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Young Ambassadors Winners Announced

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Main Street Young Ambassador Contest winners were announced in a gala event at the Penn Central Mall Monday evening.

All participants, ages three through kindergarten of the Young Ambassadors Contest, were introduced by Master of Ceremonies, Miranda Keeler. Music was provided by Bob Ballard of Spinners DJ. The Master of Ceremonies provided entertainment for the children during story time. Even Santa made a special appearance.

Local merchants sponsored the children’s canisters. Money placed in the canister was considered votes. This year’s 2017 Young Ambassador Princess is Kaci Rogers, daughter of Cassidy Rogers, and Prince is Kaden Linder, son of Mike and Alisha Linder. 

This year, all proceeds will go to the New Sharon Pre-School and the Main Street Lighted Christmas Parade. Those participating in addition to our winners were Annabelle Rogers, Aubrey Lamb, Isabel Johnson, Jadelynn Kincel, Jayden Wilson, Maddison Johannes, Olivia Doll, Raegan De Groot, Brenton Tennis, Daniel Hasset, Haruto Yoshida, Keaton Walker, Samual Gillies, Teegin Whitlatch, and Wade Rainey.

Gifts provided for all children were donated from local merchants which included Mahaska Drug, Town Square Dental, Hy-Ve, Swims Sports and Engraving, and the Book Vault.

All participants are invited to help spread the magic of Christmas by riding on the Clow Train in the Lighted Christmas Parade “Thirty Years of Christmas Past,” Thursday, November 30th, 2017. Hope to see you at the parade!

Authorities Asking for Public’s Help With Suspected Murder

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The Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation is asking for the public’s help in finding more information on the death of a Cedar Falls man whose body was found Saturday in a remote rural area of Appanoose County in the public hunting land around Lake Rathbun. Special Agent in Charge Michael Motsinger says the early evidence shows 31-year-old Curtis Ross was murdered.
“From preliminary results that are being found from the autopsy that’s being conducted by the State Medical Examiner — we can’t go into details at this time — but from those results and what we’ve found so far in our investigation, we are treating this as a homicide,” Motsinger says.
Motsinger says they don’t have a particular suspect at this time.  He says it is something that is a concern.
“You know, the suspect or suspects are still at large.  I feel the suspect or suspects should be considered armed and dangerous,” Motsinger says. He says everyone is urged to be aware of their surroundings and report any suspicious activity to their local law enforcement entity.
Motsinger says they hope to have more information once all the lab tests are done.
He says that takes several weeks and they are hoping to learn more once the preliminary results are done. Motsinger says they would like to hear from anyone who might know what happened to Ross.
“We’re still asking the public for help in the investigation,” Motsinger says, “if they have any information we are asking them to contact the Appanoose County Law Enforcement Center at (641) 437-7100,  and relay any information that they think they may have on this case.”
Motsinger says any information the public can give to investigators will help them with the case.

Deceased Person Found at Origin of Grass Fire

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On November 25th, shortly before 3 PM the Grinnell Fire Department responded to a report of a lot of smoke between Highway 6 and 20 th Street west of Grinnell. Firefighters responded and found a fast moving grass fire just west of 101 Highway 6. As firefighters attacked the fire they located a fire victim at the point of origin.

The victim, identified as 86-year-old Dr. Bernhard Wiltfang, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The fire burned approximately 40 acres and 70 hay bales. Grinnell Fire was on scene for three-and-a-half hours and was assisted on scene by Gilman Fire, Kellogg Fire, Midwest Ambulance, Poweshiek County Sheriff’s Office and Jasper County Sheriff’s Office.

Both the fire and the fatality appear to have been accidental in nature.

Iowa kid could present the game ball for Super Bowl

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A seventh grader from Iowa could wind up on the field at next year’s Super Bowl. Olivia Eckerman, a student at Waverly-Shell Rock Middle School, is heavily involved in the NFL’s “Fuel Up to Play 60” program and she’s one of three finalists for the honor of running onto the field before kickoff with the game ball.

“They had narrowed it down to 30, then eight and now three and now it goes to a public vote.” That’s Olivia’s mother. Sue Eckerman says her daughter has always been active and two years ago Olivia joined the “Fuel Up to Play 60” program at her school.

“It’s a very strong group at the Waverly-Shell Rock Middle School and they form committees and they make plans on how to offer taste tests to the student body, like various types of apples or zuccini brownies, black bean brownies. They have them taste different foods with healthy options in them and that’s really fun,” Sue Eckerman says. “They take field trips to dairy farms and a berry farm. They had a marathon kids club.” The N-F-L’s Fuel Up to Play 60 program encourages healthy eating and at least 60 minutes of activity per day. Eckerman says going to the Super Bowl would be a dream come true for her daughter.

“She earned points from doing various things and she filled out an essay process and then got chosen to go to the national summit for ‘Fuel Up to Play 60’ two years in a row,” her mom says. “And this year she is the ‘Fuel Up to Play 60’ state ambassador.” For Eckerman to get to the Super Bowl field, though, she needs to finish first in a round of online voting. Go to “Super Kid NFL Rush” website where you may vote once per day through December 5th.

If Eckerman wins, she’ll get to Minneapolis a week early to participate in a number of activities before the Super Bowl kicks off on February 4th.

Pella Man Dies of Gunshot Wound at MidWestOne Bank

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On November 22, 2017, at 10:20 AM the Pella Police Department and Pella Community Ambulance responded to MidwestOne Bank, 500 Oskaloosa St., Pella for a report of a person suffering from a gunshot wound. Upon their arrival they found a 60-year-old man deceased in the lobby area.

Investigation by the Pella PD determined that George Leonard Bishop III, 60 of Pella died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound shortly after he enter the bank.

The Pella Police Department wishes to assure members of the community that this incident was unfortunate and personal in nature, and that no members of the public are at risk of personal harm.

Van Renterghem Receives Approval For Certification of Sheriffs

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Mahaska County Sheriff Russ Van Renterghem received approval  to add members to the Sheriff Reserves  termed “occasional” employees through certification by the Mahaska County Board of Supervisors on Monday.

The Sheriff’s Reserves, commonly known as the Sheriff’s Posse, came into existence in the 1960s, chartered for approximately 42 members. Currently, the Sheriff’s Reserves is down to 13 members and of those 13, four are actually certified reserve deputies.

Sheriff Van Renterghem said, “I would like to use them to cover vacations, sick time, and that type of activity.”

Van Renterghem said, the reserves put in a lot of hours at no cost to the county by covering special events and other needs. “They are big support staff for us. They’re a group of gentlemen we can call on to assist us.“

If the reserve deputies are being used to cover patrol hours, Van Renterghem said he would like to pay them $10 per hour when on patrol. “That’s pretty cheap compared to the surrounding counties. The two I’m thinking of is Monroe and Keokuk county, they use theirs quite a bit,” said Van Renterghem.

The Reserve Sheriff’s once certified have the same enforcement powers as a full-time deputy does except for OWI laws. If they were to come across a drunk driver while on shift, the reserve deputy would have to call on a full-time deputy or get assistance from Iowa State Patrol

The Reserve Sheriff does not get paid for special events, Van Renterghem noted the death investigation that recently occurred in Beacon where the sheriff’s department secured the scene for three days, yet were not paid.

One deputy is currently going through certification, another five are signed up to go through the ‘hiring’ process to become a reserve member, said Van Renterghem.

“If it was a situation where I didn’t know them, I didn’t trust them, I wouldn’t be sitting here asking you to do this. Because I’m not going to put anyone out there I don’t trust,” said Van Renterghem.

The four individuals were approved by the board to be certified and made as an addition to the Sheriff’s Reserves. Next spring, Van Renterghem would put on another four or five certified deputies as part-time or “occasional” employees. In Iowa, certified peace officers aren’t allowed to be paid into IPERS and are not expected to impact the Mahaska County Sheriff budget, according to Van Renterghem.

This expanded patrol is expected to begin after the first of January, once harvest is finished and the extensive training is completed, said Van Renterghem.

 

Six Area Netters Honored on Volleyball All-State Teams

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The high school volleyball season has come to a close and the Iowa Girls Coaches Association have selected the All-State teams for all five classes.

In Class 1A, Montezuma junior Riley Gatton made the list as an honorable mention. Gatton was the leading attacker for the Bravettes during their 31-6 campaign. Gatton had 362 kills and an outstanding .308 kill efficiency on the year.

Pella Christian senior Bekah Horstman made the Second Team in Class 2A. PC was ranked for most of the season but would run into several great large school teams in the Little Hawkeye Conference. Horstman led to the way for the Eagles with 413 kills and a .246 kill efficiency. PC finished the year with a record of 21-16.

On the Class 3A Honorable Mention list, Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont had senior Torie Alexander listed. The Rockets finished the year 21-16 and Alexander was the leader in kills with 355. She also finished the year with a very strong .235 kill efficiency and 59 aces.

Pella was the lone area team to make the trip to Cedar Rapids and the State Volleyball Tournament and they were honored with three players making the All-State Teams in Class 4A.

Junior Emily Holterhaus was one of the best players in the state in all classes and she was honored as the only area player named to the First Team. Holterhaus dominated the opposition with 583 kill son the year and a stellar .326 kill efficiency.

She was joined by teammates Kara Wichhart and Natalie Clayberg as both were named to the Honorable Mention list. Wichhart served as the setter for the Lady Dutch and set up her teammates at a very high rate, as she was credited with 936 assists on the year. The senior was also a very important leader for Pella. Clayberg finished her junior season with 285 kills and a .204 kill efficiency. She also led the squad with 53 aces. Pella finished the year 33-7 and lost to eventual state champion Dubuque Wahlert in the state quarterfinals.

There were no area players named in Class 5A.

The state now transitions fully to girls’ basketball, which has just kicked off around the state.

Oskaloosa Boys Swimming Competes in Marshalltown

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The Oskaloosa Boys High School Swim Team traveled to Marshalltown to swim against the hosts and the Des Moines Roosevelt swim teams to kick off their season.  The team this year is still young but has a good mixture of kids from all grade levels that are working hard to get better.

The Indians came out of the gate looking strong as the 200-yard Medley Relay team of Owen Gordon, Jarod Miller, Carson Breon, and Jack Miller took second place with a time of 1:51.06.  This time is already 4 ½ seconds faster than their best time last year.

The next race was the 200 Free and Jack Dawson was the first individual swimmer for Osky this year as he swam a 2:12.59 which was also faster than his best time last year.

In the next event, 200-IM, Colin Fiechtner took to the blocks and finished in a time of 2:34.99.  The final races in the first section of the meet was the 50-Free JV and Varsity events.  Anthony Chavez and Nicholas Koenig who are both new to the sport of swimming competed in their first JV event and set the bar for the rest of the year as they swam 41.52.  Jack Miller was up next in the Varsity 50-Free and swam a 24.46 to take home second place honors.  After a short intermission the 100-Fly race was next and Carson Breon earned a third-place finish with a time of 1:01.34 and Jarod Miller was fourth place with a time of 1:01.74.

The second session started with the 100-Free as Jack Dawson took 4th place in a time of 58.04, a personal best, and was followed by Nicholas Koenig with a 1:35.91 and Anthony Chavez with a time of 2:43.77.  The long grueling race, 500-Free, was swam by Owen Gordon as he earned second place honors with a 5:48.99.  Coach Grant was impressed with Owen as it is early in the year for this fast of a race.  The next race was the 200 Freestyle Relay as Osky sent the team including Colin Fiechtner, Carson Abrahamson, Jack Dawson, and Carson Breon to the blocks and they finished the race in a time of 1:43.99.

The final session of the night started with the 100-Backstroke event as Oskaloosa sent Jack Miller who earned 3rd place honors and finished in a time of 1:02.43 and Colin Fiechtner who finished in 1:13.79.  In the 100-Breastroke Osky sent Jarod Miller who earned a 3rd place finish with a time of 1:11.27, personal best, and Carson Abrahamson finished in 1:19.73.  The final race of the night was the 400-Free Relay as Osky earned a 3rd place finish here in a time of 3:49.72, which was faster than all of last year, and it was swam by the team members of Carson Breon, Owen Gordon, Jack Miller, and Jarod Miller.

Next on the schedule for the Indians is traveling to Des Moines East and taking on them and Marshalltown on Thursday, November 30th at 5:30pm.  Reminder in advance is that the Boys Swim team has their first ever home swim meet on Dec 14, at the YMCA.

Safe Haven Babies Always Welcome at Mahaska Health Partnership

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In August, the Iowa Department of Human Services (DHS) officials used the state’s Safe Haven procedures for the 30th time since the law went into effect in 2002.

A girl was born August 21 at an Iowa hospital and the infant was released to the custody of the DHS. Through Iowa’s Safe Haven law, parents have the option to safely hand over custody of babies age 14 days or younger without fear of prosecution for abandonment. The parent or their authorized representative can leave the newborn at a hospital or health care facility and can remain anonymous.

Mahaska Health Partnership is among the health care facilities in Iowa that proudly provides Safe Haven zones.

“Having Safe Haven zones creates both comfort for the mother and protection of the baby,” said MHP Birthing Center Director Heather Cook. “These two things are very important when it comes to saving or helping an infant’s life.”

The Safe Haven zone at the MHP Emergency Department is accessible 24/7, providing a service to help ensure the safety of newborns. The hospital’s Birthing Center is also a safe zone. The Safe Haven law was approved in the wake of a high-profile case in 2001 involving a teen mother in eastern Iowa who killed her home-delivered newborn. Infants who are Safe Haven babies are placed with currently-approved foster or adoptive families.

Immunity from civil or criminal liability is provided for hospitals, health care facilities, and persons employed by those facilities that perform reasonable acts necessary to protect the physical health and safety of the infant.

“A parent must simply bring a baby to a safe haven location and make sure they locate a person who can receive the child,” Cook said. “As long as the child shows no signs of intentional abuse, no name or other information is required—it’s a ‘no questions asked’ situation.”

The Save Abandoned Babies Organization currently has 83 success stories on its website of families who have adopted a baby that was left at a safe haven zone. MHP has joined other healthcare facilities in the state to provide the opportunity to create more.

“To think of all the lives that have been touched because of this law, it’s really amazing,” Cook said.

To learn more about Safe Haven, visit dhs.iowa.gov/safe-haven

Mahaska Health Partnership, located in Oskaloosa, is a non-profit health system accredited by the Joint Commission. It is guided by its mission to provide exceptional customer service and health improvement, linking the science of medicine with the humanity of compassionate care. For more information about how Mahaska Health Partnership is making healthcare personal, visit mahaskahealth.org.

Oskaloosa Man Cashes Out On Lottery Win

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A recent family road trip ended up paying off for an Oskaloosa man as he won a big prize playing the lottery.

Jason Waite claimed the sixth of eight top prizes of $10,000 available in the Iowa Lottery’s “Winner’s Circle” scratch game.

Waite, 43, said he was on a road trip with his family Nov. 16 and they stopped at Kum & Go, 11989 Hickman Road in Urbandale for drinks. Waite also bought a scratch ticket.

“Just looked to see how many tickets there were for each game and there were just a few left of that particular one so I decided to get those tickets,” Waite told lottery employees Friday as he claimed his prize at the lottery’s headquarters in Clive.

Waite scratched off the ticket in the car while his wife, Cherlynn, drove.

“She actually made a comment, ‘Boy, it would be nice to win $10,000,’” he said. “I just nonchalantly scratched it off and I said, ‘Well, it looks like we won.’”

Cherlynn didn’t believe him right away, so he showed her the winning ticket. They also looked up the rules of the game online to double-check their work.

Waite, who is a self-employed business owner, said he plans to save his winnings.

Winner’s Circle is a $2 scratch game. More details about how to play this game, and number of prizes still up for grabs in it can be found on the Iowa Lottery’s website, www.ialottery.com.

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