A heartfelt thank you
Jasper County approves resurfacing of Quicksilver Avenue and Poplar Avenue
The
$457K and $282K projects could start as late as June 2025
By Christopher Braunschweig PCM Explorer
Two resurfacing projects in Jasper County have come in under the engineer’s estimates, which reinforces statements County Engineer Michael Frietsch has made recently that bid packages are leveling back out to reasonable costs after they were put in jeopardy by the pandemic and ensuing economic hardships.
The board of supervisors awarded both contracts to Manatt’s, Inc., who will be tasked with the resurfacing and milling of Quicksilver Avenue and Poplar Avenue. Jasper County will pay more than $457,000 for the Quicksilver Avenue project, and more than $282,000 for the Poplar Avenue project.
Engineer estimates for both projects were $752,861 and $462,858, respectively.
“So the good pricing continues,” Frietsch said. “We’re significantly below our estimate, which is good for our farm-to-market.”
Quicksilver Avenue is Old High-
Jasper County auditor, sheriff and supervisor sworn in
Elected officials take their oaths to uphold Constitution and serve the people
By Christopher Braunschweig PCM Explorer
Three elected officials in Jasper County were sworn in to their respective offices last week. County Auditor Jenna Jennings is now officially elected to the office after being appointed to it back in 2023; County Sheriff Brad Shutts takes over after a competitive primary; and Supervisor Doug Cupples secures his third term.
Senior Judge William Price swore in all three individuals before the start of the Dec. 31 board of supervisors meeting in the Jasper County Courthouse. After each person was sworn in, he allowed them a few moments to address the audience and make a few moments to their constituents.
Jennings thanked her friends and family for getting her through the elections process, especially when the past two years since she was appointed county auditor have been busy. In addition to running her first election in 2023, she also led her first presidential election this past year, as well as a recount.
She also thanked the public for electing her to serve as county auditor for the next four years. Shutts swore his oath of office with one hand on the Bible, which was held by his wife Stephanie Shutts. The new sheriff was surrounded by family members, who had posed for pictures in the courthouse a few minutes earlier.
“I would just like to say thank you to my family and my wife Stephanie for all their support through this process,” Shutts said after swearing in as the new sheriff, succeeding retired sheriff John Halferty. “It was a career goal. I’m glad that I have been given the blessing of the voters and the community of Jasper County.”
Cupples commended Shutts for taking his oath with his copy of the Bible. He also thanked his Lord and savior for the opportunity to serve the people of Jasper County. Cupples also thanked
train tracks.
RESURFACING | 2
ROZENBOOM: Significant changes to education would be a mistake in 2025 legislative session
Former chair of Senate Education Committee wants to prioritize property taxes and fine tuning education-related matters
By Christopher Braunschweig PCM Explorer
Editor’snote:Thefollowingstoryis the second in a three-part series going over the priorities of lawmakers who representJasperCountycommunities. Theissuescovereddonotrepresentall ofwhatlegislatorswanttoaccomplish but merely a small handful of what theyconsidertoppriorities.
Iowa State Sen. Ken Rozenboom of District 19 is no longer chair of the Senate Education Committee, which means he can concentrate more on issues not solely related to education.
Even so, the longtime lawmaker still wants to fine-tune some education-related matters and not make any major changes. Rozenboom had asked to not chair any committees this year. He had served as the chairman of the Iowa Senate Education Committee for the past few years, taking over for Sen. Amy Sinclair. But this session he said he is taking a different role behind
the scenes and will be working closely with newer lawmakers.
Rozenboom
Iowa State Sen. Lynn Evans will take over the Senate Education Committee this year, giving Rozenboom a bit of a break. To chair a committee like that at a time when a number of changes were made to the Iowa school system made it easy for Rozenboom to get lost in education and lose track of everything else. Significant changes were made to the Iowa education system, most notably the reform of the Area Education Agencies (AEAs) and the introduction of educational savings accounts
(ESAs) or what critics call vouchers. Rozenboom expects there to be continued fine-tuning of those issues, but nothing major. Both subjects received widespread attention and generated a fair amount of controversy. Rozenboom went so far as to say it would be a “mistake” to make any more major changes in the 2025 legislative session. People need a chance to catch their breath and adjust to the new normal.
“Let’s keep in mind in the past four years, yes, we talked about changes to
Jamee A. Pierson/PCM Explorer
A constant line of well-wishers could be found at former Jasper County Sheriff John Halferty’s retirement open house Jan. 4 at the Jasper County Fair Grounds. Memories from his 38 years of service lined the walls and friends, family and community members he met along the way stopped by to say thank you.
Hundreds of people gather to wish former Jasper County Sheriff John Halferty well at retirement open house
way 163 located outside of Monroe; the roadway runs parallel to nearby
Frietsch said the
Jamee A. Pierson/PCM Explorer
Potholes and patched roadway fill Quicksilver Avenue near Monroe. The road locally known as Old Highway 163 is set to be resurfaced after the Jasper County Supervisors gave approval to the project.
Christopher Braunschweig/PCM Explorer
Brad Shutts is sworn in as sheriff of Jasper County before the board of supervisors meeting on Dec. 31 in the Jasper County Courthouse in Newton.
Worth Mentioning
Send your event to news@pcmexplorer.com
Events at The Gathering Place
Thursday, Jan. 9
• 10am Patty Richards Show
• 5:30pm Community Potluck
Friday, Jan. 10
• Piano with Jacque Robinson
Monday, Jan. 13
• 10am Video Exercise Class
Wednesday, Jan. 15
• 1pm Get Fit, Don’t Fall with Amy S.
• 6pm Bingo
Thursday, Jan. 16
• 9am Focus Group meeting
Community Meal Wednesday
A Community Meal will be served beginning at 5 p.m. the third Wednesday of the month at the Monroe United Methodist Church. All are invited to share our free meal and fellowship.
Lions Breakfast Jan. 25
Prairie City Lions will host a Pancake Breakfast from 7 to 9 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 25 at the Prairie City Community Building . Proceeds from the monthly breakfast go toward a community project.
Donations to Old Settlers Committee
The Old Settlers Committee is seeking donations for the 2025 Old Settlers Celebration. Donations will be used for the purchase of Christmas lights for the park and new chairs and tables for upcoming events. Monetary donations can be dropped off at Salon Essence, Monroe City Hall or mailed to the committee at P.O. Box 93 in Monroe, IA 50170.
Time to license your cat and dog in Monroe
Pet licenses in Monroe can now be purchased at city hall and are due by April 1. Cat and dog licenses are $10 for altered animals. Unaltered animals are $20. Rabies shots must be current. Licenses not purchased by April 1 will be subject to an extra $10 fee.
Durable foods to stock for emergencies
Public health emergencies or inclement weather can spiral out of control rather quickly. Emergency situations have the potential to derail shipping or delivery schedules or impede shoppers’ ability to get to the store for necessary supplies. Individuals should keep a stock of emergency provisions just in case weather or another adverse situation compromises their ability to get the items they need to survive.
Different types of foods spoil at different rates depending on how they are stored. While there is no such thing as an entirely nonperishable food, packaging foods in air-tight containers can increase their life expectancy. Here’s a look at which nonperishable foods to keep on hand for emergencies.
Protein can provide sustained nutrition and energy, but many protein sources in raw forms require refrigeration to prevent spoilage. However, canned and freeze-dried meats, seafood and poultry have extended shelf life. Freeze-drying, also known as lyophilization, is a water-removal process typically used to preserve perishable materials, according to Millrock Technology, a company that produces freeze dryers.
Canned or freeze-dried chicken, tuna, salmon, and beans are durable protein sources. Vegetarians will find that navy beans are high in protein. Freeze-dried items are more common in pre-packaged, bulk emergency food supply kits sold at popular retailers, including Costco. However, they also can be purchased at camping retailers or Army/Navy stores.
Fruits and vegetables are necessary to ensure your body gets essential vitamins and minerals. Fresh items will spoil in a matter of days, so canned varieties are better for stocking up. Canned vegetables and fruits come in many varieties. The healthiest canned fruit options are those packed in their own juices rather than heavy syrups. Root vegetables like potatoes, turnips and parsnips can endure in cool areas of a home, but canned equivalents may be more practical.
A balanced diet consists of a healthy mix of proteins, fruits and vegetables, and carbohydrates. According to Kelly Jones, MS, RD, a board-certified sports dietitian, whole grains are vital sources of carbohydrates and fiber, and most come in dried, non-perishable forms. Oats, rice, quinoa, barley, and whole-grain dried pastas can be used in emergency food kits. Packaged granola or trail mix bars also are good to have on hand.
FEMA and the American Red Cross advise keeping food in a dry, cool, dark spot. Carefully open resealable containers so they can be closed tightly after each use. Nuts, dried fruits and sugar packets can be put into air-tight canisters for protection from pests. Remember to also stock bottled water with emergency foods
plies.
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Sworn In
the people who chose to vote for him and even those who didn’t vote for him. Jennings ran uncontested for county auditor, and the official results showed she received the most votes of any candidate on the 2024 ballot. While there were 175 write-in votes against Jennings, she earned a whopping 15,993 votes, or 98.92 percent of the vote. The only other candidate to get close was the sheriff. Shutts also ran uncontested, but the real election for him was
the June primary. He won over Tracy Cross and Jeremy Burdess with 834 votes, claiming 40.13 percent of the vote. Cross came close with 795 votes, or 38.26 percent, losing by only 39 votes. Burdess earned 446 votes, or 21.46 percent. When it came time for the general election in November, Shutts secured 15,838 votes, or 97.47 percent of the vote. There were 411 write-in votes for sheriff.
Cupples was contested for his seat by no-party candidate Jerry Chandler, Jr., who has run for supervisor in the past. But the results showed it was no contest. Cupples earned a staggering
Resurfacing
roadway has been included in the secondary roads’ programming for the past five to seven years. It was a backlogged project that is now finally clearing out of the system.
Four bids were received by the Iowa Department of Transportation on behalf of Jasper County for the Quicksilver Avenue project. In addition to Manatt’s, it got a $504,000 bid from InRoads, LLC; a $513,000 bid from OMG Midwest, Inc./Des Moines Asphalt & Paving; and a $518,000 bid from Grimes Asphalt and Paving.
Rozenboom
the AEA, we talked about the change of school choice. But four years ago we were fighting COVID and we had to deal with all that meant, whether it was using technology or remote learning more,” Rozenboom said.
There has been a lot of dynamic changes in the educational environment, he added, so it is time to “settle down” now for a while.
Over the years, the largely Republican-controlled legislature has checked off a number of things on its list that it wanted done. Rozenboom firmly believes Iowa is in a really nice place right now. He doesn’t feel a driving need to change a whole lot, but rather maintain the course and achieve a balanced budget.
Still, taxes are also a priority for Rozenboom. It is an issue that affects every Iowan, he said, and they are “pretty loudly” telling lawmakers that property taxes are a burden. As a former county supervisor, Rozenboom
13,471 votes, or 72.13 percent, to Chandler’s 5,019 votes, 26.88 percent. There were also 185 write-in votes. Interestingly enough,
Poplar Avenue is located in Prairie City and is parallel to Highway 163; the roadway is the entry point for the Dollar General.
Again, four bids were received by the IDOT for the Poplar Avenue project. Other than the winning low bid from Manatt’s, the county received a $311,000 bid from OMG Midwest, Inc. Des Moines Asphalt & Paving; a $319,000 bid from InRoads, LLC; and a $356,000 bid from Grimes Asphalt and Paving.
Frietsch noted there were some pay items missing from the projects, which will require the county board of supervisors to approve change orders. But he said it will not be much.
One item that was missed, Frietsch said, was construction surveying,
knows just how complex property taxes can be. Nevertheless, people feel the effects.
Whether taxpayers understand the system or not, many feel like they are paying too much. While most of that burden relies on local governments, the state still sets the property tax system. Rozenboom said educating the public on what they are paying and how much of their money goes to their taxing entities will help.
“Property taxes are associated with the county because the county collects them, but property tax revenues go to counties, to cities, to schools and also to other taxing entities like community colleges and so forth,” Rozenboom said. “… Most people doesn’t realize how much property tax goes to education.”
Knowing how assessments, assessed values and taxable values factor into the equation would also be beneficial. Rozenboom said it comes down to better transparency and getting the public to better understand where their money is going year to year.
“If I paid $3,000 in property taxes last year,
which will be a few thousand dollars or $10,000 at worst.
“The other one that was missed was leveling binder, so it might be about a $20,000 to $30,000 item,” Frietsch said.
Supervisor Brandon Talsma said, “OK. So it’s not like it’s $180,000? OK.”
Frietsch later added, “Just being transparent with you. I’m not concerned.”
Even with the change orders, the county engineer said the costs would not exceed or even come close to the initial estimates. Both projects have a late start date of June 2, 2025. Quicksilver Avenue has 30 working days planned while Poplar Avenue has 25 working days.
where did that $3,000 go? I think each taxpayer ought to know this much went to the schools, this much went to the City of Newton, this much went to Jasper County, this much went to the hospital, this much went to the community college,” Rozenboom said.
When more people understand the system, Rozenboom said they are more likely to interact with their local governments better. But addressing property taxes is nothing new in the Iowa Legislature. Rozenboom said a similar approach was attempted two or three years ago but it did not seem to help.
“It almost seemed to confuse things more to me,” he said. “But it’s my own personal interest to find ways to make it more transparent and more understandable.”
Rozenboom said the governor has publicly stated she wants to do something about cellphone usage in K-12 schools, and he agrees. Regardless of party affiliation, he said, it is an issue many people care about or support. Rozenboom said cellphones are becoming disruptive to education.
Perhaps the bigger problem with cellphones, he added, is the negative effects that come with social media. To him, it is affecting the mental health of children.
“Obviously the governor is putting that front and center,” Rozenboom said. Personally, Rozenboom’s natural inclination to this issue is to let it be resolved by each individual school and its respective communities. Some schools, he said, are doing a good job of that while others are reluctant to go that direction. The governor is certainly going to challenge legislators to find a solution.
Rozenboom said he is willing to listen to the other side of the conversation that says it should be a consistent, statewide policy.
“I’ll listen to that argument and then I’m going to hope we land somewhere in between, meaning that the state maybe establishes a minimum guidelines but we allows schools some flexibility on how we implement that so it’s not a one-size-fits-all mandate from the state,” Rozenboom said.
all three individuals received more votes than President-Elect Donald Trump did in Jasper County. Trump only received 12,701 votes.
Christopher Braunschweig/PCM Explorer
Doug Cupples is sworn in as supervisor of Jasper County before the board of supervisors meeting on Dec. 31 inside the county courthouse in Newton.
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Historic Iowa gravesites at risk of being forgotten
Mark Moran Iowa News Service
By Tony Leys for KFF Health News
Hundreds of people who were separated from society because they had disabilities are buried in a nondescript field at the former state institution here.
Disability rights advocates hope Iowa will honor them by preventing the kind of neglect that has plagued similar cemeteries at other shuttered facilities around the U.S.
The southwest Iowa institution, called the Glenwood Resource Center, was closed this summer in the wake of allegations of poor care. The last of its living residents were moved elsewhere in June. But the remains of about 1,300 people will stay where they were buried on the grounds.
The graveyard, which dates to the 1800s, covers several acres of sloping ground near the campus’s brick buildings.
A 6-foot-tall, weathered-concrete cross stands on the hillside, providing the most visible clue to the field’s purpose.
On a recent afternoon, dried grass clippings obscured row after row of small stone grave markers set flat in the ground. Most of the stones are engraved with only a first initial, a last name, and a number.
“If somebody who’s never been to Glenwood drove by, they wouldn’t even know there was a cemetery there,” said Brady Werger, a former resident of the facility.
During more than a century of operation, the institution housed thousands of people with intellectual disabilities. Its population declined as society turned away from the practice of sequestering people with disabilities and mental illness in large facilities for decades at a time. The cemetery is filled with residents who died and weren’t returned to their hometowns for burial with their families.
State and local leaders are working out arrangements to maintain the cemetery and the rest of the 380-acre campus. Local officials, who are expected to take control of the grounds next June, say they’ll need extensive state support for upkeep and redevelopment, especially with the town of about 5,000 people reeling from the loss of jobs at the institution.
Hundreds of such places were constructed throughout the U.S. starting in the 1800s. Some, like the one in Glen-
wood, served people with disabilities, such as those caused by autism or seizure disorders. Others housed people with mental illness.
Most of the facilities were built in rural areas, which were seen as providing a wholesome environment.
States began shrinking or closing these institutions more than 50 years ago. The shifts were a response to complaints about people being removed from their communities and subjected to inhumane conditions, including the use of isolation and restraints. In the past decade, Iowa has closed two of its four mental hospitals and one of its two state institutions for people with intellectual disabilities.
After closures in some other states, institutions’ cemeteries were abandoned and became overgrown with weeds and brush. The neglect drew protests and sparked efforts to respectfully memorialize people who lived and died at the facilities.
“At some level, the restoration of institutions’ cemeteries is about the restoration of humanity,” said Pat Deegan, a Massachusetts mental health advocate who works on the issue nationally. Deegan, who was diagnosed with schizophrenia as a teenager, sees the neglected graveyards as symbolic of how people with disabilities or mental illness can feel as if their individual identities are buried beneath the labels of their conditions.
Deegan, 70, helped lead efforts to rehabilitate a pair of overgrown cemeteries at the Danvers State Hospital near Boston, which housed people with mental illness before it closed in 1992. More than 700 former residents were buried there, with many graves originally marked only with a number.
The Massachusetts hospital’s grounds were redeveloped into a condominium complex. The rehabilitated cemeteries now have individual gravestones and a large historical marker, explaining what the facility was and who lived there. The sign notes that some past methods of caring for psychiatric patients seem “barbarous” by today’s standards, but the text portrays the staff as well-meaning. It says the institution “attempted to alleviate the problems of many of its members with care and empathy that, although not always successful, was nobly attempted.”
Deegan has helped other groups across the country or-
ganize renovations of similar cemeteries. She urges communities to include former residents of the facilities in their efforts.
Iowa’s Glenwood Resource Center started as a home for orphans of Civil War soldiers. It grew into a large institution for people with disabilities, many of whom lived there for decades. Its population peaked at more than 1,900 in the 1950s, then dwindled to about 150 before state officials decided to close it.
Werger, 32, said some criticisms of the institution were valid, but he remains grateful for the support the staff gave him until he was stable enough to move into community housing in 2018. “They helped change my life incredibly,” he said. He thinks the state should have fixed problems at the facility instead of shutting it.
He said he hopes officials preserve historical parts of the campus, including stately brick buildings and the cemetery. He wishes the graves had more extensive headstones, with information about the residents buried there. He would also like to see signs installed explaining the place’s history.
Two former employees of the Glenwood facility recently raised concerns that some of
the graves may be mismarked. But officials with the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services, which ran the institution, said they have extensive, accurate records and recently placed stones on three graves that were unmarked.
Department leaders declined to be interviewed about the cemetery’s future. Spokesperson Alex Murphy wrote in an email that while no decisions have been made about the campus, the agency “remains committed to ensuring the cemetery is protected and treated with dignity and respect for those who have been laid to rest there.”
Glenwood civic leaders have formed a nonprofit corporation that is negotiating with the state over development plans for the former institution. “We’re trying to make the best of a tough situation,” said Larry Winum, a local banker who serves on the new organization’s board.
Tentative plans include tearing down some of the existing buildings and creating up to 900 houses and apartments.
Winum said redevelopment should include some kind of memorial sign about the institution and the people buried in the cemetery. “It will be important to us that those folks
be remembered,” he said.
Activists in other states said properly honoring such places takes sustained commitment and money.
Jennifer Walton helped lead efforts in the 1990s to properly mark graves and improve cemetery upkeep at state institutions in Minnesota.
Some of the cemeteries are deteriorating again, she said. Activists plan to ask Minnesota legislators to designate permanent funding to maintain them and to place explanatory markers at the sites.
“I think it’s important, because it’s a way to demonstrate that these spaces represent human beings who at the time were very much hidden away,” Walton said. “No human being should be pushed aside and ignored.”
On a recent day, just one of the Glenwood graves had flowers on it. Retired managers of the institution said few people visit the cemetery, but amateur genealogists sometimes show up after learning that a long-forgotten ancestor was institutionalized at Glenwood and buried there.
Former grounds supervisor Max Cupp said burials had become relatively rare over the years, with more families arranging to have deceased residents’ remains transported to their hometown cemeteries.
One of the last people buried in the Glenwood cemetery was Kenneth Rummells, who died in 2022 at age 71 after living many years at the institution and then at a nearby group home overseen by the state. His guardian was Kenny Jacobsen, a retired employee of the facility who had known him for decades.
Rummells couldn’t speak, but he could communicate by grunting, Jacobsen said. He enjoyed sitting outside. “He was kind of quiet, kind of a touch-me-not guy.”
Jacobsen helped arrange for a gravestone that is more detailed than most others in the cemetery. The marker includes Rummells’ full name, the dates of his birth and death, a drawing of a porch swing, and the inscription “Forever swinging in the breeze.”
Jacobsen hopes officials figure out how to maintain the cemetery. He would like to see a permanent sign erected, explaining who is buried there and how they came to live in Glenwood. “They were people too,” he said.
Tony Leys wrote this story for KFF Health News.
Photo provided by Brady Weger
Brady Werger lived at the Glenwood Iowa Resource Center from 2011 to 2018. He has since moved to a group home for people with disabilities in the southwest Iowa town of Glenwood.
Wheeler, Clark lead PCM wrestlers at Osage
OSAGE — It was a mixed bag kind of day for the PCM wrestling team on Jan. 4. Four Mustangs combined for 11 wins and placed eighth or better and the other five were just 3-10 overall. And it added up to a 14th-place finish in the team standings at the Osage Boys Varsity Wrestling Tournament.
PCM scored 59.5 points with its nine wrestlers and finished 14th in the 17team field.
Every team in the top 10 entered at least 11 wrestlers and eight of them had 15 or more.
Tucker Wheeler led the Mustangs with a third-place finish at 157 pounds, Kaden Clark was fourth at 285 and Kaliber Fry and Zach Richards both won twice at their weights.
PCM girls punch first, start 2025 with win over South Hamilton
By Troy Hyde PCM Explorer
MONROE — Addison Steenhoek and Tori Lindsay have worn matching shoes the past two seasons.
The Mustang cousins were basically matching each other point-for-point, too, during the first half of the PCM girls basketball team’s victory over South Hamilton on Jan. 3.
Lindsay scored 13 of her 18 points in the opening quarter and Steenhoek totaled 15 of her game-high 22 in the first half as the Class 3A No. 10 Mustangs downed the Hawks 58-27 during Heart of Iowa Athletic Conference play.
“Coming back off break we wanted to make sure we punched first and got an early lead,” Lindsay said. “I felt confident after those first few went down so I just kept shooting until someone stopped me.”
PCM led 22-7 after one quarter and won the second 17-8. The Mustangs outscored the Hawks 19-12 in the second half.
After South Hamilton scored the first points of the game, the Mustangs used a 9-0 run to grab control and never trailed again. Lindsay hit a jumper and buried a 3-pointer during that stretch and added two more triples in the period.
Steenhoek scored seven points in the frame, including a 3 that put the hosts up 22-7.
A 12-0 run early in the second pushed the advantage to 34-9. Steenhoek made a jumper and then canned back-to-back 3s to cap the spurt. Another Lindsay 3 and a Lindsay layup improved the margin to 39-15 at halftime.
Algona won the tournament with 199 points, while Osage (185), Class 1A No. 7 Denver (175), Benton Community (168) and 2A No. 8 Humboldt (148.5) completed the top five.
Class 2A No. 4 West Marshall (137), Anamosa (128), Nashua-Plainfield (126), North Polk (100.5) and Clear Lake (98) rounded out the next five.
Wheeler, who is ranked seventh in 2A at 157, was 4-1 and placed third. He improved to 25-4 with three pins and one technical fall win. His only loss was a 4-1 setback to 2A No. 5 Tate Slagle (8-2) of Algona.
Class 2A No. 4 Clark (25-2) suffered his first two losses of the season. Both
defeats came against Algona’s Jack Limbaugh (12-7), who defeated Clark 5-1 and 10-7 in SV-1. Fry (23-6) was sixth at 126 and Richards (12-6) placed eighth at 144. Both wrestlers were 2-3 at their weights.
One of Richards’ losses came against 2A No. 2 Barrett Morgan (13-4) of Algona.
Class 2A No. 12 Fry lost 10-7 to 2A No. 8 Owen Mayall (12-5) of Humboldt and fell to 1A No. 1 Gavin Landers (26-0) of Denver.
Harrison Brinegar (150), Sawyer Bouwkamp (165) and Danson Drake (175) all went 1-2 and Finn Wilson (190) and Kaiden Valcore (215) finished 0-2.
PCM boys use fast start to down South Hamilton
By Troy Hyde PCM Explorer
MONROE — It’s been a tough season so far for the South Hamilton boys basketball team.
The Hawks, who were one of the best teams in the Heart of Iowa Athletic Conference just a few seasons ago, are being outscored by 39 points per game through nine games this season.
The expectation was that PCM would bring its record to .500 in conference play after their game on Jan. 3, and that’s exactly what happened as the Mustangs used a 37-0 run in the first half to grab an advantage and cruised to a 68-28 home win during HOIAC action.
“You’ve had two weeks of practice, and you hope that it’s going to go the way it will, but when it does it’s refreshing,” PCM head boys basketball coach Tony Ford said. “The kids did what they were supposed to do. You don’t want to give a team any hope, especially on your home floor right after winter break.”
The Hawks had a sliver of hope early against PCM. The game was tied at 3-all, but the Mustangs grabbed control of the contest with 37 straight points that went into the second quarter.
PCM led 20-3 after one and 46-6 at halftime. Gavin Van Gorp
scored 12 of his 15 points in the first half and seven of Chase Wagaman’s 11 came in the first two quarters.
Alex Wendt started the 37-0 run with a bucket inside and Wagaman and Van Gorp both scored five in the first to lead the hosts.
The second quarter opened with buckets inside by Wagaman, Wendt and Jake Winters and then Van Gorp buried consecutive 3-pointers to push the lead to 32-3.
Kevin Thomas drilled a 3 later and Pete Kiernan contributed a trio of triples late in the quarter to bring the halftime margin to 46-6.
“When you play a team that hasn’t won a game you just need to get on them quick so they can’t gain confidence in the game,” Wagaman said.
“The other guys got their time to shine, too, and that’s great to watch.”
Wagaman scored his final points of the game on back-to-back possessions early in the third. Van Gorp also converted a three-point play, Thomas scored on a putback and Gavin DeRaad made a pair of free throws in the final seconds.
South Hamilton outscored the Mustangs 10-7 in the fourth. But Gavin DeRaad drained a 3 and Andy Bellinghausen and Easton Van Veen both scored inside the lane to cap the scoring.
It was the varsity debuts for
Bellinghausen and Jeter Hartson and the first varsity points for Bellinghausen and Van Veen.
“We were looking forward to a game where everyone can play and get a bunch of time on the floor,” Ford said. “I was hoping it would go similar to this, but you just never know.”
Van Gorp led the Mustangs (4-4, 3-3) with 15 points, two rebounds, two assists and three steals. Wagaman added 11 points, nine boards and six steals and Kiernan led the reserves with nine points and two boards.
Wendt finished with six points and five rebounds, Cutler VandeLune added five points, two assists and two steals and Kaleb DeVries contributed four rebounds, six assists and two steals.
PCM’s bench got plenty of production, too. Thomas had seven points and three rebounds, DeRaad registered five points and three rebounds and Joe Shaver tallied four rebounds and two assists.
Van Veen collected two rebounds and two assists, Winters scored four points and Brevin DeRaad corralled three rebounds.
The Mustangs shot 40 percent from the floor, made 9-of-34 from 3 and connected on 11-of-22 from the free-throw line.
PCM Explorer
Wheeler Clark
Troy Hyde/PCM Explorer
PCM senior Rebecca De Vries, center, battles a pair of South Hamilton players for a rebound during the first half of the Mustangs’ home win on Jan. 3.
PCM GIRLS | 5
Troy Hyde/PCM Explorer
PCM senior Easton Van Veen tallied two points, two rebounds and two assists off the bench during the Mustangs’ home win over South Hamilton on Jan. 3.
PCM alum Clevenger chosen for IFCA Hall of Fame
By Troy Hyde PCM Explorer
Sixty Iowa high school football coaches have won at least 200 games in their careers.
Monroe native and current Saint Ansgar head coach Drew Clevenger likely will eclipse that mark in 2025.
When he hits that milestone mark, he will have Hall of Famer next to his name, too, as Clevenger was voted into the Iowa Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame this past season.
“We got a ton of shots up over break and worked on just finding confidence at the offensive end,” PCM head girls basketball coach Sami Allison-Rodriguez said. “We hadn’t had a lot of repetition with that in a while, and it reflected in our start.
“We are still focusing on getting multiple stops and holding the other team to one shot. If we do those two things, we start to hit shots from the floor, too.”
The offense slowed in the second half, but it was mostly the product of using more clock and running more set plays.
Libby Winters scored five of her 11 points in the third and added a pair of free throws in the fourth.
Winters finished with another double-double, tallying 11 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, two steals and four blocks in the win.
Only four Mustangs scored four points or more in the game
PCM Boys
Fame that includes all-time wins leader Jerry Pezetti as well Dick Tighe, Curt Bladt and Gary Swenson, who all have more than 400 career victories.
“It’s humbling for sure,” Clevenger said. “I don’t think anyone gets into coaching thinking something like this will happen. There’s a lot of great names in the Hall of Fame, and I’m honored to be included.”
Clevenger, a 1993 PCM graduate, joins an IFCA Hall of
and PCM missed 12 attempts from the free-throw line. The Mustangs are shooting 54.3 percent from the foul line this season.
Neither the fact that three players accounted for 88 percent of the team’s points nor the free-throw percentage concerns Allison-Rodriguez, Steenhoek or Lindsay at this point.
“There have been times where I was not scoring as much and someone else was,” Steenhoek said. “It just depends on the night, and the matchup was perfect for us three. Lila (Milani) and Kyra (Naeve) have had some good games, too, on other nights.”
PCM is 19-10 against South Hamilton since 2007, but the Hawks came in winners of five of the last seven. The Mustangs snapped a two-game skid in the series.
Steenhoek tallied 22 points, two rebounds and three assists and Lindsay added 18 points, four rebounds, six assists and four steals.
Lila Milani chipped in four
Former Newton head football coach John Jenkins, Jasper County native and current Dowling Catholic head football coach Tom Wilson and former University of Iowa assistant coach Reese Morgan also are part of that group.
Clevenger’s Hall of Fame class includes Sioux City Heelan’s Roger Jansen, Williamsburg’s Curt Ritchie, Boyden-Hull/ Rock Valley’s Cory Brandt and Marshall Scichilone of Woodbine and Council Bluffs St. Albert.
Clevenger has known Wilson for more than 40 years as Wilson graduated high school with Drew’s older sister.
They also are currently serv-
ing together on the IFCA Board of Directors.
“He has been a big influence on me from Day 1,” Clevenger said about Wilson. “He really helped me out when I first started as a young head coach, and he has always been someone to try and emulate as a coach. I see him a couple times a year at different football functions and at our board of directors meetings.”
To be a part of the IFCA Hall of Fame, Iowa football coaches have to be head coaches for at least 15 years and be nominated by someone. It then goes to the IFCA Board of Directors Committee and that group voted at the spring clinic in Des Moines. The Hall of Fame class was released to the public in late fall or early winter, according to Clevenger.
Clevenger has spent all 25 of his years as a head football coach at Saint Ansgar. He was an assistant coach for two seasons before taking over the program at 25 years old.
points, five rebounds and two assists. Kyra Naeve did not score but grabbed 10 rebounds, dished out four assists and swiped five steals. Rebecca De Vries also pulled down two boards.
I could have done a lot better so I’m using this year as my get-back year.”
PCM committed 15 turnovers but out-rebounded South Hamilton 39-25.
Wagaman is averaging eight points and nine rebounds per game this winter after totaling 35 points and 40 rebounds all of last season.
“I put in a lot of work over the offseason,” Wagaman said. “I didn’t like how I played last year. I thought
The Hawks (0-9, 0-6) got 15 points, five rebounds and three steals from Grant Larson, but they were 0-of-13 from 3 and shot 26.5 percent from the floor. South Hamilton also turned the ball over 31 times.
“We put in a 1-2-2 defense over the break,” Ford said.
“It gets us a lot of traps. There was no film on us running that. We got away with not running it per-
The Mustangs (9-1, 6-0 in the conference) shot 36.2 percent from the floor, made 8-of25 from 3 and connected on only 8-of-20 from the foul line.
PCM turned the ball over 16 times but out-rebounded the
fectly, but it was still effective.”
Notes: The Mustangs played the game without Gavin Steenhoek, Kash Fischer and Shay Burns. Burns and Fischer are out with injuries and Steenhoek is set to return to action later this month. … PCM improved to 17-14 against South Hamilton since 2007. The win snapped the Mustangs’ two-game skid in the series, and the 40-point difference was the largest margin of victory in the series since at least 2007.
Clevenger, who still has family living in Jasper County, is currently 194-71, and he’s won at least 10 games eight times since 2014.
“When you look at his resume, it’s a no-brainer that Drew is Hall of Fame worthy,” said Dallas Center-Grimes head football coach Scott Heitland, who is the chair of the IFCA Hall of Fame Committee. “His team’s year in year out are postseason regulars and their performance speak loudly to his ability as a coach.”
Saint Ansgar won the Class 1A state championship under Clevenger’s leadership in 2011. He guided the program to the state semifinals this past fall and also in 2006, 2011, 2016, 2017, 2019 and 2020.
The Saints have made the playoffs 19 times since 2003.
“Drew is a first-class person, the kind of guy who you want to coach your son because you know he’ll do it the right way,” Heitland said.
Hawks 41-23.
“They are all capable of scoring. We wanted to knock some cobwebs off tonight,” Allison-Rodriguez said. “We were trying to get some specific looks in the second half, but it didn’t go as smoothly as we wanted it to. We were really locked in defensively though.”
Tessa Skartvedt led the Hawks (2-7, 2-4) with eight points and four rebounds and Claire Hewitt chipped in five points and five boards.
South Hamilton shot 26.5 percent from the floor, made 2-of-8 from 3 and connected on 7-of-14 from the foul line. The Hawks committed 25 turnovers.
Notes: Lindsay and Steenhoek said they work together before the season to figure out which shoes to wear that winter. Lindsay matched her other cousin, Sophia Steenhoek, her freshman season and Addison Steenhoek wore the same shoes as her sister Paige Steenhoek during her sophomore season. … The Mustangs are one of five teams in 3A with nine wins.
Clevenger
Troy Hyde/PCM Explorer
PCM junior Chase Wagaman, left, had 11 points and nine rebounds to lead the Mustangs to a win over South Hamilton on Jan. 3.
Troy Hyde/PCM Explorer
PCM freshman Libby Winters, left, tallied 11 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, two steals and four blocks in the Mustangs’ win over South Hamilton on Jan. 3.
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