PCM-02-20-2025 by Shaw Media

Explorer PCM

Rozenboom has strong feelings on proposed pesticide reform bill

Senate Study Bill 1051 would limit lawsuits against pesticide manufacturers

By Christopher Braunschweig PCM Explorer

Editor’s note: This is the first in a series of articles covering the topics discussed at legislative gatherings hosted by the League of Women VotersofJasperCounty.

Iowa Sen. Ken Rozenboom admitted he has strong feelings about the proposed bill in the legislature that limits lawsuits against agricultural chemical companies.

Well, to be exact, he said he had “really, really strong feelings” about this topic.

He told guests at a legislative gathering hosted by the League of Women Voters of Jasper County the different viewpoints he is considering. As a lawmaker, he has issues with vague terminologies being used to stoke fear in the populace. As a farmer, he sees the benefits some pesticides can provide to crops.

Opponents of Senate Study Bill 1051 argue against pesticides and claim they could be a factor for why Iowa has the second highest cancer rate in the United States. Rozenboom

PCM Dance Team at DTU Nationals

Labor union contract negotiations with Jasper County in hot water

Surplus secondary roads equipment to be auctioned off

Jasper County hires Kansas-based auctioneer at no cost

By Christopher Braunschweig PCM Explorer

Jasper County has hired a Kansas-based auction company to sell its surplus secondary roads equipment. County Engineer Michael Frietsch said many other many counties in the state, including Marion County, have used Purple Wave in the past. He said the company doesn’t charge the county for selling the equipment.

AFSCME Council 61 rejects proposal and wants past workplace protections, supervisors chairman says safeguards are in place via county policy

By Christopher Braunschweig PCM Explorer

Union leaders say the board of supervisors have made an “aggressive and targeted attack” by stripping Jasper County union employees of all their previous contract provisions except wages, but Supervisors Chairman Brandon Talsma objects to these, what he calls, “grandiose” and “very vague” comments.

In a Feb. 10 press release from AFSCME Council 61, the labor union for workers in the courthouse

and the sheriff’s office, it states the county’s contract would eliminate essential workplace protections like seniority rights and grievance procedures.

The union has called on the county to reconsider its contract.

AFSCME Council 61 also called on the community to stand in solidarity with the workers.

The union said county officials five years ago acknowledged state law allows them to gut the contract but they went with a full contract instead.

Todd Copley, president of AFSCME Council 61, denounced the board’s new contract.

“This is nothing more than an effort to weaken workers’ rights and silence public employees. Stripping away workplace protections is an attack on the dignity and security of every worker. We will not stand idly by while the board tries to roll back the fundamental rights of those who serve our community.”

Accessing transportation, specifically to healthcare, top issue for county

HIRTA and RVSP serve as the county’s public transportation options

By Jamee A. Pierson PCM Explorer

All of the surplus equipment will be gathered at the current yard site so that it can be reviewed by an appraiser. According to county documents included in the agenda, a number of vehicles and other equipment are included on a property list and will be auctioned off by Purple Wave.

“They basically charge the buyer,” Frietsch said during the Feb. 11 board of supervisors meeting. “So you’ll see the listing fee has been waived on that. So whatever they sell it for is what we get, and then they charge the buyer a fee on top of that. So that is how it essentially works. Pretty straight forward deal.”

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Editor’s note: This is the sixth in a series of articles exploring the results of the Jasper County Community Health Needs Assessment. Transportation, especially to access healthcare, is the final issue identified in the Jasper County Community Health Needs Assessment as a top priority. Although public transportation is not as common in rural counties, it is essential for a va-

riety of needs in different demographics in the area.

In the county, the assessment found only 0.08 percent of residents use public transportation as their primary means of commuting to work. That is lower than both the state and national rates.

Almost 6 percent of those surveyed identified transportation as a barrier for accessing healthcare and 6.65 percent said they have had trouble paying for transportation in the past year.

A total of 4.08 percent of households do not have a vehicle in the county, which is lower than the state average of 5.61 percent. The percentage increases to 11.23 percent for those who are in a renter-occupied household versus an owner-occupied household at 1.86 percent. In the county, the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) and Heart of Iowa Regional Transit

Submitted Photo The PCM Dance Team traveled to Orlando, Fl. to compete in the Dance Team Union Nationals Competition Feb. 13-16. The team competed in a

Events at The Gathering Place

Thursday, Feb. 20

• 9am Focus Group

Monday, Feb. 24

• 10am Video Exercise Class

Tuesday, Feb. 25

• 8am Coffee and Prayer

Wednesday, Feb. 26

• 1pm Get Fit, Don’t Fall with Amy S. Thursday, Feb. 27

• 5pm Acoustic Jamm

Friday, Feb. 28

• 2pm Piano with Jacque Robinson

Lions Breakfast Saturday

Prairie City Lions will host a Pancake Breakfast from 7 to 9 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 22 at the Prairie City Community Building. Proceeds from the monthly breakfast go toward the PCM Dance Team.

GriefShare session Saturday

First Reformed Church in Prairie City will host GriefShare from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Saturday. If you have experienced the death of a loved one and are looking for support, healing and hope, you are welcome. Register on line at GriefShare.org or contact Mary Lemmert at 515-205-0835 or at hope2you@ aol.com.

Good News Club Monday

Good News Club meets after school Monday, Feb. 24 at the Monroe Elementary Art Room and the Prairie City Elementary Media Room/Library. This group is for Kindergarten through 5th grades and includes games, songs, Bible lesson, snacks on full days of school. Call Jane at 641-891-2733 with question regarding the Monroe location and Sheryl at 641-5213120 for Prairie City.

PCM Food Pantry

The PCM Food Pantry at the Monroe Presbyterian Church, 113 S. Main St. in Monroe, is open 9 a.m. to noon and 6 to 7 p.m. Mondays and 9 a.m. to noon Thursdays.

TOPS

TOPS 1025 meets at 5:30 p.m. every Monday at the First Reformed Church in Prairie City for weigh-in, with meeting to follow. Go to the north side parking lot at the church and enter in the north door. Call 515-994-2200 for information.

Lighthouse Recovery meetings

Lighthouse Recovery Ministries host a Men’s and Ladies Recovery meeting at 6:30 p.m. each Monday at Grace Alive Church, 703 W. Second St. in Prairie City. Contact Barb at b.miller@lighthouserecoveryia.com with questions.

PCM Clothing Closet

The PCM Clothing Closet, on the second floor of the Family Life Center at 105 S. Sherman St. in Prairie City, will be open from 3:30 to 7 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday and 2 to 4 p.m. Sundays.

Registration due for Monroe ATV/UTV and Golf Carts

ATV/UTV/Golf Cart Registration is due March 1 at Monroe City Hall. There is no charge, but a valid driver’s license and proof of insurance showing a special rider on your auto policy is required.

Time to license your cat and dog in Monroe

Pet licenses in Monroe can now be purchased at city hall and are due by April 1. Cat and dog licenses are $10 for altered animals. Unaltered animals are $20. Rabies shots must be current. Licenses not purchased by April 1 will be subject to an extra $10 fee.

Explorer PCM

Donations for trees at cemetery

Last fall the Monroe City Council approved a plan to plant up to 10 trees in Silent City Cemetery to add some beauty as well as balance out the tree distribution in the newer sections of the cemetery.

A tree committee consisting of Kim Jenkins, Kathy Van Veen, Jennifer St. Peter, Sean Wilson, Meghan Ferneding and Brian Briles will oversee the planting of the trees. The committee plans to plant these trees in March or April, depending on weather. It will take approximately $2,500 to cover the cost of the trees, planting, protective tubing around their trunks and water reservoirs to help ensure their survivability. If you would like to contribute any dollar amount to this project, send or drop off checks (with the memo Cemetery Tree Project) at Monroe City Hall, 206 W. Sherman St. or contact Brian Briles to pick them up. It should be noted the trees will not take up any empty burial spaces or displace any occupied burial spaces.

Pesticide

Continuedfrompage1

is taking these issues into consideration, too, and he told constituents he is sensitive to the disease, which has killed two of his brothers.

However, Rozenboom pushed back against what some call the “Cancer Gag Act,” saying it is not a bill that prohibits any Iowans from suing companies like Bayer. He also disputed the link to glyphosate — the active ingredient in the weed killer Roundup — causing cancers like non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

“They’ve been trying for decades to find a link because if they can find a link that will open up Bayer and other companies to bankruptcy-type lawsuits,” he said. “That link does not exist. So on the other side of the equation we have a product that has done more to feed people around the world than any other product.”

Rozenboom argued glyphosate has enabled farmers from all across the world to produce more food and given them a tool to implement more conservation practices. There is so much benefit from that technology, he said, but people want to throw it all away so lawyers have a “new bucket of cash to dig into.”

The Republican lawmaker also disputed the decade-old classification from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), an agency of the World Health Organization, saying glyphosate is “probably carcinogenic to humans.”

Rozenboom said, to him, that means no real proof.

“Let me give you some other things they found probable cause on: Working at night probably causes cancer. Aloe vera probably causes cancer. Washing dishes is a probable cause of cancer,” Rozenboom said. “ …Glyphosate is in that same class. There are many more from this group, which I consider rogue.”

Rozenboom also considers the group to be non-scientific. He said the agency gets a lot of

publicity from the press and has polluted the argument “while showing absolutely no proof.” Rep. Jon Dunwell said the bill has not been presented to the House yet, but he does have some questions.

“What does the bill actually do? There has been some disagreement as to what the bill does,” Dunwell said. “There are those who say the bill total shields these companies, specifically Bayer… The Bayer folks and there other people in agriculture have clearly communicated to me that is not what the bill does.”

Dunwell said the bill does not shield pesticide manufacturers from lawsuits that could one day find a link to cancer. He echoed Rozenboom’s sentiments in that there are no reliable studies clearly linking glyphosate to cancer. Of note, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency does not consider glyphosate a carcinogen.

“That’s why it’s not on the label at this point, required by the EPA,” Dunwell said. “…I have been in support of protecting them (Bayer) from being sued from mislabeling when the reality is they’re doing exactly what we as a government have asked them to do.”

Dunwell also argued that lawsuits contribute to a declination to the GDP, so it impacts the economy. Two years ago, Iowa signed into law medical malpractice tort reform. Prior to that law passing, Dunwell said officials from the local clinic told him it was one lawsuit away from going under.

Still, Dunwell acknowledged the state’s high cancer rates and how that is of great concern for the governor and Iowa

lawmakers. Linda Wormley, of Newton, said constituents want to see action, but instead it feels like lawmakers are worried more about corporations.

“No,” Rozenboom said. “We’re worried about Iowa farmers.”

Wormley replied, “I am an Iowa farmer.”

To Rozenboom, Illinois uses a fair amount of Roundup, too, but that state’s cancer rate is well below Iowa. He argued if glyphosate was the problem then Illinois would be just as high. Dunwell said the bottom line is the governor has started the process of studying why the state’s cancer rate is so high.

Rozenboom said opponents of Bayer have declared the company had a duty to warn users that their product may cause cancer. He decried the phrase “duty to warn” as vague and confusing legal standard. Rozenboom said the EPA is not a friend of farmers and has had 50 years to study this chemical.

“To that point, there are 1,500 long-term, very exhaustive, with thousands and thousands and thousands of factory workers and farmers and

users that have found no link,” Rozenboom said. “So there’s scientific evidence on this. It’s just contrary to the ones that want to bankrupt the makers.”

The state senator said reports from media and the classification on glyphosate from IARC have only fueled the fire and scared a lot of people.

“But that’s my feelings on this,” he said. “I’ve been dealing with this for years.”

Rozenboom wanted to emphasize that he is sensitive to cancer. One of his brothers is fighting prostate cancer right now. His oldest brother died of cancer in 1962, which was before Roundup was on the market. Another brother of his died last September. He farmed his whole life and used Roundup like any farmer.

“There’s no causation there,” he said. “My wife is currently fighting lymphoma for the second time in 16 years. Cancer is really dominant in my family. So I’m sensitive to things that cause cancer. It’s as sensitive to anybody in this room, I suspect. So please don’t misinterpret my position on this as not caring.

“Because I care.”

Christopher Braunschweig/PCM Explorer

Iowa State Sen. Ken Rozenboom of District 19 speaks with audience members during a legislative gathering hosted by the League of Women Voters of Jasper County on Feb. 15 at the DMACC Newton Campus.

The items include:

• 2011 Volvo VHD Tan-

dem Axle Dump Truck

• 1992 Chevrolet Kodiak

Water Truck

• 2000 Mack CH613

Semi Tractor

• 1989 Little Giant Mod-

el 48 Crane

• Leads and hammer

• Clam bucket

• 1985 Mack Cabover

Truck

• Tailgate chloride tank

• Truck plows

• Above ground diesel fuel tanks

• Above ground gas tank

• Gas and diesel fuel dispensers

• 2009 John Deere

220DW Excavator

• Water tank and pump on skid

“We’re going to scrounge around and clean house and get everything we can auctioned off so we can clean off the asset list,” Frietsch said.

Supervisor Brandon Talsma reminded Frietsch to let the auditor’s office know when the vehicles are gone so that way the county does not have to continue paying for their insurance.

County Auditor Jenna Jennings said once the vehicles and equipment are sold Purple Wave will write a check to the county.

Frietsch said the sales are typically held online and that he could put out public notices in the newspaper when the auction will be held and include the hyperlink.

Negotiations

All bargaining units in Jasper County — including AFSCME and PPME — met with the board of supervisors on Monday, Feb. 10 to discuss their new contracts.

Talsma told Newton News that protections like seniority rights would be removed, but he argued most of what was in the current union contract still applies those workers even though it does not expressly lay it out in the contract. Talsma said all of that old language in the current contract is already county policy.

“The contract itself is being stripped down to the bare minimum that state laws requires us to have, which is a one-page document and the only thing they can negotiate in accordance with Iowa law is beginning salary,” he said. “Everything else in their current union contract is already in the Jasper County handbook.”

Workplace protections like grievance procedures, Talsma added, still apply to the union workers since it is laid out in the county handbook.

Agency (HIRTA) provide public transit for those in need. In 2021, 806 riders utilized RSVP, 927 in 2022 and 887 in 2023. HIRTA reported 13,254 rides to 411 unique riders, according to the county. To address the issue, the county plans to launch a public awareness campaign through local media about transportation resources to improve the health of the county. It will promote HIRTA and RSVP through the campaign and explore additional funding and volunteer opportunities for the services. By doing this, the county hopes to increase awareness about transportation resources available for residents.

Vacation accruals stay the same, too, and Talsma said the county is even creating policy so that workers can keep their longevity pay; the county is already in the works of increasing it.

“Before this ever came up we were in discussions — and it will be on a subsequent agenda — to increase the longevity pay,” Talsma said. “Right now, an employee who has been here for 20 years under the current longevity, which is in their union contract, is like $938. We’re increasing it.”

However, Talsma said other workplace benefits like seniority rights are likely not going to be added to the county handbook.

Why is the county going this direction with the union contracts? Talsma said it is the board’s belief that it is unnecessary in today’s world.

“It’s not 30 years ago. It’s not 50 years ago,” he said. “Everything they already have is already in the handbook. Jasper County has a 50- or 60year track history of taking care of employees and trying to treat them fairly. Don’t think it’s necessary. It also makes it hard and cumbersome to deal with certain things.”

For example, Talsma said one of the policies second roads union contract says employees have to work

one year before taking vacation.

“That costs us employees and that costs us new hires coming from other counties,” Talsma said. “There are things like if you’re not coming from a union shop or a union county, you’re starting down at the bottom. Never mind the fact that you’ve been doing whatever it is you’ve been doing for 10 years.”

Talsma argued there are bad provisions in the union contract that are not beneficial for new hires or current county employees or the county itself.

He also said the union has failed to factor in the cost of insurance, which in most part is covered by the county rather than the employees. Insurance has increased significantly over the past decade, but Talsma said the county has never once passed those costs on to the employees.

If the union had taken the county’s offer, Talsma said they would have seen an 8.75 percent increase to their wages over the past 12 months when factoring in past deals.

Talsma said workers have 2.75 percent in their current contract that they have already received. Six months ago, the county also granted the unions a 2 percent supplement

to their wages. The county is then offering another 4 percent tacked on to that. In total, that equates to 8.75 percent in additional wages.

“We feel like we’re being pretty generous,” Talsma said.

Talsma noted the meeting with PPME about new contracts went “extremely well,” in contrast to the meeting with AFSCME.

Per state law, union workers cannot go on strike due to them working in the public sector. Chapter 20 of Iowa Code says it is unlawful for any public employee or any employee organization, directly or indirectly, to induce, instigate, encourage, ratify or participate in a strike against any public employer.

In a followup press release, AFSCME Council 16 called the county’s deal “shameful” and Copley condemned the action once more.

“These workers dedicate their lives to serving their community, and this is how the board repays them — by stripping away their rights and job security,” Copley said. “This isn’t about necessity. It’s about power and control. They want public employees to have no voice, no protections, no ability to stand up for themselves. We won’t let that happen.”

Christopher Braunschweig/ PCM Explorer The Heart of Iowa Regional Transit Agency is one of a couple of public transporation options in Jasper County.

Love story for the ages

With Valentine’s Day on the nigh, a good ole’ fashion love story seems in order, like strawberries and chocolate. First, a little background: Wyman Martin of Danville is sort of a well known person in Southeast Iowa. Many people say we look alike and get us mixed up. Wyman is younger, but we have the same birthdays. Wyman likes to joke around. People will come up to him and, thinking he’s me, ask him what he’s writing about this week. He’ll make up some fantastical story. The person scratches their head, Wyman chuckles and recants. It’s all for fun, something we need a lot more of. Anywho, when Wyman was in the

Curt Swarm Empty Nest

seventh grade, his family moved and switched from the New London School District to Danville School District. His first class at Danville was on Monday, November 30, 1970. It was band practice. Mr. Smith, the band teacher, put Wyman into the first section of trumpets, in fourth chair. Wyman looked down the row of four chairs. In the first trumpet chair was the prettiest girl he had ever seen. Her name was Nancy. She was in the 8th grade, and Wyman was love struck. This is a Valentine’s Day love story, so

Black History is every day, with or without the White House

By Tracey L. Rogers

It’s a trend that’s been building for a few years now.

Books by predominantly Black authors are being banned around the country. School curricula have been amended to skip the history lesson on slavery and racism. Critical Race Theory (CRT) — and anything that vaguely looks like it — is under attack. And the concept of “wokeness” has been misconstrued and weaponized.

Fast-forward to February 2025 and there’s been a doubling down on these attempts to erase Black history. President Trump’s anti-DEI, anti-“woke” rhetoric has led major companies and even many federal agencies to avoid observing Black History Month.

As I consider the president’s campaign promise to “make America great again,” I wonder if he means to make America “white” again.

From failing to condemn white supremacists for their violent march in Charlottesville, Virginia during his first term to blaming “diversity hires” for January’s plane crash in Washington, D.C. this year, Trump and his allies seem to have a difficult time acknowledging the diversity that actually makes this country great.

This has been especially true for Black people feeling the brunt of his Executive Orders. These haven’t just eliminated recent diversity and inclusion initiatives — one even rescinded an Executive Order signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson to end discriminatory practices mostly aimed at Black Americans.

During a speech at Howard University in 1965, President Johnson said that Black Americans were “still buried under a blanket of history and circumstance.” Following widespread protests, it was Johnson who signed the landmark Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act into law. Now both historic milestones are under threat by the attempts of Trump and many others to erode the social and economic gains made by Black Americans.

It’s as if we are reliving a time akin to the nadir of race relations in America — the period after Reconstruction, when white supremacists regained power and tried to reverse the progress Black Americans made after the emancipation of enslaved people.

Today, from the U.S. Air Force removing coursework on the Tuskegee Airmen to orders by many federal agencies, including the military, canceling Black History Month celebrations, these extreme rollbacks will set a new precedent impacting all minority groups.

I can’t help but to return to sentiments shared by The 1619 Project founder Nikole Hannah-Jones: “The same instinct that led powerful people to prohibit Black people from being able to read,” she wrote, is also “leading powerful people to try to stop our children from learning histories that would lead them to question the unequal society that we have as well.”

There is nothing comfortable about the history of Black Americans — it’s a history that shatters the myth of American exceptionalism. Nevertheless, Black history is American history. Instead of banning it, we must teach it.

It would be impossible to erase the legacy of Black people in this country. Ours is a legacy that endures — one that will continue to endure no matter who’s in the White House.

One thing Black people are going to do is to be Black — and proud. We don’t need a month to know that we stand on the shoulders of giants.

Having overcome enslavement, Jim Crow, and more, our striving to thrive in a country with socalled leaders who would prefer to keep us living on the margins only exemplifies the America we aspire to. And it’s a fight that’s made this country better for struggling people of all races.

Like it or not, Black history is every day.

TraceyL.RogersisanentrepreneurandDiversity,Equity,andInclusionconsultantinPhiladelphia.

of course it has a happy ending, like the maraschino cherry on top of a banana split. Nancy and Wyman were married, and Wyman became the band teacher in that same Danville school, in that same room. He used to look down the row of four trumpet chairs and could still see Nancy in eighth grade smiling back at him. It took Nancy moving on to high school for Wyman to make first trumpet.

Nancy and Wyman have two boys, Joel, 36, and Micah, 38. Nancy is a retired elementary school teacher with Morning Sun and still substitute teaches at Morning Sun. She is President of the Danville Library Board and volunteers there about three times a week.

She is active at church with the missions committee, choir, and children’s group. She loves family time, and is an energetic reader. In 2024 she read 104

books. (She reads Wyman like a book, too!)

Like songs of the sirens, Nancy’s and Wyman’s trumpets lured the two together in love, not destruction. Wyman played his cards right. He retired as Junior High Band Teacher in the spring of 2021, in the same room, teaching the same class, that he attended during his first hour, on his first day, 51 years earlier—with the same girl, now a woman and his wife. A love story for the ages.

BTW: I was getting my license plates at the court house the other day. The clerk looked at me and said, “I never thought my child would go for band, but you sure turned him around, Wyman.” I started to correct her, but couldn’t make myself do it.

Contact Curt Swarm at curtswarm@ yahoo.com

Kelly Loeffler is the champion small businesses need

In Iowa and across the country, Main Street is in trouble.

Small businesses are the lifeblood of communities, but under former President Joe Biden’s administration, they were crushed by bureaucratic overreach.

After four years of price hikes and dismay, optimism on Main Street recently surged to its highest level since 2018 because job creators are eager for Republicans and the Trump administration to revitalize the small business economy.

That starts with fixing the broken Small Business Administration, which has become a bloated bureaucratic mess.

Change starts at the top, and we need a proven business leader as SBA administrator to gut the red tape and refocus the agency on serving Main Street.

As an accomplished businesswoman, Kelly Loeffler is the perfect person for the job.

Throughout her career, she rose through the ranks at multiple companies due to her determination and grit. She also started many businesses and knows what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur.

Most importantly, she knows what it means to be overrun by Washington’s bureaucratic overreach — and that the government must instead get out of the way so businesses can thrive.

I believe substantial reforms must be made to get the SBA back in shape, and that will require

SPEAK OUT

Brandon Talsma, chair

4309 W Fourth St. S. Newton, IA 50208

641-526-3142

btalsma@jasperia.org

From Washington, DC

U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst

strong leadership.

While the SBA once may have been characterized as a smaller agency, COVID-19-era small business programs made the agency a household name, as it received $1.1 trillion in taxpayer funding to assist small businesses during the pandemic.

With that funding came big responsibilities, and I remain concerned that the SBA has too often failed to live up to its mission.

The Biden administration decided to turn a blind eye to COVID-19 fraud and delinquencies, refusing to properly collect outstanding debt and fraudulent funds, which has huge implications for the taxpayer.

Reports have indicated the SBA charged about $18.6 billion worth of economic injury disaster loans in fiscal 2024.

The agency has also been unable to provide an accounting of its loans receivable and loan guarantees, which means the Government Accountability Office hasn’t been able to even issue a financial audit of the agency since fiscal 2020.

The SBA also mismanaged and misinformed Congress last year regarding its disaster loan account, resulting in a shortfall that lasted

66 days — an unacceptable failure for the disaster victims in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, and Florida.

On top of this, it also appears the agency’s workforce continues to stay home, while its more than 246,000-square-foot Washington headquarters sits empty.

The GAO found that even if everyone did show up to work in person, the SBA’s building space would still only be 67% utilized.

That is why I introduced a bill to relocate 30% of the headquarters workforce to the SBA district offices across the country and cut 30% of office space. Not only will this save taxpayers money, but it will bring SBA employees closer to the people they serve.

As chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, I will work with Loeffler to ensure that the SBA effectively utilizes its personnel and that small businesses across the country can access resources if they need them.

Small businesses will drive America into the Golden Age, but only if we get Washington out of the way.

Loeffler will get the job done, and I encourage my Senate colleagues to confirm her, so we can unleash the small business economy.

Joni Ernst, a native of Red Oak and a combat veteran, represents Iowa in the United States Senate

How to contact your elected officials Jasper County Supervisors

Doug Cupples, vice chair

1205 S. 20th Ave. W. Newton, IA 50208

641-521-8725

dcupples@jasperia.org

Thad Nearmyer

4360 S. 96th Ave. W. Monroe, IA 50170

641-891-8863

tnearmyer@jasperia.org

National FFA Week 2025

Staff Writers

This week, February 17-21, is National FFA Week, and to celebrate that, FFA members are hiding cow-printed rubber ducks throughout the high school for students to find as a fun activity. Anybody can participate in this hunt and will get a prize if a rubber duck is found. The prize for finding a rubber duck is a color-changing cup filled with a bunch of candy. This is the first year the FFA team has done this activity for the school. The ducks will be able to be found Tuesday through Friday, and if they are found, you must bring the duck to Ms. Petersen in her room to receive the prize. While that is happening all week the members have come up with different special activities for the special week. Tuesday will be Future Farmers of America trivia, asking questions about FFA and a great way to learn more about all they do and learn about. Wednesday, “give back Wednesday,” where students will write letters to people in the community and thank them for what they do or how they help them. On Thursday it will be the Ag Olympics, and then on Friday breakfast will be provided for the staff. National FFA Week is a way to help recognize what FFA does and how it benefits all students positively. FFA is a program that allows students to explore their interest in agriculture-related occupations, animals, farming, or going to public speaking competitions. There are also more hands-on competitions like livestock judging and food science. The Future Farmers of America (FFA) program is meant to prepare future farmers for their future days in agriculture or jobs in a field similar to that. FFA is a great organization but also a great learning experience overall. FFA is a program that any 9-12 student can participate in. Senior Rebecca DeVries has participated in FFA for 4 years and is now the president. “My favorite thing about FFA is going to the National Convention,” DeVries said. The National Convention is a convention where a ton of FFA programs from many different schools come together to explore more than 350 careers and learn more about FFA in general.

PCM Wrestlers Prepare for State

Piper Clark Website Editor

As PCM wrestlers prepared for districts, they shared their thoughts on how they were preparing for the rest of the season. Junior, Kaliber Fry’s main way of preparing is ”letting everything go and just wrestling.” He has been leaving any losses throughout the season behind and focusing on the bigger picture, state. His main goal at state is “obviously the win, which I think I can win.” Before he could move on to state, he first had to get through districts on the 15. To get past districts, he had to place in the top two of his 126 lb bracket, and he did. Another one of our varsity wrestlers at PCM is senior Kaden Clark. Clark has been wrestling all four years of high school, but his junior year was cut short due to an injury, so that has made this year all the more important. Clark is one of the top heavyweight wrestlers in the state and plans to keep pushing through at state. That doesn’t mean that he hasn’t had any setbacks on the way. He has started having some mental blocks during the season but has worked through them by “doing mindset training throughout the season, and then we also have started going through videos where we mentally are picturing ourselves going through the day, the matches, etcetera.” Clark also stated, If you’re healthy at this point in the season, you’re a liar.” He continued, Everyone’s dinged up, everyone’s tired, and kind of beat down. I’ve had my fair share of dings and bruises along the way, but making sure I’m doing my recoveries after practices like icing and using the compression boots has obviously been very big.” Both wrestlers made it past districts and will be wrestling along with Tucker Wheeler, Zach Richards, and Bentlee Sloan. Be sure to go support the PCM wrestlers at state this week!

The Rise in PCM Athletics

Rylee ParsonsNewspaper Editor

As we are over halfway done with the 2024-2025 athletic season, let’s take some time to reflect on the success PCM sports have achieved this year, starting us off with summer sports and our baseball and softball teams. With record-breaking numbers and just over 20 eighth graders rostered between both softball and baseball, both teams spent a lot of time on the field with their JV2, JV, and Varsity teams; JV2 being a new addition for softball this year. Baseball ended their season, 10-13, with a substate quarter-final loss to Des Moines Christian, sixth in the conference, and led by former PCM seniors and current Grand View University baseball players, Nick Farver and Easton Webb. Farver has 29 hits in the box and 40 strikeouts on the mound, and Webb has 22 RBIs and an ERA of 0.00 in 5.1 innings of work. Current senior Trenner VanDyke led the team with 4 wins. Softball had an overly successful season, with major numbers, lots of fun, and history made. These girls ended their season 25-5, with a 3-1 win over Sumner-Fredericksburg in a Class 3A Consolation game at the state tournament, first in the conference, and tied for fifth at the Iowa high school softball state tournament, a place you would never see these Mustangs till this year. This team was led by former eighth-grader Libby Winters and former sophomore Rylee Parsons. Winters had 34 hits and 34 RBIs at the plate and an ERA of 1.11 in 12.2 innings of work. Parsons led with 16 wins and 101 strikeouts on the mound with 98.2 innings of work. After summer break concluded, the beginning of our fall sports began, with boys and girls cross country, volleyball, and football.

Cross Country ended their season with one boy’s state qualifier, junior Coby DeRaad, and a whole team of girls’ qualifiers, only the second time ever in PCM history. Volleyball ended their season, 16-11, with a Class 3A Region 1 semifinal loss to Mount Vernon, who went on to win the Class 3A state title. These Mustangs were also third in the conference and led by junior Tori Lindsay in assists with 465, senior Rebecca DeVries with 2.7 kills per game, freshman Libby Winters with 49 blocks, and senior Addi Steenhoek with 274 digs.

Football found themselves back at the UNI-DOME, a place they hadn’t seen themselves since 2020. The boys ended their season 11-1, with a loss to Spirit Lake in the semi-finals, first in the 2A-6 district, and were led by seniors Gavin VanGorp, Adrien Robbins, Riley Graber, and Finn Wilson. VanGorp in passing yards with 1,490, Robbins in rushing yards with 2,191, Graber in receiving yards with 592, and Wilson with total tackles with 65.5. Lastly, our winter sports that had not concluded yet are girls’ wrestling, boys’ wrestling, girls’ basketball, and boys’ basketball.

Girls wrestling, which looks different than any other PCM sport, is combined with the neighboring school district, Colfax-Mingo. PCM and Colfax-Mingo came to this agreement last year as an opportunity for PCM’s female students to participate in wrestling. This year the team ended as 13-8-3, with 2 state qualifiers, as well as a fourth-place finish in the South Iowa Cedar conference.

Boys wrestling has five state qualifiers this year and will compete Wednesday, February 19, through Saturday, February 22, at Wells Fargo Arena. This year’s qualifiers are Kaliber Fry (126), Bentlee Sloan (132), Zach Richards (138), Tucker Wheeler (157), and Kaden Clark (285). Fry and Clark are this year’s district champions as well.

Girls basketball is on a roll this season with currently a 20-3 record and hosting their first two rounds of regional play against South Tama and Albia. These Mustangs placed second in the conference and are being led by junior Tori Lindsay in points with 277 and 75 assists, as well as freshman Libby Winters in rebounds with 169.

Boys basketball currently has an 11-11 record and has gotten the ability to host their first game against Van Buren County. The boys ended their season as fourth in the Heart of Iowa Conference and are currently being led by senior Gavin VanGorp in points with 306, junior Chase Wagaman in rebounds with 172, and senior Kaleb DeVries in assists with 98. Your next Mustangs to be on the lookout for this spring are boys’ track, girls’ track, boys’ and girls’ soccer, boys’ golf, and girls’ golf. As time keeps going, the future is looking brighter and brighter with these PCM athletics, with more and more state tournament appearances, state leaders, conference championships, and so much more!

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THE WEEK

As winter sports are starting to come to an end, I am looking forward to spring sports starting soon. The snow is not helping, but I am still very excited to experience track and golf as a high schooler. I started golf when I was six years old and looked up to my brother and my dad so much. A bonus at the time was that I got to ride in the golf cart and sometimes even steer. I have come a long way in golf since I was six. To get me more involved and committed, my dad signed me up for tournaments in the summer. I played in tournaments about 6 times throughout the summer from the ages of eight to ten; this past summer I played in 9 tournaments total. I’ve heard from many different high school golfers that the spring is a lot harder due to the conditions of the courses and the weather during meets. It’s going to be different and challenging, but I’m hoping that my practice throughout the winter this year is going to help me start off strong. Another sport that I am looking forward to is track. I have done track since the seventh grade, and I am hoping to try dual sporting this year, balancing track and golf. They are both really fun sports that I love to do, and I just couldn’t choose between them. When I was in middle school, I ran the 1500 meters and the 4x8, mostly because I was not very fast and not very many girls liked running distance. I do think the after-school speed workouts are really fun. It is a good way to connect with other track members and also see how my new coaches coach. This year I am planning to stick with distance running. My first few sports have been a completely different experience than middle school. Cross-country was so fun, having a team to connect with, win some meets, and make it to state with. Basketball is also so fun; it is a way longer season than middle school basketball, but honestly, I liked it better. I think getting to play each team twice was super fun because losing the first and then winning the next time shows our work and improvement. One of the only downsides was the sickness going around in the winter. I felt like every day at practice someone was coughing or sneezing. While basketball was so fun, I am so excited for golf and track to start.

ConcertPops @ PCM HS Fri. - 21 Sat. - 22 Sun. - 23 Mon. - 24 Tues. - 25 Wed. - 26

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Libby Winters & Peyton Lathrum

Five Mustangs qualify for state tournament

HUXLEY — Tucker Wheeler and Kaliber Fry both won district championships, three other Mustangs scored a runner-up finish and half of the PCM wrestling team’s lineup clinched state berths on Feb. 15.

The Mustangs entered 10 wrestlers for the Class 2A District 1 tournament and placed third as a team with 140.5 points.

Class 2A No. 6 Mount Vernon was the only team with a full lineup and won the district championship with 233.5 points.

Ballard (169) also finished ahead of PCM in second and the rest of the eightteam field included Oskaloosa (119.5), Van Meter (101.5), Chariton (81.5), Nevada (64.5) and Saydel (21).

“We sent more through than I thought,” said senior Kaden Clark, who was the runner-up at 285 pounds. “I think Tucker, Kaliber and I were locks basically. I was hoping to get a few more through and we did, but there’s a few we also hoped would make it. That stinks for them.”

The top two finishers at each weight in each 2A district advance to the state tournament. The Mustangs were open at 106, 113, 120 and 190.

Fry, who is ranked 12th at 120 pounds, was 2-0 at 126 with one pin and one major decision. He improved to 39-5 and posted his 100th career victory during his path to the district title.

Class 2A No. 9 Wheeler (38-6) scored a win by pin in both of his matches at 157.

The other three state qualifiers are first-timers Bentlee Sloan and Zach Richards and Kaden Clark, who advanced to state his freshman season.

Class 2A No. 4 Clark (46-5) was 2-1 with two pins. His only loss came in the finals against second-ranked Ethan Wood of Mount Vernon. Clark led Wood 4-0 after two periods and was up 5-1 with 1 minute to go in the match.

A seven-point move by Wood (46-1) with about 40 seconds to go resulted in a third-period pin. Clark bounced back with a win in a wrestleback match to advance.

“It feels awesome. I kind of shot myself in the foot my sophomore year and then I got hurt last year,” Clark said. “It

feels really good to be going back. The goals are going to be met, that’s for sure.”

Three other Mustangs took part in true-second wrestlebacks. Sloan and Richards won theirs to advance, while Harrison Brinegar lost his 14-12 at 150.

Sloan (28-19) advanced to state as a freshman following a 4-1 day with three

first-period pins and one technical fall at 132. His only loss was an 11-9 decision, and Sloan ended his wrestleback bout with a pin in 38 seconds. Richards (25-13) was second at 138 after a 3-1 day that featured one win by pin. One of his other wins was an 11-10 decision and he advanced to state after a 12-6 victory in his wrestleback match.

Brinegar placed third with a 3-2 day and three pins at 150.

State-ranked PCM girls cruise past South Tama County in regional opener

MONROE — One of these days, all

five starters for the Class 3A No. 10 PCM girls basketball team will hit shots on the same day.

But even so, the offense got off to a strong start on Feb. 15 and an 11-0 run to start the game was basically enough during a 56-28 home win over South Tama County in the Class 3A Region 4 opener.

“The start was big for us,” PCM junior Tori Lindsay said. “Sometimes we don’t hit those until the end of the game. We had a little bit of a spot when we weren’t doing much, but got back at it eventually.”

Lindsay led PCM with 22 points in the win. She scored seven of those in the first and Libby Winters put in six of her 14 in the period as the Mustangs led 18-9 after one quarter.

PCM went in front 13-2 at one point, but South Tama ended the frame with a little momentum.

“We came out of the gates great. I really didn’t want to give up nine though,”

PCM head girls basketball coach Sami Allison-Rodriguez said. “They had a banked 3, and 18-6 would have felt better. We won every quarter, but I thought we were just a little bit off offensively.”

The Mustangs shot 34.5 percent from the floor. They controlled the second quarter, too, as Winters opened with a bucket inside and Addison Steenhoek hit a pair of free throws before Kyra Naeve dropped a runner in the lane.

Lila Milani’s only bucket of the game was a 3 later and Steenhoek buried a trey to end the half and give her squad a 3314 advantage.

PCM scored 12 points in the third and seven came from Lindsay. South Tama scored six of the first eight in the period, but Lindsay dropped a 3 and scored twice inside before Steenhoek again ended the quarter with a triple.

The hosts dominated the offensive glass in the second half, which helped counter the tough shooting night. PCM out-rebounded the Trojans 31-25, but 15 of its boards came at the offensive end of the floor.

PCM Explorer

Photo by Colin Peters/Oskaloosa

PCM junior Kaliber Fry, right, won the district championship at 126 pounds at Ballard High School on Feb. 15. Fry will wrestle in the state tournament for the second time in his career.

Wheeler Fry Clark Richards Sloan

Troy Hyde PCM Explorer

Troy Hyde/PCM Explorer

Above: PCM junior Jorja Teeter, left, gets fouled by a South Tama County player during the second half of the Mustangs’ regional game on Feb. 15. PCM advanced with a 56-28 home win. Below: PCM junior Tori Lindsay, right, passes the ball to a teammate during the first half of the Mustangs’ regional game against South Tama County on Feb. 15. Lindsay put in 22 points in the victory. Lower right: PCM junior Kyra Naeve, left, finished with four points, six rebounds, three assists and five steals in the Mustangs’ regional win over South Tama County on Feb. 15.

Huge second quarter helps PCM boys cruise past EBF

MONROE — The PCM boys basketball team dropped a season-best 16 3-pointers and the Mustangs broke open a close game with a 30-point second quarter during an 89-46 non-conference home win over Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont on Feb. 20. The Mustangs trailed the Rockets by one after one quarter but flipped the game with a 30-9 advantage in the second. They won the second half 39-19 to stay in front.

PCM shot 48 percent from the floor, made 16of-41 from 3 and turned the ball over seven times. The hosts out-rebounded the Rockets 41-25, dished out 20 assists and swiped 14 steals.

Cutler VandeLune made 7-of-13 from 3, scored 21 points and grabbed two rebounds and Gavin Van Gorp collected 19 points and two boards.

Alex Wendt posted

eight points and 10 rebounds, Chase Wagaman delivered six points, 11 rebounds, three assists and three steals and Kaleb De Vries totaled five points, three boards, seven assists and five steals.

Shay Burns scored a career-high nine points on 3-of-4 from 3 and added two rebounds off the bench. Gavin Steenhoek registered six points, two rebounds and three steals, Kash Fischer collected four points and three assists and Gavin DeRaad finished with three points, two rebounds, three assists and two steals.

Pete Kiernan, Jake Winters and Joe Shaver all grabbed two rebounds

and Andy Bellinghausen scored three points off the bench.

The Mustangs (11-11) have posted double-digit wins every season but one since 2006-07.

Austin Langstraat led EBF (1-21) with 18 points, while Gavin Spaur totaled 12 points and five rebounds.

The Rockets shot 40 percent from the floor, made 6-of-17 from 3 and turned the ball over 23 times.

Knoxville 66, PCM 48 MONROE — Class 3A No. 3 Knoxville was too much for PCM on Feb. 18.

The Panthers led by nine after one, extended

PCM’s Graber picks Central Missouri football

PCM senior Riley Graber recently signed with Central Missouri’s football team during a signing ceremony at the high school. He was joined at his signing by (front row, from left) his sister Selah Graber, father Darin Graber, mother Emily Graber and sister Blakely Graber as well as (back row) PCM head football coach Greg Bonnett. Riley Graber chose Central Missouri over Grand View and Upper Iowa. “It was really down to Grand View and Upper Iowa until (Central Missouri defensive back) Coach Novak texted me and told me he had just gotten hired there after he’d been recruiting me at Northwest Missouri State throughout the summer and fall,” Graber said. “Central Missouri was really late at recruiting me, but I had already built a great relationship with Coach Novak and Coach Wright, the defensive coordinator, from when they were at Northwest Missouri State. I loved those two and when I met the rest of the staff and saw the kind of culture they had built, the winning they had done and the environment that they live through every day, it was a no-brainer. I committed in Coach Lamberson’s office at the end of my visit.” Graber said he was recruited to play safety and will major in physical education. Graber and five of his high school teammates all signed their Letters of Intent on the same day, too. “It was perfect,” Graber said. “I had been thinking about that day for a long time, and I was scared there would only be a couple of us. But I’m glad we have so many going to the next level. I’ve played with all of them for so long and it would have been tough to see them not play football again.”

the margin to 15 at halftime and cruised past the Mustangs, 66-48, in non-conference action.

PCM was just 4-of-21 from 3 and connected on 6-of10 from the foul line.

The Mustangs shot 37 percent from the floor and turned the ball over 14 times.

Van Gorp led PCM with 18 points and four rebounds, VandeLune totaled 11 points, four rebounds and three steals and Wagaman finished with six points, eight rebounds, three assists and two steals.

Wendt posted eight points and five boards, DeVries dished out four assists and Shaver put in three points off the bench. Winters also grabbed three rebounds off the bench.

PCM outscored Knoxville 18-17 in the third, but the Panthers (19-0) remained unbeaten with a 10-6 surplus in the fourth.

PCM’s Hansen selects Iowa Central football

PCM senior Carson Hansen signed with the Iowa Central Community

football team at a recent signing ceremony. He was joined by (front row, from left) mother Alicia Hansen and father Josh Hansen as well as (back row) PCM head football coach Greg Bonnett. Hansen picked Iowa Central over Morningside University, Iowa Western Community College, Monmouth College, Saint Ambrose University and Peru State College. “I chose Iowa Central because of the coaches, the atmosphere and the relationship I built with the coaches was second to none,” Hansen said. “They truly made it feel like home.” Hansen said he was recruited to play defensive back and plans to major in marketing. He was joined at his signing day ceremony by five other high school teammates. “Signing with five teammates was truly special,” Hansen said. “Growing up with them and playing with them all of my life and being able to share that moment with them was pretty cool.”

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VandeLune Van Gorp Wagaman

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Van Gorp scores 1,000th career point in PCM’s district win over Van Buren

Troy Hyde/PCM Explorer

Left: PCM junior Jake Winters, left, defends Van Buren’s Will Cocherell at the rim during the first half of the Mustangs’ district game on Feb. 17. The full game story from this game will run in next week’s PCM Explorer. Right: PCM senior Gavin Van Gorp scored a career-high 38 points and registered his 1,000th career point in the Mustangs’ district win over Van Buren on Feb. 17.

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One of his losses came against No. 2 Mikey Ryan (47-1) of Mount Vernon.

Jeffery McDanel (20-9) also was third at 175. He was 3-1 with two pins and Kaiden Valcore placed fourth at 215. Valcore was 2-2 with two pins.

PCM’s other wrestlers were Easton Morris and Landon Siedlecki. Morris was 1-2 at 144 and Siedlecki finished 0-2 at 165.

Richards’ loss at districts came against No. 9 Jacob Harrison (38-7) of Ballard.

That’s who Richards drew as his first-round opponent at the state tournament. The winner of that match faces No. 8 Will Larson (30-13) of Decorah in the second round.

Fry opens his state tournament against Estherville Lincoln Central’s Brody Olson (37-11). Fourth-ranked Kaydin Jones (43-6) of Union Community awaits the winner in the second round.

Sloan faces Independence’s Remy Ressler (3616) in the first round and No. 11 Kaiden Parker (346) of Oskaloosa gets the winner in Round 2.

Wheeler received a first-round bye and will take on either Carroll’s Owen Klocke (29-10) or Center Point-Urbana’s Aiden Ortega (23-13) in the second round.

Clark gets Woodward-Granger’s Alexander Kasner (32-21) in the first round and that winner faces Albia’s Nate Ballard (25-6) in the second round.

3 steps

Spring is noted for the sense of rejuvenation it inspires when temperatures warm up and flowers begin to bloom. But in the United States, the onset of spring is followed shortly thereafter by tax season, which typically generates entirely different feelings than the first sight of spring blooms.

The deadline to file tax returns in the U.S. in 2023 is Tuesday, April 18. With that deadline looming, now is a good time to consider these three basic tax preparation tips, courtesy of the Internal Revenue Service.

1. Access your IRS account. Individuals can access or create their IRS account at irs.gov/account. That ensures taxpayers

PCM Girls

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Winters posted a 14-point, 12-rebound double-double, and she grabbed seven offensive rebounds to lead PCM inside.

“It was really big,” Winters said about the offensive rebounding. “The other team was really aggressive and that made us realize we weren’t that aggressive. Once we locked in, we were able to rebound better.

“I feel the game was slow. We weren’t very connected at first, but it fell together in the end.”

PCM extended its margin in the fourth. The Mustangs (20-3) scored the first eight of the frame as Lindsay made a 3 and scored inside and Winters sunk two free throws. They outscored South Tama 11-6 in the fourth.

“The great thing is we won the game and we get another chance to get better at the offensive end,” Allison-Rodriguez said. “Our defense will keep us in every game, but I just want everyone to be on on the same night offensively just once. When Addison is on, Tori is off. When Tori is on, Libby is off. Kyra took some good shots tonight, but Lila was a little off. I would love to see what our team can do if the girls are hitting on the same night.”

Lindsay added five rebounds, six assists and three steals to her game-high 22 points, while Steenhoek posted 11 points, two rebounds, four assists and five steals.

Naeve filled up the stat sheet with four points, six rebounds, three assists and five steals, Milani had three points and two rebounds and Jorja Teeter grabbed two boards off the bench.

The Mustangs were 8-of-32 from 3, connected on 8-of-12

to

from the free-throw line and swiped 16 steals. They turned it over 17 times, but South Tama committed 32 turnovers and was only 1-of-10 from 3.

“I think it’s coming and I can’t wait for when it does come,” Lindsay said about all five starters making shots on the same night. “It would be really huge for us if that happens. That would give us a better chance to move on.”

Cahysia Kapayou led the Trojans (2-20) with seven points and three rebounds and Rylee

Ridout grabbed nine rebounds.

Notes: This was the first meeting between the two schools since 2018 and the Trojans lead the series 3-2 since 2015. ... The Mustangs hosted Albia (17-5) in the regional semifinals on Feb. 19. The Lady Dees defeated Davis County, 67-27, in their quarterfinal game. ... Allison-Rodriguez said the coaching staff has been preaching offensive rebounding for the past week.

“We don’t do well with that typically, but we have been harping on them for about a week now,”

Allison-Rodriguez said. “We just expect everyone to hit every shot, and while I love the confidence, that’s just not what’s happening right now. We need offensive boards. We want them to crash the boards because we know we can catch up on defense if we have to.”

PCM 46, Van Meter 40, overtime VAN METER — PCM needed an extra session to dispatch Van Meter on Feb. 11.

The Class 3A No. 10 Mustangs led by four after one but played even with the Bulldogs through four before winning 4640 in overtime.

PCM won the non-conference road game after outscoring Van Meter 6-0 in the extra session. The Mustangs also were down by eight points with 4:30 to play in the regulation.

Lindsay led the Mustangs with 16 points and three rebounds. Winters totaled 12 points and six boards, Steenhoek chipped in 11 points, two rebounds and two steals and Teeter collected three points, 11 rebounds and two steals off the bench.

Naeve finished with four rebounds and three steals and Milani and Rebecca De Vries each grabbed two boards.

The Mustangs, who have won 11 of their last 12 games, were plagued by 28.6 percent shooting and 2-of-19 from 3. PCM was 16-of-29 from the free-throw line and committed only 12 turnovers. Steenhoek was 7-of-10 from the foul line, Lindsay made 4-of-6 and Teeter hit 3-of-4. The Mustangs were 4-of-6 from the line in overtime. Van Meter (12-10) won the second 11-7 and both teams scored 18 points in the second half.

simplify tax prep so you can file on time

have the latest information about their federal tax account and enables them to see information about their most recently filed return. A visit to irs.gov/account also allows individuals to make payments and apply for payment plans, among other options.

2. Organize your tax records. The IRS urges taxpayers to wait to file their returns until they have all of their records, including: - Forms W-2 from employer(s) - Forms 1099 from banks, issuing agencies and others payers, including unemployment compensation, dividends, pension, annuity or retirement plan distributions - Form 1099-K, 1099MISC, W-2, or other in-

come statement if you worked in the gig economy - For 1099-INT if you were paid interest

- Other income documents and records of digital asset transactions, including convertible virtual currency and cryptocurrency, stablecoins and non-fungible tokens (NFTs)

- Form 1095-A, Health Insurance Marketplace Statement, to reconcile advance payments or claim Premium Tax Credits for 2022 Marketplace coverage

- IRS or other agency letters

- CP01A Notice with your new Identity Protection PIN

3. Check your Individual Tax Identification Num-

ber. The IRS notes that an ITIN only requires renewal if it has expired and is needed on a federal tax return. An expired ITIN can delay the processing of a return, which in turn can delay tax credits and refunds.

Taxpayers filing with the help of a licensed tax professional are urged to contact that individual to inquire about any additional information they may need to file a return on time. Make such an inquiry well in advance of the deadline to file so you have sufficient time to gather all of the necessary documentation.

More information about filing taxes is available at irs.gov.

Troy Hyde/PCM Explorer

PCM freshman Libby Winters, left, blocks a shot against South Tama County on Feb. 15. Winters posted a double-double in the regional victory.

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