PCM-09-26-2024 by Shaw Media

Local People. Local Stories.

Explorer PCM

Homecoming royalty

The search is on

Community stakeholder survey available as PCM starts looking for a new superintendent

By Jamee A. Pierson

The search is underway for a new superintendent for the PCM Community School District. A survey is now available for stakeholders to give opinions on what is needed and wanted in a superintendent for the district.

“Your feedback regarding what ‘desired qualifications are most important for this position will ensure

the new hire is a good fit for both the school district and community,” Interim PCM Superintendent Art Sathoff said. “The search team will produce a general report based on the information gathered in this survey. The report will be shared with the board to advise them on what priorities the district and community stakeholders are looking for in a new leader.”

The survey is available at https:// docs.google.com/forms/d/e/

1FAIpQLSffhJIUSNG0ukAJ-baDAKSN7Z8IgL57gsrmfconpKaCB2kjYQ/viewform or to request a paper copy contact Sathoff at asathoff@pcmschools.org or board secretary Becky Vasseau at bvasseau@pcmschools.org.

To begin, the survey asks participants to identify which group they best fit into from options including student, support staff, teacher,

SUPERINTENDENT | 3

Steep embankment slopes to be fixed for Neal Smith road project

Supervisors approve $15K supplemental agreement for proposed stabilization

By Christopher Braunschweig PCM Explorer

Supervisors this past week approved a supplemental agreement for the first phase of the road stabilization project near Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge, which would ultimately add more soil material to fix embankment slopes that Jasper County Engineer Michael Frietsch said were not up to standards.

“We realized we had some embankment slopes that were too steep for meeting clear zone requirements … We needed 10,000 yards of soil material for fixing those embankment slopes out there,” he said. “We identified one borrow area out there that the U.S. Fish & Wildlife would give us about half of what we needed.”

The rest of the soil work would be furnished by a contractor. Frietsch said it helps the county meet requirements. In order to

A look at Jasper County health

Department shares annual report with Board of Health

By Jamee A. Pierson

The 2024 Annual Report for the Jasper County Health Department shared successes and work accomplished throughout the past fiscal year. From more than $162,000 in grant funding to coming in more than $46,000 under budget, the strong but mighty team leading the health department put in the work to help educate and care for Jasper County citizens.

“The vision is healthy residents and communities in Jasper County,” Jasper County Health Department Administrator Becky Pryor said.

Throughout the past year, the department has once again worked to fulfill its purpose of protecting and improving the health of Jasper County. It has worked to connect with patients and those in need through Jasper County Cares, at meetings, with its resource guide, through referrals, social media, the county website, emails and events.

Throughout the past year, the department has done 212 immunizations with 7,236 audits, including at schools. Other areas the department has worked includes emergency preparedness, opioid education, mental health, substance mis-

use, homelessness, transportation, safety wellness, childcare and staffing improvements.

One way the department is connecting with the public is through the resource guide, now available on the county website.

GET YOUR GLOW ON

The resource guide is a detailed list of resources available to Jasper County residents.

“I feel like this is something that has been evolving,” Pryor said. “If someone comes in constantly updating it. We’re

trying to make it as user-friendly as possible. We want it to be the best and everyone has been really great at looking at it.” To get the word out, the department has had 2.5 million impressions whether through social media or traditional media. It is also a member of the Jasper County Cares Coalition — a group that consists of numerous health, human services, nonprofits, law enforcement, health care, schools, etc. that serve Jasper County and aims to strategically address the health, safety and well-being of the community by connecting resources, programs, awareness and advocacy. “We feel like we really do that

HEALTH | 3

Kids light up the night during the PCM Elementary PTO Glow Run Sept. 19

Jamee A. Pierson/PCM Explorer

PCM Homecoming Court 2024: Back Row — Seniors Tate Birkenholtz, Riley Graber, Kaden Clark, Jake Winters and Adrien Robbins. Middle Row — Seniors Stella Stravers, Rebecca DeVries, Addison Shannon, Madeline Burkett and Addison Steenhoek. Front Row — Juniors Charlie Ford and Seriah Nolin, Sophomores Ivan Shannon and Ali Hilsabeck and Freshmen Evan Wendt and Libby Winters.

Christopher Braunschweig/PCM Explorer Jasper County will be using more than $2.27 million in federal funds to stabilize roads leading to the Neal Smith Wildlife Refuge.

Jamee A. Pierson/PCM Explorer

A packed room took part in a town hall meeting for the Jasper County Health Department Sept. 10. The input gathered will be used to create a Targeted Health Improvement Plan that addresses gaps and utilizes existing strengths.

PCM Explorer

Jamee A. Pierson/PCM Explorer

Explorer PCM

Obituaries Worth Mentioning

Send

event to news@pcmexplorer.com

Events at The Gathering Place

Thursday, Sept. 26

• 4:30pm CATER 2U2 Fundraiser

Monday, Sept. 30

• 8am Coffee & Prayer with Pastor Ann

• 10am Video Exercise Class

Tuesday, Oct. 1

• 2pm GAME TIME

Wednesday, Oct. 2

• 1pm “Get Fit, Move More!” with Amy S.

Lion’s pancake breakfast Sept. 28

The Prairie City Lions Club will host a pancake breakfast from 7 to 9 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 28 at the Prairie City Community Building. Menu includes pancakes, sausage, scrambled eggs and drink. The proceeds from the freewill donation are used for many projects within the community.

Monroe Citywide Garage Sales

Monroe Citywide Garage Sales are Saturday, Sept. 28. Registration forms can be found at the post office, Monroe Foods, city hall or online at www.monroeia. 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.

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.

GriefShare at FRC

First Reformed Church in Prairie City will host GriefShare each Wednesday for those who have experienced the death of a loved one and are looking for support, healing and hope. For more information contact Mary Lemmert, 515-205-0835 or at hope2you@aol.com.

Quilt of Valor presentation Oct. 6

Monroe Honor Guild will recognize 25 veterans from the Monroe and Reasnor areas with a Quilt of Valor presentation Sunday, Oct. 6 in Town Square Park. The event will begin with an 11 a.m. church service. A family lunch will the be held at 12:15 p.m. at the American Legion followed by the 1:15 p.m. quilt presentation. All are invited.

In the event of rain, the church service will be at the Monroe United Methodist Church and lunch and presentation will be at the Monroe American Legion

Good News Club returns

Good News Club for K-5th grade, begins after school Monday, Oct. 7 and is the first and third Monday through December at the Monroe Elementary Art Room and Prairie City Elementary Gym. Activities include games, songs, bible lessons and snacks. For more information contact Sheryl Plate at 641-521-3120 or Jane McConeghey at 641891-2733.

Julie Ann Van Winkle

Sept. 16, 2024

roe, Iowa 50170. Memorials may be directed to the Monroe Fire Department and condolences may be left for the family at www.coburnfuneralhomes.com

Julie Ann Van Winkle, 59, of Monroe, Iowa died Monday September 16, 2024 at her home. A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, September 21, 2024, from 1:00 - 3:00 pm at Dop’s Shop, 101 E South Street, Mon-

Julie was born September 19, 1964, in Galesburg, Illinois. She had two loving parents Mary and Ronald Sholl Sr. growing up. Julie attended Elementary-High School in Galesburg. She spent many years of her life working in the restaurant and bar industries. Julie met her husband Lonny Van Winkle in early

ITC Midwest conducting aerial patrols of transmission lines

ITC Midwest will be conducting aerial patrols of high-voltage transmission structures and lines throughout its service territory from approximately Sept. 23 – Oct. 1, weather permitting. Helicopter patrols provide an overall status of the overhead transmission system owned and operated by ITC Midwest.

The flights take place across the following areas of the ITC Midwest service territory including Appanoose, Cedar, Clinton, Davis, Des Moines, Jasper, Jefferson, Johnson, Jones, Henry, Lee, Lucas, Mahaska, Monroe, Poweshiek and Wapello.

The flights will be conducted in the Ames, Ankeny, Boone, Cedar Rapids, Dysart, Gladbrook, Iowa Falls, Marengo, Marion, Marshalltown, Newton, Palo, Perry, Vinton and Williamsburg areas. Iowa counties in the aerial patrol areas include Adair, Benton, Boone, Cass, Dallas, Franklin, Greene, Grundy, Guthrie, Hardin, Iowa, Jasper, Linn, Marshall, Polk, Story and Tama.

These patrols are a North American Electrical Reliability Corporation (NERC) requirement for ITC Midwest’s vegetation management program, support proactive maintenance objectives, and align with the company’s model for operational excellence.

The flights will include the inspection of vegetation in the vicinity of transmission structures, wood poles, conductors (wires), insulators and other equipment. The inspection flights are often conducted at low altitudes to facilitate accurate visual inspection of vegetation hazards. This is normal procedure, so there is no cause for alarm if a low-flying helicopter is sighted near transmission lines during the time frame listed above.

2000 and married him May 1, 2010 in Monroe, Iowa. Julie had many hobbies in her life. She loved crafting with her mom and daughters. She also enjoyed shopping on the Home Shopping Network (A LOT). Julie spent a lot of her life collecting jewelry, gems, and various rocks. When she was bored she enjoyed playing card games with people, or playing games on her tablet.

Those left to honor

Julie are her loving husband, Lonny Van Winkle. Four daughters, Jennifer (Tom) Rinehart, Joni

(Daniel) Wood, Jessical (Jason) Dop and Leanna (Justin) Rasmusson; 12 grandchildren: Kaden, Lacey, Virgil, Lilly, Turnner, Taylor, Trenton, Theodore, Jake (Lily), Chloe, Tessa, Carter, and a great granddaughter, Everly. Also surviving are her brothers, Eric Sholl and Ronald Sholl Jr. ; a brother in-law, Kevin (Kristine) Van Winkle; sister in-law, Amber (Dan) Nickelson; a niece and nephews: Jacob, Trent, and Kate. Proceeding her in death were her parents, in-laws, grandparents, and many aunts and uncles.

Identifying harmful products before they go down the drain

Fall is a great time for one in four Iowans to take a few simple steps to protect their pocket books, their septic systems and Iowa’s waters.

Septic failures are most likely to occur when they’re neglected, and failures are costly. Routine inspections and maintenance may reduce those future costs.

In addition to routine maintenance, Iowans can help by examining their own septic habits. Identifying harmful products before they go down the drain will lead to improved water quality, better health, and save homeowners money and a lot of heartache.

“Everything we put down the drain has an impact on our septic system’s health,” Cory Frank, the Iowa DNR On-site Wastewater Coordinator, said. “Dishwasher pods, liquid drain cleaners, even the type of toilet paper you use can cause significant damage to your system and the environment, and potentially cost you thousands of dollars.”

The EPA offers six simple tips to keep your system performing optimally:

Don’t Strain your Drain — use water efficiently and stagger washing, dishwashing and other high water uses.

Think at the Sink — avoid pouring fats, solids and harsh chemicals down the drain.

Don’t Overload the Commode — flush only toilet paper, not tissues, wipes, paper towels, pet litter or any other trash.

Shield your Field — no parking and no tree planting keeps septic fields functioning.

Pump your Tank — follow your professional’s recommendations.

Protect it and Inspect it — service the system every one to three years.

You can find additional information on septic system operations, maintenance, and water quality resources at iowadnr.gov/septic and also on the SepticSmart website.

Shaw Media File Photo

get the borrow site ready to go, the county needed to incur additional services with Snyder & Associates for environmental screening and additional temporary easement work.

Altogether, the extra work will cost the county $15,000 and be paid for using farm-tomarket money. Frietsch said the funding stream is healthy and will go towards the design of the

project. He told supervisors he hopes they are getting closer to getting the stabilization work started, but it is a “painful” process.

“We’re still trying to get through environmental clearances on this,” he said. “…I did speak with U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service about their temporary construction easements, and what I think is going to end up happening is we’re going to do a special use permit or something of that nature instead of temporary easements.”

From what he learned from

administrator, parent/guardian of current student, school board member, community member or other. It goes on to ask what the current strengths or points of pride there are for PCM along with perceived challenges found in the district.

Next, it asks what the three most important professional skills and qualifications the participants hopes to have in a superintendent are. It then lists 19 options including:

• Strong instructional leader (curriculum development, assessment, instruction)

• Effectively manages district resources

• Recruits, hires, supports, develops and retains effective staff members

• Builds community and school relations

• Conveys and models clear expectations

• Effectively works with the school board

at the Jasper County Cares Coalition,” Pryor said. “We’re doing events, social media, celebrate wins and doing gaps of service. We think it is a huge strength. The meetings are unbelievable, we overflow the room.” Pryor also shared a snapshot of where Jasper

County is according to the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services. From life expectancy to access to care and social, economic and environmental factors, it is a look into where Jasper County is compared to the rest of the state. Jasper County makes up a little more than 1 percent of the state’s population at 37,764 people. It has a life expectancy of 79.1 years compared to the

Explorer PCM

federal agencies, it could take up to two years to process temporary easements.

Newton News reported earlier this month about the road stabilization project and its acquisition of more than $2.27 million in federal funds to go towards the multi-phase project. The roads that would be affected lead directly to the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge, providing better access to the facility.

The first phase will stabilize West 129th Street South from Iowa Highway 163 to South

96th Avenue West, and then South 96th Avenue West from West 129th Street South and all the way through. Frietsch said the roads would be stabilized with cement and two layers of otta seal. Frietsch had mentioned the steep embankment slopes earlier this month and that crews would flatten those along that specific corridor. The second phase of the project — from South 102nd Avenue West to the maintenance road, and West 129th Street South to South 102nd Avenue West —

• Ability to evaluate academic programs for effectiveness

• Effectively works with the school administrators

• Models the districts vision, mission and core values

• Promotes a community of care and support for students

• Fosters community for teachers and staff

• Builds professional capacity of school personnel

• Meaningfully engages with families and the community

• Understands equity and cultural responsiveness

• Develop and maintain clear district policies

• Provides the school as a resource for families and the community

• Advocates publicly for school needs

• Uses methods of continuous improvement

• Actively promotes the school district

It goes on to ask what the three most important personal traits or qualities the participants hopes to have in a new superintendent. A list of the 13 selections are:

• Demonstrates collaborative leadership

• Is approachable, accessible and welcoming

state age of 78.7 years.

Currently, the county has a shortage of primary care physicians, which can lead to disparities emerging. There is not a shortage of dental care providers in Jasper County Residents have experienced on average 4.4 poor mental health days per month, the same number as the state. Poor mental health has been associated with smoking, physical inactivity, housing insecurity, food insecurity and insufficient sleep. It can be seen as depression

and anxiety that can affect people’s ability to take part in healthy behaviors.

Like the state, Jasper County has a shortage of mental health care providers.

Of addictive disorders, alcohol is the most commonly misused substance in Iowa and 24.6 percent of adults have reported binge drinking in the county. In 2023, 131 residents received substance use treatment.

In Jasper County, 8.8 percent of people live below the rate of poverty,

will come later. Subsequent phases are anticipated to be more expensive. Frietsch noted when the county received its grant a few years ago it was before prices skyrocketed.

“What we thought we could do with $2 million to $3 million, now you need almost $6 million,” Frietsch said. “So we’re going to have to have a conversation with them after the first phase. But this funding agreement will at least allow us to go ahead and proceed on that first phase and get that first phase done.”

• Has high expectations for themselves and others

• Committed to life-long learning

• Brings out success in others

• Follows through on tasks and responsibilities

• Possess strong communications skills

• Demonstrates ethics and integrity

• Is calm during difficult situations

• Models and maintains work/life balance

• Strong decision-maker

• Models effective use of technology

• Models reflection and growth

Finally, the survey asks why do you believe these qualifications and traits are most important for the PCM Superintendent and what advice would the participant give to the new district superintendent.

The survey is anonymous unless the participant agrees to provide their name. It will be available to the public through Oct. 6.

The timeline the district has set out to hire a new superintendent has a Dec. 1 application deadline, Dec. 9 initial screening interviews and Dec. 19 finalist interviews.

lower than the 11 percent state average. Of household spending, 23.6 percent of the budget is spent on housing compared to the state average of 23 percent; 4.1 percent of households do not have a vehicle in the county. For healthy behaviors, 36.3 percent of adults have an unhealthy body weight, the same average as the state. In Jasper County, 7.4 percent or 2,820 people are experiencing food insecurity. In Iowa, 89 of the 99 counties have areas identified

with low food access. Cancer rates in Jasper County are lower than the state average. Jasper has a 464.8 incidence rate (per 100,000) people compared to the state’s 486.8 average. The county has a high rate of death from cancer at 159.4 people (per 100,000), with the state at a 154.2 average. Cancer screening tests are suggested to detect the disease at an earlier stage, making treatment easier and improving the rates of survival.

Celebrate your new baby in the PCM Explorer! Email birth announcements to: news@pcmexplorer.com

Jasper County Treasurer Doug Bishop would like to remind Jasper County residents that the first half property tax and mobile home taxes are due and need to be paid on or before the end of business Monday September 30th. Tax Payments can be made at the office from 8:00 until 4:30 daily M-F. Credit card and E-check payments can also be made online at www. iowatreasurers.org. Payments mailed and postmarked before September 30th will be accepted without penalty. There is also a convenient drop box for payments located on the East side of the new administration building. If you have any questions, please call the Treasurer’s office at 641-792-7731

Get to Know PCM High School’s New Teachers

Abby Bradbury Staff Writer

We have four new teachers at the PCM High School for the 202425 school year. The new teachers we are welcoming are Brandy Tate, Allison Anukam, Rachel Davis, and Melisa Phifer. Mrs. Tate is a math teacher that teaches algebra 1 and 2, but she used to teach grade 5 at Prairie City Elementary. She reports it wasn’t so easy getting to the place she is now. Transitioning into college, she wanted to major in elementary education and minor in math at Iowa State University, but they told her she couldn’t. She states, “They basically told me no, and I know why; it was because I was a girl.” Iowa State University had to go back and look through her math grades from when she attended Valley High School to prove she could do college-level math. They proved themselves to be wrong and let her minor in math, leading her to where she is now! Transitioning to Ms. Anukam returning! Ms. Anukam teaches special education here at the high school. She is orginally from Oskaloosa and attended Oskaloosa High School. Ms. Anukam did student teaching in both PCM’s middle and elementary schools while she was attending the University of Northern Iowa. She then started working at PCM but shortly left for a while before making her return this year. She states, “Everyone is super helpful; I love seeing some of my old kids I had at the middle school.”

Continuing to Mrs. Davis! She is from Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, and attended Mt. Pleasant High School. She went to Wartburg College. Mrs. Davis teaches English 9, creative writing, classic and contemporary novels, and a DMACC class for communication skills. Mrs. Davis states, “When I was in high school, my 9th grade English teacher was really inspiring... I kind of found a passion for reading and writing.” Mrs. Davis has always had a passion for writing creative stories, ever since she could write. Finishing with Mrs. Phifer! She is from Schnecksville, Pennsylvania, and attended Parkland High School. She went to St. John’s College for her bachelors degree and Temple University for her masters in education. Mrs. Phifer’s dad is from Monroe and moved back here, which encouraged her and her siblings to move here as well. Mrs. Phifer used to substitute teach but now has gone full time. She teaches biology, environmental science, anatomy, and physiology. She states, “I love science and I love the national world, so there is no way I would want to teach anything else.” Students here at the PCM couldn’t be more grateful to see these new and returning smiles in the hallways to help them continue on with their high school educations.

Mustangs Starting With an Impressive Cross Country Season

Annie Ford Staff Writer

The Mustangs ran at Davis County a few weeks ago, taking a win on both the boys and girls sides. One of their latest meets in Oskaloosa was also a good meet for the Mustangs, with girls in third place for overall team scores and boys in sixth. Sophomore, Lila Milani, the top runner for the girls team, said, Oskaloosa was very hilly and our team’s legs were all tired; we weren’t expecting a great meet, but I think everyone put in as much as they could. We did pretty good as a team, and I know individually I was very tired and was going as fast as I could, but it still turned out to be a pretty good race. The girls team for this year consists of no seniors, four juniors, Lexi Fagg, Paitien Rumbaugh, Abi Teeter, and Raegan Vannoy; three sophomores, Ali Hilsabeck, Lila Milani, and Bailey Wheeler; and lastly, three freshmen, Darbey DeRaad, Katelynn Fagg, and Annie Ford. After Oskaloosa, the Mustangs said that they are resting and preparing for their home meet at Gateway Golf Course so they can be ready and have fresh legs. The boy’s team includes freshman Cademon Burkett, Rylan Edgington, Owen Osterhause, and Evan Wednt; sophomores Kolby Clark, Kash Fischer, and Gabe Nessa; juniors Coby DeRaad, Charlie Ford, Zach Richards, and Joe Shaver; and lastly one senior, Wyatt Vannoy. When freshman Owen Osterhause was asked about his first year as a high school runner, he said that he likes his first year as a high school runner, although it can be more stressful running with bigger guys. Owen says he likes the team and the connection that everyone has with supporting one another compared to middle school, when the team was much smaller than his team of thirteen they have rostered this season! The Mustangs will continue their season with a meet for both teams on Monday, September 30, starting at 5:10 p.m.

Marching Mustangs and Their New Look

Skyler Jennings & MaKenna Van Haaften

Staff Writers

The PCM Marching Band, also known as the “Marching Mustangs” got new uniforms! PCM Senior and drum major, Jake Winters interviewed band directior, Timarie Lafoy about the new uni forms and how these new fabalous uniforms came to be. When LaFoy was asked, “What is the process of getting the new band uniforms?” She replied with, ”I reached out to the company that designed our uniforms, DeMOULIN.” Ms. LaFoy started this process last November. She went through their playbook of past uniforms that the band has worn, then picked out a design that she liked the best. She talked to Chris McCurdy this whole time and sent her different sketches of designs, having a conversation back and forth to make sure that these uniforms could be the best of the best. It took them about six sketches to get what LaFoy had been dreaming of. DeMOULIN then sent a sample uniform of what they have made for them so she could take a look at it and decide on what she liked and didn’t. Once she designed her design and got it approved, she had to fit all the marching band kids to make sure they all had the perfect fit. It took the company a few months for them to make them and finally get the uniforms here. After almost a year’s worth of work, their new uniforms came in and look better than ever before!

September Students of the Month

Addison Steenhoek

Parents: Kevin & Tammy Steenhoek Employer: Angie Langrebe Future Plans: Go to an undecided college and major in Marketing Extracurricular Activities: Volleyball, Basketball, Track, Softball, NHS, FCA, Key Club, Student Government Favorite Classes: Math & English Advice for Underclassmen: “Get involved and make memories” Best High School Memory: “T-Ping with my Best Friends” Dream Job: Influencer

Rylee Parsons Staff Writer

Jake Winters

Parents: Sally & Nick Winters

Future Plans: Study Computer Science & Play Men’s Volleyball at an Undecided College

Extracurricular Activities: Volleyball, Basketball, Track, Student Government, NHS, Jazz Band + Choir, Fall Play, & Key Club

Favorite Classes: Pre Calc, Band, & Spanish

Advice for Underclassmen:

“Don’t slack off one bit, it will count in the end.”

Best High School Memory:

“Managing the volleyball team with my friends” Dream Job: CEO of a big company

I love Formula 1. The reason I started to love F1 was because of my younger brother, who loves cars. If you do not know what F1 is, it is the highest class of international motorsport for single-seater drivers. Where they drive up to 200 miles per hour and their pit stops are around 2 seconds. Each team has a sponsor and a budget to build the best car they can to try and win the constructors championship. There are 10 teams, and each team has two drivers who all fight for the drivers championship. The teams are Mclaren, Red Bull Racing, Ferrari, Mercedes, Aston Martin, Red Bull Visa, Haas, Williams, Alpine, and Kick Sauber. The drivers for Mclaren are Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Red Bull´s drivers are Max Verstappen, the current 3-time world champion, and Sergio Perez. Ferrari’s drivers are Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. The drivers for Mercedes are Lewis Hamilton and George Russell. Aston Martin´s drivers are Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll. The drivers for RB Visa are Yuki Tsunoda and Daniel Ricciardo. The drivers for Haas are Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen. Williams´s drivers are Alexander Albon and Franco Colapinto. The drivers for Alpine are Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon. Finally, the drivers for Sauber are Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu. My favorite drivers are George Russell and Charles Leclerc. The first race I ever watched was a race where Russell crashed. I felt so bad for him, and every race after I was always rooting for him, and he slowly became my favorite driver. The reason I started to love Leclerc was because of his backstory. His dad died before he made it to F1, and he told his dad on his deathbed that he made it to F1 and signed with Ferrari. That was a lie at the time, but it soon was not. Shortly after his dad´s death, he signed with Ferrari. Leclerc worked so hard to be where he is today, and that’s why he is my second favorite driver. This season Leclerc won his home race in the city he grew up in, which is Monaco. Leclerc has had the chance before to win there, but every time he would crash before he won, but that was not the case this year. He broke the curse everyone claimed he had. This season has been the best season in a long time in F1. The last couple years Verstappen and Red Bull have had dominance, and last year only two drivers beat Verstappen, one being his teammate Perez. This year there is no Red Bull and Verstappen dominance. There have been seven different race winners so far: Verstappen, Sainz, Norris, Russell, Hamilton, Leclerc, and Piastri. Five of them have won multiple races this season. There is a battle for world champion as Verstappen´s car keeps declining. Norris and Verstappen are the ones currently fighting it out in the first and second of the drivers championship, but who knows what could happen in the rest of this season.

PCM new staff memebers line up for a photo together (missing A. Anukam)

Photo by: A. Bradbury

Junior Keely Spencer showing off the new band uniforms for this year!

Photo by: R. Parsons

Email news@pcmexplorer.com with your calendar item

5 8:30am V, VB at Pleasantville 3:30pm HS Marching Dutch Invite 6:30pm Twice Blessed craft at TGP

4 11:30am Congregate Meals at TGP 5pm Freshman, FB vs Vinton-Shellsburg at PCM 7:30pm V, FB vs Vinton-Shellsburg at PCM

2 Monroe Trash Monroe Fall Cleanup Day 10am PC Story Time at library 11:30am Congregate Meals at TGP 1pm Get Fit, Move More at TGP 6pm Bingo at TGP 6:30pm Monroe Fire Dept. Meeting 7pm Athletic Boosters at HS 6:30pm PCM FCA Huddle at HS 3 11:30am Congregate Meals at TGP 4:30pm 8, VB vs Saydel at PCM 4:30pm 7, VB at Saydel 5pm JV2, VB vs S. Hamilton at PCM 6:10pm JV, VB vs S. Hamilton at PCM 7:15pm V, VB vs S. Hamilton at PCM

1 9:30am Supervisors, Jasper County Courthouse 11:30am Congregate Meals at TGP 2pm Game Time at TGP 4:30pm 8, FB vs Nevada at PCM 6pm 7, FB vs Nevada at PCM 4:30pm 8, VB at Newton 4:30pm 7, VB vs Newton at PCM 5pm JV2, VB vs Nevada at PCM 6:10pm JV, VB vs Nevada at PCM 7:15pm V, VB vs Nevada at PCM

12 9am Monroe United Methodist Church Fall BazaarCoffee Time and Lunch 9am Varsity Cheer at Ankeny Tour de Pumpkin (Red Rock Prairie Trail ride) Monroe Fire Department’s Lights and the Fights Newton Arboretum’s Annual Fall Festival

11 11:30am Congregate Meals at TGP 2pm Piano with Jacque Robinson at TGP 5pm Freshman, FB at West Marshall 7:30pm V, FB at West Marshall 19 8am IHSMA State Marching Band Contest 8am Varsity Cheer at Carlisle

10 10am Patty Richards Music Show at TGP 11:30am Congregate Meals at TGP 4:30pm 8, VB at Roland-Story 4:30pm 7, VB vs Roland-Story at PCM 5pm V, VB PCM, Cardinal, Woodward Granger Triangular at PCM

9 Monroe Trash & Recycling Day 10am PC Story Time at library 11:30am Congregate Meals at TGP 12:15pm Fresh Conversations at TGP 1pm Get Fit, Move More at TGP 6pm PC City Council, City Hall Good News Club after school at ME and PCE

Varsity Cheer at Davenport 7 8am Coffee & Devotions at TGP 10am Video Exercise Class 11:30am Congregate Meals at TGP 7pm PC Fire Dept, PC City Hall Good News Club after school at ME and PCE 4:30pm 8, VB vs Nevada at PCM 4:30pm 7, VB at Nevada 5pm JV/JV2, VB at Roland-Story 6:30pm V, VB at Roland-Story 8 9:30am Supervisors, Jasper County Courthouse 11:30am Congregate Meals at TGP 6pm Mon American Legion 6:30pm Kiwanis, Mon City Hall 9am HS Central College Singfest 4:30pm 7, FB vs Knoxville at PCM 4:30pm 8, FB at Knoxville 4:30pm JH/V, B/G CC at Centerville

Monroe Honor Guild Quilt Presentation in Town Square Park 11am Church Service; 12:15pm American Legion Family Lunch; 1:15pm Quilt Presen -

at PCM 6pm JV, VB vs Knoxville at PCM 6:30pm

PCM volleyball downs HOIAC rival Perry

By Troy Hyde

MONROE — Rebec-

ca De Vries, Tori Lindsay and Libby Winters all posted double-doubles during a three-set sweep against Perry on Sept. 19.

The Mustangs started fast against the Jayettes and never looked back during a 25-12, 25-20, 25-18 home triumph in Heart of Iowa Athletic Conference play.

Perry scored the very first point of the night, but PCM used a 6-0 run to grab an advantage in the first set and cruised from there. The run featured a pair of De Vries kills.

An ace by De Vries pushed the advantage to 12-4 and a kill by Claire Van Wyk extended the margin to 16-6. The Mustangs got three kills from Winters and two more from De Vries down the stretch to close out the win.

The second set was much more competitive. PCM led 3-1 early, but Perry drew even at 4-all, and the set also was tied at 8 and 10.

The Jayettes led 10-8 before kills by Lindsay, Winters and Lillian Humpal put the Mustangs (8-5, 2-1 in the conference) ahead for good.

The margin got as low as one, but PCM scored five of the final eight points to go up 2-0 in the match.

Another fast start helped PCM keep its momentum in the third set.

The Mustangs led 6-1 until Perry closed the gap to 8-4. An 11-2 run by PCM was enough to regain a big advantage.

The run ended with back-to-back aces by Stella Stravers. Perry used a 7-0 run to get back within five, but PCM scored five of the final eight points to close out the conference win.

De Vries finished with 16 kills and 10 digs, Lindsay added 28 assists and 17 digs and Winters

chipped in 10 kills, 10 digs and two blocks.

Humpal posted four kills, four digs and two aces, Addison Steenhoek collected six assists and 11 digs and Addi Hudnut secured eight digs.

Stravers had five digs and two aces, Addyson Pederson put down four kills and Chloe Sloan registered two kills.

The Mustangs were 63-of-73 in serves with eight aces. Humpal served 12-of-13 and Hudnut and Steenhoek finished 10-of-11.

PCM’s kill efficiency was .143 with Winters hitting .381 and De Vries finished at .333.

Perry (5-6, 0-3) won last year’s match 3-1, but the Mustangs are 4-2 in the series since 2015.

PCM defeats L-S at North Mahaska tournament NEW SHARON — PCM got some redemption against Lynnville-Sully at the North Mahaska tournament on Sept. 21.

But that was the only win the Mustangs could muster as they dropped a pair of pool-play matches before downing the Hawks in the consolation bracket.

“We came out strong, and I thought we played well against Pella Christian,” PCM head volleyball coach Sarah De Vries said. “We were able to keep our hits away from their block and played scrappy. Our match against HLV was filled with our own errors. They are a good team, but we had them beat at the net just not with our serve receive and digging.

Class 2A No. 11 Pella Christian won the tournament. The Eagles downed Newton 25-11, 25-15 in the semifinals and then handed North Mahaska its first loss of the season 25-14, 25-11.

There was some confusion during the day about how the tournament was set up and executed.

Newton head volleyball coach Heidi Woollums and De Vries both expressed frustration about the decisions and changes that were made. Teams received emails prior to the tournament stating that the semifinals would be seeded on a point system after pool play.

Newton’s pool included North Mahaska and Lynnville-Sully, while PCM was matched up with Pella Christian and HLV.

Pella Christian won both of its matches in straight sets and would have been the No. 1 seed

in the format that was emailed out before Sept. 21.

The host school though later changed the format. Pool champions faced the runner-up teams in the other pool in the first round of the semifinals. And the third-place teams met for one final match on the consolation side of the bracket.

The original set up would have had Newton facing North Mahaska in the semifinals but the Cardinals took on Pella Christian instead.

North Mahaska (121) defeated HLV in their semifinal matchup to

Top-ranked Mustangs open district play with rout of Jesup

JESUP — Riley Graber had nearly 100 yards in the first two minutes of PCM’s football game against Jesup on Sept. 20.

He scored a pair of long touchdowns in the first quarter and the Mustangs never looked back during a 55-7 road win over the J-Hawks.

Class 2A No. 1 PCM led the 2A, District 6 opener for both teams 28-0 after one quarter and led 42-0 at halftime.

The Mustangs are outscoring their opponents 198-35 this fall and have scored at least 50 points in three of their four wins. They’ve outscored Jesup 110-14 the past two seasons.

Graber grabbed a 64-yard touchdown pass from Gavin Van Gorp 11 seconds into the game and then added a 35-yard TD catch 96 seconds later.

Van Gorp and Evan Jones added TD runs of 2 and 14 yards, respectively, later in the first.

Van Gorp’s third TD pass of the game went for 8 yards to Gavin Steenhoek early in the second and Adrien Robbins scored from 1-yard out later in the frame.

The only points of the third came on a 5-yard TD run by Shay Burns. Sawyer Bouwkamp added a 6-yard TD run in the fourth.

The Mustangs had a 24-8 advantage in first downs and held the

J-Hawks to 171 total yards. Jesup (22, 0-1 in the district) lost a fumble and threw one interception.

Kaden Lange’s 70-yard TD run broke the shutout for Jesup. He had 83 yards on eight carries in the loss.

Van Gorp finished with 182 yards and three touchdown passes and ran for one score. His eight rushing touchdowns rank tied for sixth in 2A, while his 15 total touchdowns are tied for second.

Robbins rushed for 63 yards and one TD on eight carries and caught one pass for 12 yards. He ranks fifth in 2A with 585 rushing yards and fourth with a 9.1 yards

per carry average.

Burns rushed for 64 yards and one TD on nine carries, Easton Morris gained 41 yards on six carries and Jones and Bouwkamp both ran for 30 yards and one TD on three carries.

Chase Wagaman threw for 10 yards and rushed for 11 in the win.

Graber finished with four catches for 107 yards and two scores, Steenhoek grabbed four passes for 49 yards and one TD and Harlan Shannon caught two passes for 14 yards.

Graber, who also had an interception on defense, ranks tied for fifth in 2A with four receiving touchdowns.

The Mustangs (4-0, 1-0) rushed for 248 yards and five TDs on 36 carries in the win. PCM totaled 440 total yards and the No. 1 offense ran only 27 plays.

Trenner Van Dyke led the defense with three tackles, three sacks, three tackles for loss and one fumble recovery.

Van Dyke’s eight sacks rank first in 2A and his 12 tackles for loss are tied for the 2A lead.

Jones finished with five tackles, while Brevin DeRaad and Finn Wilson each collected 3.5 tackles and Tad Wilson registered three tackles. Finn Wilson also forced one fumble.

Dominic Witt booted eight of his nine kickoffs for touchbacks and finished 7-of-7 in extra points. His 26 touchbacks lead 2A.

Rebecca De Vries had eight kills, six digs and two aces in the win over Lynnville-Sully. Lindsay registered 12 assists and nine digs, Humpal tallied two kills, three digs and three aces and Hudnut finished with 11 digs.

Winters posted eight kills and two aces, Steenhoek finished with three assists and four digs, Peyton Lathrum chipped in two assists and two kills and Pederson put down two kills. The Mustangs were 34-of-41 in serves with nine aces. Humpal served 10-of-11 and Steenhoek finished 8-of-9.

Lynnville-Sully (8-8) was led by Terriyah Carter’s five kills and Tatum Huyser’s 11 digs. In the loss to Pella Christian, Lindsay finished with eight assists and eight digs, Lathrum added four kills and three digs and Winters chipped in 10 digs.

Rebecca De Vries tallied four kills and two digs, Steenhoek finished with four assists and two digs and Pederson put down three kills.

The Mustangs were 27-of-31 in serves with Lindsay going 9-of-10 and Steenhoek finishing 6-of-6.

set up a championship match with the Eagles.

PCM suffered a 21-17, 21-14 loss to the Eagles (12-5) and were defeated 21-19, 22-20 by HLV in pool play. The Mustangs recovered in their consolation match against Lynnville-Sully. PCM swept the Hawks 25-18, 25-20 to get some redemption from a loss earlier this season.

“We finished the day strong and stayed in front of L-S, which felt good after losing to them earlier in the season. We played more consistently and attacked the net well.”

Faith Kacmarynski had 10 digs to lead the Eagles, while Brynn Roozeboom put down eight kills.

Lindsay led the Mustangs with 14 assists, three digs and three aces against HLV. Winters added three kills, four digs and two aces, Rebecca De Vries put down seven kills and had four digs and Steenhoek tallied five digs.

Van Wyk registered four kills, Humpal had two kills and the Mustangs finished 30-of-35 in serves with seven aces. Lindsday served 7-of-7.

Ema Roberts led HLV (7-10) with six kills, six digs and four aces, while Lily Randall added five kills and 10 digs.

Lila Milani

PCM sophomore Lila Milani has three top-10 finishes in the Mustangs’ first three cross country meets this fall. She was eighth in the season opener at Williamsburg on Sept. 3, third at Davis County on Sept. 12 and ninth against a tough field at Oskaloosa on Sept. 17.

PCM Explorer

Troy Hyde/PCM Explorer

PCM senior Trenner Van Dyke (68) had three sacks and three tackles for loss and recovered a fumble during the Mustangs’ road win over Jesup on Sept. 20.

PCM Explorer

Troy Hyde/PCM Explorer

PCM junior Claire Van Wyk (10) gets her hand on the ball near the net against HLV during the North Mahaska tournament on Saturday. The Mustangs finished their day 1-2 with the win coming against Lynnville-Sully.

PCM girls place third against tough field at Oskaloosa

OSKALOOSA — Cross country teams from PCM and Newton faced off against a tough field on a tough course during the Oskaloosa Invitational on Sept. 17.

The Class 2A No. 7 Mustangs faced off against No. 8 Albia for the second time in six days, but the girls’ field also featured 3A No. 19 Williamsburg and 1A No. 13 Danville.

The state-ranked Raiders placed six runners in the first 20 positions and ran away with the team title after first five came in the top 16. Albia got some redemption against PCM in second, while short-handed Newton placed eighth in the 11-team field.

The top area finisher was Newton freshman Audrey Muckler. She was eighth overall with a time of 21 minutes, 57.5 seconds.

PCM’s Lila Milani was a few seconds back of Muckler in ninth, and the Mustangs placed five in the first 27 positions. Milani was clocked in 22:01.7 and Bailey Wheeler (22:56.1) was the second PCM finisher for the first time this season in 14th.

Raegan Vannoy (23:09.8) also was the

third PCM finisher for the first time this season as she placed 19th.

Darbey DeRaad (23:14.5) and Abi Teeter (23:32.1) were the final scoring runners in 21st and 27th, respectively.

Ali Hilsabeck (24:07.7) and Annie Ford (24:16.7) were PCM’s non-scoring runners in 41st and 44th, respectively.

Class 2A No. 7 Makenna Montgomery of Albia won the girls’ 5K race in 19:54.9. Albia’s Paige Popson was the runner-up in 20:07.7.

Williamsburg won the team title with 46 points. Albia (74), PCM (90), Oskaloosa (136) and Danville (143) completed the top five.

Davis County (151) led the next group in sixth followed by Ottumwa (159), Newton (210), Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont (226), Centerville (228) and Carlisle (264).

PCM boys finish sixth at Oskaloosa

OSKALOOSA — The Newton boys weren’t quite recovered from its busy weekend in St. Louis on Sept. 17.

The Cardinals were back at it again and it wasn’t just the hills at Edmundson Golf Course that gave them trouble.

In the end, Newton finished fourth in the 11-team field and PCM took sixth

against a pair of ranked squads and host Oskaloosa.

Four area runners finished in the top 10 of the boys’ 5K race. Javin Doland and Lance Zaabel finished sixth and ninth, respectively, to lead the Cardinals, while PCM’s Kash Fischer and Coby DeRaad were separated by .1 seconds in seventh

and eighth.

Class 3A No. 9 Carlisle won the team title with 66 points after placing five in the top 23 spots. The Wildcats had two in the top four and four in the first 20.

Host Oskaloosa scored 87 points in second, while 3A No. 18 Knoxville (96), Newton (108) and Williamsburg (127) completed the top five. PCM (130) headlined the next group followed by Albia (191), Danville (197), Davis County (204), Ottumwa (238) and Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont (362).

PCM was headlined by Fischer and DeRaad in seventh and eighth, respectively. Fischer was clocked in 17:52.8 and DeRaad hit the finish line in 17:52.9.

Owen Osterhaus (19:04.1) scored a top-30 finish in 29th, Joe Shaver (20:02.9) was 43rd and Rylan Edgington (20:07.3) was the Mustangs’ final counting scorer in 45th.

Charlie Ford (20:11.9) finished in the top seven for the first time this season in 46th and Gabe Nessa (21:04.4) was the other non-scoring runner in 65th.

Class 3A No. 13 Isaac Rankin of Knoxville won the boys’ race in 16:33.2 and 3A No. 16 Kael Streeter of Carlisle was the runner-up in 16:41.1.

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