LEBANON, ME — Maine scored its first Mega Millions jackpot when a ticket purchased in the state matched the winning numbers for the lottery’s estimated $1.35 billion grand prize. The Maine State Lottery says the winning ticket was sold at Hometown Gas & Grill in Lebanon, Maine. The lucky combination of numbers drawn late Friday night were: 30, 43, 45, 46, 61 and gold Mega Ball 14. The winner, whose name is not yet known, overcame steep odds of 1 in 302.6 million, which led to three months of drawings without a claim on the jackpot. The Hometown Gas & Grill owner says there’s quite a buzz at the small-town gas station and he hopes someone in town is the winner.
TAG SEARCH RESULTS FOR: ""
Gregg says pilot project to test EMS app in rural Iowa
Posted on by Sam Parsons
By O. Kay Henderson (Radio Iowa)
Lieutenant Governor Adam Gregg says the State of Iowa will be testing a smart phone app that could improve emergency response times in rural Iowa.
“Last year on a trade mission to Israel I learned about the United Hatzalah model for EMS. Hatzalah is the Hebrew word for rescue,” Gregg says. “Think of it as Uber, but for EMS, allowing us to crowd source emergency responders. When an emergency occurs and 911 is called nearby trained volunteers are alerted through an app on their phone, allowing them to respond quickly and stabilize the patient until an ambulance arrives.”
Gregg suggests the system could be adapted to address the lack of ambulance services in rural Iowa. “As it stands today, too many rural Iowans have limited access to timely, lifesaving intervention in an emergency,” Gregg says.
In Jerusalem, the Hatzalah EMS app is used by 6200 trained volunteer medics who respond on specially equipped motorcycle ambulances.
“This Israel model has driven down response times in Jerusalem to 90 seconds on average,” Gregg says. “We believe this concept can be adapted to help address our EMS challenges in rural Iowa and we’ll be funding a pilot program to do just that.”
The Hatzalah model is being used in some areas of the United States, but mostly in urban areas.
OHS Storybook Players to perform at OWLS Lunch & Learn
Posted on by Sam Parsons
OSKALOOSA — The Mahaska County Conservation Board invites adults of any age to the O.W.L.S. (Older, Wiser, Livelier Souls) program on Friday, January 20th from 11:30 am -12:30 pm at the Mahaska County Environmental Learning Center at Caldwell Park. This month, we will have the great opportunity to watch the talented Oskaloosa High School’s Storybook Players perform!
Don’t forget to bring a friend and a lunch! Please let us know if you are coming. Reservations are made by contacting MCCB at (641)673-9327 or decook@mahaskacountyia.gov.
The Environmental Learning Center is located at 2342 Hwy. 92 East, Oskaloosa.
Mahaska Chamber Hosts First Eggs & Issues of 2023
Posted on by Sam Parsons
By Sam Parsons
The Mahaska Chamber held its first Eggs & Issues forum of the new year on Saturday morning at Smokey Row in Oskaloosa.
Present at the forum for the first go-round were a total of five local officials. Oskaloosa mayor Dave Krutzfeldt and Oskaloosa city manager Amal Eltahir were both on hand to answer questions from citizens related to the city of Oskaloosa, while all three members of the Mahaska County Board of Supervisors – Mark Groenendyk, Chuck Webb, and Steve Wanders – were there to discuss issues related to county government.
Citizens asked the roundtable of local officials questions on a slew of topics, including adding certain types of businesses to the downtown area, promoting arts and culture within the community, and road conditions. When asked about when the parts of the new Mahaska YMCA under construction will be fully open, Mayor Krutzfeldt said that all of the construction was already completed except for the pools and that the city was working on getting the completed parts open “reasonably soon.”
The city representatives were also asked about the ongoing need for housing within Oskaloosa. Eltahir answered that housing is currently a “strategic priority” for the city and that there were steps that needed to be taken to encourage real estate development.
Among the questions asked early on in the forum was one related to the proposed airport in Mahaska County. Eltahir said that the city was no longer partaking in its legal battles and that the airport was still part of the city’s long term plan.
The next Eggs and Issues forum with the Mahaska Chamber is scheduled for January 28 and will feature lawmakers from the state level of government, including State Senator Ken Rozenboom and State Representatives Helena Hayes and Barb Kniff-McCulla.
Knoxville Police Responds to Online Threats Against KCSD, Marion County Courthouse
Posted on by Sam Parsons
KNOXVILLE — Shortly after 6 p.m. on Thursday, January 12, 2023, the FBI made Knoxville Police Officers aware of online threats of violence made to Knoxville Community Schools, Marion County Courthouse, unnamed institutions within Knoxville, as well as named and unnamed persons within our community.
Through a thorough investigation officers developed two juvenile suspects. Officers spoke with the two suspects. Based on those interviews and the totality of information gathered from the investigation, the threats were assessed to be noncredible. Both juvenile suspects were taken into custody.
Additional steps are being taken to ensure the safety of students and staff of the Knoxville Community Schools, customers and employees of the courthouse, all other entities, and persons.
The Knoxville Police Department would like to thank the FBI, Knoxville Community School District, Marion County Sheriff’s Office, and the Marion County Attorney’s Office for their assistance with this investigation.
A criminal charge is merely an accusation. All persons are innocent until proven guilty by a court of law.
Valuable winning lottery ticket could be in your coat pocket
Posted on by Sam Parsons
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Thinking of lining up at the mini-mart for a shot at a $1.35 billion Mega Millions jackpot? Maybe you should first dig into your coat pockets or your car’s glove box to make sure you don’t already have a winning ticket from an earlier drawing. As players buy tickets ahead of Friday night’s drawing, lottery officials throughout the country say that every year players miss out on millions in prizes. That’s because some don’t realize they have won, while others decide cashing in isn’t worth the trouble of a small payoff. People nearly always show up for the biggest prizes, but million-dollar payoffs have been waiting for months to be claimed in Texas, Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan and Washington state.
First public hearing for governor’s latest private school scholarship plan
Posted on by Sam Parsons
By O. Kay Henderson (Radio Iowa)
Hundreds gathered in person and online for the first subcommittee hearing on the governor’s latest “school choice” plan.
Governor Reynolds is proposing state-funded Educational Savings Accounts for low income parents who enroll their children in a private school over the next two years, but in the third year the parents of every Iowa private school student would be eligible for thousands of dollars in state money to cover private school expenses. Arlene McClintock says private school was out of reach when she was growing up and being bullied at school. She’s leading a group called Hispanics Aligned for Choice in Education Reform.
“One of the things that parents want to be able to provide for their kids is a safe learning environment,” she said. “That’s something that I wish that I had had growing up and it’s something that I want to provide for my children.”
The governor’s office estimates when fully implemented, the parents of about 40,000 private school students would be getting at least $341 million in state money annually to cover tuition and other private school expenses. Justin Hollinrake told the senate subcommittee sending that much state money to support private schools like likely weaken schools where his relatives live in rural Iowa.
“Ten years from now, is public school even going to be an option?” he asked. “Will schools even be open? Will private school be the only option?”
The newly-formed House Education Reform Committee will hold a public hearing on the bill on Tuesday at 5 p.m.
(Reporting by Grant Gerlock, Iowa Public Radio)
PACE Alliance Accepting Nominations for Pella Impact Awards
Posted on by Sam Parsons
PELLA — The Pella Area Community and Economic Alliance has begun accepting nominations for their Pella Impact Awards from their membership and from the general public.
AWARD CATEGORIES
Business Impact: A business that has been a leader in their field through product development, marketing, technologies, or employee program. Open to a business or organization.
Community Impact: Open to an individual, organization or business. Through their actions, an event, or give-back program or partnerships has greatly contributed to the quality of life and the betterment of the Pella Community.
Spotlight Pella Award: Open to an individual or business who has brought a positive spotlight on Pella through their marketing, programs, event, products or innovation through regional, state or national recognition. Through their actions others know of the Pella Community.
Heritage Award: Open to an individual, organization or business that, through their work, has significantly impacted how the community, businesses and/or residents share in Pella’s heritage.
Lifetime Servant Leadership Award: The Pella Wellness Consortium’s Lifetime Servant Leadership Award recognizes an individual who has consistently demonstrated servant leadership through contributing to the ultimate health and well-being of the Pella community. This leadership has been demonstrated through seeking solutions for the common good, regardless of personal cost or sacrifice; helping others develop and become stronger people; focusing on the growth and well-being of the community; helping people with a variety of perspectives move in a unified direction, and others realize and reach their potential (in multidimensional ways.)
Nominations will be accepted until Wednesday, January 25, 2023. Nominations will be reviewed by the Chairs of the 5 PACE Alliance Councils.
Recipients of the awards will be recognized at the PACE Alliance Member Breakfast on Friday, February 17, 2023.
For more information, visit the PACE website.
Mahaska Chamber’s First Eggs & Issues Event of 2023 Is Tomorrow
Posted on by Sam Parsons
OSKALOOSA — The Mahaska Chamber & Development Group is hosting their first round of Eggs & Issues for this year tomorrow. This legislative forum will be at Oskaloosa Smokey Row from 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM and will give area residents an opportunity to learn more about the state, county, and local issues. Special thanks to MidWestOne Bank for sponsoring the coffee!
The full list of dates for Eggs & Issues and panel speakers are as follows:
January 14, 2023 – City of Oskaloosa and Mahaska County
January 28, 2023 – Iowa Senate #19 Ken Rozenboom; Iowa House #88 Helena Hayes and Iowa House #37 Barb Kniff-McCulla
February 11, 2023 – Iowa Great Places: Arts & Culture Roundtable
February 25, 2023 – Iowa Senate #19 Ken Rozenboom; Iowa House #88 Helena Hayes and Iowa House #37 Barb Kniff-McCulla
March 11, 2023 – Mahaska Health, EMA
March 25, 2023 – Iowa Senate #19 Ken Rozenboom; Iowa House #88 Helena Hayes and Iowa House #37 Barb Kniff-McCulla
Please reach out to Deann De Groot at the Chamber with any questions about the forum at ddegroot@mahaskachamber.org or by phone 641.672.2591.
Going home: Bills’ Hamlin released from Buffalo hospital
Posted on by Sam Parsons
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Bills safety Damar Hamlin has been released from a hospital in Buffalo nine days after he went into cardiac arrest and had to be resuscitated during a game at Cincinnati. Hamlin went home home after spending two days undergoing tests at Buffalo General Medical Center. He was transferred to Buffalo after spending last week at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where the 24-year-old experienced what doctors called “a remarkable recovery.” Neither doctors nor the Bills disclosed the results of the tests Hamlin had. Doctors said he will continue his rehabilitation with the Bills.
NEWSLETTER
Stay updated, sign up for our newsletter.
Thanks for signing up!