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Wednesday January 21, 2026 | Volume 151, Issue 2

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Central club advocates for more DHS expands focus on school maintenance professional By DAVID HAYES I-O Editor

trades program

Like a dog that won’t give up a favorite bone once it’s in its teeth, a group of students at Central High School have latched onto a problem at the school that they hope will finally see change. Members of the newly formed Advocacy Club have taken on as their first project the leaky roofs at the 76-yearold building. “We formed this year to combat very large concerns of students and faculty in our district,” said Junior Aaron Villeneuve, a leader in the Advocacy Club. “We hope that a new and larger student voice representation in our school district will help ease some of these problems or at least the gaps in knowledge of them.” They have 15 members so far. Villeneuve said the topic of the leaky roofs is not a new one. “We’ve heard of this being an issue for five or six years now that students started talking about long before the seniors I knew graduated. It’s just gotten worse in a lot of students’ minds as time has gone on,” Villeneuve said. “Another concern is our maintenance team may not have enough resources to combat this issue. With funds they have, they’re doing what they can. But it’s not enough to stem that problem.” Central was built in 1950 with several renovations and additions over the years. A band room and cafeteria were added in 1982, a new gymnasium in 1995 and new classrooms in 1992. Most

By DHS STAFF

PHOTO BY DAVID HAYES

Junior Aaron Villeneuve points out to his fellow Advocacy Club members a roof leak in a hallway at Central High School that has caused water stains from ceiling to floor.

See CLUB, page A8

Dallas High School officially launched its Professional Trades Program last week, marking a significant expansion of career-focused learning opportunities for students. The after-school class meets weekly from 4-6 p.m. and currently serves over 20 students who are earning valuable, industry-recognized certifications alongside their traditional high school coursework. The Professional Trades Program offers students hands-on training and certification opportunities in high-demand fields, including ODOT Flagging, OSHA 30 Safety, Real Estate Licensure, Insurance Sales, Tax Preparation, QuickBooks Certification and Commercial Drone Pilot Licensing. These credentials are designed to give students a competitive advantage and a direct pathway into the workforce upon graduation. Under the guidance of CTE Coordinator Bill Masei, the program’s mission is to ensure students graduate with employable skills that supplement their high school diploma. “We are excited to see this program double from last year,” said Masei. “More seniors are graduating wanting to enter the workforce as soon as possible. My goal is to have them workforce ready when they graduate.” See DHS, page A7

Polk County Fairgrounds welcomes new kennel By DAVID HAYES I-O Editor

On the farthest southeast corner of the Polk County Fairgrounds sits a new, unassuming trailer. Forgive the proprietors if they’re happy if it never gets used. However, Sheriff Mark Garton and Capt. Jeff Isham know regardless how careful or reckless pet owners are, there’s a good chance that a canine escapee will now end up in the county’s new dog kennel. The kennel opened in the beginning of November and has had 17 guests so far with about eight returned to their owners. The county recently expanded its outreach collecting strays when it took over animal control from the city of Dallas in 2023. “This is not a money-making business,” Garton said.

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“License fees and stuff doesn’t even come close to covering the cost of running the program, so they opted out.” Dallas was able to opt out because Polk County has an Animal Control District established by the county commissioners decades ago, Garton added. Salem also doesn’t have a program, so they’ve sent stray dogs out to Polk County as well. Isham anticipates the cities of Monmouth and Independence may also follow suit. Before the kennel was built, Polk County either took the stray dogs to the Humane Society or to a tiny pound the city of Dallas had out next to its shooting range that had a dilapidated, two-dog kennel, Isham said. See KENNEL, page A8

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