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ISU Extension Hosting “The Benefits of Native Vegetation in Iowa’s Roadsides” Presentation Next Month

Posted on by Sam Parsons

OSKALOOSA — Mahaska County Master Gardeners will be hosting Ben Hoskinson, Mahaska County Roadside Vegetation Manager at a program to be held Tuesday, February 7, beginning at 7 pm.  The presenter will speak about the history of Roadside Vegetation Management in Iowa and Mahaska County with discussion about where it all started and where we are now.

In mid 1970s alternatives to conventional roadside management started and led to Iowa becoming one of the first states to establish native vegetation on roadsides at city, county and state levels.  Mahaska County began their  program in the late 1990s; with Hoskinson as the IRVM since 2005.  They restore and reconstruct native vegetation in county right-of-way to produce a cost-effective solution to roadside weed and erosion control.  Over 50,000 acres have been established to native grasses, wildflowers, and other select types of vegetation in Iowa right of ways as Iowa’s plans are implemented along state and federal highways in addition to city and county roadsides.

The event is free and open to the public.  Registration is not required to attend, but appreciated.  Inclement weather will postpone the event.  If in doubt, please call 641-673-5841, check local media, our website, and the Iowa State University  Extension and Outreach-Mahaska County or Mahaska County Master Gardener Facebook pages.

Mahaska County Master Gardeners are celebrating their twentieth year.  The local program organized after the county held their first training.  The educational volunteer program, sponsored by Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, provides current, research based, home horticulture information and education to the citizens of Iowa through programs and projects.  Master Gardeners receive horticulture training, and volunteer to promote a mission of education and service.  The program is open to anyone 18 or older with an interest in gardening and a willingness to use their knowledge, experience and enthusiasm to make a positive impact on their local community.  Mahaska County will be hosting a hybrid training February 20-April 28, with applications due February 3.  To learn more visit https://extension.iastate.edu/mastergardener/become-master-gardener

More information about this and other education events can be found at the Mahaska County Extension Office; 212 North I Street; Oskaloosa Phone 641-673-5841; and www.extension.iastate.edu/mahaska/yardgarden.htm. 

College scam mastermind Rick Singer gets 3.5 years in prison

Posted on by Sam Parsons

BOSTON (AP) — The mastermind of the nationwide college admissions bribery scheme that ensnared celebrities, prominent businesspeople and other parents has been sentenced to 3 1/2 years in prison. Rick Singer’s punishment is the longest sentence handed down in the sprawling scandal that exploded into newspapers headlines in 2019. Singer pleaded guilty nearly four years ago to paying off entrance exam administrators and coaches to get often undeserving students into elite schools with inflated test scores and bogus athletic credentials. He also helped authorities build the case against dozens of others by secretly recording phone calls and meetings with wealthy parents who paid huge sums to get their kids into the school of their choice.

DNR stocking trout this month

Posted on by Sam Parsons

By Kate Peikes (Radio Iowa)

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources will stock rainbow trout in five urban lakes and ponds this month for anglers who enjoy winter fishing.

Mike Steuck, the DNR’s regional fisheries supervisor for northeast Iowa, says trout get stressed in warmer water and can even die if the temperature is too high. “They don’t like temperatures higher than 70,” Steuck says. “So they’ll quit feeding. They act a little funny and they try and seek out colder water sources.”

Steuck says water temperatures are much cooler now, in the 30s, so it’s an ideal time for the DNR to stock the trout — and for Iowans to seek them out by casting a line. “We want people to catch them right away,” he says, “and take them home and see how good fish are to eat and see how much fun fishing is.”

Steuck says the DNR will stock one-to-two-thousand trout in lakes in Sioux City, Council Bluffs, Mason City and a few other locations. He says people catch the fish generally within a month after they’re stocked.

Ottumwa Tax Abatement Deadline is January 25

Posted on by Sam Parsons

OTTUMWA, IA — The City of Ottumwa is accepting applications for property tax abatement until January 25, 2023. The residential and commercial property tax abatement programs are designed to encourage improvements and new development by reducing the additional taxes assessed on the improvement.

The residential tax abatement program is available citywide and reduces property taxes paid on qualifying improvements to residential property. Property owners who have completed improvements to residential property or apartment buildings in 2022 can file an application for residential tax abatement. New construction, additions, and remodeling projects that increase the assessed value by at least 10% are eligible activities. Taxes on the improvements are abated for a specific number of years for qualifying residential projects.

Applications are also being accepted for commercial property tax abatement in the City of Ottumwa. Improvements to new or existing commercial property that increase the assessed value of the property by at least 15% are eligible for tax abatement. Applicants can access a five-year abatement schedule.

The deadline for tax abatement applications is Thursday, January 25, 2023. For additional information, or to receive tax abatement applications, contact the Planning and Development Department, Room 201 at City Hall, visit ottumwa.us or call 683-0606.

Oskaloosa Council Approves New K9, Denies Rezoning Application

Posted on by Sam Parsons

By Sam Parsons

The Oskaloosa city council met this week for the first time in the new calendar year and were given a presentation from the Oskaloosa Police Department and Lieutenant John Plumb on a possible K9 addition to the department. According to the presentation, the K9, named “Rocky,” has initially tested very well in training motivation and play drive, and would carry an overall annual cost of less than $1,000 if certified. The proposal was approved by the council.

The council also held a public hearing on an application to rezone a property on North B Street from Urban Family Residential to Mixed Use Urban Corridor. The applicants proposed opening an indoor golf simulator on the property, and though they announced that they did not plan to sell alcohol, they did propose the idea of allowing visitors to bring their own.

The Oskaloosa Planning and Zoning Commission unanimously recommended denial of the proposed rezoning, citing several reasons, including that it was inconsistent with the new Plan Osky Comprehensive Plan, which states the subject property and vicinity is recommended for medium density residential future land use (MDR), and that new commercial uses should not be introduced to a residential neighborhood. The commission also said that the change could impact traffic and neighborhood character and would constitute “spot zoning,” or singling out a zoning change for the sole benefit of the owner and contrary to the comprehensive plan. After much discussion, the application was denied by the council.

Indians Swept by the Dutch

Posted on by Sam Parsons

By Sam Parsons

The Oskaloosa Indians took part in their first girls and boys basketball action of the new calendar year last night in a highly anticipated rivalry matchup with the Pella Dutch.

The girls game was handled by the Dutch from the early going. The Indians entered the game short-handed; junior Kassie Johnson and freshman Loghan Edgar were both out of the rotation due to ankle injuries, forcing the Indians to make do with only 7 players.

Turnovers continued to plague the Indians as they struggled to move the ball around against Pella’s full court press, which exhausted the Indians and their shallow bench. A pair of backcourt violations and another pair of backcourt time violations were emblematic of the issues the Indians had in a night where little seemed to go their way. Sophomore Dasia Foster had another double-double and senior Presley Blommers put up 14 points, but it wasn’t enough to keep the Indians in the game as they fell 62-42.

The boys game saw a different story arrive at a similar conclusion. The Indians began the game with bountiful energy and a back-and-forth first quarter saw the Indians hold a 16-15 lead. Midway through the second, Osky appeared to be finding their groove, establishing a 26-21 lead over Pella.

It was at this point that disaster struck for Oskaloosa; an 18-0 run by Pella followed, extending into the third quarter. After leading by 5, Osky was outscored 30-7 in roughly the following 12 minutes of action. This massive run by the Dutch, led by the scoring success of players including Luke Hardman and Romon Hugan and consistent winning with regard to rebounds, doomed the Indians and any efforts they made to come back into the game. Those efforts were staved off until the end, with Pella securing the win, 62-44.

The Osky girls fall to 3-5 on the season; the boys are now 1-7. Both squads will venture to Newton this Friday to face the Cardinals in another round of Little Hawkeye Conference hoops.

Fans give millions to Damar Hamlin’s toy drive for kids

Posted on by Sam Parsons

BUFFALO, NY — Damar Hamlin’s goal was simple: He wanted to raise $2,500 online to buy toys for needy kids. It took about two years. Then came Monday, when the Buffalo Bills safety was critically injured and needed his heart restarted on the field in a chilling scene during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals. He instantly became one of the biggest stories in sports, and thousands of people found his GoFundMe page. The result was roughly $5.5 million donated in the first 24 hours after his injury. And the number is climbing.

To view the GoFundMe page, click here.

National survey finds drugs in the systems of many Iowa drivers in accidents

Posted on by Sam Parsons

By Natalie Krebs (Radio Iowa)

A new study finds more than 45% of seriously injured drivers in Iowa had at least one drug in their system.

Tim Brown is the director of Drugged Driving Research at the National Advanced Driving Simulator at the University of Iowa. Brown says the study will help better direct messaging to prevent people from driving impaired, but it shows all drivers should be aware of other motorists around them.

“Your best bet is to be defensive and be aware of what else is going on,” Brown says. “If you see a vehicle that’s behaving oddly, you want to give it space and you don’t want to be in that zone around it if something bad happens.” The top drugs found in Iowa drivers were alcohol and cannabinoids — from products that come from cannabis plants.

Brown says one alarming trend revealed in the study was the increase in prescription drugs found. “Many, many medications out there do great things for treating disease states,” Brown says, “but they’re not safe to drive with and I think people just forget that.” The study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration screened people involved in traffic crashes for drugs at seven Level One trauma centers nationally, including the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. It tested seriously injured drivers for drugs from August 2020 to July 2021.

Mahaska County Board of Supervisors Holds Organizational Meeting

Posted on by Sam Parsons

By Sam Parsons

The Mahaska County Board of Supervisors met this morning and had their annual organizational meeting. Mark Groenendyk was re-elected as board chair while Steve Wanders was elected as board vice chair.

The board also discussed and considered the hiring of a part time “School Resource Officer” for the North Mahaska School District. According to Sheriff Russell Van Renterghem, the agreement would likely last for roughly 3 years and the school district would cover 100% of the cost for the officer within the district. North Mahaska Superintendent Angela Livezy was on hand to explain why the district has felt the need to add an SRO.

The board ultimately did not take action after the discussion, with the Sheriff’s Office holding a budget meeting later this month to discuss the potential impacts of the potential agreement.

Ottumwa City Council Approves Greater Ottumwa Park Master Plan

Posted on by Sam Parsons

By Sam Parsons

The city of Ottumwa held its first council meeting in the new calendar year last night and received a presentation on the proposed Greater Ottumwa Park Master Plan. According to the presentation, the plan is meant to provide a long-term vision for buildout of the park as a public amenity. Community Development Director Zach Simonson introduced the presentation and told the council that approval of the plan didn’t necessarily mean a commitment to everything in it.

The plan includes the optimization of the placement and positioning of the ballfields in the area as well as parking spaces, as well as improvements to other amenities like Beach Ottumwa, playground, and dog park. The plan was approved unanimously.

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