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Crisis Intervention Services of Mahaska County Among 44 Agencies to Receive Funding to Support Homelessness Assistance Initiatives

Posted on by Sam Parsons

(DES MOINES) – The Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) Board of Directors recently approved more than $4.7 million in federal and state grants to assist 44 agencies with homelessness assistance initiatives during the 2023 calendar year.

Crisis Intervention Services of Mahaska County was on the list of agencies to receive funding. They are set to receive a Shelter Assistance Fund Grant Award of $21,489.

“The homelessness assistance awards announced today will have a direct impact in helping thousands of Iowans in their time of need,” said Iowa Finance Authority Executive Director Debi Durham. “Iowa’s homeless service professionals work tirelessly to help get Iowans back on their feet and into permanent housing and this funding will aid in those efforts.”

The funding is made available through the federal Emergency Solutions Grant program and the State-funded Shelter Assistance Fund. IFA conducted a two-year combined ESG and SAF competition for funds in 2021. Applications were scored in several categories, including project design, experience and capacity, community partnerships, performance, budget and grants management.

Individuals in need of homelessness assistance should contact the coordinated entry system, online at iowahousinghelp.com or by phone at: 833-739-0065. Residents of Des Moines or Polk County should call the local centralized intake: 515-248-1850.

Emergency Solutions Grant Program
The primary purpose of the Federal Emergency Solutions Grant program is to help Iowans and their families quickly regain stability in permanent housing after experiencing a housing crisis or homelessness. Examples of eligible services include street outreach, shelter, homelessness prevention and rapid rehousing (rental assistance paired with case management and supportive services). The program is administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and by the Iowa Finance Authority in Iowa. Twenty-seven agencies were awarded a total of more than $2.9 million in 2023 Emergency Solutions Grant Program funds.

Shelter Assistance Fund

The State-funded Shelter Assistance Fund program provides assistance to help with the costs of operations of homeless and domestic violence shelters, essential services for the homeless and evaluation and reporting services. Thirty-three agencies were awarded a total of nearly $1.8 million in 2023 Shelter Assistance Fund grants.

The awards list is available here.

Mahaska County Polling Locations for General Election

Posted on by Sam Parsons

OSKALOOSA — Polls will be open from 7:00 A.M. to 8:00 P.M. in Mahaska County for the November 8, 2022 General Election.

All locations are your primary/general election polling locations where you normally vote.

PLEASE NOTE: Polling locations may have changed. If unsure of your polling location, contact the Mahaska
County Auditor at 641-673-7148.

Polling Locations:

Adams/Lincoln/Monroe/Spring Creek Keomah Village/University Park: Mahaska County Conservation Environment Learning Center, 2342 Hwy 92, Oskaloosa

Black Oak/Richland/Scott/Leighton/Pella: Leighton Christian Reformed Church, 415 Reid St., Leighton

Cedar/Harrison/White Oak/Eddyville/Fremont/Rose Hill: Fremont Community Building, 107 East Main St., Fremont

East Des Moines/Garfield/Jefferson/West Des Moines/Beacon: Beacon United Methodist Church, 417 Kilburn Street, Beacon

Madison/Pleasant Grove/Prairie/Union/Barnes City/New Sharon: New Sharon City Park Building, 102 West High St., New Sharon

Oskaloosa – 1st Ward: Extension Office Building, 212 North I St., Oskaloosa (EDITOR’S NOTE: It was announced today that the polling site for residents of the Oskaloosa 1st Ward has moved from the Extension Office Building to Bethel Baptist Church, 1407 A Avenue West, Oskaloosa, due to unforeseen circumstances.)

Oskaloosa – 2nd Ward: Gateway Church of the Nazarene, 140 Gateway Drive, Oskaloosa

Oskaloosa – 3rd Ward: Assembly of God Church Gym, 716 South 17th St., Oskaloosa

Oskaloosa – 4th Ward: Senior Center (Old Grant School Building), 715 B Ave East, Oskaloosa

Voters living outside Mahaska County should contact their county auditor for absentee ballots and voting locations.

Powerball prize up to $1.5 billion, 3rd-largest ever in US

Posted on by Sam Parsons

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The bad news is that no one won Wednesday night’s huge $1.2 billion Powerball jackpot. The good news is that means the prize has grown even larger to $1.5 billion ahead of the next drawing Saturday night. That is the third-largest lottery prize in U.S. history. The numbers drawn Wednesday night were: 2, 11, 22, 35, 60 and the red powerball 23. No one has won the top Powerball prize since Aug. 3, making for 39 consecutive drawings without anyone matching all six numbers. What’s behind three months of lottery futility? It’s simple math. The odds of winning the jackpot are an abysmal 1 in 292.2 million.

Rainbow fentanyl is fortunately a no-show during Iowa’s Halloween celebrations

Posted on by Sam Parsons

By Matt Kelley (Radio Iowa)

Iowans heard dire warnings last month about the possibility of rainbow fentanyl showing up in kids’ trick-or-treat bags, but Emily Murray, spokeswoman for the regional U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency office in Omaha, says they had no reports of the drug appearing anywhere in the five-state area.

“DEA agents have yet to see or seize rainbow fentanyl, I think that’s important to know,” Murray says. “We’re not naïve enough to think that it’s not out there but DEA agents have not seized it. State and locals were reaching out, working with them to kind of see what they’re seeing, but Halloween has come and gone and we have not seen the rainbow fentanyl.” Murray says the rainbow fentanyl comes in a wide array of colors and is the same, dangerous drug as regular fentanyl.

“The fake pills that you’re seeing that are blue and made to look like oxycodone or Xanax or Adderall, any of those prescription medications, now it’s just that they’re coming across in rainbow colors,” Murray says. “They might be targeting a younger audience with that, but it’s also a marketing ploy, too, when you’ve got something that looks a little bit different. It’s new. It’s exciting because it’s a bright color.” Iowans need to know, Murray says, that while fentanyl can be a killer, so can many other pharmaceuticals.

“The only prescription medication that they should be taking is the one that’s prescribed specifically for them,” she says. “We don’t want anyone to take a legitimate prescription medication that’s not coming from their doctor and filled at a pharmacy. Always be cautious. It’s the same messaging that we tell students or tell kids you know, don’t take something when you don’t know where it’s coming from.” A state report says 258 Iowans died of opioid overdoses last year. Murray says meth is still the number-one illegal drug being seized in the region.

Free Clinic Returns to Oskaloosa

Posted on by Sam Parsons

OSKALOOSA — After a long absence, Free Clinics of Iowa is partnering with Love In the Name of Christ of Mahaska County to bring back clinical offerings to families free of charge. Mahaska Health and Mahaska Drug are community partners with Love INC to help provide services.

The clinic, held once a month, will be held at the Love INC offices, 408 S. 11th Street in Oskaloosa on the second Tuesday of each month. Check-ins will be from 5:30-6:30 p.m.

Nearly three dozen clinics across the state of Iowa provide free clinical services to Iowans. Mahaska County had a clinic site in the 1990s, but Love INC, Mahaska Health and Mahaska Drug identified a need to bring the clinic back into operation. With the partnering with Free Clinics of Iowa and local support, the Mahaska County site will provide employment physicals, blood pressure checks, and glucose testing. For more information contact Love INC at 641-676-3750.

Election 2022: County Auditor is the Only Contested County Position on the Ballot in Mahaska

Posted on by Sam Parsons

By Sam Parsons

With the general election coming up next week, some Mahaska County voters may have noticed that out of all of the county-level positions to be voted on this time around, only one of them is contested. The vacant County Auditor position is up for grabs in lieu of the retirement of former county auditor Sue Brown and the decision of current county auditor Jody Van Patten to pursue the county recorder position. We at the No Coast Network reached out to both candidates for Mahaska County Auditor to ask some general questions.

New Sharon native Valerie Lindenman is one of the candidates, and when asked about the one thing she wanted voters to know about her, this is what she had to say.

Our full conversation with Valerie Lindenman is available here:

The opposing candidate on the ballot for Mahaska County Auditor is Teri Cirbo-Rodgers of Barnes City. When the No Coast Network reached out to Cirbo-Rodgers for this story, no response was given.

Powell likely to be pressed on whether Fed will slow hikes

Posted on by Sam Parsons

WASHINGTON (AP) — Looming over the Federal Reserve meeting that ends Wednesday is a question of intense interest: Just how high will the Fed’s inflation-fighters raise interest rates — and might they slow their rate hikes as soon as next month? The Fed is expected to announce a hefty three-quarter-point hike in its key short-term rate — its fourth straight — which will lead to still-higher loan rates for many businesses and consumers. What many Fed-watchers hope is that Chair Jerome Powell will hint at a news conference that the central bank may ease the pace of its hikes, perhaps to a half-point in December and two quarter-point hikes next year.

Secretary Pate expanding post-election audits

Posted on by Sam Parsons

DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate is adding another layer of protection to Iowa’s electoral process by expanding post-election audits. All 99 counties will be required to conduct a hand count audit of two races following the November 2022 general election. Previously, they audited one race.

One randomly selected precinct in each county will hand count the votes for the Governor’s race to match with the ballot tabulators to ensure the accuracy of the vote. On November 9, the day after the election, Secretary Pate will announce an additional race in a randomly selected precinct in each county.

“This is being done to ensure Iowans of the integrity of the vote,” Secretary Pate said. “Our post-election audits consistently match the ballot tabulators perfectly. Adding another race to the process gives greater protection, transparency and security to the process. We want Iowans to know their vote counts.”

Every ballot tabulator in Iowa undergoes a public pre-election audit to ensure it will count votes accurately on Election Day. Post-election audits are mandatory in all 99 counties following each election.

For more information about election security in Iowa, visit the Secretary of State’s website at sos.iowa.gov. Information about casting your ballot is available at VoterReady.Iowa.gov.

Deadline for Mahaska Chamber Award Nominations is Friday

Posted on by Sam Parsons

OSKALOOSA — The Mahaska Chamber is still seeking nominations for various community awards and would like to remind citizens that the deadline to do so is this Friday (11/4).

Would you like to nominate a business or individual who has made a big difference in Mahaska County in the past year? Mahaska Chamber & Development Group will again be presenting several civic awards. You are urged to submit nominations for these awards. The categories are as follows:

Retail Business and Service Business of the Year (2 awards) – The most outstanding retail or service business in the Mahaska community during this past fiscal year must be in business for minimum of two years, demonstrate success, with evidence of commitment and contribution to the community.
Industry of the Year – The most outstanding industry in the Mahaska community during the year will have a stable employment history, will have been in business for minimum of two years, showing evidence of commitment and contribution to the community and a commitment to sound management practices.
Business Person of the Year – This individual will have demonstrated those qualities which have distinguished him/her in business: proven commitment and contribution to the community, a commitment to ethical business practices, recognized within their profession, a Mahaska County resident, a history of success in their business.
Citizen of the Year – This individual will have demonstrated outstanding involvement in and support of his/her community over an extended period of time.
Community Improvement Award – This commercial or industrial property will have made improvements which enhance the appearance and /or economic vitality of the Mahaska community through new development or through the redevelopment of an existing property.
Educator of the Year – This individual from a Mahaska County school will display a true passion and devotion to the betterment of students.
Student of the Year -This individual will be a graduating senior or college student from a school in Mahaska County who is well-rounded and displays exemplary leadership and service for the betterment of Mahaska County.
Up & Comer – This young individual or new business owner will be recognized for their dedicated commitment, passion and high standard of excellence while leading the charge in Mahaska County.
Chuck Russell Award – This person or project will be recognized for their dedicated commitment in preserving the rich heritage and history of Oskaloosa and Mahaska County.
To make any nominations or if you have an innovative idea for a “special award” for exceptional achievement in a category not mentioned, you are encouraged to phone 641-672-2591 or email ddegroot@mahaskachamber.org with “Mahaska Chamber Award” in the subject line to present the suggestion to the Chamber. Nominations must be received by Friday, November 4.

Pella City Council Approves Fiber Transport Network Project

Posted on by Sam Parsons

By Sam Parsons

The Pella City Council met last night and had several public hearings, including public hearings related to the Pella Main Street Market under construction. A development agreement was approved, which included the provision that the developer must finish work on the construction of the market by December 31st of this year.

The council also approved a contract for the Pella Fiber Transport Network West to Indianola Municipal Utilities (IMU), which would involve the construction of a fiber optic network to connect Pella to what is known as a Point of Presence (POP) at IMU.

The proposed construction entails a length of 42.6 miles and a contract with Kramer Service Group for the amount of roughly $1.8 million was approved. The city will split the cost with IMU. The project is expected to be completed by the end of September 2023.

The next regular Pella city council meeting is scheduled for November 15.

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