Category featuring your favorite four-legged dog friend new for 2025
By Jamee A. Pierson
The Paddle Skedaddle at Quarry Springs Park is back with new added fun. The race kicks off at 8:15
a.m. Sept. 14 at Quarry Springs Park in Colfax. Featuring a two-mile kayak course and a threeand-a-half-mile trial run, competitors can do both sports or focus on one
Join Baxter Hometown Pride at a celebration event for the new Geise Park Shelter House Sept. 13
By Jamee A. Pierson Jasper County Tribune
The Baxter community is invited to celebrate the grand opening of the Geise Park Shelter House. An event from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Sept. 13 at the park will be a time to explore the space, grab some lunch and have a great time with family and friends.
“Baxter Hometown Pride is proud to announce the official opening of the newly developed Geise Park Shelter House a beautiful new space for our community to gather, celebrate and create lasting memories,” Baxter Hometown Pride member Natalie Moorman said.
Event highlights include a free hot dog lunch, bounce house for the kids, a fun balloon backdrop to take pictures and a celebration of all those people who helped make this project a reality.
and add a partner to make it a relay. Run or walk, anyone can participate.
New this year, bring
GRAND OPENING | 3 KAYAKING | 3
“We will be celebrating our shelter house and primitive campsites. (Also,) thanking the Deutsch family for donating the shelter house and the Jasper County Foundation for grant that helped us pay for the campsites,” Moorman said. “Bring your family, friends, and neighbors and help us celebrate this exciting
Jasper County releases a number of statements to address community uproar
By Christopher Brunschweig
Jasper County Tribune
Supervisors have issued a number of responses to community backlash regarding the conservation department’s pleas to fill a vacant position, which, if left unfilled, could mean fewer educational programs for students in Jasper County. But elected officials say there is another side to the story.
Jasper County Conservation staff have been partnering with local school districts to provide educational programming for many years, but the department worries whether programming will diminish if it can’t replace an employee position that was pivotal to those programs. The position is a naturalist/ office manager.
Newton Superintendent Tom Messinger said the school district is fortunate to have the opportunity to partner with Jasper County. He noted that the agenda included program documents for every grade level. Programs either happen on-site in the classroom or on field trips to the many county parks.
“They’re very engaging,” Messinger said. “I don’t care how old you are there are things you can learn from it. It’s re-
ally some good information and good experience our kids can get but we’re unable to provide on our own. With that said, I invited Katie here this evening to talk with us again.”
Katie Cantu, a naturalist for Jasper County, has provided educational programs to area students for the past 25 years. Cantu estimated the department regularly hosts programming for about 16,000 people each year, with many of that population consisting of kids and teenagers from local school districts. Currently, there are eight staff members in Jasper County Conservation, broken down to four mainly office workers and four field staff. One of the naturalists was also the office manager who handled a variety of work in and out of the office. But the employee has decided
By Christopher Braunschweig Jasper County Tribune
Supervisors have appointed one of their own to the Jasper County Conservation Board in response to the recent “breakdown of communication” with the county department, which led to community outrage. The longtime board member who was replaced by a supervisor is disappointed and frustrated by the decision.
Appointing Thad Nearmyer to the conservation board in place of the current board member, Robyn Friedman, was proposed by Supervisors Chairman Brandon Talsma during the
to devote her time being a stay-at-home mom.
“The challenge we’re facing right now — just so you guys are aware — the county board of supervisors does not want our conservation board to replace her,” Cantu said. “So we’re kind of limping along a little short-staffed here into a really busy season. I don’t know. There’s a lot happening.”
Cantu encouraged the school board, teachers and anyone who utilizes the programs to reach out to supervisors and voice their support for conservation.
“Let ‘em know that this is important,” Cantu said. “…We would normally offer five opportunities per class, and she’s kind of behind all of our big fundraising.”
Sept. 2 board of supervisors meeting. The action passed in a 2-0 vote with Nearmyer abstaining from the vote.
“In light of recent events, I think it would behoove us to appoint Thad Nearmyer to the conservation board,” Talsma said, referencing recent controversy about the future of a conservation position. “I’m going to make that motion. I think there’s been a continual breakdown of conversation between the two boards.”
Abby Lamont, of Newton, spoke out against the appointment during the public comment portion of the meeting, suggesting it is a conflict of interest to have a supervisor on their
conservation board. Talsma told Lamont county supervisors can, indeed, serve on other county boards and commissions.
Iowa Code 331.216 states unless otherwise provided by state law, a supervisor may serve as a member of any appointive board, commission or committee of this state, a political subdivision of this state or a nonprofit corporation or agency receiving county funds. The code seems to uphold Talsma’s arguments. Still, Lamont argued Friedman had been waiting to be reappointed to the board for nine months.
Dan Skokan, president of the Jasper Community Foundation announced that $115,000 in grant awards were distributed recently to area non—profit organizations. The community foundation receives funds for grant making and endowment building each year from the state sponsored County Endowment Fund Program and from other public sources. Grant proposals were received from educational, municipal and non—profit organizations throughout Jasper County.
“I am pleased to announce that the Foundation awarded grant funding to 22 non—profits throughout Jasper County. These grant funds will provide much needed financial support for a variety of important programs and services in our communities,” Skokan said. “Each year we make an effort to fund a wide variety of programs that touch residents all over the county. This year we were able to make grants to organizations supporting programs and services in human services, education, recreation, arts and culture, community vitality and many others.”
The Foundation awarded grants that ranged from
your dog along with the dog walk’s category for the three-anda-half mile walk/run course.
“We want to encourage anyone with well behaved dogs who love to walk or run to join us,” organizers said. “Please keep dogs leashed and we’ll include bags to pickup after your four legged friends with your packet pickup.”
The course starts along the shoreline with kayakers paddling south, then east to East Lake. A buoy will be set out to circle and begin the paddle back to the shoreline finish or transition point. The run heads west along
$900 to $10,000 to new or enhanced, innovative programs that address needs or issues within Jasper County. All submitted grant proposals were reviewed by the Jasper Community Foundation Board. The 22 organizations receiving funding through this program are: Baxter Federated Garden Club — $964; Baxter Recreation — $3,500; Capstone Behavioral Healthcare — $10,000; City of Colfax — $5,000; City of Monroe — $5,000; Colfax Economic Development Corporation — $10,000; Colfax Park & Recreation Auxiliary Board, Inc. — $3,924; Colfax Public Library — $1,000; Jasper County Agriculture Society — $10,000; Jasper County Conservation — $2,500; Jasper County Habitat for Humanity — $5,000; Kellogg Fire Department Volunteer Association — $3,800; Lynnville Historical Society — $2,500; Mingo Hometown Pride — $10,000; Monroe Public Library $5,000; Newbotics—Newton Community School — $3,000; Newton Community Theatre — $5,400; Newton High School Esports — $5,000; Newton Public Library — $4,710; Prairie City Public
the road to the southwest corner of the park towards the trail entrance. It will continue east for a mile through the woods, north around East Lake and then to the isthmus between North and East Lakes, The final three quarters of a mile will be on sandier soil back to the finish line.
Those attending need to supply their own kayak and life jackets. Iowa Adventure Co. will have a few kayaks available to rent the day of the event. Packet pick up runs from 7 to 7:30 a.m. at the park office with the racer meeting beginning at 8 a.m.
Awards will be presented at 10:30 a.m. in categories including top male and female in 17 and under, 18-29, 30-39, 40-49 and 50 and up. Awards will also go to
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The community learned of Cantu’s plea thanks to an Aug. 28 report by Randy Van Roekel of KNIA-KRLS. Comments were overwhelmingly in favor of conservation, and people questioned whether the board of supervisors is truly supportive of the department. In response, the county issued a press release.
The board of supervisors hoped to clarify the situation regarding the position, saying they had not told the conservation board that they cannot fill a vacant position. Supervisors acknowledged that conservation has the ability and funding to fill this position, but they wanted a conversation about the position.
Specifically, supervisors wondered if the position could be handled more efficiently. Supervisors said their No. 1 goal is to increase government efficiency and reduce costs for taxpayers across each department in the county. The release said the board tried to initiate this conversation several months ago.
Supervisors wondered if the office manager duties could be combined or shared with another department — secondary roads — which is in need of an office position to handle day-to-day work. The board also proposed the idea that certain custodial duties in the parks be outsourced.
“Since then, the conservation board has been unwilling even to sit down and discuss at length the possibility of this option, what it would entail and whether it is feasible,” the board said. “Additionally, the board of supervisors has clearly communicated and stated that this attempt may not work for one or both departments.”
If that proves the case, supervisors said they would again consider all options.
Supervisors also claimed the vacant position does not affect programs like the fishing club, school naturalist programs or other community services.
Over the next few years, the board of supervisors wants to continue evaluating positions within the county as they become open. The supervisors said it is an effort to reduce redundancies in positions and job duties and reduce the duplication of services.
The county is committed to being responsible stewards to taxpayer dollars, the supervisors said, and it encouraged citizens to come to the next board meeting.
CHAIRMAN OF THE SUPERVISORS RELEASES VIDEO
Supervisor Brandon Talsma released a video on his official Facebook page to address the issues more indepth and reiterate much of what was said in the original press release. He noted supervisors work very hard to keep levy rates the same, and he warned that state lawmakers will be addressing property taxes.
Which means the budget constraints the county is
the top three in the run only and relay teams, regardless of gender and age. Children aged 12 to 17 must have a waiver signed by a parent.
Participants will receive a T-shirt, race bib, breakfast and after race snacks, sponsor swag and free photos.
“Show off your hard work to all your friends and family every time you wear this one-of-a-kind shirt. All finishers will get a race bib to show. Hang it on your wall to show off your training and finisher status,” organizers said. “We’ll have a photographer on site and allow you to download all photos for free after the race.”
For more information or any questions, visit https://www.quarryspringspark.com/2018-paddle.
already under may become even more strenuous and limiting. Talsma noted that he spoke with department heads during budget sessions this past year about vacant positions and the scrutiny the board would be taking when looking at those positions.
“Just because you have somebody quit and have a vacant position, do not automatically assume that the supervisors are going to be supportive of filling that position,” he said. “What we are requesting going forward is that when you have a vacant position it will not be filled unless you come and request from the board.”
While the conservation board does have funds to pay for the position, Talsma said supervisors have power of the purse for Jasper County, suggesting they have final say. He also disliked the idea of filling the vacant position as is because the funding may dry up by the end of the fiscal year.
To him, it isn’t right to offer someone a full-time job and then eliminate that position during next year’s budget sessions.
Finding alternative ways to fill and pay for positions is nothing new for the county. Talsma pointed out that the veterans affairs director is often a 30-hour job but can get bumped to 40 hours when circumstances change. Veterans affairs also currently shares a fulltime position with general assistance.
He also stressed the only discussion supervisors have had with the conservation board was during a past work session, which turned combative and accusatory. In that meeting, supervisors said they needed to at least have a serious conversation about a split position.
Talsma said the supervisors didn’t say no but that they wanted conservation to work with the secondary roads department about the feasibility of the position.
Talsma also wanted to address what he felt was a false narrative that supervisors do not support conservation. Talsma adamantly disagreed and said he is an avid outdoorsman himself and is a big proponent of conservation. Supervisors, he said, have contributed millions to conservation.
“In just the past five years, there has been $6,924,417.51 in property tax dollars that has gone to conservation,” Talsma said.
He also mentioned that supervisors have dedicated $1.1 million in ARPA funds to Jasper County Conservation for various projects. The supervisors also bonded to pay for new sheds. Talsma said he is very supportive of conservation, “but it does not mean you get a blank
Library — $3,200; Sully Rural Fire and Ambulance — $10,000; Wesley Retirement Services, Inc. (Park Centre) — $5,000
The County Endowment Fund Program helped make the funds for these grants possible. This Fund was established by the state legislature in 2004 to help promote charitable giving and endowment building throughout the state. These funds are distributed annually to participating community foundations and affiliate community foundations associated with counties without a state—issued gaming license.
The Jasper Community Foundation was established in 1997 for the purpose of receiving tax deductible bequests and gifts in the form of cash or property from individuals, corporations and other organizations that have an interest in improving the quality of life for people residing in Jasper County. The Foundation assists arts and culture, economic development, education, environment and recreation, health and human services organizations, and other high—impact projects and programs throughout the county.
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Geise Park now has primitive campsites available. Three sites, each equipped with a fire ring, picnic table and trash bin, are available for booking to have a fun camping night close to home.
Many people helped make the campsite a reality including Krampe Welding for the tables and trash receptacles, Advanced Fabrication for the fire rings, Moorman Construction for stone, concrete and equipment installation, the Jasper County Community Foundation for grant funding and Baxter Hometown Pride for raising funds and applying for the grant.
To reserve a space, visit https://anc.apm.activecommunities.com/cityofbaxter/home?onlineSiteId. Need help making the reservations, visit https://www.baxter-iowa.com/sites/default/ files/uploads/baxter-online-reservation-guide. pdf for guided instructions on the process.
check and operate without accountability.”
And it does not mean a department can operate without looking for alternative ways to find efficiencies, he added.
“We owe it to at least try,” Talsma said. TENSIONS ARE HIGH
Tension between the Jasper County Board of Supervisors and the Jasper County Conservation Board happened as recently as late June. The supervisors wanted to draft a contract with conservation over the nature center duties. Talsma said the 28E agreement is an effort to make sure the facility doesn’t fall to taxpayers.
Supervisors have held the conservation director accountable to her words from a past meeting when the department was requesting ARPA funds for the nature center. Talsma said it has been communicated to the board and to others that taxpayer dollars would not go towards the upkeep and costs of the nature center.
Jasper County Conservation Director Keri Vane Zante told supervisors in June that it seemed strange when the community has shown it wants this facility.
Willie Yeager, chairman of the Jasper County Conservation Board, told Newton News in a recent phone interview that a member of the board still has not been appointed back for the past several months. He said the conservation board feels slighted by the supervisors. They know the budget is tight, Yeager said.
“But this has already been appropriated for and we’re going to hire another naturalist, a full-time position, probably after Tuesday’s board meeting,” he said. “… We’ve never been given any explanation why at least Robyn (Friedman) hasn’t been reappointed to the board.”
As to the future of that position, Yeager said the conservation board will cross that bridge when the time comes. Right now, the main goal of the board is to find someone to fill that position and take some pressure off the director. Yeager said the current setup of staff is just not working.
Newton News received a statement from the board of supervisors implying that better communication is needed in the future:
“The Jasper County Board of Supervisors is striving to improve communication with all departments. We believe that this situation could have been avoided with better communication on all sides. We will be searching for opportunities to improve communication going forward.”
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Geise Park now has primitive campsites available. Three sites, each equipped with a fire ring, picnic ta-
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Lamont questioned why the position was left open for so long.
Talsma reasoned he couldn’t speak for why his fellow supervisors chose not to bring it up to reappoint Friedman, but he did not bring it up because he disliked the idea of people serving on boards and commissions “for a perpetual amount of time.” He brought up similar sentiments with the reappointment of Carol Kramer.
In 2022, Talsma pushed back against reappointing Kramer to the conservation board. She has served on the board for more than 30 years. While the board would eventually appoint Kramer in a 2-1 vote, Talsma argued these are not “lifelong appointments” and that other volunteers may want to serve.
Talsma also told Lamont he did not like that the majority of conservation’s board members are from Newton or within a three-mile radius of Newton. He wants to see more board members representing the rural areas. Talsma noted Friedman has been instrumental to conservation obtaining its nature center.
“But I didn’t want to reappoint somebody for a four-year term for something that was going to be over in a year,” Talsma said.
Lamont pressed the supervisors to explain why they left the board seat vacant for nine months. Talsma said it technically wasn’t open and that the conservation board has no authority to reappoint their own board members. He reasoned that members of the boards and commissions serve perpetually until acton is taken.
“Why appoint Thad today? Why not bring somebody else up?” Lamont asked.
Talsma answered, “In light of recent events and the lack of communication between our two entities is why I felt it was paramount that we need to make the change now.”
Lamont also inquired about the proposed 28E agreement the supervisors wanted to draft for the conservation board, which clearly defines the duties of the nature center. Specifically, the supervisors want the agreement to hold conservation accountable to past comments saying the upkeep wouldn’t fall on taxpayers.
“They haven’t been asked to sign anything yet,” Talsma said. “Nothing’s even been drafted or proposed to them, and it would be a two-way street.”
Lamont hoped supervisors would reconsider making a 28E agreement, saying conservation has raised mil-
ble and trash bin, are available for booking to have a fun camping night close to home.
Many people helped make the campsite a reality including Krampe Welding for the tables and trash receptacles, Advanced Fabrication for the fire rings, Moorman Construction for stone, concrete and equipment installation, the Jasper County Community Foundation for grant funding and Baxter
lions of dollars and will continue to raise millions of dollars for the nature center. Thousands of children benefit from the conservation programs every year, she said.
“It would be a huge disservice to not facilitate that building with our tax dollars,” Lamont said.
FRIEDMAN QUESTIONS WHY SHE WASN’T CHOSEN
Friedman had been serving the conservation board for 15 years. She was first appointed in 2010 and asked to be reappointed every five years her term had expired. Friedman told Newton News she had submitted her application to be reappointed to the conservation board in December 2024.
When two supervisors attended an earlier conservation board meeting this year, they were asked about the delay of Friedman’s reappointment.
Friedman said the two supervisors were asked if there were other applicants. They said no. Friedman said they were then asked why they weren’t moving forward.
“They answered that they were considering moving in a different direction with no further explanation beyond that,” she said. “No explanation to county conservation department or the other board members. And they didn’t let us continue that conversation at that time because there were two of them present.”
Which meant their presence could be considered a quorum.
Friedman anticipated her seat would be on the line after her board decided to repost the naturalist/office manager, which supervisors disagreed with.
Supervisors were put on blast by community members after a report from KNIA-KRLS was shared on social media. The radio station reported on a conservation staff member pleading with Newton school board members and teachers to contact supervisors about keeping a naturalist/ office manager position.
Jasper County released a press release clarifying they were not eliminating the position but wanted to kickstart conversations about creating a split office position between conservation and secondary roads. The conservation board argued they have the funds to pay for this position.
While the supervisors acknowledged that conservation can fund the position, Talsma noted budget cuts next year could eliminate it. He disliked the idea of hiring someone for a job that may not be there in less than a year’s time. Still, conservation board wanted to fill the position and posted it to job sites.
“Which is not what the supervisors have wanted us to do,” Friedman said.
Hometown Pride for raising funds and applying for the grant. To reserve a space, visit https://anc.apm.activecommunities.com/cityofbaxter/home?onlineSiteId. Need help making the reservations, visit https:// www.baxter-iowa.com/sites/default/files/uploads/ baxter-online-reservation-guide.pdf for guided instructions on the process.
“I knew it would probably put my appointment in a bit of jeopardy.”
Friedman disagreed with supervisors choosing Nearmyer to serve on the board.
“I was under the understanding that I was the only person who submitted an application to be appointed to the position,” she said. “And I submitted that before my term expired in December for then it not to be acted upon all these months leading up until now, even after directly asking for it to be put on an agenda.”
Nearmyer later told Newton News he had not filled out an application.
Iowa Code 350.2 states members of the county conservation board shall be selected and appointed on the basis of their demonstrated interest in conservation matters. With her background running trails, being a fan of nature and having a biology degree, Friedman thought she was a good fit for the board.
“I was the only applicant and they still didn’t choose me,” Friedman.
Friedman is frustrated and disappointed by the decision, and she said supervisors have only opposed reappointments to the conservation board for her and Carol Kramer, who are the only women on the board. Friedman said both she and Kramer struggled to be reappointed.
Friedman was heavily involved in the nature center project. One of the biggest reasons she wanted to stay involved for one more term was to see that project through fruition. Even though she is no longer on the board, Friedman said she will continue to be involved with Jasper County Conservation.
SUPERVISORS DEFEND THEIR DECISION
In a follow-up interview with Newton News, Talsma said the application process is used by all of the county’s boards and commissions.
“We played around with it before in the past but we kind of quit pushing it out because it didn’t have the results that we wanted,” Talsma said. “I think three years ago is when we started to do a big push and it didn’t have the desired affect. It had a whole bunch of people who weren’t qualified.”
Many of the county’s boards and commissions have requirements to join, like the veterans affairs commission or the planning and zoning board. For an individual to serve on the zoning board, they must be a rural resident. The commissioners for veterans affairs are veterans of the U.S. military.
Talsma addressed the issue of supervisors serving on boards and commissions and he disclosed to Newton News which boards the supervisors serve on:
• Brandon Talsma serves on boards or commissions for Central Iowa Juvenile Detention, Cemetery, Central Iowa Housing Trust Fund, Central Iowa Regional Housing Authority and Emergency Management.
• Doug Cupples serves on boards or commissions for Public Health, Aging Resources, Central Iowa Regional Housing Authority as an alternate, JEDCO and DHS Decategorization.
• Thad Nearmyer serves on boards or commissions for Jasper County Nutrition, IMPACT, Aging Resources as an alternate, Central Iowa Regional Transportation Planning Alliance, Compensation and Fifth Judicial District.
To Talsma, it is important for supervisors to be involved in these boards and commissions when it involves county funds.
“It should be supervisors and elected officials that sit on them because that all comes back to play in our budget,” Talsma said.
Talsma defended his decision to put Nearmyer on the board, given the recent controversies. The chairman of the board of supervisors said communications between them and the conservation board had been breaking down for some time. Talsma said there was a time he attended every conservation meeting.
However, he said that all stopped after he questioned whether Kramer should be reappointed to the conservation board. Talsma said meetings then shifted to an hour or 30 minutes before the supervisors meetings began on Tuesdays, so he was unable to attend.
Talsma said putting Nearmyer on the conservation board may help improve communications between the two entities.
“If a supervisor would have been on the board, it would have been cleared up in a bout 30 seconds,” Talsma said.
Talsma emphasized that county departments operate through tax dollars allocated by the board of supervisors.
“We’re not trying to micromanage or control anything, but there has got to be a conversation between these boards and coming back to the board of supervisors so that we can work together so that both of us can try to achieve what our objectives are,” Talsma said.
To him, that means both the supervisors and the conservation board will have to compromise. Nearmyer stressed communication is important.
“I believe it’s imperative that the conservation board and the board of supervisors have a good understanding of each other’s goals,” Nearmyer said. “Having a supervisor on the conservation board will begin that process.”
In her recent Newton News opinion piece, “Bringing gravy trains to a squealing halt,” Sen. Joni Ernst targets California’s ambitious plans to construct high speed rail in the state that would cut travel times, relieve road congestion, and reduce fossil fuel consumption. In boasting of her multi-year efforts to sabotage this project, which is mostly (85 percent) funded by California taxpayers, Ernst erroneously reports that “not a single track has been laid,” ignoring the fact that track-laying began 8 months ago. Her attack on various federally funded programs conveniently sidesteps her support for the Trump administration’s “Big Beautiful Bill,” which simultaneously slashes health and nutrition programs while increasing tax cuts for the wealthy and advancing large Pentagon increases for counterproductive programs.
One of the most egregious examples of the latter is Trump’s creation of a $175 billion “Golden Dome” missile defense system to be completed in three years. Independent experts conclude that pursuing the fantasy of national missile defense will fail to work as intended, incentivize China and Russia to double down on building up their nuclear arsenals, and cost the U.S. taxpayers billions of dollars, which are not covered by revenues. Moreover, this program will compete with other strategic expenditures that are critically needed to maintain the viability of the U.S. deterrent, such as the Columbia Class Strategic Ballistic Missile Submarine and the B-21 Strategic Bomber. Sen. Ernst wants credit for her “Billion Dollar Boondoggle Act,” but does not want to be consistent in her principles for determining what should apply.
As a member of the Senate Defense Committee, she should know better.
Greg Thielmann is a native of Newton and a 1972 graduate of Grinnell College. He worked 31 years for the Federal Government (OMB, the US Foreign Service, and the Senate Intelligence Committee) and 7 years for the Arms Control Association before retiringtolowain2023.
I’m reading a book by Ishmael Reed in which he discusses among other things American culture or as known by many, white culture and that this is one of the many issues facing black, yellow, brown, and red people in this country because of the prevailing view, by white Americans, that we can not allow America to have a black, yellow, brown, or red culture — that it is not American and every effort must be made to stop it from happening. This has been and continues to be the underlying impetus for the current onslaught against DEI. Now, I am not
SHARE YOUR VIEW
I attended my first Iowa caucus when I was 17. Because I would turn 18 before Election Day, I was allowed to participate. I didn’t know much about platforms or procedure, but when a plank came up, I asked my mom what it meant, decided to vote “no,” and watched it fail. That moment taught me something I’ve carried ever since: one voice can make a difference.
Over the years, I’ve tested both parties, but it was my experience as a Democratic delegate that showed me how important local involvement really is. At the county convention, I saw a plank introduced to provide free GED education
familiar with black, yellow, brown, or red culture for the very good reason that I am not black, yellow, brown, or red. The only culture that I presume to know anything about is white culture. Unfortunately, I don’t appear to know much about that either. The first issue would be that I’m not sure what they are talking about when they say white culture. When I look around and take note of the people I see and converse with on a daily basis. white people mostly, it doesn’t appear that our culture amounts to much. What has occurred to me though is that without football we have no culture. Football appears to be the extent of
support—but only for refugees. I didn’t oppose helping refugees, but I believed education shouldn’t be limited to one group. I didn’t present a clear enough argument at first, and the plank advanced as presented. At the district convention, I returned with a stronger case: GED support should be free for everyone. This time, the language was changed. That moment confirmed two notions for me: 1) one voice can make a difference, and 2) that Democrats are reasonable, open to ideas, and committed to fairness — if you’re in the room to make your case.
whatever culture we, as Americans, can claim.
Clearly, other sports also play a part, but only secondarily. Football appears to take up most of the time, thought, and emotion of the average citizen. This would cause me to think that our culture is limited to that of a fan of some sport’s team. This would apply to all levels of sports from grade school to the pros with constant discussions of the abilities of various athletes, teams, and who is going to win. Always who is going to win.
I drive by movie theaters: from what I can gather from the quick drive by is that the offerings are 95 percent movies made for children under ten;
they have no content. Then you have netflix, hulu, apple tv, Disney, youtube providing round the clock entertainment. Being entertained is not culture. Sitting in your living room watching a sporting event or netflix is not culture — it is its antithesis.
So my question is what are we in fear of losing? Will we be required to watch a show that has black, yellow, brown, or red actors in it. They say baseball is losing fans. Is that because they have baseball players that are black, yellow, brown and red?
Maybe so.
But I am at a loss: I can’t see I would be losing much if I lost what purports to be white American culture. Although many of us would have to find
Now, as a volunteer with the Marion County Democrats, I want to remind my neighbors that shaping a party begins here, in our own county. Caucuses and conventions are part of it, but so is what happens between them. We need your voices, your actions, your time, and your talents. Whether it’s knocking doors, helping with events, or simply sharing your perspective, it all makes us stronger.
Politics should be about people, not money or power. And in Iowa, the best way to make sure that happens is to get involved — today — with the Marion County Democrats.
something to fill the time with activities other than football and that could be jolting. With all the black people playing football, maybe football is black culture too. Ever think of that?
But what can we do if we can’t sit in front of the tv on an evening drinking beer and watching a game of some sort such as, let’s say, pickle ball, sand volleyball, ax throwing, hot dog eating, cornhole, first grade golf, etc.? After all, most of the people playing these games are white which must be examples of American or white culture; the culture we are terrified to lose.
Richard E. H. Phelps II Mingo
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.
METZ COMMUNITY CHURCH
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
MONDAY - Pastor Josh day off TUESDAY - 9:30 a.m. Coffee Time; 2:30 p.m. Chair Yoga
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 TUESDAY3 p.m. Table of Grace
IRA UNITED CHURCH
Pastors Doug Cupples and Phil Butler
SUNDAY - 9:30 a.m. Church service; 10:30 a.m. Sunday school
Communion first Sunday
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
THURSDAY, Sept. 11 - 6:30 p.m. Men’s Group
FRIDAY, Sept. 5 - 7 p.m. Life Recovery Meeting; “The Cellar” following the Colfax-Mingo home football game
SUNDAY, Sept. 14 - 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Annual Church Picnic - Thomas Mitchell Park, Praise/ Worship Service, Messages by Pastor Cody Dyer; Potluck/Picnic to follow worship service
TUESDAY, Sept. 16 - 3:30 p.m.
Women’s Prayer & Coffee; 6:30 p.m. Gospel of John Bible Study; 7 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 17 - 9 a.m. Busy Bee Quilters and Fresh Encounter Prayer; 5:45 p.m. AWANA Family Meal; 6:26 p.m. AWANA Clubs
The church schedule is brought to you by Coburn FUNERAL HOMES
Colfax-Prairie City-Monroe 515-674-3155 www.coburnfuneralhomes.com
THURSDAY, Sept. 18 - 6:30 p.m. Men’s Group
FRIDAY, Sept. 19 - 7 p.m. Life Recovery Meeting; “The Cellar” following the Colfax-Mingo home football game
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. Sunday School; Family Worship
HOPE ASSEMBLY OF GOD
126 E. Howard Rev. Paul Avery, pastor Church: 674-3700 hopeassemblyofgod@yahoo.com
SUNDAY - 9 a.m. Sunday school; 10 a.m. Worship; Today is Food Pantry Sunday
IMMACULATE CONCEPTION CATHOLIC CHURCH
302 E. Howard St., Colfax Fr. Marty Goetz
515-674-3711
SUNDAY - 11 a.m. Mass
MINGO UNITED METHODIST CHURCH Rev. Phil Dicks
515-689-4926
SUNDAY - 9 a.m. Worship service
(Sunday school not meeting at
this time)
ASHTON CHAPEL
8887 W. 122nd St. N., Mingo 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 - 9:30 a.m. Sunday School (Sunday after Labor Day to second Sunday in May); 10:30 a.m. Sunday Worship. First Sunday communion. All are welcome. baxterbethanyucc.org
EVANGELICAL FREE CHURCH BAXTER Mike Mclintock, Pastor
SUNDAY - 9:15 a.m. Sunday School; 10 a.m. Worship; 6 p.m. Awanas
WEDNESDAYS - 1st & 3rd6:30 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 month
- 6:30 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 classes; 10 a.m. Worship service; 6 p.m. Evening service
WEDNESDAY - 7 p.m. Evening activities
LUTHERAN CHURCH OF HOPE Capitol II Theatre in Newton SUNDAY - 9:30 a.m. Livestream Worship Service
MITCHELLVILLE
CHRISTIAN DISCIPLES OF CHRIST 210 Third St. NW, Mitchellville Text/Voicemail 515-519-0206
SUNDAY - 10 a.m. Coffee Time; 10:30 a.m. Worship Time, in person or via YouTube Live at 1040 am
WEDNESDAY - 5:30pm W.O.W Youth Group with supper provided Visit mitchellvillechristianchurch. org and follow us on Facebook
By Troy Hyde Sports Editor
COLFAX — BGM senior Beau Burns led Class 8-man with 2,391 passing yards and 34 touchdown passes last fall. He also rushed for 1,474 yards and 25 TDs.
And after two games in 2025, it appears he won’t have much trouble putting up huge numbers in 11-man football either.
Burns threw for 248 yards, rushed for 292 and scored eight total touchdowns in the Bears’ 76-12 win over Colfax-Mingo’s football team in the Class A District 6 opener on Sept. 5.
“The game plan was to slow him down and make others beat us,” Colfax-Mingo head football coach Drake Buscherfeld said. “But he’s a really good player. We were in some good spots but couldn’t make tackles in space. He did it last week and did it to us. I don’t think he’s done making plays.”
Colfax-Mingo, which was down five starters in the game, trailed 20-0 at halftime and was outscored 28-6 in the second.
The entire second half featured a 35-point continuous clock, and Burns and other BGM starters played into the fourth quarter despite the Bears’ big lead.
Burns started the Bears’ first drive with a 26-yard run and then scored on a 32-yard run two plays later.
Colfax-Mingo (0-2, 0-1 in the district) had something going on its first drive. Camden Cunningham hit Wyatt Jay for an 11-yard pass on the Tigerhawks’ first play from scrimmage.
Aided by pass interference and facemask penalties, Colfax-Mingo got into BGM territory before moving into the red zone following Cunningham completions to Fisher Grove and Wyatt Thornton.
Jasper County Tribune
LIBERTY CENTER — The Colfax-Mingo volleyball team picked up a pair of firsts on Sept. 4 during the Southeast Warren quadrangular.
The Tigerhawks went 2-1 for the night with the wins coming against Moravia and Seymour. They also dropped a twoset match to Class 1A No. 12 and host Southeast Warren.
Colfax-Mingo’s 21-19, 17-21,15-11 win over Moravia was its first over the Mohawks since 2020. They also downed Seymour 21-16, 21-12 for the first win over the Warriors in the Bound era.
Southeast Warren stayed unbeaten with a 21-10, 21-12 victory. The stateranked Warhawks are now 12-0.
Katelyn Steenhoek led the Tigerhawks against Moravia with 19 assists, three kills, two blocks, five digs and four aces.
Britney Keeney also finished with a career-high 11 kills, three blocks and four digs, Grace Hunsberger posted five kills and five digs and Hope Allen contributed six assists and two digs.
Grace Allen chipped in 15 digs, Isabelle Utz had four kills and three digs and Dakota Allen posted four kills and two digs. Meadow Lane contributed three digs in her prep debut and Macie Porter tallied two digs.
The Tigerhawks (6-2) were 48-of-53 with six aces, while Moravia was 47-of-51 with four aces. Steenhoek was successful
on 17 of her 18 serve attempts. The Mohawks (2-8) were led by Jaida Spencer’s nine kills and Leah DeJong’s 13 digs and two aces. Spencer was 15-of15 in serving.
Hunsberger had seven kills and two aces and Keeney added six kills and two blocks to lead the Tigerhawks against Seymour.
Steenhoek totaled 10 assists, four digs and three aces, Hope Allen had four assists and four digs and Grace Allen chipped in six digs and two aces.
Lane contributed five digs, Utz put down three kills, Dakota Allen totaled two blocks, Porter posted four digs and Brooklyn Yanske tallied three digs.
Colfax-Mingo was 36-of-41 in serves, and the Tigerhawks had a kill efficiency of .306.
Kallie Peck led Seymour (1-8) with seven assists, three digs and two aces. The Warriors were 24-of-27 in serves with five aces.
Southeast Warren got nine kills, four digs and three aces from Lexi Clendenen, and the Warhawks were 35-of-37 in serves with nine aces.
Steenhoek led the Tigerhawks with four assists and four digs, Hope Allen totaled two assists and three digs and Grace Allen chipped in five digs.
Mickey Bucklin and Keeney each put down two kills, and the Tigerhawks were 22-of-23 in serves with two aces.
Southeast Warren has eight sweeps in its 12 matches this season.
By Troy Hyde Sports Editor
SULLY — The Lynnville-Sully volleyball team posted its third straight win over Baxter on Sept. 2.
But the Bolts had to feel like one slipped away from them after leading by as many as nine in the first set and grabbing a seven-point advantage in the third set.
The Hawks didn’t start well in two of the three sets, but their senior leadership and overall veteran experience helped them rally to 25-22, 25-16, 25-23 sweep over Baxter during a non-conference affair.
“The seniors really led tonight,” L-S head volleyball coach Heather James said. “They were keeping everyone together and keeping everyone encouraged. They kept saying we need to reset and play our best, and I’m really happy with how they played.”
Baxter head volleyball coach Jordynn Wesselink saw a plethora of positives, and the Bolts were much improved from their weekend tournament at Colfax-Mingo.
They just struggled with the little things down the stretch in all three sets.
“They moved well and the offense
flowed, but it’s the little things on serve receive that we have to clean up,” Wesselink said. “I think we let up too many times.
“They focused a little better today than they did on Saturday. The offense we ran was more effective, we weren’t sending as many through balls over and weren’t tipping it as much. Those were the positives.”
Lynnville-Sully is 12-3 against Baxter since 2012, and the Hawks are 9-1 in the last 10 matchups.
But Baxter jumped out to a 10-4 lead in the opening set following a 7-0 run that included kills by Denver Sulzle and Lillian Grunsted and back-to-back aces by Sulzle.
A Lexi Dart blast pushed the Bolts to a 13-6 lead before a kill from Kamdyn Krampe and an ace by Caydence Sulzle swelled the advantage to eight.
The lead grew to as large as nine before L-S started its comeback. A long service run from Penelope Robinson that included back-to-back aces got the Hawks (2-3) back into the game.
L-S trimmed its deficit to 17-14 with a 5-0 run and scored eight straight points to finish off the rally.
OTTUMWA — Six career-best times and top-five finishes by Ashlynn Hosbond and Sullivan Wilkins highlighted the Colfax-Mingo cross country teams at Wildwood Park on Sept. 4.
The Tigerhawks competed in their second meet of the season, and the girls came home with a seventh-place finish in the seven-team field. Hosbond led C-M with a third-place tally in the girls’ 5K race. She posted a career-best time of 21 minutes, 2.3 seconds.
The Tigerhawks scored 151 points in seventh. That was one point behind Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont (150). Class 1A No. 8 Van Buren won the meet title with 53 points.
The rest of the field included Ottumwa (59), host and 1A No. 16 Pekin (91), Louisa-Muscatine (91) and Fairfield (95).
Ivy Anderson was next for C-M in 35th. She posted a career-best time of 24:07.4. Jessica Gibson (24:52.8), Sahara Buenrostro (26:13.1) and Mallory Sipma (29:34) placed 42nd, 51st and 62nd, respectively.
Gibson’s time was a career best and Buenrostro made her prep debut.
Class 1A No. 2 Chloe Glosser of Pekin won the girls’ race in 18:10.1 and Louisa-Muscatine’s Fiona McGill was the runner-up in 20:25.1. McGill is currently ranked 13th in 1A.
Wilkins led the C-M boys in fifth. His time was clocked in a career-best 17:00. Willie Fitzgerald (21:28.4) and Benjamin Faidley (23:03.4) were 60th and 74th, respectively, with career-best times.
The Tigerhawks did not have enough runners for a team score. Louisa Muscatine’s Hayden Riggan won the race in 16:33.7 and Van Buren’s Lincoln Bainbridge was the runner-up in 16:37.8.
Wilkins cracked the 1A rankings for the first time in his career at No. 21. Riggan is ranked 11th in the class and Bainbridge came into the meet ranked sixth in the latest rankings.
Class 1A No. 6 Louisa-Muscatine won the boys’ meet title with 46 points. Class 1A No. 9 Van Buren (55), 1A No. 15 Pekin (86), Fairfield (110) and Sigourney (130) completed the top five of the 10-team field.
Colfax-Mingo senior Sullivan Wilkins has set personal-best 5K times in his first two meets of the season. He went under 18 minutes for the first time at Collins-Maxwell on Aug. 28 and then posted a time of 17:00 in Ottumwa on Sept. 4.
GRANGER — Class 1A No. 4
Max Handorf’s injury during the boys’ 5K race at Jester Park on Sept. 2 hindered the Baxter boys cross country team’s chance at another team title, but the 1A No. 20 Bolts still finished only 13 points out of first place.
The Bolts grabbed two individual top-10 finishes and claimed third in the eight-team field at the Woodward-Granger Invitational.
Class 1A No. 14 Brecken Fisher finished second again in the boys’ race. His runner-up time was clocked in 19 minutes, 17.9 seconds.
Maddux Tuhn (20:44) had his highest finish as a prep in sixth, Dakota Parker (22:22.9) was 18th and Maddox Peters (22:27) placed 20th. The final scoring runner was Lincoln Russell (24:14.1) in 34th.
Parker Bonney (25:41.7), Sam Wilhelm (27:54.1), Levi Gregory (29:05.4) and Austin England (32:22.7) were non-scoring runners in 40th, 54th, 57th and 69th, respectively.
Handorf suffered a hip injury while making a pass for the lead on a downhill portion of the course.
He did not finish the race to avoid further injury.
Woodward-Granger and Saydel both scored 66 points at the top of the standings. The host Hawks won the meet because they had a better sixth runner.
W-G placed its five scoring runners in the top 16, while Saydel put its first three in the top 10.
The Bolts scored 79 points in third and the rest of the top five included Perry (105) and West Marshall (126). Collins-Maxwell (149), Des Moines North (161) and Clarke (163) completed the field and CAM had an incomplete roster.
North’s Marvin MejicanoBarahona won the boys’ race in 18:28.1.
Baxter’s girls did not have enough runners for a team score. Elsie Hauser took 11th in the girls’ 5K race in 26:04.3.
Collins-Maxwell’s Jayden Peters won the race in 22:21.2 and Woodward-Granger’s Eva Fleshner was the runner-up in 22:40.9.
Class 2A No. 5 West Marshall
Neither team had much of an advantage in the second set until L-S used an 8-0 run to go up 17-10. It was Brilynn Tice’s serve for most of the spurt as she delivered three aces and Robinson put down a pair of kills.
The Bolts closed to 18-13, but Wesselink took a timeout with her squad down eight a few points later. L-S never led by fewer than eight the rest of the way though.
Baxter jumped out to a 6-1 lead in the third set. Kamdyn Krampe put down three straight kills and Dart ended the run with an ace.
The Bolts also had leads of 11-4 and 14-7 before the Hawks rallied again. Jaelynn Vander Wilt’s ace ended a 4-0 run and then back-toback aces by Tice melted the margin to 16-14.
Baxter maintained a lead after a pair of kills from Denver Sulzle, but another small run by the Hawks that ended with a Kate Harthoorn ace lowered the deficit to 20-18.
Trailing 22-19, L-S ended the set and closed out the match with a 6-3 run. The two teams were tied at 22and 23-all before Tatum Huyser’s kill put the Hawks in front for good.
Huyser totaled 12 kills, 20 digs and two blocks, Robinson posted seven kills and five digs and Olivia Beyer finished with 17 digs to lead the Hawks.
The Hawks served 62-of-71 with 16 aces.
“We weren’t as strong with serve receive late in the sets as we were earlier in the sets,” Wesselink said.
The Bolts finished 57-of-66 in serves with five aces. Denver Sulzle served 15-of-16 with two aces, Dart was 13-of-13 in serves and Caydence Sulzle collected two aces.
won the girls’ meet championship with 32 points. Class 2A No. 7 Addie Thompson (23:11.8) led the Trojans in third. Peters is ranked ninth in 1A.
Class 1A No. 11 Collins-Maxwell finished second with 44 points and Woodward-Granger scored 50 points in third.
Bolts face tough field at Central College
PELLA — Without its top runner, the Baxter boys finished eighth in a tough field at Central College on Sept. 6 and then slipped down the Class 1A rankings two days later.
The Bolts faced six ranked squads and one out of state program and finished 58 points back of Class 1A No. 12 Lynnville-Sully in the final standings of the Pella High School Dutch Cross Country Invitational on Sept. 6.
Baxter did set eight personal records and Hauser was 4 minutes faster than her previous best time.
Handorf was not available due to a recent injury, but Fisher placed 21st in the boys’ 5K race with a time of 17:21.5.
Tuhn (18:36.4), Peters (19:31.4), Parker (19:45.5) and Russell
Denver Sulzle also had five kills and three digs, Caydence Sulzle posted 15 digs and Dart chipped in five kills and two digs.
Alyvia Burdess contributed seven assists and four digs, Olivia Parrie delivered eight assists, Danika Flora totaled six digs and Grunsted chipped in two kills, three digs and two blocks.
Kamdyn Krampe put down five kills, Kaylyn Krampe and Rilyn Titus each had three digs and Kamdyn Krampe served 9-of-9.
“I think it’s good to have options,” Wesselink said. “I want our setters to go to the outside more though. I feel like we force too many sets to certain places just to set it there. They need to know who the hot hitters are. If the outsides are putting the ball down, just keep going out there. If the middles start putting
(21:00.4) were the other scoring runners in 52nd, 72nd, 80th and 109th, respectively. Bonney (22:20.8) and Wilhelm (23:50) were the non-scoring runners in 140th and 161st, respectively.
The Baxter girls did not have enough runners for a team score, but Hauser finished 37th in a career-best 22:04.5.
Class 3A No. 1 Gilbert won the meet title with 31 points, and 3A No. 2 Pella was the runner-up with 43 points. Class 3A No. 6 ADM (110), 2A No. 1 Chariton (128) and Platte County in Missouri (131) completed the top five.
Class 2A No. 6 Pella Christian (162), 1A No. 12 Lynnville-Sully (198), 1A No. 20 Baxter (256), Oskaloosa (258), English Valleys (286), Collins-Maxwell (291), Mount Pleasant (303) and North Mahaska (347) finalized the 13-team field.
Class 3A No. 1 Pella won the girls’ meet championship with 16 points. The Lady Dutch finished 1-2-4-5-7 in the race.
Class 3A No. 11 Gilbert (90), 3A No. 14 ADM (117) Platte County in Missouri (118) and 2A No. 9 Pella Christian (130) were next to complete the top five.
a few down, stay with them while they are hot. We want to mix it up, but we also need to know who the hot hitters are.”
Notes: While all five of Baxter’s seniors played, the Hawks had a significant advantage in experience. All 10 L-S players who saw varsity time in the match were juniors and seniors. Of the 11 Bolts who played, two were freshmen and two others were sophomores. ... In the past 10 matchups between these two programs, only four have ended in three-game sweeps. Three of the Hawks’ wins also came in five sets.
Baxter 3, Collins-Maxwell 0 BAXTER — A big night from behind the service line propelled Baxter past its rival Collins-Maxwell on Sept. 4.
The Bolts claimed their 21st straight win over the Spartans after earning a 25-21, 25-18, 25-14 home win during Iowa Star Conference South Division play.
Baxter improved to 24-2 against Collins-Maxwell since 2017. It was the Bolts’ first three-game sweep since 2022.
Caydence Sulzle led the Bolts (27, 1-0 in the conference) with nine digs and six aces.
Burdess added six assists, six digs and three aces, Parrie chipped in four assists and five digs and Kaylyn Krampe posted four kills, four digs and two aces.
Denver Sulzle had a team-best six kills and served up two aces, Kamdyn Krampe contributed four digs and five aces, Dart totaled three kills and three digs and Grunsted finished with two kills and three digs.
The Bolts were 68-of-74 in serves with 18 aces. Kamdyn Krampe finished 19-of-19 in serves, while Caydence Sulzle was 17-of-18 and Denver Sulzle served 11-of-12. Collins-Maxwell dropped to 0-3 and 0-1 in the conference.
LIBERTY CENTER — A big third quarter lifted Southeast Warren past the Baxter football team on Sept. 5.
The Bolts led the Class 8-man District 7 contest at halftime, but the Warhawks scored a come-from-behind 62-34 win.
The game was tied at 8-all after the first quarter, and Baxter led 20-14 at halftime. But Southeast Warren won the third 24-0 and outscored the Bolts
September 11
Volleyball
Baxter at Valley Lutheran,
7:30 p.m.
Keota at Colfax-Mingo, 7:30 p.m.
Cross Country Baxter at Colfax-Mingo, 4:30 p.m.
September 12
Football
Colfax-Mingo at North Mahaska, 7 p.m.
Baxter at Melcher-Dallas, 7 p.m.
September 15
Volleyball
Colfax-Mingo at Iowa Valley, 7:30 p.m.
Cross Country
Colfax-Mingo at Pleasantville, 4:30 p.m.
Baxter at South Tama County, 4:30 p.m.
September 16
Girls Swimming Oskaloosa at Newton, 5:30 p.m.
September 18
Volleyball
Colfax-Mingo at HLV/TC, 7:30 p.m.
BCLUW at Baxter, 7:30 p.m.
Cross Country Colfax-Mingo, Baxter at Colo-NESCO, 4:30 p.m.
September 19
Football Central Decatur at Colfax-Mingo, 7 p.m.
Twin Cedars at Baxter, 7 p.m.
September 23
Cross Country
Colfax-Mingo, Baxter at West Marshall, 5 p.m.
Girls Swimming Centerville at Newton, 5:30 p.m.
September 25
Volleyball
North Mahaska at Colfax-Mingo, 7:30 p.m.
Meskwaki Settlement
School at Baxter, 7:30 p.m.
September 26
Football
Colfax-Mingo at Earlham, 7 p.m.
Baxter at Wayne, 7 p.m.
48-14 in the second half.
Baxter has started 0-2 for the first time since 2020. The Bolts
But the drive stalled after a negative running play and three straight incompletions.
BGM (2-0, 1-0) answered with a four-play, 80-yard drive that featured a 45-yard pass from Burns to Landon Hassett and a 15-yard TD pass from Burns to Ethan Bridgewater.
The Bears pushed their lead to 20-0 after a 2-play drive following the first of five Colfax-Mingo turnovers. Burns capped BGM’s third possession with a 35-yard TD pass to Nathan Findlay.
“Give credit to them. They’re a good team,” Buscherfeld said about BGM. “They start 10 seniors pretty much both ways. That’s something we just don’t have right now.”
After a three-and-out on offense, Alex Teed got the ball back to Colfax-Mingo when he picked off Burns following a 32-yard run by the Bears’ quarterback.
A big play turned into another turnover though.
On third and 15, Thornton caught a deflected pass and sprinted the other way for 76 yards. But the Bears forced a fumble on the play.
Burns gave it right back to Colfax-Mingo when he fumbled two plays later.
Then Cunningham hooked up with Wyatt Carpenter on a 23-yard touchdown pass early in the second quarter.
It was the only points of the game for the Tigerhawks until Chase Trotter got loose for a 64yard touchdown run down the home sideline.
Trotter missed the first three quarters of the game after being ejected in the third quarter of the team’s Week 1 loss to Clarke.
He finished with 104 rushing yards and one score on six carries.
“We can only control what we
finished that season 4-5.
Stadan Vansice threw for a career-best 218 yards on 16-of26 through the air. He tossed a career-best three touchdowns, had one interception and rushed 23 times for 87 yards and two scores in the loss.
Eli Dee hauled in eight catches for a career-high 140 yards and a career-most three TDs.
Colten Damman also had the best game of his career with five catches for 58 yards.
Cael Wishman, who rushed
for 13 yards on two carries, led the Baxter defense with 10.5 tackles, one sack and 2.5 tackles for loss.
Hayden Burdess had two catches for 19 yards and registered a career-high 11.5 tackles.
Trevor Hamilton added nine tackles, Cody Spurgeon chipped in five tackles and Miles McCord contributed three tackles.
Baxter (0-2, 0-1 in the district) gave up 344 rushing yards to the Warhawks, who have outscored their first two opponents
130-46.
Southeast Warren (2-0, 1-0) was led by Jamison Ewing, who ran for 310 yards and four TDs on 43 carries. He also completed 6-of-9 through the air for 113 yards and two scores. Ewing ranks second in 8-man with 461 rushing yards after two games. Bridger Cox rushed for two touchdowns, Breckin Morrison caught two passes for 60 yards and one TD and Lucas Dirkx totaled 9.5 tackles for the Warhawks.
can control,” Buscherfeld said. “He’ll learn from it. He’s a good kid and feels bad. It was just a mistake.”
The Bears scored 28 straight points in the second after Carpenter’s touchdown catch.
Burns connected with Hassett on a 1-yard TD pass play before finding Bridgewater for a 35yard touchdown.
Burns also scored on a 43yard TD run and Hassett returned a Colfax-Mingo punt 55 yards for a score.
The Bears outscored C-M 28-6 in the second half. Burns added touchdown runs of 2 and 1 yards and Findlay scored from 2 yards out in the third.
BGM’s final TD came on a 65yard TD run by backup quarterback Izaha Thompson.
“We have a lot of youth out there,” Buscherfeld said. “We have six sophomores playing both ways. They’re good talents,
but it takes varsity reps to get to a certain level.”
Cunningham finished 10-of25 through the air for 171 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
Carpenter caught four passes for 39 yards and a TD, Thornton hauled in two catches for 96 yards and Jay gained 20 yards on his two catches, but the Tigerhawks were limited to 276 total yards in the loss.
Cunningham led the C-M defense with 8.5 tackles and two forced fumbles.
Kyle Wood added four tackles and one fumble recovery, Carpenter and Thornton totaled three tackles each and Fisher Grove forced one fumble and recovered one fumble.
The Bears, who committed six penalties for 58 yards, rushed for 396 yards in the win. Findlay gained 102 yards on five catches and Hassett had 96 yards on six
Colfax-Mingo
Wyatt Jay gained 20 yards
catches and led the defense with 6.5 tackles, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
“Our youth is not the only cause of it,” Buscherfeld said. “We have to keep getting better up front, get better with tackling and keep working at it. We need to control the things we can control like attitude and effort and keep going from there.”
Notes: The Tigerhawks lost four fumbles and turned the ball over five times. BGM committed three turnovers. … Burns leads Class A with 719 rushing yards and 10 rushing TDs after two weeks. He ranks fourth with 366 passing yards and leads the class with a 16.3 yards per carry average. … It was the first meeting in football between the two South Iowa Cedar League rivals since 2017. They previously played every year between 2014 and 2017, and the Bears are 5-0 in the series in that time frame.
