TAG SEARCH RESULTS FOR: ""

37th Annual Lighted Christmas Parade is Next Month

Posted on by Sam Parsons

OSKALOOSA — Oskaloosa Main Street’s 37th Annual Lighted Christmas Parade will occur on Saturday, December 7 at 7:00 pm. This year’s theme is “Twinkling Christmas.” Grab your spot along the sidewalk to see all the bright and colorful lights, as they line the streets of downtown Oskaloosa.

Bring the whole family and enjoy opportunities for pictures and selfies with the Dancing Lights around the city square. Take a ride on a horse-drawn wagon for $5.00 from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Want to ride with Skunk River Drafts in the parade? Sign up using the bid sheet located at the start of the wagon ride line. The highest bidder will get to receive this unique experience. Proceeds will go towards maintenance and installation of Painting with Lights.
Candy and other items may be handed out from each entry but cannot be thrown as ordered by the Oskaloosa Police Department. Oskaloosa Main Street and the Mahaska Chamber prioritize the safety of all parade-goers and participants.
Please stay behind the cones and taped-off areas along the route. To keep your vehicles safe, please do not park along the parade routes unless utilizing the designated handicap parking areas, located in TruBank parking lot and designated handicap spots on 1st Ave E. These spots are first come, first serve.
The route will start on High Avenue and turn south down Market Street, turn East on 3rd Ave, and conclude at South 3rd Street. Parade announcers will be located throughout the route. More parade details and updates will be shared on the Oskaloosa Main Street Facebook page and at mahaskachamber.org/mainstreet.
The Painting with Lights display will start at 4:45 p.m. and remain on until 11:00 p.m. that night. Enjoy the Dancing Lights show, beginning at 6:00 p.m. Local food vendors will be located on S 1st Street ready to serve you.
To learn more about the Lighted Christmas Parade and other holiday events, visit mahaskachamber.org/calendar. Don’t forget to pick up a copy of the Mahaska Wish Book at any local retail or dining establishment. This publication provides shoppers with gift ideas to shop and support the great local businesses in Mahaska County. In addition, an online version can be accessed at mahaskachamber.org/wishbook/.
Questions? Contact Oskaloosa Main Street or Mahaska Chamber by calling 641-672-2591 or visit www.mahaskachamber.org.

Warren Buffett is sitting on over $325 billion cash as Berkshire Hathaway keeps selling Apple stock

Posted on by Sam Parsons

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Warren Buffett is now sitting on more than $325 billion cash after continuing to unload billions of dollars worth of Apple and Bank of America shares this year and continuing to collect a steady stream of profits from all of Berkshire Hathaway’s assorted businesses without finding any major acquisitions.

Berkshire said it sold off about 100 million more Apple shares in the third quarter after halving its massive investment in the iPhone maker last quarter. The remaining stake of roughly 300 million shares was valued at $69.9 billion at the end of September remains Berkshire’s biggest single investment, but it has been cut drastically since the end of last year when it was worth $174.3 billion.

Investors will also be disappointed to learn that Berkshire didn’t repurchase any of its own shares in the quarter.

CFRA Research analyst Cathy Seifert said shareholders will wonder why Buffett is continuing to accumulate so much cash. “Are they more pessimistic about the future economic and market picture than perhaps others are?” she said.

Buffett said at the annual meeting in May that part of why he started selling some of his Apple shares is that he expects tax rates to go higher in the future. But Edward Jones analyst Jim Shanahan said he wonders if part of the reason Buffett started selling Apple is tied to last year’s death of Vice Chairman Charlie Munger because the sales started shortly after Munger’s death. Shanahan said Buffett has never been as comfortable with technology businesses as his longtime partner was.

“If Charlie Munger were still alive, perhaps he wouldn’t have sold down the position quite as aggressively — maybe at all,” Shanahan said.

Berkshire said Saturday that investment gains again drove its third quarter profits skyward to $26.25 billion, or $18,272 per Class A share. A year ago, unrealized paper investment losses dragged the Omaha, Nebraska-based conglomerate’s earnings down to a loss of $12.77 billion, or $8,824 per Class A share.

Buffett has long recommended that investors pay more attention to Berkshire’s operating earnings if they want to get a good sense of how the businesses it owns are doing because those numbers exclude investments. Berkshire’s bottom-line profit figures can vary widely from quarter to quarter along with the value of its investments regardless of whether the company bought or sold anything.

By that measure, Berkshire said its operating earnings were only down about 6% at $10.09 billion, or $7,023.01 per Class A share. That compares to last year’s $10.8 billion, or $7,437.15 per Class A share.

The four analysts surveyed by FactSet Research predicted that Berkshire would report operating earnings of $7,335.11 per Class A share.

Berkshire’s revenue didn’t change much at $92.995 billion. A year ago, it reported $93.21 billion revenue. That number was ahead of the $92.231 billion revenue that three analysts surveyed by FactSet predicted.

Berkshire owns an assortment of insurance businesses, including Geico, along with BNSF railroad, several major utilities and a varied collection of retail and manufacturing businesses, including brands like Dairy Queen and See’s Candy.

One of Berkshire’s insurers, Guard, reported some additional losses on previous years after managers reassessed its policies.

Berkshire did resolve one mystery from the quarter by spelling out how much it paid to acquire the rest of the shares in its utility business from the estate of former Berkshire board member Walter Scott.

Berkshire said it paid $2.4 billion cash, issued $600 million in debt and gave the Scott family Class B Berkshire shares worth a little over $1 billion. So the total compensation was about $4 billion. That means the Scott family didn’t get nearly as good of a price for their 8% stake in the utilities as when Berkshire Vice Chairman Greg Abel sold his 1% stake in the utility business two years ago for $870 million.

Abel is slated to succeed the 94-year-old Buffett as CEO in the event of his death.

Late storm keeps October from being in top 5 driest

Posted on by Sam Parsons

By Dar Danielson (Radio Iowa)

State climatologist Justin Glisan says the rain across the state this week helped bump the month of October down the dry weather record book.

“Up through the 29th we were about in the top five driest Octobers with 152 years of records,” he says. “And this would be the continuation that we saw in September, the driest September on record.” He says much of the state got some rainfall to impact the average for October, which still ended up below normal. “We were just under two inches. And again, most of that fell on the 29th through the 30th,” Glisan says, “and that’s about eight tenths of an inch below average for the state. Driest conditions that we saw across the state were in the northwest corner, anywhere from an inch to two inches below average.” The storms that brought the late October rain also brought in some cold weather — including some snowflakes in northern Iowa.

Glisan says the lack of moisture impacted overall temperatures. “Almost six degrees above average. So this is near the top 20th warmest Octobers is on record. The difference that we see in the temperature is that with this dry air that we saw for much of the month, very low dew points. So we warmed up during the day, but we also cooled off appreciably at night. We were near or below average on a lot of the nights across the state,” Glisan says.

Glisan says the early indicators for November are showing the potential for above average temperatures, with a potential for more precipitation.

Election Day is Tomorrow: List of Candidates for Mahaska County Election

Posted on by Sam Parsons

OSKALOOSA — All qualified electors of Mahaska County, Iowa are hereby notified that a General Election  will be held on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, for the offices of United States President/Vice  President, United States Representative District 1, State Senator District 44, State  Representative District 37 or State Representative District 88, one position for County  Supervisor, County Treasurer to fill vacancy, County Auditor, County Sheriff, Township  Trustees, Soil and Water, Ag Extension, Hospital Trustees and Judges. Polls are open from  7:00 A.M. until 8:00 P.M. at which all eligible voters within the county may cast votes. Candidates for these offices are listed below.

UNITED STATES PRESIDENT/VICE PRESIDENT 

Donald J. Trump / JD Vance -R 

Kamala D.Harris / Tim Walz -D 

Chase Oliver / Mike ter Maat – L 

Claudia De la Cruz / Karina Garcia -PSL 

William P.Stodden / Stephanie H. Cholensky – SOC 

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. / Nicole Shanahan- WTP 

Shiva Ayyadurai / Crystal Ellis -NP 

UNITED STATES REPRESENTATIVE DISTRICT 1 

(Vote for no more than one) 

*Mariannette Miller-Meeks-R 

Christina Bohannan -D 

All of Mahaska County is in United States Representative District #1. 

Townships voting in State Representative 37: 

 Black Oak Garfield 

 Richland Jefferson 

 Scott West Des Moines 

 East Des Moines 

Cities Voting in State Representative 37: 

 Leighton  

 Pella 

 Beacon 

Townships voting in State Senate District #44 and State Representative District #88: 

 Adams Pleasant Grove 

 Cedar Prairie 

 Harrison Spring Creek 

 Lincoln Union 

 Madison White Oak 

 Monroe 

Cities voting in State Senate District #44 and State Representative District #88: 

 Barnes City New Sharon 

 Eddyville Oskaloosa 

 Fremont Rose Hill 

 Keomah Village University Park 

STATE SENATOR– DISTRICT 44 

*Adrian Dickey–R 

Lisa Ossian – NP 

STATE REPRESENTATIVE – DISTRICT 37 (Vote for no more than one) 

*Barb Kniff McCulla – R 

STATE REPRESENTATIVE – DISTRICT 88 (Vote for no more than one) 

*Helena Hayes- R 

MAHASKA COUNTY SUPERVISOR  

Republican Party 

(Vote for no more than one) 

*Mark Groenendyk-R 

MAHASKA COUNTY AUDITOR 

(Vote for no more than one) 

Jody Van Patten-R 

Michelle Kent-NP 

MAHASKA COUNTY SHERIFF 

(Vote for no more than one) 

*Russell J. VanRenterghem-R 

MAHASKA COUNTY TREASURER-To fill Vacancy (Vote for no more than one) 

Shauna Hol-R 

For County Public Hospital Trustees 

(Vote for no more than 3) 

Greg Gordy 

Guy Vander Linden 

Dustin D. Hite 

For Soil and Water Conservation Dist Commission (Vote for no more than three) 

Steven C. DeJong 

Marie VanderWert 

Ron Groenendyk 

For County Agricultural Extension Council Members (Vote for no more than four) 

Michael L. Sytsma 

Andrew Padgett 

Stacey L. Scott 

Clayton Hester 

Penny Adams

Township Trustees Township Clerks – To fill Vacancy

Adams – Randy Ruby

Pleasant Grove – No Candidate

Black Oak – Gregory DeJong 

Cedar-Robert VanWyk 

East Des Moines-Marty Westercamp 

Garfield- No Candidate 

Harrison – Jim Jager 

Jefferson-Stephen J. Rozenboom 

Lincoln-No Candidate 

Madison- Matt VanUtrecht 

Monroe – Steven Seitsinger 

Pleasant Grove  

Sanders 

Pleasant Grove – To Fill Vacancy 

Janice Moore 

Mark Moore 

Prairie- Robert W. Van Weelden 

Richland-Ken Vander Linden 

Scott-Kaden Van Maanen 

Spring Creek-Joel VanGilst 

Union – No Candidate 

West Des Moines-Nathaniel Harris 

White Oak-L. E. Moore 

Pleasant Grove- No Candidate 

Judicial Ballot 

Supreme Court Justice 

David May 

Court of Appeals 

Mary Elizabeth Chicchelly 

Samuel Langholz 

Mary Ellen Tabor 

Tyler J. Buller 

District 8A Judge 

Michael Carpenter 

Crystal S. Cronk 

Myron Gookin 

Shawn R. Showers 

District 8A Associate Judge 

Richelle Mahaffey 

Patrick J. McAvan 

Daniel Perry Kitchen

Private Well Stewardship Program to be held November 7

Posted on by Sam Parsons

OSKALOOSA — The Mahaska and Poweshiek County Extension offices will host a free, one-hour learning session for private well owners on Thursday November 7. The program will help attendees understand their well’s water quality and connect them to resources to manage their well.

The free program will take place on Thursday November 7 from 6-7 pm at the New Sharon City Park Building located at 108 North Pearl Street in New Sharon.  Registration is requested by November 4.  To register, use https://go.iastate.edu/ICGWY1  or contact the Mahaska County Extension office by phone 641-673-5841 or email striegel@iastate.edu or the Poweshiek county Extension office by phone 641-623-5288 or email clents@iastate.edu .

Did you know that Iowa has a unique funding source for free or low-cost annual testing of private wells? Or that some water pollutants are odorless, tasteless and will not be removed by boiling water? If you’re curious about the answers to these questions, then take advantage of the upcoming learning session which will detail how to test your well and who can help, common contaminants, and factors that affect well water quality.

The program will be taught by Catherine DeLong, Water Quality Program Manager for ISU Extension and Outreach. According to DeLong, “About 230,000 Iowans rely on private wells as their home’s main water source, yet many do not know they should be testing once a year and that Iowa has a unique funding source to help cover the cost of testing.”

Dodgers’ World Series-ending win averages 18.6 million; series averages 15.81 million for 5 games

Posted on by Sam Parsons

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Dodgers’ 7-6 victory over the Yankees in Game 5 for their eighth World Series title and second in five years averaged 18.6 million viewers on Fox, Fox Deportes and streaming, according to Nielsen.

That is the most-watched game in the Fall Classic since Game 7 in 2019 when the Washington Nationals’ victory over the Houston Astros averaged 23.22 million.

The series averaged 15.81 million, its best performance since 2017 when Houston’s victory over the Dodgers in seven games averaged 18.93 million.

Its also quite a turnaround from last year, when the Texas Rangers;’ title over the Arizona Diamondbacks in five games averaged a record-low 9.11 million.

The audience Wednesday peaked at 21.27 million from 11:15-11:30 p.m. EDT.

The game had a 21.1 rating and 55 share in Los Angeles and 14.8 rating and 39 share in New York.

The rating is the percentage of television households tuned in. The share refers to a percentage of the audience viewing it at the time.

Iowa Department of Education awarded over $24 million multi-year federal grant to support statewide comprehensive literacy initiative

Posted on by Sam Parsons

DES MOINES — Gov. Kim Reynolds and the Iowa Department of Education announced it was awarded a multi-year competitive grant from the U.S. Department of Education totaling over $24 million to advance effective evidence-based literacy practices and interventions across the state.

“Reading is an essential skill that sets students up for success in school and beyond,” said Gov. Reynolds. “Iowa is prioritizing early literacy in classrooms all across our state and promoting the teacher-parent partnerships so critical to helping children become excellent readers. We will continue to support students as they learn to read through proven approaches, so they can spend a lifetime reading to learn.”

The Iowa Department of Education’s grant builds upon recent legislation championed by Governor Reynolds to support personalized reading plans for K-6 students who are not reading proficiently, as well as legislation aligning accredited teacher preparation programs to the Science of Reading focused on phonetic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency and text comprehension.

“Reading unlocks a lifetime of potential—that’s why Iowa is empowering students, families and teachers with comprehensive advancements in early literacy, spanning world-class state content standards, statewide educator professional learning, and personalized reading tutoring,” said Iowa Department of Education Director McKenzie Snow. “This federal investment recognizes and helps advance our critical work together to accelerate student learning through evidence-based reading instruction.”

The federal Comprehensive Literacy State Development grant will support the implementation of Iowa’s State Literacy Plan over the next five years, including district development of local literacy plans aligned to a statewide plan. As a part of the grant, the Department will support schools in implementing Science of Reading-aligned instruction, including through continued professional learning, school-based literacy leadership teams, high-quality, standards-aligned instructional materials, strong community and family partnerships and high-dose tutoring and targeted interventions informed by student data.

The Department will also work closely with institutions of higher education to align accredited teacher preparation programs to the Science of Reading, while continuing to support schools implementing evidence-based LETRS® professional learning for educators. The Iowa Department of Education’s grant will focus on improving literacy outcomes for all children and on meeting the needs of children who are reading below grade level and students who need differentiated instruction.

The Comprehensive Literacy State Development program is authorized under Sections 2221-2225 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as amended (ESEA). The purpose of the discretionary grants is to create a comprehensive literacy program to advance literacy skills, including pre-literacy skills, reading and writing, for children from birth through grade 12, with an emphasis on children living in poverty, children with disabilities and children who are English learners.

Information on the Iowa Comprehensive Literacy State Development Plan Grant is available on the Department’s website.

Open Enrollment Period for HealthCare.gov Begins Today; Iowa to have in-state Navigators for the first time since 2018

Posted on by Sam Parsons

Des Moines, IA – Iowans have an opportunity to enroll in health insurance for 2025 during the Health Insurance Marketplace Open Enrollment which starts this Friday, November 1st and goes through January 15, 2025.

Anyone who is not eligible for insurance through Medicare, Medicaid, or employer-based insurance may be eligible to purchase insurance under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) coverage provisions. Iowa Navigator assists people with the process of selecting a plan and applying for financial assistance that helps people pay for their monthly premium. About 90% of those who enroll receive subsidies to make the insurance more affordable. New rules have increased subsidies and make it possible for even most high-income earners to qualify for the lower-cost plans. National trends show that about four in five people across the country could get a plan for less than $10 per month.

Iowa Navigator is a federally funded non-profit organization that helps families and other underserved communities gain access to health coverage options through the Marketplace, Medicaid, or CHIP. They can assist with enrollment applications and help consumers apply for financial assistance through HealthCare.gov. In 2019, First Choice Services, a non-profit agency headquartered in West Virginia, applied and was awarded funding from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to expand its operations so that it could help Iowa residents. From 2019 through August of 2024, the IA Navigator program offered only virtual or phone assistance.

For this Open Enrollment period, IA Navigator has received its highest-ever funding award. CMS recently announced that the organization would receive $1.25 million per year for the next five years. This increase has allowed the program to hire 8 Navigators in Iowa who will work across the state in three offices based in Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, and Sioux City. This expansion will allow for in-person enrollment assistance by Navigators to be offered for the first time since 2018.

Jeremy Smith, Program Director for IA Navigator, says getting help signing up is essential. Many people are overwhelmed by the options or may not realize how to shop for affordable health coverage. Smith says that the increase in funding has really helped the program expand and get the word out about the Marketplace. “This historic increase in funding for our program will help us provide even more assistance to Iowans and will allow us to increase our presence in communities throughout the state.” Smith says. “Our Navigators will be working hard throughout the year to help get the word out to people about the benefits of the Health Insurance Marketplace. We are excited to see how this year goes and to help get the uninsured rate down.”

It is important that Iowans pay attention to Open Enrollment deadlines. For January 1st coverage, sign-up must be completed between November 1st and December 15th. Open Enrollment will completely end on January 15th. People who already have a plan and need to re-enroll are encouraged to double-check the network and prescription drug coverage for any changes and update their information in case they qualify for additional cost savings. The IA Navigator program is available in-person or by telephone. Call 515-978-9570 or visit www.iowanavigator.com to book an in-person or phone appointment for free assistance.

Election Day is Next Tuesday: Last-Minute Concerns for People Who Go to Polls on Election Day

Posted on by Sam Parsons

OSKALOOSA — Election day is next Tuesday. Election officials in Mahaska County offered some useful tips and notes for people who plan to go to the polls on Tuesday.

How can you be Ready on Election Day? Check your Voter Registration at https://tinyurl.com/IASOSVOTE.  Have an Iowa Driver’s License or non-operator ID? Go online to register or update your voter registration at:  https://sos.iowa.gov/elections/voterinformation/voterregistration.html. All voters are required to show their ID  before voting. 

What if I go to the polls and they tell me I can’t vote because I requested an absentee ballot? You can surrender your unvoted absentee ballot to the election officials at your precinct. If you requested an absentee ballot by mail and did not receive it or do not have it with you, the precinct official will ask you to fill  out a form saying that you did not receive an absentee ballot. You can then vote a provisional ballot, which will  be put into an envelope. On Thursday, November 7 the Special Precinct Board will consider provisional  ballots.  

What do I do if I have moved since the last time I voted? 

Take a current picture identification with your current address with you. You will be asked to complete a voter  registration form with your new address, and you can vote in the usual manner. If your ID is not current, call  the Auditor’s office (641)673-7148 for additional instructions.  

What if I go to the polls and they tell me I am at the wrong precinct?  

You will be instructed where your correct voting precinct is located and vote there.  

What if I go to the polls and they tell me I am not registered to vote? 

You can register to vote at the polls on Election Day. You will be required to show proof of residency and  proof of identity. The best form of ID is a valid Iowa driver’s license with your current address. If your Iowa  driver’s license has an old address on it, please contact the Auditor’s Office (641) 673-7148 for additional  requirements. 

Can another voter attest for me if I do not have proof of residence or identity? 

If you do not have proof of residence and identity, a registered voter in your precinct may attest to your identity  and residence. The attester may not attest for more than 2 people and was not attested for in this election. The  attester must show a current photo ID. 

If you have a registered voter in the precinct attest to your residence and identity, you will both be required to  sign an oath. Falsely attesting or being attested for is a class “D” felony. 

If you do not have proof of residence or identity and do not have anyone who can attest to your residence  and identity, you will be allowed to vote a provisional ballot. You will have until noon, Tuesday,  November 12, to present the proper ID information in the Auditor’s Office. The special precinct board  will convene Wednesday, November 13 to consider provisional ballots.

  1. Q. Can I pick up or request a ballot for someone else?  
  2. Recent legislation, Senate File 413 prohibits County Auditors from sending absentee ballot request forms  to voters unless a voter specifically asks for one. Third parties (such as political parties and voter engagement  organizations) may still send absentee ballot request forms to voters, but fields cannot be prepopulated aside  from Election Type and Date of Election.  
  3. Can someone else return my absentee ballot for me? 

YES, with restrictions. Only those who meet the criteria listed below are allowed to return absentee ballots.  – The voter.  

– Someone living in the voter’s household.  

– An immediate family member (fourth degree of consanguinity and affinity) 

– A special PEO delivering a ballot as it relates to health care facilities.  

– A delivery agent if the voter is unable to return a ballot due to blindness or other disability.  

o A delivery agent must return the ballot in person, not by mail or drop box.  

o A delivery agent cannot return more than two absentee ballots per election.  

o A delivery agent cannot be the voter’s employer or agent of the employer, an officer or  agent of the voter’s union, or an actual or implied agent for a political party, candidate, or committee.  

o A delivery agent must collect a signed form by the voter, stating they are being designated as a delivery agent. This form is included with the voting instructions received with the mailed absentee ballot. When delivering a ballot, the agent must provide the same identification as a voter at the polls and supply the signed designation  form to the Auditor’s office.  

o Someone returning an absentee ballot (including to a drop box) who is not allowed to, or  someone who lies about it, commits a serious misdemeanor. 

Reddit’s explosive user growth and AI tools help it soar to its first profit as a public company

Posted on by Sam Parsons

NEW YORK (AP) — Reddit has turned a profit for the first time as a public company.

The social platform claimed a profit of $29.9 million, or 16 cents per share, for the period ending in September, and reported sales of $348.4 million, an amount surpassing the $312.8 million analysts had projected. Reddit also grew its number of daily users to 97.2 million, a 47% increase from the same time last year, according to a company statement.

In a letter to shareholders, Reddit CEO Steve Huffman said its new AI translation feature — which allows readers to convert posts between English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and German — was a primary driver of user growth, especially internationally in countries like France, India and the Philippines. Huffman wrote that Reddit plans to expand this feature to over 30 countries going into 2025.

“In 2024 so far, ‘Reddit’ was the sixth most Googled word in the U.S., underscoring that when people are looking for answers, advice, or community, they’re turning to Reddit,” Huffman wrote. “We saw this play out in real-time when the White House came to Reddit to share critical information during recent hurricanes, reaching people in the affected areas with timely updates.”

While the company’s advertising remains its main source of revenue, Reddit’s earnings summary notes its recent data licensing agreements are beginning to pay off financially. Both Google and OpenAI have signed deals with Reddit to train their artificial intelligence models on its content.

San Francisco-based Reddit Inc., whose investors include OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, went public in March at $34 a share. Before that, it booked profits in the first quarter of 2021 and fourth quarter of 2023.

Since the initial public offering, the stock has tripled, surging 42% to close Wednesday at $116.05.

NEWSLETTER

Stay updated, sign up for our newsletter.