THURSDAY, FEB. 13, 2025 • VOLUME N0. 124 • ISSUE NO. 22 • 1 SECTION • 8 PAGES
Serving Colfax • Mingo • Baxter • Western Jasper County
Fundraising efforts progressing for new childcare center in Colfax April deadline makes donating sooner than later more important than ever By Jamee A. Pierson Jasper County Tribune Fundraising efforts are well underway for the new childcare center in Colfax. The district, in partnership with the Colfax Economic Development Corporation (CEDCO), received a $1.7 million grant from the State of Iowa for a new childcare center and is working to match the funds by the April 1 due date.
“We’ve got money coming in, which is good,” Colfax-Mingo Superintendent Tim Salmon said. “We’re not where we need to be but we are getting close.” The district will use the funds to build a new childcare center adjacent to the elementary building. It will hold roughly 100 kids and have wraparound care for before and after school. CEDCO recently
announced Atura Architects of Clear Lake to design the new center. The firm will work with the CEDCO board, community members and school district staff to design the center to meet the needs of the district and the community. “Now we are in design mode,” Salmon said. “What we are looking to do with the architecture was bring FUNDRAISING | 3
Submitted Photo An early rendering of what the new Colfax child care center could look like was used to secure the $1.7 million grant from the State of Iowa. The Colfax Economic Development Corporation recently approved Atura Architects for the final design.
Lack of affordable childcare looms large in Jasper County
The Jasper County Community Health Needs Assessment found childcare and early childhood education a top concern for residents
By Jamee Pierson Jasper County Tribune
Submitted Photo Lack of affordable, quality childcare is a not a new issue for the county, but it continues to be ever present with conditions not improving over time.
League of Women Voters hosts legislative gathering Feb. 15 at DMACC Rep. Dunwell confirmed to appear to give updates and answer questions By Christopher Braunschweig Jasper County Tribune The League of Women Voters of Jasper County will be hosting its first legislative gathering of the year at 10 a.m. Feb. 15 at DMACC Newton Campus. Scheduled to attend the public event is House Rep. Jon Dunwell, who will be providing updates and answering questions about the goings on at the Iowa Legislature. Sen. Ken Rozenboom has also been invited to attend. House Rep. Barb Kniff McCulla, whose district covers most of the Prairie City and
Monroe communities, cannot attend the first event but is scheduled to participate alongside Dunwell in a forthcoming event at 10 a.m. March 11 at the Newton Public Library. Legislative gatherings have garnered energetic discussions about some of the most talked about topics that have come before the legislature. Education has proven to be a major talking point in past events, particularly when the governor proposed the reform of the AEAs and introduced education savings accounts, or vouchers, for private schools. CONTACT US
Editor’s note: This is the fifth in a series of articles exploring the results of the Jasper County Community Health Needs Assessment. Lack of childcare is a top concern in the community Health Needs Assessment, and it is an issue that has been present in the county for an extended period of time. With a workforce shortage perception of more than 56 percent for childcare providers in the county, finding quality childcare close to home is more difficult than ever for local families. More than 16 percent of respondents also eported they were unable to get childcare when it was needed in the past year. For those who attended the community town hall meeting, lack of childcare was a top three concern. The county is also falling behind in head start programs which
is designed to help children from birth to age five who come from families at or below poverty level. In Jasper County there is a rate of 4.63 per 10,000 kids in a head start program, below the state average of 13.16 per 10,000 kids according to the US Department of Health and Human Services. “This indicator is important because the program’s goal is to help children become ready for kindergarten while also providing the needed requirements to thrive, including health care and food support,” the report said. Preschool fairs better with 426 children ages three and four enrolled in the county. That is 44.24 percent of those children that age within the borders compared to 43.19 percent of kids in the state according to the US Census Bureau American Community Survey. CHILDCARE | 3
Newton News and PCM Explorer take home 4 first-place plaques at INA awards Shaw Media papers received placements in 14 categories at annual convention By Christopher Braunschweig Jasper County Tribune Newton News and the PCM Explorer took home four firstplace plaques last week at the Iowa Newspaper Association Convention and Awards Ceremony in downtown Des Moines. Both newspapers, along with the Jasper County Tribune, received top-three placements in 14 categories for their reporting, photography and graphics. “I am always impressed with the work our staff puts in keeping the public informed week in and week out,” editor Jamee A.
Jamee A. Pierson/Jasper County Tribune Four first-place plaques highlighted the 14 placements for the Newton News and PCM Explorer in Des Moines at the Iowa Newspaper Assocation Convention and Awards Ceremony Feb. 6.
Pierson said. “To be recognized for Shaw our effortsMedia by our peers is exciting, and I am very proud of everyone who contributes to making our papers great.” The ceremony was held Feb. 6 at the Marriott Hotel. Presentations were made to the winest. 1851
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ners of the 2025 Iowa Better Newspaper Contests, which was judged this year by the Kansas Press Association. Approximately 3,200 entries in dozens of categories were judged by AWARDS | 3
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