Colfax-Mingo celebrates the Class of 2025 at graduation May 25
And the award goes to...
Baxter seniors earn thousands of dollars in scholarships to help in the next phase of their life
By Jamee A. Pierson Jasper County
The Baxter Community Educational Scholarships group recently awarded more than $110,000 to recentl Baxter graduates. It was the 30th anniversary of the group assisting senior moving on to the next phase of their life.
Those awarded by Baxter Community Educational Scholarships and additional awards and scholarships includes: Student Role Model Scholarship — Hudson Bethards, Josslyn Travis Baxter Community Educational Scholarship — Adison Bonney, Nicole Bunse, Karlee Koehler Milligan Family Foundation Scholarship — Rylee Van Beek Tipton-Krampe Families Scholarship — Cade Robinson Kenneth D. Bucklin Memorial Scholarship — Cainan Travis Jerry & Bonnie (Orr) Loupee
SCHOLARSHIPS | 3
EMS providers recognized at same time countywide affiliation is established
Supervisors sign proclamation for National Emergency Medical Services Week
By Christopher Braunschweig Jasper County Tribune
Is there no better time to establish a countywide EMS affiliation than during National Emergency Medical Services Week?
Supervisors officially recognized EMS providers in a proclamation the same day local agencies agreed to a countywide EMS affiliation. Jamey Robinson, director of Jasper County Emergency Management Agency, told Newton News how important the affiliation
is for agencies and the people they serve.
“Getting the EMS affiliation established is a big step forward for the county,” he said. “It brings consistency, improved coordination and better access to resources for all agencies involved. Most importantly, it strengthens the emergency care we’re able to provide our residents.”
Establishing a countywide EMS affiliation has been a goal of Robinson’s ever since he was hired
Meet the 2025 Jasper County Fair Queen candidates
The nine candidates will take the stage June 14 in opes of being crowned queen
Meredith Chipps
Meredith Chipps is the daughter of Mitchell and Melissa Chipps. She recently graduated from PCM High School. This fall she plans to attend Iowa State University. Some activities she’s involved in are golf, FFA, 4-H and National Honor Society. Chipps would like to represent the Jasper County Fair as queen because she would like to meet more people from our county, make more memories and continue to express her love for our county fair to others.
Lindy Bokhoven
Lindy Bokhoven is the daughter of Cassie Elscott and sister of Dakotah Bokhoven. She attends Lynnville-Sully High School and is a part of the Lynnville-Sully FFA Chapter, Lynnville-Sully Dance Team and the Kilduff Hotshots 4-H club. She would love to represent our county as fair queen because she is passionate about different animals and keeping agriculture an important aspect of my county, state, country and community.
Avery Meyer Avery Meyer is a recent graduate at Newton Senior High School. Her parents are Cory and Kristina Meyer. She has been very involved throughout high school, participating in numerous activities such as the swim team, soccer, trap shooting, 4-H, FFA, county council, Quilts of Valor, student council, silver cord (100+ community service hours), red cord (donating blood 3+ times), the youth
EMS | 3 QUEEN | 10
Chipps
Meyer Bokhoven
Jamee A. Pierson/Jasper County Tribune
Grant Anderegg was selected as senior speaker for the Class of 2025 at the Baxter graduation ceremony.
Christopher Braunschwieg/Jasper County Tribune
Tribune
Summer programs at the Colfax Public Library
• Thursday, June 5 - 2-3:30 p.m. Sprint Car Visit at library
Learn about sprint car racing, sign up for the summer reading program, get a free zoo pass, choose a free book, and more! courtesy of Jamie Ball Racing
• Thursday, June 19 2-3 p.m.
Black Mambas author story time & program at Women’s Club Park Black Mambas story time by author Kelly Crull. Fun learning activities and snacks in the park!
• Thursday, June 26 - 2-3 p.m. Scavenger Hunt at Quarry Springs Park Nature scavenger hunt and then read books on blankets in the park! We will be on the southwest corner of the lake for this event. Snacks provided.
• Thursday, July 3 - 10:3011:30 a.m. Water Balloons at Kelly Fields Water balloon fun! After all the balloons are popped, read books on blankets in the park. All supplies and snacks provided.
• Thursday, July 10 - 10:3011:30 a.m. Blank Park Zoo at Howard St Church
Join us for a presentation with LIVE zoo animals!
• Thursday, July 17 - 10:3011:30 a.m. Saving Our Avian Resources (SOAR) at Howard St Christian Church
Join us for a presentation with LIVE raptors!
• Thursday, July 24 - 10:30
a.m.-12:30 p.m. Gaming Truck at library
Earn tickets to play video games in this cool game truck! Video games, iPads, and board games in the library while you wait for your designated time. Snack provided!
• Thursday, July 31 - 10:3011:30 a.m. Frisbee fun at Lewis Park
Frisbee fun and games! After frisbee, read books on blankets in the park. Snacks provided.
• Friday, Aug. 1 - 7-9pm Pool Party at Colfax Pool
All participants, kids, adults and their families are invited. Food and drink provided. Drawings for summer reading program prizes. You do not have to be present to win. See you there!
• Thursday, Aug. 4 10:30-11:30 a.m. Books & Badges Story Time at library Learn about a police officer’s job and tools with Police Chief Burdess.
Help protect Iowa’s forests - Leave firewood at home
Thousands of Iowans will be camping and building campfires throughout the summer. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) encourages campers to buy firewood from where they will burn it instead of bringing it from home.
“Moving unseasoned firewood around the state can threaten the health of our forests by spreading insects like emerald ash borer (EAB), oak wilt, and other pests that live in firewood,” Tivon Feeley, DNR Forest Health Forester, said.
Plenty of firewood is available locally to your
favorite state or county park. Ask a park ranger or campground host where you can get local firewood. Make sure you burn all of your firewood at your campsite; don’t leave it or transport to a new area.
The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship requires all firewood sold or acquired in Iowa to have the county and state of harvest location on the label of packages and the delivery ticket for bulk firewood.
Learn more about the importance of using local or certified heat-treated firewood at www.dontmovefirewood.org/.
Wetland and Prairie Field Day June 12 near Haverhill
Iowa Learning Farms, in partnership with the Middle Iowa Watershed Management Authority and Marshall County Natural Resource Conservation Service, will host a wetland and prairie field day from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Thursday, June 12 at Tony and Roberta Brink’s farm, 2551 Marsh Ave., near Haverhill. The no cost event is open to farmers and landowners and includes a complimentary meal.
Wetlands and prairie once dominated the Iowa landscape and today they continue to provide important benefits to water quality and wildlife habitat. Strategically placed wetlands can also help reduce with downstream flooding. This field day will explore the wetland system developed on the property and aims to assist farmers and landowners with establishing and maintaining perennial vegetation. These areas offer many benefits including pollinator habitat, reducing soil erosion from
HOWARD ST. CHRISTIAN CHURCH
(Disciples of Christ) Pastor Josh Burns 101 N. Locust St., Colfax Cell - 515-779-3148
SUNDAY - 10 a.m. Fellowship;10:30 a.m. Worship, in person or online via YouTube
WEDNESDAY - 3:30 p.m. After school elementary youth; 6:15 ChiRho and CYF youth supper; 7:30 p.m. Youth Group
THIRD SUNDAY - 8 p.m. Elders meeting, Board meeting after church; Collect for Food Pantry
FOURTH SUNDAY - Potluck Dinner
FIFTH SUNDAY - Potluck Breakfast
FIRST MONDAY - WIC appointments
FOURTH & FIFTH TUESDAY - 3 p.m. Table of Grace
IRA UNITED CHURCH
Pastors Doug Cupples and Phil Butler
SUNDAY - 9:30 a.m. Church service;
sensitive areas, building soil health, and providing beauty to the landscape.
The field day will begin with landowner Tony Brink highlighting the work he has done since purchasing the property in 1990 to increase wildlife habitat through the creation of wetlands and prairie. Kay Stefanik, Iowa Nutrient Research Center Assistant Director, will discuss the benefits of wetlands on the landscape and Kevin Andersen, Iowa DNR State Private Lands Biologist, will share best management practices for establishing and maintaining prairie. Doug Roupp, Marshall NRCS District Conservationist, will share updates on cost share programs for implementing wetlands and prairie on the land. Emily Herring, Director of Marshall County Conservation Board, will be available after lunch for prairie plant identification.
The driveway to enter the site is located north of the homestead on the west side of the road and will be marked with field day signs. Insect repellent will be provided and attendees are encouraged to wear long pants and closed toe shoes.
The event is offered at no cost and open to farmers and landowners, though we require reservations to ensure adequate space and food. For reasonable accommodations and to RSVP, contact Liz
Church Schedules
10:30 a.m. Sunday school Communion first Sunday
METZ COMMUNITY CHURCH
3253 W. 62nd St. S., Newton Pastor David Rex 641-521-4354
SUNDAY - 9 a.m. Sunday school; 10:10 a.m. Worship Last Saturday of month - 8 a.m. Men’s Breakfast
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, Colfax Minister, Pastor Cody Dyer Church Office 674-4165
SUNDAY, June 1- 9 a.m. Fellowship; 9:15 a.m. Bible Education Classes; 10:25 a.m. Communion Service, Message by Pastor Cody Dyer; 5 p.m.
“The Well” Youth Group - 1st Annual Costume Kickball
MONDAY, June 2 - 6 p.m. Deacon/ Deaconess meeting
TUESDAY, June 3 - 3:30 p.m. Women’s Prayer and Coffee; 6:30 p.m. Gospel of John Bible Study
WEDNESDAY, June 4 - 9 a.m. Busy Bee Quilters and Fresh Encounter Prayer
THURSDAY, June 5 - 6:30 p.m.
515-674-3155 www.coburnfuneralhomes.com
Men’s Group
SACRED HEART CATHOLIC CHURCH Newton, Iowa
SATURDAY - 4 p.m. Mass
SUNDAY - 9 a.m. Mass
COLFAX FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
S. Locust & W. Division St. Office - 674-3782
Rev. Phil Dicks pastor
SUNDAY - 10:30 a.m. Family Worship with Holy Communion; Sunday School
SUNDAY - 9 a.m. Worship service (Sunday school not meeting at this time)
ASHTON CHAPEL
8887 W. 122nd St. N., Mingo
Ripley at 515-294-5429 or ilf@iastate.edu by June 5. Attendees will be entered in a drawing for ISU Prairie Strips honey. Iowa Learning Farms field days and workshops are supported by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. For more information about Iowa Learning Farms, visit www.iowalearningfarms. org.
Pastors: Larry Craig & Mark Eddy
SUNDAY - 9 a.m. Sunday school; 10 a.m. Worship
BETHANY UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST 5627 N. 95th Ave. W., Baxter 641-227-3402
Pastor Chris Hayward
SUNDAY - 9 a.m. Sunday School (Sunday after Labor Day to second Sunday in May); 10 a.m. Sunday Worship. First Sunday communion. All are welcome. baxterbethanyucc. org
WEDNESDAYS - 1st & 3rd - 6:30 p.m. Mens Bible Study 2nd & 4th - 6:30 p.m. Men’s and Womens Bible Study
THURSDAYS 10 a.m. - Womens Bible Study
BAXTER CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 218 S. Main, Baxter Pastor Ben Spera Church: 641-227-3382
SUNDAY - 10 a.m. Worship
WEDNESDAY - 6 p.m. Bible Study
THIRD THURSDAY of month6:30 p.m. Theology on Tap at Bea’s Place on Main Street Check us out on Facebook and baxtercongregational.com
CORNERSTONE BIBLE FELLOWSHIP 1000 E. 12th St., Newton Rev. Josh Farver, pastor Phone 641-792-4650
SUNDAY - 9 a.m. Sunday school; 10:15 a.m. Worship WEDNESDAY - 6:30 p.m. Prayer Meeting and Bible Study; Youth Group
HERITAGE WORD OF LIFE ASSEMBLY OF GOD 102 Second St. NW, Mitchellville Pastor Dave Adams 515-967-3330
SUNDAY - 9 a.m. Bible
Submitted Photo
A wetland and prairie field day is scheduled for Thursday, June 12 at Tony and
Roberta Brink’s farm near Haverhill.
Scholarships
Continuedfrompage1
Foundation Scholarship — Grant Anderegg, Hudson Bethards, Adison Bonney, Nicole Bunse, Jacob Damman, Hannah Huffaker, Karlee Koehler, Abigail Meyer, Logan Rainsbarger, Matthew Richardson, Cade Robinson, Carter Smith, Cadence Spurgeon, Perrin Sulzle, Cainan Travis, Josslynn Travis, Emersen Tuhn, Rylee Van Beek
Curt Hansen Scholarship — Abigail Meyer
EMS
Continuedfrompage1
National EMS Week is observed May 18-24. According to the proclamation, Jasper County recognized EMS professionals for providing critical, life-saving care to residents and for responding to emergencies with skill, compassion and unwavering commitment. Robinson noted the
Jerry Gunderson Small Scholarship — Adison Bonney
Merit Scholarship - University of Wisconsin, Platteville — Adison Bonney
Academic Decathlon Cord — Kieren
Chugg
National High School Rodeo Stoll, Iowa High School Rodeo Queen for 2024-2024 — Addison Kerwin
Wesley Life Scholarship — Abigail
Meyer
Mercy One Scholarshp — Abagail
Meyer
Consumer Energy Scholarship — Logan Rainsbarger
Presidential Merit Scholarship -
proclamation means a lot.
“This isn’t just a document you guys are signing to recognize this week, I think the board of supervisors in Jasper County has done a phenomenal job of supporting our local EMS services with the money that you’ve given us to start working on some of this affiliation stuff and building the EMS system,” he said.
Early on when the county launched its ALS program, some believed the county was
Simpson College — Logan Rainsbarg-
er
Wayne State Athletics Scholarship —
Matthew Richardson
Bethany UCC Scholarship — Cade
Robinson
John Stanley Crewwell Agricultural Scholarship — Carter Smith
Iowa Waste Water Association Scholarship — Carter Smith
DMACC Foundation Scholarship — Cadence Spurgeon
Dakota Wesleyan University
Achievement Academic and Athletic Scholarship — Perrin Sulzle Hixson Opportunity Award - Iowa State University — Cainan Travis
trying to take over jurisdictions of volunteer agencies.
There was a lot of resentment. But Robinson said discussions about the countywide EMS affiliation have all been positive.
“This isn’t about the county wanting to take over an EMS system,” Robinson said to supervisors. “It’s wanting to support and build the system across Jasper County, so I want to thank you guys for that. I want to make people aware this isn’t just signing a piece
Katheryn D. and Silas Sharp Memorial Scholarship - Iowa State University — Cainan Travis
Forever Scholar Award - Iowa State University — Cainan Travis
Catt Scholarship - Iowa State University — Josslyn Travis
Cross Country and Track and Field Scholarships - Grandview University — Makayla True
Iowa Scholars Award - University of Iowa — Emerson Tuhn
Regent’s Scholarship — Rylee Van Beek
Orange Grant — Rylee Van Beek
Meistrisinger Scholarship - Wartburg College — Rylee Van Beek
of paper … You are supporting this all the way around.”
Steve Ashing, deputy director of Jasper County EMA, said local EMS agencies met the night of May 20 to acknowledge whether they want to join the affiliation. Already, funds have been used to finance a protocol app for all first responders to use. Ashing said the app is being tested at the moment to see if issues pop up.
“Kind of a big step tonight,”
Ashing said of the EMS affiliation sign-in meeting. “…The way we understand it right now is we have 100 percent participation. The proof is in the signatures, so we’ll find out for sure tonight. For all indications we have so far, it’s going to be 100 percent. So we’re pretty excited about that.” Robinson confirmed with Newton News that the affiliation was established pending council approval from Newton.
Interesting facts about America’s national parks
National parks are a source of pride for hundreds of millions of Americans
America’s National Park Service is more than 100 years old. President Woodrow Wilson signed the act that created the NPS on August 25, 1916, and since then the parks have attracted a steady stream of nature lovers who want to take in all the beauty the parks have to offer. National parks are a source of price for hundreds of millions of Americans, and the following are some interesting facts about these special places across North America.
• Acadia National Park in Maine is the oldest national park east of the Mississippi River, tracing its origins to 1916. Landscape architect Charles Eliot and American preservationist George Dorr were influential in the establishment of the park, as was American financier John D. Rockefeller, Jr., who was vital to the construction of a network of carriage roads that ran throughout the park upon its opening.
• Arches National Park is appropriately named. The park, located in eastern Utah, features more than 2,000 natural sandstone arches, including the
FOR A PAIN
well-known and widely recognized Delicate Arch.
• Biscayne National Park south of Miami, Florida, is 95 percent water. Perhaps that’s why a half dozen shipwrecks spanning nearly a century have been mapped on the park’s Maritime Heri-
tage Trail.
• Capitol Reef National Park in south-central Utah contains rocks that History.com notes have estimated to be as much as 270 million years old.
• Sea turtles are among the many notable features of Dry Tortugas National
Park, which is located roughly 70 miles west of Key West. Accessibility is another notable quirk of the park, which can only be reached via seaplane.
• Glacier Bay National Park in southeast Alaska is covered by 2,000 square miles of glaciers. No roads lead to Glacier Bay National Park, which is typically reached by air or sea travel.
• Great Basin National Park in Nevada features the Lehman Cave system, which began forming 550 million years ago while the area was still submerged in a shallow ocean.
• American fjord fans may think of Norway when seeking these beautiful bodies of water, but they can see some right within the nation’s borders as well. Kenai Fjords National Park in Alaska contains numerous coastal fjords that were carved by glaciers.
• The national park system is so expansive it actually extends south of the equator. The National Park of American Samoa is the only national park south of the equator, and even features a World War II gun emplacement.
The advertisement on Facebook was irresistible, like one of Ginnie’s strawberry-rhubarb pies. The advertisement was for a handheld, 110 volt, stick welder. It was about the size of a handheld electric drill. The video showed it welding everything from sheet metal to horseshoes. And the price was amazingly low, under $50. Ah, just what I needed, something small that I could take with me for miscellaneous welding jobs. I might even use it in the barn instead of my 220V MIG welder.
I did hesitate, wondering if this low price miracle welder was a scam. If it’s too good to be true, it probably is. But I went ahead and bit, and used my credit card.
Almost immediately I was notified that my hand-held stick welder was being shipped. I was impressed, thinking I’d have the welder the next
day. What the shipping notification failed to mention was that it was being shipped from China. When I finally realized it, the tariff war was in full battle. I figured I’d be lucky if I ever got it.
But I did, about month after I ordered it. I was excited, like a kid with a new toy. I had been mostly unproductive all winter because of illness. This handheld welder would motivate me to build something. I wanted to build a Sundial Birdbath. Yes. It was my own creation and I might be able to use the handheld welder to make the Roman Numeral hours.
I opened the box the welder came in. It was in a nice carrying case, ideal for taking with me to a job site. I could really impress someone. But one of the first things I noticed was that the hand held welder had an am-
Life is messy
By Bryan Golden
Life is what happens while you are making other plans. I have devoted a lot of space in this column to planning and goal setting. Reality offers an endless barrage of diversions, detours, challenges, and obstacles. This fact doesn’t negate the benefit of preparation. It simply requires an understanding of the type of forces at work.
A sailor would be remiss if he didn’t understand how to handle storms, currents, tides, sandbars, fog, and darkness. Although the sailor has a clear destination in mind, the sea has its own characteristics that can’t be avoided or overcome. Should a mariner deny its existence his time afloat is certainly limited.
Just as the seasoned mariner recognizes and comprehends the behavior of the ocean, you need to accept the existence of life’s surprises. Once you do this, you will enhance your ability to successfully navigate the sea of life. What should you do when your day becomes messy? How do you weather storms and avoid being derailed by obstacles? How do you respond when your plans fall apart? What strategy is appropriate when you feel things are going from bad to worse?
A messy day is no more unusual than waves on the water. Just go with the flow. Don’t panic or despair. Problems will be resolved and pass. With time they will seem insignificant if they are remembered at all. Accept messy days as normal and a fact of nature. You can’t stop or prevent them but you can ride them out.
Imagine walking down a bowling lane while people were bowling. You had no choice; you needed to get from one end to the other. What would you do? If you were to panic and stand still you would surely get hit by a bowling ball. To avoid injury, you would need to keep moving while constantly changing direction to avoid oncoming balls. Yet you would always have the other end of the lane in sight.
Employing this strategy, you would make it to the end of the lane unscathed. You begin each day at one end of the lane. The far end represents the end of the day. Some days there are no balls being thrown at you. Other days they are non-stop. Your life is no more than many days lined up in a row. If you get through each one, you get through life.
There are those days when everything feels like it’s going downhill fast. One problem is followed by another. You barely have time to catch your breath. So be it. It happens. The challenge is to maintain your attitude in the face of this barrage. This isn’t easy. But if you don’t do it you risk becoming overwhelmed.
Separate the issues. Deal with each one independently. Choose a course of action for each, take it, and then move onto the next one. Don’t analyze things to death. Make a decision. If you don’t, someone or something will make it for you and it may not be one you are happy with. All the problems together are like a big box filled with bricks. Trying to move the box while it’s full is extremely difficult, if not impossible. Take one brick at a time and you can move any size box regardless of what it weighs when it’s loaded to capacity.
These are just a few suggestions. Find the one that works for you and stick with it. You have to get through each day anyway, so you may as well be an active participant. If you threw your hands up in frustration, you throw away your rudder and make yourself vulnerable to drifting out of control.
Life is messy. Develop techniques to make the best of things and do what it takes to get the most from each day. Bryan is the author of “Dare to Live Without Limits.” Contact Bryan at Bryan@columnist.com or visit www. DareToLiveWithoutLimits.com
SPEAK OUT
How to contact your elected officials Jasper County Supervisors
Brandon Talsma, chair 4309 W Fourth St. S. • Newton, IA 50208 641-526-3142 btalsma@jasperia.org
Doug Cupples, vice chair 1205 S. 20th Ave. W. • Newton, IA 50208 641-521-8725 dcupples@jasperia.org
Thad Nearmyer
4360 S. 96th Ave. W. • Monroe, IA 50170 641-891-8863 tnearmyer@jasperia.org
perage adjustment, starting with 20 amps and progressing to 80 amps. Really? Out of a 110V outlet? I checked the breaker box in the barn. All of the breakers for the 110V outlets were rated at 20 amps.
Just as I surmised, at 20 amps, the welder could weld thin sheet metal. When I cranked up the amperage for heavier material, it blew a breaker. So much for the usefulness of the handheld welder. I’m not about to replace the 20 amp breakers with larger breakers and risk burning down the barn. If it sounds to good to be true...
So I proceeded to build my Sundial Birdbath, or Birdbath Sundial, whichever you prefer. I used a farm disk blade for the sundial-birdbath, and a RR spike for the hour indicator. Welding the Roman Numeral hours onto the disk blade with the MIG welder was tricky. This is where I had hoped to use the hand held welder, but it failed me. I trashed one disk blade learning how to lay the bead with the MIG. I kept burning holes through the blade until I had the amperage set
right. But I’m pleased with my first Sundial Birdbath. It even holds water.
Ginnie tells me that I have my 8 wrong. I have it as “IIX.” Ginne says it should be “VIII.” She’s right, of course. The birds could care less. And it’s accurate time wise (CDT). This way the birds can tell what time it is when they get a drink, or take a bath! They don’t want to miss the Nightly News. They’re trying to keep track of the bird flu epidemic. I didn’t do much welding or plasma cutting this winter due to illness. I did make one consignment piece, a heron. Well, two herons. One for consignment, the other for us. But it took me forever. I kept having trouble with the plasma cutter, like it was ill also. I haven’t noticed the heron getting a drink from the Sundial Birdbath. Yet. Give it time. Get it?
Note: Ginnie likes the Sundial Birdbath and says we should keep it. If I can find bases, I can make a couple more. If I have time.
Contact Curt Swarm at curtswarm@yahoo.com
No more handouts for the idle rich
living high off the hog
Our nation’s safety net shouldn’t be strained by subsidizing the lifestyles of the self-sufficient. Yet, too many of the idle rich are living high off the hog, collecting government checks for not working, while at the same time earning a million dollars or more from some other side venture.
Thousands of out-of-work millionaires were paid more than $271 million in unemployment assistance during the first two years of the Biden administration (amounts are from tax years 2021 and 2022, numbers for 2023 and 2024 are not yet available).
Based on an analysis of tax returns from individuals and households reporting incomes of $1 million or more:
In 2021, 14,972 millionaires collected $213.6 million of unemployment payments, about $14,267 each.
In 2022, 5,773 millionaires were paid $57.6 million in jobless benefits, nearly $10,000 each.
YOUR VIEW
Miller-Meeks is hurting Iowans
Trump’s “big, beautiful, bill” passed the House by just one vote. Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks had an opportunity to be the deciding vote that protects her constituents, but instead sold Iowa out to the top 1 percent. This bill provides tax cuts to billionaires on the backs of working-class people and the essential programs that they depend on to survive.
For all her grandstanding
SHARE YOUR VIEW
The million-dollar question is “WHY?”
Unemployment compensation is intended to support those who become involuntarily unemployed, presumably with no other source of income. But, a 1964 LBJ Great Society era Department of Labor regulation requires paying unemployment benefits to anyone who loses a job, regardless of other income. This includes those who continue earning millions of dollars.
Because the program is funded primarily by taxing employers, this mandate is effectively a reverse-millionaires tax that takes from overworked small businesses to reward the wealthy who are living well without working.
Able-bodied millionaires shouldn’t expect handouts made
about this bill tackling “waste, fraud, and abuse”, it adds $3.8 trillion to our national deficit. For all her trumpeting that this bill benefits low-income families, the Penn Wharton Budget Model found that including tax cuts, the bottom 20 percent of earners will in fact pay an additional $1,035 in 2026. For all her boasting that this bill supports small businesses, reports show that job losses may be in the millions.
possible by the overtaxed and overworked Americans who are running businesses and creating jobs. That is why I am giving my May 2025 Squeal Award to the out-of-work millionaires, who chose to fill out the form to collect unemployment payments rather than a job application. Americans widely support Republicans’ proposed work requirements for public assistance, like Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP or food stamps) for lower income folks, so I’m proposing work, rather than welfare, for the wealthy as well. My Ending Unemployment Payments to Jobless Millionaires Act ends these freebies for free-loading fat cats by disqualifying anyone making a million dollars or more from being eligible for unemployment income support.
Joni Ernst, a native of Red Oak and a combat veteran, represents Iowa in the United States Senate.
These things make this bill no different than a marketing scheme where the flashy selling point of “Tax Cuts!” reels desperate people in with the promise of savings, overshadowing the confusing fine print that has them paying with their bank accounts. As businesses shut down, parents will pay with the indignity of losing their livelihood. As funds to food banks are cut, children will pay with the pangs of hunger. As Medicaid is cut, patients will pay with their lives. The issue is, Miller-Meeks understands the fine print. She understands the legalese. So when she sells something that she knows is harmful to people so desperate they don’t realize it, that kind of exploitation is, by definition, predatory.
Eric Kusiak
Letters to the Jasper County Tribune will be edited for libel, grammar and length and should not exceed 400 words. We reserve the right to shorten letters and reject those deemed libelous, in poor taste or of a personal nature. Include your full name, address and a daytime phone number for verification. Signed columns as well as letters to the editor and editorial cartoons represent the personal opinion of the writer or artist. Submit letters to news@jaspercountytribune.com or Newton News, P.O. Box 967, Newton, Iowa 50208
Richardson, Russell lead Baxter at state track
By Troy Hyde Sports Editor
DES MOINES — Matt Richardson put his arms in the air and crossed the finish line of the Class 1A 3,200-meter run with a big smile on his face.
The Baxter senior smashed his school record and finished inside the top eight for the first time in his career.
And then he completed his big weekend with a second thirdplace finish in the 1,600 two days later.
“I just thought about all the work over the past four years and what a way to end it,” Richardson said about putting his arms in the air. “I was just really excited.”
The excitement came after posting a career-best and school-record time of 9 minutes, 33.52 seconds in the 3,200.
It was good enough for third and he ran with North Iowa’s Gavin Grunhovd and English Valleys’ Gage Heyne for most of the race.
That trio finished 1-2-3 in both distance races and Baxter sophomore Max Handorf grabbed his first state medal on May 24 when he crossed the finish line fourth in the 1,600.
“I think I probably should have just went with the group of three in front instead of staying behind Matthew Shaul,” Handorf said after the 1,600. “I had a lot left. I think I could have been on the podium if I did that. Other than that, great race.”
Richardson and Handorf grabbed the only three state medals for the Baxter boys during the Iowa High School State Track and Field Championships at Drake Stadium.
The Baxter girls were headlined by junior Camryn Russell, who grabbed her first state medals in both the long jump and the 100 hurdles.
“It feels good,” Russell said. “I saw (Richardson) medaled so I had to get one, too.”
Richardson and Handorf competed in the 3,200 on May 22. They also both ran on the 4x800 relay team that day and Makayla True competed in the 3,000.
Baxter’s shuttle hurdle relay team took to the blue oval late on May 22 and advanced to the final in seventh.
Richardson’s third-place finish in the 3,200 was clocked in 9:33.52. Handorf placed 11th in 9:53.75. The final medal time was 9:51.26 and Grunhovd (9:22.99) and Heyne (9:29.86) went 1-2.
“Last year I went out too fast. I used a moderate pace this year and tried to stick with the lead pack as much as I could,” Richardson said. “(Grunhovd) broke off so I just tried to stay with (Heyne) the rest of the way. It worked out pretty good. He got me the last 50 meters.”
Before the boys ran in the 3,200, True competed in the 1A girls 3,000. She was 21st overall with 11:47.78.
The final state medal time was 10:52.89 and the 1A 3,000 state champion was Lili Denton of Council Bluffs St. Albert. She won the race in 9:42.04.
“She went out wanting to run aggressively and improve her incoming seed,” Baxter head girls track and field coach Josh Russell said.
“I thought she ran well against tough competition.”
Handorf and Richardson teamed up with a pair freshmen in the 4x800 relay. The quartet of Maddux Tuhn, Handorf, Hayden Burdess and Richardson placed 17th in 8:38.23. They needed a time better than 8:23.49 to earn a state medal and Oakland Riverside won the race in 8:01.86.
Sidney Hibbs competed at the state meet for the first time in the 100 and placed 22nd in 13.5 seconds. The top eight times in all preliminary events advance to the finals.
Baxter’s girls competed in the shuttle hurdle relay in one of Thursday’s final races. The Bolts used Kamdyn Krampe, Kendall Brummel, Grace Anderegg and Camryn Russell to place seventh in the prelims.
The quartet posted a season-best and school-record time of 1:10.22 but did not earn a medal after being disqualified in the final.
“The goal was to be competing in the finals and they achieved
that,” Coach Russell said. “All four girls had solid splits leading to a great run in the prelims to set a new school record and we really felt good about our chances in the finals to improve our seed time. That race is chaos and it bit us in the finals. We had one of our runners clip a hurdle and stumble causing us to DQ.
“Unfortunately, that is part of the race sometimes. While the outcome stings, I’m confident our hurdlers will be back next year and grow from the experience from this weekend.”
Camryn Russell and Eli Dee both participated in the long jump on May 22.
Russell scored her first state medal after a sixth-place finish. A leap of 16 feet, 3 1/4 inches got her into the finals and a 16-8 1/4 on her final attempt moved her up to sixth.
Colfax-Mingo soccer downs Benton in first-ever home postseason match
By Troy Hyde Sports Editor
COLFAX — Meadow Lane gets a lot of recognition for the Colfax-Mingo soccer team. That’s because she’s scored 44 goals in 15 matches this season as a freshman.
But her older sister, Bianca Lane, also plays a key role in the Tigerhawks’ success, and the duo combined for four goals and four assists in the team’s 7-1 win over Benton Community during the Class 1A Region 7 quarterfinals on May 21.
“We’ve been playing together since we were 2 years old,” Bianca Lane said. “But it can be hard playing with her, too, because I have to get on her when she makes all those mistakes.”
Bianca Lane was joking. There’s not many mistakes being made between the two of them.
And the Tigerhawks played fairly well against the Bobcats in their first-ever home playoff matchup. They led 4-0 at halftime and scored the game’s first five goals before Benton got one from leading scorer Dani Werning in the 55th minute.
It was Colfax-Mingo’s fifth straight win and it was the second 7-1 victory against the Bobcats this season.
“Benton is a solid team. They have some speed,” Colfax-Mingo head girls soccer coach Zach Tomas said.
“I thought we played fairly well.”
Next up in the regional semifinals is 1A No. 8 Nevada on May 28 in Nevada.
A large chunk of Tigerhawks lost 10-0 to Nevada (10-5-3) last season while playing their final season with Central Iowa United.
That group includes Bianca Lane, Lilyan Hadsall, Brooklyn Yanske and goalie Emmalyn Buchman as well as Bax-
ter’s Ashlyn Finch and Rylie Van Beek.
“We’ll have to play our best game,” Tomas said. “They play a tough schedule, they’ll be fast and physical and we’ll have to be prepared for it. We want to keep it close and then you never know.”
The Tigerhawks (11-1-3) had a 39-9 advantage in shots against Benton (4-10-3) and a 24-6 surplus in shots on goal.
Meadow Lane set up Finch for the first goal of the match in the 2nd minute. Lane sent a crosser to the opposite post where Finch was there for the
Troy Hyde/ Jasper County Tribune
Colfax-Mingo senior Lily Webster, left, celebrates her first-half goal with junior Victoria Woods during the Tigerhawks’ home regional win over Benton Community on May 21.
Area golf duo ends golf seasons at regionals
tap in.
Lily Webster and Victoria Woods made it 3-0 when they both scored off shots from Meadow Lane that bounced off the goalie’s hands and back into play. Those goals came in the 9th and 15th minutes and then Meadow Lane made it 4-0 with her 43rd goal of the season in the 20th minute. It remained 4-0 until Bianca Lane scored from 30 yards out in the second half at the 46th minute.
NEW SHARON — The golf seasons for Baxter’s Karlee Koehler and Colfax-Mingo’s Lily Brenner ended short of the state tournament on May 21. The Class 1A Region 4 final round was played at Prairie Knolls Country Club and both Koehler and Brenner finished outside the top six in the final standings.
The top two teams and the top six individuals advanced to the state tournament.
Koehler finished 12th with a 94 and Brenner was 18th with a 101.
East Buchanan (356) and Highland (370) advanced to the state tournament as teams and among the top six individuals were East Buchanan’s Brooklyn Kelchen and Central City’s Bretlyn Decker, who both shot an 80 in the top two spots. North Mahaska’s Aly Steil grabbed the final qualifying spot after shooting an 87.
Jasper County Tribune
Koehler
Brenner
Troy Hyde/ Jasper County Tribune
Baxter senior Matt Richardson, left, and sophomore Max Handorf finished third and fourth, respectively, in the 1,600-meter run at the state track and field meet on May 24. Richardson also was third in the 3,200 on May 22.
Troy Hyde/Jasper County Tribune
Baxter senior Makayla True, right, competes in the 3,000-meter run at the state track and field meet on May 22.
Hosbond, Tigerhawk relay quartet compete at state track and field meet
By Troy Hyde Sports Editor
DES MOINES — Ashlynn Hosbond sprung onto the scene in the fall when she qualified for the state cross country meet as a freshman.
She backed it up and proved it wasn’t a fluke this spring when she advanced to state in the 3,000-meter run.
But there’s still more to do in both sports after not finishing where she wanted to both times.
“I’m not extremely happy with my time because it’s not a PR, but I’m thankful I got to run here and now I just have to keep improving for next year,” Hosbond said. “It was nice to take it all in and see it all. It was a little scary so next year when I come back it won’t be as bad maybe.”
Hosbond and four Tigerhawks from the boys’ squad competed at the Iowa High School State Track and Field Championships inside Drake Stadium this past weekend. And four of them have the chance to make a return trip next season.
“It was fun and crazy, but I’m so glad I made it to state after missing state cross country by one spot,” C-M junior Sullivan Wilkins said. “Three of the four guys are back. We definitely want to be back here and send more to state next year, too.”
The C-M boys qualified for the state meet in the distance medley relay. And the foursome of Tony Buenrostro, Wyatt Thornton, Chase Trotter and Wilkins placed 20th in Class 1A on May 23.
They posted a time of 3 minutes, 45.67 seconds, which was a season best by 2 seconds.
The top eight finishers in each event at the state meet earn a medal. The final medal time in the distance medley relay was 3:35.69 and Oakland Riverside won the event with a 3:30.94.
“It was exciting. There’s a lot of people here,” said Buenrostro, who is the only senior on the distance medley quartet. “I felt much faster on the track. Our handoffs felt good. I think we PRed, too, so that’s good.”
Trotter, Thornton and Wilkins all agreed that it just feels faster on the blue oval. Thornton, who dyed his hair blonde for the state experience, said he was nervous right up until the race started.
“It was good and nerve-wracking,” Thornton said. “But once I heard the gun go off, it felt like it was another race. We didn’t break the stagger very well, but it felt fast.”
Hosbond ran in the 1A girls 3,000 on May 21 and placed 18th with a time of 11:28.53.
Collins-Maxwell’s Jayden Peters, who won the 3,000 at Hosbond’s regional, was the final medalist in eighth. She posted a time of 10:52.89.
Council Bluffs Lewis Central’s Lili Denton won the race in 9:42.04. Hosbond did not expect to make it to state in both cross country and track at the start of her freshman campaigns. But she fell in love with running even more a long the way and can still get better as she gets older.
Hyde/Jasper County Tribune
Colfax-Mingo freshman Ashlynn Hosbond, center, finished 18th in the 3,000-meter run at her first state track and field meet on May 22.
Hyde/Jasper County Tribune
Colfax-Mingo’s distance medley relay team placed 20th at the state track and field meet on May 23. The quartet included (from left) senior Tony Buenrostro, junior Wyatt Thornton, freshman Chase Trotter and junior Sullivan Wilkins.
“That’s exciting,” Hosbond said about making it to state in both sports.
“It was not the expectation, but I just kept working hard to get there. I’m thankful my coaches helped me work towards it. It was a lot of fun.”
Tigerhawk baseball opens season with loss to Braves
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MONTEZUMA
The Colfax-Mingo baseball team scored first but struck out 16 times at the plate during a 9-3 road loss to Montezuma on May 21.
The Tigerhawks scored all three of their runs in the first three frames, but Montezuma plated two in the first, four in the fourth and two in the fifth during the South Iowa Cedar League win.
Colfax-Mingo was limited to two hits. Wyatt Jay led the offense with a double, one run and two RBIs and Ayden Sloan was hit by a pitch and scored two runs.
Jace Lewis tallied one hit and one RBI, Camden Cunningham and Alex Teed both walked once and Xavier Woods and Fisher Grover were each hit by one pitch.
Cunningham started on the mound and took the pitching loss after allowing six runs — two earned — on five hits, five walks and one hit batter in 3 2/3 innings. He also struck out nine.
Jay pitched 2 1/3 innings of relief and surrendered three runs — one earned — on four hits and one walk. He struck out four.
The Tigerhawks (0-1, 0-1 in the SICL) finished with three errors.
Montezuma (1-0, 1-0) got two hits, three runs, three steals and one RBI from Gavin Wilcox.
Luke Erselius got the pitching win after allowing one hit and one earned run and striking out 16 over seven innings.
After Benton closed the gap to 5-1, Meadow Lane and Bianca Lane capped the scoring with a goals less than a minute a part. They came with 19:13 and 18:22 to play in the match.
“Last year we didn’t do very hot. It’s nice to win a bunch of games this year,” Bianca Lane said. “It’s amazing. This has been a real fun season so far.”
Meadow Lane now has 44 goals this season, which ranks third in the state and second in 1A. Her four assists on May 21 pushes her season total to 14, which is tied for fifth in 1A. She had opportunities to score more than twice in the contest. Some of her early shots were just wide of the posts and she even hit a post on one of her attempts midway through the first half.
Bianca Lane now has six goals this season, while Woods scored her eighth, Finch put in her seventh and Webster tallied her sixth.
Blain Houseman also registered an assist and Buchman made five saves.
This is great for the community and great for the kids,” Tomas said about the home playoff win. “They’ve obviously worked really hard to get to this point. And not just this season. It’s awesome.”
Notes: Colfax-Mingo is allowing
less than one goal per match this season. The most it surrendered was the four it gave up in the 4-1 loss to 1A No. 10 Dike-New Hartford. …
While Meadow Lane is the future all-state forward for Colfax-Mingo, Bianca Lane and Hadsall are the glue that keeps the offense and de-
fense together. “(Bianca Lane) is so calm with the ball and almost seems like she sees a few plays ahead,” Tomas said. “She never gets frustrated. Things just kind of come easy to her. When we’ve gotten behind in games this year, she’s the one who calms the others down.”
Meadow Lane
Colfax-Mingo freshman Meadow Lane ranks third in the state and second in Class 1A with 44 goals this season. Her 14 assists are tied for fifth in the class. She posted two goals and four assists in the Tigerhawks’ 7-1 regional win over Benton on May 21.
515.478.6780
Troy Hyde/Jasper County Tribune Colfax-Mingo freshman Sydney Veasman possesses the ball during a home playoff match against Benton Community on May 21. The Tigerhawks advanced with a 7-1 victory.
Troy
Troy
Jasper County Tribune
Sports Calendar
Wishman belts two bombs in Baxter’s season-opening baseball victory
NEW SHARON — Cael
May 29
Baseball Montezuma at Colfax-Mingo, 5:30 p.m.
Softball
Montezuma at Colfax-Mingo, 5:30 p.m.
May 30
Baseball Baxter at BCLUW, 7 p.m.
Colfax-Mingo at Lynnville-Sully, 5:30 p.m.
Softball
Baxter at BCLUW, 5 p.m.
Colfax-Mingo at Lynnville-Sully, 5:30 p.m.
Wishman belted two home runs and had three hits, Colton Moffit struck out nine over six innings on the bump and the Baxter baseball team scored nine runs in the sixth inning during a 10-4 win over North Mahaska on May 21.
The Bolts and Warhawks were tied at 1-all through five innings until the two teams combined for 12 runs in the sixth. Neither team scored in the seventh.
Wishman had three hits, two homers, three runs, four RBIs and two steals to lead the Bolts,
Baxter Track
She also had marks of 15-7 1/4 and 15-10 in the prelims and leaps of 15-9 1/4 and 16-1 1/4 in the finals.
Ella Whitney of Wayne won the state title with a leap of 17-5 3/4 and Madrid’s Paige Richards was the runner-up with a jump of 17-5 1/4.
“I just tried to run really fast and not hold back,” Camryn Russell said about needing a big jump in the prelims to advance and a big jump in the finals to move up the standings. “I knew I could do it. I just had to actually do it.
“I feel like when I need a big jump I go out faster so to make sure I didn’t scratch I went back a half a shoe to give myself more room.”
Dee placed 19th in the 1A boys long jump. His best leap was 19-5 3/4. He fouled once and had a jump of 18-11.
The Bolts opened the second day with the boys distance medley relay. A dropped baton on the first exchange set Baxter back and it finished 23rd with a time of 3:49.33.
That quartet was Lincoln Betterton, Logan Rainsbarger, Dee and Richardson.
Rainsbarger competed in the 110 high hurdles shortly after Camryn Russell was in the 100 hurdles.
Russell qualified for the finals with a 16.06 in the prelims. She was seventh and eighth went 16.07. In the finals, Russell stayed seventh with a 16.22.
This was the first time since 2021 the girls team scored points at the state meet and they scored the most since 2018.
while Jace Bottorff doubled, scored one run, had one RBI and walked once in his second career start.
Derek Rominger tallied one hit, one run and one RBI, Hayden Burdess walked once
and scored one run and Liam Trent and Cole Frasher each scored one run and had one RBI.
Cody Spurgeon was hit by two pitches and scored one run, Moffit walked twice, Nolan Hill walked once and Tate Schathorst scored one run.
Moffit earned the win on the mound after allowing four runs — one earned — on eight hits and two walks in six innings.
Colten Damman pitched the seventh and allowed no runs and no hits. He struck out one and walked one.
The Bolts (1-0) won the game despite being out-hit 9-5. Baxter drew five walks and North Mahaska committed three of the game’s five errors. Jack Kelderman had two hits, one run and one walk and he took the pitching loss for the 0-1 Warhawks. Luke Boender tallied two hits and one RBI.
Baxter’s season opener at Colfax-Mingo on May 19 and its road game against AGWSR on May 20 both were postponed due to rain.
Roberts won her second straight state title with a leap of 5-9 1/2.
Richardson and Handorf completed their big weekends on May 24. Handorf started the day with a 10thplace finish in the 800. He now has the school record after becoming the first Bolt to go under 2 minutes in the event. His time was 1:58.97 but needed a 1:58.03 to grab the final state medal. Winfield-Mount Union’s Kohlby Newsom won the race in 1:53.83.
“My plan was to split it up into 400s,” Handorf said. “The first 400 I wanted to go out in 58 seconds exactly. I was able to do that. Then at the 200 mark, I looked up at the clock and saw 1:27. I just had to finish that. I must have closed in 32ish. My goal coming in was to break 2:00 and get that record.
“(Richardson) told me I could have them after he graduates, but I’m just glad I got one before he left. I love to compete with him.”
Richardson and Handorf both set career-best times in the 1,600. They ran with the lead pack the entire way and finished third and fourth, respectively.
Richardson was third in a school-record time of 4:21.35 and Handorf’s fourth-place time was clocked in 4:24.97. Grunhovd (4:17.81) and Heyne (4:19) were 1-2 again.
“It feels great. I’ve always wanted a state medal,” Handorf said. “This was a great way to finish the season.”
“She was clutch in long jump,” Coach Russell said about Camryn Russell. “Her back was against the wall to make it out of prelims and again to earn a medal. Each time she responded with a jump to get what she needed. She had two solid races in the 100 hurdles and to come away with a medal in that race was one of her season goals. All the 1A hurdle events were deep this year so to be able to make finals at all was a testament to her efforts all year.”
completed the May 23 slate. Russell was 22nd in the 400 hurdles and Wonders placed 20th in the high jump.
Rainsbarger’s time in the prelims of the 110 highs was 16.04. He finished 22nd and needed a 15.15 to advance to the finals.
Camryn Russell and Avery Wonders
Russell was clocked in a career-best 1:09.6. She needed a 1:06.66 to grab a top-eight medal and Ada Hansen of CAM won the race in 1:02.97.
Wonders cleared 4-10 in the high jump. Nine jumpers hit 5-0 but only four earned a state medal. HLV/TC’s Ema
Notes: The Baxter girls can bring back three athletes from the shuttle hurdle relay as Brummel is exiting the district for Marshalltown next season. The boys 4x800 relay team loses Richardson and the distance medley quartet graduates Richardson and Rainsbarger. … Richardson said if someone would have told freshman year Matt that he would win two medals and place third in both the 1,600 and 3,200 at state his senior year, he would not have believed them. “He would think you’re stupid,” Richardson said. “There’s no way I thought I could do it back then. This feels awesome.”
Troy Hyde/Jasper County Tribune Baxter junior Camryn Russell placed sixth in the Class 1A girls long jump at the state track and field meet on May 23.
Jasper County Tribune
Wishman Moffit Burdess
program, serving on church mission trips and counseling at church camp during the summer. Meyer would love to represent Jasper County Fair as the queen because she enjoys spending time at the fair, meeting and talking with new people and being a good role model for others.
Ella Machin
Ella Machin is a 2025 Newton graduate. She has lived in Newton all of her life with her family. Her parents are Ed and Meggan Machin. While in high school, she was involved in wrestling, cheerleading, trapshooting, FFA and HERO. She would like to represent the Jasper County Fair as the queen because 4-H and FFA has helped her become who she is today and she would like to give back to these organizations.
Gretchen Uitermarkt
Gretchen Uitermarkt is the daughter of Jason and Jami Uitermarkt. She attends PCM and is the president of her FFA chapter and secretary of my 4-H club. She’s involved in golf, Key Club, FFA, 4-H and her local community garden. She wants to represent the Jasper County Fair as queen because she be-
lieves in the values of respect, responsibility and service, and wants to embody those values while representing her county. As queen, she would have the opportunity to give back to the community that has shaped her into who she is. She’d use her voice to support youth involved in 4-H and FFA and encourage participation in local activities. Uitermarkt wants to show others — especially young girls — that being yourself, being kind and following your heart is something you should always be proud of.
for young girls involved in 4-H. She has been in 4-H for several years and loves to help others in any way she can.
Piper Clark Piper Clark is the daughter of James and Stephanie Clark and is currently enrolled at PCM High School. She will be a senior during our next school year. She is involved in many volunteer clubs and activities including choir, jazz choir, Key Club, national honors society, big student/little student, the fall play and musical, the president of my 4-H club, Jasper County council, student government, speech, journalism and the extended learning program at her school. She wants to represent the Jasper County Fair as queen to become a positive role model
Heather Hanson Heather Hanson is the daughter of Lance and Tracy Hanson. She attends to New ton Senior High and is on the girls wrestling team, in FFA, 4-H, student council, coun ty council and the head manager for the boys track team. She feels like she can represent as Jasper County Fair Queen because she loves the county fair and loves volunteering around the county whether it is during fair time or not. In this past year, she has volunteered in the open class building, at the feed shed and also at school concession stands. Hanson feels like I can devote hours on end to being fair queen and be able to handle the duties that it requires me to have.
Rylee DeHaai
Rylee DeHaai is the daughter of David and Brenda DeHaai. DeHaai is a recent graduate at PCM High School. She is involved in many activities including Killduff Hotshots 4-H Club, Diamond Trail FFA, Jasper County Council, PCM Dance Team, big student/little student and competitive studio dance at Steppin Out Dance Studio. She enjoys working with her livestock projects, dancing with her friends and spending time with her
cat. DeHaai is a hard worker who is always looking for new ways to learn and grow. Becoming Jasper County Fair Queen is a dream she has had since she was a little girl. She is excited for this opportunity to represent Jasper County and continue to grow her leadership and communication skills while being a mentor for others.
Lexi Kephart Daughter of Steve and Emina Kephart, Lexi is a 17-yearold member of the Newton FFA chapter. While in school, along with FFA, Kephart has participated in showing rabbits through the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA), working her horses and working her job at Starbucks. Kephart has just graduated high school this past May and plans to pursue her education through DMACC, studying Biology, and transferring to Midway University in Kentucky to major in pre-vet and minor in equine studies, while competing on their western team. Kephart’s goal is to show other girls that there is no certain “look” when it comes to being the Jasper County Fair Queen.
Help protect Iowa’s forests - Leave firewood at home
Thousands of Iowans will be camping and building campfires throughout the summer. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) encourages campers to buy firewood from where they will burn it instead of bringing it from home.
“Moving unseasoned firewood around the state can threaten the health of our forests by spreading insects like emerald ash borer
(EAB), oak wilt, and other pests that live in firewood,” Tivon Feeley, DNR Forest Health Forester, said. Plenty of firewood is available locally to your favorite state or county park. Ask a park ranger or campground host where you can get local firewood. Make sure you burn all of your firewood at your campsite; don’t leave it or transport to a new area.
The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship requires all firewood sold or acquired in Iowa to have the county and state of harvest location on the label of packages and the delivery ticket for bulk firewood.
Learn more about the importance of using local or certified heat-treated firewood at www.dontmovefirewood.org/.
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