Brad Magg to run for Iowa House District 38 again in 2026
Democratic candidate announces campaign at annual soup supper fundraiser
By Christopher Braunschweig Jasper County Tribune
Brad Magg is making another run for Iowa House District 38. His decision to run is so fresh he hasn’t even gotten the chance to tell his mother. She will no doubt have some choice words to say to her son, but she will also support him every step of the way. Just like before. Democrats in Jasper County feel the same way.
The city councilman and local business owner made the announcement during the annual Jasper County Democrats Soup Supper, a pivotal fundraiser for
the local party. He was met with a standing ovation from fellow Democrats, and an encouraging hug from Iowa House Rep. Ross Wilburn of Story County.
“You’ll be the first to hear it: I am going to run again,” Magg said. “So, giddy-up, we’re going to do it again!”
Bryan Friedman, chair of the Jasper County Democratic Party, said Magg ran an “excellent campaign” for Iowa House last year. Magg said he managed to raise $40,000 for his campaign. Dunwell raised more than twice that amount in 2024. Still, just before Election Day 2024 Magg
felt confident in his campaign.
“I had amazing volunteers,” Magg said at the soup supper. “You guys showed up in full force. And I was ready. We didn’t do it, but, hey, stuff happens and we learn. Despite losing by 10 points, we were still one of the most overperforming House candidates in the state.”
It was also a presidential election year, and the county overwhelmingly supported Donald Trump over Kamala Harris. Still, Magg recalled the strides his campaign made. Voters had
Iowa Democrat Josh Turek wants to live up to the legacy of Tom Harkin
Former U.S. senator’s work on
provided candidate ‘an onramp onto society’
By Christopher Braunschweig Jasper County Tribune
Josh Turek knows the kind of impact a good senator from Iowa can have on Americans. Had it not been for the work of former
U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin to create the Americans with Disabilities Act, Turek might not be where he is today: a state lawmaker, a Paralympian, a Democratic candidate running for Harkin’s old seat.
“The ADA and Senator Harkin’s work literally provided me an onramp onto society to be successful,” Turek said. “We here in Iowa deserve to
Jasper County Health Department following through on commitment to address housing needs
Community Health Needs Assessment identified housing as a top concern in Jasper County
By Jamee A. Pierson Jasper County Tribune
In an effort to address housing needs in Jasper County, the county health department shared a draft of its housing referral flow sheet during last month’s Board of Health meeting. Results from the Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) conducted last year identified housing as a major concern in the county.
Of the residents surveyed by the CHNA, almost half said they experienced problems with their current living arrangement. Housing damage was identified as the top issue for almost half of respondents with lack of affordable housing impacting just a little more than 20 percent of the residents.
Creating a referral form was one of the ways the health department plans to address the housing issues in the county. By identifying the issues, the department can more successfully refer people to resources specific to their needs.
“The goal of the program is to offer resources to help people be self-sufficient,” the referral said. “We will not enable people.”
The form starts with an intake portion to learn about the person’s name, date of birth, contact information, address, employment status and current living situation. It also looks to assess what resources are available to the person, including HOUSING | 3
Brad Magg for Iowa
Brad Magg, a Democrat, has announced his campaign for Iowa House in the 2026 election cycle.
Braunschweig/Jasper County Tribune
Iowa House Rep. Josh Turek, who is running for U.S. Senate, speaks to local party members during the Jasper County Democrats Soup Supper on Oct. 5 at the E.J.H. Beard Administration Center in Newton.
Prairie Meadows donates to Short Years Partnership
Prairie Meadows recently awarded Short Years Partnership a Community Betterment grant totaling $3,400. The grant will help fund the Diaper Bank program’s Expanding Access Initiative, which aims to increase access to supplemental diapers for families across Marion, Warren, Madison, Jasper and Dallas counties.
Short Years Partnership is dedicated to supporting families
with young children by providing supplemental diapers, reducing financial strain, and ensuring children’s basic needs are met. The Expanding Access Initiative will allow the Diaper Bank to:
• Add well-placed all-weather donation receptacles and portable bins for pop-up diaper drives to increase community engagement.
• Improve storage and distribution efficiency by providing necessary materials such as
wrapping supplies, labels, and printer ink.
• Support program expansion into additional counties while ensuring sustainability of operations.
“We are so grateful to Prairie Meadows for supporting our Diaper Bank’s initiative. This funding allows us to better provide an essential basic need to families across our five-county service area and relieve financial pressure for parents. With this sup -
port, we can expand donation points and strengthen our program so that more families receive the dignity and relief they need to thrive,” said Erin Paugh, Program Manager at Short Years Partnership.
“As a nonprofit organization, Prairie Meadows is proud to support initiatives that strengthen our community through investments in arts and culture, education, economic development, and human
Betterment grant will help fund Short Years Diaper Bank expanding access initiative
services. By funding meaningful projects, we help create lasting impact across Central Iowa. We look forward to continuing this important work with our partners,” said Julie Stewart, Chief Operating Officer at Prairie Meadows.
The Expanding Access Initiative is expected to be completed by summer 2026 and will impact an estimated 625 families in the five-county service area.
By addressing diaper need, the program helps reduce health risks, alleviate financial stress, and remove barriers to childcare, giving families stability and peace of mind.
For more information about Short Years Partnership and the Diaper Bank, visit shortyears.org. To learn more about Prairie Meadows and their community initiatives, visit prairiemeadows.com/community.
Iowa State University advances efforts to improve nutrition and physical activity
Iowa State University has begun Year 3 of “Leveraging Activities and Partnerships to Address Obesity in Iowa.” ISU Extension and Outreach leads the initiative, known asIowa LEAP, which aims to promote healthy eating and active living in six counties with an adult obesity prevalence of 40 percent or more.
In the third year of this fiveyear program, Iowa State will receive $510,000 to help implement targeted activities to improve nutrition and increase physical activity. The funding also will provide ongoing support for county extension staff and partnership coordination in Cedar, Clinton, Crawford, Franklin, Muscatine and West Pottawattamie counties.
Addressing a significant public health issue
Obesity is a significant pub-
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 TUESDAY - 3
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
lic health issue affecting more than 100 million adults and 14 million children in the United States, according to the CDC.
In Iowa, 37.8 percent of adults are currently affected by obesity, measured as a body mass index of 30 or higher, noted Lyndi Buckingham-Schutt, assistant professor and extension specialist.
CDC population data from 2023 show that in 23 states, including Iowa, more than one in three adults has obesity.
“That’s approximately 35 percent. Before 2013, no state had an adult obesity prevalence at or above 35 percent. Currently, at least one in five adults – about 20 percent – in each U.S. state is living with obesity,” Buckingham-Schutt said.
“Obesity is a complex and costly chronic disease influenced by many factors. It is associated with increased healthcare costs
of approximately $173 billion annually, along with poorer mental health outcomes, stigmatization, reduced quality of life and a higher risk of developing conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke and various cancers,” Buckingham-Schutt said.
Building on a strong foundation Iowa State University’s Iowa LEAP initiative is building on a strong foundation of community engagement.
“In Years 1 and 2, the team conducted comprehensive community assessments, engaged local coalitions, gathered meaningful community input and implemented evidence-based strategies. These efforts were focused on improving access to healthy food and providing safe, accessible opportunities to engage in physical activity,” Buckingham-Schutt said. “In Year 3,
ISU Extension and Outreach
staff in the six counties will continue leading and coordinating efforts with county partners and organizations to advance this collective work and deepen its impact across communities.”
LEAP counties and their community partners are committed to community health. They have helped expand access to safe and inclusive physical activity for 85,187 individuals by supporting policies and systems changes across participating counties. In addition, the LEAP team partnered with 17 local organizations to strengthen food service guidelines, resulting in increased access to healthy food for 8,144 people.
“These efforts were further amplified by successfully leveraging over $250,000 in funding through grants, strategic partnerships and contributions from
Church Schedules
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
FRIDAY, Oct. 17 - 7 p.m. Life Recovery Meeting
SATURDAY, Oct. 18- AWANA Sparks Hike at Quarry Springs
SUNDAY, Oct. 19 - 9 a.m. Fellowship; 9:15 a.m. Bible Education Classes; 10:25 a.m. Message by Pastor Cody Dyer; 11:30 a.m. Potluck Luncheon; 12:45 p.m. Quarterly Business Meeting; 5 p.m. “The Well” Youth Group
TUESDAY, Oct. 21 - 6 p.m. Trunk or Treat in FBC Parking Lot
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 22 - 9 a.m. Busy Bee Quilters and Fresh Encounter Prayer; 5:45 p.m. AWANA Family Meal; 6:25 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, Oct. 23 - 6:30 p.m. 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. Sunday School; Family Worship - Today is Blanket Sunday
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 Rev. William Reynolds
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 & 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
local, state and federal sources — demonstrating the power of collaboration for advancing collective health impact,” Buckingham-Schutt said.
Iowa LEAP is fostering a healthier Iowa by addressing the root causes of obesity and empowering communities to make lasting improvements in health and wellness.
“We are excited to continue our work with the CDC’s High Obesity Program,” said Buckingham-Schutt. “By leveraging local partnerships and community insights, we aim to create sustainable changes that will lead to healthier lifestyles for residents of participating counties. Collaboration is key to the current and future success of this work. Our team values the work of those partnering with us to have a collective impact on creating healthier communities.”
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.
Continued from page 1
Magg signs posted next to Trump signs in the same yard, and he spoke highly of his interactions with MAGA hat-wearing residents.
“Something was just in the air that day that didn’t go in our favor,” Magg said.
Dunwell ultimately received 9,035
Turek
Continued from page 1
once again have a senator that is going to fight for the people, fight for the working class, that is going to fight for our farmers, that is going to fight for small business.”
For Turek, it is important for Iowa to have a representative in the U.S. Senate who will also fight for social safety nets like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. It is these social safety nets, Turek added, that have allowed him to be successful after being diagnosed with spina bifida at birth.
votes, or 55.75 percent. Magg received 7,163 votes, or 44.20 percent. Dunwell remained the incumbent since October 2021. House District 38 largely represents Jasper County in the Iowa Legislature. Some southern areas, like Monroe, are outside his legislative jurisdiction.
When Magg first announced his campaign for Iowa House in spring 2024, he expressed frustration over Dunwell’s decision making at the Capitol, particularly when it came to property tax reform and
As the first permanently disabled member of the Iowa Legislature, Turek carries that title like a badge of honor. It is also a main reason why he decided to run for office in the first place back in 2022. Turek told Jasper County Democrats last week that he is giving a voice to the one in five Iowans with a disability. “We have representatives like Ashley Hinson up there who does not care about the plights of the most vulnerable, does not care about people’s healthcare,” Turek said of the Iowa congresswoman, who also announced her run for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by
Housing
Continued from page 1
support from family, friends, neighbors, school, church or other sources.
It then addresses what the current housing issue is for the person. It looks to find out if they are homeless or unable to pay rent or the mortgage. It also digs into other sources that may be a struggle, such as maintaining the residence, paying utilities, making repairs or needing items such as a ramp or furniture.
For home owners or renters that have issues, the top response in the CHNA was lack of complete plumbing facilities followed by lack of complete kitchen facilities, one or more occupants per room and monthly housing costs, both renting and owning, greater than 30 percent.
In the county, 23.58 percent of households have housing costs exceeding 30 percent of their total household income. The rate is slightly higher than the state average of 23.04 percent.
When it comes to accomplishing tasks for a residence, the form asks if there are any barriers to stable housing. It looks to identify if the person has a criminal record, pets, identification, a deposit needed for occupancy, a job or if lack of planning has played into where the person currently finds themselves.
The county also wants to know what the person has already tried when looking to solve their housing issue. Have they sought out help from other resources or agencies? If
so, who?
Joni Ernst. Turek condemned the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and the significant cuts it makes to programs like Medicaid and SNAP benefits, which he said strips 110,000 Iowans from basic healthcare and thousands of poor children from basic food assistance “just to give tax breaks to billionaires.”
If elected to the U.S. Senate, Turek pledges to raise the minimum wage and eliminate subminimum wages allowed by 14(c) certificates, fight for affordable and accessible healthcare and women’s reproductive freedoms, advocate for
Finally, are the people filling out the form willing to accept help. While filling out the form is a big first step, actually following through and getting help can be a barrier some people find extremely difficult to overcome.
Beyond the initial applicant, the county looks in to the populations in the family, including any seniors age 62 and older, veterans, children, individuals with disabilities or mental health behaviors and persons struggling with substance abuse. Specific guidance is available for each of those categories with resources available in the county.
The form then gets into more of the immediate needs for housing, like if the individual is currently experiencing homelessness and whether they want help out of their situation. While people experiencing homelessless may be identified, their willingness to accept assistance is not guaranteed.
For those needing assistance with their current housing situation, the county can provide information on resources in areas for utilities and rent assistance, mortgage help, poor living conditions, repairs and homeownership and mental health and substance use. The county can also give information to those who are disabled, for those in need of employment, refugees, violence and domestic violence, legal, jail or probation needs, furniture, clothing and household needs and disaster relief.
The Jasper County Resource Guide is also recommended to always be provided to anyone seeking assistance.
public education bills. Magg also ran to improve healthcare issues, particularly in the more rural areas of the state.
Before ending his speech with party members this past Sunday, Magg stressed the need for a more united front internally. He encouraged fellow Democrats to support their candidates even if there are some disputes over issues. He pleaded with them to not throw away their votes over these disagreements.
“Don’t drag our candidates through the
affordable pharmaceuticals and have a 100 percent labor voting record.
Turek also wants to address the rising cancer rates in Iowa. The very same day he announced his run for U.S. Senate he learned his sister was diagnosed with breast cancer, but because it was only Stage 2 insurance companies told her they would not pay for a PET scan to see if the cancer had spread.
“Healthcare is a human right,” Turek said, noting his sister would have to pay $30,000 out of pocket for the scan. “…You should not have to win the lottery, you should not have to divorce your
mud because you don’t agree with them 100 percent,” Magg said. “They’re still far better than what we have representing us now … Please make sure we’re supporting our candidates so that we can all win come next year.”
Magg is about a year out from Election Day. Plus, there is a primary to consider. Still, the candidate feels way more prepared this time around.
“I have a better idea of what’s going on, and we’re getting a good head start.”
spouse and declare bankruptcy just to have access to basic healthcare in the richest country on earth.”
Turek also pledged to give Iowans access to clean water. While some may argue that to be a state issue, Turek believes it is a federal issue that needs to be addressed at the Environmental Protection Agency level. He also advocated for public education, infrastructure and farmers.
“We are moving into an absolute ‘farmageddon’ is what I’m calling it. It’s a return to the 1980s farm crisis,” Turek said.
“We’ve got foreclosures that are going up. We’ve got suicides that are go -
ing up. The commodities prices are upside. This is due specifically to the tariffs.”
Turek wants his campaign to be about hope and inspiration and positivity, because people “have not felt it in so long.” He rejected the idea that Iowa is a red state. It is a common sense state, he said, and it is seeing higher Democratic turnouts than it has in the past decade or so.
“I’m a common sense prairie populist,” Turek said. “The district I represent right now is actually more red than the rest of the state as a whole is. We can win.”
A GUIDE FOR ASSISTANCE
Seniors 62 years old and older
If low income, Aging Resources of Central Iowa / USDA grant and loan. Veterans Jasper County Veterans Affairs Children
Refer to school district homeless liaison (McKinney-Vento funds), ff pregnant: Pregnancy Center of Central Iowa, children removed from the home — Open Arms Foundation of Jasper County, IHHS, Parent Partners, Four Oaks, if justice is involved: Capstone Behavioral Health Disabled DAP Polk County, Progress Industries for housing, Aging Resources of Central Iowa Mental Health
Capstone Behavioral Health, Iowa PCA Substance Abuse Capstone Behavior Health After Hours Help Call 988 or https://988lifeline.org or Your Life Iowa Showers
Discover Hope, Newton YMCA Laundry Neighbor Helping Neighbors working with Capstone Behavioral Health, Connection Center to set up a process Homeless Tom Troxell, Homeless Ministry Outreach Shelter If willing and transportation available — CISS : 24/7 Emergency Shelter in Des Moines, Access Care Center Rapid Rehousing of Marshalltown/Ames/
Boone, YSS for youth, PHC Iowa Shelter in DSM, Garden Gate Ranch for sexually exploited women Utilities/Rent Assistance
IMPACT Community Action, Salvation Army, Churches and Ministerial Alliance Mortgage Help Iowa Finance Authority, Iowa Homeowners Assistance, USDA Loans/Grants Poor Living Conditions Mold - FEMA, Landlord Issues - Iowa Legal Aid Repairs/Homeownership Habitat for Humanity, USDA, Aging Resources of Central Iowa Mental Health/Substance Abuse Capstone Behavior Services, Clearview, Sheepgate, Discover Hope Disabled Rent reimbursement program, Capstone Behavioral Service, Progress Industries, The Well, Kid Assist Income/Employment Iowa Workforce Development Refugees Iowa Health and Human Services Refugee Services Violence/Domestic Violence Family Crisis Center, CIS Legal/Jail/Probation Capstone Behavior Health Furniture/Clothing/Household Friends in Hope, The Well, Salvation Army, Goodwill, Open Arms, Pregnancy Center Disaster Relief FEMA, Jasper County EMA, Red Cross
Medicare Advantage— grrr
You may or may not recall that a couple of months ago I came out in a big way in support of Medicare Advantage Plans. And, considering my health condition of recovering from cancer treatment, with huge medical bills, my Medicare Advantage Plan took great care of me. I have no complaint about the coverage. However, I have recently been informed that my Medicare Advantage Plan, which is United Health Care AARP, is discontinuing coverage for a big chunk of Iowa, effective January 1, 2026. It’s called a Service Area Reduction or SAR (not to be confused with the SARS virus, although perhaps as repulsive). This SAR is aimed at plans with a zero monthly premium. Plans with a monthly premium, for the most part, will not be affected.
OPINION
Not only is United Health Care AARP discontinuing service in select counties of the state, but several other Medicare Advantage Plans are as well. It’s mainly due, I’m told, to government cutbacks. If it’s any consolation, people who are having their coverage discontinued will be given what’s called a Guaranteed Issue (GI) option, which will allow them to select any other plan available in their county, with no medical questions.
So, what my wife and I are looking at, for we are United Health Care (UHC) members, as well as my client base, for I am a UHC Agent, is switching to another Medicare Advantage Plan, or to a Medicare Supplement. I am in the process of certifying with a couple of other Medicare Advantage Plans. A good question to ask is, “Will these other Medicare Advantage Plans go through a similar
Serving Iowans during the Schumer Shutdown
From Washington, DC
The same Washington politicians who were whining about DOGE laying off unnecessary bureaucrats just a few months ago are now exposing who is and isn’t an essential employee by shutting down the government.
The Schumer Shutdown has sent home 750,000 federal employees deemed non-essential, but the kicker is that despite being on their couch, in a bubble bath, or wherever else, they will still collect a paycheck paid for by your tax dollars.
In fact, every day the shutdown goes on, taxpayers will be on the hook for $400 million in salary for these bureaucrats who are not working. With Democrats continuing to block the bill to reopen the government, there has already been $1.2 billion in costs racked up. This is an absolute waste of your hard-earned tax dollars.
Of course, our brave men and women in uniform are continuing to answer the call to duty without pay, as are other essential employees.
But you know who still gets paid?
The politicians who failed to do their jobs and caused the shutdown, namely Senator Schumer and the Democrats in Congress.
Keep in mind, the bill they are blocking would keep the government funded at Biden’s budget levels while we continue working out our differences.
Senator Schumer himself stated earlier this year, “No reasonable member on either side – Democrat or Republican – wants a government shutdown. Both sides recognize that a government shutdown would mean crushing delays to veterans’ programs, nutrition programs for women, infants, and children, delayed benefits for our military, and so much more.”
Senator Schumer went on to say that only extremists who can’t win an argument are willing to shut down the government to bully everyone else into submission.
And folks, that’s exactly
SHARE YOUR VIEW
what is happening now.
But, ironically, it is Senator Schumer who is being bullied by the extremists within his own party.
These are the radical socialists demanding we defund the police and ICE to allow our streets and borders to once again be overrun by chaos and lawlessness. Folks, no one wins when Democrats shut down the government. It is obvious the Democratic leader is shutting down the government for one simple reason—to protect his own job.
From the far left to the right, there is widespread disappointment with Senator Schumer’s inability to perform his basic duties, like doing his part to make sure our military gets paid on time and the government stays open.
So, on behalf of all Americans, the recipient of the non-essential government employee of the year for 2025 is Senator Chuck Schumer for his rudderless leadership, his petty partisanship, and his silly shutdown shenanigans.
While do-nothing bureaucrats are doing anything but working during the Schumer Shutdown, I am still serving Iowans.
My offices will remain open and, if you need help with a federal agency, my team is available to help.
My work for Iowans continues all gas no brakes, and this week I led the Consistent Egg Labels Act to ensure that deceptive imitation products aren’t mislabeled as real, healthy eggs produced by Iowa farmers. In the age-old debate between the chicken or the egg, one thing is certain: eggs don’t come from plants.
I will continue working to get my Democrat colleagues to end this political charade and stop wasting tax dollars, ensure that our servicemembers are paid, and guarantee the American people can access vital services from the federal government.
Joni Ernst, a native of Red Oak and a combat veteran, represents Iowa in the United States Senate.
Service Area Reduction in the near future?” We’re stuck between a rock-and-ahard-place.
I’m busy certifying and answering panicky client questions. All this is taking place amidst a government shutdown, which makes people even more nervous. It reminds me of Charles Dickens’ saying in A Tale of Two Cities: “It was best of times, it was the worst of times.” In other words: chaos.
It could be worse. We could have no options. We could be living in the Philippines and struggling for survival after a devastating earthquake, and looking for our loved ones under the rubble, wondering if they’re alive or how bad they’re hurt.
I have egg on my face, I know. Go ahead and say it. I don’t like eating crow—they’re tough and sorta fowl (get it?) tasting. But if the shoe fits, wear it. I bragged about how good my Medicare Advantage Plan is, and now the Plan is ditching me, us, and my clients. Health care costs are rising, insurance companies are struggling, and medical centers
are shutting down. AI generated news flashes are scaring people. No one knows what to believe, including me. My wife and I, and my clients, will survive. We’ll figure something out. Putin bombs Ukraine, Ukraine bombs Moscow. Netanyahu bombs Gaza. Many UN countries recognize Palestine as a state while it’s being bombed to obliteration and its people are starving. Republicans blame Democrats and Democrats blame Republicans. Even the Pope weighs in. I avoid the 24-hour news broadcasts. Ginnie doesn’t, but I limit the viewing to the bedroom. The only news I watch is the Nightly News. It’s one-half hour of straight news, no opinions. It leaves me feeling unfulfilled, but not angry. I’ll admit I’m attracted to news flashes on my smart phone. “Travis Kelce reveals Taylor Swift’s darkest secret.” Oh, what a waste of time!
There’s only one thing I know for sure: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”
Contact Curt Swarm at curtswarm@yahoo.com
OPINION
The health care emergency behind the government shutdown
By Karen Dolan
Health care access in this country is in grave danger — and your wallet could be, too. Those facts are key to understanding the latest government shutdown.
“My kids have health care through Medicaid — which is especially important for my daughter with autism,” Alexis Cortes, a mom of four, told me. But “the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ calls for massive cuts to Medicaid, food assistance, and early childhood education programs,” she warns.
Also at issue are the24 million Americans who benefit from the soon-to-expire tax credits that help them afford their health coverage on the Affordable Care Act marketplace. When Republicans passed their tax cuts for billionaires and corporations in this summer’s so-called One Big Beautiful Bill, they intentionally left out renewing this credit that helps regular people afford health care.
As a result, according to KFF Health, not only could the 24 million ACA users see a doubling of their premium costs, but most Americans could see their premiums riseif this tax credit isn’t renewed.
Coupled with the over $1 trillion that the GOP bill gutted from Medicaid in order to fund those massive tax giveaways to billionaires, Americans are about to experience significant reductions in their access to health coverage, long-term care, nursing home care, and hospital care,especially in rural areas.
This is what’s at stake with
the current government shutdown on Capitol Hill.
The Republican majority is trying to pass a stop-gap spending measure that sustains President Trump’s mass firings of public servants, maintains his freeze on nearly half a trillion dollars meant for our communities, and keeps their cuts to everything from education to health care, food assistance, student loans, and even cancer research.
Some lawmakers want to stop this calamity from happening.
The Democrats have a counterproposal to fund the government that restores this health care funding, keeps costs under control for families already grappling with high costs of living, and prohibits illegally freezing appropriated funds. But with Republican majorities in the House and Senate, the Democrats’ proposal hasn’t been able to pass.
Nearly80 percent of Americans— including most Trump supporters — agree with Alexis, telling pollsters they want lawmakers to restore those expiring ACA credits.
Unfortunately, President Trump is disingenuously claiming that Democrats aren’t agreeing to the massive health care cuts because they want to spend taxpayer dollars on undocumented immigrants instead.
This is untrue. Undocumented immigrants pay taxes but aren’t allowed to get government health care benefits. Period. The president and his allies are telling this lie in an effort to gut your health care.
Trump is alsovowingto use the government shutdown as an opportunity to enact mass federal worker firings and to deny funds to states that voted against him. That means “blue states” — including plenty of red and purple communities inside them — are being denied funds for projects like building roads and bridges as a form of punishment.
Trump also instructed that the email signatures of government employees blame Democrats for the government shutdown. The administration has posted similar false and partisan messages on some executive branch agency websites. Together, these measures may violate at least four federal laws against misappropriating or freezing federal funds, or spending them on partisan activity — including the Anti-Deficiency Act,the Hatch Act, theAnti-Lobbying Act, and theImpoundment Control Act. Meanwhile, families like Alexis’s are scared and struggling, wondering how they will be able to care for their families when their health coverage vanishes or becomes unaffordable.
The 80 percent of us who object to defunding our families and communities just so the rich can get richer need to make our voices heard. The sooner we do, the sooner the government can reopen and our families can receive the care and services we need.
Karen Dolan directs the Criminalization of Race and Poverty Project at the Institute forPolicyStudies.
Curt Swarm Empty Nest
U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst
Handorf sets new school record, leads Bolts to fifth at Dike-NH
DIKE — Max Handorf dropped out of the cross country rankings because he hasn’t competed since early September due to an injury.
But after setting a school record on Oct. 7, it won’t take the two-time state qualifier long to get back into the 1A medal-contention conversation.
Handorf and the Baxter boys cross country team faced a tough field at the Dike-New Hartford Invitational and came home with a fifth-place finish.
“We came in with the goal of finishing third,” Baxter head cross country coach Ian Thomson said. “We knew Denver and Grinnell were probably out of reach, but we thought we could hang with some of those bigger 2A and 3A teams, which we did well against.”
The Class 1A No. 20 Bolts were missing top-five runner Maddox Peters due to an injury, but they scored 186 points in fifth.
Class 3A No. 4 Grinnell won the meet with 50 points. Class 2A No. 3 Denver (98), Benton Community (141) and 2A No. 13 Jesup (150) also were ahead of Baxter at Fox Ridge Golf Course.
The Bolts finished in front of Aplington-Parkersburg (190), host Dike-New Hartford (202), Mason City Newman (213), Grundy Center (215) and Iowa Falls-Alden as well as the other 12 teams in the 22-team field.
“If we would have had (Peters) I don’t know if we would have caught Jesup and Benton, but we would have been at least right there with them,” Thomson said. “We are running at our best right now and know with a full squad we can go compete with the best of 1A.”
Handorf bested the previous school record set last year by Matt Richardson. His time was clocked in 16 minutes, 16 seconds.
That was good enough for fourth. Only 2A No. 1 Emerson Vokes of Grundy Center, 2A No. 2 Jesse Gomez of Denver and 3A No. 12 Cadel Conner of Grinnell were in front of Handorf.
Vokes won the boys’ 5K race in 15:07.4. Gomez (16:05.5) and Conner (16:05.9) were second and third, respectively.
Handorf finished 14 seconds in front 2A No. 3 Will Nesbit of Jesup and also crossed the finish line in front of 3A No. 27 Liam Crites of Grinnell.
“(Handorf) had a great race,” Thomson said. “He held in the second pack and just got out kicked at the end, but he was right there the entire race and just narrowly got beat out by the No. 2 rated kid in 2A and Cadel from Grinnell, who is highly rated in 3A.”
Class 1A No. 27 Brecken Fisher (17:12.6) was next for Baxter in 12th and Maddux Tuhn (17:26.5) was not far behind in 17th. Dakota Parker (19:30) and Lincoln Russell (career-best 19:50.1) were the final scoring runners in 75th and 86th, respectively.
Parker Bonney (20:53) and Sam Wilhelm (22:48.5) were non-scoring runners in 111th and 140th, respectively.
“Our top three just went out and showed they are one of the best in 1A,” Thomson said. “(Fisher) and (Tuhn) had a great race. They didn’t get beat by a single other 1A runner. I’m sure they would have wished to run a little faster knowing them, but they went out there and competed hard against very good competition.
“(Russell) was huge for us tonight, stepping into that fifth spot and running a 40-second PR to break 20 minutes for the first time.”
Notes: The latest rankings were released on Oct. 13. Handorf is back in at No. 4 in 1A, while Fisher stayed at No. 27. The Bolts also climbed to No. 15 as a team.
Vansice’s big night rallies Baxter football past rival Colo-NESCO
COLO — It was a struggle in the first half for the Baxter football team during its non-district contest against Colo-NESCO on Oct. 10.
But the Bolts forced three turnovers and came up with a huge goal-line stand in the second half, and Stadan Vansice’s career night powered them to a come-from-behind 44-40 road victory.
“We challenged the guys at halftime,” Baxter head football coach Zach Hasselbrink said. “We know what we can do, but we just weren’t showing it. We weren’t disciplined enough. We were taking the easy way out defensively. It’s supposed to be hard, and you have to take the
hard way there.
“The second half was much better. The guys battled, fought harder and wanted to win.”
Baxter trailed the Royals 28-22 at halftime and fell behind 34-22 in the third quarter.
But Vansice carried the ball a career-most 40 times and rushed for a career-high 312 yards in the victory. He also accounted for six total touchdowns and three 2-point conversions.
Vansice’s fifth rushing touchdown of the game put the Bolts in front 44-34 with 2:01 to play. And they held on after the Royals took the ensuing kickoff back for a touchdown.
“We couldn’t stop them and didn’t force any turnovers in the first half,” Vansice said. “It was
just really hard for us to get stops. We turned it up in the second half though.
“Our offensive line really stepped up and started moving the defensive guys back, which opened things up in the run game. Our defense started getting stops, too.”
After Colo-NESCO scored on its opening possession of the second half to go up 12, Baxter’s defense forced two fumbles and Vansice snagged his second career interception after a tipped pass near the line of scrimmage by Hayden Burdess.
Vansice turned the first turnover into eight points after he scored on a TD and added the 2-point conversion.
L-S football clinches district title after win over Tigerhawks
COLFAX — JD Richards scored a career-best three touchdowns, Connor Deal tossed a trio of TDs and a fast start lifted the Lynnville-Sully football team past Colfax-Mingo, 56-6, on Oct. 10.
The Hawks posted their sixth straight win after leading 35-0 after one quarter. The victory also wrapped up the Class A District 6 championship with one game left in the regular season.
Richards started the scoring with a 10-yard TD run and then Gavin Fisk extended the margin to double digits following a 49-yard touchdown run.
Jack Bowlin caught Deal’s first TD pass from 17 yards out and Richards added a 2-yard TD run a little more than 2 minutes later.
Fisk recovered a fumble in the end zone for the Hawks’ final points of the period.
Richards also caught a 27-yard TD pass from Deal in the second, Fisk scored on a 66-yard TD catch in the third and Deal added a 6-yard TD run to cap the scoring.
The Hawks posted their fourth straight win over Colfax-Mingo. They are outscoring district foes 213-44 this fall and their six wins bettered last year’s total.
Lynnville-Sully had a 14-6 advantage in first downs and there were a combined 21 penalties for
152 yards. Deal threw for 207 yards and matched a career best with three touchdown passes. His four total TDs is a new personal record.
Fisk ran for 73 yards and one TD on five carries and had a career-high 80 receiving yards and one TD on two catches.
Richards ran for 10 yards and
a career-best two scores on three carries and totaled 33 yards on two catches and grabbed his first-ever receiving TD. Eight different players had at least one carry for the Hawks (6-1, 5-0 in the district) and five caught at least two passes.
Troy Hyde/Jasper County Tribune Baxter junior Max Handorf bested the previous school record set last year by Matt Richardson. His time was clocked in 16 minutes, 16 seconds at Dike-New Hartford on Oct. 7.
Jasper County Tribune
Jasper County Tribune
Troy Hyde/Jasper County Tribune Colfax-Mingo sophomore Camden Cunningham (15) breaks a tackle against Lynnville-Sully freshman Henry Sharp during the first quarter of the Hawks’ road win on Oct. 10.
Troy Hyde/Jasper County Tribune
Baxter senior Trevor Hamilton (22) celebrates one of Stadan Vansice’s five rushing touchdowns in the Bolts’ 44-40 road win over Colo-NESCO on Oct. 10.
By Troy Hyde Sports Editor
Sports Calendar
October 16
Volleyball
Colfax-Mingo at Lynnville-Sully, 7:30 p.m.
Cross Country Baxter at ISC meet at Wartburg, 4 p.m.
October 17
Football
Colfax-Mingo at Madrid, 7 p.m.
Montezuma at Baxter, 7 p.m.
October 18
Volleyball
Colfax-Mingo at Woodward-Granger tournament, 8:30 a.m.
Baxter at ISC tournament, 9 a.m. at Rockford
October 20
Volleyball
Postseason
Class 1A Region 8
Baxter at Lynnville-Sully, 7 p.m.
Class 2A Region 4
Madrid at Colfax-Mingo, 7 p.m.
October 22
Volleyball Postseason
Class 1A Region 8
Baxter/Lynnville-Sully winner at BCLUW,
7 p.m.
Class 2A Region 4
Colfax-Mingo/Madrid winner at Grundy Center, 7 p.m.
October 23
Cross Country State Qualifying Meet Class 1A
Colfax-Mingo, Baxter coed at TBD
C-M volleyball falls to pair of SICL foes
SIGOURNEY — Hope Allen posted a double-double and Grace Hunsberger had a career night at the net, but the Colfax-Mingo volleyball team fell to Sigourney on Oct. 9.
The Tigerhawks won a close set and lost a close set, but the Savages won the match 25-21, 22-25, 25-13, 25-23 during South Iowa Cedar League action.
The Savages, who scored their seventh straight win over Colfax-Mingo, had only eight aces but their kill efficiency was .168.
The Tigerhawks served up 15 aces but finished with a kill efficiency of only .079. Both teams missed six serves.
Allen’s double-double included 17 assists and 15 digs. Katelyn Steenhoek tallied 16 assists, seven kills, two blocks, seven digs and three aces, Britney Keeney posted eight kills, three blocks, seven digs and three aces and Grace Hunsberger totaled a career-best 11 kills and added four digs. Steenhoek made only two hitting errors in 28 attempts.
Isabelle Utz finished with six kills, six digs and three aces, Grace Allen contributed 21 digs and four aces, Meadow Lane contributed 13 digs, Macie Porter chipped in 11 digs and Dakota Allen registered three kills and four digs. Mickey Bucklin
put down two kills.
Colfax-Mingo (8-12, 1-7 in the SICL) was 73-of-79 in serves, while Sigourney was 90-of-96.
Becca Gretter led the Savages (12-7, 5-3) with 22 assists and 20 digs. Addy Fineran put down 13 kills and had a kill efficiency of .464.
Bailey Gretter totaled eight kills and 26 digs and Clara Hanselman finished with nine kills, three blocks and five aces.
Montezuma 3, Colfax-Mingo 1 COLFAX — Colfax-Mingo recovered from a slow start to edge Montezuma in the third set of their SICL matchup on Oct. 6.
But the Bravettes regained momentum in the fourth and downed the Tigerhawks 25-17, 25-19, 23-25, 25-16 on the road.
Montezuma, which finished with a kill efficiency of .232, has won 14 straight matches.
The Bravettes have won three straight and 10 of the past 11 against Colfax-Mingo.
Steenhoek led the Tigerhawks with 16 assists, seven kills, eight digs and two aces.
Keeney posted 11 kills, two blocks, five digs and two aces, Hope Allen chipped in 12 assists and nine digs, Utz added eight kills and 11 digs and Hunsberger totaled six kills and five digs.
Grace Allen contributed two assists, seven digs and two aces,
Lane finished with eight digs, Dakota Allen had three kills and three digs, Bucklin registered two kills and two blocks and Porter tallied four digs.
Colfax-Mingo was 68-of-78 in serves with nine aces. Steenhoek served 23-of-23, Keeney was 14of-15 and Hope Allen finished 8-of-9.
The Tigerhawks had a kill efficiency of .095. Keeney had just three hitting errors in 32 attempts and Dakota Allen produced only two errors in 23 attempts.
Lily Ferry led Montezuma (20-8, 8-0) with 12 kills and 13
Colfax-Mingo junior Grace Allen passes the ball to a teammate during a home match earlier this season. Allen leads the Tigerhawks with 207 digs this fall.
digs. Sydnee Burgess put down 13 kills and Lauryn Larmore contributed 25 digs. The Bravettes were 86-of-96 in serves with six aces.
Tigerhawks to start regional play at home
Colfax-Mingo will host Madrid in the opening round of the Class 2A Region 4 tournament. The Tigerhawks face the Tigers (4-22) at 7 p.m. on Oct. 20 in Colfax. The winner of that matchup gets 2A No. 4 Grundy Center at 7 p.m. on Oct. 22 in Grundy Center. The Spartans (31-9) have a first-round bye.
Baxter volleyball can’t find win column at BCLUW tourney
CONRAD — The Baxter volleyball team faced three teams with at least 21 wins and another Class 2A squad which has faced a tough schedule this season. And the Bolts came home from the BCLUW tournament without as win as Baxter lost to Dunkerton, Gladbrook-Reinbeck, PCM and West Marshall on Oct. 11.
The Bolts also lost to a pair of Iowa Star Conference South Division rivals on Oct. 9. Baxter fell 25-10, 25-7, 25-7 to 1A No. 3 North Tama and lost 25-13, 2520, 25-18 to GMG.
Before all of that, the Bolts defeated Colo-NESCO 25-16, 25-20, 23-25, 25-8 on Sept. 30.
Baxter also competed in a tournament at BGM on Sept. 27 and came away with a 2-2 day with wins over Collins-Maxwell
and Twin Cedars and losses to BGM and Iowa Valley.
In the 21-8, 21-10 loss to Dunkerton, Alyvia Burdess finished with six assists, two kills and three digs, Mallory Bottorff put down five kills, Kamdyn Krampe had four kills and Denver Sulzle and Lillian Grunsted chipped in three kills.
Caydence Sulzle contributed two assists and three digs, Olivia Parrie dished out six assists and Lexi Dart and Kaylyn Krampe registered two kills.
The senior quarterback then gave the Bolts the lead at 38-34 following a 41-yard TD run.
The one miscue in the second half happened after Vansice was forced to leave the field by the officials because of safety concerns.
The one play Vansice missed resulted in a bad snap and turnover.
Colo-NESCO recovered the fumble near the goal line, but lost yardage on the possession as the Bolts came up with a goal-line stand to preserve the lead.
“Any goal line stand in 8-man is an unbelievable effort,” Hasselbrink said. “That was a complete game changer. Credit to the guys. That was all them. That was all energy and effort.” Baxter improved to 6-2 against the Royals (2-5) since 2018, but the win snapped a two-game skid in the series.
Vansice finished 14-of-20 through the air for 151 yards and a touchdown. He added 7.5 tackles and the interception on defense. It was the team’s first pick this fall.
“We haven’t gotten a whole lot of (turnovers) this year, but we needed them tonight,” Hasselbrink said. “Turnovers change the game.”
Eli Dee was 1-for-1 through the air for 14 yards, and he caught five passes for 60 yards. He also totaled 2.5 tackles and recovered one of the Royals’ second-half fumbles.
Kylee Pexa led Dunkerton (23-10) with 12 kills and five digs.
In Baxter’s 21-3, 21-13 loss to 1A No. 7 Gladbrook-Reinbeck (23-13), Denver Sulzle put down four kills, Burdess had three kills and Emileigh Beals and Dart each collected two kills.
Caydence Sulzle finished with eight digs and Danika Flora had three digs. PCM (21-5) downed Baxter 25-19, 25-12. Kamdyn Krampe had seven kills, Denver Sulzle totaled six kills and three blocks and Bottorff added six kills.
Luci Kucera had three digs, Caydence Sulzle chipped in two digs, Dart put down two kills and Grunsted tallied two blocks.
Parrie delivered four assists and Burdess dished out two assists. Parrie had 17 assists and four digs in the 21-12, 21-12 loss to West Marshall (5-26). Burdess totaled 16 assists and two digs.
Denver Sulzle and Kamdyn Krampe totaled seven kills, Bottorff and Kaylyn Krampe each contributed six kills, Caydence Sulzle had two kills and 16 digs and Grunsted posted two kills. Kaitlyn Engle registered for digs.
Riley Randall had 16 digs and Arya Wertz put down eight kills to lead West Marshall.
In the loss to North Tama (22-11, 7-0 in the conference), Burdess and Parrie each dished out three assists, Caydence Sulzle tallied 11 digs and Kaylyn Krampe totaled two digs.
North Tama got 15 kills and six digs from Kruiz Ewoldt and Addison Hochstetler added six aces and nine digs. The Red-
Burdess grabbed five passes for 51 yards and a TD and added a career-best 13.5 tackles and one fumble recovery on defense. He leads Baxter with 53 tackles.
Liam Trent gained 33 yards on his three catches, Miles McCord had one catch for 18 yards and Colten Damman grabbed one pass for eight yards. Both McCord and Damman had 3.5 tackles. Cody Spurgeon contributed 6.5 tackles and Trevor Hamilton fin-
ished with three tackles. Spurgeon practiced at nose guard all week but was moved to defensive end during the game because of an injury. He played much better in the second half.
“I didn’t play that great in the first half,” Spurgeon said. “The position is different, but I figured it out. We just battled through some adversity as a team. I tried my best to hype up the guys. We just had to wake up.”
hawks served up 15 aces in the win.
Statistics for the conference matchups against GMG (9-18, 5-2) and Colo-NESCO (1-18, 1-6) and from the BGM tournament in late September were not available at press time.
The Bolts scored a 2-1 win over Collins-Maxwell (2-22) and defeated Twin Cedars (10-20) in two sets. BGM (11-8) and Iowa Valley (5-22) downed Baxter in two sets.
Baxter opens regional play with rematch against Hawks Baxter begins 1A Region 8 tournament play against Lynnville-Sully (7-10) at 7 p.m. on Oct. 20 in Sully.
The winner between the Bolts (6-17, 3-4) and the Hawks get 1A No. 8 BCLUW (28-7) at 7 p.m. on Oct. 22 in Conrad. The Comets were given a first-round bye.
for 150 yards and one TD and had 5.5 tackles against Lynnville-Sully on Oct. 10.
also had 13 tackles against Martensdale-St. Marys on Oct. 3.
Jasper County Tribune
Troy Hyde/ Jasper County Tribune
Troy Hyde/Jasper County Tribune
Baxter head football coach Zach Hasselbrink talks to his team after the Bolts downed Colo-NESCO, 44-40, on the road on Oct. 10. Baxter improved to 3-4 with one game left in its season.
Jasper County Tribune
C. Sulzle Burdess D. Sulzle
Hosbond wins, C-M girls finish third at Montezuma Invitational
MONTEZUMA — Ashlynn
Hosbond posted a career-best time and won for the first time this season, and the Colfax-Mingo girls cross country team placed third against five other South Iowa Cedar League schools on Oct. 9.
The Tigerhawks competed in a mini conference meet and scored 70 points in third. Class 1A No. 10 English Valleys won the meet with 29 points and Sigourney was second with 59.
Belle Plaine (100), BGM (108) and HLV/TC (127) completed the six-team field at the Big Springs Shooting Complex. Hosbond won the girls’ 5K race in a career-best 20 minutes, 6.1 seconds.
Ivy Anderson (23:30.2) was 11th, Sahara Buenrostro (25:33.8) placed 21st, Lilyan Hadsall (25:45.2) was 23rd and Mallory Sipma (27:05.4) took 31st as the other scoring runners.
English Valleys won the meet
Tigerhawks
Continuedfrompage5
Kimball Elliott led the Lynnville-Sully defense with five tackles, one sack and two tackles for loss and Landyn Fisk totaled three tackles, one sack, two tackles for loss, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
Dawson James chipped in three tackles, one sack and 2.5 tackles for loss.
Colfax-Mingo (0-7, 0-5) finished with 160 total yards. The Tigerhawks rushed for 10 yards on 10 carries.
Camden Cunningham threw
title after putting all five scoring runners in the top 10. Anna Luers was the runner-up in 20:51.
Sigourney finished ahead of the Tigerhawks after going 3-48-12 at the top of its lineup. Hosbond did finish in front of Class 1A No. 30 Addison Yates, who was fourth overall.
Tigerhawk girls face stacked field at North Polk ALLEMAN — The Tigerhawks competed against nine other schools on Oct. 6, and seven of them appeared in last week’s rankings.
Hosbond was 12th in the race, but the Tigerhawks placed
for 150 yards, one TD and one interception. His TD pass was caught by Alex Teed with 6:06 to play in the second. It was the first TD catch of Teed’s varsity career.
Teed finished with two catches for 64 yards and one TD, Wyatt Carpenter gained 41 yards on two catches and Wyatt Thornton grabbed two passes for 39 yards.
Cunningham led the C-M defense with 5.5 tackles, and his 50 tackles this fall are the most on the team. Kyle Wood totaled 3.5 tackles, Fisher Grove and Carpenter each had three tackles and Thornton snagged one interception. Konner Bennett recovered a fumble.
10th with 246 points.
Class 3A No. 11 Boone (64) edged 3A No. 12 Gilbert (66) for the meet title, and the rest of the field included 3A No. 16 North Polk (81), 2A No. 4 Van Meter (83), 1A No. 11 Collins-Maxwell (135), 2A No. 18 Grand View Christian (168), 3A No. 8 Des Moines Christian (187), Bondurant-Farrar (200) and Nevada (204).
Hosbond’s 12th-place time was clocked in 20:37.4. Anderson (23:10.4) placed 51st, Sipma (24:40.38) was 62nd, Jessica Gibson (25:08.94) took 68th and Hadsall (25:22.2) was the final scoring runner in 69th.
Buenrostro (27:06.42) was a non-scoring runner in 72nd.
Gilbert’s Keira Anderson, who is ranked 27th in 3A, won the girls’ race in 18:54.68.
Van Meter’s Laura Streck (19:16.2) was the runner. Streck is ranked No. 1 in 2A.
Notes: Hosbond entered the 1A rankings at No. 29 in the latest batch of rankings released on Oct. 13.
Troy Hyde/Jasper County Tribune
Colfax-Mingo junior Wyatt Carpenter returns a kick against Lynnville-Sully in the first quarter of their district matchup on Oct.10.
Wilkins’ top-five tallies lead Tigerhawk boys at Montezuma, North Polk
MONTEZUMA — Sullivan Wilkins finished third, but the Colfax-Mingo boys cross country team couldn’t keep up with most of the field during the Montezuma Invitational on Oct. 9.
The Tigerhawks competed at Big Springs Shooting Complex and placed seventh in an eight-team field that was made up mostly of South Iowa Cedar League schools.
South Tama County won the meet with 57 points. That was 14 better than English Valleys (71) and 25 in front of Sigourney (82).
The rest of the top five included BGM (106) and host Montezuma (113).
Belle Plaine (140) edged Colfax-Mingo (142) for sixth, but the Tigerhawks edged HLV/TC (143) by one point for seventh.
Wilkins led the Tigerhawks with a thirdplace finish in the boys’ 5K race. The only two runners who came in before him were Class 3A No. 23 Barrett Jesina of South Tama County and 1A No. 25 Troy Klett of Sigourney.
Wilkins finished the boys’ race in 17 minutes, 26.1 seconds. Mario Rodriguez (20:05) was 24th, Willie Fitzgerald (22:11.3) placed 45th, Benjamin Faidley (22:20.1) took 47th and Ryan Moore (24:07) was the final scoring runner in 54th.
Asher Knutson (28:30.9) and Milo Knutson (29:35) were non-scoring runners in 60th and 61st, respectively.
Jesina won the boys’ race in 16:21.9, and Klett placed second in 17:00.8.
Wilkins finishes fifth against loaded field at North Polk ALLEMAN — Class 1A No. 3 Ankeny Christian Academy dominated the field, but Wilkins placed fifth in the boys’ 5K race at North Polk High School on Oct. 6.
The Eagles placed five runners in the first nine positions and won the meet title with 24 points. Class 2A No. 19 Van Meter was the closest to ACA in second, but the Bulldogs scored 78 points.
The Gilbert junior varsity (99), North Polk (105) and Grand View Christian (152) completed the top five. The rest of the 10team field featured Collins-Maxwell (156), Saydel (191), Des Moines Christian (204), Boone (222) and Colfax-Mingo (253). Wilkins’ fifth-place finish in the boys’ race was clocked in 17:27.38. Moore (23:55.53) was 83rd, Faidley (23:56.47) placed 84th, Milo Knutson (29:40.76) ended up 95th and Asher Knutson (30:30.13) took 96th.
Class 1A No. 8 Alex Davis of Ankeny Christian Academy won the boys’ race in 16:27.51. His teammate, 1A No. 23 Zachary Gardner, finished second in 16:54.85.
Hosbond Anderson
Jasper County Tribune
Jasper County Tribune
Wilkins
Fitzgerald
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The different types of mammograms
There are two main types of mammogram: screening and diagnostic
Mammograms remain the most effective method for diagnosing breast cancer and catching the disease in its earliest, most treatable stages. While various health organizations recommend different screening intervals, the American Cancer Society advises annual mammograms for women ages 40 to 54. Women age 55 and older who adhere to ACS recommendations can switch to a mammogram every two years if in good health.
Mammograms employ low-dose X-rays to map out breasts and detect unusual growths. There are two main types of mammogram: screening and diagnostic.
Screening mammogram
The Breast Cancer Research Foundation says a screening mammogram detects changes in breast tissue that could be indicative of breast cancer in women who exhibit no other symptoms of the disease. Mammograms sometimes can detect breast cancer up to three years before a person or doctors feel a lump. During the test, the breasts are flattened between two imaging plates from a few angles to get the X-rays.
Diagnostic mammogram
Should a screening mam-
mogram show something amiss or not easily visible the first time around, radiologists may ask the person to come back for additional image testing. This diagnostic mammogram includes additional views. The National Breast Cancer Foundation says diagnostic mammograms take
detailed X-rays of the breast using specialized techniques. They also may involve additional views or adjunct testing like ultrasound or MRI to provide a better overall picture of breast health. Diagnostic mammograms may be used to zero in on a specific area of the breast that needs
further clarification.
Because a diagnostic mammogram requires taking a greater number of images, it will expose a patient to a higher dose of radiation. Still, health professionals feel the risk is worth it to help rule out cancer. Also, unlike a screening mammogram that may take several days for a radiologist to read and identify results, a diagnostic mammogram can reveal important information immediately. Screening and diagnostic mammograms are important tools used to check for breast cancer.
How dense breasts can affect breast cancer diagnosis
Screening is widely recommended to adult women as a way to identify the presence of breast cancer in its earliest, most treatable stages. But breast density might complicate the screening process for some women and even confuse those unfamiliar with dense breast tissue.
Explaining breast density
The American Cancer Society reports that breast density is a measure of how much fibroglandular tissue there is in a breast compared to fat tissue. Lobules, which are small glands that produce milk, and ducts, which are tiny tubes that carry the milk from the lobules to the nipple, are considered glandular tissue. Fibrous tissue and fat give breasts their shape and size while holding other structures in place.
Both fibrous and glandular tissue are difficult to see through on a breast cancer screening test known as a mammogram, which is an X-ray of the breast. Mammograms are recommended to women beginning in young adulthood because they can detect the presence of tumors in some women that might otherwise be undetectable until they grow larger and produce noticeable physical symptoms. But some women have more fibrous and glandular tissue than others. In such instances, women may be told they have dense breast tissue.
How do doctors know if I have dense breast tissue?
The ACS notes that radiologists read mammograms and other imaging tests and are typically the ones who identify if a woman has dense breast tissue after examining the im -
ages produced by the tests. It’s now law in the United States to identify if a woman has “dense” or “not dense” in a mammogram report. Is dense breast tissue a risk factor for breast cancer?
Yes. The ACS notes doctors are still unsure why, but women who have dense breast tissue are at greater risk of breast cancer than women with less dense tissue.
Are mammograms still necessary if I’m identified as having dense breast tissue?
The ACS advises women to get a mammogram even if they have dense breast tissue. That’s because many breast cancers are still detectable even in women with dense breasts. Additional screenings for breast cancer, including 3D mammography and breast ultrasounds, remain a point of contention within the medical community in regard to screening for breast cancer in women with dense breasts. Women are urged to speak with their physicians about the need for additional screenings and their options.
Sharing your history
It’s not uncommon for adults to change physicians. In such cases, it’s important that women share everything they know about their breast cancer risk, including information regarding their breast density, with any new doctor they visit.
Breast density can affect breast cancer diagnosis. But women identified as having dense breasts should still include traditional screenings like mammograms in their health care routines.
