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Pella, Ottumwa, Knoxville CSDs to Meet Tonight

Posted on by Sam Parsons

By Sam Parsons

The Pella Community School Board has a meeting set for tonight in which they will once again consider an agreement with The Queue Esports Arena, as well as the district’s Certified Annual Report for 2021-22, and the possible next step in the process for the Pella Early Childhood Center. This meeting will begin at 4:30pm.

The Ottumwa Community School Board will also meet tonight with updates on the district’s food service and cyber security on the agenda, as well as a possible renovation for Legion Field. That meeting begins at 6pm.

And the Knoxville Community School Board will meet tonight. The board will consider various trip requests and will also discuss the possibility of adding girls wrestling to the lineup of activities offered by the district now that it is a sanctioned sport with the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union. The proposal would entail a co-op with Pella, who just approved the hires of coaching staff members for its new girls wrestling program. The Knoxville Community School Board meeting begins at 5:30pm.

City of Ottumwa Announces Code Updates for Outdoor Burning

Posted on by Sam Parsons

OTTUMWA — This past year new code adoptions were put in place in regards to outdoor burning. With the temperatures dropping and fall clean-up coming up, the Ottumwa Fire Department wants to remind residents of the following:

  • Recreational Fires – No permit shall be required for recreational fires. Recreational fires shall be limited to manufactured fire pit appliances, above or below ground fire pits protected by metal, stone, or concrete. Recreational fires shall be located at least 15 feet from any structure or combustible material. Recreational fires shall be limited to 3 feet or less in diameter and 2 feet or less in height. Burning material shall be limited to clean dry wood or commercial fireplace logs. Recreational fires shall be limited to between the hours of 11:00 am and 11:00 pm.
  • Portable or approved by fire code official permanent outdoor fireplaces. Portable or permanent outdoor fireplaces shall be used in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions and the following:
  1. Only fire wood that is dry can be used.
  2. Constantly attended by an adult.
  3. An approved method of extinguishment is present during use.
  4. Must not be operated within 15 feet of a structure or combustible material.
  • Leaves are defined as leaves and twigs smaller than one inch in diameter and two feet in length. Open burning of leaves shall be permitted on Wednesdays and Saturdays between 10:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m., April 1 through April 30 and November 1 through November 30. A permit is not required for burning of leaves.

Taylor Swift Turned Down Super Bowl Half-time Show

Posted on by Bob Ballard

Taylor Swift fans were in a tizzy this weekend at speculation she would headline the 2023 Super Bowl half-time show, but it turns out their excitement may be for nothing.

The speculation began after it was announced that Apple Music was taking over from Pepsi as the new sponsor for the half-time show. Many Swifties felt this would pave the way for her to headline. Plus, with a new album, “Midnights,” coming out October 21st, and a possible tour for next year, fans felt it just made sense.

But if you believe TMZ sources, while Taylor was offered the half-time gig, she actually turned it down. According to the insider, Taylor was offered the gig months ago, but said no because she didn’t want to perform until she’s finished re-recording her first six albums, in order to regain control of them. So far she’s only released two, “Red” and “Fearlesss,” with “”Taylor Swift,” “Speak Now,” “1989,” and “Reputation” still to go.

The source does add that half-time producers are looking for a female pop star to headline next year, with TMZ now reporting that Rihanna is in talks to headline.

Source: TMZ

This day in Country Music History

Posted on by Bob Ballard
  • Today in 1956, Elvis’s hometown of Tupelo, Mississippi held “Elvis Presley Day.”
  • Today in 1978, Waylon Jennings’ album, “I’ve Always Been Crazy,” was certified gold.
  • Today in 1986, Exile’s single, “It’ll Be Me,” was at #1 on “Radio & Records’” country chart.
  • Today in 1989, the album, “Just Lookin’ For A Hit,” by Dwight Yoakam was released.
  • Today in 1989, Randy Travis released his album, “No Holdin’ Back.”
  • Today in 1991, Mark Chesnutt’s debut album, “Too Cold At Home,” was certified gold.
  • Today in 1994, the “Very Best Of Conway Twitty” album was certified gold.
  • Today in 1995, Little Texas released the album, “Greatest Hits,” and “Music For All Occasions” by the Mavericks was also released.
  • Today in 1995, the video, “The Woman In Me,” by Shania Twain first aired.
  • Today in 1996, Alabama’s “Cheap Seats” album was certified platinum.
  • Today in 2000, Kenny Chesney’s “Greatest Hits” album arrived in stores, The albums, “Brand New Me,” by John Michael Montgomery; “The Hardest Part” from Allison Moorer; Ricochet’s “What You Leave Behind” and SHeDAISY’s “Brand New Year” were also released.
  • Today in 2001, it was revealed that Dixie Chick Martie Seidel had become Martie Maguire when she married Gareth Maguire on August 10th in a supersecret ceremony in Hawaii. They have since welcomed three daughters: fraternal twins Eva Ruth and Kathleen ‘Katie’ Emilie were born April 27, 2004. Katie was named after Gareth’s late sister, Kathleen. Third daughter Harper Rosie Maguire was born July 25, 2008.
  • Today in 2002, Terri Clark’s “I Just Wanna Be Mad” video debuted on CMT.
  • Today in 2011, Dierks Bentley’s single, “Home,” was released.
  • Today in 2014, Lee Ann Womack teamed with R&B vocalist John Legend as a new edition of “CMT Crossroads” debuted. They collaborated on his hit, “All Of Me,” and her recordings, “The Way I’m Livin’,” “I May Hate Myself In The Morning” and “I Hope You Dance.”
  • Today in 2016, Dierks Bentley welcomed a surprise guest to his show at Red Rocks Amphitheater near Denver: Maren Morris sang “My Church” with Bentley and the two were joined by opening act Randy Houser on “Bad Angel.”

Osky Football Comes Up Empty in 4th Quarter, Loses District Tilt to Clear Creek Amana

Posted on by Sam Parsons

By Sam Parsons

The Oskaloosa Indians began their district schedule on Friday night with the general expectation from the public that they would be blowout fodder for Clear Creek Amana, but proved to be anything but.

The Clippers entered the game with a question mark at the quarterback position with senior Jackson Schmidt being hobbled by a foot injury during the week, and he would be knocked out just a few plays into their first offensive drive. Sophomore QB Cale Berry took over and was able to finish off an 8 play drive to open the game with a handoff to junior RB Sam Pettinger that resulted in a 31 yard touchdown to put the Clippers on top 7-0 midway through the 1st.

The Oskaloosa offense was intercepted on its first drive, which gave the ball right back to Clear Creek Amana in Osky territory. They were able to move the ball within range for their long distance kicker, sophomore Joey Dains, to boot a 35 yard field goal with the wind at his back to extend the lead to 10-0, where it remained through the end of the 1st quarter.

At the outset of the 2nd quarter, special teams woes struck again for the Indians. Sophomore Parker Lewis’ punt attempt was blocked and the Clippers jumped on it inside the Osky 10 yard line to begin their next drive with 1st and goal from the 9. The Indians’ defense responded in earnest, however, as the Clippers only advanced 5 yards before settling for a 21 yard field goal off the foot of short distance kicker Max Carlson to make it a 13-0 ballgame. At this point, it seemed as though the Clippers would cruise to a victory.

That’s not what happened. Oskaloosa’s offense came alive and was able to mix the run with the pass to great effect on a 10 play, 69 yard drive capped off by a 20 yard touchdown pass from junior QB Trevor Willett to senior WR Waylon Bolibaugh, followed by a PAT off the foot of freshman kicker Linus Morrison, to cut into the deficit and make it 13-7 about halfway through the 2nd quarter. Neither offense could get anything going for the remainder of the half, so the score held steady into the break.

The second half began with a surprise onside kick attempt by the Clippers, but their aggression would backfire as their kick coverage team touched the ball before it went 10 yards, setting Oskaloosa up just inside Clipper territory for their first drive of the half. They would make the Clippers pay to the tune of another 10 play drive that was finished with a 1 yard touchdown plunge from senior RB Tatum Westercamp, who filled in admirably for the injured Dom Piersel while continuing to play the lion’s share of defensive snaps at linebacker. Morrison converted the extra point to give Oskaloosa the lead, 14-13 in the 3rd quarter.

Looking for a spark on offense, the Clippers made the switch at QB back to Jackson Schmidt, who elected to play through the foot pain, but was slow out of the gate. A 3-and-out gave the Indians the ball once again, this time with excellent field position at the Clipper 39 yard line. Osky was able to muster enough yardage to set up a Linus Morrison 30 yard field goal from the left hash, but Morrison’s kick missed wide right. The score remained 14-13 heading into the final quarter of play.

Both defenses traded strong possessions for the first half of the fourth quarter. Another Parker Lewis punt was blocked, but the Clipper offense promptly fumbled the ball back to Oskaloosa. However, with less than 5 minutes left in the game, Oskaloosa’s mojo ran dry: Clipper QB Jackson Schmidt took advantage of an aggressive defensive call to fire a quick slant to senior wideout Andrew Schlemme, who hauled in the pass and looked up to find no safety help over the top and took off for a 78 yard touchdown. Schmidt took matters into his own hands for the 2 point conversion to make it 21-14 CCA with 4:31 remaining.

Four plays into the drive that followed, Trevor Willett was intercepted for the second time, this time by senior DB Asher Roehler. The Indians’ defense, as it has done time and time again this year, answered the bell with a 3-and-out, but senior Reece Hoffman delivered a rugby punt and the football delivered a Clipper roll inside the Oskaloosa 5 yard line to the 3. With 1:42 left, Oskaloosa was left without any timeouts and they needed to go 97 yards to tie it up. It was too much to ask, as the Clipper defense recorded a pick-6, with Hoffman the beneficiary. The game ended 28-14 in favor of Clear Creek Amana.

Oskaloosa (1-4) will travel to #8 Newton next week. Clear Creek Amana (3-2) will host Cedar Rapids Washington.

Oskaloosa Passing

Trevor Willett: 12/25, 107 yards, TD, 3 INT; 1 sack, 6 yards lost, 0 fumbles

CCA Passing

Jackson Schmidt: 3/4, 73 yards, TD

Cale Berry: 3/4, 32 yards

Oskaloosa Rushing

Tatum Westercamp: 29 carries, 98 yards, TD

James Woods: 2 carries, 4 yards

CCA Rushing

Sam Pettinger: 11 carries, 47 yards, TD

Cale Berry: 9 carries, 26 yards

Jack Stevens: 2 carries, 7 yards

Oskaloosa Receiving

Waylon Bolibaugh: 4 rec, 47 yards, TD

Wyatt Grubb: 5 rec, 34 yards

Parker Lewis: 3 rec, 26 yards

CCA Receiving

Andrew Schlemme: 1 rec, 78 yards, TD

Reece Hoffman: 2 rec, 13 yards

Sam Pettinger: 2 rec, 8 yards

Jack Stevens: 1 rec, 6 yards

Osky Volleyball Falls to #7 Indianola

Posted on by Sam Parsons

By Sam Parsons

The Oskaloosa Indians hit the road last night to face the #7 Indianola Indians and left empty handed as Indianola got the 3-0 sweep.

The game began as a tightly contested, back-and-forth affair. Midway through the opening set, the score was 15-15 and neither team had possessed a lead of greater than 2 points. This, however, was when Indianola found its groove, as they rattled off 6 points in a row and 8 out of the next 9 and were able to coast from there to a 25-19 victory to take a 1-0 lead.

The set itself was not the only loss suffered by Oskaloosa early in the game, as toward the end of the opener, junior middle hitter Hannah Quang injured her right leg in a blocking attempt and was sidelined for the rest of the night. Sophomore Lexi Prathers filled in for the injured Quang in an Osky lineup that was already missing another middle hitter, junior Hayley Van Arkel, who has been nursing a calf injury.

In the second set, Indianola picked up from where they left off in the opener by jumping out to a 6-1 lead and never letting Osky back into it, staving off any comeback efforts. The closest it got was a 12-8 score early on, but Indianola cruised to a 25-14 set victory to forge ahead 2-0.

The third and final set saw Osky battle to the finish, as they came out firing to take a 6-0 lead before surrendering a 7 point run to Indianola; from there, the set was a dogfight as neither team established a firm grip on it. Indianola led 22-21 late in the set before scoring 3 of the last 4 points to win 25-22 and secure the sweep 3-0.

Oskaloosa (11-8) will host #3 Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont on Monday before welcoming Pella Christian for another edition of Little Hawkeye Conference play on Tuesday. #7 Indianola (20-4) travels to Newton on Tuesday.

Biden vows US won’t walk away from storm-struck Puerto Rico

Posted on by Sam Parsons

SAN SALVADOR, Puerto Rico (AP) — President Joe Biden says the full force of the federal government is ready to help Puerto Rico recover from the devastation of Hurricane Fiona. Speaking in New York Thursday, he said hundreds of FEMA and other federal officials are already on the ground with more help coming. He said his message to the people of Puerto Rico is: “We’re with you. We’re not going to walk away.” Meanwhile, Bermuda and Canada’s Atlantic provinces are preparing for a major blast from the Category 4 storm. It’s expected to pass overnight near Bermuda, where officials are opening shelters.

Iowan nominated to key trade-related role in USDA

Posted on by Sam Parsons

By O. Kay Henderson (Radio Iowa)

A northeast Iowa native has been nominated to help lead U.S. Department of Agriculture efforts to expand and promote exports of agricultural commodities and products. Alexis Taylor has been nominated to serve as undersecretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs.

Taylor promises to work to remove trade barriers and ensure countries adhere to science-based regulations. “Expanding and maintaining diversified market opportunities, rebuilding strong and reliable trading relationships, and and holding our trading partners accountable is essential,” Taylor said.

Taylor expects part of the job will be dealing with the growing food security crisis caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “The United States plays a critical role in combating food insecurity and working to protect the most vulnerable,” Taylor said.

Taylor testified before the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee on Thursday. “I would not be here today without the support of my family, including my mother Carol, who’s watching from home in Iowa,” Taylor said. “…I am also thankful for the first and most influential farmer in my life, my father Joe. Although he has passed, there’s not a day that goes by that I do not call upon the lessons that I learned on the farm from him.”

Taylor grew up near Holy Cross, a small town in Dubuque County, on a farm that’s been in her family for over 160 years.

“I learned many things growing up on my family’s farm, from the hard work and long hours our producers put into raising a crop or keeping livestock healthy to the challenges that unpredicable weather and volatile markets can bring, but one of the most to important things that was instilled in me as a child was a desire to give back to my community,” Taylor said. “…It drew me to a career in public service, working to advance the interests of the community I grew up in — U.S. agriculture.”

Taylor graduated from Iowa State University in 2005 with a degree in political science. She served in the Army Reserves and did a tour of duty in Iraq. Taylor oversaw the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services before being appointed director of the Oregon Department of Agriculture in 2016.

Ottumwa Public Library Announces New Library Cards

Posted on by Sam Parsons

OTTUMWA — The Ottumwa Public Library is excited to announce newly designed library cards available for patron use.  As of today patrons will have a choice of three designs when they sign up for a new library card.  Current library card owners can also update their account to one of the new cards.

The cards were designed by two Ottumwa residents and were chosen the winners after the Summer Reading Program wrapped up in August.  Nicki Wyldes’ work was selected for the adult contest and Charles Smith’s work was selected for the children’s.

“The library card design contest over the summer was such fun for both patrons and staff.  We had some wonderful submissions and it was a difficult decision for us all.  We are so grateful for the enthusiasm for the library shown in all the entries,” Library Director Sonja Ferrell said.

It is the Ottumwa Public Library’s 120th Anniversary this month and it was thought that new library cards would be a great way to celebrate.  September is also National Library Card Sign Up month.

“A library card provides unlimited opportunities for expanding one’s horizon.  We welcome you to come down and sign up for one and see all we have to offer at the Ottumwa Public Library,” Ferrell said.

New patrons can choose between three designs of cards and current patrons can get a new card for free with a picture taken for their account.  The library is now adding photos to have on file with each account to help protect library card holders and add to the ease of check out if they don’t have their card or ids on hand when wanting to check out.

To open a new library card account you must be at least 5 years old (with a parent/guardian up through age 13), present a photo id, and proof of current address.

Central College Music and Theatre Programs Set for October

Posted on by Sam Parsons

PELLA — Central College’s music and theater programs will showcase five events in October.

As a new addition to Homecoming festivities, the musical theatre program welcomes the public to a production of the musical comedy, “Lend Me a Tenor,” 7 p.m. on Oct. 5-8, in Kruidenier Center Theatre. C.D. Adamson, associate professor of theatre, will direct the production.

Bryson McGowan, lead actor and Class of 2024 theater major, says, “‘Lend Me A Tenor’ is the most comical show we’ve done at Central. I can’t wait to make audiences laugh. I hope I can keep myself from laughing onstage.”

This year’s Homecoming festivities will also feature the Flying Pans Alumni Steel Drum Band at 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 9, on Hoekstra Family Stage in Douwstra Auditorium. Flying Pans is directed by Stan Dahl, senior lecturer of music.

A Cappella Choir will perform at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 11, in Douwstra Auditorium. The performance will conclude the annual Eighth and Ninth Grade Singfest, an all-day workshop hosted by Central’s music department. Mark Babcock, M. Joan Kuyper Farver Endowed Chair in Music and professor of music and a 1991 graduate of Central, will direct the ensemble.

Festival Honor Band and Symphonic Wind Ensemble will perform at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 13, in Douwstra Auditorium. The performance will conclude the Seventh and Eighth Grade Bandfest, an all-day workshop hosted by Central’s music department. Brad Lampe, lecturer of music and director of bands, will direct the performance.

A set of performances by Central’s Flying Pans Steel Drum Band will close out October’s festivities. Their fall show will be at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29, in Douwstra Auditorium with a final performance at 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 29. This ensemble is under the direction of Dahl.

Tickets for all Central events and performances are available online.

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