On Thursday, May 10, the Oskaloosa Area Chamber & Development Group will hold the OACDG Annual Awards Banquet at 5:30 PM in the William Penn Cafeteria, located in the Dana M. Atkins Memorial Union. Meal options include steak, chicken, salmon, or vegetarian. Get tickets prior to April 27 for $30 at the Oskaloosa Chamber office. After April 27, ticket prices increase to $40. The OACDG Annual Meeting will be held from 5:00 – 6:30 with a social hour, followed by dinner, awards, and a dessert auction. Call 641-672-2591 for tickets or to nominate award recipients.
Indoor Pools Open at Beach Ottumwa
The indoor pools at the Beach Ottumwa will reopen Saturday, April 7 at 11 AM. Recent improvements include new overhead indoor LED lighting, painting of the indoor pools, and new concrete on the outdoor concession deck.
‘Experience Mahaska’ at Penn Central Mall This Sunday
(OSKALOOSA, Iowa) – Penn Central Mall will host “Experience Mahaska Community Activities & Events Expo” event in the Mall on Sunday, April 8. The event is designed to be an interactive introduction of all of the incredible clubs, activities, events and organizations available right here in the Mahaska County community. The event is open to the public and will be held at Penn Central Mall on Sunday, April 8th. Nearly 45 entities that offer “things to do” for all ages in the community will host stations from 1PM – 4PM.
The community is invited to attend and experience activities that are available right here in their community with hands-on, interactive stations that are creative, fun and unique.
Come walk the MCRF trail, checkout a racecar from Eddyville Raceway Park, see the KBOE/KMZN booth, play a spin the wheel trivia game with Hy-Vee and earn the chance to win Fuel Saver points, take an indoor “test ride” on a bike from Bobzilla’s Bicycle Werks and do much much more at the Experience Mahaska Events Expo.
“I am excited to see the community working together to get the word out about what’s happening in Mahaska County,” stated Mike Gipple, Mall manager. “It has been fun connecting with entities and clubs to be a part of this great event. In addition, we are incredibly thankful to MCRF and the Mahaska Co. YMCA for their assistance in making this unique event happen.”
Penn Central Mall will provide a sheet with descriptions and introductions of the stations at the event.
Mary Street Closure in Ottumwa
Motorists are advised that Mary Street at the intersection of Sheridan Avenue in Ottumwa will be temporarily closing starting Tuesday, March 27. The closure is in association with the Sheridan Avenue Reconstruction project and will allow for the installation of a new water main. During this work, Mary Street will be narrowed to one lane of traffic, with intermittent complete closures. Motorists are advised to seek alternate routes around the work zone. With favorable weather conditions, the temporary lane restrictions and closures are anticipated through the end of next week.
Rusty the Cattle Dog
Meet our ol’ pal Rusty, KBOE 104.9 FM‘s Pet of the Week from Stephen Memorial Animal Shelter.
Rusty is about 8 years old, and he is a cattle dog mix. He came to the Stephen Memorial Animal Shelter very skinny as a stray, so he is ready for you to fatten him up!
To meet Rusty or any of the other wonderful cats and dogs, stop out to the shelter today! Visit www.stephenmemorial.org to learn more, call the shelter at 641-673-3991, or check out the Stephen Memorial Animal Shelter Facebook page.
Medicare Beneficiaries To Receive New Medicare Card
(DES MOINES, Iowa) – Identity theft affects everyone, including Iowans on Medicare. To help protect the identity of Iowans, Medicare is mailing new Medicare cards between April 2018 and April 2019.
“This is a welcome and important change that will affect many Iowans,” Iowa Insurance Commissioner Doug Ommen said. “We hear often about this issue and SHIIP is here to help be a resource for Iowans with questions during this transition.”
The new Medicare card will no longer have a Social Security number on it. The new Medicare card will instead have a new number that is unique to each cardholder. All Medicare benefits and coverage will stay the same. Only the Medicare cards will change.
It is important that Iowans have their correct address on file with the U.S. Social Security Administration to be able to receive the new card. To update or check the address on file, visit https://ssa.gov/myaccount or 1-800-772-1213. TTY users can call 1-800-325-0778. Railroad retirees should contact the Railroad Retirement Board at 877-772-5772.
Mailing 57 million cards takes time. New Medicare cards may arrive at a different time than the cards of a spouse, friend or neighbor. Call 1-800-MEDICARE for cards not received by April 2019.
For more information visit https://go.Medicare.gov/newcard or call SHIIP (the Iowa Insurance Division’s Senior Health Insurance Information Program) at 800-351-4664 (TTY 800-735-2942).
–This information was provided in a news release on behalf of the Iowa Insurance Division.
‘Soups On Us’ Part III of IV
Mahaska Health Partnership has sponsored a four-part learning series called “Soups On Us,” which offers enlightening facts and motivational tips to encourage a healthier lifestyle. These events are scheduled from noon until 1 PM at the Mahaska County YMCA Conference Room. They are free and open to the public, however registration is required by calling 641-672-3303. “Healthy Sleep” is the session that’ll be held on Thursday, April 12.
Farmers Market Nutrition Program Vendor Training
Iowa State University (ISU) Extension and Outreach in Iowa and Johnson County along with the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) are cooperating to provide training for local food and farmer’s market producers. The training is for producers who would like become certified to participate in the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Farmers Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) and Senior FMN. This is the first time Extension offices in Iowa have offered the training to farmers so that they are certified to be able to accept FMNP checks.
“I am excited that Extension offices are supporting this program, as it is helpful to local farmers, farmers markets, young families and the seniors who benefit from the program,” said Gene Mohling, Region 15 Director for ISU Extension and Outreach. “We are proud that we can offer the use of county Extension office space to provide easy access to this training.”
For the 2018 season, there will only be webinar training options, replacing all previous video training methods. Individuals are able to attend any of the webinars from their home, library, or family computer. Throughout the state, ISU Extension and Outreach is partnering with IDALS to deliver these webinars through April to those who wish to view the webinars at Extension locations and those with limited access to a computer or internet connection. Webinars through April will be available for viewing at county Extension offices. Individuals must sign in at the office to account for their attendance.
Below is a listing of the dates, times and registration URLs of each webinar available at ISU Extension and Outreach offices. It is recommended that people register at least 24 hours prior to the training session.
Thursday, March 22
10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Registration URL: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/rt/8947869995481495553
Tuesday, April 10
10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Registration URL: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/rt/8947869995481495553
Wednesday, April 25
10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Registration URL: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/rt/8947869995481495553
Iowa and Johnson County Extension are two of the twenty ISU Extension and Outreach locations across the state that is showing the webinars.
In 2017, WIC recipients in the state of Iowa redeemed $383,000 dollars in certificates and seniors redeemed $477,000 in certificates. The funds are spent only at farmers markets and with local farmers for locally grown fruits and vegetables.
Each webinar will last around 45 min. – 1 hour. If you have questions, you can contact Stephanie Groom at 515-725-1179 or stephanie.groom@iowaagriculture.gov
Maple the Kitty Cat
Meet Maple, KBOE 104.9 FM‘s Pet of the Week from Stephen Memorial Animal Shelter.
She’s about 5 1/2 months old – and the only kitten remaining from strays that came in last season. But we don’t understand why she hasn’t found a home yet… because Maple is a sweet and curious kitten. Would you get a look at those eyes? She’s perfect!
Visit www.stephenmemorial.org to learn more, call the shelter at 641-673-3991, or check out the Stephen Memorial Animal Shelter Facebook page.
MHP Community Blood Drive
Mahaska Health Partnership will host a community blood drive from 3:00 – 7:00 PM on Monday, March 26, inside of the Cedar Bluff Learning Center. To donate, please contact the blood center at 800-452-1097 or visit www.bloodcenterimpact.org and use code 5047 to locate the drive.