OSKALOOSA — The Mahaska Chamber & Development Group is hosting their next Coffee & Conversation event tomorrow. This engaging series of informative sessions provides Mahaska County residents with invaluable insights to state, county and local topics, fostering opportunities for community members to meet, learn, and discuss subjects important to community improvement. Join them at Smokey Row (109 S Market, St., Oskaloosa) from 8:30 AM to 9:30 AM for these enlightening conversations.
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Astronauts say space station’s ultrasound machine was critical during medical crisis
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The astronauts evacuated last week from the International Space Station say a portable ultrasound machine came in “super handy” during the medical crisis.
During their first public appearance since returning to Earth, the four astronauts refused Wednesday to say which one of them needed medical attention and for what reason. It was NASA’s first medical evacuation in 65 years of human spaceflight.
NASA’s Mike Fincke said the crew used the onboard ultrasound machine once the medical problem arose Jan. 7, the day before a planned spacewalk that was abruptly canceled. The astronauts had already used the device a lot for routine checks of their body changes while living in weightlessness, “so when we had this emergency, the ultrasound machine came in super handy.”
It was so useful that Fincke said there should be one on all future spaceflights. “It really helped,” he said.
“Of course, we didn’t have other big machines that we have here on planet Earth,” he added. “We do try to make sure that everybody before we fly are really, really not prone to surprises. But sometimes things happen and surprises happen, and the team was ready … preparation was super important.”
The space station is set up as well as it can be for medical emergencies, said NASA’s Zena Cardman, who commanded the crew’s early return flight with SpaceX. She said NASA “made all the right decisions” in canceling the spacewalk, which would have been her first, and prioritizing the crew’s well-being.
Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui said he was surprised how well all the preflight training paid off in dealing with the health concerns.
“We can handle any kind of difficult situation,” Yui said. “This is actually very, very good experience for the future of human spaceflight.”
Joining them on what turned out to be a 5 1/2-month mission — more than a month shorter than planned — was Russia’s Oleg Platonov. They launched last August from Florida and splashed down in the Pacific off the San Diego coast last week.
Welcoming them back to Houston were their replacements, who aren’t due to launch until mid-February. NASA and SpaceX are working to move up the flight.
“We were hoping to give them hugs in space, but we gave them hugs on Earth,” Fincke said.
Weekly Fuel Report
DES MOINES — The price of regular unleaded gasoline fell 4 cents from last week’s price and is currently averaging $2.47 across Iowa according to AAA.
Crude Oil Summary
- The price of global crude oil fell this week on the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) by $1.23 per barrel, and is currently priced at $60.42.
- Brent crude oil fell by $1.15 and is currently priced at $64.92.
- One year ago, WTI crude sold for $76.79 and Brent crude was $80.57.
Motor Fuels
- As of Wednesday, the price of regular unleaded gasoline averaged $2.47 across Iowa according to AAA.
- Prices fell 4 cents from last week’s price and are down 43 cents from a year ago.
- The national average on Wednesday was $2.83, down 1 cent from last week’s price.
- Retail diesel prices in Iowa rose 12 cents this week with a statewide average of $3.32.
- One year ago, diesel prices averaged $3.45 in Iowa.
- The current Iowa diesel price is 21 cents lower than the national average of $3.53.
- The current Des Moines Terminal/Rack Prices are $1.67 for U87-E10, $1.89 for Unleaded 87 (clear), $2.21 for ULSD#2, $2.51 for ULSD#1, and $1.74 per gallon for E-70 prices.
Heating Fuels
- Natural gas prices were up $1.78 at the Henry Hub reporting site and are currently priced at $4.87 MMbtu.
- Propane prices averaged $1.57 per gallon in Iowa.
- Home heating oil prices had a statewide average of $2.75 per gallon.
Tips for saving energy on the road or at home are available at energy.gov and fueleconomy.gov.
Extreme Cold Warning, Watch to Go into Effect Tomorrow
DES MOINES – An extreme cold warning and an extreme cold watch will go into effect for our area tomorrow.
The extreme cold warning was issued by the National Weather Service in Des Moines for most of Iowa, including central and southern Iowa, and it will be in effect from midnight tonight until noon tomorrow. This will be followed by an extreme cold watch for most of the state from noon tomorrow until noon on Saturday.
Additionally, the NWS in the Quad Cities issued an extreme cold warning for east central and southeast Iowa, as well as an extreme cold watch, for the same times tomorrow and Saturday.
According to the NWS, dangerously cold wind chills as low as 30-35 below zero are expected tonight into tomorrow morning, and possibly again tomorrow night into Saturday morning. These wind chills can cause frostbite on exposed skin in as little as 10 minutes.
Officials advise those in the area to dress in layers, including a hat, a face mask, and gloves if you must go outside. Make frequent checks on older family, friends, and neighbors. Ensure portable heaters are used correctly, and do not use generators or grills inside.
Mahaska Partnership Recognized with Resilient Iowa Communities Awards from UNI’s Center for Energy and Environmental Education
OSKALOOSA — The Mahaska Partnership has been recognized through the Resilient Iowa Communities (RIC) program administered by the University of Northern Iowa’s Center for Energy and Environmental Education (CEEE), receiving two Gold Awards in Land Use and Environmental Management, along with a Bronze Award in Building and Energy, for recent community-based projects throughout Mahaska County and the City of Oskaloosa.
The Mahaska Partnership is a collaborative effort between Mahaska County Conservation, the City of Oskaloosa, the Mahaska County Soil and Water Conservation District, and William Penn University, with active collaboration from Green Iowa AmeriCorps. Together, these partners work across disciplines and jurisdictions to implement projects that enhance environmental resilience, sustainability, and quality of life.
Recent accomplishments recognized through the RIC awards include the planting of native pollinator gardens throughout the City of Oskaloosa and the production of approximately 11,000 native plants grown in a newly constructed greenhouse specifically for these efforts. These plants were used in community-wide plantings, native landscaping at the Environmental Learning Center (ELC), and the development of a new nature playscape.
Additional projects include the construction of Oxbow wetlands at Caldwell Park and a sediment forebay at the Environmental Learning Center, serving as demonstration projects for habitat creation, stormwater management, and water quality improvement. These installations highlight practical solutions for managing runoff while enhancing wildlife habitat.
Beyond city limits, Mahaska County Conservation has planted approximately 125 acres of high-diversity prairie within its natural resource areas and completed a major prairie restoration project at the Eddyville Sand Dune Prairie, further strengthening regional biodiversity and ecosystem resilience. “These awards are a great example of what can be accomplished when community partners come together with a shared vision,” said Chris Clingan, Director of Mahaska County Conservation. “There is much more to come in the future, and what we have been able to achieve in a short period of time can be used as an example of the strength of partnership in action.”
The success of these projects was made possible through collaboration with private community members, Friends of Mahaska County Conservation, Green Iowa AmeriCorps, the Iowa Soybean Association, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Projects like these help make Mahaska County and the City of Oskaloosa more attractive to visitors and individuals considering relocation for employment opportunities. They also enhance the quality of life for residents while generating positive economic impacts locally.
Accident on Highway 92 Injures 6 People
OSKALOOSA – A multi-vehicle accident occurred east of Oskaloosa yesterday that led to the temporary closure of IA-92 and several people being taken to the hospital.
According to traffic records, the accident occurred near the 2500 block of Highway 92 east of Oskaloosa. A Ford Escape driven by an unnamed 15-year-old juvenile was stationary on the highway facing eastbound, attempting to make a left-hand turn into a driveway when they were rear-ended by a semi truck driven by 49-year-old Martin Neely of Milan, Missouri. This collision caused the Escape to cross the center line, which led to a head-on collision with a Ford Edge that was traveling westbound, driven by 33-year-old Brooke Thurman of Brooklyn, Iowa.
Traffic records show that the crash caused injuries to a total of 6 people, all of whom were transported to Mahaska Health via ambulance. All 6 people were wearing seatbelts at the time of the accident. The names of those injured included Martin Neely, Brooke Thurman, 48-year-old Claira Thurman, 26-year-old Jordan Thurman, and two unnamed juveniles, including the 15-year-old driver of the Escape and a 13-year-old.
No report of the individuals’ conditions has been released at this time.
Netflix intensifies bid for Warner Bros making its $72 billion offer all cash
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Netflix is now offering to buy Warner Bros. Discovery’s studio and streaming business in all cash — in an effort to win over the Hollywood giant’s shareholders for its $72 billion merger and potentially thwart a hostile bid from Skydance-owned Paramount.
Back in December, Netflix struck a cash and stock deal with Warner valued at $27.75 per share, giving it a total enterprise value of $82.7 billion, including debt. But on Tuesday, the companies announced that they would be revising the transaction to simplify its structure, provide more certainty of value for Warner stockholders and speed up the path to a shareholder vote — which they said could arrive by April.
The all-cash transaction is still valued at $27.75 per Warner share. Warner stockholders will also receive the additional value of shares of Discovery Global, which would become a separate public company following a previously-announced separation from Warner Bros.
Warner leadership has repeatedly backed a merger with Netflix — and the boards of both companies approved the all-cash deal announced Tuesday. In a statement, Warner CEO David Zaslav said the revised agreement “brings us even closer to combining two of the greatest storytelling companies in the world.”
A spokesperson for Paramount declined to comment when reached by The Associated Press on Tuesday. Unlike Netflix, Paramount wants to acquire Warner’s entire company — including networks like CNN and Discovery — and went straight to shareholders with all cash, $77.9 billion offer last month.
Warner stockholders have until 5 p.m. ET Wednesday to tender their shares in support of Paramount’s bid, which has an enterprise value of $108 billion including debt. But that deadline could be pushed back further. While Paramount declined to share further details on Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal reported last week that the company was planning on another extension.
Beyond its tender offer, Paramount has promised a proxy fight. Last week, the company said it would nominate its own slate of directors before the Warner’s next shareholder meeting, the date of which has still not been set.
Paramount also filed a suit in Delaware Chancery Court seeking to compel Warner Bros. to disclose to shareholders how it values its bid and the competing offer from Netflix. But a judge on Thursday denied Paramount’s request to expedite that proceeding.
In a statement at the time, Warner applauded the court’s decision and called Paramount’s lawsuit “yet another unserious attempt to distract.” Paramount, meanwhile, maintained that the ruling wasn’t about the merits of its allegations and said Warner shareholders “should ask why their Board is working so hard to hide this information.”
Regardless of who eventually wins the upper hand, a Warner Bros. Discovery sale could be a long, drawn-out process that is almost certain to attract tremendous antitrust scrutiny. On Tuesday, Netflix and Warner maintained that they expect to close on a merger 12 to 18 months from December’s agreement.
Still, Paramount’s hostile bid could complicate that timeline. Politics are also expected to come into play under President Donald Trump, who has made unprecedented suggestions about his personal involvement on whether a deal will go through.
Trade groups across the media and entertainment industry have sounded the alarm over both bids, warning that further consolidation in the industry could result in job losses and less diversity in content — with particularly negative consequences for filmmaking.
The companies have spoken on those concerns. On Tuesday, Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos said combining with Warner “will deliver broader choice and greater value to audiences worldwide” both at home and in theaters — while “driving job creation and long-term industry growth.”
Netflix’s stock inched up just under 1% Tuesday morning, while shares of Warner Bros. Discovery and Paramount-Skydance fell slightly.
Iowa Senate’s GOP leader proposes two pipeline related bills
By O. Kay Henderson (Radio Iowa)
Senate Republican Leader Mike Klimesh is proposing a bill to let Summit Carbon redraw its proposed pipeline route to avoid land owned by people who will not sign voluntary easements. He’s introducing another bill that would tax the liquid carbon flowing through the pipeline, too.
“I’d like to get this done as soon as possible. We have a lot of other important work to do this year and this is very important…and that’s why we’re introducing it early on in the session,” Klimesh said this morning during a news conference. “I don’t want this to be an issue that lingers. I want us to come to consensus with the House, find a path forward, open up access to different markets for Iowa farmers who are desperately looking for relief right now and put this behind us in a meaningful way that benefits all landowners.”
Klimesh predicts corn prices could go up by as much as a dollar per bushel if the pipeline is built and the carbon is used to extract oil in Wyoming. “230 miles of pipeline was built through Kansas and Colorado to bring jet fuel to the Denver International Airport and that whole pipeline projec was built without using eminent domain once,” Klimesh said, “and that’s because those states have policies similar to the one I’m proposing in Iowa.”
Key House Republicans have criticized the idea, saying it would still let Summit Carbon use eminent domain authority to seize some land along the pipeline route. House Republicans have introduced legislation that would block Summit Carbon from using eminent domain. The tax Klimesh proposes would be a fee for each metric ton of carbon that flows through a pipeline in Iowa.
“States that have natural resources, underground resources, place a severance tax on that and typically it’s by the barrel, so Wyoming for example places a severance tax on every barrel of oil they draw from the ground and that severance tax has allowed those states to go to zero income tax,” Klimesh said, adding that’s his goal, using a severance tax that would eliminate Iowa’s income tax.
Wind Advisory in Effect Today
DES MOINES – A wind advisory will be in effect for our area today.
The National Weather Service in Des Moines issued the advisory for portions of south central and southeast Iowa, including Mahaska, Marion, Wapello, Poweshiek, Jasper, Monroe, Davis, and Appanoose counties. It will be in effect from 2pm this afternoon until 11pm tonight. Additionally, the NWS in the Quad Cities issued a wind advisory for portions of east central and southeast Iowa, including Keokuk, Washington, and Iowa counties, which will be in effect from 2pm this afternoon until midnight tonight.
According to the NWS, west to northwest winds of 25-30 mph are expected today, with wind gusts up to 45 mph possible. These gusty winds could blow around unsecured objects. Tree limbs could be blown down and a few power outages may result. Winds this strong can make driving difficult, especially for high-profile vehicles.
Officials with the NWS have also issued an Extreme Cold Watch for Friday into Saturday for our entire listening area. Dangerously cold wind chills as low as 30 below zero will be possible during the watch, which will be in effect from midnight Friday morning until noon on Saturday.
Oskaloosa City Council Approves Application for BUILD Grant
By Sam Parsons
The Oskaloosa city council held a regular meeting last night and approved a 28E agreement with Mahaska County to participate in an application for a 2026 BUILD (Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development) Grant for the MODES Project. The project aims to build a connection between IA-23 and US-63 in the area northeast of the city. The Mahaska County Board of Supervisors already approved a contract with Snyder and Associates to assist with the preparation of an application, and the city is responsible for an amount of $19,000.
In other business, the council set the date for a public hearing on plans and specifications and authorizing the advertisement of bids for the 8th Avenue West Reconstruction Project for March 2nd. The project was last on the agenda in October 2025, when the council directed city staff to adjust the proposed width of the road.
And the council approved the annual calendar of events for the Mahaska Chamber and Oskaloosa Main Street, including street closures associated with them. The calendar includes Art on the Square on June 13, Friday after Five on Fridays, May 29, June 5, and June 12, the Sweet Corn Serenade on July 23, the “Turn on the Lights!” event on November 21, and the Lighted Christmas Parade on December 5.
The next regular meeting for the Oskaloosa city council will be held on February 2.
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