JCT-01-11-2024

Serving — Colfax • Mingo • Baxter • Western Jasper

CODE COMPLAINT

Colfax resident’s property use

complaint highlights code

enforcement struggles

hasslin’ and hide the nuisances.

Discussions between Colfax resident Robert Bell and the board of supervisors over codes and property rights got heated at the end of the open meeting on Dec. 17, 2023, resulting in an intense back-and-forth argument in which several Jasper County officials begged the man to work with staff to meet compliance.

For some time Bell says he has been hassled by the county over the vehicles, truck parts and tires he stores on his property, eventually leading him to consider building what he claimed was a 6,000-foot fence around his property to keep people out, prevent more county

Currently, there are numerous vehicles — including semi-trailer trucks — being stored on more than 36 acres of land owned by Bell (made up of two adjacent lots spanning about 18 acres each), which can be seen from the nearby roads along West 76th Street South and South 44th Avenue West.

Jasper County’s GIS maps from 2017, 2019 and 2022 show the accumulation of stored vehicles has only grown over the years.

Newton News also observed the early construction of a tall fence bordering the property near the southwest corner of the lower lot, which is classified by zoning codes as “agriculture” and “ag dwelling.” In Jas-

per County, agricultural and rural residential properties are prohibited from being used as junkyards.

According to the county’s zoning code definitions, Bell’s property could meet the definitions of a “junkyard,” which is any lot where junk, used for second-hand materials are bought, sold, exchanged, stored, baled, packed, disassembled or handled. Junk is defined as any old, used, discarded or salvaged material.

However, Bell doesn’t see it that way, and he doesn’t believe the county should be able to tell him what he can and cannot do on his property

“I don’t want people telling me

Iowa Caucuses less than a week away

Caucus locations set for Jasper County communities

By Christopher Braunschweig PCM Explorer

The first in the nation

Iowa Caucuses are less than a week away with locals interested in the political process gathering the evening of Jan. 15. There are a variety of locations assigned to citizens of Jasper County depending on the township they reside. They include:

• Clear Creek-Inde -

pendence — Baxter City Hall — 203 S. Main St., Baxter • Mound Prairie-Poweshiek-Washington, Colfax 1, Colfax 2 and Colfax 3 — Colfax Mingo Elementary School — 20 W. Broadway St., Colfax

• Des Moines — PCM Middle School Library — 407 E. Plainsman Rd., Prairie City

• Fairview — PCM High School Library — 400 IA 163 Bus., Monroe

• Hickory Grove — Kellogg United Methodist Church — 417 Second St., Kellogg

• Buena Vista-Elk Creek, Lynngrove-Richland — Lynnville Sully Middle School — 1246 Hwy F 62 E., Sully

• Malaka-Newton-Sherman, Newton 1-1, Newton 1-2, Newton 2-1, Newton 2-2, Newton 3-1, Newton 3-2, Newton 4-1, Newton 4-2, Palo Alto — Berg Middle School — 1900 N. Fifth

Ave. E., Newton

To participate, an individual must be a registered member of the party caucus they are attending. A person cannot be registered to no party. The individual must be 18 years old by the upcoming Election Day of the election year, Nov. 5 for 2024. A 17-year-old can participate as long as they will be 18 by Nov. 5. Participants must also reside in the precinct they are caucusing in.

County

How are candidates approaching agricultural issues?

See what presidential hopefuls are saying about today’s farming challenges

By Christopher Braunschweig PCM Explorer

Editor’s note: The following article originally appeared in the Fall 2023 edition of Central Iowa AgMag as a way to show how certain candidates felt about agricultural issues at that particular time. As such, some information has been removed to better reflect the current candidates still in the race for the nomination.

With the primaries for the upcoming presidential election coming up, I bet a lot of us are wondering what the candidates and incumbent are saying about farmers and the agricultural industry. Some folks may have already made up their mind on who they’re voting for, but I’m still curious what candidates have to say.

So I’ve scoured through some of the latest headlines and campaign websites for any information I could find about candidates’ views on agriculture.

Here’s what I’ve found:

JOE BIDEN

While farmers were waiting for fields to dry after a late October rainfall, President Joe Biden announced more than $5 billion in investments to rural communities.

Funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Inflation Reduction Act and other programs will go towards advancing rural prosperity, economic development, competition and sustainability, according to a Nov. 1 press release from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Here is a breakdown of the funds:

• $1.7 billion in investments in climate-smart agriculture practices.

• $1.1 billion in investments in rural American infrastructure through loans/grants.

• $2 billion in investments to partner with rural communities to create jobs, support rural-led economic development.

• $274 million to expand critical rural highspeed internet infrastructure.

• $145 million to expand access to renewable energy, lower energy costs for rural Americans.

However, some pundits have criticized Biden’s green-focused approach to agriculture. In August 2023, Politico reported that even some advocates are not convinced it will help. Coupled with the negotiations to pass the farm bill (the results of which were unknown by press time), Biden might have an uphill battle.

natural resources

By Christopher Braunschweig PCM Explorer

Editor’s note: The following is the second of three articles going over Jasper County lawmakers’ priorities for the 2024 legislative session.

Although Iowa Sen. Ken Rozenboom is chair of the education committee, it is actually

his work on the agricultural and natural resources committees that is driving his personal list of priorities for the 2024 legislative session, which includes taking a hard look at who is buying Iowa farmland. Specifically, Rozenboom wants to address concerns of any foreign ownership and corporate ownership. While there

there are laws prohibiting the purchase or acquisition of Iowa farmland from foreign businesses and governments, there is a strong feeling there may be some “very deep pockets” inappropriately involved. With his strong background in agriculture, Rozenboom is greatly concerned about potential foreign investment in

farmland in Iowa and across the country. He is also concerned about corporate ownership. Again, there are laws limiting corporate influence on farmland, but he has doubts everyone is in compliance.

“For almost two years now, we’ve been digging into this with State senator’s priorities for 2024

Christopher Braunschweig/Jasper County Tribune

A rural Colfax resident complained to the board of supervisors about being told what he can and cannot do on his property by community development staff, who have taken a more proactive approach to enforcing Jasper County’s ordinances in recent years.

By Christopher Braunschweig PCM Explorer

Rozenboom

Obituaries

Carol Jontz

Jan. 3, 2024

Carol Jontz, 82, of Baxter, Iowa, passed away on Wednesday, January 3, 2024, at her home. A visitation will be held on Tuesday, January 9, 2024, from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. at Fredregill Funeral & Cremation Care (107 N. Main St., Baxter). A memorial service will be held on Wednesday, Jan-

Jimmie Lee Renfro

Dec. 29, 2023

Jimmie Lee Renfro, age 80, of Colfax, passed away peacefully on Friday, December 29th, 2023, after battling Alzheimer’s, at Senior Suites in Urbandale with family by his side. A visitation for Jimmie will be

Dec. 25, 2023

Casey James Seieroe age 47 of Pella passed away at his home on December 25, 2023. Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, January 3, 2024 at 10:30 am at the First Baptist Church in Colfax. Burial will take place at Colfax Cemetery. The family will greet friends on Tuesday, January 2, 2024 at the church from 5:00 - 7:00 pm. In lieu of flowers memorials may be directed to the family to be used for his son’s

HOWARD ST. CHRISTIAN CHURCH

(Disciples of Christ)

Pastor Tom Burns Howard & Locust St., Colfax Office - 674-3746 Church Cell - 971-0569

uary 10, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. at the Community Heights Alliance Church in Newton, Iowa with Pastor Jeff Keady officiating. A private family burial will be held at Restland Cemetery in Baxter. Carol was born on April 30, 1941, in Mar-

shalltown, Iowa to Tommy and Margaret (Orr) Johnston. She attended school in Baxter where she met the love of her life Dennis Jontz. While in school she excelled at basketball and was the homecoming queen of the 1959 class. After high school, she married Dennis on April 29, 1960. The couple has resided on the family farm outside of Baxter for over 50 years. She was a member

of Community Heights Alliance Church in Newton where she served as a Deaconess. Carol also helped with Vacation Bible School and served on the Hospitality Committee at the Church. Carol enjoyed sharing her love for Christ through hospitality as well as giving to and encouraging others. Those left to cherish her loving memory are her husband of 63 years Dennis Jontz of Baxter,

IA; children Mark (Mitzi) of Pella, IA, Jolene (Merle) Krohn of Ft. Collins, CO, Tom (Lisa) Jontz of Baxter, IA, and Rachel (Brad) Hitcher of Baxter, IA; grandchildren Joe Clanin of Ames, IA, and Will and Max Hitchler of Baxter, IA; sister Janice (Dennis) Lynch of Ft. Collins, CO; sisters-inlaws Maurene Johnston of Wahoo, NE and Nancy Johnston of CA; many nieces, nephews and close

friends. Carol was preceded in death by her parents, brothers Wendell Johnston and Tom Johnston, and in-laws Max and Frances Jontz. In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be directed to the Baxter Athletic Boosters in her memory.

Fredregill Funeral & Cremation Care has been entrusted with the care of Carol and her family.

held on Monday, January 8, 2024, from 10:00 –11:00 AM at Coburn Funeral Home in Colfax. A funeral service will directly follow the visitation, beginning at 11:00 AM. Following the funeral,

future needs. Checks may be made payable to Zach Sieiroe and mailed to the funeral home in Colfax.

The son of James L. and Debra Jo (Hill) Seieroe, Casey was born on April 9, 1976, in Des Moines, Iowa. Casey graduated from Colfax-Mingo High School in 1994. Casey was a blessing, a naturally energetic child, he always kept his parents on their toes. As soon as he could walk, he was ready to run. As a child he enjoyed participating in activities at 1st Baptist, & he continued this for many years. In school, Casey was involved & excelled in many sports. His adult life revolved around his 3 children, foregoing his career & choosing to be a stay at home par-

SUNDAY - 9 a.m. Adult & Wired

Word Adult Sunday school classes; 10 a.m. Fellowship Time;10:30 a.m. Worship, in person or online via YouTube

MONDAY - Tom’s day off TUESDAY - 9:30 a.m. Coffee Time/ Fellowship; 2 p.m. Easy Yoga

WEDNESDAY - 3:30 p.m. After school elementary youth; 6:10 ChiRho and CYF youth supper/youth group

THIRD SUNDAY of month - Marathon Sunday includes elders, board, potluck and food pantry

FIRST MONDAY of month - WIC appointments

IRA UNITED CHURCH

Rev. Michael Omundson

SUNDAY - 9:30 a.m. Church service;

a burial will be held at McKeever Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made out to Jimmie’s Family. Checks can be made payable to Michele Coulson. Online condolences may be left at www.coburnfuneralhomes.com.

The son of Russell and Virginia Renfro, Jimmie was born on March 21st, 1943, in Mill Grove,

ent. He later became employed by the Pella School district, allowing him to remain involved in many activities with them, their favorites being trap shooting, boating & fishing. Those left to honor his memory include his three sons, Caleb Seieroe, Chris Seieroe, and Sam Seieroe; his brother, Zach (Lisa) Seieroe; his grandfather, Harold Hill; uncle, Brad (Kristi) Hill; aunts, Leavonne Hill, Amy (Shawn) Wilkinson and Julianne Seieroe and several cousins and many friends. Preceding Casey in death were his parents, Jim and Deb; grandparents, Wilma Hill and Elmer and Helen Seieroe; an uncle, Vernon Seieroe and a cousin, Angela Seieroe.

Missouri. Jimmie moved to Colfax, Iowa, and was blessed with four daughters and only one bathroom, where he lived on West Washington Street. He worked different types of construction jobs and retired from Metro Park East Landfill. Jimmie was always busy at his “retirement office” at Prairie Meadows Casino but was al-

ways sure to be home in time for the Price Is Right game show. He enjoyed spending time with family and friends, sharing many stories and jokes. Those left to honor his memory include his daughters; Sherri (Steve) Hensley and Michele (Bobby) Coulson, eleven grandchildren, eleven great grandchil-

dren, and a brother-inlaw, Keith Reed. Preceding Jimmie in death were his parents, his sister; Nancy Reed, Ray Renfro who was like a brother, Karen Lewis who was like another sister, his daughters; Diane Ahn and Melody Wright, his grandchild, Shantel Ploen, and his great grandchild, Maddox Ploen.

It’s Story Time at the Colfax Library

Church Schedules

10:15 a.m. Sunday school (communion first Sunday)

METZ COMMUNITY CHURCH 3253 W. 62nd St. S., Newton Pastor David Rex 641-521-4354

SUNDAY - 9 a.m. Sunday school; 10:10 a.m. Worship Last Saturday of month - 8 a.m. Men’s Breakfast

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH Colfax Minister, Pastor Cody Dyer Church Office 674-4165

SUNDAY, Jan. 14- 9 a.m. Fellowship; 9:15 a.m. Bible Education Classes; 10:25 a.m. Message by Pastor Cody Dye; 11:30 a.m. Potluck Dinner; 12:45 p.m. Annual Business meeting

TUESDAY, Jan. 16 - 3 p.m. Women’s Prayer and coffee

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 17 - 9 a.m. Busy Bee Quilters and Fresh Encounter Prayer; 5:45 p.m. AWANA Family

The church schedule is brought to you by

Colfax-Prairie City-Monroe 515-674-3155 www.coburnfuneralhomes.com

Meal; 6:25 p.m. AWANA Clubs

SACRED HEART CATHOLIC CHURCH Newton, Iowa

SATURDAY - 4 p.m. Mass

SUNDAY - 9 a.m. Mass

COLFAX FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

S. Locust & W. Division St. Office - 674-3782

Rev. Phil Dicks pastor

SUNDAY - 10:30 a.m. Sunday School; Family Worship - Today is Food Pantry Sunday

HOPE ASSEMBLY OF GOD

126 E. Howard

Rev. Paul Avery, pastor Church: 674-3700

SUNDAY - 9 a.m. Sunday school; 10 a.m. Worship; 6 p.m. Evening services

WEDNESDAY - 6 p.m. Bible study

IMMACULATE CONCEPTION

CATHOLIC CHURCH

302 E. Howard St., Colfax Fr. Ron Hodges

515-674-3711

SUNDAY - 9 a.m. Mass

DAILY MASS - 8 a.m.

MINGO UNITED METHODIST CHURCH Rev. Phil Dicks

515-689-4926

SUNDAY - 9:45 a.m. Worship service (Sunday school not meeting at this time)

ASHTON CHAPEL

8887 W. 122nd St. N., Mingo

Pastors: Larry Craig & Mark Eddy

SUNDAY - 9 a.m. Sunday school; 10 a.m. Worship

BETHANY UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST 5627 N. 95th Ave. W., Baxter 641-227-3402

Pastor Chris Hayward

SUNDAY - 9 a.m. Sunday School

(Sunday after Labor Day to second Sunday in May); 10 a.m. Sunday Worship. First Sunday communion. All are welcome. baxterbethanyucc.org

EVANGELICAL FREE CHURCH

BAXTER Mike Mclintock, Pastor

SUNDAY - 9:15 a.m. Sunday School; 10 a.m. Worship; 6 p.m. Awanas

WEDNESDAYS - 1st & 3rd - 6:30 p.m. Mens Bible Study 2nd & 4th - 6:30 p.m. Men’s and Womens Bible Study

THURSDAYS 10 a.m. - Womens Bible Study

BAXTER CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH

218 S. Main, Baxter Pastor Ben Spera Church: 641-227-3382

SUNDAY - 10 a.m. Worship

WEDNESDAY - 6 p.m. Bible Study THIRD THURSDAY of month - 6:30 p.m. Theology on Tap at Bea’s Place on Main Street Check us out on Facebook and baxtercongregational.com

CORNERSTONE BIBLE

Casey James Seieroe

Submitted Photo

The Colfax Public Library is hosting a weekly story time for preschoolers at 10:30 a.m. Thursdays. The story time program follows the Colfax-Mingo School District calendar. Kim Dyer, Colfax Public Library assistant, shares a story with a recent group of preschool children.

Weekend activities at NSNWR

Bison Storytime

Enjoy learning about bison through a free educational story time event presented by Denise Bean, Youth Services Librarian for the Iowa Library for the Blind and Print Disabled, from 3 to 4 p.m. Friday at the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge’s Visitor Center. Visitors of all ages are welcome to participate in this program. Participants will create hands-on crafts and enjoy engaging activities, including working with tactile coloring pages. Attendees will learn about bison and their habitat while enjoying the smells of the prairie. For a bonus, participants will receive a tactile bison bookmark that includes their very own name in braille.

Second Saturday Stewardship — Native Prairie Seed Cleaning

Would you like to help build tallgrass prairie? Staff at the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge is looking for volunteers to help clean native prairie seeds by hand and with tools from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday during Second

Saturday Stewardship.

This activity involves removing the stem, leaves and other parts, leaving just the seeds for planting. This work will be done inside the seed lab located at the refuge visitor center. You can enjoy learning about prairie plants while contributing to building prairie for people and wildlife. Individuals, families, and groups are welcome to participate. Free hot chocolate and snacks will be available for volunteers. Volunteers are required to fill out a volunteer agreement and those under the age of 18 must have a parent or legal guardian sign the form. Volunteers are required to wear closed sturdy shoes and pants. For additional information and to register, contact nancy_corona@fws.gov or call 515-994-3400.

Free National Rubber Ducky Day Scavenger Hunt

In honor of National Rubber Ducky Day, Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge has welcomed 10 rubber ducky

long time, Robert. Do not ever question my service again.”

“Well I’m not free no more!”

that I can’t,” he said at the meeting. “Because I earned that. I paid for that. And I think that you give me enough time we’ll get the fence done and people can’t keep driving by saying they don’t look like they want it to look like. It shouldn’t matter what people want. It’s my property.”

Supervisor Brandon Talsma prefaced his comments by saying the board could not make any action on Bell’s property since there was no item about it placed on the agenda. Talsma frequently told Bell to meet with the county’s community development director, Kevin Luetters, and come up with a game plan. Bell was resistant to the idea. He also argued half of the ordinances the county enforces or upholds are unconstitutional, but Talsma defended the codes. No matter how much Talsma and fellow supervisor Denny Stevenson tried to convince him otherwise, Bell was adamant his rights were being violated.

“You’re taking my rights away from my property. That’s exactly how I feel. If you’re telling me what I can and can’t do, where did my rights go? I thought you fought for my freedom. But when you come back you take my freedom away,” Bell said in reference to Talsma’s past military service, which struck a nerve.

Talsma responded, “Don’t ever call into question my service again. Ever. I’ve known you a

Stevenson tried reasoning with Bell, saying residents cannot do anything they wish on their properties.

“What if you wanted to make moonshine whiskey out there? Could you do that? Can you do that?”

Stevenson asked.

“Well I wouldn’t tell nobody,” Bell said, which conjured some muted laughter in the room.

“Sure, if I wanted to.”

“But if the authorities find out you’re going to be charged with that. That’s what I’m saying. There are limits to things you can do. This is one of them. This is the law. There are limits to what you can do. You have a lot rights. But you can’t do whatever you want on your property, just like I can’t.”

Stevenson said what anyone does on their property affects other properties. He wagered Bell could come up with a good deal if he really works with county staff.

But it is going to take cooperation on Bell’s part, Stevenson said.

Prior meetings between Bell and county officials had apparently not gone well. Talsma recalled one meeting where he and a community development worker waited for Bell for over an hour for him to show up, but he never did. Attempts were also made to establish a conditional use permit for Bell.

“The county is not going to sit back and approved a conditional use permit that goes against

zoning ordinances when someone isn’t willing to play ball and work with us to begin with,” Talsma said. “That’s what all those other individuals had to do, too. We just approved another one the other day for what’s his name.”

It is a two-way street, Talsma added. Bell said it does not feel that way to him, especially after he had disposed of tires, “the stuff out front,” all but two campers and five trailer houses. Talsma said county staff need to know that, and he again encouraged him to develop a plan and timeline with community development.

“How are they supposed to know what progress you’ve made without allowing them on your property to inspect it, to check it, to verify the progress has been made?” Talsma asked.

Bell said. “I truly believe they don’t need to be on my property.”

“OK, well don’t get made then when they go on the assumption that zero progress has been made if you’re not letting them onto your property to verify progress has been made. They’re going to default to nothing’s been done. It’s going to be what can be seen from the road unless you let them on there.”

Bell also questioned how he could be expected to come up with a timeline with more than 30 years of materials and vehicles being stored on his property. Talsma said it is not his materials that are getting everybody all worked up; it is the 14 semi-trailers that showed up on his property in a span of three months.

guests to hide themselves throughout the visitor center exhibits. Guests are welcome to join in the hunt to try to find all 10 by following hints and riddles from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. You can win a prize by going to the

“It was the 27 vehicles with Polk County plates that were all non-running that I saw when I was back there. Jasper County is not a dumping ground for other county’s crap,” Talsma said to Bell, who claimed those vehicles were being used for storage. “…Robert, please sit down with community development.”

At the meeting, another individual was sitting with Bell named Paul Bettin, who lives in Polk County and owns a business in Newton and has been storing vehicles on Bell’s land with his permission. Talsma questioned why Bettin would not store the vehicles in Polk County. Bettin said it is because of his business.

“So? Your business isn’t in Colfax. Your business is in Newton,” Talsma said. Bettin responded, “Because I get charged $15 a vehicle out there for outside storage … I can’t store it at my house in town. It’s not big enough.”

Talsma said that is a result of ordinances and regulations in Polk County. Similarly, Jasper County has its limits, too. But Bell argued the county is trying to take away Bettin’s business, but supervisors denied that accusation. Talsma said he wants Bell to work with staff so it does not run amuck.

“And 20 years from now there’s not another 50-acre junkyard in Jasper County,” Talsma said, though Bell protested he was not going to let that happen. “…Every single person that’s got a junkyard says that it’s not going to happen. Then 30 or 40 years down the road that’s exactly what we have.”

front desk and telling the volunteer a few fun facts the ducks taught you. This scavenger hunt is directed towards children ages 5-10, but all are welcome. The refuge trails, wildlife drive, and visitor center are free to visit.

Which is also why ordinances that have been on the books for decades that were not getting enforced are now getting enforced, Talsma added.

“We’re saying there are rules that have to be followed and we’re wanting to work with you to come in compliance with those rules,” he said. “…I really wish you’d sit down with community development and understand it’s a twoway street. It’s a two-way street and neither one is going to get 100 percent what they want.”

Bell was not wholly convinced, even with Bettin’s insistence.

“I’ll tell you what: We’ll see what happens,” Bell said.

By the end of the supervisors work session, Bell conceded he would work with the county on meeting compliance with codes, much to the delight of supervisors.

Other property owners with nuisance violations have gone through the same process of meeting with Luetters to determine a plan, Talsma said. In a follow-up interview with Luetters, he estimated roughly 40 percent of all residents who meet with him the first time face-to-face comply to clean up their properties.

“We get good compliance with just two humans talking,” Luetters said, noting another 40 percent come to compliance after going to court. “…The judge will talk to them and then they take it serious. Then you got 20 percent who just have to go the whole process.”

ly, which can ultimately have an effect on the county’s growth.

Developers in particular may not want to build in Jasper County if there are “junky” properties. Luetters said staff had addressed problem properties in the past, but community development was never as proactive as it has been these past years. In 2023, about 30 properties had begun working with the county. If property owners refuse the county’s demands and the judge’s demands, then Jasper County will hire a contractor to clean up a property and bring it up to code. Luetters said there were two properties that needed hired work this past year. But they were not to the scale of Bell’s property.

“It was more for trash and debris. That’s why I’ve been trying to work with him, because that’s not the case here. Well, a little bit. But there is a lot of value out there with the semi-trailers, diesel engines,” Luetters said, noting a contractor would likely take Bell’s materials to a salvage yard. “…I don’t want to do that.”

There is a balance Luetters is trying to meet. He doesn’t want to stop Bell from doing something he is passionate about and makes him money. But there are laws to abide by, too. Luetters said one of the overall goals of enforcing zoning codes is deterrence. The rules haven’t changed, but no one enforced them.

For the past few years, the county has tried to remedy its lax enforcement of zoning ordinances that have been in place for years. Luetters has been tasked with cracking down on nuisances that make the county unappealing and unsight-

“So people have gotten complacent a bit,” he said. “We’re just trying to get back on top of a few things. Most people are cooperative … But it’s like if I let my daughter get away with something 20 times and tell her no on the 21st time, that’s going to be a big battle.”

Submitted Photo

Several fun and creative events are occurring Friday and Saturday at the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge. The events are free and open to the public.

Candidates

DEAN PHILLIPS & MARIANNE WILLIAMSON

The president has primary challengers? You bet. Dean Phillips, a congressman from Minnesota, is the latest Democrat to enter the race. According to his campaign website, there is no platform for agriculture, but he does have priorities for clean water and climate action, among many other issues.

During his tenure in Congress, Phillips focused on protecting access to clean water. The future health and well-being of Americans, he says, “relies on responsible stewardship of our waterways, forests, farmland, wetlands and public lands.” He is committed to a bipartisan approach to preserving clean water.

Phillips says the effects of climate change are being seen and felt by everybody, and American has to resume its role as a global leader in addressing the crisis. Incentives from the Inflation Reduction Act will help lower energy costs and the speed of the transition to a clean energy economy, Phillips says.

Marianne Williamson, a Texas-born author and speaker, also does not have a catch-all “agriculture” platform, but she does have policies on climate action and food safety. Williamson says global warming harms weather patterns which harms agriculture/animals which harms people’s capacity to live in certain areas.

“…Which harms the city-torural ratio which harms social stability which creates a refugee crisis which all together lead toward untold catastrophe,” she says.

Williamson advocates for reducing food waste and promoting regenerative agriculture. She is also for banning concentrated animal feeding operations and addressing emissions and other pollution caused by huge agribusiness. Big factory farms not only threaten the livelihoods of farmers, she says.

“But they are the largest producer of dangerous green-

house gases.” Williams wants a return farming to families instead of factories and find ways of reducing the impact of animal agriculture on the environment. Food safety and security is another priority for Williamson, who says Big Ag has “collectively created a poisonous brew that is now affecting our health and well-being.”

DONALD TRUMP

The Republican frontrunner and former president touted at a Council Bluffs campaign rally that he will cancel “every Biden policy that is brutalizing our farmers.”

Donald Trump claims Biden has been in a nonstop war on American agriculture, saying he is trying to kill ethanol and replace it with electric cars.

Some of this assertions from Trump may be exaggerated though. According to a report from The Hill in July 2023, the latest standards from the Environmental Protection Agency on how much conventional biofuel would be required for blending still represents an increase over previous years.

Even when Trump was in office. During a campaign stop in Ottumwa in October 2023, Trump voiced many of the same criticisms toward the Biden administration. According to the Ottumwa Courier’s report, Trump touted his administration’s approval of yearround E-15 gasoline and tariffs imposed on China.

But Ottumwa Courier points out the Tax Foundation, a nonpartisan tax policy nonprofit, found the tariffs intended to protect agriculture largely hurt the economy “by burdening U.S. industry and workers” More so when the Trump administration’s actions caused retaliatory tariffs on U.S. exports.

Which may have damaged the economy even more. Still, according to Trump’s campaign website, he is committed to unleashing the production of domestic energy sources, reduce prices on gasoline/diesel/ natural gas, promote energy security for allies around the world and eliminate the Green New Deal.

RON DESANTIS

The Florida governor has

the Department of Agriculture, with the Secretary of State’s Office and the Attorney General’s Office,” Rozenboom said. “Not a new issue to me. But it’s not been very high-profile. We think we need to tighten up some laws.”

Currently, Rozenboom is working with the attorney general’s office to see what the Iowa Legislature can do to tighten up its laws.

“With the corporate structures and LLCs, we’re just not quite sure who is buying some of this land,” he said. “The real problem is these folks seem to have very deep pockets. They can blow any Iowa farmer out of the water. If they want a piece of land, their pockets are always deeper than our farming community.” Considering Iowa’s identity as a predominantly agricultural entity, the state’s economy is very dependent on farming. There is also a culture of family farms to consider. Rozenboom laments the thought of corporations or foreign entities running traditional farming families out of business.

“They can’t compete for land ownership,” he said. “It’s just not a healthy way to go at all. We have some corporations that have farming connections maybe in Iowa, but they also have maybe manufacturing some other interests and they’ve received help from the state or economic development help.”

Then Iowa finds those companies competing with neighbors for landownership. Which does not sit well with

long-affirmed in campaign materials that agriculture is essential for America’s revival. Ron DeSantis says America needs to take a page from Iowa’s farmers to better harvest resources, accommodate nature’s challenges and “cultivate a culture resilient to history’s seasons.”

According to the Farmers For DeSantis page, Republican candidate says a robust agriculture sector is a key part of a stronger America. Throughout his campaign in Iowa, DeSantis says he has spoken with many farmers, ranchers and others involved in the agriculture industry about the challenges they face.

The federal government, he says, is hurting critical industries like agriculture. Farmers do a great job of feeding the world, but the federal government insists on making it more difficult to farm, DeSantis says. If elected, he will not allow “unelected federal bureaucrats to stifle American agriculture.”

NIKKI HALEY

The former U.N. ambassador and governor of South Carolina has stated in a column to the Des Moines Register in September 2023 that farmers will thrive when Washington, D.C. starts working for them and not the other way around. Nikki Haley also says one of the biggest threats to farmers is China.

In Haley’s column, she recounts a sixth-generation farmer’s worries about price increases on fuel, fertilizer and feed. The farmer is worried their family can’t make ends meet. Other farms are losing money with each passing year, and the farmer also worried about China purchasing farmland and stealing seed technology.

“I made that farmer a promise: As president, I will free America’s farmers and ranchers — Washington and China,” Haley says. Haley wants to cut federal spending that she claims is fueling inflation on farmers and their families, and she wants to put an end to federal overreach pushing farmers to the brink. She says Biden is trying to control agriculture in the name of climate change, but she claims

Rozenboom. Especially if taxpayers are helping the corporation with their business operations and then they, in turn, compete against other Iowans. Rozenboom said, “That doesn’t strike me as appropriate.”

Ultimately, he added, what lawmakers are afraid of is foreign companies or corporations using “front people” to make land purchases.

“And we don’t know who is behind the curtain,” he said. “We don’t know that, and that’s the problem. There is a corporation ownership law in the books that prohibits corporate ownership. There are parameters and thresholds. But there is a reporting requirement where they report purchases to the secretary of state.”

While thousands of those transactions are on record at the secretary of state’s office, Rozenboom fears they are going into a file with no scrutiny.

“I’ve looked at some of those reports, and we see an LLC and we don’t know who is behind the LLC,” he said. “We don’t know if it’s appropriate or not. That’s a concern. Maybe there’s nothing there. And that’s fine if there’s nothing there. But we need transparency on this. Right now we don’t have enough transparency.”

WATER

QUALITY UNLIKELY TO SEE ANYTHING NEW

For years, Rozenboom has worked on water quality, a somewhat polarizing topic. Several critics say the state has made no real improvements to water quality, an assertion Rozenboom has adamantly denied in the past. Although he does not expect lawmakers to introduce anything new this year, it is something to monitor.

it is making it harder for farmers to do business. She also wants to eliminate federal gas and diesel taxes that she claims are hamstringing farmers. Haley also says food security is a national security.

In November 2023, Haley launched a new coalition called Farmers for Nikki, with endorsements from Iowa agricultural leaders. Those leaders say Haley has proven herself to be a capable leader to Iowa’s agricultural industries, especially with her talks of energy independence and increased ethanol production.

VIVEK RAMASWAMY

The entrepreneur and youngest Republican candidate in the race is known for his extreme views and positions, one of which that gets significant attention is his goal to eliminate a large number of federal agencies. One of the agencies Vivek Ramaswamy is targeting the Food and Nutrition Service is the USDA.

In August 2023, the Iowa Capital Dispatch reported Ramaswamy’s strategy to stabilize the U.S. dollar drew interest from farmers. Ramaswamy said to tie the value of the dollar to gold, silver, nickel and agricultural commodities. Specifically, it would be tied to grain.

Like Haley, Ramaswamy is interested in independence from China. When it comes to trade, Ramaswamy says the only way to decouple from China is to expand trade with trusted allies and hemispheric neighbors on fair, bilateral terms. How will that affect trade with Chinese goods?

Well, Ramaswamy says Chinese goods must be replaced by a combination of greater U.S. production and stronger trade relationships with allies.

CHRIS CHRISTIE, ASA HUTCHINSON & RYAN BINKLEY

The long-shot candidates have also weighed in on agricultural issues; some more than others.

Chris Christie, the former governor of New Jersey, is making another run for president, and while his campaign materials do not necessarily show what his thoughts are on current agricultural issues, we

Even though he has nothing new to propose in regard to water quality, it still remains a priority for Rozenboom. The state senator wants to continue to see progress and results, though he did acknowledge it will likely take some time to correct issues caused by fertilizer runoff from farms.

“We think we’ve made some really good progress,” he said. “But we need to stay on that. These are long-term issues. Whatever problems we have with, for instance, nutrient pollution, that didn’t happen overnight and we’re not going to fix it overnight. But we think we’ve put a lot of programs and funding in place.”

OH DEER!

An issue for Rozenboom that seems to never go away is the deer population in Iowa. Some years back the Iowa Legislature passed a bill whose primary feature was to call for a study of the economic and environmental damage caused by the heavy deer population, which was recorded at around 450,000 deer prehunt.

“We’re hearing so many complaints about crop damage from them but also raccoons — that population is out of control,” Rozenboom said. “There are always those things that are not real high on the radar of most people, but they’re real problems in Iowa out in rural Iowa.”

While a report of the study will not be ready until November 2024, Rozenboom said it covers 50 years of history in deer population.

“We value our deer hunting industry and the recreation that goes along with that and the revenue to the state, but there’s an economic cost to car deer accidents, there are safety issues. This study requires not only the DNR to be involved

can look to his record. In 2011, he signed legislation making $90.6 million available for farmland preservation.

In 2014 he also vetoed a pig crate ban which would have prohibited crates that severely limit the mobility of pregnant pigs; the ban was eventually approved in 2023 by New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy. Christie in the past has stressed the importance of farmers and protecting them from government overreach.

Asa Hutchinson, former governor of Arkansas, submitted a column to the Des Moines Register in October 2023, saying farmers don’t need tariffs to protect them. Instead, they need opportunities to sell what they produce without penalty. Trump’s proposed tariffs sends the message that American producers cannot compete. Hutchinson rejects across the board 10 percent tariff tax on all incoming goods to the United States. Citing the Tax Foundation, Hutchinson says the tariffs would add $300 billion in costs for American consumers and result in a loss of 500,000 jobs, including from agriculture and manufacturing.

Ryan Binkley, a pastor and businessman, announced in September 2023 that he is standing with landowners trying to stop the carbon capture pipeline by Summit Carbon Solutions. Binkley says of the hundreds of people he talked to about it, only one person was in favor of it, and they work for an ethanol company.

“A few companies stand to make a lot of money from this pipeline. What about the local communities? If you’re a farmer and don’t want it, you should be able to oppose it. It’s not for public use; it’s a private pipeline. The farmers are owed due process,” Binkley said in a Newswire press release. If farmers are forced to sell, he added, they will get the short end of the stick but not getting the royalties. Binkley is also a proponent of energy independence. He supports the promotion of America-grown biofuels, and he wants to responsibly expand the exploration and development of America’s oil, natural gas and coal.

but I’ve also requested Iowa State Extension and the Iowa Insurance Institute.” Other bills passed by the legislature in previous sessions changed penalties for illegally taking a deer with no antlers. Although the deer population needs to be controlled by taking antlerless deer and doing it legally, Rozenboom said the depredation program had not been very effective.

“So I created another January season — I call it a depredation season — to allow for the harvest of antlerless deer after all the hunting seasons are over just as a population control measure,” he said. “That’s already in place and that started last year. When we see the results of this study, maybe we can decide whether we need to do something more.”

NO PERSONAL TO-DO LIST FOR EDUCATION

In the 2023 legislative session, Rozenboom took over as chairman of the Iowa Senate Education Committee. As such, a great deal of his time was dedicated to legislation that affected both public and private school districts. This upcoming session he expects there will be more bills affecting education.

While he does not have his own personal to-do list when it comes to education, he knows the governor has a couple of initiatives that affect the structure of the Area Education Agencies. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds also wants to cover teacher salaries and expand preschool, something Rep. Jon Dunwell mentioned, too. Still, Rozenboom is in wait-and-see mode when it comes to education bills.

“Rather than create the confusion of another bill, I’m going to see what comes out from the governor and the House on those,” Rozenboom said.

C-M’s McGill soars to top of podium at PCM

By Troy Hyde Sports Editor

MONROE — Colfax-Mingo senior John McGill has been waiting for his chance to avenge his lone loss of the season since that weekend day on Dec. 2.

McGill knew Earlham’s Ryan Stiles and his team would be a part of the Mustang Invitational later in the year. And as expected, the two highly-ranked grapplers faced off again on Jan. 6.

This time, with the 165-pound tournament title on the line, McGill started fast and never trailed during his win by decision.

McGill’s win in the No. 2 vs. No. 3 matchup highlighted the day for the Tigerhawks, who placed 13th in the 14team standings.

“I came into the day knowing I was going to win,” McGill said. “I could see it. I for sure believe in myself now. I felt ready for it today.”

McGill, who came into the weekend ranked third at 165 pounds, improved to 31-1 on the season. He locked up his school-record 150th career win a few days earlier and registered his school-record 100th career pin on Jan. 6.

“I could feel a little better if I had a gold state medal right now. I feel good though,” McGill said. “I’m not putting other wrestlers on pedestals in my head. I used to think guys were going to be tough and stuff like that before matches, but now I’m the one who’s going to be tough for them.”

The next best finishes for Colfax-Mingo were Cason Fitch and Teagan Dybevik, who were fifth at 120 and 285, respectively.

Isaiah Baucom also was sixth at 175, Jermaine Cross placed eighth at 285 and Konner Bennett was eighth at 190. Eleven Tigerhawks scored 69 points in 13th place. They were 18 points better than Nevada.

The Southeast Polk junior varsity won the tournament with 230.5 points.

Earlham was next with 170.5 and the rest of the top five featured South Tama County (151), Indianola JV (150) and Pleasantville (147.5).

The remaining 14-team field included host PCM (139), Panorama (120), Chariton (108.5), Southeast Warren/Melcher-Dallas (103.5), Gilbert (94), Central Decatur (87) and Iowa Falls-Alden (73).

“I think our effort today was awesome,” Colfax-Mingo head wrestling coach Stacey Rice said. “We need to make a few corrections and keep building as a team.”

The tournament featured one ranked team in Class 1A No. 9 Earlham and plenty of state-ranked wrestlers.

The biggest matchup between ranked wrestlers was second-ranked Stiles against third-ranekd McGill.

Before McGill took down Stiles in their rematch, he registered three pins and two first-period falls in his other three matches. His 100th career pin came in the semifinals.

Stiles downed McGill 7-6 at the Woodward-Granger tournament on Dec. 2. He got ahead and basically used one move to grab a lead.

This time, McGill scored first, forced an early stalling call against Stiles and kept the pressure on. The lead grew to 9-3 before Stiles’ first takedown came late in the match.

McGill went on to win 9-5, but it wasn’t that close.

“I took a lot of shots early and didn’t allow the underhook this time,” McGill said. “I learned from the first match. He’s a lefty and he scored most of his points from one move in our other match.

“I think I had a better mindset than the first time we wrestled.”

There were a couple moments in the match where Stiles got in on McGill, but the veteran grappler wiggled his way out of trouble. He worked on similar situations in the practice room leading up to the match though.

“I just felt where his pressure was and where my pressure was. I stayed in good position,” McGill said. “I drilled it a lot with Mason Miller. I practice with him a lot. He put me in a few positions I was getting caught in, and that really helped me.”

Rice said a big key in the rematch was McGill not getting down early.

“The first time they wrestled, he was in on a shot and got out-scrambled and gave up two early,” Rice said. “He was behind the eight ball after that. We worked on things that mattered in that one before and John came out with a gameplan today and worked it to perfection.

“He’s been building all year. He puts the work in. He does everything he can do to improve and that shows in his confidence.”

Fitch had a successful day despite finishing a disappoint-

ing fifth at 120. He’s now 27-5 after going 2-2 with a major decision.

The success came against 1A No. 6 Dallas Conoyer of Earlham. Conoyer pinned Fitch at the Woodward-Granger tournament earlier this season, but Fitch fared much better in the rematch. He led 4-1 after one period before Conoyer rallied for a 5-4 win. Fitch also lost his next match by a single point.

“Cason was beat badly by Conoyer at W-G. But he made a huge jump today,” Rice said. “I think he really wanted that match. It’s hard to come back emotionally for the next one when you lose a match you put so much into sometimes. That’s what happened there. That match is something to build on though.”

Dybevik was 2-2 for the day at 285 and his fifth-place finish featured two pins. Cross also competed at 285 and was eighth after a 1-3 day.

Baucom finished sixth at 175. He was 3-3 with two pins. Bennett’s eighth-place day at 190 featured two wins by pin.

Tate Carlson was 1-2 at 175, while James Cherveny (132), Kyle Wood (144), Nate Endersbe (190) and Donnie Baucom (215) all finished 0-2.

Notes: There’s a chance McGill faces Stiles again on Jan. 11 during a quadrangular at HLV. “I want to wrestle him again,” McGill said. “I would be down for that. He’s good competition, and I think it’s something we both need to get before state.”

McGill hits another milestone in C-M’s quadrangular COLFAX — McGill scored his 150th career win, but Colfax-Mingo picked up just one win during a home quadrangular on Jan. 4.

The Tigerhawks cruised past Montezuma 42-17 but lost 43-30 to BGM and 57-24 to Pleasantville.

Colfax-Mingo finished the night 9-11 in contested matches. The Tigerhawks had a 5-1 advantage in forfeits in the win over Montezuma but were given only two forfeits in the two losses.

In the victory over Montezuma, McGill (165) and Dybevik (285) both won by fall as the Tigerhawks were 2-2 in contested matches.

Fitch (120), Cherveny (126), Wood (144), Asher Knutson (150) and Isaiah Baucom (175) all won by forfeit.

Colfax-Mingo was 4-4 in contested matches in the loss to BGM and Donnie Baucom (215) took the lone forfeit. Fitch, McGill, Isaiah Baucom and Dybevik all won by pin.

McGill, Isaiah Baucom and Donnie Baucom all won by fall against Pleasantville, but the Tigerhawks were 3-5 in contested matches. Fitch took the lone forfeit.

McGill was 3-0 with three pins and two first-period falls at 165, while Isaiah Baucom was 3-0 with two pins and Fitch was 3-0 with two forfeits.

Dybevik won both of his matches by fall, while Donnie Baucom was 2-1 for the night.

Steck, Webster lead seven C-M girls at Ogden tourney

OGDEN — Arlo Steck and Lily Webster both finished with three pins and scored top-three finishes in their respective weight classes during the Ogden Girls Tournament on Jan. 6.

The Tigerhawks entered seven wrestlers and scored 74 points in 12th place.

There were 29 teams in the tournament and Colfax-Mingo was 14-13 in its matches.

Steck was the top finisher as she was second at 125 pounds and Webster placed third at 100.

Steck (18-4) was 3-1 for the day with three pins. The lone loss came by medical forfeit to No. 7 Destiny Brown of Ridge View.

Webster (29-4) won four times and three came by pin. She opened with a 6-4 loss to Newton’s Kylee Adams in the quarterfinals but avenged that loss later in the day with a pin in the third-place bout.

Jozlyn Wells was fourth at 140, Hannah Wells placed seventh at 155, Devan Chadwick took eighth at 115 and Emmalyn Buchman (170) and Kaydence Andersen (190) were 0-2 at their weights.

Jozlyn Wells (15-11) won three times by fall and one of her two losses came in the third-place match against No. 4 Cadence Bushong of Nevada.

Hannah Wells (21-11) also won three times by fall. One of her two losses came in the quarterfinals against South Tama County’s Abigail Chyma, who is ranked No. 10 at 155. Chadwick (10-8) was 1-3 for the day with one first-period pin.

Sixth-ranked Ankeny won the tournament with 236.5 points. The rest of the top five featured Osage (180), No. 13 Spencer (173), Algona (125) and LeMars (116).

Good leads Baxter girls at Nevada round robin

NEVADA — Hope Good won twice and Johnelle Gliem also claimed a victory for the Baxter girls’ wrestling team at the Nevada Round Robin on Jan. 4.

Three Bolts competed in the tournament and Good placed second at 235 pounds to lead the way. She was 2-1 with two pins.

The Gliem sisters finished third at their respective weights. Johnelle Gliem was 1-2 with one pin at 125A and Zoey Gliem finished 0-2 at 135A.

Bolts finish fifth at North Mahaska NEW SHARON — The trio of Bolts returned to the mat on Jan. 6 and Zoey Gliem and Good both finished second to lead Baxter to a fifthplace finish at the North Mahaska Girls Invitational.

Good (235) and Zoey Gliem (140) both were 2-1 with two pins. Good’s pins came in the first period and Zoey Gliem had two second-period falls.

Johnelle Gliem was fourth at 125. She was 1-3 with a first-period pin. Baxter scored 31 points and edged Oskaloosa by five points for fifth. Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont won the tournament title with 114.5 points, while the rest of the top five were

North Tama (46), host North Mahaska (42.5) and Grinnell (39).

Jasper County Tribune

Jasper County Tribune

Steck

Good

Troy Hyde/Jasper County Tribune

Colfax-Mingo senior John McGill, right, battles second-ranked Ryan Stiles of Earlham during their 165-pound championship match at the PCM Mustang Invitational on Jan. 6. Third-ranked McGill won the match 9-5.

Troy Hyde/Jasper County Tribune

Colfax-Mingo senior Jermaine Cross, right, battles a heavyweight from Earlham during the Mustang Invitational on Jan. 6. Cross was eighth at the weight class.

Baxter boys split pair with Iowa Star Conference North squads

By Troy Hyde Sports Editor

BAXTER — Baxter head boys’ basketball coach Zach Hasselbrink expects Dunkerton to make a deep postseason run later this winter.

He wanted to use the team’s Jan. 5 Iowa Star Conference cross-division matchup to see where his new-look Bolts’ roster stacked up against a talented Raider squad.

While the end result was not what Baxter hoped for, Hasselbrink and his coaching staff took away a lot of positives from the 58-54 home loss.

“(Dunkerton) is averaging over 80 points per game and we held them to 58,” Hasselbrink said. “We did enough at that end to win the game. Offensively, we just need to clean up turnovers and we’re right there.”

Turnovers were the biggest difference in the game for the Bolts. The home team rallied from a few double-digit deficits in the first half but turnovers kept them from getting over the hump.

Baxter led 4-2 early after buckets by Perrin Sulzle, but Dunkerton used an 11-0 run to gain an advantage it wouldn’t give up the rest of the way.

Three-pointers by Stadan Vansice and Ben Richardson kept the Bolts within six and another Sulzle basket made it 20-14 after one quarter.

A drive to the bucket by Eli Dee kept the deficit at six early in the second and back-toback hoops by Treyton Travis and Richardson trimmed the margin to four. It was a five-point game at hafltime.

“It’s a resilient group. That’s what was I most proud of,” Hasselbrink said. “At no point did we ever just give in. We didn’t waive the white flag.”

The Raiders opened the second half with a 6-2 run to get their lead back to double digits. Travis responded with five straight, but Dunkerton went right back up nine with four straight.

The margin was just four after three following a 3 by Travis and baskets by Sulzle and Richardson, who converted a contested shot in the lane as the horn sounded.

Travis kept the Bolts’ deficit at 44-40 with a layup early in the fourth, but Baxter turned the ball over four times in five possessions. That allowed the Dunkerton lead to grow to 10 again.

“The turnovers were bad. They were mostly unforced,” Hasselbrink said. “We have to clean up those. And they came at untimely times. We did a great job of weathering the storm but then turned it over a few times in a row to halt the comeback.”

Still, the Bolts didn’t go away quietly. Sulzle scored again inside, Richardson made 1-of-2 from the free-throw line and Travis drained a jumper while falling out of bounds

Baxter

and that closed the margin to five.

Down six, a 3 by Travis went in and then back out. Dee and Sulzle both made treys in the final 15 seconds, but Dunkerton connected on four free throws in the final 30 seconds to close out the road win.

“That’s a good team. We want that battle. It will make us better,” Hasselbrink said. “Those two guys (Dylan Marquart and Noah Fuelling) can stroke it. We knew this team would go on runs. That’s what they do. We just had to weather those runs, and we did that for the most part. We gave ourselves a chance.

“When you hold a team averaging 80 to 58, you did something right. Someone had to win and someone had to lose.”

Dee was playing in his second game of the season after missing the first part of the year with an injury suffered during the fall football campaign.

Baxter (8-2) was just getting back to full strength, but Vansice went down in the game with an arm or elbow injury. Hasselbrink thought he could have went back into the game if necessary.

Sulzle finished with 16 points, six rebounds and three assists to lead the Bolts, while Travis added 16 points, five rebounds and three assists.

Dee scored a career-best nine points and added two boards and two assists, Richardson tallied eight points and three rebounds and Vansice chipped in three points and two boards. Cainan Travis grabbed a team-best seven rebounds and delivered two assists.

The Bolts shot 45.7 percent from the floor,

made 7-of-20 from 3 and connected on 5-of6 from the foul line. They turned the ball over 19 times.

Dunkerton (9-1) only committed seven turnovers and was 8-of-12 from the foul line. The Raiders shot lower than 40 percent from the floor and made 6-of-18 from 3.

Dylan Marquart scored 14 points and Noah Fuelling added 11 points. They came into the game averaging a combined 43 points per tilt.

Jacob Snyder tallied nine points and eight rebounds and Dalton Weeple chipped in eight points, five boards and four assists.

“We knew this one was going to be a battle. It was exactly the kind of game we wanted,” Hasselbrink said. “We were right there. I’m proud of the effort. We limited their best players and followed the gameplan on defense almost perfectly.”

Dunkerton came into the game with a points-per-game differential of 23.7.

“This is a team we think can be a district or substate final type of team,” Hasselbrink said.

“So where do we stand? And we feel good about that right now. When we are at our best, we’re a scary team. We’re not even full strength yet. When it all comes together, who knows what we can be.”

Baxter 54, Janesville 51

JANESVILLE — Another 30-point effort by Treyton Travis helped Baxter edge Janesville on Jan. 2.

Travis set a new school record with seven made 3-pointers and strong first and fourth frames pushed the Bolts to a 54-51 road win during an Iowa Star Conference cross-division matchup.

Baxter led 12-6 after one and went into halftime up three. The Wildcats rallied to go in front with a 15-9 third, but the Bolts used a 17-11 fourth to score the narrow win.

Travis scored 31 points, grabbed five rebounds and dished out three assists. He was 7-of-9 from 3-point range.

Sulzle finished with 12 points, eight rebounds and two assists, Vansice tallied five points, four boards and two assists and Cainan Travis scored four points. Richardson pulled down three rebounds and Dee had two rebounds in his season debut.

The Bolts shot 39 percent from the floor, made 9-of-20 from 3 and buried 13-of-19 from the foul line. Baxter turned the ball over 17 times.

Talan Pletz had 14 points and five assists for Janesville. Gabe Meaney had 10 points and nine rebounds and Joe Klene added eight points and six boards.

The Wildcats (4-4) shot 56 percent from the floor but made just 3-of-14 from 3 and 4-of-11 from the foul line. Janesville turned the ball over 12 times.

Turnovers plague Baxter girls in loss to Dunkerton

By Troy Hyde Sports Editor

BAXTER — Baxter head girls’ basketball coach Kyle Krampe knows what he has in all-conference guard Emie Tuhn.

It’s the rest of the roster the coaching staff is trying to solve and after losing a starter recently, things got a bit tougher for the Bolts. Tuhn did all she could in the first half to keep the Bolts close, but Dunkerton was just too much during a 75-41 road win over Baxter on Jan. 5.

The Raiders won the Iowa Star Conference cross-division matchup with a fast start and by forcing a plethora of Baxter turnovers.

“We’re still learning about basketball and what to do with the basketball. We had way too many turnovers tonight,” Krampe said. “We have to learn how to be comfortable with basketball in our hands other than Emie.” Dunkerton led 10-0 and 17-2 in the first quarter. The Bolts trailed by 17 after one and not even Tuhn’s 14 first-half points could keep Baxter within 20 at halftime.

Tuhn put the Bolts on the board with a steal and layup midway through the first and then buried a 3-pointer minutes later. She added three triples in the second, but Baxter trailed 42-20 at halftime. She scored the team’s first 11 points and then had a pair of assists to Callie Cross and Avery Wonders before burying her final trey of the half.

The Raiders start just one senior, but the youngsters were tough to stop, too. Tuhn made four free throws early in the third, but Dunkerton opened the second half on a 10-4 run. Denver Sulzle scored back-to-back buckets for the Bolts and then Lydia Pierce scored five in a row during a Bolts’ 12-2 run later in the third. The home team still trailed 60-36 after three.

“There’s really good glimpses of things, but we don’t always know how to cut on offense,” Krampe said. “We need to back cut

and continue to cut. It’s not natural yet.

“Defensively, we get lost on rotations a few times. We have to fight through those things. We work on it. We’ll continue to work in practice.”

The Raiders (7-4) won the fourth 15-5. Tuhn added two more assists on passes to Wonders and Pierce made a free throw. But it wasn’t near enough to close the gap.

“They started applying more ball pressure to Emie in the second half and she found open girls,” Krampe said. “We have to trust our teammates in that spot and she did. She gave them opportunities. She’s one of the best passers in the area.”

Krampe found out earlier in the day that the team will be without starting guard Karlee Koehler for about a month.

“I was really proud of the girls who played tonight,” Krampe said. “We’ve preached effort and playing hard all the time. When you don’t exactly have all the answers and all

the knowledge just play hard. Let the other things fall where they fall. They competed in this one. They didn’t quit.”

The Bolts (2-7) finished with 32 turnovers and shot only 32.6 percent from the floor. They made 6-of-20 from 3 and connected on 5-of-9 from the free-throw line.

Tuhn finished with 18 points, six assists and five steals to lead the way, while Kendall Brummel added four points, six rebounds, two assists and three steals and Wonders tallied six points, five boards and two assists.

Sulzle registered five points and four rebounds, Pierce chipped in six points and two rebounds and Hannah Huffaker posted two rebounds and two steals.

Janesville 57, Baxter 40

JANESVILLE — Tuhn scored more than half of the team’s points and the Bolts swiped 18 steals, but Baxter was plagued by 30 turnovers and a tough shooting night during a 57-40 road loss to Janesville on Jan. 2.

The Bolts got off to a slow start and never recovered during the Iowa Star Conference cross-division matchup.

Baxter trailed 14-5 after one quarter and was outscored 14-6 in the second. The Bolts and Wildcats each scored 29 points in the second half.

Tuhn finished with 25 points, eight rebounds, three assists and a career-high nine steals.

Brummel tallied four points, nine rebounds, two assists and five steals, Koehler put in nine points and Wonders added two rebounds and two steals. Huffaker grabbed two boards.

The Bolts shot 33.3 percent from the floor, made 4-of-21 from 3 and connected on 8-of-21 from the foul line.

Dani Hughes led the Wildcats (4-6) with nine points and 13 rebounds, Keke Smith had 13 points and five boards and Liz Hovenga put in 11 points. Janesville turned the ball over 27 times.

Baxter wrestlers edge English Valleys

Jasper County Tribune

BELLE PLAINE

—

Baxter and English Valleys each won three contested matches and took three forfeits during their wrestling dual on Jan. 4, but the Bolts edged the Bears after scoring all three of their contested wins by fall. It was an up-and-down night for Baxter as it split a pair of duals against South Iowa Cedar League opponents. The Bolts edged English Valleys 3633 but lost 57-18 to host Belle Plaine.

In the win over English Valleys, the Bolts were 3-3 in contested matches and 3-3 in forfeit wins. There were two double forfeits.

Ayden Beck (126), Jack Anderson (150) and Callyn Bishop (190) all won by fall, while Alex Dille (113), Koltin Hurd (138) and Aiden McFadden (285) each took forfeits.

Bishop’s pin came in 39 seconds. The Bolts were pinned only twice in their three contested losses.

Against Belle Plaine, Baxter was 2-4 in contested matches and had a 6-1 disadvantage in forfeits. McFadden took the forfeit at 285, while Beck and Bishop both scored first-period falls.

Beck and Bishop (195) each were 2-0 with two pins for the night, while McFadden was 2-0 with two forfeits.

Bolts finish sixth at North Mahaska NEW SHARON — Seven Bolts traveled to the North Mahaska Invitational on Jan. 6 and a pair of champions led Baxter to sixth place in the 13-team field.

Bishop and McFadden both claimed titles and Anderson was second as Baxter scored 96 points in sixth.

Bishop, who is ranked 12th in Class 1A at 175, was 2-0 with two first-period pins. McFadden (214) was 3-0 with three pins at 285.

Anderson and Beck (22-3) each lost just once on the day. They both fell to state-ranked opponents at their weights.

Anderson (21-4) was 3-1 with three pins, and he took second at 144 after falling to No. 4 Kolt Knaack at North Tama in the finals.

Beck, who is ranked No. 8 at 120, was 2-1 with two first-period pins. His lone loss was a 10-0 major decision defeat to Grinnell’s Dylan Heater, who is ranked sixth in 2A at 120. Ruger Kincaid (17-7) finished 2-2 and placed sixth at 150. One of his losses was a 12-10 decision in SV-1 in the fifth-place bout.

Dille (113) and Maddox Peters (138) also competed and finished 0-2 at their weights.

Solon won the tournament championship with 230 points, while Grinnell (169), North Mahaska (140), Oskaloosa (140) and Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont (134.5) completed the top five.

The remaining top 10 featured Baxter (96), North Tama (79.5), Lynnville-Sully (65.5), Pella (47) and Montezuma (42).

Troy Hyde/Jasper County Tribune Baxter junior Emie Tuhn (11) scored nearly half of the Bolts’ points in their loss to Dunkerton on Jan. 5. She also had six assists.

Troy Hyde/Jasper County Tribune

sophomore Eli Dee, center, scored a career-high nine points in the Bolts’ narrow home loss to Dunkerton on Jan. 5.

C-M girls can’t find win column against Trojans, Eagles

KEOTA — Victoria Woods had the best game of her prep career and Katelyn Steenhoek grabbed a career-best 11 rebounds, but the Colfax-Mingo girls’ basketball team struggled from the floor and turned the ball over 31 times during a 5523 loss to Keota on Jan. 5

The Tigerhawks trailed 16-2 after one quarter and were out-

scored 19-3 in the fourth in the South Iowa Cedar League contest. Woods finished with six points, eight rebounds, two assists, three steals and two blocks, Dakota Allen added five points and four rebounds and Steenhoek grabbed a career-best 11 boards.

Grace Allen registered five points, two rebounds and three assists and Dove Lopez tal-

lied three points and three rebounds.

Colfax-Mingo (0-12, 0-8 in the SICL) shot 20 percent from the floor, missed all nine of its 3-point attempts and connected on 5-of-9 from the free-throw line.

Keota (2-9, 2-6) got 27 points, 11 rebounds and seven steals from Kennedy Jackson. The Eagles out-rebounded Colfax-Mingo 42-28.

Pleasantville 65, Colfax-Mingo 17

PLEASANTVILLE — The Tigerhawks couldn’t overcome 37 turnovers during a 65-17 non-conference road loss to Pleasantville on Jan. 4.

Steenhoek, Dakota Allen and Woods all scored five points in the loss.

The Trojans outscored C-M 17-5 in the first and 19-2 in the second. The Tigerhawks scored

C-M boys drop first two games of 2024

KEOTA — The Colfax-Mingo boys’ basketball team couldn’t overcome a slow start and a tough shooting night against Keota on Jan. 5.

The Tigerhawks allowed 24 points in the opening quarter and never recovered during a 70-44 road loss to the Eagles in South Iowa Cedar League play.

Colfax-Mingo shot 29.3 percent from the floor and was out-rebounded 50-38. The Tigerhawks did make six 3-pointers and turned the ball over only 13 times.

Harrison Rhone led the Tigerhawks (4-8, 3-5 in the SICL) with 16 points, five rebounds and three steals, while Brandon Kite added eight points and seven boards.

Jared Lewis put in nine points and grabbed two rebounds, Xavier Woods had four points and five boards and Cael Bracewell chipped in three points, three rebounds and four assists.

Austin Lane tallied three points and three rebounds, Konner Dalton grabbed six boards, Isaiah Lewis added four rebounds and Kaden Dalton collected three rebounds

Billie Kindred had 10 points and 10 rebounds to lead Keota (110, 9-0), while Cole Kindred had 11 points, six rebounds and six assists. Tanner Waterhouse tallied 13 points and six rebounds.

The Eagles had four players in double-figures, made nine 3-pointers and turned the ball over just seven times. They also had 50 rebounds.

Pleasantville 81, Colfax-Mingo 36

PLEASANTVILLE — The Tiger-

hawks couldn’t slow down Pleasantville’s high-scoring offense during a non-conference contest on Jan. 4.

The Trojans scored 27 points in the first quarter and outscored the Tigerhawks 23-4 in the third during an 81-36 home victory.

Rhone led the Tigerhawks with 10 points, four rebounds, two assists and two blocks.

Kite had six points, five rebounds and five assists, Bracewell tallied five points and seven boards and Elias Hostetter chipped in seven points and two rebounds. Lewis collected three points and two rebounds.

Colfax-Mingo shot 35 percent from the floor, made 5-of-13 from 3 and turned the ball over 24 times.

The Tigerhawks were out-rebound-

ed 40-24.

Braylon Bingham finished with 29 points, four rebounds, three assists and five steals to lead the Trojans, while Dayson Leerhoff added 20 points and 16 rebounds.

Pleasantville (3-7) made 10 3-pointers, swiped 20 steals and turned the ball over only six times.

Belle Plaine 47, Colfax-Mingo 36 COLFAX — A big game by Rhone was not enough for Colfax-Mingo on Dec. 22.

The Tigerhawks went into the holiday break with a 47-36 home loss to Belle Plaine after the Plainsmen dominated on the glass and overcame 19 turnovers in the SICL contest.

Rhone finished with 21 points, six rebounds and two steals, while Lewis added 10 points and five rebounds.

Hostetter had three points, four rebounds and three steals, Kite grabbed seven boards, Bracewell dished out three assists and Konner Dalton grabbed a pair of rebounds.

Colfax-Mingo shot 25.5 percent from the floor, made 6-of-26 from 3 and connected on 2-of-4 from the foul line.

Belle Plaine out-rebounded the Tigerhawks 42-26 and Sam DeMeulenaere led the Plainsmen with 21 points and eight rebounds.

Jax Stamp added six points, 16 rebounds and five assists and Riley Simmons tallied 13 points and 11 boards. The Plainsmen (9-2, 7-2) shot 39.2 percent from the floor and missed all 13 of their shots from 3. Belle Plaine, which has won six in a row over C-M, shot 7-of-12 from the foul line.

single digits in all four quarters. Dakota Allen grabbed six rebounds, Steenhoek and Woods both pulled down three boards and Grace Allen had two rebounds and six steals. Mallory Sipma pulled down five rebounds and Lopez and Brooklyn Yanske each had two boards. C-M shot 22.7 percent from the floor, made 1-of-4 from 3 and connected on 6-of-10 from the foul line.

Victoria Woods

Colfax-Mingo freshman Victoria Woods finished with six points, eight rebounds, two assists, three steals and two blocks in the Tigerhawks’ loss to Keota on Jan. 5. Woods is averaging a team-best 5.5 rebounds per game this winter.

Jasper County Tribune

Jasper County Tribune

Troy Hyde/ Jasper County Tribune Colfax-Mingo senior Konner Dalton, right, grabbed six rebounds in the Tigerhawks’ loss to Keota on Jan. 5.