his return to his ‘Iowa Hometown’ for an Oct. 24 speaking event

Ty Rushing sits at his desk in the former Newton Daily News office on Oct. 22, 2013.

I still remember the silence on the phone after I asked, “How many high schools does Newton have?” It was only a few seconds, but it felt like forever before someone on the other line went, “Uhhhh. One.”

That call was my formal introduction to Newton and small-town Iowa in general. I was 25 and had a phone interview with the managing editor, editor, and publisher of the Newton Daily News, the newspaper that gave me my shot and brought me to Iowa nearly a dozen years ago.

In that interview, I asked the then-NDN hierarchy how many high schools Newton had, which, coming from Kansas City, I thought was a good question. I asked because they told me education would be one of my primary beats in Newton were I to get the job, and I had no clue at that time it was common in many rural communities only to have one high school.  

Knowing what I know now, it was not a great question, but the silence proceeding the answer gave me a better idea of what I would be getting myself into. Still, I was not deterred because I was too hungry for a journalistic opportunity, no matter where it took me.

When I got the job offer, I didn’t think twice about it — I decided to move to Iowa, a place I had previously never stayed overnight in and had only passed through on my way to Chicago or the Twin Cities. 

My plan was to get experience and get back to Kansas City as soon as possible. Considering that I’m writing this from my home in Iowa, that plan clearly did not work out as expected, but I have no regrets.

Moving to Newton and covering that city changed me. I’ve made lifelong friends in the newsroom — former NDN sports reporter Dustin Turner was a groomsman at my wedding, and I was a groomsman at his — and in the community. 

Those community friendships were intergenerational and ranged from an elementary school-aged kid who cheered me on during a hot-dog eating contest to an 80-something former Jasper County supervisor who introduced herself to me in a letter where she justifiably scolded me for misspelling former Rep. Neal Smith’s name. (Being from Kansas City, I spelled it “Neil Smith,” which is how the former Chiefs defensive end spelled it).  

I learned that “bu” in a crop report stands for bushels, not “bundles,” as I erroneously once reported. I saw firsthand on multiple occasions how a community rallies together when one of its own is in trouble, and those experiences more than prepared me to cover similar situations in Northwest Iowa.

Ty Rushing being interviewed by third-grade students at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School in Newton in April 2014.

I learned why the homecoming court and senior pictures were a big deal and why shopping/supporting local businesses was not only essential but also affected the well-being of the local economy. 

The lessons I learned in Newton are countless. I often find myself telling my students and former reporters tips I learned from the Daily News editors who showed me the ropes or provided perspective on why community isn’t just a buzzword in a lot of small towns.

Even though I was there for a little less than two years, Newton was my introduction to professional journalism, Iowa, small-town Iowa, and an actual sense of community, so I proudly call it my “Iowa hometown.”

Now, I’m getting ready for a homecoming. 

Next week, I will be the guest for the United Way of Jasper County’s Voices of Inspiration event. Doors open at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 24, at the DMACC Newton Campus. 

According to the United Way of Jasper County, ​“‘Voices of Inspiration’ will feature engaging speakers who will inspire, motivate and inform the audience. The series aligns with the core mission of United Way of Jasper County, which is to uplift and empower the community, and promote life-long learning.”

I have been to Newton more than a few times since I moved away in 2014, but this is the first time where I have an opportunity to directly tell people there how much that town meant to me and how my experiences there shaped and molded my career in ways I never thought possible.

So, I hope to see you there!