PCM-02-22-2024

Explorer PCM

END OF AN ERA

PC Library says goodbye after more than 20 years at East Fifth Street location

Sgt. Tracy Cross announces campaign for Jasper County sheriff

Sheriff’s race now has at least two confirmed candidates vying for top spot

By Christopher Braunschweig PCM Explorer

City funding secured for congregate meals in Monroe

28E agreement between the city and The Gathering Place will help fund elderly nutrition

By Jamee A. Pierson PCM Explorer

A 28E agreement between the City of Monroe and The Monroe Gathering Place Senior and Community Center will help fund congregate meals at the location for the next year. The Monroe City Council at its meeting Feb. 12 approved $100 per month, or $1,200 total, in city funds to go towards using the space to house Jasper County Elderly Nutrition.

“We have had a site in Monroe for many, many years ... and it has been a great partnership,” Jasper County Elderly Nutrition Program Director Kelli Van Manen said.

“We don’t want to lose the site in

Monroe because once it is gone, it will be hard to get back.”

Previously housed at Monroe City Hall, when operations ceased last year meals were delivered regularly to four people are various locations who continued to dine.

“We started conversations with The Gathering Place. They have a beautiful facility there and are wanting to get more people in,” Van Manen said. “We want to get more people to the site to eat.”

The city also agreed to pay The Gathering Place an additional onetime payment of $3,800 to provide for programming activities, staffing needs and/or any program or

MEALS | 3

Jasper County GOP chair announces campaign for supervisor

Thad

Nearmyer wants

to improve relationships between county and cities

Sgt. Tracy Cross of the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office announced this past week on Facebook that he will be running for sheriff. Current sheriff John Halferty has indicated this will be his last year holding the elected office, and he is likely to retire from law enforcement. When Cross announced his campaign, he said the sheriff’s office has a long, rich history of strong leaders who have paved the way for those who are called into leadership. If elected as the next sheriff,

Cross said he will honor those who led before him by upholding the integrity, honor and service pillars through serving and protecting communities, while also investing in the people serving and volunteering beside him.

Faith plays a large part in Cross’s life and he often devotes time and effort to this church. But Cross told Newton News in a phone interview that he felt led to do something more for his community. He enjoys his job at the sheriff’s office and working with both paid and volunteer agencies.

“I found that I like being out there in the community, and I don’t want to lose that in our office. I want to have more ability

By Christopher Braunschweig PCM Explorer

Thad Nearmyer has spent the past eight years helping Republican candidates get elected, but now the shoe is on the other foot, and he is running his own campaign for county supervisor. The chairman of the Jasper County Republican Party announced Feb. 12 he will be running for Denny Stevenson’s seat.

Nearmyer said in a press release that, as a rural citizen of Jasper County, he is very familiar with the challenges of maintaining gravel roads. He said the cur-

rent board of supervisors has worked closely with the county engineer to devise a plan to upgrade the roads, and he believes they have done a good job.

“It’s a work in progress and always will be. I will strive to see that this improvement continues,” he said, later noting he would prioritize roads and ensure public safety is properly funded.

If elected county supervisor, Nearmyer said he will also work hard to keep property taxes in check. He complimented the current board’s efforts when it comes to lower property taxes these past few years. His goal is to continue that work and make sure tax-

payers are “getting the best bang for their buck.”

Another goal Nearmyer has as supervisor is to improve Jasper County’s working relationship with city governments throughout the county to ensure future growth.

“To be clear, I am not saying the county should open up the checkbook,” Nearmyer said. “I’m saying that we share similar goals to make our county a great place to live, raise families and retire in; a place to be proud of and where people want to come to live and work.”

Nearmyer said he will bring the work ethic he learned on the farm to the courthouse, along with his interpersonal skills and collaborative abilities he cultivated while working seven years at Principal Financial Group and serving

County supervisors break tradition and approve an almost $5K raise for themselves

Talsma reasoned the county needs to keep salary attractive enough for future candidates

By Christopher Braunschweig PCM Explorer

Over the years Jasper County supervisors have prided themselves for not taking a salary increase despite recommendations from the compensation board, but this past month elected officials broke tradition and not only approved a raise for themselves but also gave the chairman a $2,500 stipend. Jasper County Compensation Board recommended the supervisors receive a $7,980 raise, bumping their annual salaries from $42,020 to an even $50,000. In the past few years, the supervisors have not thought twice about rejecting the compensation board’s recommendation for their salaries.

However, supervisor Brandon Talsma reasoned that although he did not like the idea of a raise he also wanted to incentivize individuals to run for a seat on the board. To him, he always had a sense of pride saying the Jasper County Board of Supervisors hasn’t taken a raise in X-amount of years.

“We’re nearing the point where if we don’t keep it at an attractive enough of a salary we’re going to have a harder and harder time finding quality individuals who are willing to take time out of their personal lives, their family lives,

their hobbies to run for this job,” Talsma said.

Supervisor Denny Stevenson said years ago, when he was first on the board, the stipend was taken away for the chairman. Looking back, Stevenson said that was a mistake and he would like to see it come back.

The board chair “does way more extra work” than the $2,500 will cover, but it will help, he said.

As the current board chair, Talsma didn’t comment. Supervisor Doug Cupples agreed with Stevenson, leading to a 2-0 vote to reinstate the stipend.

Talsma abstained from the vote.

When it comes to supervisor salaries, Cupples and Talsma argued Jasper County’s wages were below that of nearby Marion and Marshal Counties.

Still, Talsma agonized over the idea of giving supervisors a pay raise, but he felt it was worth it to have the conversation now.

“Denny, you’re on the (Kellogg) City Council, how hard is it to find somebody who is wanting to sacrifice their time to run for city council?” Talsma asked. Stevenson shook his head. “It’s terrible,” he said. While the supervisors would go on to approve the salary increase, they did not fully commit to the compensation board’s recommendation. Instead, they took a $4,980 increase instead of the proposed $7,980 increase, bringing their annual salaries to $47,000. The board approved the raise in a 3-0 vote.

Jamee A. Pierson/PCM Explorer

What was first used as a doctor’s office until 1999, the Prairie City Library made a home in the converted space for more than 20 years. The doors closed for the final time at the East Fifth Street location as the library prepares to move to its new building on the east side of the square.

Talsma

Cross

Nearmyer

Explorer PCM

Worth Mentioning

Send your event to news@pcmexplorer.com

Music at The Gathering Place

Every Monday at 8 a.m. The Gathering Place in Monroe hosts Coffee & Devotions with Pastor Ann. Piano Music with Jacque R. will begin at 2 p.m. Friday at TGP.

“Get Fit, Move More” is being hosted by TGP at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 28.

TGP will host an Acoustic Jam from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 30.

Good News Club meets Monday

The Good News Club will meet after school Monday, Feb. 26 at the Prairie City Elementary library and the Monroe Elementary art room. Kindergarten through 5th grade are welcome. Enjoy snacks, games, bible stories, songs and prizes. Parent permission required. Sponsored by Child Evangelism Fellowship. Contact Jane McConeghey at 641 891 2733, Monroe or Sheryl Plate or 641 521 3120, Prairie City.

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@lighthouserecovery-

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. Message volunteers through the PCM Clothing Closet Facebook page to schedule a time for donations.

Womens Recovery meeting

Lighthouse Recovery Ministries has a Women’s Recovery meeting at 6 p.m. each Wednesday at the Grace Alive Powerhouse, 701 W. Second St. in Prairie City. Contact Barb at b.miller@lighthouserecoveryia. com with questions.

Heartland Singers welcomes new voices

Heartland Singers Community Chorus invites any adult singers who enjoy choral singing to its spring season rehearsals began Feb. 20. The group is singing patriotic music in “A Salute to America.”

Rehearsals are from 6:45 to 8:45 p.m. Tuesday evenings at Oakwood United Methodist Church, 400 NE 56th St., in Pleasant Hill. The concert is at 3 p.m. Sunday, April 28. There are no fees to join or auditions. The chorus welcomes new members.

For more information visit www.heartlandsingers. org or the Facebook page.

FCS

returns an estimated $10.3M in cash-back dividends to counties, including Jasper and Marion

Farmers and ranchers in Jasper, Marion, Polk, Poweshiek and Warren counties will be receiving an estimated $10.3 million in cash-back dividends returned by Farm Credit Services of America (FCSAmerica) as part of the financial cooperative’s patronage program. Eligible customer-owners will be issued cash-back dividend checks the last week of January.

“No other lender can say it has shared its financial success with customers in such a tangible and meaningful way,” says Jim Knuth, FCSAmerica senior vice president of business development in Iowa. “Cash-back dividends effectively reduce our cost of borrowing. But there also is an exponential impact to putting money into the pockets of farmers and ranchers to invest in their operations, families and rural communities.”

2024 County-Level Cash-Back Dividends Distribution

This year’s cash-back dividend is equal to 100 basis points — or a return of 1% of a customer’s eligible average daily loan balance with FCSAmerica. The 2024 pay-

out equates to the following county-level distributions:*

• $2.0 million in Jasper County.

• $1.1 million in Marion County.

• $4.0 million in Polk County

• $2.6 million in Poweshiek County.

• $628,000 in Warren County.

*Amounts are rounded.

Payout data for every county in Iowa is available on the interactive 2024 Cash-Back Dividends Distribution Map.

The Board of Directors for FCSAmerica has also approved a cash-back dividend to be paid from the cooperative’s 2024 net earnings, the amount of which will be determined in December. Since 2004, FCSAmerica has offered a patronage program and shared its success in the form of cash-back dividends. The cooperative has now returned more than $1.3 billion to farmers, ranchers and agribusinesses in Iowa.

Naig encourages applications for Century and Heritage Farm recognition

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig encourages eligible Iowa farm owners to apply for Century or Heritage Farm recognition as part of the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s Century and Heritage Farm Program. The program was created by the Department and the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation to honor families who have owned their farms for 100 years and 150 years, respectively. To be included for recognition in 2024, completed applications

must be postmarked or received by the Department by June 1. The ceremonies honoring the 2024 Century and Heritage Farm families will be held on Aug. 15 in the historic Livestock Pavilion at the Iowa State Fair.

“Century and Heritage Farm families represent the very best of our state and are remarkable examples of the ingenuity, strength and resilience of Iowa agriculture,” Naig said. “You can’t help but be inspired by the pride, stories and legacies of these

multi-generational farm families and that makes Century and Heritage Farm Day at the Iowa State Fair one of my favorite days of the year.”

To apply, download and complete the application found on the Department’s website and return it to:

Century and Heritage Farm Program, c/o Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Wallace State Office Building, 502 E. Ninth St., Des Moines, IA 50319.

You may also request an application from Kel-

ley Reece, coordinator of the Century and Heritage Farm Program, at 515-281-3645 or kelley. reece@iowaagriculture. gov. This is the 48th year of the Century Farm Program, which started in 1976 as part of the Nation’s Bicentennial Celebration. To date, more than 21,000 farms from across the state have received this distinction. This is the 18th year of the Heritage Farm Program and more than 1,800 farms have been recognized since this program began in 2006.

Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program

IMPACT Community Action Partnership continues to accept applications for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) through April 30. Families in Boone, Jasper, Marion, Polk or Warren counties interested in applying for LIHEAP should call 515-518-4770 to schedule an appointment by phone, by a home visit, or on site at an IMPACT location. Households may request an application to be mailed to them or visit www.impactcap.org/energyassistance to apply online.

Applicants will need to furnish some form of identification, a copy of their most recent heating and electric bill, social security or I-94 cards, and proof of gross income for all household members for the past 30 days, the most recent 12

months or for the past calendar year. Approved LIHEAP applicants may be eligible for assistance with non-working furnace emergencies. This assistance is based on household income and size, dwelling and fuel type and other factors. Eligibility income maximums for participation is established according to the following Fiscal Year 2024 – Federal Income Poverty Guidelines: Household Size Annual Gross Income* **

*For households with more than eight members, add $10,280 for each additional member.

**All income will be annualized. Income will be collected for a 30day period.

The program is funded by the Department of Health and Human Services through the Iowa Department of Human Rights/DCAA, and has been established to help qualifying low-income Iowa homeowners and renters pay for a portion of their primary heating costs. This program is not designed to pay a household’s total energy cost. The program will provide supplemental assistance based on several factors. Those factors include total household income, household size, dwelling type and type of heating fuel, among others.

Explorer PCM

Meals

service made available to the entire Monroe community. The funds provided by the city are not to be used for utilities including water, sewer, phone, internet, electricity, natural gas, trash personal property damage, bodily injury or any other suit that might result from an injury against The Gathering Place.

After a year, the city will reassess the agreement. If the agreement is changed, extended or terminated, all parties will need to give 30 days notice.

Previously, the county agreed to fund the congregate meals at The Gathering Place at $400 per month. It was an increase from $200 per month and was justified as long as attendance is high enough at the location.

Van Manen told the board of supervisors she would monitor the amount of attendees until June to determine if the meal site is a wise investment, a sentiment that pleased the fiscally con-

servative supervisors.

“I do have about 15 people who have indicated they will come,” she said. “They filled out the application. But filling out the application doesn’t get them in the door. They got a lot of great things going there. It’s a beautiful site. I really want us to try a program there. They have volunteers running programs.”

Having the volunteers run the program would alleviate time county staff would put in at the space. She hopes to update the supervisors mid-year on the progress at the Monroe meal site.

“If we end up with the same four, then we haven’t gained anything,” she said. “Or if all of a sudden they’re wanting more from us and my staff and I need to provide more staff and my expenses go up. I have to weigh that. I want to be financially responsible. Big picture, $200 extra a month is small but it does add up.”

The funds from the City of Monroe begin March 1 and run through Feb. 18, 2025. For more information about congregate meals in Monroe, contact Van Manen at 641-792-7102.

to serve and lead our people in that service. That’s the part I really enjoy about the job,” said Cross, who has served in law enforcement for nine years, starting at the sheriff’s office in 2017.

Prior to becoming a police officer for Baxter in 2015, Cross worked as a tradesman. It is a profession that, he said, has helped him form better relationships with people as an officer of the law. Keeping good connections with the community is important, because that is who runs the office, Cross said.

“The citizens dictate how we run our office,” he said. “So when there is an issue out there, that’s something we have to deal with. If they’re asking for more things, that’s something we have to look at also … I have to look out for the mental health of our people. We deal with a lot of the mental health in the state.”

Cross referenced recent headlines that say Iowa ranks last in the nation for number of available state psychiatric beds.

“Unfortunately, those beds turn into jail cells. So what happens is those people come into jail and then our people have to deal with them, and that’s really fair to either of them. And I have to take care of our people’s mental health also,” Cross said, noting a number of Jasper County citizens are concerned about that, too.

Cross said the county has done a lot to do what it can do to address mental health, but it will likely have to come down to the state to find workable solutions.

When Cross was collecting signatures for his candidacy, the feedback and questions he frequently heard were about retention and drug activity, in addition to mental health. Job retention and workforce shortages are tricky issues. While the sheriff’s office wants new deputies, it’s not going to lower standards.

“We want the right people in dispatch and for the jail. We want the right people on patrol who will serve our citizens to the best of their abilities,” Cross said.

In addressing the drug activity issues, Cross said it requires the sheriff’s office deputies to communicate with citizens. Communities

are the agency’s biggest resources when it comes to thwarting drug activity, or any illegal activity. They don’t want it in their towns just as much as the sheriff’s office, he said.

Cross commended the sheriff’s office staff, who he called “servant minded” and that want to go out and help their community.

It’s a sentiment Cross connects with personally.

“From the jail to dispatch to patrol and the EMS program, we do everything we can to be out there and be proactive with the numbers we got,” he said. “We’re always a little short-handed it seems like, and that’s a struggle for us, so I would really like for us to see more cars out there. But that comes down to budgets.”

Cross would also like to see the sheriff’s office add more layers to the law enforcement side, like finding grant opportunities to assign more school resource officers to area schools besides the Lynnville-Sully school district, which already has a deputy on-site for students and teachers.

“If we can add a few more, I think that would help us tremendously and help with our drug problem also,” he said.

leadership roles on the Jasper County Farm Bureau Board for the past 20 years.

“While at (Principal Financial Group) I learned that I possess a skill in my ability to communicate with other people,” Nearmyer said. “It’s all about being open and listening to people. I know that I don’t have all the answers to every question, but I will find the correct person who does have the answer.”

Born and raised in Jasper County, Nearmyer and his wife Jodi live on a third generation family farm two miles north of Monroe. He and his brother Todd custom feed hogs and have a cow-calf operation.

Under his leadership, the Jasper County Republican Party has continued to grow. Not only are voter registrations growing to record numbers, he said the party is successfully electing Republicans to office in a way that has not been achieved in decades.

In 2018, outgoing supervisor and Democrat Joe Brock did not seek re-election, leading to newcomer Brandon Talsma being elected and the party securing a fully Republican-controlled board. That same year Zach Nunn was elected to the Iowa Senate. Years later, Jon Dunwell was elected to the Iowa House.

Jamee A. Pierson/PCM Explorer

Jasper County Eldery Nutrition is looking to have congregate meals for the City of Monroe at The Gathering Place Community Center.

10 3:30pm Open Gym at MS 11 SPRING BREAKNO SCHOOL 8am Coffee & Devotions with Pastor Ann at TGP 11:30am Congregate Meals at TGP 2-4pm Singalong or Walk with Jacque Phillips at TGP 7pm PC Fire Dept, PC City Hall

12 SPRING BREAKNO SCHOOL 9:30am Jasper County Board of Supervisors, Jasper County Courthouse 11:30am Congregate Meals at TGP 6pm Mon American Legion 6:30pm Kiwanis, Mon City Hall

13 SPRING BREAKNO SCHOOL Monroe Trash & Recycling Day PC Trash 11:30am Congregate Meals at TGP 1pm “Get Fit, Move More!” with Amy S. at TGP 6pm PC City Council, City Hall

14 SPRING BREAK NO SCHOOL 10am Patty Richards Music Show at TGP 11:30am Congregate Meals at TGP 6:30pm Bingo at PC Community Building

15 SPRING BREAKNO SCHOOL 11:30am Congregate Meals at TGP

3 2pm The Nifty Fifties Musical at MS 3:30pm Open Gym at MS 4 90-minute late start for school 8am Coffee & Devotions with Pastor Ann at TGP 11:30am Congregate Meals at TGP 7pm PC Fire Dept, PC City Hall Monroe City Council 2pm V, B TR at UNI Dome 6pm Science of Rea d ing Family Literacy Night at MS 5 9:30am Jasper County Board of Supervisors, Jasper County Courthouse 11:30am Congregate Meals at TGP Kiwanis, Mon City Hall 2pm V, G TR at UNI Dome 6 Monroe Trash PC Trash 11:30am Congregate Meals at TGP 1pm “Get Fit, Move More!” with Amy S. at TGP 6pm Bingo at TGP 6:30pm Monroe Fire Meeting, Mon Fire Station 7pm Activities Boosters at MS 7 11:30am Congregate Meals at TGP 3:15pm V, B TR at IATC Indoor Championships 2A in Ames 6pm 5th-12th Vocal Music Pops Concert at HS 8 NO SCHOOL 11:30am Congregate Meals at TGP 1:30pm UMW 2pm Piano with Jacque Robinson at TGP 9am V, G TR at IATC Indoor Championships 2A in Ames 9 8am State Individual Speech Events at Xavier HS

Email news@pcmexplorer.com with your calendar item 1 2pm Singalong or Walk with Jacque Phillips at TGP 7pm The Nifty Fifties Musical at MS 2 7pm The Nifty Fifties Musical at MS

President: Hope Buckley-Bonham Vice

Treasurer: Carter Dudley Sentinel: Johnathan Swan Student Advisor: Ajla Alicic Advisors: Jenny

are hosting a Sheep and Goat show at the Jasper County Fairgrounds Upcoming events:

• Had 18 students volunteer at the Animal Learning Center at the Iowa State Fair

• 9 Students were Grandstand Usher and Stage Attendants at the Iowa State Fair

• Back To School BBQ with our Alumni

• Pumpkin Carving

• National Convention (Had 11 students be able to attend this year)

• Sold $27k in Fruit Sales Some events we have done at the chapter level this year:

• We had 1 member (who won the Iowa FFA Talent show) represent our chapter in the National FFA talent show and place in the top 10.

• We had 1 member place 3rd Nationally with his Agriscience Fair project

• Feed the Farmers (We were able to feed about 60 farmers this year)

• Packed 12 shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child

WRESTLING

PCM’s Wheeler brings back state hardware

DES MOINES — PCM

sophomore Tucker Wheeler was ranked in the top six of Class 2A’s 144 pounds for most of the season.

So when other grapplers in Wheeler’s bracket at the state wrestling tournament saw him listed as the 12th seed, they most likely were not happy about it.

Two of those state-ranked wrestlers found out the hard way as Wheeler won his first three matches of the tournament to advance to the state semifinals and then collected his first state medal on Feb. 17 after finishing in fourth place.

“The seeds we are using for the state tournaments work for a few brackets, but they didn’t work for most brackets,” PCM head wrestling coach Jeff Nicholson said. “Tucker just had tougher matches quicker in the tournament, but he always knew he could win those matches. At some point you have to wrestle those guys anyway.”

Wheeler was the only medalist for the Mustangs. Senior Hewitt Brinegar won three matches at 150, sophomore Kaliber Fry was 2-2 at 113 and Remington Fry lost both of his matches at 138.

Wheeler opened with a win by fall over Connor Christopher of Eagle Grove.

He led Christopher (40-16) 9-2 after the first period following three takedowns and three near fall points. The lead got to 12-2 before Wheeler earned the pin with 39 seconds into the second.

That set up a second-round matchup with fifth-ranked Austin Evans of Creston.

Evans (43-7) defeated Wheeler by a narrow decision at districts and led the Mustang sophomore 5-0 in the rematch. But Wheeler scored a late takedown in the second to close the gap to 5-3 and then rallied for a 6-5 win after collecting a takedown along the edge of the mat in the third period. Evans finished seventh in the tournament.

“My mindset is to keep working hard, always keep going, always scoring in your next po -

sition and trusting that the hard work I put in will be enough,” Wheeler said. “According to my seed, it’s a pretty big win. But I can’t do anything about my seed.”

Sixth-ranked Wheeler (50-6) registered an even bigger win in the quarterfinals. He trailed

third-ranked Jackson Jaspers of Mount Vernon 2-0 early before rallying to win 4-3. The match was scoreless after one period, but Jaspers (396) took a 2-0 lead on a reversal in the second. Wheeler got an escape point to close the gap and got in on a shot late in the

second but couldn’t finish.

In the third, Wheeler tied things up with an escape and then scored the winning takedown with 45 seconds to go.

“There was a gameplan in place,” Nicholson said about the comeback wins. “Coach Wheeler and Tucker had a good game plan that he did follow. The biggest thing is to keep the pace high. It’s going to be rare that anyone matches his pace. So eventually, if you do that, something is going to open up.”

Wheeler faced top-ranked Anders Kittleson of Osage in the semifinals and lost by fall in the second period. He trailed Kittleson (44-0) 6-2 in the first before losing in the second. Kittleson went on to win the state title.

Wheeler advanced to the third-place match following a first-period pin against 10thranked Carter Lamont of Vinton-Shellsburg. Wheeler led Lamont (31-12) 2-1 at the time of the pin.

“He knew how hard it was from last year. Every single match down here is tough,” Nicholson said. “Nothing is easy

down here. He battled for every round, too.”

The third-place bout was a rematch against Jaspers. This time, the Mount Vernon standout jumped out to leads of 2-0 and 5-1 before Wheeler rallied to tie the score.

Wheeler’s takedown with 10 seconds to go in the second made it 5-4 and an escape in the third tied the match at 5-all.

Jaspers edged Wheeler 7-5 after scoring the winning takedown with 36 seconds to go in the match.

“I thought it was a tough matchup coming in because it’s tough to beat a kid that good again,” Nicholson said. “It would have been nice to face someone new, but when you get this far in the tournament, you face the best and you don’t get to choose your opponent.

“That third-place match was back and forth and the kid got a late takedown on the edge. It was a great job by that kid, but that match could go either way every time they wrestle.”

WRESTLING • 8

PCM ends season with loss to Des Moines Christian

Troy Hyde thyde@shawmedia.com

URBANDALE — The PCM boys basketball team played right with Des Moines Christian in the second and fourth quarters of their Class 2A District 14 semifinal contest on Feb. 15. Unfortunately, the Mustangs couldn’t overcome slow starts out of the locker room during a 73-53 loss to the host Lions.

Des Moines Christian led 13-6 after one quarter and outscored the Mustangs 24-13 in the third.

The Lions won the other two frames by two points.

The game featured 48 turnovers, 35 free throws and 10 made 3-pointers.

PCM shot 44.4 percent from the floor, made 5-of-14 from 3 and connected on 8-of-14 from the free-throw line. The Mustangs (10-13) committed 25 turnovers. Gavin Van Gorp led PCM with 16 points, four rebounds and two steals and Jacob Wendt added 12 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals.

Jack Jungling chipped in nine points and seven boards, Gavin Steenhoek scored four

points and Kaleb DeVries dished out five assists. Jacob Elrod led the reserves with five points and two boards, while Carson VandeLune and Shay Burns each put in three points. Sean Tunks led four Lions in double figures with 20 points.

Seaton Ingram scored 19 points, Tate Platte had 17 points, four rebounds, three assists and five steals and Max Town tallied 11 points and nine boards.

Des Moines Christian (16-4) shot 53 percent from the floor, made 5-of-14 from 3 and buried 18-of-21 from the foul line.

The Lions committed 23 turnovers.

PCM 61, Ogden 49 OGDEN — A large advantage in the third was all PCM needed to advance in the postseason on Feb. 12. The fifth-seeded Mustangs scored a minor upset over fourth-seeded Ogden after posting 27 points in the third and a dominant effort on the boards.

Wendt registered a double-double to lead PCM to a 6149 road win during 2A District 14 action. Ogden led PCM 8-7 after

one, but the Mustangs won the second 13-10 and dominated the third 27-13. The Bulldogs won the fourth 18-14.

Van Gorp finished with 18 points, eight rebounds, two assists and four steals and Wendt tallied 12 points, 18 rebounds, four assists and two steals to lead the Mustangs.

PCM also got a career-best 10 points from Steenhoek and DeVries added six points, three rebounds, four assists and three steals.

VandeLune put in six points, Alex Wendt had five points and three boards off the bench and Jungling grabbed eight rebounds and blocked two shots.

The Mustangs shot 40 percent from the floor despite making only 4-of-18 from 3. They were 11-of-16 from the foul line and out-rebounded the Bulldogs 41-24.

Carson Van Sickle led Ogden (9-13) with 11 points, five rebounds, six assists and four steals. Quentin Hoskins tallied 12 points and seven boards. The Bulldogs shot 38 percent from the floor, made 4-of21 from 3 and missed 12 free throws.

Troy Hyde/PCM Explorer

PCM senior Easton Webb (21) buries a jumper in the first quarter during a game earlier this season.

Troy Hyde/PCM Explorer

PCM sophomore Tucker Wheeler, left, scores a two-point takedown at the state wrestling tournament at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines. Wheeler finished fourth at 144 pounds after winning four matches in the tournament.

Troy Hyde/PCM Explorer

PCM senior Hewitt Brinegar, right, won three matches in his first state wrestling tournament this past weekend.

Mustangs can’t solve ninth-ranked Monticello in season-ending loss

thyde@shawmedia.com

MONTICELLO — A slow start and a tough shooting night plagued the PCM girls basketball team during its Class 3A Region 8 semifinal game on Feb. 14.

The Mustangs trailed by 19 after one quarter and made only one 3-pointer in their 60-22 road loss to 3A No. 9 Monticello.

The season-ending loss saw PCM shoot 20 percent from the floor and commit 20 turnovers.

Monticello led 22-3 after one quarter and had a 19-7 advantage in the third and a 12-3 surplus in the fourth. The Mustangs won the second 9-7.

Tori Lindsay led the Mustangs with six points, three rebounds, two assists and four steals and Addison Steenhoek totaled a team-best 11 points with three rebounds.

Rebecca De Vries scored five points and grabbed three boards, Jorja Teeter corralled six rebounds and Lila Milani and Kyra Naeve each pulled down two rebounds. Elle Davis swiped two steals.

The Mustangs (15-7) shot 1-of14 from 3 and made 5-of-7 from the free-throw line. Monticello was 8-of-19 from 3 and 4-of-8 from the

foul line.

The Panthers, who were eliminated by Benton Community in the regional final, shot 44 percent from the floor and out-rebounded PCM

Ryan wound up fourth in the weight class.

15

and

a game-high 17 points.

Kaliber Fry

Brinegar, who finished the season ranked 11th at 150, opened his tournament with a 10-4 win over Decorah’s Kollin Henry.

Brinegar led Henry 2-0 after the first period, but Henry (2318) tied it up with a reversal. Brinegar took the lead with an escape and then extended the margin to 5-2 after a collecting a takedown with 20 seconds left in the period.

Henry eventually trimmed his deficit but never got closer than 10-4 the rest of the way.

After losing 8-0 to 10thranked Dirk Boyles (39-7) of Burlington Notre Dame, Brinegar rebounded to pin both Tristan Sinnard (29-16) of Knoxville and Hayden Schafer (28-10) of Eagle Grove.

“This one feels good, moving on to tomorrow is always the goal,” Brinegar said. “It was hard to come back after a loss, and it makes you nervous that you could be done. It’s intense and the thought of losing and going home is scary.

“I just blocked everything out and focused on my coaches. I’m not really worried about anything else.”

Brinegar (48-7) was eventually eliminated by fifth-ranked Mikey Ryan of Mount Vernon. Ryan (44-4) led 4-1 after one and 6-1 after two before going in front 8-2.

Brinegar got an escape point before a takedown late to close the gap, but he lost 8-5.

Boyles finished eighth and

“This was his final push and he really worked hard at getting on his offense more,” Nicholson said about Brinegar. “It’s a razor thin edge of the guys who don’t make the podium and the guys who make the finals.”

Kaliber Fry (38-16) opened his tournament with a win by fall over Cole Bomgaars of Boyden-Hull/Rock Valley. Fry put Bomgaars (26-14) on his back almost immediately after scoring the first takedown of the match.

The Mustang sophomore survived an elimination match against Audubon’s Lane Elmquist. He won 15-2 over Elmquist (23-13) before being eliminated by sixth-ranked Evan Erpenbach (37-5) of West Lyon in a consolation match.

Kaliber Fry’s other loss came against fifth-ranked Carter West of Burlington Notre Dame. He trailed West (43-2) 8-0 after one period and fell behind 14-2 after two. West finished third in the tournament.

“We expect big things out of Kaliber next year,” Nicholson said. “He made some big strides at the end of this year that we are proud of.

“He bought in a little more, made some corrections to a few things, and he beat some really good kids in all classes.

Remington Fry (33-19) had a tough draw as he went 0-2 at 138. He lost by fall to No. 8 Cael Nelson (34-5) of Carroll and was eliminated, 2-1, by No. 9 Jax Miller (33-11) of West Delaware.

“It was pretty neat to get him down here,” Nicholson said.

“He

41-25. Jayden Kuper led Monticello (20-4) with

points

22 rebounds and Kennedy Hermsen scored

Troy Hyde

Troy Hyde/PCM Explorer

PCM sophomore Jorja Teeter grabbed six rebounds in the Mustangs’ season-ending loss to No. 9 Monticello on Feb. 14.

Notes: Nicholson said Remington Fry plans to wrestle at Central College next season.

Troy Hyde/ PCM Explorer

Top: PCM sophomore Kaliber Fry, top, finished 2-2 in his four matches at the state wrestling tournament this past weekend. Left: PCM senior Remington Fry competes in the state wrestling tournament inside Wells Fargo Arena. Fry was 0-2 at 138 pounds.

Explorer PCM

Fixing Biden’s FAFSA fiasco

It’s often said that your own education is one of the best investments you can make. For many students, that investment looks like heading off to college. Even as the cost of higher education skyrockets, students continue to convene on campuses around the country each fall because they recognize hard work and dedication can unlock opportunities and brighter futures.

Because of that mindset, higher education has become woven into what it means to pursue the American Dream, and going to college is a goal for many teens and young adults across the nation. But for farm kids from rural areas, that dream is often burdened by financial barriers.

Many of our farm families, especially those right here in Iowa, hold their

YOUR VIEW

A singing mandate

House Study Bill 587 has been introduced in the Iowa legislature mandating singing the national anthem in school. I look on this with particular horror, in that long ago, as I reached adulthood, I vowed I would never do two things ever again. I have kept that vow. The two things are going on rides, such as Adventureland or the state fair, and singing. I don’t sing and the idea of being required to sing everyday before class gives me the chills.

But I am willing to look at this proposal rationally. The idea, apparently, is to increase patriotism in our children. All good and well, but it would seem to me that what we first need to do is to quantify the amount of patriotism in our student body as it currently exists. I don’t think it fair that an assumption be made that our students lack patriotism or that they should be required to have more patriotism than they already have. Before we jump the gun and mandate more patriotism I believe we should quantify the amount of existing patriotism and once this is accomplished to set an amount of patriotism needed to fulfill the requirements set out by the legislature.

The question is how to measure the quantity and quality of patriotism currently existing in our student bodies. And do we assume that the quantity or quality of patriotism currently

From Washington, DC

Sen. Joni Ernst

wealth in acres of fertile soil, tractors, and combines. The cash needed to fund their kids’ college dreams, on the other hand, is often a scarce commodity in today’s economy.

And that, folks, is the paradox of land ownership – many farm families find themselves asset-rich but cashpoor when their money is tied up in land and equipment. This leaves little room in a tight budget to cover ever-increasing tuition fees. Scholarships and financial aid are absolutely crucial for these rural students.

One of the biggest chances for college hopefuls to get that support comes from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, often referred to as FAFSA. I’ve long worked to help students from families with small businesses

existing is the same for every community. I would think not. For instance, if the level of patriotism at a particular school is very high, they may not need be made to sing the national anthem every day, but maybe every other day or once a week.

It’s an issue of measurement. How do we measure the level of patriotism existing in a given environment? We could measure degrees of patriotism; or maybe the percentages of patriotism.

Or, we could determine levels of patriotism or the categories of patriotism. There seems to be various ways that patriotism could be measured and analyzed. Maybe an algorithm could be developed for purposes of measurement.

Of course, any measurement would necessarily entail some sort of questionnaire to be distributed to the student body for purposes of obtaining the data necessary for measurement and then for remedial efforts. Actually, it all seems pretty complicated. Maybe we should give this idea some thought before rushing to pass legislation requiring a whole lot of singing. I certainly don’t want to force singing on anyone who doesn’t like to sing — patriotic or not. I for one would not be inclined to acquire more patriotism if I had to sing for it.

Richard

E. H. Phelps II

Mingo

and farms get more access to these funds by introducing several different pieces of legislation.

In the past few months, however, this issue has grown more urgent.

In 2020, Congress signed the FAFSA Simplification Act into law to make financial aid more accessible for all students by streamlining the application process and adjusting the calculation for the student’s expected family contribution. Unfortunately, despite having three years to prepare for the updated FAFSA rollout, President Biden’s Department of Education botched the introduction of the new form. Perhaps the president was more focused on socialist schemes and taxpayer-funded handouts that forced millions of hardworking Americans to pay student loans they never took on.

Biden’s new form was released three months late, drastically condensing the timeline families will have to submit for aid. The new FAFSA formula was also supposed to improve farm

families’ eligibility for aid, but in reality, it could cause some families’ expected contributions to skyrocket by more than five times!

As a farm kid myself and a recipient of a Pell Grant, this is personal. That’s why I’m demanding an investigation into the Department of Education’s failed implementation of this new process. If you’re a student or parent struggling to navigate this new system, don’t hesitate to reach out to my office for assistance. You can also access a helpful fact sheet Sen. Grassley and I developed by clicking here or visiting my website Ernst.senate.gov.

I understand the important role federal aid plays in helping students access a college education and will continue pushing the Biden admin to fix their FAFSA fiasco. No one should have to sell the farm to afford college. Joni Ernst, a native of Red Oak and a combat veteran, represents Iowa in the United States Senate.

How did we come to this?

It’s been an eventful week. We watched what was possibly the most exciting Super Bowl in history, only to be rudely brought back to reality when, during the celebratory parade in Kansas City, armed gunmen opened fire, killing at least one and injuring over a dozen others. We hear it said over and over that more guns makes us safer and more free, but I’m not so convinced. I don’t fault anyone for wanting to be able to protect themselves and their families, but how can we believe we are safe and free when we can’t go out in public without the nagging fear that someone with malice in their heart can so easily get hold of one of the 400 million guns in this country and use it against us or our families and there seems to be nothing anyone can do to stop them? How can we

say we are free when we cannot go to any public gathering, or school, or building, without running a gauntlet of security checks and body searches to make sure we aren’t carrying any weapons that could be used to commit the next mass shooting?

We have a right to own guns. That is enshrined in the Constitution. But don’t we also have a right to not be afraid of going to church, or school or shopping, or a parade without being a victim of gun violence? And don’t we have a right to enter buildings and public gatherings without being treated as potential suspects?

I don’t know the answers and evidently, our elected officials don’t either. I can just be more cautious and aware and suspicious of my surroundings. Even though that doesn’t seem like a very safe and free way to live in America. How did we come to this?

John Moore Newton

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