Explorer PCM
PCM Dance Team flies high at Winter Show
Raising money and having fun (and a laugh) doing it
Comedian Willie Farrell featured at the PCM Athletic Booster’s Crimson and Gold Gala Feb. 28
By Jamee A. Pierson PCM Explorer
Back for a third year, the PCM Athletic Boosters Crimson and Gold Gala is looking to not only raise funds but have a “funny” time. Comedian Willie Farrell will headline the event that also includes
cocktails, games and dinner starting at 6 p.m. Feb. 28 at the Graham Center at Central College.
“This year we have comedian Willie Farrell performing. We wanted to make it an evening of celebration, fun and laughter,” organizer Kim Wilson said.
The evening will begin with the cock-
Lack of affordable housing concern for Jasper County
Almost half of Jasper County residents report problems with their current living arrangements
By Jamee A. Pierson PCM Explorer
Editor’s note: This is the third inaseriesofarticlesexploringthe resultsoftheJasperCountyCommunityHealthNeedsAssessment. Following mental health and substance misuse and lack of healthcare professionals, lack of affordable housing rounds out the top three priorities for Jasper County. According to the Jasper County Community Health Needs
tail hour and games at 6 p.m. Guests can play a game of bags, try their hand at mini-golf or go for the big prize with Plinko. A buffet-style dinner will be served at 7 p.m. complete with desserts donated by local bakers. Following dinner, a program by the boosters will take the stage leading in to Farrell performing and finally the evening will conclude with a live auction.
Reservations are still available for the event for both individual seats at $40 and tables at $400. A big fundraiser for the boosters, they invite anyone from the communities to come have a good time and see what all boosters do for the district.
“We have had a good response but we have room for more,” Wilson said. “We want to include our elementary and middle school families as well — before you know it, our kids will be graduating and
Veterans affairs could have a qualified applicant for new director by February
Selection committee to hold candidate interviews within the next few weeks
By Christopher Braunschweig PCM Explorer
Applications for the new director or administrator of the Jasper County Veterans Affairs department have been submitted to commissioners for review. If all goes well with the selection committee’s interview process in the next two weeks, it is possible a candidate will be recommended for commission approval in February.
Dennis Simon, director of human resources for Jasper County, said he has been sending applications to all five members of the veterans affairs commission ever since the position was posted. The department is in need of a new department head after
NEW SHERIFF SETTLES IN
By Christopher Braunschweig PCM Explorer
Jasper County Sheriff Brad Shutts is still adjusting to his new leadership role, but the good state in which the department was left to him by retired sheriff and mentor John Halferty allows him to maintain the course the office was headed while also being forward thinking and proactive in its law enforcement.
It is important to Shutts
the firing of former Veterans Affairs Administrator Alyssa Wilson.
The deadline for applications was Jan. 10. Two days prior to the deadline, the county had received about 15 applications so far.
Members of the steering committee were selected during the Jan. 8 veterans affairs commission meeting.
In addition to Simon serving on the committee as an advisor, the commission chose Mike Gunsaulus, Supervisor Brandon Talsma and commissioners Marta Ford and Ed Spangenburg to conduct the interviews.
Simon encouraged commissioners to send him their questions about individual candidates so that their in-
put can be provided in the interview process. However, to avoid a quorum and possible violations to open meetings laws, it was decided that only two commissioners can serve on the committee. Prior to the interview process, Simon recommended commissioners provide him and the committee an unranked list of their top five applicants. From there, the committee will decipher who to interview, giving special attention to overlapping names that appear on commissioners’ top-five lists.
“Once the interviews are done, the selection committee will discuss and debate and we will make a
Sheriff Brad Shutts wants a forward thinking sheriff’s office that looks after employees and citizens of Jasper County
also wants the sheriff’s office to maintain its community visibility.
that the sheriff’s office continues offering its quality customer service in every aspect of the department. Whether it is policing, EMS support, communications or jail services, the new sheriff wants to set and meet high standards. He
“One of the biggest deterrents to crime is being out there and being visible and being proactive,” Shutts said in a recent interview with Newton News. “We don’t want to sit back or be reactive or wait for things to happen. Before we act we want to be out there on the front lines of it.”
The sheriff’s office, he added, is left in great shape af-
ter Halferty’s retirement. For the past few years the Jasper County Jail has made improvements to its pods to account for more inmates held as overflow from other counties. It is additional revenue for the county and it increased the maximum capacity to 96 inmates. Approximately 20 years ago the county completed the construction of the jail, and Shutts said that has since been paid off. So now his efforts
will be focused on maintaining and refreshing the building itself and keeping up with security to make it a safe place for employees and inmates in the years to come.
“It’s the biggest division in the sheriff’s office and the biggest portion of the budget besides the wages and things like that,” Shutts said. “We’re watching people and having to feed them and
Schutts
Jamee A. Pierson/PCM Explorer
The Jasper County Community Health Assessment found that lack of affordable housing was the third highest priority for residents.
Jamee A. Pierson/PCM Explorer
Top: The PCM Dance Team performs its first place hip-hop routine during the 2025 Winter Show on Jan. 25 at the PCM High School. Above from left to right: The Co-Ed dance team took the floor to wrap up the show. Dancing dads were once again a favorite with a tropic themed routine. The dance team performs its state pom routine which brought home third place. Junior dances took the floor to show off their moves.
Explorer PCM
Worth Mentioning
Send your event to news@pcmexplorer.com
Events at The Gathering Place
Thursday, Jan. 30
• 5pm JAMM
Monday, Feb. 3
• 10am Video Exercise Class
Tuesday, Feb. 4
• 8am Coffee and Prayer
• Game Time
Wednesday, Feb. 5
• 1pm Get Fit, Don’t Fall with Amy S.
• 6pm Bingo
Thursday, Feb. 6
• 10am Jasper County Senior Living Community Panel with host Andy Algreen
GriefShare sessions begin Saturday
First Reformed Church in Prairie City will begin its winter/spring session of GriefShare from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 1. If you have experienced the death of a loved one and are looking for support, healing and hope, you are welcome. Register on line at GriefShare.org or contact Mary Lemmert at 515-205-0835 or at hope2you@aol.com.
PCM Food Pantry
The PCM Food Pantry at the Monroe Presbyterian Church, 113 S. Main St. in Monroe, is open 9 a.m. to noon and 6 to 7 p.m. Mondays and 9 a.m. to noon Thursdays.
TOPS
TOPS 1025 meets at 5:30 p.m. every Monday at the First Reformed Church in Prairie City for weigh-in, with meeting to follow. Go to the north side parking lot at the church and enter in the north door. Call 515-994-2200 for information.
Men’s Recovery meeting
Lighthouse Recovery Ministries hosts a Men’s Recovery meeting at 6:30 p.m. each Monday at Grace Alive Church, 703 W. Second St. in Prairie City. Contact Barb at b.miller@lighthouserecoveryia.com with questions.
PCM Clothing Closet
The PCM Clothing Closet, on the second floor of the Family Life Center at 105 S. Sherman St. in Prairie City, will be open from 3:30 to 7 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday and 2 to 4 p.m. Sundays.
Good News Club resumes in February
Good News Club meets after school Feb. 10 and 24 at the Monroe Elementary Art Room and the Prairie City Elementary Media Room/Library. This group is for Kindergarten through 5th grades and includes games, songs, Bible lesson, snacks on full days of school. Call Jane at 641 891 2733 with question regarding the Monroe location and Sheryl at 641 521 3120 for Prairie City.
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.
Blood vs. plasma
Obituaries
Carroll Dean Nolin
Jan. 19, 2025
Carroll Dean Nolin, age 90, of Prairie City, Iowa, passed away on January 19, 2025, in Newton, Iowa. Carroll’s family will greet friends for visitation on Sunday, January 26, 2025, from 4:00 PM to 7:00 PM at Coburn Funeral Home in Prairie City. Services for Carroll will be held on Monday, January 27, 2025, at 10:00 AM at the Prairie City Church of the Brethren with Pastor Tim Peter officiating. A burial will follow at Silent City Cemetery in Monroe, Iowa. A lunch will be served at the church after the burial, and all are welcome to attend. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made out to the Prairie City Church of the Brethren
or the Prairie City Ambulance Association. If you are unable to attend and wish to send a card, please address it to, “Attn: Carroll Nolin, Coburn Funeral Home, 24 W Howard St, Colfax, IA 50054.”
Carroll was born in Monroe to John and Geraldine (Mullins) Nolin. Carroll grew up on his family’s farm in the Monroe area and fell in love with farming. On June 30, 1956, he married Marilyn (Miller) Nolin. In December of 1956, Carroll joined the US Army and proudly served in Fort Benning Georgia, and Germany. He drove tanks, earned a sharpshooter medal, and was Lt. Johnson’s personal Jeep driver. Marilyn would write him letters every day while he was away. After returning from the service, Carroll took a job at Maytag while farming at the same time. Later on, Carroll had the opportunity to farm full time, and he took it immediately. He enjoyed everything about farming.
Those left to remember Carroll include his three children; Donnie Nolin, Ronnie Nolin, and Brenda Hebron (Brian), grandchildren; Christina Dowdell (Aaron), Ashley Hill (Brice), Jennifer Curry (Nathan), Jon Nolin (Ashley), Janelle Nolin, and Grace Nowachek (Drew), great grandchildren; Thatcher, Kaiya, Karis, and Thia Dowdell, Ivan and Kaeson Hill, William, Colter, and Loretta Curry, Hayden, Adelynn, Emerson, and Jacobie Nolin, and Alaina Nowachek, a nephew; Dean Nolin, and a sisterin-law; Helen Nolin.
He was preceded in death by his wife; Marilyn Nolin, his parents; John Nolin and Geraldine (Mullins) Nolin, and his two brothers; Darrell and Larry Nolin (Joyce).
They had corn, beans, cows, pigs, and chickens. If anything was ever broken, Carroll would find a way to fix it. He took pride in being able to work on all his own equipment. Carroll also helped his twin brother Darrell farm on their family farm. In the late 1970s he and Marilyn undertook the construction of a new farmhouse. Again, he did a majority of the work and even used boards from the old house to build the new one. He and Marilyn would live in that house for the rest of their marriage. In his spare time, Carroll enjoyed fishing, coon hunting, pheasant hunting, reminiscing about his days in the Army, square dancing with Marilyn and watching the Hawkeyes and Cyclones. He kept close relationships with two of his friends from the service. Carroll and Marilyn were always willing to help a neighbor, friend, or family member. He was fond of peanut brittle, Ritz Crackers, and peanut butter, but it had to be the Chunky Skippy brand. He would put peanut butter on almost everything. Of all things in Carroll’s life, farming and his family were the most important to him.
Jasper County residents have millions in forgotten assets
Discover and claim yours for National Unclaimed Property Day
State Treasurer Roby Smith is spreading the word about National Unclaimed Property Day, celebrated annually Feb. 1. “This is a great opportunity to raise awareness and encourage Iowans to search for their name, the names of those they know and their favorite businesses. All you need is 30 seconds to search at GreatIowaTreasureHunt.gov for unclaimed cash or assets,” Smith said. “More than $3.6 million is waiting to be reunited with past and present Jasper County residents.”
Administered by Smith, Great Iowa Treasure Hunt is Iowa’s only legitimate source for unclaimed property. Unclaimed property includes, but is not limited to, forgotten checking and savings accounts, uncashed checks, lost stocks, life insurance policies, utility security deposits and contents from abandoned safe deposit boxes. When businesses and entities are unable to contact the rightful owner of a property, it is reported
Donating blood is a selfless act. Each year, blood donors collectively save the lives of millions of people across the globe. The American Red Cross reports that blood levels continue to be low, and hospital need often outpaces the rate at which many blood donation organizations can replenish their supplies, That reality results in emergency shortages. When people think about blood donations, they frequently envision whole blood donations. But it is possible to only donate plasma as well. And donors typically can donate plasma with greater frequency than they can donate blood. Whole blood donations include all four blood components: red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, and plasma. By contrast, plasma donation involves collecting only the plasma
Metro Creative
When businesses and entities are unable to contact the rightful owner of a property, it is reported to the State as unclaimed. Great Iowa Treasure Hunt then works to locate the owner or heir of the assets so individuals can collect what is rightfully theirs.
to the State as unclaimed. Great Iowa Treasure Hunt then works to locate the owner or heir of the assets so individuals can collect what is rightfully theirs.
“Returning money to rightful owners and heirs is what Great Iowa Treasure Hunt is all about,” Smith said. “After a record-breaking reporting season, more names than ever before have been added or our list. Even if you’ve checked for your name in the past, check our website again!” Celebrate National Unclaimed Property Day by sharing information about Great Iowa Treasure Hunt with friends and family. Connect with the Treasurer on Facebook, Instagram and X to stay up-to-date on all areas of the office.
component of blood and returning the other three components to the donor, says Plasma Hero. The American Red Cross indicates plasma helps maintain blood pressure and volume; supplies critical proteins for blood clotting and immunity; carries electrolytes to muscles; and helps to maintain a proper pH balance in the body to support cell function. Plasma is around 90 percent water and is utilized in therapies to replace missing, deficient or malfunctioning proteins in people with life-threatening diseases, including primary immunodeficiency and hemophilia. It also can be given to trauma and burn victims. It is an essential component, and a donation of plasma only takes a few minutes longer than donating whole blood. Unlike type O blood, which is a universal blood donation type, with plasma, type AB is universal.
Assessment, secondary data indicates that housing costs and rates of substandard housing are slightly higher than Iowa rates.
Of residents surveyed, almost half, or 46.65 percent, reported experiencing a problem with their current living arrangement. Housing damage was identified as the top issue for almost half of respondents with lack of affordable housing impacting just more than 20 percent of the residents.
For home owners or rent-
ers that have issues the top response was lack of complete plumbing facilities followed by lack of complete kitchen facilities, one or more occupants per room and monthly housing costs, both renting and owning, greater than 30 percent.
The percentage of housing units with substandard conditions in Jasper County is 23.8 percent, higher than the Iowa rate of 23.41 percent. The only specific condition where Jasper County performs more poorly than the state is housing units lacking a complete kitchen.
Housing units in Jasper County (2.64 percent) that lack a complete kitchen is 2.65 percent higher compared to the state at
time flies so quickly. We want to encourage families to be involved with their child’s activities and to become members of the Booster Club.”
The boosters have been busy helping making improvements throughout the district. To date they have purchased new football, volleyball, basketball, wrestling, cross-country, track, baseball and softball uniforms for middle school athletes and updated high school uniforms on a rotating schedule, funded two scoreboards for the middle school gym, contributed to the batting cage in the middle school gym and purchased a new wrestling mat, installed new softball and baseball scoreboards last spring, had the high school locker rooms repainted and paid for the broadcast subscription allowing the communities to watch home games online for free.
“We’ve also pledged $35,000 to -
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2.64 percent. In the county, 23.58 percent of households have housing costs exceeding 30 percent of their total household income. The rate is slightly higher than the state average of 23.04 percent.
The county did come in under the state average for overcrowding, which is defined as more than one occupant per room at 1.22 percent compared to 1.75 percent for the state.
For current living conditions, 95.65 percent of those surveyed said they have a steady place to live and 96.46 percent are not worried about their housing status for the next two months.
To address a lack of affordable housing, the county will
ward a weight room upgrade for our future athletes,” Wilson said.
Additional investments include recovery compression boots, track hurdles, free shirts for all middle school and high school athletes and coaches, safety equipment and aprons for the shooting club, $5,000 to the PCM Dance Team to support expenses for nationals and outdoor concession stand improvements.
Even with all of the work they have put in, there is more to do. Having events like the gala not only help to raise funds but also bring together parents and community members to have a good time.
“My favorite part is to see it all come together and all of the time spent planning was worth it. When we see everyone having a good time and when families look forward to the next Gala,” Wilson said. “I also enjoy seeing the money raised go right back to our student athletes, coaches and our PCM facilities.”
For more information about the Crimson and Gold Gala, visit the PCM Athletic Boosters Facebook page.
work to promote affordable and safe housing resources within the county. To do that, it plans to launch a public awareness campaign through local media, highlighting the importance of affordable and safe housing in improving community health. It will work with the Jasper County Care Coalition (JCCC) to share new information and update the resource guide with what is available to residents.
Central Iowa Shelter and Services will lead a Point in Time homeless count once a year in the county and JCCC will explore ways to reduce homelessness within the county.
IMPACT will promote services in the community by offer-
clothe them and such. It’s a mini town back there I guess you could say.”
Jasper County Sheriff’s Office has also added EMS support to its litany of services. Instead of replacing the work of volunteer agencies, the sheriff’s office has maintained it is providing additional support and higher level care when needed. It was a program first introduced by Halferty. Shutts wants it to continue.
“We are getting a large majority of our shifts covered, and that’s seven days a week now from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. typically — sometimes they float around,” Shutts said of the advanced life support deputies. “It’s a part-time position and they have full-time jobs outside of here. We’re very active here lately.”
The ALS program is bringing in a small amount of revenue, but Shutts said the charges to agencies are only recouping some of its costs.
“I think there is a good path forward for this,” Shutts said. “It was Sheriff
ing open events with community partners including Discover Hope. Habitat for Humanity will work to build at least three houses in Newton by 2027, explore fundraising opportunities and look for way to work with Iowa Prison Industries for affordable housing. JCCC will also work with area school housing/homeless contacts to make resources available and have a referral process. Finally, JCCC partners that work specifically on housing will meet to discuss resources, protocols and gaps of service for affordable living situations. The county’s goal is to have these strategies complete by Dec. 31, 2027.
Halferty’s vision to get this successful, and he left it in a successful state.”
Turnover rates are particularly high in law enforcement, and for a time the sheriff’s office was seeing just how true that was. However, Shutts said although the department could always use more deputies on the road (and he is working to make that happen), most positions are filled.
Currently, the sheriff’s office is moving forward in assigning a deputy to Baxter. The city has struggled for years to maintain a long-term police chief. The sheriff’s office is working toward providing contracted law enforcement for an extended period of time.
Shutts expects a contract to be ready by July.
“We’ll be adding a deputy position as long as the board approves the contract,” he said. “With that goes an SRO program at the Baxter Community School District. We cannot apply for this unless we were the primary agency. And since we are going to be the primary agency we did apply for the grant.”
The school will supply one-third of the funding,
the city will supply another third and then the grant will pay for the final portion over three years. This would require the sheriff’s office to hire a new deputy for this position. So, effectively, the Baxter community would have two full-time deputies
Earlier in 2024, the sheriff’s office proposed the old Jasper County Animal Rescue League building be renovated into a training facility. With support from supervisors, work has already begun in transforming the site. So far a shooting range has been added, but the building itself still needs remodeled.
Shutts said the training facility is a big priority, but since the bond did not pass he is exploring other ways to finance it.
As county sheriff, Shutts wants to be a leader who continues to learn and improve. He hopes to make good use of the lessons he has learned from mentors like Halferty and former Sheriff Mike Balmer. Shutts wants to be an approachable sheriff who strives to make the office even better than it is now.
“We want to continue on with the positive forward thinking that we’ve always had here,” Shutts said. “We always want to make it better because we don’t want to stagnate and have a place where it’s the same ol’ stuff day after day. We want to have excitement for our employees and we want them taken care of.”
recommendation to the commission on who to hire,” he said. “Obviously, you have the applications so if there is something you disagree with you can direct us to do additional interviews if you’re not happy or whatever.”
Ultimately, the decision to hire a new administrator or director comes down to the approval of the Jasper County Board of Supervisors.
“The board can approve it easy enough or they can say no and send us back to the drawing board,” Simon said. “That’s why I want one of the supervisors on the selection committee. So if they’re in agreement and would make that recommendation, the chances of it getting denied is minimal.”
The next Jasper County Veterans Affairs meeting will be held at 3 p.m. Feb. 12 at the county’s administration building at 315 W. Third St. N.
Opinion
New year, new Congress, same dedication to serving Iowans
When I look back on 2024, one of my highlights was connecting with Iowans on my River to River Tour. I celebrated a decade of crisscrossing Iowa from the Mississippi River to the Missouri River to hold public town halls, explore communities, tour small businesses, visit farms, and more in every corner of our great state. This year, I look forward to hearing directly from you, so I can bring your priorities to the halls of the 119th Congress.
In 2025, that includes fighting for our farmers, slashing government spending and overreach, making sure rural America isn’t left behind, supporting our small businesses, and keeping Iowans safe at home and abroad.
Over the past year, I have worked tirelessly on behalf of our farmers and passed
YOUR VIEW
From Washington, DC
U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst
bipartisan legislation into law to prevent the spread of foreign animal disease. I’ve also taken action to secure access to E15 for the summer driving months, while continuing the call for permanent, nationwide availability. This year, I look forward to getting a Farm Bill across the finish line that delivers real results for those who feed and fuel our world.
While Washington has doubled down on wasteful spending and shamefully prioritized bureaucrats, I’ve fought to cut the pork, bring federal workers back to the office (or sell off empty office buildings), and make ‘em squeal! Last year, my oversight forced the government to sell over a billion dollars’ worth of unused office space and exposed IRS agents who owe more than $50 million in back taxes. As founder of the new Senate DOGE Caucus, and now a member of the Senate Homeland Security
Is it an opinion?
The articles that I have written over the last year are called “opinion.” They do contain opinion, my opinion in the various forms it may present itself. I have heard from several that they do not share my opinion, with, presumably, the inference that they do not approve of me.
I am merely suggesting that on issues of the day, things that may or may not affect you directly, actions of our governments, our way of doing things, whether our lives are satisfactory, one would do well to form one’s own opinion. What I find normally is that most of us don’t have opinions, we simply adopt other, ready-made opinions that we hear on TV, on the radio, on Facebook or other social media. I do make an effort to have my own opinion and since it is my opinion it may be different from the current opinion on just about any subject. Simply saying you agree with another person’s opinion or don’t agree, is not the same as actually having an opinion.
If you were to ask the person with whom you are speaking, how did you come to that opinion, the conversation pretty quickly slides into absurdities clearly indicating the person holding the opinion has no knowledge of facts supporting such an opinion.
Yes, I do have bias — clearly; but we all do. Bias certainly affects the opinions I hold and bias affects the people you, as individuals, listen to to obtain the opinions that you adopt. Nothing unusual about any of this. In my daily conversations, there are few opinions that appear to be original in any sense. One can not enter a conversation about any topic currently being discussed on the air or over the internet that can in any way be considered originating with the person expressing an opinion about it. If you consider yourself a Republican, you will watch programs consistent with the views currently in vogue with the Republicans. If you consider yourself a Democrat, you will watch programs consistent with the views currently in vogue with the Democrats.
When I send a piece to the paper, I do not do it with the purpose of convincing you to have the same opinion as I do; I am merely suggesting that you have an opinion of your own and not simply grab some opinion off the TV screen that is consistent with your already possessed opinions, for your already possessed opinions have the same origin — the TV screen.
Having an opinion of your own does require some thought which is a major factor in not having one — why give it thought when you can quickly tune in to a talk show where opinions are flying by so fast all you have to do is reach out and grab one. Most of these opinions are glued to outrage and easy to grab onto.
A second requisite for having an opinion is knowing something about the subject for which opinions are being proffered. Most of us don’t know enough facts to have an opinion on most subjects being discussed and we are not going to spend the time to find any. But I certainly have a right to have an opinion, and by golly, I’m going to have one and I’m going to get really worked up over it whether I know anything about it or not.
When someone asks you for your opinion on a current topic, have you ever responded by saying, “I don’t have an opinion because I don’t know enough about it to have an opinion?” I personally don’t say that nearly as often as I ought. I really don’t know enough about many things to think I should have an opinion about them and in the course of a day I’m as guilty of it as anyone.
Richard E. H. Phelps II Mingo
and Governmental Affairs Committee, I will be working with President Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to cut trillions and protect your hard-earned taxpayer dollars.
I’m also determined to ensure our rural communities – like the one I was born and raised in – are not left behind. Following years of bipartisan work, my effort to close the digital divide and expand access to broadband across Iowa passed the Senate. After the Biden administration fumbled its FAFSA rollout and left farm families out in the cold, I successfully ushered in a law to provide more certainty for Iowans who rely on this tool for financial aid. In this next Congress, I’ll continue to put Iowans first and ensure you receive the opportunities and resources you deserve.
In my role as the top Republican on the Senate Small Business Committee, I am bringing the voices of mom-and-pop shops and innovators on Main Streets across Iowa to Washington. Last Congress, I recognized a Small Business of the Week in each of Iowa’s 99 counties, made it easier for small businesses to work with the federal government, and
provided oversight to recover billions of taxpayer dollars from defaulted COVID loans. Looking ahead, I’m excited to recognize more Iowa businesses and create pro-growth policies.
Despite weakness in the Biden White House that led to a world on fire and wide open border, last year I successfully stopped taxpayer dollars from funding risky Chinese research and the Wuhan Institute of Virology, built upon President Trump’s Abraham Accords to unite the Middle East against the Iranian regime that has funded attacks on our citizens, and strengthened border security by empowering the Pentagon to secure our airspace and prevent drones from infiltrating our homeland. In my role on the Senate Armed Services Committee, I’ll continue working to keep Iowans safe.
Partnering with the new Republican majority and President Trump, I am ready to get our country back on track and bring some Iowa common sense to Washington!
Joni Ernst, a native of Red Oak and acombatveteran,representsIowainthe United States Senate.
YOUR VIEW
A decrease in service and an increase in time?
Why is the new administration dead set on reducing the number of federal employees? Last night I spent 3 hours and 45 minutes on hold with the Social Security Administration. Took less than 10 minutes when I finally talked to an efficient, helpful employee. That time on hold was excessive and miserable.
I am a retired Social Security employee so am familiar with how that bureaucracy works. The last job I held was rated to take two
years to learn. It took longer than that to feel like I knew what I was doing. Do they intend to replace knowledgeable employees with new political hires that won’t have anyone to train them? Over a 30-year career, every time an administration wanted to cut costs they would freeze hiring and restrict cost of living increases. What happened every time was a decrease in service and an increase in processing times to the detriment of people who earned their benefits.
Will items be more affordable?
Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks seems to have high hopes for great success with the new session of Congress and a Republican in the White House. It is widely believed that the state of the economy over the last four years with a Democrat as president was a major reason for the Republican takeover of both houses and the Presidency. Miller-Meeks seems confident that with the Republicans in control, gas and groceries can be made more affordable.
On Jan. 17, the last business day before Inauguration, the price of regular gas was $3.59 a gallon in
SPEAK OUT
Brandon Talsma, chair
4309 W Fourth St. S. Newton, IA 50208 641-526-3142
btalsma@jasperia.org
Newton. A dozen eggs is $4.99 and hamburger is $6.99 a pound. A loaf of bread is $2.49. According to the U. S. Energy Information Administration, the price of gas we pay at the pump is based on the price of crude, the cost of refining and marketing, as well as taxes and profits. Why are eggs so expensive? According to CNBC, a wave of avian flu starting in 2022 wiped out large numbers of hens causing a shortage. According to The Hill, hamburger is so expensive because 2024 saw the lowest supply of cattle since 1951.
The SSA phone message on their toll-free number said that disability claims now take 200-230 days for an initial determination. That is a horrible amount of time for people who are unable to work. How will Senator Ernst and Senator Grassley properly serve their constituents when there are too few employees to do the work in a timely manner? Perhaps the touted DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) should instead be called DODGEY. It certainly has no idea that a wellrun bureaucracy operates with an adequate number of well-trained, knowledgeable employees. Linda Wormley Newton
According to Nerd Wallet, bread along with food prices in general, remain high because of operating costs, supply chain issues and corporate profits.Profit is capitalism and the reason businesses exist in our economy.
Miller-Meeks seems to believe the Republicans controlling Congress and the White House can somehow quickly bring down the prices of the above items and many other things we buy. If she wants our votes for reelection to be based on how affordable gas and groceries are, we should clip this letter and review it in two years to see if Republicans have kept their promise. Robert Holley Newton
How to contact your elected officials Jasper County Supervisors
Doug Cupples, vice chair
1205 S. 20th Ave. W. Newton, IA 50208 641-521-8725
dcupples@jasperia.org
Thad Nearmyer 4360 S. 96th Ave. W. Monroe, IA 50170 641-891-8863
tnearmyer@jasperia.org
The PCM
PCM Dance Teams Winter Show
The PCM dance team had their yearly show that showcases their routines and the members of the team. The show was on Jan. 25 at the PCM High School. The girls danced a total of six routines consisting of their tryout routine and kick. Their competition: pom, hip-hop. Also, dads dance and co-ed. There are a total of fourteen girls on the team: three freshmen, four sophomores, three juniors, and four seniors. The seniors on the team are Addison Shannon, Charlotte Landwehr, Rylee DeHaai, and Jaylyn DeVries. Landwehr, DeVries, and Shannon have been on the team all four years of high school, while DeHaai was only on the team for her junior and senior years. The seniors play a big role in getting everything done in time for the show.
The seniors choreographed the kick, dad’s dance, and co-ed for this year. They had to not only choreograph these routines but also teach them to the girls, the dads, and the coed partners. The senior boys for co-ed this year were Easton VanVeen, who danced with Addison Shannon; Trigg Steenhoek, who danced with Charlotte Landwehr; Carson Hansen, who danced with Rylee DeHaai; and Adrien Robbins, who danced with Jaylyn DeVries. VanVeen and Steenhoek have done co-ed all four years. Hansen has done it for two years, and this was Robbins’s first year. The co-ed dance is something all the girls and the boys look forward to in the show.
The freshmen, sophomores, and juniors also did a dance for the seniors that the juniors choreographed. The seniors did not even think they were getting a senior dance until close to the show. So the whole thing was a surprise to them. The whole dance team also puts on a clinic that they do every year for ages pre-k to eighth grade. The dance team members come up with the routines themselves to teach the kids. Then the different age groups will perform at the show with the dance team members help. Now that the show is over, most would think that the season is over for the PCM dance team, but really it is just getting into the heat of it.
This year the team decided that they were going to go to nationals in Florida. The team has been doing fundraisers after fundraisers to afford to be able to go so parents do not have to spend a lot of money. The girls leave for nationals on the 13th of Feb. Then they will not get back till the 17th. This means that the team only has a few weeks to prepare for this competition. Not to mention how advanced this competition is. There are teams from all over the country that will be in attendance. This means that it will be more difficult than State was for the team. The PCM dance team still has a lot of work to do before their season ends.
Large Group Speech Contest 2025
Speech is an extracurricular club at PCM High School where students choose events to compete in. Speech is coached by Janice Davis and Brooke Grett but is very student-led. In speech, students decide what events they want to do and meet up with others who are also interested in the same category. Students usually meet once or twice a week based on what they decide works best in their schedules; speech is a very flexible club but also requires lots of dedication. Participants usually base what they are going to do on past musicals, plays, movies, songs, radio recordings, and books. Sometimes students like to get creative and write their own scripts. There is also an event called group improv where students are required to make their performance on the spot. The choices of large group speech are choral reading, ensemble acting, group improvisation, group mime, musical theatre, one-act play, radio broadcasting, readers theatre, short film, solo mime, and television newscasting. All students are allowed to participate in two categories. To advance to state, students have to receive a score of one. If they continue from state, they would go to an all-state competition. Saturday, January 25, was the day of the large group contest. The teams got loaded up on the bus by 6:30 a.m. and left to go to South Tama High School to perform. The first performance from PCM started at 8:30 a.m., and the last performance ended around 2:30 p.m. This year 10 groups performed. Three musical theatre, three ensemble acting, one readers theatre, one group improv, and one radio broadcasting group. The groups that got a score of one and are moving on to state are Skippyjon Jones, Group Improv, The Greatest Showman, RELL, 4 Months, and Lockdown. The groups that got two are Mean Girls, Six, and Aladdin. Shortly after the whole group contest, the solo contest came. Solos typically have the same entries as large groups. The entries for individual speech are acting, after-dinner speaking, expository address, solo improvisation, interpretive reading (poetry and prose), literary program, original oratory, public address, radio news announcing, reviewing, solo musical theatre, spontaneous speaking, and storytelling. The solo district contest is on March 1. Currently, the speech team doesn’t have official individual entries, but many students are looking forward to practicing and competing individually. Congratulations to our groups for making it to state. The groups include Skippyjon Jones with Brighton Ingle, Luke Ferneding, Zach Richards, and Konnor Bell; Group Improv with Konnor Bell, Zach Richards, and Kylie Lewis; The Greatest Showmen with Caedmon Burkett and Carter Dudley; RELL with London Ludwick, Rylan Edgington, Liz Egland, and Emma Leedom; 4 Months with Kylie Lewis and Keira Stone; and Lockdown with Grace Taylor and Carter Dudley.
What are the Fine Arts Boosters?
Peyton LathrumStaff Writer
The Fine Arts booster club is a huge part of our school. The Fine Arts boosters help fund the musicals, plays, chorus, band, art, speech, robotics, visual arts, regular theater, drama, marching band, and anything regarding the arts. There is a fine arts thank you showcase coming up on the 29th of March. They helped the PCM Band get new uniforms and are helping the chorus get new robes. We interviewed Treasurer Thomas Riorden to talk about the fine arts booster club. Riordan states, “The Fine Arts Boosters Club is the exact mirror of the athletic boosters. Not the same rules, but the fundraising and purchasing the equipment for athletics are the same, and that’s the goal of the fine arts booster. They used to be combined, but this year we decided to separate them.” We then asked him, “How does the fine arts booster club specifically fund the art program?” He stated, “There are a few different fundraisers we’ve tried throughout the different years we’ve done it. Mainly one is things that students can participate in in terms of volunteering, as in concessions. Our biggest one this year was probably the vendor fair out in Monroe, and then the fine arts showcase that’s kinda like a talent show we did 3 years ago. This year it’s on March 29th on a Saturday. It’s kind of a full-day thing.” We then asked about the main goal for this year; he stated how “The main goal is just making things better for students.” Lastly, we asked him how to join, and he said, “You kinda just show up.” They are looking for some new members; join!
Hi, it’s me again. It’s MaKenna. I don’t know what I’m doing here. Rylee Parsons told me I needed to sell the ad and write this column on 1/22/2025 at 10:35 A.M. So here we are sitting, thinking about what to write. I don’t know if we should rant about Rylee and talk about how amazing she is or something else. So let’s talk about Rylee Parsons. She is an amazing person who is a little bit crazy at times. But shhh, she doesn’t like others to know about her craziness. Rylee has helped others out with anything and everything in life. She is a good friend at heart. Parsons is a little goofy. She will make the best out of anything she can. She tries to stay her positive self all the time, even during hard times. She does get frustrated when she doesn’t turn in her homework on time. But we all know she will get through it. Now it is Thursday, 1/23. I walked into this journalism class, and I was so excited to get to write, but Rylee was like, Haha, you’re funny; you have to sell the ad! I had to call five businesses to help the PCM journalism class out a lot! I have four minutes to finish typing, and I don’t know what to write about in these four minutes till the bell rings. I need help. I am now sitting in the study hall thinking about what to write. Do you think if I wrote the ABC, I could stop writing? Now that probably won’t work. This 6th-period study hall is not my vibe today. It is louder than normal. I have a hard time concentrating on what I need to do in loud environments. But I think I should have had lunch, though; I’m low-key kinda hungry. Well, I guess I have to wait till I get home at 3:15 because I have fitness. Why does everyone think that doing the column is the easiest? In my opinion, it is the hardest because you don’t have a set thing to write about; you write what you want. Coming up with what to write is always the hardest part, but once you get your topic, it will be easier than this. I’m sorry, guys, if I’m just wasting your time reading this. I am trying my hardest to make it good and entertaining. But now it is 8:54 P.M. I’m sitting in bed watching Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed. But I am not paying any attention to it. I’m just trying to get this done either tonight or tomorrow. I’m probably bored of you guys. What should I talk about now? I know it isn’t crazy how we had our first snow day last week on 1/21/2025! At first, the day before, we got a notification that it was a two-hour delay because of how cold it got. Then at 9:07 A.M., we got a message saying the school was canceled due to cold temps impacting the buses. So we only had a 3-day school week, and I wrote this in that time frame. Please give me a pat on the back, guys.
Abby Bradbury & Annie Ford Staff Writers
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MaKenna VanHaaften
Kayla VanderLinden Staff Writer
Clark, Wheeler repeat as HOIAC champs
STORY CITY — Tucker
Wheeler and Kaden Clark both won individual titles, Bentlee Sloan and Kaiden Valcore each scored a runner-up finish at their weights and seven Mustangs helped the PCM wrestling team to a fourth-place finish at the Heart of Iowa Athletic Conference tournament on Jan. 24.
The Mustangs scored 126.5 points in fourth. Class 2A No. 8 West Marshall won the tournament title with 234 points. Host Roland-Story (199) and Nevada (135) were next and the rest of the eight-team field included Perry (110.5), Greene County (92.5), Saydel (69.5) and South Hamilton (62).
The top three finishing teams entered at least 11 wrestlers. The state-ranked Trojans, who won their second HOIAC title in the last three seasons, won four individual titles and the Norse claimed three.
Class 2A No. 7 Clark won his second straight 285-pound title with a 3-0 day. He produced three first-period falls and recorded the 100th pin of his career.
Class 2A No. 8 Tucker Wheeler (36-6) was the 157 champion after his 3-0 day. He finished with two technical falls and one pin. Wheeler won the individual championship at 144 last season.
Valcore was 2-1 at 215, while Sloan finished 1-1 with one pin at 132. It was the best HOIAC
finish of Valcore’s career as he produced one pin and one major decision.
Sloan (20-16) finished second in his HOIAC tournament debut.
Sawyer Bouwkamp (17-11) won three times and placed
third at 165. He was 3-1 for the day with two pins and one technical fall. Bouwkamp was fourth last season at 157 but placed third two seasons ago at 132.
Harrison Brinegar and Finn Wilson were fourth at 150 and
175, respectively. Brinegar was 2-2 with two pins. The 106-, 120- and 165-pound brackets featured two ranked wrestlers. Class 2A No. 12 Kaliber Fry would have given 120 a third ranked wrestler but he was not entered in the tournament. Fry was third at his weight in each of the past two seasons. Greene County also did not have Brent Dennhardt, who is ranked ninth in 2A at 157.
PCM wrestlers helping Colfax-Mingo girls’ squad
Troy Hyde/PCM Explorer
PCM senior Sawyer Bouwkamp, right, finished third at 165 pounds at the Heart of Iowa Athletic
won a match at the Ed Winger Invitational on Jan. 25.
Troy Hyde/PCM Explorer
Six PCM student-athletes are part of Colfax-Mingo’s girls wrestling team this winter. Clockwise from top left: Freshmen Hadley Millang, Allison Minteer and Emma Beyer and sophomore Samantha Wheeler compete for the Tigerhawks during a busy week. Millang placed second at 145 pounds at Colfax-Mingo’s annual tournament on Jan. 25, while Beyer took sixth at 155. Millang, Beyer, Minteer and Wheeler all won
Ogden 72-6 after falling to Albia. Sophomore Jozlyn Wells and freshman Alauna Wells also compete for the squad. Jozlyn Wells won a pair of matches during the team’s road quadrangular on Jan. 23. Colfax-Mingo hosts
Van Gorp’s career night pushes PCM boys past Greene County
MONROE — A career high scoring effort from Gavin Van Gorp propelled the PCM boys basketball team to a fourth straight win on Jan. 24.
The Mustangs dominated the first and last quarters, made 10 3-pointers and swiped 13 steals in their 82-63 home win over Greene County during Heart of Iowa Athletic Conference play.
Van Gorp put in a career-best 32 points and added two assists and seven steals. He was 5-of-9 from 3.
The Mustangs and Rams played even in the middle two quarters, but PCM won the first 25-13 and outscored Greene County 24-17 in the fourth.
Cutler VandeLune also scored in double figures with 11 points and produced five rebounds, three assists and two steals. He sunk three treys.
Troy Hyde/ PCM Explorer
PCM junior
Kyra Naeve posted four points, six rebounds, four assists and four steals in the Mustangs’ home win over Greene County on Jan. 24. Class 3A No. 10 PCM improved to 14-2 and 10-1 in the conference.
Chase Wagaman totaled nine points, five boards, two assists and four blocks, Kaleb DeVries added six points and eight assists and Kash Fischer collected nine points, six rebounds and two steals.
Jake Winters finished with five points and three boards, Pete Kiernan put in three points and grabbed four rebounds and Joe Shaver, Brevin DeRaad and Shay Burns all pulled down two boards.
PCM (8-7, 7-4 in the conference) shot 52.7 percent from the floor, made 10-of-25 from 3 and buried 14-of-22 from the free-throw line.
The Mustangs turned the ball over 11 times and blocked six shots.
The Mustangs are 23-10 against the Rams (3-13, 1-10) since 2009.
PCM has won four straight, six of seven and 11 of 13 in the series.
Notes: PCM’s game against Perry scheduled on Jan. 21 was postponed and rescheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 30 in Monroe.
Balanced attack lifts PCM girls past Greene County
MONROE — Three players scored in double figures, three reserves had career nights and the PCM girls basketball team dominated Greene County on Jan. 24.
The Class 3A No. 10 Mustangs started fast against the Rams and never looked back in a 68-14 home win during Heart of Iowa Athletic Conference play. It was PCM’s fifth straight win. The Mustangs swept Greene County this winter and outscored the Rams 128-36.
and Addison Steenhoek collected four points, four rebounds and three assists.
Kenna Grier scored a career-high eight points and tallied four rebounds and three steals off the bench.
Libby Winters led the Mustangs with 17 points, four rebounds and four steals. It was the 12th double-digit scoring game of Winters’ prep career, which spans 16 games.
Tori Lindsay added 15 points, four rebounds and three steals and Rebecca De Vries matched a career-high with 10 points and grabbed six rebounds off the bench.
Kyra Naeve posted four points, six rebounds, four assists and four steals
Lewis Central (97.5) and Ames (95.5) completed the top 10.
PCM’s bench production was impressive as Camden Webb had four points and a career-best 10 boards, Katelynn Fagg swiped three steals and Bailey Wheeler and Darbey DeRaad each grabbed two boards.
PCM (14-2, 10-1 in the conference) shot 41 percent from the floor, made 3-of24 from 3-point range and hit 3-of-8 from the free-throw line.
The Mustangs turned the ball over 14 times but collected 21 steals and grabbed 32 offensive rebounds.
It was PCM’s eighth straight win in the series, and the Mustangs are 26-2 against Greene County (0-16, 0-11) since 2009.
Notes: PCM’s game against Perry scheduled on Jan. 21 was postponed and rescheduled for 6 p.m. on Jan. 30 in Monroe.
Clark leads five Mustangs at Ed Winger Invitational
URBANDALE — Clark won four times and split two matches against the only wrestler who defeated him during the Ed Winger Invitational on Jan. 25.
Clark led five Mustangs in the tournament, and PCM placed 22nd in the 23team field. The Mustangs scored 24 points.
Class 3A No. 3 Carlisle won the tournament with 148 points. Class 3A No. 7 Waverly-Shell Rock (134), 3A No. 5 Waukee Northwest (132), 3A No. 2 Bettendorf (130) and 3A No. 6 Johnston (129) were separated by just five points in the top five.
Class 3A No. 8 Fort Dodge led the next group in sixth with 116.5 points.
Class 3A No. 10 Dowling Catholic (102), Norwalk (98), Council Bluffs
Clark was 4-1 for the day at 285. He opened with a win by fall against North Scott’s Bryce Stewart.
And Clark defeated Johnston’s Kolby Gibbons on the consolation side of the bracket by medical forfeit.
Class 2A No. 5 Drake Buthe of Glenwood pinned Clark in the quarterfinals, but Clark avenged the loss with a 13-4 victory in the third-place match.
Clark (37-4) also defeated 3A No. 4 Henry Mohr of Waukee Northwest, 10-5, on the consolation side of the bracket.
The other four Mustangs in the field were Sloan, Brinegar, Bouwkamp and Valcore. Brinegar and Bouwkamp both finished 1-2, while Sloan and Valcore each went 0-2.
One of Valcore’s losses at 215 came against 2A No. 1 Mason Koehler of Glenwood. Sloan’s first loss was against 3A No. 8 Ayden Beck of DCG. CONTINUED FROM 6
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PCM senior Gavin Van Gorp (1) scored a career-high 32 points and made five 3-pointers in the Mustangs’ home win over Greene County on Jan. 24.
PCM Explorer
De Vries
Clark
Members Art Sathoff, Superintendent Becki Vasseau, Board Secretary Tanya Swan Business Manager Kylie Lewis Student Board Rep I. CALL TO ORDER Meet ing called to order at 6:00 pm II APPROVE AGENDA A motion was made to approve the agenda Motion ma de by: Greg Ingle Motion se conded by: Rod DeHaai Voting: Unanimously Approved III. CONSTITUENTS CORRE SPONDENCE No one signed up to speak IV GOOD NEWS PCM Food Pantry Donations and Other Fundraising: During the month of December PCM students and
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