By Sam Parsons

This month is Community Planning Month in the city of Oskaloosa, and the draft comprehensive plan named “Plan Osky” is now available for public viewing.

According to the document, Plan Osky serves as a “road map and vision for Oskaloosa’s future.” Some of the headlining goals and priorities of the plan include preparing for “expanding its industrial base, a new regional airport, and highways, all while increasing mixed-use development and economic diversity” by bolstering community spirit, mobility, and accessibility, improving the parks and recreation landscape, and driving economic growth.

Complete editions of the draft comprehensive plan for the city of Oskaloosa can be found at PlanOskaloosa.com, with contact information available for public feedback before approval meetings begin in November.

OTTUMWA — At approximately 5 p.m. Tuesday October 18, 2022 the Ottumwa Police Department responded to 611 S. Adella to perform a welfare check on the elderly male that lives at this address. On arrival the responding officer smelled smoke and noticed the windows were black, the officer then called for the fire department to respond. The fire department arrived on scene at approximately 5:05 p.m. and made entry into the home to find the male occupant of the home deceased.

The fire, which had self-extinguished due to lack of available oxygen, was located in the living room of the home. The cause of the fire was determined to be a propane heater in the living room, which ignited nearby combustibles. The exact time of the fire is unknown.

Two smoke alarms were present, however, there were no batteries in one and the other had a dead battery; therefore both alarms failed to operate. The deceased male was identified as Jerry Lee Blomgren, 79, of this address. The body has been transported to the Iowa State Medical Examiner for an autopsy.

PELLA, IA — Madhura Swaminathan, daughter of the first World Food Prize Laureate M. S. Swaminathan, will present Central College’s annual World Food Prize Lecture at 11 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 20, in Douwstra Auditorium on Central’s campus.

The World Food Prize Laureate Lecture Series brings the innovative discussions of the Norman E. Borlaug International Dialogue to Iowa’s educational communities and the broader public to engage citizens, students, teachers and community leaders in a vibrant exchange of ideas and information. The World Food Prize collaboration with Iowa’s educational institutions and businesses builds public awareness of those issues related to agriculture, agribusiness, food, nutrition and health, and further helps to support cultural and educational opportunities within the state.

“We are excited to have Professor Swaminathan on campus to address our first-year students on issues pertaining to food security, agriculture and rural development,” says Jay Wackerly, associate professor of chemistry. “World Food Prize Lecture speakers have been frequently welcomed to our campus because they live out the Central mission and values of engaged citizenship.”

Swaminathan currently serves as a professor and head of the economic analysis unit at the Indian Statistical Institute in Bangalore, India. She serves as chair of the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation and is an advisor on the World Food Prize Council of Advisors. Swaminathan received her Ph.D. in economics from the University of Oxford and has worked on issues of food security, agriculture and rural development for over 25 years.

She was a member of the Government of India’s High-Level Panel on Long-Term Food Security and served on the committee of development policy of the economic and social council of the United Nations from 2013 to 2015. She has authored numerous books and publications and most recently she was a contributing author of the report on “Multi-stakeholder Partnerships to Finance and Improve Food Security and Nutrition in the Framework of the 2030 Agenda” by the High-Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition of the Committee on World Food Security in Rome.

The World Food Prize is an international award recognizing individuals who have increased the quality, quantity or availability of food in the world. Central has proudly hosted the lecture for years in conjunction with the World Food Prize Conference in Des Moines, Iowa. The World Food Prize Laureate Award Ceremony will be at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 20, in Des Moines.