Notice is hereby given that the March 13, 2018 Meeting of the Milestones Area Agency on Aging Advisory Board will be held in Fairfield at the Senior Center, lower level at 10:00 AM, located at 209 S. Court Street in Fairfield. Residents of Appanoose, Clinton, Davis, Des Moines, Henry, Jefferson, Keokuk, Lee, Louisa, Lucas, Mahaska, Monroe, Muscatine, Scott, Van Buren, Wapello and Wayne Counties are encouraged to attend. A copy of the agenda and approved minutes from past meetings are available at www.milestonesaaa.org under the News/Events tab; by email at info@milestonesaaa.org or by calling 1-855-410-6222.
Scammers Again Targeting MidAmerican Energy Customers
Residential, commercial customers report flurry of imposter calls seeking immediate payment
(DES MOINES, Iowa) – Residential and commercial customers of MidAmerican Energy today report receiving calls from imposters demanding immediate payment on behalf of MidAmerican Energy.
Imposter scam callers threaten to shut off power unless the customer makes an immediate payment over the phone with a prepaid debit card.
Scammers are persistent and aggressive and can:
- Spoof caller-ID to make the call appear as if it is coming from the utility or any number.
- Require customers to make an immediate payment using a prepaid card (such as a Green Dot card).
- Threaten disconnection if the customer doesn’t pay immediately over the phone.
Customers who receive a suspicious call should hang up, and report it to their local police department or sheriff’s office. MidAmerican does not call customers demanding immediate payment by phone.
Once you’ve reported the call to law enforcement, report it to MidAmerican Energy at the number on your monthly utility bill, or call 888-427-5632. Don’t call the number that appears on your caller-ID display.
To check your billing status, call MidAmerican. Or, access your billing records online through My Account on the company’s website at www.midamericanenergy.com.
Customers should follow these steps to stay safe:
- Don’t pay immediately by phone, especially if you did not initiate the call.
- Remember, MidAmerican Energy accepts many forms of payment, but won’t demand a specific payment method by phone.
- Never give out personal or financial information when someone calls you. Do not share credit card, bank, prepaid money card or even gift card account numbers when you receive a call. For more information, visit www.midamericanenergy.com/scams. The Consumer Protection Division of the Iowa Attorney General’s office has also set up a utility scam recording – call 515-281-5926.
Source: MidAmerican Energy
Mahaska County Ruritan Soup Supper
The Mahaska County Ruritan Soup Supper will be held at Central United Methodist Church on Thursday, March 15 from 4:30 – 7:00 PM. Serving: Potato Soup, Chili Soup, Grilled Cheese, Relish & Dessert. Proceeds will go towards William Penn University scholarships. Adults – $7; Children (12 and under) – $3.
Loebsack Representative Visits Oskaloosa
Congressman Dave Loebsack will have Brianna Dennison, Loebsack’s District Representative, in Oskaloosa on Thursday, March 15. Dennison will be at the Mahaska County Courthouse (third floor conference room) from 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM. She will be on hand to work with individuals who are having difficulty with a government agency, have suggestions for Dave, or would just like to share their concerns. Public invited.
Basil, Slow Food and Me Speaker
Mahaska County Master Gardeners are hosting Treva Reimer on Saturday, March 17 at 10:00 AM at the Mahaska County Extension office; 212 North I Street, Oskaloosa. The presentation is open to the public; and there is no fee to attend. Prior registration is NOT required. Anyone who is interested in the topic is encouraged to attend.
More information about this and other horticulture 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.
Sergeant Bluff-Luton Poses Interesting Challenge to Osky Boys
The State Boys’ Basketball Tournament begins next week at Wells Fargo Arena and for the first time since 1996, the Oskaloosa Indians will be present.
The hype for this team all season has been State-Or-Bust, but now that they’re there, the Osky faithful would love to see them grab a win to move one step closer to a state championship.
It has been a while since the Indians have been at state, but their first opponent overcame an even longer drought last year during an improbable run.
Sergeant Bluff-Luton ended a 77-year state tourney drought in 2017 as they entered the action at Wells Fargo Arena with a record of 15-9. Their first opponent was Little Hawkeye Conference team Pella, who came into the tournament as the #3 seed.
Those facts are eerie, as SB-L comes in once again on a roll, entering The Well with a 15-9 record. They are once again playing a Little Hawkeye Conference team with over 20 wins in Oskaloosa, who happens to be the #3 seed.
Oskaloosa hopes the identical comparisons stop there, as the Warriors upset Pella in the quarterfinals last season, 66-55, ending the state title hopes for the Dutch.
Six seniors have departed from Sergeant Bluff-Luton since last year, including the two leading scorers from that magical run. SB-L eventual would lose in the state championship game to Cedar Rapids Xavier, 54-49.
The hunger to get back along with excellent play down the stretch has led to another surprising state appearance for a team that hadn’t broken through the glass ceiling for multiple generations.
Despite a fairly modest 15-9 record, analytical site BCMooreRankings.com has SB-L ranked 9th in Class 3A, sporting the 6th toughest schedule of all 3A teams. Their participation in the rugged and large Missouri River Athletic Conference certainly helped them in the postseason.
By contrast, Oskaloosa goes into the tournament ranked #4 by BCMoore with just the 31st toughest schedule in the state. The Indians have played well against new foes, however, as their only loss against a team they were playing for the first time was on the road against Dubuque Wahlert in overtime back on January 13th.
If you’re curious, the top three teams ahead of Oskaloosa in the BCMoore rankings are Cedar Rapids Xavier, Mount Pleasant, and Glenwood, all of whom are at state. Xavier and MP are the #1 and #2 seed, while Glenwood is seeded 4th.
The game is slated to begin at 4:30 PM on Tuesday, March 6th. You can hear the broadcast from Wells Fargo Arena starting around 3:30 PM on 99.5 FM/740 AM KMZN, radiokmzn.com, and the KMZN mobile app. Emery Songer and Doug DeKock will be calling the action.
The winner of the battle between Osky and SB-L will move into the state semifinals Thursday afternoon against either Mount Pleasant or Waverly-Shell Rock.
Update: Death Investigation Underway in Oskaloosa
Update: This article has been updated to reflect information provided during a news conference with the Oskaloosa Police Department at 11:30 AM on Friday, March 2.
(OSKALOOSA, Iowa) – An investigation is underway after a man died last night following a stabbing incident in Oskaloosa. Oskaloosa Police Chief Jake McGee, along with Iowa DCI investigator Mike Motsinger, have confirmed the death of William Penn University student Marquis Todd. Officials said during a news conference that Todd was stabbed after a minor vehicular accident on North 3rd Street in Oskaloosa on Thursday night. Todd’s friends then took him to the Jiffy gas station in Oskaloosa. No one has been taken into custody yet and the investigation is ongoing. Law enforcement did not provide any names of persons of interest during the time of the news conference.
University officials confirmed the death of Todd via a letter signed by University President John Ottosson, which was published by KCCI:
Dear Penn Family,
I write this note with a heavy heart. Last night, there was an incident in town that led to the death of a member of one of our family, student Marquis Todd. Details of the incident are still unfolding and under investigation. It is known that the other individuals in this incident were not affiliated with the University.
The University is cooperating fully with the Oskaloosa Police Department with their investigation and in turn, the OPD is keeping the University apprised of the situation as details unfold.
William Penn University Counseling Services, Campus Ministry, and Crisis Intervention Services will be on campus today and will be available to students, faculty, and staff. For more information regarding these resources, please contact Tyne Smith at smitht@wmpenn.edu or 641-673-1703. Her office of located on the main floor of the Dana M. Atkins Memorial Union. To contact Campus Ministry for support, please call Ron Bryan at 641-660-9717.
Sincerely,
John Ottosson
President
William Penn University
The Iowa DCI is assisting the Oskaloosa Police Department in the investigation.
–By Hailey Brown & Emery Songer, KBOE/KMZN
Magistrate Thompson Resigns, Crookham-Johnson Tapped to Fill Role
(MAHASKA COUNTY, Iowa) – Last Friday, the Mahaska County Magistrate Appointing Commission met and appointed Diane Crookham-Johnson to fill a vacancy created by the resignation of Magistrate Amber Thompson. According to a news release sent by the 8th Judicial District Court Administration, this appointment goes into effect March 9.
Crookham-Johnson will continue to maintain a law practice in Oskaloosa focused on family and juvenile law. However, the news release does not disclose information about Magistrate Thompson’s resignation.
A fourth-generation attorney in Mahaska County, Crookham-Johnson is quoted in the news release saying, “I look forward to serving the community in this new role.”
Crookham-Johnson graduated from the University of Iowa with a Bachelor’s Degree in 1988. After a twenty-year career in manufacturing, she returned to school and earned her law degree from Drake University School of Law in 2010.
This information was provided in a news release sent by Cathy Reck, Administrative Secretary of the 8th Judicial District Court Administration.
Emma the Pit Bull Mix
KBOE 104.9 FM‘s Pet of the Week is a sweet and adorable girl named Emma from Stephen Memorial Animal Shelter in Oskaloosa, Iowa.
Emma is a 10-month-old pit bull mix who came in as a stray a week ago. She gets along well with other dogs, but hasn’t been exposed to cats just yet.
She comes off as shy and timid at first, but we know she’ll warm up to the right person. Could that person be you? If so, stop in to Stephen Memorial Animal Shelter to see if she would be a good fit for your home. ???? SMAS is located at 2299 235th St in Oskaloosa, IA. They can be reached by phone at (641) 673-3991.
About SMAS
With the help of the Mahaska Humane Society, SMAS cares for over 1,000 animals per year. They provide animal control services for the City of Oskaloosa, rural Mahaska County, and smaller municipalities that have signed contracts with SMAS. In addition, they also work to educate the community about responsible pet ownership through multiple community outreach programs and through their “Spay the County” program in which they offer spay/neuter assistance to low-income families within Mahaska County, IA. Though we are a small shelter, serving a rural community, we pride ourselves on having a progressive view on animal sheltering as a field as well as the ways animal welfare organizations are a value to the community.
Joseph Hall’s Elvis: Rock ‘n’ Remember
Elvis is in the building at the George Daily Auditorium on Saturday, March 10 at 7:30 PM! Joseph Hall has the look, the voice, the charm, and the moves to take us back to a time when fans fell in love with the high spirited Elvis Presley. His show will take you through a journey of Elvis hits from rock ‘n’ roll, country, pop, rhythm and blues, and gospel. Joseph Hall has been officially recognized as one of the top tribute artists in the world and was a finalist on America’s Got Talent. Sponsored by C.L. Barnhouse.