Elected officials in Jasper County see salaries increase by about 3-5%
Supervisors decide lower raises than what was suggested by compensation board
By Christopher Braunschweig Jasper County Tribune
Elected officials in Jasper County will be seeing a pay raise by the next fiscal year. Like in years past the board of supervisors used the recommendations from the compensation board as a foundation. The supervisors ultimately settled on salary increases that were less than what was suggested.
Allison Udelhoven, the secretary of the Jasper County Compensation Board, attended the Jan. 27 board of supervisors meeting to speak on behalf of the recommending body. She presented the minutes of the Dec. 17 compensation board meeting and detailed rationales for each wage increase.
The compensation board recommended the supervisors have their salaries increase by $2,500 and to maintain the $2,5000 stipend for the board chair. If approved, the supervisors would have an annual salary of $49,500, or $52,000 for the board chair.
Typically, supervisors decline to give themselves raises.
Unsurprisingly, the supervisors voted to not increase their own pay this year. In 2024, the board broke tradition and did give themselves an almost $5,000 raise, increasing their annual salary from $42,020 to $47,000. Additionally, the board chair had received a $2,500 stipend. The stipend was removed this time around.
Supervisor Thad Nearmyer argued the stipend is fair compensation since the chair often puts in
Seal coat and microsurfacing plans near Neal Smith
approved Jasper County
First phase of the project covers parts of W. 129th St. S. and S. 96th Ave. W.
By Christopher Braunschweig Jasper County Tribune
Plans to apply seal coat and microsurfacing to roads near Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge were approved by the Jasper County Board of Supervisors last week, which is all part of the first phase of an accessibility project funded in large part through a Federal Lands Access Program (FLAP) Grant.
According to county documents, the affected roads include West 129th Street South from Iowa Highway 163 to South 96th Avenue West and South 96th Avenue West from West 129th Street South to Pacific Street. County Engineer Michael Frietsch said the streets will be undergoing major upgrades.
“We’re going to be taking the
Supervisors reclassify Indian Street to a Level B road
County engineer suggests more cases like this are to be expected in the future
By Christopher Braunschweig Jasper County Tribune
Despite pushback from nearby property owners, the Jasper County Board of Supervisors moved forward with the reclassification of Indian Street.
a lot of extra work. Then again it was Supervisor Brandon Talsma who suggested the stipend be removed. Talsma said he would do the work regardless of whether the stipend was on in place.
“Well, the work probably deserves to be paid for,” Nearmyer said. Regardless, the supervisors would go on to approve Talsma’s suggestion in a 3-0 vote. This was “the easy one,” Talsma said.
Following the third consecutive public hearing discussing the matter on Jan. 28, supervisors approved the reclassification in a unanimous vote after considerable debate with property owner Skyler Morris. By reclassifying street from a Level A road to a Level B road, it ensures the roadway will receive little maintenance.
Jasper County Engineer Michael Frietsch
said the affected section of Indian Street starts 0.8 miles south of North 67th Avenue East, or roughly south of Mariposa Park, and then it heads east-southeast toward Immigrant Avenue. Altogether, this section of Indian Street is about 0.56 miles in length. In the past there was an open bridge over Alloway Creek in that section, but Frietsch said that bridge has since been removed and there are no plans to replace it. For several years this section of Indian Street has more or less been treated as a Level B road and has not received an abundance of maintenance.
Looking to help those who are hungry
Community Health Needs Assessment identifies food insecurity as a top issue for county
By Jamee A. Pierson Jasper County Tribune
Editor’s note: This is the fourth in a series of articles exploring the results of the Jasper County Community Health Needs Assessment.
Food insecurities are a top concern for the residents of Jasper County with both survey and town hall respondents identifying it as an issue. According to the Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA), Jasper County has a higher rate of households receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) than the State of Iowa.
Of those surveyed, 17.52 percent reported not having enough money to purchase healthy food and 17.17 percent said they have had trouble paying for food within the last year. Also, 86 percent of people who participated said they were not eating the recommended amount of two servings of vegetables and two servings of fruits each day.
One reason healthy food is not on the menu is 82.48 percent of people said they do not have enough money to purchase more nutritious food. Along with food,
which topped the list at 17.17 percent, people have a hard time paying for medical appointments at 16.9 percent and utilities at 15.51 percent.
Of the food insecure population, 30 percent are ineligible for assistance programs including SNAP, Women, Infants & Children (WIC), school meals, Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) or The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). According to Healthy People 2030, food insecurity coincides with negative health outcomes in children and adults and may cause kids to have trouble in schools.
Jasper County’s food insecure rate, 7.5 percent, is
slightly lower than the state at 7.62 percent. It doesn’t meet the Healthy People 2030 target rate of 6 percent. A correlating factor of low food access is low income according to the CHNA. Low food access is defined as living more than one mile in an urban setting or 10 miles in a rural setting from the nearest supermarket, supercenter or large grocery store. This indicator is relevant because it showcases how populations and geographies face food insecurity. Jasper County has seven grocery establishments. That rates 18.51 per 100,000
Christopher Braunschweig/Jasper County Tribue Jasper County elected officials had their salaries raised by the board of supervisors. After taking suggestions from the compensation board, the supervisors provided 3-5 percent raises for the county attorney, auditor, recorder, sheriff and treasurer.
Jamee A. Pierson/Jasper County Tribune Food insecurity is a top issue for Jasper County including getting fruit and vegetables each day.
Christopher Braunschweig/Jasper County Tribune
The Jasper County Board of Supervisors approved the seal coat and microsurfacing plans for roads near the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge.
Colfax-Mingo Area Food Pantry receives grant from Jasper
Community Foundation
Submitted
A grant from the Jasper Community Foundation and a contribution from Dickerson Mechanical made possible for a larger improved parking area at the Colfax-Mingo Area Food Pantry. The parking lot was stripped of the overgrowth of vegetation and workers discovered a much larger parking area and a good solid base. Once the vegetation was stripped away the lot was recoated with new gravel, leaving behind a lot with no soft spots.
OWLS program ‘Backyard Bird Feeding’ Feb. 12
Jasper County Conservation Board will host an Older, Wiser, Livelier Seniors (OWLS) program at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 12 at the Jasper County Armory/Annex Building in Newton, for 10 a.m. coffee and a presentation given by Katie Cantu, naturalist with Jasper County Conservation. Cantu will give ideas and pointers for successful backyard bird feeding and talk about different birds that visit
feeders in the area. This presentation is leading up to the annual Great Backyard Bird Count, a world-wide, volunteer bird survey that takes place Feb. 14-17.
The OWLS program is a conservation program that encourages seniors to stay active and learn new things about the natural world. Contact the Jasper County Conservation Board office at 641-7929780 for more information.
Community Calendar
Send items to news@jaspercountytribune.com
SUNDAY
• Colfax Historical Society Museum is open from 2 to 4 p.m. every Sunday through Labor Day.
MONDAY • Baxter City Council meets at 6 p.m. the second Monday of month at City Hall • Colfax City Council meets the second Monday of month at the Colfax Fire Department
Colfax Country Club meets at 7 p.m. the second Monday of month
Mingo American Legion Auxiliary meets at 1 p.m. the second Monday of month
Mingo City Council meets at 6 p.m.
JCF grant applications available soon
The Jasper Community Foundation’s 2025 Grant Cycle begins Feb. 15 with applications accepted Feb. 15 through April 30. To be considered for funding this year, grant applications must be received by April 30. All 501(c)3 organizations, 170(c)(1) units of government, and other potentially qualifying charitable organizations operating in or for the benefit of Jasper County should go to the Jasper Community Foundation website www.jaspercommunityfoundation.org for guidelines, applications and additional information. This will be the only grant cycle of 2025.
This grant program is made possible through a contribution to the Foundation by the Iowa General Assembly’s County Endowment Fund Program. In 2024, the Jasper Community Foundation disbursed $125,000 to 25 different organizations throughout the county. These funds were awarded to charitable organizations for educational, civic and public purposes. A full listing of grantees can be found on the Foundation’s website.
“Qualifying organizations are encouraged to submit a grant application,” President of Jasper Community Foundation Dan Skokan, said.
Iowa Learning Farms to host Forestry on Tap in Indianola
Iowa Learning Farms, in partnership with Conservation Learning Group and Warren County Iowa State University Extension and Outreach will host “Forestry On Tap,” from 6 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 20 at West Hill Brewing Co. in Indianola with complimentary food and beverages available for purchase beginning at 5:30pm.
The event will provide local farmers, landowners and urban residents with a chance to discuss and ask questions about conservation practices aimed to improve water quality and soil health, as well as managing risk from weather variability and climate change. There will be an opportunity for networking following the event. To ensure adequate space and food, RSVP by Feb. 14 by calling 515-2945429 or email ilf@iastate.edu.
“Our intent with this event is to help build community through encouraging farmers, landowners, and urban residents to talk about topics important within the community, what keeps them up at night, what challenges they see with conservation practices, and what
they want to learn more about,” Liz Ripley, Iowa Learning Farms conservation and cover crop outreach specialist, said. “There will be no formal presentations or agenda, just a chance to talk, ask questions, listen and learn while enjoying a beverage and provided food. We are looking forward to learning alongside everyone else who attends.”
ISU hosts at the event will include Billy Beck, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Forestry Specialist, and Michelle Soupir, Iowa State University Professor of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering. A member of the West Hill Brewing Co. team will begin the discussion by highlighting the importance of water quality in the brewing process.
This event is supported by a USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture grant award 2024-68016-42660. To learn more about planned field days, virtual field days, webinars and other conservation events, visit https://www.iowalearningfarms.org/ events-1.
DMACC’s president to retire at the end of the year
“Our goal is to benefit as many Jasper County residents as possible. These grant funds provide an excellent opportunity to address important needs and to improve the overall quality of life for our residents.”
All inquiries pertaining to the grant application process should be directed to the “Contact Us” link located on the homepage of the Jasper Community Foundation website www.jaspercommunityfoundation.org.
After 22 years of dedicated leadership, Rob Denson announced he will retire as president and CEO of DMACC effective Dec. 30. Denson has served in that role since 2003 and leaves behind a legacy of growth, innovation and commitment to student success. Reflecting on his more than 40 years in higher education and 30 years of serving as a college president, first at Northeast
Iowa Community College (NICC) and then starting at DMACC in 2003, Denson said his decision comes with mixed emotions and excitement for the future. “We have accomplished many milestones together over the years as we have adapted and thrived,” Denson said. He cited a few examples of the college’s achievements including, new and expanding academic programs, enhanced student support services, more than $100 million in new and renovated, stateof-the art facilities and creating many local and national partnerships. “I specifically want to thank
DMACC faculty and staff for all they have done that’s resulted in such success for DMACC,” Denson said. The long-time college president said those achievements have focused on student success. “I’m most proud of each and every one of the thousands of students who have walked across our stage at graduation. By enrolling at DMACC these Iowans have opened new doors to careers, greater prosperity and success for themselves, their families, and communities,” Denson said. Since 2003, DMACC has experienced a 50 percent increase in enrollment.
Photo
Denson
Which would go on to be true. Discussions about county attorney, auditor, recorder, sheriff and treasurer salaries took another 25 minutes to conclude.
The supervisors first tackled the salary of Sheriff Brad Shutts. The compensation board recommended the sheriff’s annual salary increase by $14,831, from $145,169 to $160,000, or what is essentially a 10.22 percent increase. Supervisors felt the increase was a little too higher for their liking.
The compensation board rationalized its increase averaging at the salaries of police chiefs of communities greater in size and police chiefs smaller in size. The sheriff oversees an entire county, which carries greater responsibility, the board argued. Historically, the sheriff and county attorney have similar compensation.
Eventually, the supervisors settled on an increase of $7,416 (or 5.11 percent), making the sheriff’s annual salary $152,585.
When it came to determining a salary increase for County Attorney Scott Nicholson, again, supervisors did not necessarily agree with the compensation board’s suggestion. The board recommended an increase of $14,745 to bring Nicholson’s annual salary of $145,255 to $160,000 (10.15 percent).
However, Talsma did argue in favor of giving Nicholson an up to $10,0000 raise for the county attorney. He wagered if Nicholson were to retire and the county would have to hire for the position, he doubted Jasper County could get a lawyer to do the county attorney’s job. Supervisor Doug Cupples disagreed.
“I think we could be able to find a lawyer for that kind of money,” Cupples said, noting Nicholson is very valuable to the county. “…But we’ve had these guys (the sheriff and the county
However, Morris argued in favor of keeping Indian Street a Level A road and replacing the bridge over Alloway Creek. He and his family would like some more time to prepare, and he did not feel the county adequately communicated its intentions with them. Morris also offered some history about the road.
“It was originally a stagecoach road and they converted it to a road that everybody could use,” he said. “So we would like some time. We were never sent any letters, any certified letters … We’re farmto-market, and there are laws regarding this. We pay taxes and we feel this is taking away our rights.”
Supervisor Brandon Talsma later confirmed with Frietsch that this section of Indian Street was not actually a farmto-market route. Still, Morris argued a Level B road would pose a hazard for cattle trailers and other farm equipment
Resurface
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road and fixing some box culverts that have broken end sections in there,” Frietsch said. “We’ve got a lot of things that we gotta fix up around the toes and the slopes. We’re going to fix the embankments and put guard rail up and basically make safety improvements.”
Crews are also going to stabilize the top 12 inches with cement and then put a layer of millings down
attorney) together in the past, and I think that’s where I want to stay with it.”
According to a letter from Nicholson addressed to the compensation board, the workload in the county attorney’s office is abundant.
In total, there were 2,415 criminal cases filed in Jasper County, of which 497 were felonies. On average, the county attorney’s office filed 11 new cases a day, about eight domestic violence cases per month and at least one felony case per day. More than 290 drug misdemeanor cases were filed in 2024.
In 2024, the county attorney’s office filed 57 sex offense-related charges, which he said marks a significant and troubling rise. There is also a rising felony caseload and a concerning increase in certain types of offenses, which demands “a dynamic and well-supported legal team.”
For these reasons, the compensation board recommended a higher raise. Talsma felt like
to get stuck or worse when the surface is rutted or muddied.
“With gravel and blading, it would be easier for checking and transporting cows and make it safer,” Morris said. “In our experience, dead end country roads tend to invite people to congregate and cause trouble, while maintained roads with through traffic would naturally discourage and disperse crowds.”
Morris also argued the reclassification could devalue nearby homes and
and a double layer of what is called Otta seal. Normally, when applying a seal coat, contractors put down a layer of oil and then chip seal. But chip seal is pricy. So, instead, the county will put down 3/4-inch road stone.
“We’re going to let that sit and cure out, and then two weeks later or so we’ll put another run of oil on it and we put another layer of 3/4-inch road stone on top of it. Shape it, compact it, get it all rolled in,” Frietsch said. “Then the final step beyond this is we’re going to put down
what is called a microsurface.”
Frietsch described the microsurface as a polymer-modified asphalt mixed with some coarse and fine materials that get bladed onto the surface and seals it off.
“It gives it a nice sort of black color, sort of poor mans looking asphalt road, so to speak,” Frietsch said. “…This is a method I’ve seen. Johnson County has done Otta seals and there are other counties that have done Otta seals. They’re better than a plain old seal coat.”
If it wasn’t for all the embankment slope and culvert issues around these roads, Frietsch said
Nicholson’s wage has been falling behind considering the volume of cases he oversees and covers. The supervisors would eventually settle on an $8,000 raise (5.5 percent) to $153,255 per year. Recommendations from the compensation board rounded out the salaries of the county auditor, recorder and treasurer to $100,000. Historically, these three positions have all shared the same equitable salary. This is still the case. But it would likely be the first time all three positions reach six figures.
Again, the supervisors did not follow the compensation board’s suggestion of a $5,304 increase (5.6 percent) from their current salaries of $94,696. Still, they weren’t opposed to an increase either, especially after the rationale explained by County Treasurer Doug Bishop. He argued the rase benefits their employees.
“Our deputies are tied to our salaries,” Bishop said, noting his deputies are essentially de-
Screenshot from Beacon The Jasper County Board of Supervisors approved the reclassificaiton of Indian Street despite some pushback from neighbors. The road is now classified as a Level B road.
other rural properties. He argued the recent improvements to Mariposa Park should make the continued maintenance of Indian Street a priority. Morris said the bridge was rebuilt in the 1980s and should be replaced to last 40 years or more.
The county engineer later said the road sees very little traffic to support the replacement of the bridge over Alloway Creek. Talsma was firm the bridge would not be replaced. Jasper County has some
this method would come in around $300,000 per mile.
“I think we’re probably going to be around the $400,000 to $500,000 per mile range with this project,” he said. “So similar to what the Lake Road was — or is.”
The second phase of the project includes curing West 129th Street South from South 96th Avenue West to South 102nd Avenue West, and then South 102nd Avenue West over to the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge’s maintenance shed. A bridge on South 88th Avenue West is also addressed in the third phase.
partment heads and he worried lower compensation for elected officials would effectively punish these employees. The practice of deputy salaries being tied to elected official salaries is enforced by state code.
The compensation board rationalized the increases by saying the auditor’s office has played a major role in development projects in the county, the treasurer’s office has seen huge growth and the recorder’s office is as busy as ever with its proximity to Polk County.
Supervisors would go on to decide the auditor, recorder and treasurer would receive a $3,004 raise (3.17 percent), making their annual salaries $97,700.
Udelhoven said, “It’s not lost on us that you guys are the ones that actually have to work within the constraints of the budget. It’s easier for us to put together recommendations based on what we think it ought to be, but we appreciate your guys’ time and consideration.”
of the most structurally deficient bridges in the state and it needs to prioritize bridges with higher traffic volumes.
If Indian Street were to become a Level C road, the engineer estimated a pipe culvert structure could be constructed to replace the bridge for about $50,000. Otherwise, as a Level A road, it is likely a bridge project could cost more than $300,000 or so. The county does not see the bridge as a high priority.
“We have 10 bridges a year going out,” Talsma said. “We don’t have money in our budget to replace 10 bridges a year. We can replace five. So we have to look at every single year what five we’re going to do, and we have to prioritize which ones are going to be done. We don’t like it. We don’t relish it.”
After the second public hearing, Frietsch told Newton News these kinds of cases are likely to become more common in the future. Secondary roads identified about 300 miles of county roadways that should be reclassified, which could cut down the amount of maintenance those roads would receive.
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100,000 people, less than the state rate of 19.03 per 100,000 people. Grocery stores are defined as supermarkets and smaller grocery stores primarily retailing a general line of food, such as canned and frozen foods, fresh fruits and vegetables and fresh and prepared meats, fish and poultry. Delicatessen-type establishments are also included. Convenience stores and large general merchandise stores that also retail food, such as supercenters and warehouse club stores, are excluded.
To address this issue the county plans to launch a public awareness campaign through local media about the importance of food insecurities in improving community health and identifying location where food is available through Jasper County. The Jasper County Cares Coalition will update its resource guide with available food resources and community partners may look into working with the Food Bank of Iowa. Mid-Iowa Community Action will also evaluate the best location for WIC clinic in the county. The county plans to accomplish those goals by Dec. 31, 2026.
By doing this, the county hopes to increase awareness about food resources available in the county, increase the number of people aware of affordable food resources in Jasper County and decrease the amount of people who lack food.
Let’s embrace our instinct for collective action — in bad times and good
By Sonali Kolhatkar
When my multigenerational family of six evacuated our home this January, we wondered if the fires visible from our front porch would engulf our house as we fled.
Text reports of friends losing homes bombarded my phone as we settled into a cramped hotel room for the next three nights. Our home was just spared, but by the time I returned to a neighborhood covered in ash, more than two dozen families in my social network had become homeless overnight.
The devastating fires across Los Angeles claimed 28 lives and destroyed more than 10,000 homes. A significant portion of lost lives and homes were from my neighborhood of North Pasa-
dena and Altadena, a low-to-middle income mixed race neighborhood with a tight-knit community.
In the days after the fires, that community jumped into action.
Every other street corner sprouted in activity, gathering clothing, toys, non-perishable foods, water, baby formula, hygiene kits, and more.
In North Pasadena, I met four young African American women who organized a similar donation hub on the front lawn of a relative’s home. They’d all grown up in the neighborhood and weren’t only coordinating donations of items and fundraising online, but also connecting people who needed housing with those who could provide it.
The Pasadena Community Job Center, a local organization connecting mi-
Teachers have the ower to open students’ eyes — if we let them
By Randy Fair
Just recently, the Supreme Court’s conservative majority agreed to hear a case that would allow parents to block schools from teaching their kids certain books if they go against the family’s “religious beliefs” regarding gender and sexuality.
Some people may think it’s self-evident that parents have this right. However, it isn’t quite that simple.
I grew up in the 1960s and ‘70s in Weaver, Alabama — a very conservative small town. The hardline segregationist George Wallace was the governor of the state for almost my entire youth, and for much of the country Alabama was the very stereotype of white Southern racism.
But teachers have the power to open students’ eyes.
I remember in the fourth grade, a classmate was giving a current events presentation on Wallace’s opposition to desegregating buses. The teacher stopped the class and said: “You know, I worry that when people around the country hear things like that, they think that everyone in Alabama has these narrow views.”
It wasn’t a popular thing for her to say in my small town, but it opened my eyes. Even at that young age, I started reading about Wallace and realizing that the things I grew up hearing about race just simply were not true. As I got older, I began questioning other stereotypes and preconceived notions held by my community.
This questioning became even more personally valuable to me when I began to realize that I was gay. Two teachers unknowingly helped me accept myself by speaking in support of LGBTQ people in a time period when that was unthinkable.
In my mind, this is the true beauty of education. It enlarges the student’s world.
In her seminal work, Literature as Exploration, Louise Rosenblatt says, “We must develop the capacity to feel intensely the needs and sufferings and aspirations of people whose personal interests are
distinct from our own, people with whom we may have no bond other than our common humanity.”
So there’s a certain danger in allowing parents to be the sole purveyor of what is taught. By allowing parents to opt out on topics of gender and sexuality, the floodgates will be opened for parents to restrict education in other areas as well.
Schools will be caught up in a never ending battle over what can be taught. This is just what happened at a Florida school, when a principal was fired because he tried to placate parents’ desire to opt out of Holocaust education because those parents “didn’t believe it happened.”
It’s very easy to applaud the firing of this principal in this situation, but a ruling in the current case before the court would open up a cascade of similar cases.
Early in my teaching career, when I was teaching at a high school in rural Georgia town of Palmetto, I raised the ire of a host of parents when during a class discussion I revealed that I’m not a Christian. The principal made me call each parent to resolve the issue.
During the calls, I said what I still believe: “Your child is going to leave Palmetto some day to go to college or go to work and is going to encounter many people who aren’t Christians. It would be better for them to learn to get along with someone who doesn’t share their faith now instead of causing them harm later when it really will matter.”
This is the philosophy we should apply to in the current case as well. Shielding children from the outside world is impossible in today’s culture of mass media and social media use. Good teaching requires preparing children to face the outside world that may have very different ideas and beliefs than those held by their family members.
Randy Fair is the author of “Southern. Gay. Teacher.” His forthcoming book is “Gay Arab American and Middle Eastern Men.”
grant workers and day laborers with employers, organized a massive cleanup drive in the form of “service brigades.”
Small businesses also sprang into action. Independent bookstore Octavia’s Bookshelf organized a “mutual aid” hub, and the Muslim grocery store EZ Halal partnered with neighboring Dym Books & Boba to lead a massive donation drive in their parking lot.
We may take such collective actions for granted in the wake of a disaster. After all, post-disaster unity is something humans exhibit routinely.
But consider this: a middle-class family loses their rented home in the fires, along with all their belongings, and the community rallies to support them. But if those same people were unable to pay rent because of an unexpected financial emergency months earlier, would their community spring up in the same manner?
Perhaps, but probably not. That’s because we’ve normalized human suffering as an inevitable outcome of our economic system. We may recognize suffering
during a disaster as an anomaly — but fail to see the slow-motion suffering that happens every day that way. The truth is this: Poverty and climate change are both forms of violence. And they’re both inevitable outcomes of an economic system designed to extract profits from people and the planet.
When disaster strikes, we have a strong human instinct to set aside profit, propriety, and discrimination and simply help each other. In the absence of political manipulation and pro-billionaire propaganda, we tend to choose compassion for one another — something I’ve personally seen on beautiful display in the wake of the Los Angeles fires. It’s this same instinct we need to rely on to transform a system that allows mass human suffering — whether from economic inequality or climate catastrophe — into one that upholds everyone’s right to safety, security, and happiness.
Trump’s
‘Return to Office’ order: The opposite of DOGE?
By Thomas L. Knapp
In a Wall Street Journal op-ed last November (“The DOGE Plan to Reform Government”), Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy asserted that “[r]equiring federal employees to come to the office five days a week would result in a wave of voluntary terminations that we welcome: If federal employees don’t want to show up, American taxpayers shouldn’t pay them for the Covid-era privilege of staying home.”
With Donald Trump’s inauguration as president, that recommendation from Musk’s and Ramaswamy’s “DOGE” project — a powerless advisory mill disguised as a “Department” of Government Efficiency — actually got accepted. In a day-one executive order, Trump directed department and agency heads to “take all necessary steps to terminate remote work arrangements and require employees to return to work in-person at their respective duty stations on a full-time basis.”
So, how “efficient” is that idea, really?
I’m a fan of terminating government employment, whether through resignations or firings. So long as those employees aren’t replaced,
it’s a win for America. Not on “efficiency” grounds, though. I don’t want the government doing what it does more “efficiently,” I just want it doing less of what it does.
I’m also a fan of remote work in the private sector. If the work actually gets done, it saves employers money, saves employees time, and saves everyone unnecessary inconvenience.
In the government sector, well, see above — I prefer government employment inconvenient, unpleasant, and expensive so that fewer people are willing to accept it.
But from a “government efficiency” standpoint, the “return to office” mandate is a disaster in conception and will likely prove a disaster in execution. Let us count the ways. First of all, “efficient” employees are highly motivated to get the job done rather than mess around. The kind of person who will take on an unnecessary commute just to sit all day in an uncomfortable office is probably only motivated to collect a paycheck. In other words, the most “efficient” employees will be the ones most likely to self-terminate and return to the productive sector. I like that outcome, but “government ef-
Oppose HSB 8 – Protect Childcare Standard
The Iowa Legislature is considering HSB 8, a bill that would allow 16- and 17-yearolds to supervise children un-
SHARE YOUR VIEW
der five without oversight. As a former childcare worker, I am deeply concerned that this would put young work-
ers in an unfair position and compromise children’s safety. Quality child care requires experienced supervision, especially for infants and toddlers. I’ve seen firsthand how quickly situations can escalate — whether during nap time, mealtime or moments of sep -
aration anxiety. Managing even two toddlers can be overwhelming without the right training and large groups require skilled, attentive caregivers to ensure their well-being.
ficiency” fans shouldn’t. Secondly, to the extent the departing “efficient” employees get replaced, they’ll be replaced by the same kind of inefficient holders down of chairs who remain, lowering overall “efficiency” even more. Thirdly, consider the costs to the taxpayer. Every government employee who works from home means less money spent on electricity, building maintenance, security screening at office building entrances, etc. Every government employee who comes to the office means more money spent on all those things. Not very “efficient.”
Finally, consider the inconvenience to everyone, government employee or not. Traffic in Washington, DC and surrounding areas has been the subject of constant complaint for as long as I can remember. It’s about to get much worse. A whole bunch of cars that came off the beltway and sat in the driveway starting in 2020 are about to start moving around again, gumming up the works and slowing everyone down. Overall, none of that sounds very “efficient” to me. Thomas L. Knapp is director and senior news analyst at the William Lloyd Garrison Center for Libertarian Advocacy Journalism
SonaliKolhatkaristhehostof“Rising Up With Sonali,” a television and radio show on Free Speech TV and Pacifica stations. YOUR VIEW
I urge lawmakers to prioritize real solutions that maintain quality care and reject HSB 8.
Jessi Balk Des Moines
I appreciate Governor Reynolds highlighting the childcare crisis, but lowering safety standards is not the solution. Many centers across Iowa oppose this bill for good reason.
C-M’s Webster, Cook return to girls state tournament
By Troy Hyde Sports Editor
COLFAX — Colfax-Mingo
senior Emma Cook thought the Instagram post had a mistake. When she scrolled through the popular social media application after school last week, she saw her name listed No. 1 in Class 1A at 235 pounds.
“I was very surprised,” Cook said. “I just came home from school and was on Instagram. It popped up, and I thought it was wrong. I thought someone messed up. So I went and looked at the rankings, then I called my mom to see if she’d seen it.”
Cook wrestled liked the No. 1 ranked grappler in her weight class during the Class 1A Region 2 tournament on Jan. 31.
Cook spent a whole 42 seconds on the mat during her run to the regional championship and will be joined at this week’s state tournament by 1A No. 5 Lily Webster, who also didn’t have much trouble with her 100-pound bracket.
Both Tigerhawks clinched their third state tournament berth and will wrestle in their fourth state meet overall. The duo combined to go 4-0.
“This will be the fourth state tournament those two will participate in,” Colfax-Mingo head girls wrestling coach Erin Hume said.
STATE | 6
Colfax-Mingo wrestlers down Bolts at Baxter quintuple
By Troy Hyde Sports Editor
BAXTER — Senior Caden
Sykes is about to complete his first full season of high school wrestling.
As he approaches 40 wins, Sykes also hopes his final prep season ends at the state tournament.
The Bondurant-Farrar transfer went 4-0 for the Colfax-Mingo wrestling team, but the short-handed Tigerhawks finished 1-3 at a road quintuple hosted by Baxter on Jan. 28.
Colfax-Mingo defeated the host Bolts 36-24 but couldn’t find the win column against Class 3A Des Moines East, 3A Des Moines North-Hoover or 1A Southeast Warren/Melcher-Dallas.
The Bolts had just five available wrestlers and lost all four of their duals but were 10-7 in contested matches.
“I think everyone wrestled really well today despite being short-handed,” Colfax-Mingo head boys wrestling coach Stacey Rice said.
Sykes and Cason Fitch were the only two area grapplers who finished 4-0 for the night.
Teagan Dybevik and Alex Hartson both were 3-1 for the Tigerhawks, while Jack Anderson, Alex Dille and Maddox Peters each went 3-1 for the Bolts.
“The guys wrestled well tonight,” Baxter head boys wrestling coach Dwight Gliem said. “We came out slow against a good East team. They have quality wrestlers, and that’s what we need. We don’t want to take forfeits and wrestle quick matches at this point. We want quality matches.”
The two Jasper County teams battled in the final round of the night and they split a pair of matches. Colfax-Mingo’s Tanner Miller pinned Baxter’s Skyler Stoll at 150 pounds, and Baxter’s Derek Rominger bumped up to 132 and pinned C-M’s Xavier Cross.
The Tigerhawks won the dual because they had a 7-3 advantage
in forfeits. There were four double forfeits. Anderson and Peters took forfeits for Baxter at 144 and 165, respectively, while Dybevik (285), Fitch (132), Willie Fitzgerald (175), Sykes (190) and Hartson (215) accepted forfeits for C-M.
Colfax-Mingo edged Des Moines North-Hoover, 3-2, in contested matches but came up short on the scoreboard, 54-30. The Tigerhawks gave up seven forfeits.
Dybevik (285), Jayden Cherveny (120), Fitch (126) and Miller (150) all won by fall. Sykes (175) and Hartson (190) each took forfeits.
“We’ve been preaching to the kids all year that we need to be physical with a purpose,” Rice said.
“We need to get our hands on our opponent and move them around. We don’t want to be dirty, but we do want to be physical. I think we did that a little bit better tonight.”
Colfax-Mingo lost 54-24 to Southeast Warren/Melcher-Dallas. The two teams split their eight contested matches, but the Warhawks had a 4-1 surplus in forfeits.
Dybevik scored a 43-second pin at 285, Fitch won his match by fall in 30 seconds at 126 and Sykes claimed a first-period pin at 175. Fitzgerald accepted a forfeit at 165. Des Moines East defeated the Tigerhawks 63-18 in their dual.
Tuhn drops 33 in Bolts’ win over rival Wolverines
GARWIN — Emie
Class 1A No. 10 Fitch won his match 10-0 at 126 and Sykes and Hartson scored first-period pins at 190 and 215, respectively.
Sykes (34-6) was 4-0 with two pins and two forfeits, and Fitch (35-5) was 4-0 with two pins.
“I think I’m wrestling pretty well for this being my only full high school season,” Sykes said. “I was out for a few weeks as a freshman at Bondurant-Farrar. I think I’m getting the hang of things. My technique is lacking still. It should get better by state time.”
Class 1A No. 12 Dybevik was 3-1 with two pins at 285, Hartson (16-11) went 3-1 with two forfeits, Miller was 2-2 with two pins and Fitzgerald ended up 2-2 with two forfeits.
“Our freshmen are starting to not look like freshmen, which is a good thing,” Rice said. “We were short one tonight because of poor choices, his backup is sick and our starter at 165 also was out with an illness.”
Baxter lost by 12 points to Colfax-Mingo, Des Moines NorthHoover and Southeast Warren/ Melcher-Dallas.
Des Moines East downed the Bolts 82-0 and went 5-0 in contested matches.
Class 1A.
Tuhn put in 33 points, the Bolts made 11 treys and the Baxter girls basketball team swept the season series against GMG on Jan. 28.
The Bolts made nearly half of their shots from the floor, won the battle on the boards and cruised past the Wolverines, 73-23, during Iowa Star Conference South Division action.
Baxter scored a season high for points, and the Bolts are 11-5 against the Wolverines since 2017.
Tuhn added three rebounds, two assists and four steals to go with her 33 points.
She was 12-of-15 from the floor and made 6-of8 from 3-point range. Tuhn now has 51 made 3s, which ranks seventh in
Kamdyn Krampe finished with 19 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and four steals and Kendall Brummel had seven points, seven rebounds, three assists and five steals.
Kaylyn Krampe totaled eight points, four rebounds and four steals, Avery Wonders registered three rebounds and two assists, Karlee Koehler swiped two steals and Callie Cross grabbed two boards.
The Bolts, who snapped a three-game losing streak, shot 48.3 percent from the floor, made 11-of-22 from 3 and connected on 6-of-10 from the free-throw line.
Baxter (9-7, 7-3 in the conference) turned the ball over 11 times and out-rebounded GMG 2821.
Skyler Murty led GMG with six points and five rebounds. The Wolverines (5-13, 2-8) shot 29 percent from the floor, missed all 6 of their shots from long range and turned the ball over 33 times.
Baxter boys use strong second quarter to down Iowa Star foe GMG
GARWIN — A big second quarter propelled the Baxter boys basketball team to a road win over GMG on Jan. 28. The Bolts trailed by two after one but dominated the second frame and held off a late charge from the Wolverines during a 71-64 victory in Iowa Star Conference South Division play.
Eli Dee put in 45 points and made all 16 of his free-throw attempts in the victory. Baxter won the second 22-8, and GMG closed the gap with a 4237 advantage in the final two periods. Dee added seven rebounds and five steals to his 45 points. He was 13of-21 from the floor and made 16-of-16 from the free-throw line.
Dee is shooting 86.3 percent from the foul line, which ranks eighth in Class 1A. His 29 points per game ranks fourth in the class.
Perrin Sulzle totaled 16 points, 14 rebounds and three assists, Cainan Travis added six points, seven boards and two blocks and Maddux Tuhn collected four points and two rebounds.
Stadan Vansice totaled two rebounds and two assists. The Bolts (10-7, 7-2 in the conference) shot 50 percent from the floor despite making 3-of-12 from 3. They buried 20-of-24 from the foul line and turned the ball over 18 times.
Colin Teske led GMG with 20 points, six re-
bounds and five steals and Rider Kupka had 17 points and six boards. The Wolverines (6-12, 2-8) shot 39 percent from the floor, made 6-of-18 from 3 and turned the ball over 12 times.
Baxter won its ninth straight against GMG and improved to 14-2 in the series since 2017.
West Marshall 62, Baxter 61 STATE CENTER — The Bolts couldn’t hold a three-possession lead after the first quarter and fell 62-61 to 2A West Marshall on Jan. 30. Baxter led by seven after the first but was outscored by eight in the second and fell by a single point in the non-conference contest. Both teams scored 31 points in the second half.
Dee scored 35 points, grabbed three rebounds and swiped three steals. He was 6-of-8 from 3 and 3-of-4 from the foul line.
Sulzle tallied a 15-point, 10-rebound double-double and Travis had nine points, six rebounds and two blocks. Vansice totaled four rebounds and two assists and Tuhn grabbed three rebounds.
The Bolts shot 47 percent from the floor, made 8-of-14 from 3 and buried 7-of-12 from the foul line.
West Marshall (10-7) shot 43 percent from the floor, connected on 7-of18 from 3 and buried 5-of6 from the foul line.
Lucas Barnes led the Trojans with 17 points and six rebounds and Cash Johnson had 15 points and seven boards.
Jasper County Tribune
Tuhn
Jasper County Tribune
Dee Sulzle
Troy Hyde/Jasper County Tribune
Colfax-Mingo freshman Willie Fitzgerald, top, battles a wrestler from Des Moines East during a road quintuple at Baxter on Jan. 28. The Tigerhawks’ lone dual win came against the host Bolts
Troy Hyde/Jasper County Tribune
Colfax-Mingo seniors Emma Cook, left, and Lily Webster qualified for their third girls state wrestling tournament after winning regional titles on Jan. 31 in Colfax.
Turnovers plague C-M girls in loss to state-ranked Hawks
COLFAX — A dominating effort on the defensive end of the floor propelled the Lynnville-Sully girls basketball team to a road win over Colfax-Mingo on Jan. 28.
The Class 1A No. 11 Hawks won the South Iowa Cedar League game despite shooting just 31 percent from the floor and missing 10 free throws.
Lynnville-Sully sunk eight 3-pointers, turned the ball over only 12 times and limited the Tigerhawks to single digits in three quarters.
State
Hume continued, “And the goal as seniors is to go get a medal. They will work really hard on (Feb. 3, Feb. 4 and Feb. 5) and they deserve everything they get. They’re great kids.”
The season ended for the rest of the Tigerhawks and for a Baxter trio who competed at regionals.
Colfax-Mingo’s 12 wrestlers scored 102 points and finished sixth in the 19-team field. It was an up-anddown day, according to Hume.
“It was a great season,” Hume said. “We had a lot of great things go our way throughout the year. Some things today just didn’t. As a coach, that’s probably my fault. Maybe I didn’t have them ready enough. We competed well but some matches didn’t go our way.”
The top two finishers in each weight at each regional from around the state qualified for the 1A and 2A state tournament, which takes place at Xtream Arena starting at 10 a.m. on Feb. 6 in Coralville. The 1A portion of the state meet kicks off at 4:30 p.m.
Colfax-Mingo’s Devan Chadwick and Baxter’s Malayla Hurd took third at their weights, while PCM freshman Hadley Millang won three matches for the Tigerhawk squad.
Baxter senior Zoey Gliem and junior Johnelle Gliem both were 2-2 at 140 and 145, respectively.
Hurd (8-15) finished third at 235 after going 2-2 with two pins. She lost her first match of the day to Saydel’s Rylie Scott (8-20) but defeated Scott later in the third-place match and was rewarded with a wrestle back.
Hurd lost that state-qualifying bout though to Iowa Falls-Alden’s Rylee Robison (14-16).
“That was a shock. I have not seen her ever wrestle that well,” Baxter head girls wrestling coach Randi Gliem said about Hurd. “Something clicked today. We’ll get right to work, get after it all summer and start to improve before next season.
“I’m very proud of how the other two wrestled. They just came up short. It happens.”
Class 1A No. 5 Vinton-Shellsburg won the regional championship with 207 points. The rest of the top five included Woodward-Granger (161), Perry (139.5), Aplington-Parkersburg/Grundy Center (138.5) and West Marshall (106).
Kate Harthoorn scored 16 points and added three rebounds and three steals. Harthoorn ranks fourth in 1A with 59 made 3s.
Lynnville-Sully (14-5, 10-4 in the SICL) connected on 8-of-22 from 3 and was 8-of-18 from the free-throw line.
Lydia Hansen led the Tigerhawks with 10 points, nine rebounds and three blocks, while Isabelle
Iowa Valley (88.5), Ogden (82), Grinnell (78.5) and Saydel (74.5) finished behind Colfax-Mingo to complete the top 10. Baxter was 16th with 28.5 points.
Cook (41-4) opened with a 22-second pin over Scott and then pinned Robison in the finals in 20 seconds.
“I just wanted to get out there and get it done,” Cook said.
Webster (41-4) joined Cook as the No. 1 seed in her bracket. She was 2-0 with two pins. Only one of those matches reached the second period. An illness during last year’s state tournament limited her ability to make a deep run.
Webster hopes for a big redemption story this time around.
“It feels pretty good. I hope it goes better than last year. I’m ready for a big comeback.”
Chadwick (43-10) dropped down to 105 to give herself a better chance at a state berth in her final season. But despite being the No. 2 seed in her bracket, Chadwick finished third after a 3-1 day. She won twice by fall but dropped a tough 18-15 decision to Ogden’s Sydney King.
“They wrestled really well,” Hume said about Chadwick and Millang. “Take away one match each, and they both had really good days.
“(Chadwick) is going to be missed. She’s a leader in the room and doesn’t miss practices. You just know she’ll work hard every day.”
The next two best finishers for C-M were PCM’s Jozlyn Wells and Millang. Wells (21-11) was 2-2 with two pins at 130 and Millang (41-16) finished 3-2 with one pin and two technical falls at 145.
PCM’s Emma Beyer and Allison Minteer both went 1-2 for the Tigerhawks, while Karmylia Snyder (125), Brianna Freerksen (130) and Lily Brenner (140) and PCM’s Addy Covington (120) and Samantha Wheeler (170) all finished 0-2 at their weights.
Minteer (18-14) was 1-2 with one pin at 110 and Beyer was 1-2 with one pin at 155. One of Minteer’s losses came against No. 7 and eventual regional champion Hannah Brandhorst of Woodward-Granger. Beyer lost to No. 4 Tara Hollingsworth of BCLUW, too.
Zoey Gliem (16-14) was 2-2 with one pin and one technical fall for the Bolts, while Johnelle Gliem (2113) was 2-2 with two pins.
Coach Gliem said the Bolts had trouble with something they don’t teach in practice.
“We don’t teach headlocks,”
Coach Gliem said. “So therefore we
in the North-Hoover dual but again dominated the contested matches, going 4-1. Dille, Stoll, Peters and Anderson all won by fall.
Foglesong scored seven points and grabbed five boards.
Katelyn Steenhoek and Dakota Allen both put in three points and Allen grabbed five rebounds and swiped two steals. Victoria Woods pulled down four rebounds, Blain Houseman had two boards and Mickinley Bucklin blocked two shots.
The Tigerhawks (5-14, 4-10) shot 29.4 percent from the floor, made 1-of-13 from 3 and buried 7-of-11 from the foul line.
Colfax-Mingo turned the ball over 27 times.
don’t know how to get out of them either. Seeing what other coach’s teach, we have no choice but to address that. I’m not a fan of headlocks. We got out of a couple of them but also got caught in a couple, too.”
Both Webster and Cook, who was recognized for her 100th career victory at regionals, will be the No. 3 seed in their state brackets at 100 and 235.
Tigerhawks win third straight SICL title
SIGOURNEY — Webster won her third straight conference title, five Tigerhawks won their brackets and Colfax-Mingo claimed its third consecutive South Iowa Cedar League championship on Jan. 27.
Colfax-Mingo edged BGM by single digits in each of the past two seasons but was the clear-cut winner this time around.
Backed by five champions and four runner-up finishes, the Tigerhawks scored 173 points at the top. BGM and North Mahaska tied for second with 100 points and the rest of the top five included host Sigourney/Keota (84.5) and Iowa Valley (83).
English Valleys (50) and Tri-County (27) completed the seven-team field. The Tigerhawks entered 15 wrestlers and no other team had more than eight.
Webster led five Tigerhawks as individual champions. She was 2-0 with two first-period pins against opponents with winning records at 100. It was her third straight SICL title.
Minteer won her first SICL crown as she was 4-0 with four first-period pins at 105. She spent less than 3 minutes on the mat.
Chadwick secured her second conference title when she was 3-0 with three pins at 110. She was third last year and first as a sophomore.
The other champions were Cook, Millang and Alauna Wells.
Cook was 2-0 with two first-period pins against her younger sister Emily, while Millang was 3-0 with three pins at 145 and Alauna Wells finished 1-1 with one pin at 155.
It was the first conference titles for Millang and Alauna Wells. Emma Cook was second last year and first as a sophomore.
Jozlyn Wells, Brenner and Kinley Johannes all placed second at their weights. Jozlyn Wells was 3-1 with three first-period pins at 135, Brenner finished 3-1 with three pins at 140 and Johannes was 0-2 at 190.
Freerksen and Beyer both were third at their weights, while Lily Anderson and Brooklynn Audas placed fourth and Covington took fifth. Freerksen (130) and Beyer (170) were 0-2, Anderson was 1-3 with one pin at 135, Covington ended up 1-4 with one pin 125 and Audas was 0-3 at 145.
but we’ll learn from it and move on. I just lost control and started to do the dumb stuff that I fixed over the years. It’s unfortunate I took a loss, but that kid is no slouch.”
C-M boys fall to pair of SICL foes
COLFAX — A slow start didn’t hinder the Lynnville-Sully boys basketball team against Colfax-Mingo on July 28. The Hawks led by six after one quarter but pushed the margin to double digits by halftime and dominated the third quarter during a 70-37 road victory over the Tigerhawks during South Iowa Cedar League play.
Twelve players scored in all for Lynnville-Sully and Sawyer Veldhuizen, WIll Van Vark, Dawson James and Jack Bowlin all reached double figures.
The Hawks shot 46 percent from the floor, made 6-of-17 from 3-point range and connected on 18-of-28 from the free-throw line.
Lynnville-Sully (13-5, 9-5) turned the ball over only eight times, out-rebounded Colfax-Mingo 31-21 and swiped 14 steals.
Harrison Rhone led the Tigerhawks with 11 points, five rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks.
Wyatt Carpenter totaled eight points and four rebounds, Wyatt Jay and Shane Hostetter had six points and three rebounds each and Jace Lewis chipped in four points and three boards.
Gage Byal grabbed two rebounds, Chase Trotter dished out two assists and Hostetter returned to the lineup after not playing since the team’s loss to Sigourney on Jan. 14.
The Tigerhawks (2-15, 2-12) shot 35.4 percent from the floor, made 1-of-11 from 3 and turned the ball over 18 times. L-S had a 16-point advantage from the foul line.
BGM 58, Colfax-Mingo 42 BROOKLYN — Rhone returned to the lineup but his big game was not enough for the Tigerhawks against BGM on Jan. 24.
Colfax-Mingo rallied from an early hole with a big second quarter but couldn’t recover from the Bears’ huge third period during a 58-42 road loss in SICL play.
BGM led by 11 after one, but Colfax-Mingo closed the gap to one at halftime. The Bears dominated the third 20-5 and both teams scored 13 in the fourth. Rhone, who missed the HLV game on Jan. 21, finished with 21 points, eight rebounds, three assists, five steals and three blocks to lead the Tigerhawks. Lewis added six points and three rebounds, Byal had five points and two steals and Carpenter totaled five points and three assists. Jay registered three points and five boards.
The Tigerhawks shot 37.5 percent from the floor and made 5-of-14 from 3 but missed nine of their 16 free throws and turned the ball over 20 times.
BGM (4-16, 2-12) got 16 points and 21 rebounds from Ben Cadden and Tucker Wright collected 10 rebounds, eight assists and six steals.
The Bears shot 35 percent from the floor, made 7-of-25 from 3 and turned the ball over 18 times. But BGM out-rebounded the Tigerhawks 50-18 and grabbed 22 offensive boards.
Perrin Sulzle
Baxter senior Perrin Sulzle registered a pair of double-doubles last week for the boys basketball team. He posted 16 points and 14 rebounds in a win over GMG on Jan. 28 and then had 15 points and 10 boards in a loss to West Marshall on Jan. 30.
Baxter was 5-0 in contested matches against Southeast Warren/ Melcher-Dallas, but the Bolts gave up all seven forfeits. Dille (113), Rominger (132), Anderson (138), Stoll (144) and Peters (157) all won by fall in the dual.
“The five guys I have right now are coming off injuries and illnesses,” Gliem said.
“It’s been tough, but we have a few weeks before districts. I think we’ll have some quality outcomes there. We just have to stay healthy and get our cardio back up.”
The Bolts gave up all five forfeits
Anderson (36-7), Peters (25-16) and Dille all finished 3-1 with two pins at their weights, while Rominger and Stoll were 2-2 with two pins.
Anderson battled through a knee injury during and after his loss to a wrestler from Des Moines East in the Bolts’ first dual of the night.
“It’s my senior year so we’ll push through and hopefully it ends at the state tournament,” Anderson said.
“I made some mistakes last year and didn’t make it. I have to fix those mistakes and nurse my body to the finish line.
“I didn’t wrestle my best tonight,
Notes: Anderson has registered 74 wins the past two seasons at Baxter. He went over 100 career victories earlier this season and is approaching the school record. … Sykes has some work to do to get to 40 wins. But he’s integrated himself well at Colfax-Mingo after transferring from Bondurant-Farrar before the school year. “I went out for wrestling because of the people here,” Sykes said. “Coach Bucklin and Coach Rice are some of the best people I’ve ever met in my life. They are great coaches, but more importantly, amazing people.”
Jasper County Tribune Jasper County Tribune
Hansen
Webster Emma Cook
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