More than a stand
By Jamee A. Pierson
A stroll down Ashtyn Lane in Prairie City can be for more than just exercise.
Ashtyn Market, a self serve stand in front of home market 207, features a variety of baked goods from artisan breads, bars and mini cakes to snack mixes, pickles and puppy chow.
“I wanted to be able to stay home this summer with my kids and still help provide,” owner Anissa Wood said. “We live on Ashtyn Lane and it seemed fitting and would hopefully make it easy for people in the community to find us. We decided market as we sell more than just sweet treats.” Wood has been baking off and on her entire life starting with cookies in her grandma’s kitchen. Kids and work kept
her busy for quite a while, but with a change in career she has some time freed up to follow her passion.
“I love making the breads,” Wood said. “(There is) something about watching all your hard work rise up and turn into something so beautiful and tasty.”
Her cute white stand with a tin roof gets filled on Saturdays and the occasional Thursday to coincide with the Prairie City Farmers’ Market. The business is just getting started but she hopes it will catch on and become a destination for community members and even those visiting Prairie City.
“At this time we are just seeing how the stand goes, of course we would love for it to grow,” Wood said. “For being the first year open, we are happy for where we are at.”
Feedback has been noth-
ing short of amazing for the market stand, with guests commenting on her Facebook page where she posts updates and information. She works hard to keep her quality at a high level and people have responded to the effort she puts in.
“I think it has been great! People in the community have been great. Even if it’s a Facebook follow or like of the post, we appreciate it all,” Wood said. “I put my heart into it every week baking and making sure that everything I put out is of high quality. It started out as an idea of something to do over the summer and soon turned into a reality.”
She is getting her kids involved, too, often working as taste testers for new product ideas.
QUEEN OF THE CATTLE
Meet the Jasper County Beef Queen Seriah Nolin
Program director for Senior Nutrition says steady group of people attend meals
By Christopher Braunschweig PCM Explorer
County renewed for an-
Tell us a little about yourself: I was born and raised outside of Monroe. My parents built a house on part of my grandparents’ farm when I was a baby. My aunt built a house just over a few hills on the same farm. We have all helped out with my grandparents’ cattle operation for as long as I can remember. I started helping show my grandparents’ cattle at the Iowa State Fair when I was seven or eight years old. I joined 4-H when I was nine and began showing cattle, static exhibits like photography and baked goods, and even tested out showing pics that first year at the Jasper County Fair. I have loved the fair ever since. I am currently a part of the Jasper County Farmhands led by my aunt, Jessica Barnett, and the Diamond Trail FFA led by Ms. Peterson and Mr. Warrick. I am heading into my senior year at PCM High School and I am currently 17 years old.
My projects this year include a red angus heifer and two market
provided each weekday at 11:30 a.m. in their respective locations.
Kelli Van Manen, program director of Jasper County Senior Nutrition, said there are no changes to the contracts from the previous year. Van Manen told the board of supervisors during the July 1 meeting that both sites
seem to be going well. She was hoping for more growth, but there is a steady group of people. “They really benefit from the programs being held there, so at this time I’d like to stay as is and reevaluate it every year,” Van Manen said.
Meet the Jasper County Equine Senior Cowgirl Queen Addison Kerwin
Tell us a little about yourself: My name is Addison Kerwin, I’m from Melbourne and I just graduated from Baxter High School. I am currently a member of the Baxter FFA chapter. I’ve had horses since I was just three years old, through the years I’ve been lucky enough to have over 10 different horses. My current horse Iris Storm Cat aka Ruby is my latest purchase in 2024. What is your favorite part of caring for them? My favorite part of caring for my horses is how calming they are most the time. They really feed off your energy.
How do you prepare them to show? Most the time when I’m preparing to show I run around like a chicken with my head cut off. We ride consistently every night to get them fit for fair and rodeo.
Do you have any funny stories with your animal? My funniest sorry with Ruby is probably the time
Submitted Photo
Ashtyn Market, a self-serve, honor-based stand owned by Anissa Wood, features baked breads, sweets and snack mixes available each Saturday.
Ashtyn Market, owned by Anissa Wood, provides a cute, tasty stop for travelers along Ashtyn Lane in Prairie City
PCM Explorer
By Jamee A. Pierson PCM Explorer
Submitted Photo
2025 Jasper County Fair Beef Queen Seriah Nolin is a part of the Jasper County Farmhands 4H group and Diamond Trail FFA.
By Jamee A. Pierson PCM Explorer
Two congregate meals sites have had their agreements with Jasper
other year. Colfax Senior Citizens Center in Colfax and The Gathering Place in Monroe will continue hosting meals, which are
Obituaries
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 Thursdays and 9 a.m. to noon and 6 to 7 p.m. Mondays.
PCM Clothing Closet
The PCM Clothing Closet, 100 W. Jefferson St. in Prairie City, is open from 9 to 11 a.m. and 4 to 7 p.m. every Thursday and 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays. Bread and baked goods are available every other week.
Upcoming events at The Gathering Place in Monroe
Thursday, July 10
• 8-11am Playgroup
• 9am Kids Crafts
• 10am Patty Richards Show
• 1pm Movement with Sean
Friday, July 11
• 2pm Piano with Jacque Robinson
Monday, July 14
• 10am Video Exercise Class
Tuesday, July 15
• 8-11am Playgroup
• 8am Coffee and Prayer
• 9am Kids Crafts
• 1pm Game Time
Thursday, July 17
• 9am Focus Group
• 9am Kids Crafts
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.
Blood drive July 19 in Prairie City
The Prairie City Lions Club is sponsoring the Prairie City and Monroe Communities Blood Drive from 7:15 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday, July 19 at the First Reformed Church, 300 E. Fifth St. in Prairie City. To schedule an appointment call 800-287-2904 or visit lifeservebloodcenter.org. Walk-ins are welcome.
Mosquito spraying
July 24 in Monroe
The City of Monroe reminds residents mosquito spraying dates are scheduled for July 24 and Aug. 28.
Jean A. Kennedy
July 1, 2025
Jean A. Kennedy, age 90, a lifelong resident of Prairie City, Iowa, was born on January 19, 1935, to Roy Thompson and Grace (Clippenger)
Thompson. Jean passed away on at Taylor House Hospice in Des Moines, Iowa. Visitation will be held July 13 from 12:30 p.m until 1:30 p.m. at the United Methodist Church, Prairie City. A memorial service will begin immediately after visitation.
Jean attended “Rabbit
Ridge” country school through seventh grade. She continued her education in Prairie City, graduating from high school in 1953. While in high school she met and made a “special” friend, Dwight Kennedy. Following graduation, they were united in marriage on June 11, 1953. They recently celebrated their 72nd wedding anniversary. Two daughters were born to this union. Jean worked several years for Bankers Life. In 1964 she began working at the First National Bank in Prairie City where she remained until her retirement in 1997. Throughout her many working years she remained impeccably organized and maintained an immaculate home. After retirement, Jean and
Dwight spent 20 years wintering in Arizona, Georgia and Florida.
Jean enjoyed playing Bridge and attending book club, garden club, TTT Society and P.E.O. Above all else, her main priority was her family. Jean’s greatest passion was for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The joy and love she brought to her family will be her legacy, eternally living and growing in their hearts.
Those left to honor her memory are her husband, Dwight; daughters Marla Kennedy Gallardo and Kim (Tim) Smith; grandchildren Brandi (Christopher) Miller and their daughter, Isabella; Ryan (Sarah) Smith and their children Jackson and Charlotte; and Eliz-
abeth Gallardo and her son, Axel. Jean is also survived by several cousins, nieces and nephews. Preceding Jean in death were her parents; sisters, Jane Lenning and Joellen Adams; brothers, Richard Thompson and Robert (Bobby) Thompson; sister-in-law Marjorie Thompson and brother-in-law Harold Adams. Jean loved and missed them all.
Jean’s family would like to thank the staff at Edencrest – Tuscany and at Unity Point Taylor House for the compassionate and loving care given to Jean throughout her journey. A special thank you to Taylor Malcom, Unity Point inhome hospice nurse, for her support and genuine, loving care.
Free Bird Watching and Bagels Program
Discover birdwatching at Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge. July is a great time to get outside to see and hear birds on the tallgrass prairie. Take a guided walk along the 2-mile Tallgrass Trail loop. Free loaner binoculars will be available for checkout. This free program begins at 8 a.m. Satur-
day, July 12. Participants can enjoy free bagels and coffee at the visitor center after the walk. This event caters to birdwatchers of all skill levels, ages 8 and older. Meet at the entrance to the visitor center. The Tallgrass Trail is a 2-mile loop with gradual inclines and goes through the tallgrass prairie where there is no shade. Wearing pants,
sturdy walking shoes and a hat. Bring plenty of drinking water and insect repellent. For more information and to register, contact nancy_corona@fws.gov or call 515-994-3400.
Continuedfrompage1
steers. I got all three of them in October and have been working with them daily ever since. I am also helping my little sister with her first 4-H project, a little red angus heifer born in December to my first 4-H show heifer. What is your favorite part of caring for them? I love the daily time with my cattle and my grandparents. My grandma is the sweetest and greets me every morning so if I don’t have to rush off to one of my other activities, she always offers me some coffee or breakfast in the morning or a soda or supper in the evening. I also like getting to see the personalities in my cattle develop. They make me laugh every day, and I know they enjoy all of the pampering they receive.
How do you prepare them to show? In October, I begin halter breaking them. First, I just sit on a bucket next to them while they eat then I work up to brushing them while they eat and putting a halter on. Then it’s onto tying them while they eat and leading them to water. Then we work our way into walking longer distances and working with a show stick to teach them how to set up. That’s the part that I know how to do at least. Our feed specialists at Two Rivers Coop have always helped me put together their diets and make changes to get them ready for the show ring.
Do you have any funny stories with your animal? One time I was about to walk into a ring and the steer in front of me squirted liquid diarrhea all over the front of me so I was covered from my hair to my shirt to my jeans and to my shoes. I didn’t know
Explorer PCM
what to do next so I just kept on showing like nothing happened. I might not of thought it was funny but my family sure did. What made it ven better was I won Champion Red Angus Steer that day at Iowa Junior Red Angus Field Day
What did it mean to you to be selected as queen? I have known the other beef queens over the years and have always looked up to them. They show dedication to their livestock and their farming families and they always carry themselves with kindness and humility inside and outside of the show ring. I want to be someone to look up to and follow in their example.
What are you looking forward to at the Jasper County Fair? I am looking forward to doing all the things and hanging out with the people I love. I was fortunate to have a group of friends that have been in 4-H with me since I was little and we would do all the contests and activities together. Hanging in the barn and doing chores together, hanging out around my friends’ campers, buying snow cones, building floats and going all out for our crazy parade themes, going to the dance; it’s all fun and there are always stories to be told afterwards.
What would you tell other kids looking to get involved with animals or 4H/FFA? I would tell them to try all the things and take in all the experiences. It can be so much fun if you get involved and find your group of people. Animals are super rewarding but also costly, don’t feel like you need an animal to be involved with 4H/FFA. If you decide to try animals I would suggest a mentor to help ease the process and supply the needed supplies. There are plenty of people that are willing to help get you started!
Meals
Supervisor Brandon Talsma asked Van Manen if the Colfax site coordinates other events or activities during meal times like The Gathering Place in Monroe. Van Manen said Colfax tries but not like The Gathering Place, which has “really tapped into a lot of resources” to amplify the congregate meals site.
“Every community should do what The Gathering Place and what Monroe has done,” Van Manen said. “But that’s hard to have the people willing to do it. But the Colfax Senior (Citizens) Center, they are very dedicated people that
Market
have been with it for a long time.”
According to the contracts, Jasper County will pay both Colfax Senior Citizens Center, 1 E. Howard St., and The Gathering Place, 113 S. Monroe St., a monthly rental fee of $400 to use their facilities for meals sites. Congregate meals are also available at Jasper County Community Center, 2401 First Ave. E., in Newton. In 2023, the supervisors authorized the congregate meals site in Monroe to move from City Hall to The Gathering Place due to low attendance. Shortly after, The Gathering Place requested higher rent. The facility was initially being paid $200. Colfax then increased its asking price in 2024. Both were approved.
“It also teaches them to work hard for something, and the value in hard work,” Wood said. “We are always so thankful for the support and all the feedback.”
Equine
she ran me over in goat tying. My mom didn’t think it was funny but it was to me!
Ashtyn Market runs on the honor system with a cash box along with Venmo available to pay. So far the model has been successful leading to great baked goods for customers and fulfillment for Wood as she sees her hard work pay off.
“If we sell out or still have product at the end of the day, I am happy,” Wood said. “We couldn’t be more thankful that this dream has come true.”
What did it mean to you to be selected as queen? To be selected for queen was an amazing honor! I love being able to support my county fair while also advocating for the horse industry. What would you tell other kids looking to get involved with animals or 4H/FFA? If I had anything to tell any other kids in FFA or 4H, take your time. It’s okay if you don’t win the whole class. Every single improvement you make is one step closer to winning that title! It’ll come with time.
Jasper County
The Jasper County Board of Supervisors on July 1 voted 2-0 to renew the contracts for the congregate meals sites at Colfax and Monroe.
OPINION
Friends visited while in Colorado
Bill was one of the old friends I looked up while Ginnie and I were in Loveland, Colorado. He had pretty much disappeared from the scene, like a rainbow come and gone. The phone number I had for him was no longer in service, but I was able to get his address from another friend. Bill and I had worked and partied hardy (or hearty) together. He lived with his brother in three front-to-back shotgun shacks on a narrow lot. Both Bill and his brother were hardcore bachelors. Bill’s brother had died of alcoholism a couple of years before, and I knew Bill took it hard. I wanted to see Bill and see how he was doing. Bill was a gear head, always building hot rods, dune buggies and show cars.
It was the middle of a hot Colorado afternoon when Ginnie and I found
OPINION
Curt Swarm Empty Nest
Bill’s address. We couldn’t raise anyone at the first shack, so went to the second. Some elderly lady (Bill had a girlfriend?) said Bill was asleep, but if we went to his “office” he would meet us. We went to the third shack and waited. There were car parts, tools, machinery, and engine blocks scattered everywhere. Bill finally trooped out, barefooted and rubbing sleep from his eyes. How he could walk on that floor in bare feet, with drill bits, nuts and bolts and sharp objects all over the floor, I’ll never know. But he led us back to his “office,” sat down and we talked.
He told us the reason he was asleep was because he’d been to a car show that morning, chasing girls, and it wore him out. He also told us how his brother died. Bill, some of his family, and a few close friends had gotten together and attempted an intervention on Bill’s brother, telling him how his alcoholism im-
Champions of freer markets don’t need to champion Capitalism
By Joel Schlosberg
“Let Zohran Mamdani’s victory in last week’s Democratic mayoral primary in New York serve as your periodic reminder that capitalism is in dire need of able defenders.” Matthew Hennessey’s call that “Capitalism Needs Champions” (Wall Street Journal, July 1) would have provoked Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal author Ayn Rand’s trademark reminder to “check your premises.” According to Hennessey, who uses “capitalism” interchangeably with “free markets” and even plain “markets,” “anticapitalists on both left and right struggle to make a serious case that things are worse now than they were 100 or 150 years ago.” Chris Matthew Sciabarra notes: “For Rand, this ‘unknown ideal’ had been approximated in history but it had never been practiced in its full, unadulterated laissez-faire form. It was largely undercut by state intervention.”
Even while America’s actually existing mixed economy produced the “washing machines [and] chemotherapy” hailed by Hennessey, manufacturing became so intertwined with federal contracts and organizational bureaucracy that Karl Hess could quip in a 1976 Playboy interview that “to find a difference worth dying for in opposing the Soviet Union while supporting General Motors requires a theological position.” Michael Harrington observed in The Next Left that ostensibly private healthcare providers accepted being primarily funded by “socialized insurance premiums” to the point of becoming “the worst of capitalism and the worst of socialism combined,” in which “no one was particularly concerned about controlling the outlays or quality.” “Free people” do “abominate coercion,” but Hennessey overlooks how capitalists have taken the initiative in burdening their competitors. Asserting that “the owner-operator of a corner deli is no less a capitalist than Jeff Bezos” ignores how, in the words of Roy Childs, “men in larger businesses supported and even initiated acts of government regulation” (and would obviate the case against antitrust breakups).
Hennessey dismisses “soft-headed notions about inequality,” since “the incredible wealth [markets] generate can be used to fill the gaps.” Yet the most pro-market mayoral candidate in New York’s history, Henry George, saw how unfree markets aggravated what he called the “Increase of Want with Increase of Wealth.”
Hennessey predicts that Mamdani will require “plans to keep New Yorkers captive,” forgetting his own Journal op-ed page’s survey of socialist mayors who “took an entrepreneurial approach to government, improving systems, cutting waste, and finding creative new sources of income” (Michael Trinklein’s “Sanders Can Learn From ‘Sewer Socialists’,” March 19, 2020).The New York mayor who hailed “the crumbling bricks of the Berlin wall” yielding to “a world liberated from the crushing weight of fascism and totalitarianism” was card-carrying member of Harrington’s Democratic Socialists of America David Dinkins.
Harrington’s heirs lack the socialist stalwart’s perceptiveness of “the worst of socialism.” Mamdani’s proposed municipal groceries would have a harder time recreating efficient supply chains geared to local retail needs than dot-com bubble fiascoes like Kozmo or Webvan.Free buses would at least not jeopardize free markets in a transit economy so subsidized that fares act like a regressive tax. But no free ride would get as far as free trade.
New Yorker Joel Schlosberg is a senior news analyst at The William Lloyd Garrison Center for Libertarian AdvocacyJournalism.
SHARE YOUR VIEW
pacted them. They wanted to take him to rehab right then. His brother said he would go, but wanted to wait until morning. During the night, Bill’s brother drank himself to death. Schnapps. Bill found him the next morning.
Bill also told us about a friend of his that rented a room from him in the third shack. The friend overdosed on Fentanyl and died. Bill found him, also.
Then there was the renter in the first shack. He was also a close friend of Bill’s. The friend had wild parties, got behind on rent, and Bill had to evict him. So much disappointment in Bill’s life.
But Bill’s attitude was good. He was fixing up the first shack to rent out again, building cars, and engine blowers for people. They called him Blower Bill. He has a 60’s Corvette and El Camino. All-in-all, I’m glad we took the time to dig Bill out. He told Ginnie to take good care of me. Ha!
Another person we looked up was an old high school buddy from Iowa, Tom. He and his wife now live in Ft. Collins. He was an all-state running back in football, I was a blocking lineman. One time I threw a block that sprang Tom loose for the end zone. He would
have probably made it anyway, he was pretty fast, agile, and tough. Anywho, when we got back to the huddle, Tom pointed a finger at me and said, “The touchdown goes to you.” The QB hollered at him to shut up, for good reason. That touchdown was the result of a total team effort. I just threw the last block. Tom was always a sharp dresser. He worked at clothing stores and retail outlets through high school and college. A cancer survivor, he became quite successful as a top executive for Walmart. I no longer had to throw blocks for Tom. He cut his own path.
On our last day in Colorado, Ginnie and I drove up the Cache la Poudre Canyon, another old friend. We saw the Big Narrows, Profile Rock, Elephant Mountain, and lunched at Glen Echo Resort, that used to be in what was called Rustic. The Poudre Canyon was peaceful, beautiful and relaxing—a perfect ending for a week of looking up old friends. You can’t be too thin, have too much money, or too many friends.
Have a good story? Call or text Curt Swarm in Mt. Pleasant at 319-217-0526 or email him at curtswarm@yahoo. com.
OPINION
Trump is opening the door to scams targeting military families
By Chloe Rogers
The Trump administration could really lend a hand to veterans and servicemembers. Instead, it’s opening the door for scams targeting military families.
Trump is dismantling the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the 15-year-old consumer watchdog agency. The CFPB protects all Americans, and it has an impressive track record of standing up for military families in particular.
The CFPB Office of Servicemember Affairs has a clear mission: to protect military families from abusive lenders, debt collectors, and other scams by using a mixture of regulation, supervision, research, and public education. The office is attuned to the unique financial challenges faced by young enlisted personnel and military families: frequent relocations, irregular pay cycles, and the threat of targeted scams.
But today, the office exists mostly in name only.
Under its Trump-appointed leadership, the office has been gutted — with its staffing slashed, its law enforcement non-existent, and its public presence all but erased as part of the administration’s wholesale attack on the CFPB. Servicemembers have been left with fewer protections, fewer resources, and a lot more exposure to financial swindlers.
Josh Friedman is an Air Force veteran, reservist, and longtime CFPB employee. He was fired while on active duty, a move that violated federal law. Friedman
was one of the last remaining staffers in the Office of Servicemember Affairs. He wasn’t just laid off — he was stripped of his ability to serve fellow military families at the very agency created to protect them and other consumers.
The Trump CFPB also just gave Navy Federal Credit Union a free pass, terminating its own enforcement order that had required the credit union to return $80 million to servicemembers, veterans, and Department of Defense employees for illegal overdraft fees. Navy Federal charged customers even when they had enough money at the time of purchase, despite prior warnings from the CFPB.
Meanwhile, the administration has repealed the CFPB’s overdraft protections altogether, which would have limited banks from charging excessive fees, especially important for junior enlisted members living paycheck to paycheck. (Navy Federal, the largest credit union for servicemembers, raked in $335 million in overdraft fees in 2024 alone.)
Rather than strengthening protections for military families, the Trump CFPB has systematically unraveled them, scrapping nearly 70 critical directives that previously shielded servicemembers from predatory lenders, credit reporting errors tied to deployment, and illegally high interest rates that violate the Military Lending Act, which caps annual rates at 36 percent.
Servicemember complaints are skyrocketing — up 165 percent from 2020 to 2024 — but the Trump CFPB is making it
harder to get relief. The complaint system is being deprioritized. Enforcement is being scaled back. More than 84,000 complaints from military families led to some form of relief before Trump’s election. Now that figure is all but certain to plummet.
This isn’t just policy. It’s personal.
Military families are now on their own. What happened to Josh Friedman isn’t just an HR blunder. It’s a flashing red warning sign that financial predators are not back on their heels — they’re in charge.
The agency meant to defend against these abuses is being taken apart from the inside. The leadership at CFPB has slashed the agency’s workforce by nearly 90 percent and effectively shuttered its headquarters.
It’s time for Congress — and the public — to tell the Trump administration that it should embrace a vibrant CFPB.
Restoring the CFPB means fully funding the agency, re-staffing the Office of Servicemember Affairs, reviving enforcement against financial predators, and protecting the rules that shield military families from abuse. Lawmakers must defend the CFPB’s independence and reject any efforts to weaken its mandate.
Standing up for the CFPB is not only about good governance. It’s about honoring the commitment we make to servicemembers: that when they protect us, we will protect them.
Chloe Rogers is a communications intern at Americans for Financial Reform.
We all love spending the long, sunny days of summer outdoors with our furry companions, but it’s important to remember that like any season, summer comes with its hazards. To make sure you’re prepared for whatever comes your way this summer, check out this list of summer safety tips from experts at the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (APCC).
Visit the vet for an early-summer checkup. Make sure your pets get tested for heartworm if they aren’t on year-round preventative medication.
Give pets plenty of fresh, clean water when it’s hot or humid outdoors as pets can get dehydrated quickly. Make sure your pets have a shady place to get out of the sun, be careful not to over-exercise them and keep them indoors when it’s extremely hot.
Know the symptoms of overheating in pets, which include excessive panting or difficulty breathing, increased heart and respiratory rate, drooling, mild weakness, stupor or even collapse.
Hot weather safety tips for your pets
Symptoms can also include seizures, bloody diarrhea and vomit along with an elevated body temperature of over 104 degrees.
Never leave your animals alone in a parked vehicle. Not only can it lead to fatal heat stroke, but it’s illegal in several states!
Know that animals with flat faces, like Pugs and Persian cats, are more susceptible to heat stroke since they cannot pant as effectively. These pets, along with the elderly, the overweight and those with heart or lung diseases, should be kept cool in air-conditioned rooms as much as possible.
Do not leave pets unsupervised around a pool. If you plan on spending time near a pool, lake or beach with your pet, make sure you give them fresh water and avoid letting them drink from the pool, or ingest ocean or lake water. When swimming, introduce your pets to water gradually and make sure they wear flotation devices when on boats. Rinse your dog off after swimming to remove chlorine or salt from their fur.
Keep all unscreened windows or doors in your home closed and make sure adjustable screens are tightly secured. Open unscreened windows pose a real danger to pets, who often fall out of them.
Feel free to trim longer hair on your dog, but never shave your dog. The layers of dogs’ coats protect them from overheating and sunburn. Brushing cats more often than usual can prevent problems caused by excessive heat. And be sure that any sunscreen or insect repellent product you use on your pets is labeled specifically for use on animals.
Don’t let dogs linger on hot asphalt when the temperature is very high. Being so close to the ground, your pooch’s body can heat up quickly, and sensitive paw pads can burn. Keep walks during these times to a minimum. Use caution when using herbicides and insecticides. When applying these products to your yard it is best to keep your pet away from the area being treated, follow directions on the packaging and prevent your pet from accessing the area until it is dry or has been appropriately watered. Fertilizer exposures are also more common in the summer, and while typically not serious, they can cause some stomach upset and should still be treated seriously. Keep fertilizers out of reach and your pet out of the treated area until it is dry. Additionally, keep citronella candles, tiki torch products and insect coils of out pets’ reach as well. Be mindful of what you are planting in your garden. Being outdoors means more exposure to different types of plants — both ornamental
and garden plants. It’s important to familiarize yourself with the plants in your yard or garden and the potential hazard they may pose to your pets. Identifying possibly harmful plants ahead of time may prevent unwanted exposures. Always keep an eye on your pet when they are outside as even non-toxic plants can cause stomach upset if ingested.
Remember that food and drink can pose one of the biggest threats to pets. To keep them from having food that is too high in fat, or ingesting a food item that may be toxic, it’s best that your pet sticks to their normal diet and treats. Be sure to also keep the garbage out of reach, as snooping noses can find their way to hazardous items. If you’re enjoying alcoholic beverages at your festivities, be sure to keep your drinks up and away from pets and clean up any spills before they have a chance to take a taste.
Follow these expert tips to have a happy, healthy and fun summer with your furry friends!
No. 3 Hawks use big inning to down Mustangs
SULLY — PCM head baseball coach Brent Fridley didn’t like pulling Trenner Van Dyke in the middle of a no-hitter on June 30 during the Mustangs’ road contest against Class 1A No. 3 Lynnville-Sully.
But the first-year head coach was thinking about the rest of the week and making sure he had his left-handed senior available for the postseason, which was slated to start on July 5 for the PCM baseball team.
The pitching change was just what the Hawks needed though, and they executed a few bunts and took advantage of one big PCM error during a 5-1 come-from-behind victory during non-conference action.
“Our plan was to throw Shay (Burns) tonight, but he’s battling a shoulder injury,” Fridley said. “So we had to pivot. We wanted to throw (Van Dyke) early so he’s available at the end of the week.
“We were in a pitch count situation where we’re preparing for the rest of the week and the tournament. That’s why we pulled the plug.”
The Mustangs scored first and led 1-0 through four innings.
The host Hawks plated all five of their runs in the fifth and Trace Carlson finished Gavin Olea’s fifth pitching win of the season with his second save of the summer.
The Hawks had just three hits in the game, but back-toback bunt singles got things rolling for Lynnville-Sully, which has registered multiple comeback victories this season.
“We’ve had some close ball games and maybe even some that shouldn’t have been close but were,” L-S head baseball coach Scott Alberts said. “Our kids know if there are outs left on the board, we’ll keep fighting and scrapping. Our kids are never out of it, but I was disappointed with our lack of adjustments at the plate.”
Van Dyke kept the Hawks off balance with a good mixture of his pitches. He finished with eight strikeouts in his four innings and allowed no hits with just one walk and one hit batter in 53 pitches.
“The umpire was giving him a generous outside corner,” Alberts said. “We didn’t do anything to change that. We have to do better with our in-pitch adjustment when we see that. We could have changed our position in the box, slid up a bit or shortened up our hands, and we didn’t make those adjustments.”
PCM (8-13) scored its run in the second. Trigg Steenhoek laced a two-out double in the first but was stranded on third.
Izaac Bagby walked three times in the game. He led off the second with a walk, moved to second on a wild pitch and
then scored on Jensson Hood’s RBI single.
Kaleb DeVries walked and stole second against Olea in the third but did not advance home.
Bagby walked in the fourth, but Olea got out of the jam with back-to-back strikeouts and then Terran Gosselink threw out Bagby attempting to steal second to end the inning.
The Mustangs threatened in the fifth, sixth and seventh but did not score.
With two outs, Coby DeRaad doubled and then DeVries singled to put two runners in scoring position. But a fly out to center field ended the threat.
L-S got things going against DeVries, who relieved Van Dyke in the fifth. Carson Maston and Wyatt Mathis were hit by pitches to open the frame and then Olea reached on a bunt single. No one was covering first
base on the play, and L-S scored two runs on a throwing error that went into the outfield.
Gavin Fisk also reached on a bunt single and went to second on a wild pitch before Matthew Mintle drew a walk.
A sacrifice fly from JD Richards made it 3-1, and the Hawks added two more runs when a ball hit by Gosselink to short center field was lost in the lights.
“There was some bad luck, but they executed the small-ball game,” Fridley said. “We threw away the ball on one of those bunts. Our bunt defense had been good, but it didn’t show today. We just made a mental mistake there. It starts with hitting their first two guys in the inning though.”
Alberts said the coaching staff called both bunts from Olea and Fisk. The Hawks (212) struck out 11 times in the
game so they decided to make the PCM defense move a little bit.
Fridley was perhaps most happy with his guys when they came right back after the Hawks’ five-run inning and loaded the bases in the sixth and put two more on in the seventh.
“I was happy with our approach at the plate,” Fridley said. “We ran their starter’s pitch count up and fouled off lots of pitches. It was good to see us load the bases after their big inning. We had a chance to get right back in it, but it was a back-breaker not scoring there.
“I was proud of us fighting there and getting two more on in the seventh, too.”
But the Mustangs couldn’t score in either inning to close their deficit.
Olea was chased after walking Jaden Houser and Bagby to
open the inning.
Carlson struck out the side but not before walking Alex Wendt to load the bases.
Steenhoek singled off Carlson with two outs in the seventh and then Houser walked to put two runners on base. The game ended though when Carlson got Bagby to ground out to second base.
Olea improved to 5-0 on the mound after allowing one earned run on four hits and five walks in five innings. He fanned seven.
Carlson registered his second save of the season after surrendering no runs, one hit and two walks with three strikeouts in two innings.
Steenhoek finished with two hits and doubled, DeRaad doubled and DeVries totaled one hit and walked once and Bagby walked three times and scored one run.
Steenhoek leads PCM with five doubles and DeVries drew his team-best 20th walk. Houser walked twice, Wendt walked once and Hood singled and had the team’s lone RBI in the second.
DeVries (1-3) took the pitching loss after surrendering five runs — two earned — on three hits, one walk and two hit batters in two innings. He struck out four.
Newton 6, PCM 0
NEWTON — Dakota Winkleman’s complete-game shutout helped Newton snap a 12game skid on July 1.
The Cardinal sophomore used three of his four pitches to keep PCM off balance at the plate, and the Newton defense made plays behind him during a 6-0 home win at H.A. Lynn Baseball Field.
“He was in control of his mechanics and stayed in a good rhythm, and the defense played well behind him,” Newton head baseball coach Darin Tisdale said. “When you hit your spots and make quality pitches at the high school level, you can have a lot of success.”
The Cardinals (5-24) scored twice in the third and finished off the Mustangs with a fourrun fourth. Newton is 4-0 against PCM since 2022.
Winkleman navigated through traffic during the first few innings but retired 15 of the final 16 batters he faced following a 5-4-3 double play that ended the second frame.
It was Newton’s first shutout win of the season. Winkleman struck out five and induced 12 ground ball outs. He got through all seven innings on only 75 pitches.
Mason Mendez was hit by a pitch in the first but was erased on the bases by DeRaad. Drew Bauer singled with two outs but was left stranded.
Carson Hansen, PCM’s starting pitcher, registered three strikeouts in his first two innings, including a pair that ended the second.
By Troy Hyde PCM Explorer
Troy Hyde/PCM Explorer
PCM junior Izaac Bagby, right, tags out Lynnville-Sully junior Ethan Dunsbergen at first base during a pick-off attempt in their non-conference matchup on June 30. Bagby walked three times in the game, but PCM lost 5-1.
Troy Hyde/PCM Explorer
PCM senior Trenner Van Dyke allowed no hits and struck out eight in his four innings of work against Class 1A No. 3 Lynnville-Sully on June 30. The Hawks rallied for the 5-1 win though.
Troy Hyde/PCM Explorer
Mustangs dump R-S to complete unbeaten conference season
MONROE — Eight different players
had at least one hit and a seven-run second inning powered the PCM softball team to a 13-5 win over Roland-Story on July 1.
The Class 3A No. 4 Mustangs completed their undefeated run through the Heart of Iowa Athletic Conference after posting crooked numbers in four of the five innings.
PCM led 7-0 after two and scored twice in the third, fourth and fifth frames to end the game early. All five Roland-Story runs came in the fifth, but it wasn’t enough to avoid the eight-run mercy rule.
PCM out-hit the Lady Norse 11-8, and the Mustangs committed one error. They have 15 errors in 25 games this summer.
Addi Hudnut, Addison Steenhoek and Libby Winters all had two hits to lead the PCM offense.
Hudnut totaled four RBIs, one run and one steal, Winters doubled, scored one run, had three RBIs, walked once and stole one base and Steenhoek doubled and walked once.
Winters leads the Mustangs (21-4, 15-0 in the conference) with 55 total bases, 23 steals and 31 runs and Steenhoek’s 12 doubles are a team high.
Lillian Humpal doubled and had two RBIs, Camden Webb chipped in one hit and two runs and Tori Lindsay collected one hit, one run and one steal.
Humpal’s produced a team-most 24 RBIs and Lindsay is tied for the team lead with 31 runs and has stolen 13 bases.
Hadley Millang contributed one hit, two runs and one walk, Holly Wood finished with one hit, two runs, one RBI and one walk, Kyra Naeve walked twice, scored two runs and stole one base and Peyton Lathrum and Carly Wilkerson each scored one run. Wood leads PCM with nine walks.
Rylee Parsons (12-1) earned the win in the circle after allowing five earned runs on eight hits and two walks with three strikeouts in four innings.
Webb fanned two Roland Story players and allowed no hits and no runs in her one inning.
The Mustangs scored their fifth straight win over the Lady Norse (11-13, 7-6).
PCM was scheduled to play at BCLUW on July 3, but the game was canceled due to heavy rain in the area.
PCM 9, Knoxille 1, 4 innings
Winters had three hits and two RBIs
at the plate and spun three innings in the circle during the Mustangs’ 9-1 home win over Knoxville on July 2.
PCM led the non-conference game 2-0 after the first inning and added four runs in the second and two more in the third. Knoxville (2-17) scored its run in the third, and PCM plated its final run in the bottom of the fifth.
Winters hit two doubles, scored three runs and stole two bases to lead the Mustangs’ offense. Her .487 batting average leads the team.
Humpal belted her team-best fourth homer of the season and added two RBIs, one steal and she was hit by a pitch, Steenhoek doubled, scored two runs and stole one base and Millang singled, scored one run, walked twice and stole one base.
Lindsay walked twice, was hit by one pitch and scored two runs, Naeve posted one hit, one RBI and one walk, Webb walked twice and Hudnut was hit by a pitch and totaled one RBI.
Lindsay has been hit by a team-most 12 pitches. Ryan DeVore stole two bases and Lillian Knapp walked once.
Winters (2-1) spun three innings in the circle and got the win after allowing one earned run on one hit with three strikeouts.
Webb tossed the final two innings and surrendered no runs and one hit and struck out two.
Van Meter 5, PCM 4, 14 innings
Lindsay, Winters, Humpal and Hudnut all had two hits against 2A No. 1 Van Meter on June 30, but the Mustangs lost a marathon game, 5-4, in 14 innings.
PCM scored one run in the first to take an early lead. The Mustangs answered Van Meter’s three straight scoring innings with a pair in the sixth to tie it and both teams scored in the 11th to extend the game.
The Bulldogs (28-2) out-hit the Mustangs 16-10, but the visitors were plagued by four errors.
PCM’s pitchers struck out 12 but walked six. The Mustangs walked only once and were hit by one pitch at the plate.
PCM also was thrown out four times on the bases.
Winters headlined PCM’s offensive night with two hits, one double, one RBI and one steal. Lindsay doubled and scored two runs, Humpal doubled and scored one run and Millang and Webb collected the other hits.
Millang drove in two runs, Webb walked once, Steenhoek was hit by a
Troy Hyde/PCM Explorer
PCM freshman Camden Webb is 7-2 with three saves this summer. The Mustangs are undefeated against Class 3A competition, too.
pitch, Naeve scored one run and Knapp tallied one RBI.
Winters took the loss in the circle after surrendering two earned runs on four hits and four walks. She fanned six in four innings.
Parsons also threw four innings and surrendered two runs — one earned — on six hits and one walk with two strikeouts.
PCM baseball shuts out Greene County in regular-season finale
By Gabe Graber PCM Explorer
Webb gave up one earned run on five hits and one walk with six strikeouts in six innings.
Van Meter won its 19th straight game. The Bulldogs were led by Finley Netten and Ava Hohenadel, who both had three hits and one homer.
Bianca Prickett walked three times and Aniston Netten earned the pitching win after tossing 7 1/3 innings of relief.
PRAIRIE CITY — The PCM baseball team notched 10 hits in its Heart of Iowa Athletic Conference win over Greene County on July 3. The Mustangs, who limited Greene County to two hits, led 6-0 after three innings. The Mustangs got two runs each in the next two innings, ending the game after five.
Kaleb DeVries (3-3) pitched the entire game for PCM, allowing two hits and striking out nine.
He gave up zero earned runs and earned the win and the Mustangs did not commit an error.
“It was another quality start for (DeVries),” PCM head baseball coach Brent Fridley said.
“Behind him, a lot of others contributed to the win, and it was a total team effort.”
Alex Wendt led PCM with three hits, including a double, and three RBIs. Jaden Houser, Trigg Steenhoek and Konnor Bell each had a pair of singles.
Houser scored three runs and totaled three RBIs, Steenhoek scored two runs, had one RBI and walked once, DeVries tallied one hit, one run and one walk and he was hit by one pitch and Bell drove in one run.
Wendt added one run, Carson Hansen walked and scored one run, Izaac Bagby walked once, scored one run and had one RBI, Coby DeRaad scored one run and Trenner Van Dyke finished with one RBI.
DeVries and Bell also stole one base.
“It’s a great feeling to finish the game when you are run ruling a team,” DeVries said. The two hits from the Rams (7-14, 4-12) came from Noah Hinote and Isaac Carman.
Greene County committed two errors.
Knoxville 10, PCM 0, 4 innings
PRAIRIE CITY — PCM dropped a non-conference game, 10-0, to Knoxville on July 2.
Wendt Houser
After the top of the third, the score was 4-0. In the top of the fourth, the Panthers (21-10) rattled off six runs.
“I thought we played all right, but they just outplayed us,” Fridley said. “Offensively, they took advantage of some of the things we just don’t do very well.”
Bell (0-1) started the game pitching for the Mustangs and he surrendered five hits, nine runs and six walks. He ultimately took the loss.
To close the game, Jensson Hood came in and pitched two innings. He surrendered three hits, one walk and one run. The Mustangs committed two errors.
Knoxville’s Roston McCarty pitched five scoreless innings. He surrendered four hits and one walk and struck out three.
PCM was out-hit 9-4.
Houser, Burns, Wendt and Bagby hit singles and Bell drew a walk.
Mustangs
Landry Rausch opened the third with a single and then Creighton Andrew reached on an infield single. Cade Bauer reached on a fielder’s choice and a Mustang error allowed the Cardinals to go up 2-0. Hansen loaded the bases with walks to Derek Wermager, Kreytein Wickliffe and Andrew in the fourth and Cade Bauer’s two-run, two-out single on the first pitch he saw pushed the margin to 4-0.
Mendez drew a two-out walk before the final two runs scored following a fielder’s choice ground ball that resulted in another error.
Hansen (1-4) allowed six runs — four earned — on six hits, five walks and one hit batter and fanned four in five innings.
Wermager singled and Connor Swihart walked with one out in the fifth, but Hansen got out of the jam with a strikeout and ground out to first.
Jaden Houser walked Mendez in the sixth, but Newton couldn’t add to its lead. Houser also had one strikeout in his only inning.
“He gave up too many free
bases, but he threw the ball really well for us,” Fridley said about Hansen. “He got us out of a couple of jams, and the defense didn’t help him out in that big inning. He threw well enough for us to get the win, but we still have to hit the ball.”
Winkleman walked DeVries in the first and seventh and the only hit he allowed came off the bat of Bagby in the second.
The inning-ending double play in the second came after Winkleman registered his first strikeout of the night.
Winkleman mostly used three of his four pitches and they all played a part in keeping the Mustangs off balance.
Winkleman (1-2) allowed no earned runs on one hit and two walks in seven innings.
DeVries led the Mustangs (8-13) with two walks. He has a team-best 23 walks this summer and his .537 OBP also leads PCM.
“We let him get comfortable,” Fridley said about Winkleman. “Our bats were pretty solid early. We hit a couple of balls hard and then he had a quick inning and the double play gave him some momentum. He settled in and was able to locate both his fastball and his off-speed after that. He got us off balance a little bit.”
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Troy Hyde/PCM Explorer PCM junior Jensson Hood put the ball in play against Newton during the Mustangs’ 6-0 loss at H.A. Lynn Baseball Field on July 1.