Bringing home the hardware
PCM Cheer takes second place at state competition
By Jamee A. Pierson PCM Explorer
Five months of hard work, sweat, tears and yes, even some blood, came together for the PCM Cheer Team as they brought home a second-place trophy from state competition Nov. 2. Twelve girls came together to perform two challenging routines that featured stunts, jumps and dance that saw cheerleaders flying through the air, holding each other up while moving from one section to the next and pumping up the crowd with PCM spirit.
“I couldn’t ask for anything more as their coach,” head coach Amy Brundage said. “I’m proud of our seniors and I’m grateful they get to have this as a lasting memory for them in their high school career.”
The team, made up of seniors Charlotte Landwehr, Jaylyn DeVries
and Taylor Fairbanks, juniors Paitin Rumbaugh, Alyssa Buckingham, Sophia Hiebert, Addie Beener and Peyton Rardin, sophomores Lilli Pecinovsky and Jessalyn DeVries and freshman Allie Minteer, started
work in June learning the routines during eight-hour sessions across three days. The routines took a step up in difficulty with every stunt new
SERVICES | 3
Progress Industries discontinues intermediate care facility services Organization says it is not closing, but families are left feeling devastated
Christopher Braunschweig/PCM Explorer
Progress Industries is ending its intermediate care facilities, which will displace 15 people out of the 200 it serves in the community. Families say they are devastated by the news and they worry for their loved ones affected by the decision.
By Christopher Braunschweig PCM Explorer
Intermediate care facilities operated by Progress Industries in Newton and used by people with physical and intellectual disabilities are expected to close in about a month, ending the services for the foreseeable future.
One family told Newton News their daughter is going to be displaced and will need to find a new home.
Tanya Myers, of Ira, said her 38-year-old daughter, Brooke VanCleave, was given a 30day notice letter from Progress Industries saying ICF services will be discontinued and that her daughter’s needs extend beyond what the organization can provide in a Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) setting. “I’m sad, I’m betrayed, I’m a whole ton of an emotions that I can’t
describe,” Myers said to Newton News. “I just don’t understand.”
Which means VanCleave and the 14 other residents who use the ICFs will likely be evicted by Nov. 25, three days before Thanksgiving. Myers was notified of the news on Oct. 24, and every day since she cannot talk about it without crying. She worries about not only finding a new ICF but finding one close to home.
“Brooke has to move,” Myers said. “It’s the hardest thing on her. You could put her in hospital for a month and she would take it easier than a move. She doesn’t communicate verbally. She has a communication device but that can’t say everything for her. Wherever she goes people won’t know her. It will be so hard.”
VanCleave has been in an ICF ever since she was about 18 years old.
Her first was in Forest City and then she stayed at an ICF in Clear Lake before she was recruited by Progress Industries to stay in Newton. Although Myers liked where VanCleave was staying in Clear Lake, she liked having her closer to home.
“We really wanted to bring her close, so we agreed to bring her,” Myers said. “So she has been her for 10 years. These past 10 years she has been able to come to our family events like Christmas and Thanksgiving and Fourth of July parties and graduations. We also got to visit her weekly here.” Following the dissolution of ICF services for Progress Industries, there are no other ICFs left in the county. Which means Myers will have to travel a greater distance to visit her daughter, and she suspects it will be more
SERVICES | 3
PCM Middle School blazing a new trail
The 3DS — 3 Durable Skills — system is in place to address and track students effort, respect and peer interaction behaviors while at school
By Jamee A. Pierson PCM Explorer
Since the start of the school year, students at PCM Middle School have been graded not only on their academic work but their soft skills, as well. The school introduced 3DS — 3 Durable Skills — as a way to address the students effort, respect and peer interaction behaviors while in the building.
“When I think about students, I’m not only thinking about their academic side but they have the other side the coin, their personal growth. In school, we are ultra focused on their academics, but in my mind important things are the ability to communicate, work together and give effort,” PCM Middle School Principal Sam Brown said. When you do interview of business and as “what do you want” when hiring, no local businesses are saying we need someone to run the Pythagorean Theorem like a son-ofa-gun, they want people that are creative thinkers, works well with others, shows up to work — soft skills. Those were things we didn’t have any way to report on and most schools don’t.”
Brown has found when parents ask him about how their student is doing they often want to know not only where they are academically but also socially and emotionally. By adding 3DS into the mix, parents can see weekly how their student in doing through the district’s Infinite Campus system.
“They want to know if
their student is listening, being respectful, helping others, etc.,” Brown said.
“The goal of this 3DS System is to fill that communication gap. We strongly believe that this is information that all families should have access to in the same way that they have untethered access to their student’s academic grades.”
The system is based on a rubric Brown and other school leaders put together last year. It consists of the three pieces — effort, respect and peer interaction — and a point system associated with the students behavior.
“We want students to earn a certain amount of points each week, that is the baseline, it is our standard of behavior,” Brown said. “If they are below that, just like if they fail a science test, we want to be able to give them support.”
The 3DS System tasks students with receiving 55 points out of a possible 96 points each week from all of their classes. This rubric details the specific scoring criteria that teachers will be using. Each teacher will grade each of their students on their demonstration of the 3 Durable Skills. Students that earn less than 55 points will receive supports to help them meet the goal of 55+ points each week. Those supports will come during an After School Program (ASP) where students will learn and practice their durable skills.
In the same way that support is available for our students earning less
Jasper County to require geotechnical services for all future bridge projects
Engineer says soil borings are necessary to comply with federal requirements and maintain funding
By Christopher Braunschweig PCM Explorer
From now on, every bridge in Jasper County that needs to be repaired or reconstructed will be required to undergo geotechnical services. Jasper County Engineer Michael Frietsch said during the Oct. 15 supervisors meeting that these services — which test soil and rock conditions — are already required with every bridge let through the Iowa Department of Transportation. But now the engineer’s office will order them for local
bridge projects as well.
“Part of the reason is because the feds are starting to really ramp up what’s required for inspection requirements on our bridges,” Frietsch said.
“In fact, even Calhoun-Burns is having trouble how they’re going to inspect their bridges to a certain degree. So there’s a lot of confusion going on.”
But the county engineer fears it is only going to get worse. In the past, the federal government only asked for about a page of data, but Frietsch said they want four to five pages of data for bridge inspections. As a result,
Frietsch expects to see increased bridge inspection costs moving forward.
“We’re also going to be at risk a lot more if we don’t do all the necessary steps on our bridges, whether they’re local or they’re let through the DOT,” he said.
“Which basically means we’re going to need to start doing geotechnical investigation on every single bridge that we’ve been doing to get soil borings.”
Knowing the conditions of the soil and rock lets crews better understand what they are
BRIDGES | 3
Christopher Braunschweig/PCM Explorer Jasper County Engineer Michael Frietsch anticipates all future bridge projects will require geotechnical services to appease federal requirements and ensure funding.
Submitted Photo
The PCM Cheer Team celebrates with their second place trophy from state competition Nov. 2.
Events at The Gathering Place
Thursday, Nov. 7
• 3pm Navigating Taxes in Retirement, Keep More of your Money, hosted by Andy Algreen & Presented by Mitch Thede
Friday, Nov. 8
• 2 p.m. Piano with Jacque Robinson
Monday, Nov. 11
• 8am Coffee & Prayer with Pastor Ann
• 10am Video Exercise Class
• Free Parenting Class, Children’s ages & Parenting stages (register at https://go.iastate.edu/edu/0TB93E or call 641-792-6433)
Wednesday, Nov. 13
• 1pm “Get Fit, Move More!” with Amy S.
Thursday, Nov. 14
• 10am Patty Richards Music Show
Veterans Day program Nov. 8
A Veterans Day program will begin at 8:30 a.m. Friday, Nov. 8 at the PCM Middle School in Prairie City with donuts and coffee for area veterans followed by a program at 9 a.m. honoring the men and women who served or are currently serving our country.
Turkey dinner Nov. 10
Monroe Presbyterian Church is hosting its annual turkey dinner beginning at 11 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 10 as a drive-thru pick up. The meal is a free will donation. Call Dorothy Rexroat at 641-275-5803 to arrange for delivery.
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.
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.
Pella Regional staff celebrates years of service
Pella Regional Health Center recognized employees who reached milestone anniversaries from July through December 2024. Those who have completed three or more years of service were treated to a recognition breakfast Tuesday, Oct. 28.
Those that were recognized include (listed by years of service):
50 years: Linda Blom
45 years: Pat Dykstra
40 years: Jeana Schuring
35 years: Sharolyn Crozier
30 years: Dr. Craig Wittenberg. Brenda Klyn, Dr. Richard Posthuma
25 years: Sherri Church-Derringer, Kari Sneller, Angie Rockhold, Pam Klyn, Diane McCombs
20 years: Ann Binns, Dr. Matt Morgan, Tait Smock, Shari Westercamp, Karla Berg, Ashley Arkema, Dr. Kevin Mace, Toni Slykhuis, Rachelle Vande Haar, Terri VanderMolen
15 years: Emily Boone,
Jerri Nikkel, Karla Knox, Deanne Sytsma, Sarah Dockter, Christine Cockrell, Kara Groenenboom, Dustin Meuzelaar
10 years: Alyssa Clark, Dawn Bennett, Lynnette Dowdy, Nicole Richardson, Kari Steenhoek, Heather Reineke, Julie VanWyk, Jessica Bolkema, Brittany Jansen, Amber Ripperger
5 years: Samantha Gonzalez-Montenegro, Melo-
dy Stone, Jody Van Veen, Angie Berry, Dr. Shelby Dames, Nancy Kinsey, Vickie Dales, Lisa Glover, Chris Heesch, Nicole Heesch, Lori Kingdon, Joy Mozena, Kelcey Fynaardt, Paula Howard, Jordan Vos, Libby Evans, Dr. Seth Streeter, Kourtney Wittmaack
3 years: Deb Branderhorst, Jean Coffin, Jenesah Denney, Natalie Hall, Michael Hofer, John Lang, Gay Laughlin, Jarrod Phelps, Lisa
Nancy Bishop, Cristina Botts, Megan Edgren, Lizz Henderson, Deborah McSheehy, Christian Morris, Nicole Riley
Former DMACC student receives Alumni Association Award
Eight former Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) students have received an award from the DMACC Alumni Association.
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 Men’s Recovery meeting
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.
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.
Blood drive Nov. 16
The Prairie City and Monroe Communities Blood Drive will be from 7:15 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 16 at the Prairie City Methodist Church, 706 W. McMurray St. Appointments are encouraged by calling 800-287-4903 or visit lifeservebloodcenter.org.
Holiday Barn Sale
Friends of Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge are hosting a Holiday Barn Sale at 8125 W. 109th St. S., near Prairie City, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 16 and 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 17. Items will be 25% off.
Holly Current of Monroe was named a recipient of the DMACC Outstanding Alumni Association Awards. The Outstanding Alumni Award is the highest honor given to DMACC alumni by the Alumni Association. This award honors and recognizes alumni who pro -
Daughters of the American Revolution Grinnell Chapter Daughters of the American Revolution welcomed a new member on Saturday, Oct. 12. Tammy See Kriegel of Grinnell is a descendant of John See, who was a private in the Revolutionary War. John See of Greenbrier County, Virginia, enlisted in the Continental Army in 1776 to defend the western frontier of Virginia from incursions of hostile Indians. He was discharged after serving 12 months, but then re-enlisted for three years in Botetourt County, Virginia, in the 12th Virginia Regiment. See was with
vide service to their community, country and/or fellow citizen; have had great professional or personal achievement since graduation; and continue to be involved in the life and work of DMACC.
Current is a graduate of DMACC Ankeny Campus, Advanced Standing Diploma in Mortuary Science, 2007 and is Vice President/ Co-Owner/Funeral Director at Hamilton’s Funeral Home.
Club News
George Washington in winter quarters at Valley Forge. He fought at the Battle of Monmouth under Washington, the Battle of Stony Point under General Anthony Wayne and the Battle of Germantown under Washington.
The National Society Daughters of the American Revolution was founded in 1890 to promote historic preservation, education and patriotism. Its members are descended from patriots who won American independence during the Revolutionary War. Any woman 18 years or older, regardless of race, religion or ethnic back-
ground, who can prove lineal descent from a patriot of the American Revolution is eligible to join. The Grinnell Chap
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B. Grinnell, the founder of the city of Grinnell. Members come from Grinnell, Newton, Montezuma and surrounding communities.
Submitted Photo
From left: Nancy Bender, Registrar; Tammy Kriegel; Linda Hatch, Regent
Schuette, Jessica Vandestroet, Sydney Franken, Kiley Howell, Cindy Johnson, Nicole Meppelink, Emily Pickett, Nicole Roth, Kristen Templeman, Taylor Woody, Chelsey Ballard, Amber Duryee, Nikki Cowman, Lesli McVey,
Submitted Photo
Recognition of Pella Regional Health Center employees who reached milestone anniversaries.
Cheer
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to the group.
“I wanted a harder, flashier routine for these girls and pulled in my resources,” Brundage said. “For the last three years or so we have been working with our Iowa State Cheer alumni, Riley McLaughlin, who choreographed our routine this year. She and her boyfriend, Nathan Heckert, who is also an Iowa State Cheer alumni have made multiple trips from Ames to work with us on our technique. The two of them have really helped develop our girls into true athletes.”
Over the next several months the girls perfected their
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difficult for VanCleave to more easily participate in family get-togethers.
In the letter sent to residents who have been deemed ineligible for HCBS services, it is stated that individuals like VanCleave can appeal the facility’s decision to transfer or discharge her on an emergency basis. If people think they should not have to leave, they can request a hearing within seven days of notice. Hearings are carried out through the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals. Individuals have a right to be represented by an attorney or any other person of their choice. If the department awards a verdict for the individual appearing the decision, they can be transferred back to the facility.
Progress Industries was established in 1979. The organization provides community-based services to about 200 people in Jasper and Polk Counties with physical and intellectual disabili-
routines, using football games as a live opportunity to put their new skills to the test. Repetition and practice were the name of the game for the team.
“We practiced almost every weekday; these girls hardly had days off. They were pushed hard, but I also knew they had the ability to do this routine and execute it the way it was envisioned,” Brundage said.
“As a coach you have to be nitpicky and little things are a big deal. We spent a lot of time in our last week before State polishing our cheer, dance portion and jumps. Our jumps actually scored the highest in our division by 1.2 points, which is huge. It’s all about repetition and muscle memory which is exactly what helped make the routine a success.”
ties. Of those people, 15 receive ICF residential services in two ICF facilities in Newton.
An intermediate care facility is a home and care center for individuals with intellectual disabilities or persons with related conditions. ICFs provide health or rehabilitative services on a regular basis to people whose mental or physical conditions require services including room, board and active treatment.
The decision to end ICF serves applies to both facilities owned by Progress industries. The organization provided this statement regarding the decision:
“Progress Industries is not closing, but this line of service is closing. We will continue to operate Home and Community-Based Services. HCBS helps people stay in their own homes or community instead of going to a medical facility. Progress Industries will continue to work with those in our ICF service as adequate placement is found. We will ensure everyone receives quality supports throughout the transition.”
Explorer PCM
The cheer season didn’t come without challenges as injuries came knocking for more than one girl. With each cheerleader vital to the routines, changes on the fly can be almost impossible to pull off, but the girls did.
“I’m most proud of the adversity this team had to face during their competition month,” Brundage said. “Two weeks before our first competition, we had a girl out with a leg injury and couldn’t stunt. A week before our first two competitions, we had a girl who had emergency surgery to have her appendix out. At our last competition, during our last warm up we had two bases collide when catching their basket toss that caused an eye to cut open so we were down a girl. The week before State we couldn’t
practice all of our stunts because we had to allow time for her eye to heal. So for all of these girls to pull everything together literally 30 minutes before they performed at State, they made it their best.”
The team competed four times before heading to state. They earned first place in cheer/dance and fourth place in stunt group at the Heartland Championships in Ankeny, first in both categories at the Cross Town Triton Challenge in Davenport, first in cheer/dance and second in stunt at the Carlisle Cheer Comp and fourth in both at the Triton Challenge.
A lot of long, hard hours are put in to make the routines the best they can be but there is also a fun side to preparation.
“My favorite part of the
preparation is seeing it all come together. Not just the routine, but also the team. It’s a tough sport, not just physically but mentally, too,” Brundage said. “These girls spend a lot of time with each other, not just in cheer, but with school and dance.”
The team also had a first for PCM. It was the first time a PCM Cheer Team competed in the stunt group division. It was also the highest PCM placed in the cheer/dance division in school history.
“Having everything come full circle for them on Saturday made it all worth it. Both our Stunt Group and Cheer Dance routines were performed beautifully,” Brundage said. “We may not have gotten first, but it was a very successful day.”
3DS
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than 55 points each week, this system also gives the school the opportunity to recognize and celebrate the students who are consis-
Bridges
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dealing with before constructing a bridge. Depending on the quality of the soil, the design of the bridge may have to change. Frietsch said his office is going to have to carefully document these conditions for federal inspectors.
“So this is really just
tently earning more than 55 points each week.
With the system possibly being the first of its kind there will be some tweaks and changes along the way to make it the best it can be for students, staff and parents. Brown asks for a bit of patience but is excited to see their hard work in
heading off into future requirements, trying to stay ahead of the curve — stay ahead of the train before it runs us over,” Frietsch said. From what Frietsch understood from a DOT conference in September, “no one sees any value” in what the federal government is doing. He said it is not increasing bridge safety but it is the rules the county has to abide by, especially if it wants to
action throughout the year.
“One of the teachers asked what do other schools do with their 3DS and I said there are no other schools that do this. As far as I am aware of, we are one of the first school that have built the system around it,” Brown said. “For us to blaze the trail in kind-of exciting.”
maintain federal eligibility for bridges. Supervisor Brandon Talsma said, “So long story short if we want to keep getting federal funding for our bridges this is a requirement.”
“You got it,” Frietsch said. “Whether it’s FEMA or Highway Administration. And, really, honestly, at the end of the day, it actually makes good practice anyway to do it because we will be able to understand better what it is we should be doing for substructure-type design … At the end of the day, it might actually help us.”
Discussion about this topic originated over five geotechnical services agreements that appeared on the supervisors agenda for approval.
All five contracts were with Allender Butzke Engineers, and they were approved by the supervisors in a 3-0 vote. Here are the bridges approved for services:
• Bridge A08 at North 99th Avenue East in Hickory Grove Township.
• Bridge C05 at North 115th Avenue West in Malaka Township.
• Bridge H08 at North 35th Avenue West in Newton Township.
• Bridge K15 at South 36th Avenue East in Richland Township.
• Bridge L01 at South 12th Avenue East in Buena Vista Township. Each geotechnical investigation costs $7,600. In total, the five sets of services cost Jasper County $38,000.
L-S harriers inspired by teammate’s fight back to running
This & That
Troy Hyde
Lynnville-Sully sophomore Keegan Schnell dealt with more adversity last year than most people will face in their entire lives.
But not even a near-death experience has kept Schnell from doing what he loves.
And the state-ranked Hawks may not have reached the state cross country meet without him.
“Keegan racing today after being in the hospital this time last year is incredible,” Lynnville-Sully head cross country coach
Darin Arkema said at the state meet on Nov. 2. “It’s a reminder about what cross country means in the grand scheme of life. When you almost get your life taken away from you, this running stuff takes a back seat.
“Winning and losing a race, medals and PRs are important, but to see him make the journey back shows the toughness of that kid. He’s dealt with a lot the past year.”
L-S senior Olivia Norrish remembers Schnell running in the North Polk meet last year. And then not seeing him for about six months.
Schnell battled a serious health issue that saw his intestines basically die inside of him. He was taken to a hospital in Pella before being life lighted to Iowa City.
Schnell said he almost lost his life in flight due to excessive blood loss.
“We were all so scared that he wasn’t going to make it,” L-S sophomore Blake Wilmesmeier said. “But as soon as he made it back, he’s been the same old Keegan.”
Many of the Hawk harriers said at the state meet that Schnell definitely has been an inspiration to two programs which hadn’t qualified for the state meet together in 29 years.
It had been that long since the boys’ program advanced to the state meet.
While Schnell isn’t setting any records on 5K courses around the state, he is running faster times now than he was before he went down with the injury.
“We just thought he would never run again to be honest,” said Norrish, who is a three-time state qualifier. “But he practiced a lot this summer and worked a lot. It really is an inspiration on how you can get back and get here.”
Junior Ethan Dunsbergen remembers what Schnell did on the track in the spring. And not much of it was that great. But he’s been a constant scoring runner for the state-ranked Hawks this season.
“He is an inspiration. Everyone loves him and everyone was worried when that happened,” Dunsbergen said.
“He ran a 3 minute 800 during track season, which isn’t great. But since then, he’s worked really hard and is running in the 19s in cross country. That’s insane.”
Arkema would have been happy to have Schnell simply back running with his teammates. No one could have imagined or predicted he would finish his sophomore season with a time of 18 minutes, 55.39 seconds at the state qualifying meet. He also went under 20 minutes at least seven times this fall.
“He’s absolutely been an inspiration to this team,” L-S senior Hendrick Lowry said. “Keegan’s great. He’s a good kid, and I’m really glad to see him back and healthy. And it’s crazy to think his times are better now than before.”
Wilmesmeier feels like Schnell’s inspiration dates back to last season. Sophomore Colton Alberts dropped around 5 minutes off his time last fall and Wilmesmeier feels like Schnell’s unfortunate situation played a factor in that time drop.
“He’s meant so much to this team,” Alberts said. “He started back from zero but has worked all the way back up. It was very scary. But to see him running as well as he is now is awesome.”
Even the runners on the girls’ team felt Schnell’s inspiration. Schnell has been on every one of sophomore Peyton Sharp’s cross country teams. And Sharp has witnessed the hard work first hand.
“He’s come so far. He worked really hard this summer and the last few months from basically zero to get back to where he is,” Sharp said.
Freshman Mandeesa Vos was the top runner on the girls’ team this season. She didn’t know him super well before this year, but can’t help to be inspired by what he’s been through and is now doing on the courses.
Schnell always thought he would be able to run again. He definitely had his doubts at this time last year though.
“I just have to thank God for all of this being possible,” Schnell said. “I always thought I could run again, but not run faster than I was before it happened.”
What you project you receive
By Bryan Golden
Do you know anyone who always seems to have bad luck? Nothing ever goes right for them. Conversely, have you observed people who always wind up OK despite what befalls them?
What differentiates these two types of people? Their attitude, thoughts and actions are as different as day and night.
You are a magnet. Your attitude, thoughts and actions determine what you attract. Like attracts like. If you are negative, rude and inconsiderate, this is what you will attract. If you are positive, upbeat, courteous, caring and considerate, you will attract the same.
The effects of your actions always come full circle. How you treat others will determine how you are treated. You never know how long it will take, but what you project is invariably returned to you.
When you’re feeling bad, annoyed or frustrated, you mustn’t treat others poorly in response. Doing so is like throwing a rubber ball at a brick wall; it will bounce right back at you. How does someone react if you are rude? Chances are they will be rude in return. If so, the situation will most likely escalate.
What should you do if you are not treated properly? First of all, don’t respond in kind. If you do, you allow yourself to be drawn into the other person’s problem, which will have a negative impact on you.
If someone mistreats you, resist the temptation to get even. Their actions will come back to them; it’s inevitable. If
you try to retaliate, you get caught in a negative cycle and your actions will have a detrimental effect on you.
Think before you speak or act. Monitor and be aware of your attitude, feelings and actions. Behave in the same way you want to be treated. This is particularly difficult when someone is treating you poorly. You will be amazed at how your “luck” changes when you change the way you act.
Smile regardless of how you are treated, what is happening or how you feel. Smile, especially when you don’t feel like it. It’s hard to feel bad when you smile. Transforming a frown into a smile instantly changes what you project.
Treat everyone with respect and always thank those who help you. All people want to be appreciated. A sincere thank you invariably makes a person feel good. Don’t tell people to do things, ask them. Even if you are in a position of authority, you will get a better response if you ask rather than tell.
Endeavor to help others whenever possible. When offering your assistance, don’t do it with the expectation of getting something in return. Only through unconditional generosity will you put good things in motion that will ultimately be returned to you.
A change in attitude and approach always precedes a change in situation. If you think that you will feel and act better when things improve, you will be waiting for a very long time. To be successful, act successful. To be happy, act happy. To be treated well, treat others well. You can never know when, where or how, but you will receive what you project.
Contact Bryan Golden at Bryan@ columnist.com
Founder of Iowa State Patrol’s drone program urges lawmakers to reject Chinese ban
By Jeff Patch
Chris Starrett, a retired Iowa State Patrol Sergeant, vividly recalls investigating the disappearance of then 10-year-old Xavier Harrelson, more than three years after he vanished from his Montezuma home. Locals searched through miles of town, wooded areas and farms.
Starrett launched a drone equipped with thermal imaging from Diamond Lake Park and flew a two-mile radius, unsuccessfully searching for the boy for three days. Unfortunately, a farmer found Harrelson’s remains four months later in a ditch three miles from his home. Iowa’s Division of Criminal Investigation and the Poweshiek County Sheriff’s Office continue to investigate the case.
Drones don’t guarantee crimes are solved. Thermal imaging is only effective within a 12-18 hour window of a person’s death. But they provide law enforcement with a critical tool to protect public safety, Starrett said.
“You never know when you’re going to need it,” he said in an interview at his home.
Starrett owns SV Aerial Consulting in Jasper County, which provides accident reconstruction, drone mapping, photography, operator training, and enterprise sales. He served in the Iowa State Patrol for 18 years, leading the accident reconstruction unit, and retired last year. Starrett is an FAA Part 107 certified commercial drone pilot as well as a certified flight and ground
instructor for drones and single-engine aircraft.
Starrett, the president of the Grinnell-Newburg School Board, has been married to his wife, Lindsey, for 20 years. She’s a partner at Grinnell accounting firm BakerStarrett LLP. The couple have twin 16-year-old daughters and a 13-year-old son.
In 2019, Starrett and a colleague traveled to Missouri to research that state’s drone program. Iowa State Patrol purchased nine Da-Jiang Innovations (DJI) drones and started a full-time accident reconstruction program led by Starrett.
The state patrol uses photogrammetry — a method of combining photos with GPS coordinates to create 3D models — to reconstruct accidents. Starrett demonstrated the program’s effectiveness almost immediately.
On Dec. 9, 2019 Starrett was the only law enforcement officer with a drone at the site of a 50-car pile-up on I-80 near Altoona. He arrived, launched his drone, took photos of the accident scene, and finished measurements for the accident reconstruction in 35 minutes.
“If we would have done it the old school way, it would have been three — probably four — hours, and we probably would have lost a lot of our evidence, because it was snowing at the time and it melted at the same time,” Starret said. “It was huge.”
The Iowa State Patrol now has about 30 DJI Mavic 3 drones just for photogrammetry. But five years ago, Starrett
dealt with skepticism from colleagues, lawmakers and others about security issues with Chinese-made drones.
“I got a lot of questions about it. And I go, ‘Ok, what about the Panasonic cameras we have in our squad cars that are WiFi — that are Bluetooth?” Starret said, pulling out his iPhone to emphasize the point. “It’s no different than our cell phones. Show me an American-made cell phone. When it comes to any kind of computerized technology, we’re behind.”
Starrett said law enforcement agencies should consider the minimal cost of a drone compared to other equipment. In-car camera systems for law enforcement officers cost about $8,000. The computer system costs another $8,000. The DJI Mavic 3T, which Starrett recommends, is equipped with thermal imaging and costs about $6,500.
On July 19, 2018, an EF-3 tornado ripped through Marshalltown, injuring 10 people and causing widespread devastation of infrastructure. Starrett was among the first to respond to the scene.
“That would have been nice to have a drone to launch to show command what we’re really dealing with — what power lines were down, what roads were open, what roads were blocked,” he said. “The software that the [state patrol had], you can launch 100 drones. Let’s say we do have a disaster. They could launch just five drones that will automatically transmit a live feed to a command center. When you don’t have that, you’re be -
ing the ball and you’re literally hurt for time.”
Starrett said American-made alternatives are much costlier and have less sophisticated software. For example, an Inspired Flight drone costs about $34,000, Starrett said. Helio, an American-made ag-spraying drone, costs $90,000, compared to about $30,000 for similar DJI ag-spraying drones.
He’s concerned about a bill advancing in the U.S. Senate that would add DJI to the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Covered List, meaning new models of DJI drones would be prohibited from operating on U.S. communications networks. It would also create a two-year U.S. Department of Transportation program to provide grants to local public safety agencies to buy drones not produced by a “foreign entity of concern.”
The U.S. House passed the bill Sept. 9 by voice vote. It has been referred to the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation. Analysts expect lawmakers will attempt to attach the bill as an amendment to the annual defense bill. The Law Enforcement Drone Association, along with other groups representing more than 6,000 first responders, wrote a letter to Senate Armed Services Committee members opposing the bill.
DJI has countered allegations of data security risks and highlighted actions to address security concerns, such as disabling the option for American drone pilots to sync flight records to DJI’s servers. As of Nov. 7, DJI will wipe any U.S.based flight data from its U.S.based server.
Adam Welsh, DJI’s global head of policy, recently addressed lawmakers’ security concerns in an online forum Sept. 19.
“DJI has never received a request for data under China’s National Security Law and National Intelligence Law,” Welsh wrote. “[I]f you’re a user in the U.S., and you choose to opt-in to sync images or videos with DJI servers, they’re synced with DJI’s U.S.-based servers. You have to opt-in to even do that, and no flight logs are uploaded to DJI servers.”
Starrett’s message for Iowa’s federal lawmakers is to listen to their constituents who would be impacted by this proposed ban.
“If there’s one thing that I can say, it’s do your damn homework before you vote on something that could decimate a great tool in law enforcement and agriculture,” he said. Jeff Patch is an Iowa-based writer focused on legal, regulatoryandpolicychallengesthat impact consumers, businesses and markets. Patch is a former Des Moines Register correspondentandPoliticostaffwriter.
“The Countering CCP Drone Act is harmful because it overlooks the immediate operational needs of public safety agencies, compromising first responders’ ability to respond effectively to emergencies,” according to the letter. “The over-reliance on unproven alternatives to established Chinese drone technology is impractical and dangerous.”
Girls Cross Country Team and Boy’s Junior Coby DeRadd solo Qualifies for State
For the first time since 2017, the PCM Girl’s Cross Country qualified as a team for state this year. As well as 5 girls qualifying individually: sophomore Lila Milani (5), freshman Darbey DeRaad (8), junior Abi Teeter (12), freshman Annie Ford (13), and sophomore Bailey Wheeler (14). Other PCM runners, Junior Regan Vannoy, placed 26 and Sophomore Ali Hilsabeck placed 31. Alongside the girls, boy runner Coby DeRaad, who is a junior, also qualified individually, being the only boy to qualify. C. DeRaad now enters his second year in a row as an individual qualifier. The girls team is currently ranked 6 in class 2A. Milani is also individually ranked 20 in class 2A. Milani qualified last year as a freshman individually as well. Going back to Fort Dodge for a second year in a row, Milani states, “It felt like a huge achievement knowing that I deserve it and I’ve worked so hard for it. As a team, it was super exciting. We all have worked very hard this year, so qualifying as a team was a really big accomplishment, and it overall just felt amazing to be able to not only experience state individually again but to experience it with my team. It was definitely more fun going as a team. The bus ride, getting ready together, warming up knowing we are going to be running this race not only individually but as a team too.” In the 2023 season Milani and D. DeRaad were the only qualifiers. Although in the 2022 season, Teeter qualified individually and is making it back this year. To celebrate going to state this year, Ford says they “celebrated by just training harder.” “We got right back to work, and of course we were happy, but we knew if we wanted to do good at state, we would have to keep on training and not just celebrate the whole time,” Ford continued. On the serious side, the team has been preparing this week both individually and as a team. Ford states, “I think we all had to individually prepare mentally by just gaining the strength that we needed, and as a team, I know we needed to bond and create good things where we knew we could push each other in the best way possible.” The girls placed 7 as a team at the state meet in Fort Dodge on Saturday. Individually, Milani led and placed at 43. D. DeRaad followed and placed at 59, Ford at 69, Teeter at 70, Hilsabeck at 101, Wheeler at 112, and Vannoy at 114. C. DeRaad finished at 81 in the boys race.
A “Behind the Scenes” of PCM Football
Piper Clark Web Editor
As the PCM football team prepared for round two of playoffs head coach, Greg Bonnett, reflected on the season and how the team is improving. He stated, “I think that we’ve ramped up our physicality in practice and all over better in preparation because that’s what it takes this time of year.” Bonnett continued, ”You’ve got to be preparing better and going harder than what you have before” if you want your team to win. What Bonnett is really hoping for in the next playoff round is “to see us improve on special teams for sure and seeing the whole team overall moving with a little bit better agility.” Each game the team has been improving and that shows in the previous games scores with PCM being undefeated this season; 9-0. Varsity captain, Harlan Shannon speaked on how the team would do in the second round of playoffs saying he is ”going to do whatever it takes to help the team.” Shannon states what is needed from being a team captain saying,”You have to keep the morale high and keep pushing through even when practice can be hard at times” he continued,”you gotta stay focused during practice no matter what and stay on the right track.” The team has been really practicing on bettering the special teams whenever they get the opportunity. Shannon continued by saying,”We’re going to do our best to shut them out (Greene County) and leave a big stand on the next week but take it one game at a time.”
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS BEST DRESSED!
November Students of the Month
Taylor Fairbanks
Parents: Brian & Tami Fairbanks
Future Plans: Attend DMACC for a buisness, medical, or forensics degree; than attend a 4 year university if needed Extracurricular Activites: Dance & Cheer
Favorite Classes: Composition & Spanish Advice for Underclassmen: “Follow your own path, nobody else has the same one as you.”
Best High School Memory: “Powderpuff & TeePeeing with the girls” Dream Job: Stay at home
Wife
Rylee Parsons Print Editor
Riley Graber
Parents: Darin & Emily
Graber
Future Plans: Play Football at an Undecided School with an Undecided Major Extracurricular Activities: Football, Track, & FCA
Favorite Class: Fitness
Advice for Underclassmen: “Cherish everything and do everything you love to the fullest as long as you can.”
Rylee Parsons Print Editor Students love to show support for any sport by dressing up for a specific theme each week, normally chosen by the senior class. This past week was no different, with the theme of “Halloween” being chosen for the second round playoffs against Greene County. With the game being just one day after Hallween itself, these football supporters did not disappoint! Juniors Carly Steenhoek, Cara Burkett, Lillian Humpal, and Tori Lindsay showed their Halloween spirit at Friday’s game by dressing up as Mount Rushmore, which is located in South Dakota. These juniors would go on to win best dressed for the night. Stay tuned for next week’s best dressed with the theme “Jungle,” where students will be dressing up as animals, safari guides, or anything that reminds them of the jungle!
Best High School Memory: “Playing my Senior year of Football with my people.” Dream Job: College Football Coach
Photo by: K. Grier
Among all the sports in the world, Nascar stands alone. Founded on February 21, 1948, this sport has been changing the racing world for 76 years. In the late 1920’s, automotive racing was just forming, races popping up all over the east coast. Nascar’s founder Bill France wanted to create a league to measure stats and determine champions. So at the streamline hotel in Daytona Beach, Florida, they came together for what is known as the continental congress of auto racing. Over time, as the world of automotive racing and Nascar changed, we have had some great champions, most notable being Richard Petty, Dale Earnheart, and Jimmy Johnson. They are the only seven-time champions in Nascar history. Today Nascar is as active as ever. The best Nascar drivers of today include Kyle Larson, William Byron, Chase Elliot, Tyler Reddick, and Ryan Blaney. Over the course of the season, they race at 36 racetracks. The last ten of them are known as playoff races. In the playoffs, they divide the races into rounds. Rounds consist of three races. At the beginning there are 16 playoff participants, and after each round four drivers are eliminated. At the end of the round of eight, there are only four drivers remaining, and they are known as that year’s championship four. The last four compete in a race to finish higher than the other three in a last race at Phoenix Raceway; this race is known as the championship. The driver that finishes higher than the other championship contenders is that year’s champion. Note that in each playoff race, all drivers still race as if it were a normal race even though they aren’t in the playoffs. In the championship race, the champion doesn’t even need to win the race but just finishes highest amongst the other championship drivers. While this style of playoff racing is good in some cases, it does have its flaws. This year driver Kyle Larson has had six wins up until this point (only the championship remaining) and leads all drivers in laps lead, poles, and sits top three in stage wins, but despite being the best driver, he got eliminated in the round of eight due to a controversial ending with the last two drivers cheating. While driver Joey Lagano was the 15th driver to enter the playoffs by also cheating to win, barely makes it to the round of 12, then gets eliminated, only to have the last driver to make the round of eight get disqualified due to some more controversy. So he makes the round of eight and cheats to win and locks himself into the championship with three total season wins that he cheated to win and one of the lowest average finishes amongst all drivers. Nascar is a great sport with a lot of controversy because the rules aren’t always upheld, but the majority of it is great action-packed racing, and I highly recommend you watch it. The championship race is on Sunday, November 10th, at 2 p.m. ET on NBC, and no they don’t just go in circles.
Addy Pederson TTV Editor
PCM football players show excitment after their first round win!
Photo by: B. Breckenridge
Sacn here to learn more about Freshmen Journalism Student Levi Edgett!
PCM football cruises into quarterfinals
MONROE — Adrien Robbins gained 256 total yards, Gavin Van Gorp accounted for five touchdowns and the PCM defense limited their opponent to single digits for the eighth time this season during the Mustangs’ 48-6 playoff win over Greene County on Nov. 1.
The Class 2A No. 1 PCM football team outscored the Rams 35-0 in the final three quarters and improved to 10-0 for the first time since 2020 and the fourth time since 2007.
The Mustangs advanced to the quarterfinals for the second straight season.
They will face Mid-Prairie (7-3) at 7 p.m. on Nov. 8 in Monroe. The winner advances to the state semifinals in the UNI-Dome.
The Golden Hawks downed Mediapolis, 35-14, in their second round playoff matchup.
Robbins opened the scoring with a 79-yard touchdown run. He also grabbed a 36-yard TD catch from Van Gorp in the third quarter.
Greene County scored its touchdown on a hook and lateral in the first. Trevon Keely caught a 5-yard pass from Crew Conner and then pitched the ball to Nick Stream for a 68-yard touchdown.
That’s all the Rams (5-5) could muster against PCM’s defense though. The Mustangs are surrendering only 8.2 points per game this fall.
Van Gorp capped the first-quarter scoring with a 2-yard TD run. He added two 1-yard scoring runs in the second and threw a 51-yard TD pass to Riley Graber with 4:07 to play until halftime.
The only other touchdown in the
Mustangs show off depth at state cross country meet
By
FORT DODGE — Only two girls cross country teams from PCM have ever qualified for the state meet. But it wasn’t until Nov. 2 that a Mustangs’ squad finished in the top 10 in the final team standings.
And with no seniors on their varsity roster, it could be just the beginning.
Class 2A No. 6 PCM finished its 2024 season with a seventh-place finish at the Iowa High School State Cross Country Championships at Lakeside Golf Course.
The Mustangs edged rival Albia by a single point despite the Lady Demons placing two runners in the top 30. The back end of PCM’s lineup was much better though.
“This is surreal. It’s an honor to be here,” PCM junior Raegan Vannoy said. “We all came into this season with the goal to be here and having that mindset helped us. And it’s fulfilling and rewarding because we all worked really hard for this.”
PCM’s lone male qualifier, junior Coby DeRaad, finished 81st in the boys’ 2A race.
The only other PCM girls’ squad to qualify for the state meet was the 2017 Mustangs. This year’s group spent the entire season ranked and a large chunk of that was in the top 10.
Junior Abi Teeter said the Mustangs were a top eight team before they stepped foot onto the girls’ 5K course in Fort Dodge.
The squad backed it up on Nov. 2, scoring 218 points in seventh. No. 7 Albia was eighth with 219 points, 10thranked Roland-Story (235) finished 10th and No. 8 Pella Christian (250) was 14th in the 16-team field.
Third-ranked McKenna Montgomery placed third in the race and the Lady Demons also had the better No. 2 and No. 3 runners.
But PCM’s No. 4 finisher, Teeter, was 37 spots in front of her Albia counterpart and sophomore Ali Hilsabeck was 18 spots ahead of her Lady Demon counterpart.
That ended up being a big reason why the Mustangs defeated Albia for the third time this season.
“I didn’t understand how big it was my freshman year when I ran here,” Tee-
ter said. “It was 10 times better having the team here, and I ran a lot better this year.”
Lila Milani, who entered the rankings at No. 20 last week, once again led the Mustangs in the girls’ 2A race. She was 43rd overall in a career-best time of 20 minutes, 36.5 seconds. She was 79th in last year’s race as a freshman.
“I was expecting better things, but I did get a PR,” Milani said. “I wanted to do better, but I have two more years. I’m going to do whatever I can control.”
Milani and Teeter were the only two runners from PCM’s girls squad who had any experience at the state meet.
Freshmen Darbey DeRaad and Annie Ford were the next two finishers. DeRaad placed 59th in 21:01.4 and Ford was 69th in 21:16.8. Teeter’s season-best 21:17.5 placed her 70th and Hilsabeck was 101st in 22:05.5.
“I didn’t expect it to be as good as it was,” Hilsabeck said. “I was running with Raegan (Vannoy) and Bailey (Wheeler) most of the race, which was super fun. Everyone cheering was a great experience, too.”
Wheeler (22:17) and Vannoy (22:27) were non-scoring runners in 112th and 114th, respectively.
The runners faced the coldest temperatures of the season throughout the weekend. Darbey DeRaad and Teeter both prefer cold weather to the alternative and Milani thought the conditions were “perfect running weather.”
But Wheeler was not as enthused. She prefers it to be a little bit warmer.
“I don’t like the cold. I’d rather have it be hot,” Wheeler said. “I think it affected me mentally maybe, but it was all right. I love the cheering and the course wasn’t hard compared to the hilly ones we’ve ran on this year.
“It was super fun and being here with the whole team was awesome.”
Second-ranked Mid-Prairie scored 84 points and edged third-ranked Unity Christian (92) by eight points to win the 2A girls team title.
Top-ranked Van Meter (114) was third followed by fourth-ranked Tipton (153) and No. 10 Denver (169). Eleventh-ranked Sumner-Fredericksburg (184) was sixth.
game came on a 42-yard pick 6 by Keegan Fenton late in the third.
Robbins finished with 170 yards and one TD on 24 carries and grabbed three passes for 86 yards and one touchdown.
Robbins leads 2A with 2,364 all-purpose yards. His 1,807 rushing yards rank second in the class and his 9.8 yards per carry ranks first.
Robbins also has 26 total TDs, which ranks eighth in 2A and his 21 rushing scores are third.
Van Gorp was 7-of-12 through the air for 171 yards and two TDs. He also rushed for 16 yards and three scores.
Van Gorp leads 2A with 39 total touchdowns, a quarterback rating of 266 and a completion percentage of 75.2. His 27 passing TDs rank second and he sits 11th in 2A with 1,438 passing yards.
Graber grabbed two passes for 62 yards and one TD. His 12 touchdown catches are tied for the 2A lead.
Gavin Steenhoek compiled 23 yards on two catches, Danson Drake’s only catch went for 10 yards and Sawyer Bouwkamp rushed for 11 yards on four carries.
The Mustangs ran for 196 yards on 37 carries and had a 13-10 advantage in first downs.
Finn Wilson led the defense with 9.5 tackles and one fumble recovery. Tad Wilson posted a career-best nine tackles, Shay Burns totaled 7.5 tackles and Trenner Van Dyke registered four tackles and two tackles for loss.
Van Dyke’s 19 tackles for loss this fall ranks fifth in 2A and he’s tied for fourth with nine sacks.
Troy Hyde/PCM Explorer
PCM freshmen Darbey DeRaad and Annie Ford embrace after finishing the Class 2A girls’ 5K race at the state cross country meet on Nov. 2 at Lakeside Golf Course in Fort Dodge. The 2A No. 6 Mustangs finished seventh in the girls team race.
Troy Hyde/PCM Explorer
PCM junior Coby DeRaad (1066) goes up the final hill at Lakeside Golf Course inside Kennedy Park at the state cross country meet on Nov. 2 in Fort Dodge.
Troy Hyde PCM Explorer
PCM Explorer
Troy Hyde/PCM Explorer
PCM senior Gavin Van Gorp, right, accounted for five touchdowns in the Mustangs’ 48-6 playoff win over Greene County on Nov. 1. Van Gorp and the top-ranked PCM football team hosts Mid-Prairie in the quarterfinals at 7 p.m. on Nov. 8 in Monroe. CROSS
Troy Hyde/ PCM Explorer
PCM sophomore
Lila Milani (924) led the Mustangs in 43rd in the Class 2A girls’ 5K race at the state cross country meet in Fort Dodge on Nov. 2.
PCM head cross country coach
Eric Osterhaus said PCM’s pack running ended up being the difference between finishing seventh instead of eighth.
“Overall, it was a really good race and a really good experience with most of them being here for the first time,” Osterhaus said. “They came and competed and did exactly what we wanted them to do.
“When you can pack up that’s ideal. You want the first five to be together. There was a bigger gap today than normal. They ran really well and when you pack up, they pull each other along. The packs are what got us seventh.”
Top-ranked Noelle Steines won her fourth state championship, winning her first 2A title in 18:12.8. Second-ranked Laura Streck of Van Meter was the runner-up in 18:31.8 and Montgomery’s third-place time was clocked in 18:43.4.
“It sounds good,” Ford said about the team’s seventh-place finish. “We worked so much for that. And that’s crazy to just hear. I feel like we can come back even stronger next year.”
That is the plan for a Mustangs’ squad who did not officially have a head coach until late in the offseason.
“I didn’t take the position until early (last) summer so the expectations going into this summer and coming off track season will be much higher this year,” Osterhaus said. “We’ll set the expectations high.”
Coby DeRaad has high expectations for himself. He thought his performance was ‘fine.’
After finishing 101st as a sophomore last year, Coby DeRaad moved up to 81st this season. His time was clocked in 17:54.9.
“Physically, I was off a little bit. 80 something is fine. 17:50 something is fine,” DeRaad said. “I think I was never at my peak physically. Things just kept getting away from me. My mind was blank, and I got
toward the end and I couldn’t see very well and things were blurry. The results won’t show what I was hoping for.”
Coby DeRaad said his biggest hurdle is figuring out how to avoid ‘mini fights’ on the course throughout the race.
“There are so many people running and they are all so close in time,” Coby DeRaad said. “You are always within 10 people. I spent a lot of energy on those little fights. You switch places so many times. I just need to figure out how to run my own race here and quit fighting with those around me. That’s a waste of energy almost.”
Second-ranked Emerson Vokes of Grundy Center won the boys’ 2A title in 15:37.5.
No. 12 Alex Torres of Vinton-Shellsburg was the runner-up in 15:55.3.
The top two finishing teams were 1-2 in the rankings, too. No. 1 Oelwein won the 2A boys’ title with 113 points. No. 2 Mid-Prairie (128) was second, No. 3 Chariton (176) finished fifth and No. 13 Pella Christian (243) was 13th.
While Coby DeRaad was disappointed in his own performance, Osterhaus was not. Everyone is fast at the state meet and DeRaad gave it his all.
“He got out, competed and did his job,” Osterhaus said. “He put it all on the line. When you go out fast and you’re not leading the race but you ran a PR for the first mile, it’s a mental thing. You feel behind because of where you are, but the pace is fast so you are almost drowning the entire time. It’s a tough thing to get over, but it takes hard work, getting used to the fast pace and being able to hold the pace longer.”
Notes: Teeter continues to defy the odds, competing at a high level with Cystic Fibrosis. She also battled pneumonia during the season. Hilsabeck also found out two weeks ago that she’s anemic. “I had been feeling tired and light headed every time I ran. We went and got it checked it out,” Hilsabeck said. “I have been taking iron supplements so just being healthier and knowing how to manage that should help me next year.” ... The 15th and final medalist in the girls’ race posted a time of 19:29.3. The boys’ 15thplace finisher hit the line in 16:31.1.
IHSAA delays moving golf to fall season
The transition of golf seasons for Classes 3A, 2A and 1A was discussed for the third consecutive meeting, with action taken late last month to postpone any change in golf seasons for the foreseeable future.
The IHSAA and IGHSAU had announced in August a move for girls’ tennis and all boys’ golf classes to be played in the fall starting in 2025-26.
However, the Board of Control voted to delay the boys golf change indefinitely so the sport will remain in the spring for 2025-26 and until the board considers additional information.
“We considered the feedback from our member schools and the board ultimately decided it was worth reconsidering our initial vote,” said board chairperson Dr. Andy Crozier, superintendent at Central Lee. “It became clear that there were too many obstacles that need to be resolved in the short-term to make this change for the 2025-26 school year.”
The change was announced in August as a way to reduce spring schedule congestion for school activities and improve the student-athlete golf experience.
Since then, the IHSAA’s numerous committees and school feedback structures often cited challenges with small school participation in fall sports, coaching conflicts and golf course availability.
Discussions among the board turned the golf seasons from a discussion item to an action item and resulted in a 5-3 vote to delay moving the sport.
Class 4A boys golf will remain in the fall, where it has been exclusively since 1993.
“We appreciate our Board’s desire to continue its due diligence as it more fully considers a possible move of Class 1A, 2A and 3A golf to a fall season,” IHSAA executive director Tom Keating said. “We will continue to provide them with whatever information they need regarding the impact on and perspective of our member schools.”
Riley Graber
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Carson Hansen finished with four tackles, Bouwkamp and Brevin DeRaad each had 3.5 tackles and Kaden Clark collected three tackles.
Dominic Witt booted four of his eight kickoffs for touchbacks. He leads 2A with 58 touchbacks.
Stream led Greene County with 109 rushing yards and one TD on 26 carries and 26 receiving yards on five catches.
Conner threw for 99 yards and one interception and Keely grabbed
six passes for 58 yards. The Rams rushed for 140 yards on 35 carries. The loss snapped Greene County’s three-game win streak. The
Rams averaged nearly 27 points per game in their wins but scored fewer than 12 points per game in their losses.
The Mustangs, who defeated Greene County 42-0 in their only other meeting listed on Bound, are one of two 10-0 teams in 2A.
Mid-Prairie started 0-3, but the Golden Hawks are outscoring opponents 274-74 during their current seven-game win streak.
Mid-Prairie is 2-1 against PCM since 2012. The Mustangs won 36-0 in last year’s playoffs.
PCM
Hansen
Troy Hyde/PCM Explorer
PCM junior Abi Teeter (925) closes in on the finish line during the Class 2A girls’ race at the state cross country meet inside Kennedy Park at Lakeside Golf Course in Fort Dodge. Teeter helped the state-ranked Mustangs finish seventh in the team standings.
Troy Hyde/PCM Explorer
PCM junior Charlie Ford chips during a meet last season. The Iowa High School Athletic Association reversed its decision to move boys’ golf to the spring recently.
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