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Oskaloosa Comes Up Short at Cedar Rapids Washington

Posted on by Sam Parsons

By Sam Parsons

The Oskaloosa Indians entered Friday night’s game at Cedar Rapids Washington short handed, but that didn’t preclude them from putting up quite the fight against the Warriors on a chilly Friday night.

The game started inauspiciously for Osky: the Warriors received the first half kickoff and on their fifth offensive play, star running back Watts McBride took a screen pass from sophomore QB Malik Epps-Keller 68 yards to the house. After a successful PAT, the score was 7-0 Warriors less than a minute into the game.

After Osky responded with a 3-and-out in their opening offensive drive, the Warriors struck again, this time on a 10-play, 57-yard drive quarterbacked by junior Stephen Cain, who capped it off with a 1 yard QB sneak to make it 14-0, and the game script seemed to be going off the rails once again for the Indians after back-to-back blowout losses coming in.

However, things would steady from here. An Osky interception in Washington territory, as well as a Washington fumble in Osky territory, played a role in the score remaining where it was through the end of the first half as both defenses firmed up. The Indians were led by great play from their front 7, which was missing a pair of starting linebackers, as well as excellent open-field tackling from their defensive backfield, particularly from the likes of Waylon Bolibaugh and Jaden DeRonde. The Indians being down several starters prior to kickoff was a key storyline, but the Indians played inspired football, particularly on the defensive side. Over the course of the game, Osky forced a total of 4 turnovers on defense and special teams and committed just two of their own.

In the 2nd half, the Warriors stopped using their 2-QB approach and moved forward exclusively with Epps-Keller at the helm, but they couldn’t muster any points for most of the the third quarter against an Indian defense that continued to respond with stops. One such stop gave the Indians the ball on the Washington 48 midway through the quarter, and the Osky offense finally got on the board with a 6 play drive that culminated in screen passes of 25 and 11 yards to Wyatt Grubb and Dom Piersel, respectively, with Piersel navigating his way to the end zone. The Indians couldn’t field their PAT team until late in the play clock, though, leading to a rushed operation and freshman kicker Linus Morrison’s first missed extra point of the season to keep the score at 14-6.

Prior to the end of the quarter, though, the Warriors struck back with yet another explosive play from McBride, who galloped 43 yards up the middle of the defense three drives later to extend the Warrior lead to 21-6.

The fourth quarter began with the Indians taking over on their own 11 yard line after forcing a turnover on downs. They moved the ball 48 yards in 6 plays into Washington territory, but incompletions led to the drive sputtering out at the Warrior 36. The defenses traded stops from there and the Indians, though they battled to the end, came up short, with 21-6 as the final score.

Oskaloosa (1-7) wraps up their season at #2 Cedar Rapids Xavier this Friday. Cedar Rapids Washington (5-3) travels to Pella.

Oskaloosa Passing

Trevor Willett: 20/44, 151 yards, TD, INT; 3 sacks, 20 yards lost, 0 fumbles

CR Washington Passing

Malik Epps-Keller: 9/19, 141 yards, TD; 0 sacks, 0 fumbles

Stephen Cain: 3/6, 40 yards; 0 sacks, 0 fumbles

Oskaloosa Rushing

Dom Piersel: 12 carries, 17 yards

Wyatt Grubb: 1 carry, 8 yards

Trevor Willett: 7 carries, 3 yards

CR Washington Rushing

Watts McBride: 12 carries, 117 yards, TD

Alex Taylor: 15 carries, 42 yards, 1 fumble

Malik Epps-Keller: 3 carries, 6 yards, 1 fumble

Stephen Cain: 1 carry, 1 yard, TD

Oskaloosa Receiving

Dom Piersel: 6 rec, 59 yards, TD

Wyatt Grubb: 7 rec, 50 yards

Waylon Bolibaugh: 6 rec, 33 yards

Maddux Ashman: 1 rec, 9 yards

CR Washington Receiving

Michael Blank: 6 rec, 86 yards

Watts McBride: 3 rec, 76 yards, TD

Jaden Harris: 1 rec, 13 yards

Miles Thompson: 1 rec, 6 yards

Alex Taylor: 1 rec, 0 yards

Most say voting vital despite dour US outlook: AP-NORC poll

Posted on by Sam Parsons

WASHINGTON (AP) — A new poll shows 71% of voters think the future of the country is at stake when they vote in November’s midterm elections. That’s according to a new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The poll findings suggest voters are motivated to turn out despite deep pessimism about the state of U.S. politics and dissatisfaction with the country. With less than a month to go, about 8 in 10 registered voters say casting their ballot this year is extremely or very important. That’s true of voters who prefer Republicans win majorities in Congress, and those who want to see Democrats remain in control.

Grassley 46%, Franken 43% in Des Moines Register Iowa Poll

Posted on by Sam Parsons

By O. Kay Henderson (Radio Iowa)

A Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll released this weekend shows Republican Senator Chuck Grassley with a three percent lead over Democratic challenger Mike Franken.

The poll of likely voters was taken from October 9-12t. Forty-six percent of those surveyed said they supported Grassley. Forty-three percent said they supported Franken.

Seven percent said they were undecided or plan to skip voting on the U.S. Senate race. Franken was still unknown to about a third of those surveyed. Nearly two-thirds said Grassley’s age was a concern and that includes 37 percent of the Republicans questioned, who said they’d vote for the 89 year old senator.

Franken, on Twitter, said he’s in a :virtual tie” with Grassley and “on the cusp of something historic.” The Iowa GOP’s chairman says the Iowa Poll has “underestimated the strength of the new Republican coalition.”

On Sunday evening, the Iowa Poll results in the governor’s race were released, showing Republican incumbent Kim Reynolds at 52% and Democratic challenger Deidre DeJear 35%. Libertarian candidate was the choice of four percent of those surveyed.

Opening of five Lake Red Rock recreation areas to be delayed in 2023 for infrastructure upgrades

Posted on by Sam Parsons

KNOXVILLE, Iowa –The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District, announces delayed openings of the Howell Station, North Overlook and Whitebreast campgrounds and the Fifield and North Overlook recreation areas at Lake Red Rock. Those sites will delay opening until June 1 for the 2023 recreation season.

The delays are needed at Howell Station, North Overlook, and Fifield to facilitate water line upgrades. At Whitebreast campground, the delay will facilitate shoreline protection due to lake erosion. The projects are made possible through recent federal infrastructure investments that will address deteriorated infrastructure conditions at Lake Red Rock.

To compensate for the late openings, the Wallashuck Campground will open for an extended period during the recreation season beginning April 20, 2023. All other recreation areas at Lake Red Rock will be open during their regularly scheduled dates. Reservations can be made by visiting: www.recreation.gov or calling 1-877-444-6777.

For more information, please contact the Lake Red Rock Project Office at 641-828-7522.

United Way of Mahaska County’s Winter Coat Drive Begins Today

Posted on by Sam Parsons

By Sam Parsons

Today through November 14, you may find drop-off boxes at different locations throughout the city of Oskaloosa in which you can donate some of your lightly used winter clothes for United Way of Mahaska County’s Winter Coat Drive.

For the drive, United Way of Mahaska County is accepting new or gently used coats, hats, gloves, scarves, and other winter outerwear. Distribution will take place on November 18 and 19 at Penn Central Mall. See the flyer below for more details.

 

As the causes of US inflation grow, so do the dangers

Posted on by Sam Parsons

WASHINGTON (AP) — What keeps driving inflation so high? The answer, it seems, is nearly everything. Supply chain snarls and parts shortages inflated the cost of factory goods when the economy rocketed out of the pandemic recession two years ago. Then it was a surge in consumer spending fueled by federal stimulus checks. Then Russia’s invasion of Ukraine disrupted gas and food supplies and sent those prices skyward. Since March, the Federal Reserve has been aggressively raising interest rates to try to cool the price spikes. So far, there’s little sign of progress. Thursday’s report on consumer prices in September came in hotter than expected.

AG Miller launches program for rural communities to prevent opioid addiction

Posted on by Sam Parsons

DES MOINES – Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller announced an initiative designed to prevent opioid addiction before it begins. The Billion Pill Pledge program, launched in conjunction with Goldfinch Health, extends education and resources to hospitals and providers in several communities across Iowa.

Deploying evidence-based approaches to pain management around surgery, the Billion Pill Pledge program aims to enact long-term change for Iowa communities.

“The opioid settlements offer a new path forward in preventing future addiction and providing treatment resources to those who need it,” Miller said. “It’s our goal with this program to extend support to rural communities and, especially, to those within these communities who are at-risk or who have already been harmed by the opioid epidemic.”

The first phase of the Billion Pill Pledge program targets 10 hospitals serving rural communities across the state. The hospitals will be announced in coming weeks.

Surgery has long been known as a gateway to long-term opioid painkiller use and dependence. Patients who had no previous opioid use become addicted after being legally prescribed opioids after a surgery.  Advances in medicine make possible better surgery experiences for patients, improved pain management, and less use of opioids.

“We know so much more about surgery and pain management now than we did 10 or 20 years ago,” said John Greenwood, COO and co-founder of Goldfinch Health and the Billion Pill Pledge. “With a few practical changes to the way both healthcare providers and patients approach surgery, we can reduce the number of opioids prescribed for patients and introduced into our communities by over 50%. And we can have happier patients with better managed pain at the same time.”

The mission of the Billion Pill Pledge is to reduce leftover opioids after surgery in the United States by 1 billion pills each year, thereby avoiding those pills being possibly diverted to unauthorized use by others

Miller is using money from a settlement with consultant McKinsey & Co. to support the Billion Pill Pledge program.

This initiative joins another resource announced in September by Attorney General Miller. IowaOpioidHelp.com provides a pathway to recovery for Iowans with Opioid Use Disorder and their loved ones.

Last year, the Iowa Attorney General’s office signed an agreement with University of Iowa Health Care to develop a comprehensive, statewide opioid treatment program using $3.8 million in settlement funds.

Goldfinch Health is an Iowa City-based company dedicated to enhancing surgical outcomes, improving the surgery experience for patients, and reducing opioid use.

Ottumwa Trout Stocking October 21, 2022

Posted on by Sam Parsons

OTTUMWA — The Iowa Department of Natural Resources will be stocking 1,500 rainbow and brook trout in the pond at the east side of Wapello street by the orange and blue playground equipment on Friday October 21, 2022  All Iowa fishing regulations apply at the pond.   There is a bag limit of 5 trout per day; the possession limit is 10.  There is no fishing derby for this stocking.

The Ottumwa Park Department has partnered with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to improve fishing in the ponds in Ottumwa Park.   The Iowa DNR Fisheries Bureau has been involved in trout stocking in urban areas for over 30 years in an effort to introduce trout fishing to more anglers across the state.   More information about fishing in Iowa, including licensing and the urban trout-stocking program can be found online at www.iowadnr.gov.

Mahaska, Surrounding Counties Eligible for LFP Assistance Due to Drought

Posted on by Sam Parsons

DES MOINES, Iowa – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reminds ranchers and livestock producers that they may be eligible for financial assistance through the Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP) 2022 grazing losses due to a qualifying drought. The deadline to apply for 2022 LFP assistance is Jan. 30, 2023.

“Severe to extreme drought conditions in Iowa have resulted in significant economic hardships for our agricultural producers and livestock producers are no exception,” said Matt Russell, State Executive Director for the Farm Service Agency in Iowa. “If you suffered 2022 grazing losses, you should contact FSA as soon as possible and file your LFP application for payment.”

For the 2022 program year, 36 counties in Iowa have met drought severity levels that trigger LFP eligibility, with Mahaska County, as well as every county that borders it, among those eligible. For LFP, qualifying drought triggers are determined using the U.S. Drought Monitor. Visit the FSA LFP webpage for a list of eligible counties and grazing crops.

LFP provides payments to eligible livestock producers and contract growers who also produce forage crops for
grazing and suffered losses due to a qualifying drought or fire during the normal grazing period for the county.
Eligible livestock include alpacas, beef cattle, buffalo/bison, beefalo, dairy cattle, deer, elk, emus, equine, goats,
llamas, reindeer or sheep that have been or would have been grazing the eligible grazing land or pastureland
during the normal grazing period.

To expedite the application process, producers are encouraged to gather and submit records documenting 2022
losses. Supporting documents may include information related to grazing leases, contract grower agreements,
and more.

More Information

LFP is part of a broader suite of disaster assistance available through USDA. The Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP), which also has a Jan. 30, 2023, deadline, provides eligible producers with compensation for certain feed losses not covered by LFP as well as assistance with transporting water to livestock, feed and livestock transportation expenses.

Additional disaster assistance information can be found on farmers.gov, including the Farmers.gov Drought Webpage, Disaster Assistance Discovery Tool, Disaster-at-a-Glance fact sheet, and Farm Loan Discovery Tool.

For FSA and Natural Resources Conservation Service programs, including LFP and ELAP, producers should contact their local USDA Service Center.

USDA touches the lives of all Americans each day in so many positive ways. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, USDA is transforming America’s food system with a greater focus on more resilient local and regional food production, fairer markets for all producers, ensuring access to safe, healthy and nutritious food in all communities, building new markets and streams of income for farmers and producers using climate smart food and forestry practices, making historic investments in infrastructure and clean energy capabilities in rural America, and committing to equity across the Department by removing systemic barriers and building a workforce more representative of America. To learn more, visit www.usda.gov.

Social Security recipients expected to get big benefit boost

Posted on by Sam Parsons

WASHINGTON (AP) — Millions of Social Security recipients will soon learn just how high a boost they’ll get in their benefits next year. The increase will be announced Thursday morning. It’s expected to be the highest in 40 years, fueled by record high inflation and is meant to help cover the higher cost of food, fuel and other goods and services. How well it does that depends on inflation next year. The boost in benefits takes effect in 2023. It will be coupled with a 3% drop in Medicare Part B premiums, meaning retirees will get the full impact of the jump in Social Security benefits.

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