Senator shares perspective on free speech; calls FCC chairman’s comments ‘stupid’ and condemns Disney’s handling
By Christopher Braunschweig Jasper County Tribune
U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley upheld the First Amendment rights of teachers and professors who have been put on leave or fired from their jobs for their scornful comments about Charlie Kirk’s death, saying they “can say
Baxter announces 2025 Homecoming Court; king and queen to be crowned Oct. 2
Submitted Photo Baxter Bolts 2025 Homecoming Court: Klaire Shanks, Stadan Vansice, Alyvia Burdess, Eli Dee, Caydence Sulzle, Cody Travis, Grace Anderegg and Colton Moffit. 2025 Prince and Princess: Tatum Stribe and Cassie Moorman.
anything they want to” so long as they are speaking as private citizen and not inciting violence.
He also said Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Brendan Carr made “stupid comments” about what would happen if Disney or ABC didn’t take action against Jimmy Kimmel for comments he made during his late-night talk show about the man charged with killing Kirk.
Grassley also said President Donald Trump said things he should not have said.
“If any corporate CEO makes a decision based upon what some political leader said, they’re not serving their stockholders or employers or customers,” Grass -
ley said. “They ought to be making a decision as a CEO unrelated to what somebody says they should have done or not done.”
In an interview with Newton News on Friday, Sept. 26 during a visit to PCM High School, the Republican senator suggested employees could be justly punished for making disparaging comments against their employer, for example. But they can otherwise say anything they want.
“If they’re acting as a private citizen outside their employment area, they can say anything they want to,” Grassley said.
“When they’re in employment
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Colfax-Mingo announces 2025 Homecoming Court; king and queen to be crowned Oct. 2 at coronation
Alex
Wyatt
and
Grace
Royal Collins and Miley
Brenna Miller; Junior: Jace Lewis and Brooklyn Yanske.
Colfax Main Street hosting City Tour of Available Properties for commercial spaces in downtown Oct. 11
Jamee A. Pierson/Jasper County Tribune Join the Colfax is Calling, a tour of available commercial spaces, at 10 a.m., Oct. 11 starting at city hall.
By Jamee A.
of Available Properties. The tour is planned for 10 to 11:45 a.m., Oct. 11 starting at Colfax City Hall, and it includes a trip to see the historic downtown business community.
“If you’re a small business owner looking to relocate or open a new branch or a prospective business owner wanting to start a new venture, then check out this your,” Colfax Main Street Director Stuart Patterson said. “Everyone is welcome, so if you’re just interested in seeing the inside of historic buildings or seeing recently renovated spaces, come and join us too.”
The free event is open to anyone who wants to walk along. RSVP is recommended by emailing colfaxmainstreet@gmail.com.
The tour will feature open commercial spaces in the downtown area. The location boasts several recently renovated spaces and many with a lot of potential uses.
“Find the perfect space for your business,” Patterson said.
By Christopher Braunschweig Jasper County Tribune
A Newton resident told the Jasper County Board of Supervisors that the gravel road leading to the Newton Kart Klub is in poor shape, even after crews bladed the pathway upon request. However, the county engineer said parked vehicles wanting to enter the racetracks grounds prevented proper blading.
“We had people from Illinois. We had people from Missouri. We had people from Nebraska, Sioux Falls, Minnesota, Wisconsin, New York City. All over,” Ray said. “People are pissed because when we asked to have our road graded, it either gets done or it don’t get done. If it does get done, it don’t get done right.”
Ray claimed personal skid loaders have been used to fill holes in the road. He also criticized the “washboard” surface causing severe vibrations for motorists. When Ray
Randy Ray, of Newton, said he has been contacting supervisors regarding the road leading to the gokart track south of town. Ray criticized the county over its gravel road maintenance, saying “they were bad before” but “are getting worse.” Ray argued several out-of-town people travel down East Fifth Street South.
The City of Colfax recently received a Prairie Meadows Youth Sports and Recreation Grant, for a new playground at Kelly Fields. The $50,000 grant will allow for a playground that includes slides, swings, climbing walls and gaga ball pits.
Kelly Fields is home to Colfax’s little league baseball, softball and our soccer complex. The location of the proposed playground is perfectly accessible to the kids playing sports and their siblings. The proposed playground is next to an existing picnic shelter house. The City, for years, has identified this as a nearly ideal location for a playground.
These community fields are used intensely. One of the issues encountered by parents who bring multiple siblings to
Submitted Photo
The City of Colfax was the recipients of a $50,000 Prairie Meadows Youth Sports and Recreation Grant for a new playground at Kelly Fields.
the games is that there is little to do for the siblings who tire of watching their brother or sister play baseball, softball or soccer. Other improvements
accomplished at Kelly Fields in addition to the new playground include a new path from the parking lot to the concession stand, fence repairs, tree planting, re-
pairs to the concession stand, new flag poles and a lawn striper to beautify the outfields and soccer fields.
March 2026 installation date is planned.
The annual CWS/CROP Walk to help alleviate hunger in the world’s worst-afflicted areas, will begin at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 5, with pre-registration at 1:30 p.m.. Currently approximately 12 churches from around the county will be participating, commenc-
HOWARD ST. CHRISTIAN CHURCH
(Disciples of Christ)
Pastor Josh Burns 101 N. Locust St., Colfax Cell - 515-779-3148
SUNDAY - 10 a.m. Fellowship;10:30 a.m. Worship, in person or online via YouTube
MONDAY - Pastor Josh day off TUESDAY - 9:30 a.m. Coffee Time; 2:30 p.m. Chair Yoga
WEDNESDAY - 3:30 p.m. After school elementary youth; 6:15 ChiRho and CYF youth supper; 7:30 p.m. Youth Group
THIRD SUNDAY - 8 p.m. Elders meeting, Board meeting after church; Collect for Food Pantry
FOURTH SUNDAY - Potluck Dinner
FIFTH SUNDAY - Potluck
Breakfast
FIRST MONDAY - WIC appointments
FOURTH & FIFTH TUESDAY3 p.m. Table of Grace
IRA UNITED CHURCH
Pastors Doug Cupples and Phil Butler
SUNDAY - 9:30 a.m. Church service; 10:30 a.m. Sunday school Communion first Sunday
ing on the west side of the Jasper County Courthouse in Newton. It is an ecumenical project with all interested persons welcome and is ideal as a family and/or athletic event.
Participants gather pledges from their friends and colleagues,
to be made payable to CWS/CROP. Anyone who would like to participate can contact Larry Hurto at beh050219@gmail.
A reception honoring the participants will be in Latham Hall at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church following the event.
METZ COMMUNITY CHURCH
3253 W. 62nd St. S., Newton Pastor David Rex 641-521-4354
SUNDAY - 9 a.m. Sunday school; 10:10 a.m. Worship Last Saturday of month - 8 a.m. Men’s Breakfast
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, Colfax Minister, Pastor Cody Dyer Church Office 674-4165
FRIDAY, Oct. 3 - 7 p.m. Life Recovery Meeting; “The Cellar” following C-M home football game
SATURDAY, Oct. 4- 7:30 a.m. Men’s Breakfast/Bible Study
SUNDAY, Oct. 5 - 9 a.m. Fellowship; 9:15 a.m. Bible Education Classes; 10:25 a.m. Message by Pastor Cody Dyer; 5 p.m. “The Well” Youth Group
MONDAY, Oct. 6 - 6 p.m. Deacon/Deaconess Meeting
TUESDAY, Oct. 7 - 3:30 p.m. Women’s Prayer & Coffee; 6:30 p.m. Gospel of John Bible Study; WEDNESDAY, Oct. 8 - 9 a.m. Busy Bee Quilters and Fresh Encounter Prayer; 5:45 p.m. AWANA Family Meal; 6:25 p.m. AWANA Clubs
The church schedule is brought to you by Coburn FUNERAL HOMES Colfax-Prairie City-Monroe 515-674-3155 www.coburnfuneralhomes.com
THURSDAY, Oct. 9 - 6:30 p.m.
Men’s Group
SACRED HEART CATHOLIC CHURCH
Newton, Iowa
SATURDAY - 4 p.m. Mass
SUNDAY - 9 a.m. Mass
COLFAX FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
S. Locust & W. Division St. Office - 674-3782
Rev. Phil Dicks pastor
SUNDAY - 10:30 a.m. Sunday School; Family Worship - Today is World Communion Sunday and the CROP Walk
HOPE ASSEMBLY OF GOD
126 E. Howard Rev. Paul Avery, pastor Church: 674-3700 hopeassemblyofgod@yahoo.com
SUNDAY - 9 a.m. Sunday school; 10 a.m. Worship; Today is Food Pantry Sunday
IMMACULATE
CONCEPTION CATHOLIC CHURCH
302 E. Howard St., Colfax Fr. Marty Goetz
515-674-3711
SUNDAY - 11 a.m. Mass
MINGO UNITED METHODIST CHURCH Rev. Phil Dicks
515-689-4926
SUNDAY - 9 a.m. Worship service (Sunday school not meeting at this time)
Senior Helpers of Central Iowa is proud to present a special training event featuring Dr. Beth Nolan, Director of Research and Policy for Teepa Snow’s Positive Approach to Care, Tuesday, Oct. 28 at West Des Moines Christian Church.
Beth A. D. Nolan, Ph.D. is the Chief Public Health Officer and a lead speaker with Teepa Snow’s Positive Approach to Care (PAC).
This interactive event will focus on communication strategies and managing challenging behaviors in dementia care, and will provide valuable education for both family caregivers and healthcare professionals. Dr. Nolan will share tools and techniques developed through her work with Teepa Snow’s Positive Approach model.
Event Details:
ASHTON CHAPEL
8887 W. 122nd St. N., Mingo
Pastors: Larry Craig & Mark Eddy
SUNDAY - 9 a.m. Sunday school; 10 a.m. Worship
BETHANY UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST 5627 N. 95th Ave. W., Baxter 641-227-3402
Pastor Chris Hayward
SUNDAY - 9:30 a.m. Sunday School (Sunday after Labor Day to second Sunday in May); 10:30 a.m. Sunday Worship. First Sunday communion. All are welcome. baxterbethanyucc.org
EVANGELICAL FREE CHURCH BAXTER
Mike Mclintock, Pastor
SUNDAY - 9:15 a.m. Sunday
School; 10 a.m. Worship; 6 p.m. Awanas
WEDNESDAYS - 1st & 3rd6:30 p.m. Mens Bible Study 2nd & 4th - 6:30 p.m. Men’s and Womens Bible Study
THURSDAYS 10 a.m. - Womens Bible Study
BAXTER
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH 218 S. Main, Baxter Pastor Ben Spera Church: 641-227-3382
SUNDAY - 10 a.m. Worship
WEDNESDAY - 6 p.m. Bible Study
THIRD THURSDAY of month
- 6:30 p.m. Theology on Tap at Bea’s Place on Main Street Check us out on Facebook and baxtercongregational.com
Morning Session: General Public & Families Topic: Coping with Challenging Situations in Dementia Care • 8:30 a.m. –Noon (Registration at 8 a.m.)
• Cost: $5
Afternoon Session: Healthcare Professionals Topics: How to Get Your Staff Engaged in Better Care Techniques, Humor in Caregiving • 1–4:30 p.m. (Registration begins at 12:30 p.m.)
• Cost: $25 for CEs | $10 for Non-CEs Registration is required.
To register for the morning session, visit or contact Jerzie at 515-2517444 or juding@seniorhelpers.com.
To register for the afternoon session, visit or contact Jerzie at 515-251-7444 or juding@seniorhelpers. com. Senior
CORNERSTONE BIBLE FELLOWSHIP 1000 E. 12th St., Newton Rev. Josh Farver, pastor Phone 641-792-4650
SUNDAY - 9 a.m. Sunday school; 10:15 a.m. Worship WEDNESDAY - 6:30 p.m. Prayer Meeting and Bible Study; Youth Group
HERITAGE WORD OF LIFE
ASSEMBLY OF GOD 102 Second St. NW, Mitchellville Pastor Dave Adams 515-967-3330
SUNDAY - 9 a.m. Bible classes; 10 a.m. Worship service; 6 p.m. Evening service
WEDNESDAY - 7 p.m. Evening activities
LUTHERAN CHURCH OF HOPE Capitol II Theatre in Newton SUNDAY - 9:30 a.m. Livestream Worship Service
MITCHELLVILLE CHRISTIAN DISCIPLES OF CHRIST 210 Third St. NW, Mitchellville Text/Voicemail 515-519-0206
SUNDAY - 10 a.m. Coffee Time; 10 a.m. Worship Time, in person or via YouTube Live at 1040 am WEDNESDAY - 5:30pm W.O.W Youth Group with supper provided Visit mitchellvillechristianchurch. org and follow us on Facebook
Creator of Adventure Bottles and the Iowa Passport Travel Journal Coloring & Activity Book shows the state is rich with culture and intrigue
By Christopher Braunschweig Jasper County Tribune
Jessica Lowe Vokes rejects the notion that there is nothing to do in Iowa or that the state is boring, and she has embarked on an adventure to prove it.
The journey is unique in that it forgoes any long voyages at sea or scaling high mountain tops. Instead, Lowe Vokes, of Newton, is keeping her feet firmly planted in the landlocked and relatively flat Hawkeye State, and finding ways to spotlight the cultural icons and attractions that make Iowa fun and interesting.
To showcase the state’s more positive qualities, Lowe Vokes has created a water bottle — an Adventure Bottle — decorated from top to bottom with small circles. The users fill those circles with a series of stickers featuring attractions from all over the state, signifying their visit. Lowe Vokes has designed it all herself.
The Adventure Bottles were inspired by the water bottles used by travelers who frequent national parks. The bottles feature stickers or stamps to mark when a person has visited the park. Lowe Vokes noticed her cousin using a similar bottle and immediately thought of her home state and its many landmarks.
Lowe Vokes is never one to turn down an interesting project, so she
dove in head first and started looking up interesting places in Iowa and designing the stickers that pay homage to those areas. As someone who also likes to travel, Lowe Vokes also thought to include some of the more quirky places she visited in Iowa.
travel to these areas and see the attractions themselves.
Which, of course, she has to create another sticker for.
the destinations.
Users are encouraged to write down the date they visited each respective town and who they visited it with. The coloring and activity book features 26 Iowa locations and 26 site stickers. The project certainly keeps Lowe Vokes busy and allows her to celebrate Iowa in a more positive way.
“I think so often Iowa gets overlooked or that all we do is grow corn,” Lowe Vokes said.
“…I love history, I love learning about different things, I love showcasing positive things here. I love the quirky and unusual. So it kind of hit all those buttons. I just
think it’s neat to be able to share those.”
Both the Adventure Bottles and the Iowa Passport Travel Journal Coloring & Activity Book are for sale. Lowe Vokes said she is working on creating on online shops but for now the best way to order a bottle or book is to message the Adventure Bottles Facebook page directly.
“I’m very lucky to be able to do something creative and fun to me and then get to share it with others,” Lowe Vokes said. “I’m fortunate that my family and friends have been so supportive of the whole thing. It’s been an adventure in and of itself.”
The Harlan-Lincoln House in Mount Pleasant. The Little Mermaid Statue Garden in Kimballton. The Putnam Egyptian Exhibit in Davenport. Grant Wood’s studio in Cedar Rapids. The world’s crookedest street in Burlington. The largest wooden nickel in Iowa City. The Downtown Farmers Market in Des Moines.
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“Some of them range from just roadside attractions where you go and maybe take a picture, to full-fledged museums or experiences,” Lowe Vokes said. So while everyone else was doom scrolling through their phones or playing their mobile games, Lowe Vokes was busy creating stickers on Canva. So far she has developed several series of stickers to go along with the Adventure Bottles, encouraging people to
and any conditions of employment that would apply outside of their employment, like saying anything detrimental about their employer, I think that’s private employee-employer relationship that you have to abide by. But outside of that you can say anything you want to.”
As long as it doesn’t lead to violence, Grassley added. He recounted phrasing from Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.’s opinion in the 1919 U.S. Supreme Court case Schenck v. United States: “The most stringent protection of free speech would not protect a man in falsely shouting fire
“The hardest part is getting to a stopping point,” Lowe Vokes said with a laugh. “I have over 100 stickers now that I’ve designed, because it kind of just snowballed. Once you find one thing, you find another. And now people are telling me, ‘Oh! Did you see this thing?’”
in a theater and causing a panic.”
For the past three weeks, there have been increased news reports about teachers and professors being fired for their comments about Kirk, who was a prominent and controversial right-wing activist. Several teachers, including one is Oskaloosa, are now suing their employers for violating their constitutional rights.
Grassley said controversy “ought to run rampant” in universities, albeit in a more civil manner. Much like his recent visit to Monroe where students confronted the senator with questions about grain prices, age limits in government and how to strive for more respectful dialogue.
Lowe Vokes even created a Major League Baseball-inspired sticker series, allowing sports fans to mark the stadiums they have traveled to. She also launched Adventure Stickers for the Iowa State Fair this year. Proceeds from the stickers went toward the Iowa State Fair Blue Ribbon Foundation.
To accompany the Adventure Bottles, Lowe Vokes recently announced that she had created the Iowa Passport Travel Journal Coloring & Activity Book. Like the bottles, the book invites families to travel to Iowa communities. Each page has a coloring portion, an activity and some history about
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called the county and requested a motor grader visit the site, he said it resulted in “hairballs” on the road, possibly referring to collections of grass.
“We’ve got people hitting that with $100,000 rigs and they’re very upset,” Ray said. “They’re going to quit coming here. They come here and they spend money in motel rooms, they spend money in our restaurants, they spend money in our gas stations. We don’t have them people? Newton don’t need to be here.”
Ray demanded Supervisor Brandon Talsma see the state of the road. Talsma acknowledged he had seen the street for himself. Ray worried a high schooler may drive their car into a ditch and get seriously injured driving down that road. Ray blamed the state of the gravel roads on the county engineer.
“I’ve talked to thousands of people — it’s time we draw a petition up and get a new engineer
in this county that knows what the hell they’re doing,” Ray said.
The gravel road portion of East Fifth Street South begins at the intersection of South 13th Avenue East. The Newton Kart Klub is located about a mile south of the intersection. Ray also argued the track has four months out of the year to make a profit, but he claimed road conditions may prevent people from visiting.
In a follow-up with Newton News, Frietsch said according to county data there was a bladder operator who reported to East Fifth Street South. However, there were obstacles in the way. He said vehicles were parked along the shoulders waiting for the gates to open at the go-kart track.
“We would have had more success going in there and blading it and reworking it if we didn’t have all those trailers,” Frietsch said.
The county engineer added that East Fifth Street South has a lot of hills. Crews stabilized the base about three years ago, but its conditions change due to the amount of traffic the road receives. Frietsch said that is how the road obtains its washboard surface.
By Bryan Golden
The way you treat others offers a window into the type of person you are. Your interaction with people, whose job it is to serve you, reflects on your character and offers a glimpse into the way they will react to you.
When you behave in a condescending manner, you are sure to elicit a negative reaction. Immediately, the person you are talking down to will be put off, even if they don’t show it. You will squelch any inclination for the other person to go out of their way to help you. At most, they will do no more than the bare minimum necessary to keep you mollified.
Corporate CEOs like to observe how job candidates treat waiters. These corporate captains have found that how a
prospective employee treats a waiter offers a clear picture of the type of person he or she is. Someone who is polite to you but discourteous to a waiter does not have desirable interpersonal skills. They tend to be abrasive, causing friction among coworkers and subordinates.
Your treatment of waiters isn’t just significant in business settings. A survey by a dating service discovered that being rude to waiters tops the list as the worst dining etiquette. It is a real turnoff to be in the company of someone who is mean spirited.
Anyone can treat a waiter well when there are no mishaps or mess-ups. The real indication of a person’s true nature is how they react when there are problems. What do they do when a waiter makes a mistake or their meal is not what they had hoped for? Do they get indignant, make a scene, and jump down the waiter’s throat? Or are they gracious and magnanimous? No one likes to be berated when they
Bureaucrats being paid for multiple jobs, while doing neither
U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst
Ever had to be in two places at the exact same time?
It sounds impossible, yet I’ve discovered a number of bureaucrats holding several different government jobs simultaneously.
It may sound impressive, except this multitasking isn’t magic, folks, it’s fraud.
A full-time Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) employee double-billing, frequently billing taxpayers for more than 24 hours of work in a single day. Of course, she was working from home in all three positions. She billed taxpayers $225,866 for hours she never worked over nearly three years before finally being caught.
A senior human resources official at the Peace Corps was also employed as a contractor for two other government agencies, double billing taxpayers for tens of thousands of dollars. He boasts being “key in the development” of the Peace Corps’ remote work policy, which he presumably took advantage of to get away with his job juggling.
Timecard thieves were even two-timing the government’s own human resources department, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and a Pentagon intelligence agency.
make a mistake. Some waiters are better than others. Some are more conscientious. You can’t manage their behavior, but you do control yours. If you can’t handle a problem when you are eating out, how can you be depended on to handle life’s real predicaments?
People, who are rude to waiters, erroneously believe they are displaying power and authority. They mistakenly think their behavior will impress others. Anyone who attempts to elevate their status by stepping on others will ultimately fall flat on their face.
People with integrity and character treat everyone with courtesy and respect, regardless of their occupation, financial, or social status. They don’t view themselves as being above or below anyone else.
The way you treat people determines to a large part how they treat you. Not everyone will respond to kindness and consideration. But everyone will react negatively to berating. Your best bet for
bringing out the best in people is to treat them with respect. If you expect the worst from people, your attitude will project this and your low expectations will usually be met. If you anticipate the best, people tend to try to live up to those expectations so as not to disappoint you.
People crave approval and recognition. If you start out rejecting someone, they will feel there is no chance to please you and won’t even try. However, when you say please, thank you, and can you help me, others will make an extra effort to accommodate you.
Treat waiters, and everyone you encounter, with dignity. In so doing, your relationships with people, even strangers, will improve. You will still find some individuals you just can’t deal with. But they will be much more of an exception. You can never go wrong by treating another person well.
ContactBryanGoldenatBryan@columnist.com
(EPA) senior policy advisor avoided doing work for more than 13 years by falsely claiming he was also employed by the CIA. His deceptive double duty defrauded taxpayers out of nearly $900,000. While being one of the highest paid employees in the federal government, he traveled around the world or relaxed at his vacation home rather than working. EPA even paid him an annual retention bonus every year for more than a decade to ensure he remained with the agency. While he wasn’t moonlighting per se, the EPA management should have known this arrangement was illegal, where this employee was, and what he was doing.
Each of these demonstrates just how easy it can be for a public employee to pull down a pair of paychecks without earning either, sometimes for years.
What’s even more infuriating is that the salaries of these side hustlers are being paid by hardworking Americans, millions of whom are actually working multiple jobs to make ends meet.
That is why I am giving my September 2025 Squeal Award to the double-dealing bureaucrats bringing home two or more paychecks but doing nothing.
From Washington, DC OPINION
An OPM contractor, who also was employed full-time for the National Security Agency (NSA), was required to work on-site at both jobs, but wasn’t showing up at either. He billed for hundreds of hours he never worked, scamming taxpayers out of $70,646. Meanwhile, another contractor at NSA’s headquarters was actually employed by a different defense contractor, collecting $65,265 for hours she never worked.
There’s even a case in which an Environmental Protection Agency
I’m introducing the Dismantling Double Dippers Act requiring a regular cross check of the government’s employment rolls to spot duplicates and make potential copycats think twice before trying to get paid for double duty. But that’s not all. I’m doubling down by asking the Trump administration to determine who works for every agency, where they are located, and if any bureaucrats are on the payrolls of multiple agencies.
Joni Ernst, a native of Red Oak and a combat veteran, represents Iowa in the United States Senate.
Curt Swarm Empty Nest
Ginnie had been after me for some time to get new hearing aids. I put it off until after we could see some results from my cancer treatment. I can’t handle too many issues at once. Finally we could see light at the end of the tunnel, and it wasn’t a train. So I scheduled an appointment with the audiologist. I’ve had hearing aids for years, and was on my third pair. This last pair had been giving me problems so, like wearing old glasses when you’ve broken your good pair, I had reverted to an old set of hearing aids. No wonder Ginnie was on my case.
Anywho, the audiologist asked me if I’d noticed a decline in my hearing. I told her, “Yes.” She looked into my ears, first the right one, then the left.
“Hmm,” she said. “You’ve got something stuck in your left ear.”
“Huh? Oh, I do?”
“Lemme get some tweezers and pull it out.”
Voting is the only way
As I write this, the citywide elections for city council, mayor, and school board are just six weeks away. The candidates are set, save for anyone who wishes to run as a write-in, and we the people of Newton, will once again be given the opportunity to choose who we want to lead our community and schools.
And based upon the number and nature of some of the comments posted on the Newton government and Newton Daily News Facebook pages, many around here have very strong opinions about how our city and schools are being managed.
And based upon that, you would think that our local elections would have a pretty good turnout of voters who want to turn their opinions into
She started digging around in my ear, which didn’t feel good. I heard her mumble something unintelligible. “What the? I’m gonna have to get something bigger,” she said. I didn’t see what she went after. She kind of kept it hidden from me. But it looked sorta like a needle-nose vice grip. She went to work on my ear again which didn’t feel a bit good. Then I felt a pressure on the side of my head. I think it was her foot. She pulled and tugged my head back and forth as I tried to hold steady. Finally the object in my ear gave way with a pop that sounded like a bottle of champagne being uncorked. She held the object in front of me. “That my friend,” she said, “is the tip or cone from a hearing aid. No wonder you noticed a decline in your hearing. I’ve never ever seen this happen before. It’s a first!”
“Well, I’ll be. You’re right, I can hear better now. I noticed a tip missing from one of the hearing aids but I didn’t know where it went. I thought it fell on the floor.”
Ginne was in the waiting room. The audiologist went out and said to Ginnie, “See what I found in your husband’s ear.”
Ginnie was incredulous. “How long has THAT been in there?”
“Your husband doesn’t know, but from the build up of ear wax on the tip, I guess about a month.”
votes.
You’d think that, but you’d be wrong.
The past few local elections have seen pretty pathetic voter turnout rates, usually well below 20 percent.
I have no idea why this is, unless we are a community that loves to gripe and complain, yet when it comes time to make a real difference we find excuses to sit out the elections. Too busy, don’t care about politics, why bother because nothing ever changes, etc., ...To put it nicely, those are really lame excuses.
Now, I’m not so naive as to think that we’ll ever see anything close to 100% voter turnout for these elections. People just aren’t like that.
But I refuse to just give up on our community and accept that we’ll just plod along as always, allowing a minuscule minority to decide for us who will lead our city and schools.
This is just one story in a long line of hearing aid stories. There was the time I was picking apples and a tree branch plucked a hearing aid right out of my ear, never to be seen again. I looked in the grass, the tree, nada. I lost a hearing aid in my recliner one time and couldn’t find it. (I like to sleep in the recliner.) I had to get by with just one hearing aid for a week or so. Then Stormy our cat showed up with it. We think he has a secret stash somewhere.
Of course, when COVID first came out, everyone, including me, was losing their hearing aids. The band on the face masks, that stretches over your ear, dislodges the hearing aid when removing the mask. People spent a lot of time on the floor looking for their hearing aids, and a lot of money on the ones they couldn’t find. Last but not least was the time I lost a hearing aid in the garden while picking tomatoes. Luckily I found it. It was in a garden spider’s web. Yikes!
My new hearing aids will be in at the end of the month. The audiologist asked if I wanted the insurance in case of loss.
Ginnie elbowed me in the ribs. “I guess I do,” I said.
Contact Curt Swarm at curtswarm@yahoo.com
If you are happy with the way things are being handled here, get out and vote to retain whoever you think is doing a good job.
If you are unhappy about what you have seen and want things to change, then get out and vote for the person you believe will shake things up. Either way, it’s our civic duty to be active participants in our own community and government. Online complaints, which are acceptable expressions of free speech, are a waste of time because no one cares about someone’s opinion on social media sites. They affect nothing in the real world. Voting is the only way to send the message you want to send.
Make a real difference in the real world and be sure to get out and vote on Nov. 4.
John
STATE CENTER — Three
area harriers finished in the top 10 of the West Marshall Invitational on Sept. 23.
But none of the seven teams competing against Class 1A No. 4 Ankeny Christian Academy had enough to stay with the Eagles at Lincoln Valley Golf Course.
Ankeny Christian Academy placed its top six runners in the first 14 positions, had two in the top three and won the meet championship with 39 points.
“The boys hadn’t seen Ankeny Christian yet this year, and they really hadn’t run many races to this point so I was anxious to see where and how we stacked up against them, as well as another test against Baxter and Collins-Maxwell to measure ourselves,” Lynnville-Sully head cross country coach Darin Arkema said.
Class 1A No. 9 Lynnville-Sully was second with 63 points followed by a short-handed
Baxter squad in third. The Bolts scored 87 points and cleared Collins-Maxwell (108) and host West Marshall (127) easily.
South Hamilton (142), Colfax-Mingo (176) and Colo-NESCO (209) completed the eightteam field.
While two teams in the field are currently ranked, the boys’ 5K race also featured five ranked individuals.
Baxter’s Brecken Fisher moved into the 1A rankings for the first time in his career at No. 30 and placed fourth to lead the area harriers. His time was clocked in 16 minutes, 59.07 seconds.
Class 1A No. 21 Colton Alberts of Lynnville-Sully was fifth in 17:07.01.
The only runners in front of them were Class 1A No. 5 Alex Davis and 1A No. 24 Zachary Gardner of ACA and Collins-Maxwell’s Malcolm Toornstra.
Davis won the boys’ race in 16:34.07. Toornstra (16:54.05) edged Gardner (16:54.27) for
the runner-up spot.
Baxter, which dropped out of the rankings recently because No. 10 Max Handorf is still out of the lineup, placed four runners in the top 25.
Maddux Tuhn posted a career-best time of 17:13.27 in seventh and the rest of the Bolts’ scoring runners were Maddox Peters (18:59.54) in 20th, Dakota Parker (19:21.38) in 23rd and Parker Bonney (21:13.43) in 36th.
Lincoln Russell (21:59.24), Sam Wilhelm (23:15.43), Levi Gregory (24:47.37) and Austin England (28:50.71) were non-scoring runners in 41st, 51st, 59th and 68th, respectively.
According to Baxter head cross country coach Ian Thomson, Handorf was expected to return to the lineup this week when the Bolts compete at Clarke.
Colfax-Mingo was led by Sullivan Wilkins, who placed ninth in 17:28.12.
Mario Rodriguez made his
season debut and finished 33rd in 20:05.89. The other scoring runners for the Tigerhawks were Willie Fitzgerald (22:27.56) in 45th, Benjamin Faidley (24:19.45) in 55th
BAXTER — Six players put down at least three kills and four served up four or more aces, but the Baxter volleyball team couldn’t maintain consistency during a five-set loss to Meskwaki Settlement School on Sept. 25.
The Bolts rallied from a big deficit to win the fourth set and stay alive, but the Warriors used a fast start in the final frame to close out their 25-20, 21-25, 2826, 25-27, 15-8 road victory during Iowa Star Conference South Division action.
It was the first win in the series for Meskwaki Settlement School since the teams started playing conference matches in 2016. It also was the first-ever fiveset match during that span.
“This loss hurts a little bit,” Baxter head volleyball coach Jordynn Wesselink said in reference to Baxter players being extra emotional after the loss. “I think it’s because it was Senior Night, and they fought so hard to get to a fifth set. It’s was just disappointing to lose.”
The Bolts had trouble with consistency in the loss. They trailed the entire way in the first set, led from the beginning in the second set and lost the third set after leading most of the way.
The Warriors lost a huge lead in the fourth set as Baxter stayed alive, but a quick start in the final frame was enough for the visitors to hang on.
The Bolts trailed 3-0 and 4-1 in the opening set before closing the gap to 6-5. Meskwaki went back in front 10-6, 13-7 and 18-11 though as Baxter trailed by seven three different times in the frame.
The two teams combined to miss 11 serves in the game. Baxter missed 20 serves in the match despite serving up 25 aces.
“I felt like we rushed it mentally tonight,” Wesselink said in reference to her team’s serving. “I tell them every single time that they have eight to 10 seconds after the referee blows the whistle to serve the ball. I need them to take their time and get the ball in. Aces come and go. We don’t need an ace every time. If we get the serve in, we can at least play the ball and see what happens.”
The second set was full of aces by both teams. Baxter led 2-0 following an ace by Caydence Sulzle.
The lead grew to 5-2, 9-5, 13-6 and 1911 after aces by Kamdyn Krampe, Alyvia Burdess, Kaylyn Krampe and Denver Sulzle, respectively.
The final ace of the game came from Lexi Dart, and it gave the Bolts a 25-21 win.
The Warriors (3-10, 3-0 in the conference) closed their gap to 20-15 and 21-18 after back-to-back aces by Karsyn Wolf
and Eva Roberts, but the Bolts hung on to even the match at one set apiece.
While the two teams combined for double-digit aces in the set, they also missed a combined 12 serves and had a stretch of four straight misses at one point.
“There were points tonight where I looked at (my assistant coach) and just said, ‘what do I say to them,’” Wesselink said. “We just weren’t consistent with things we’ve been consistent with this season. We’ll continue to work on those
things to hopefully get to where we’re serving 90 percent or better.”
Back-to-back aces by Dart helped the Bolts overcome a slow start in the third set. Back-to-back aces by Kamdyn Krampe kept things close, but Baxter (39, 2-2) still trailed 12-9, 14-10 and 15-11.
A Kamdyn Krampe push and consecutive aces from Sulzle evened the set at 15-all, but Meskwaki turned an 18-17 lead into a 23-18 advantage.
and Ryan Moore (28:21.84) in 66th.
Asher Knutson (30:14.41) and Milo Knutson (31:49.73) were non-scoring runners in 69th and 71st, respectively.
CORYDON — After one quarter on Sept. 26, the Baxter football team trailed Wayne Community by only two points. The Bolts also scored the only points of the fourth. Unfortunately, what happened in the middle two quarters was too much for Baxter to overcome during a 44-12 road loss at George Saling Athletic Complex. The Falcons rushed for 441 yards in the Class 8-man District 7 contest and dented the Bolts’ postseason chances following the win.
Baxter fell to 2-2 in district play with three games to go. The top three teams in each 8-man district automatically qualify for the playoffs.
The Bolts (2-3, 2-2 in the district) trailed 8-6 after one quarter and outscored the Falcons 6-0 in the fourth. But Wayne shut out Baxter 36-0 in the second and third to pull away on Homecoming in the first-ever meeting between the two teams, according to Bound.
Stadan Vansice was 17-of-28 through the air for 191 yards and one touchdown. He also rushed for 70 yards and one TD on 18 carries.
Eli Dee grabbed eight passes for 131 yards and one score, Hayden Burdess hauled in six passes for 38 yards and Colten Damman gained 22 yards on his three catches. Ruger Kincaid rushed for 30 yards on seven carries, too.
Vansice led the defense with 11.5 tackles and Kincaid posted nine tackles. Trevor Hamilton added 5.5 tackles, Burdess registered five tackles, Miles McCord totaled 3.5 tackles, Damman had three tackles and Dee chipped in 2.5 tackles.
Fischer Buckingham led Wayne (41, 2-1) with 307 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries.
Colby Holbrook gained 77 yards and scored two TDs on nine carries, while Lane Ogden had 15 carries for 57 yards and two scores. The Falcons threw for only 10 yards in the victory.
Tully Wood led the Wayne defense with eight tackles, two sacks, four tackles for loss and one forced fumble, while Buckingham totaled a teamhigh 8.5 tackles.
October 2
Girls Swimming
Des Moines Lincoln at Newton, 5:30 p.m.
October 3
Football
Martensdale-St. Marys at Colfax-Mingo, 7 p.m.
Moravia at Baxter (HC), 7 p.m.
October 4
Volleyball
Colfax-Mingo at Pleasantville, 8 a.m.
October 6
Volleyball Montezuma at Colfax-Mingo, 7:30 p.m.
Cross Country Colfax-Mingo at North Polk, 5 p.m.
October 7
Cross Country Baxter at Dike-New Hartford, 4:30 p.m.
October 9
Volleyball
Baxter at GMG triangular, 5 p.m.
Colfax-Mingo at Sigourney, 7:30 p.m.
Girls Swimming
Newton at Ankeny, 5:30 p.m.
Cross Country
Colfax-Mingo at Montezuma, 4:30 p.m.
October 10
Football
Colfax-Mingo at Lynnville-Sully, 7 p.m.
Baxter at Colo-NESCO, 7 p.m.
straight
grabbed one pass for eight yards.
Trotter left the game early due to an injury and is expected to be out at least two months.
EARLHAM — Playing for the first time since meeting in the postseason a decade ago, Earlham rushed for 384 yards and snagged three interceptions during its 55-6 home win over the Colfax-Mingo football team on Sept. 26. The Tigerhawks were limited to 47 yards on 23 carries. They trailed the Class A District 6 contest 21-6 after one quarter and were outscored 27-0 in the second. The Cardinals won the second half 7-0.
Wyatt Carpenter rushed for 30 yards on 14 carries and totaled three catches for 41 yards and a 12-yard touchdown.
Camden Cunningham was 9-of-17 through the air for 115 yards, one TD and three interceptions.
Chase Trotter had three catches for 31 yards, Wyatt Thornton gained 35 yards on his two catches and Alex Teed
Cunningham led the defense with six tackles, while Fisher Grove and Kyle Wood both had 5.5 tackles.
Josh Winey rushed for 251 yards and four touchdowns on 13 carries to lead Earlham on its Homecoming.
He also had 4.5 tackles, one interception and one fumble recovery on defense.
Cole Eitel rushed for 104 yards and three scores on nine carries. The Cardinals (3-2, 2-1 in the district) averaged 12 yards per carry.
Jaxen Speedling had a team-high six tackles, while Brady Reynolds snagged two interceptions and returned one for a TD.
The only other meeting between the two schools came in a postseason win by Colfax-Mingo (0-5, 0-3) in 2015.
home meet earlier this season. The trio helped Colfax-Mingo place fourth in the six-team field at West Marshall on Sept. 23.
STATE CENTER — Colfax-Mingo’s Ashlynn Hosbond led area runners with a fourth-place finish at the West Marshall Invitational on Sept. 23, but the Lynnville-Sully girls cross country team placed second in the six-team field after putting all five of its scoring runners in the top 20.
The Class 1A No. 5 Hawks edged 1A No. 9 Collins-Maxwell by two points, but 2A No. 4 West Marshall won the meet title with 34 points.
The Trojans placed all five scoring runners in the first 12 positions at Lincoln Valley Golf Course. Lynnville-Sully (55), Collins-Maxwell (57), Colfax-Mingo (107), East Buchanan (134) and South Hamilton (139) completed the field.
“The girls’ race lived up to what I was expecting as the three ranked teams put a combined 15 runners in the top 20,” Lynnville-Sully head cross country coach Darin Arkema said. “Our battle with Collins-Maxwell was tight the whole race. Tonight was a perfect example and lesson in how everyone who races has an impact on the team’s ability to score, place high and have success.”
COLFAX — Colfax-Mingo’s volleyball team bounced back from an opening-set loss to North Mahaska on Sept. 25 but couldn’t overcome the Warhawks in the next two games during a four-set defeat.
The Tigerhawks dropped their third straight match after losing the South Iowa Cedar League contest 25-16, 1625, 25-13, 25-21 at home.
Colfax-Mingo, which fell to 7-6 after starting 6-2, got 10 assists, four kills and six digs from Katelyn Steenhoek and Britney Keeney totaled seven kills, three blocks and two digs.
Hope Allen added seven assists and eight digs, Grace Allen delivered two assists and tallied 17 digs, Grace Hunsberger produced four kills, two blocks and three digs and Macie Porter contributed nine digs.
Isabelle Utz put down four kills and had three digs, Dakota Allen finished with three kills and Meadow Lane registered five digs.
The Tigerhawks (7-6, 1-4 in the SICL) were 66of-76 in serves with four aces. Hope Allen served 12-of-12, Grace Allen finished 10-of-11 and Keeney was 8-of-9.
It was North Mahaska’s fourth straight win and fourth straight win in the series, and the Warhawks (8-2, 3-0) are 7-5 against C-M since 2015.
The two teams played a four-set match for the first time since 2018, and North Mahaska defeated C-M in four sets for the first time since 2015.
frame, too.
Baxter melted its margin to 11-8, but Meskwaki scored four in a row to end it.
Hosbond headlined the Tigerhawks with her fourth-place finish. She was clocked in a career-best 20 minutes, 29.75 seconds.
Lynnville-Sully’s Mandeesa Vos was fifth in the girls’ 5K race in 20:39.62.
The top three finishers in the girls’ varsity race were 1A No. 12 Jayden Peters of Collins-Maxwell, 2A No. 19 Addie Thompson of West Marshall and 1A No. 27 Elizabeth Erickson of Colo-NESCO. Peters won the race in 19:41.78, Thompson was second in 19:48.59 and Erickson took third in 20:08.6. Collins-Maxwell put four runners in the top 18. After Hosbond for Colfax-Mingo was Ivy Anderson (24:30.3) in 25th. The other scoring runners were Lilyan Hadsall (25:20.56) in 28th, Sahara Buenrostro (25:26.39) in 29th and Jessica Gibson (25:55.35) in 36th. Mallory Sipma (26:34.08) was a non-scoring runner in 41st. Baxter also was scheduled to compete, but its only female runner, Elsie Hauser, is still out with an injury.
Continuedfrompage5
Back-to-back aces by Burdess helped the Bolts rally, and the set was tied at 23, 24, 25 and 26 before the Warriors scored two straight to win. Baxter missed four serves in the game.
The Bolts rallied from significant deficits in the fourth set. They trailed 5-1, 11-6 and 17-10 before a kill and back-to-back aces by Kaylyn Krampe closed the gap to 17-14.
The run continued as a Mallory Bottorff tip trimmed the margin to 20-18 and then kills by Emileigh Beals, Sulzle and Kamdyn Krampe and an ace by Bottorff pushed the Bolts in front 24-22. They eventually won the set by two to force a fifth and final game.
“I told them in the huddle, it was a do or die set,” Wesselink said. “They had the choice to fight hard and force a fifth or they could just roll over and let them have it. It was up to them.
“For us to fall behind like we did, it would have been easy to quit. But they didn’t. It proves they can battle through the tough times. We want to have that positive team culture. They showed a lot of grit and determination in those sets.”
Wolf opened the fifth set with backto-back aces to give the Warriors an early lead. The Bolts rallied with three straight but fell behind 6-3 and 7-4 before back-to-back aces from Dorothy Bear swelled the Warriors’ lead to 11-5. Bear, a left-handed right-side hitter, put down consecutive kills earlier in the
“That’s not a set you can fall behind in,” Wesselink said. “It’s a set of intervals — five, 10 and 15. They were the first to five and the first to 10. We also made mistakes we shouldn’t have been making, but that’s the game of volleyball and it’s what happens sometimes.”
Kamdyn Krampe led the Bolts with eight kills, seven digs and seven aces and Burdess totaled 10 assists, two kills, five digs and four aces.
Caydence Sulzle put down three kills, served up four aces and had 24 digs, Dart chipped in four kills and five aces, Kaylyn Krampe contributed four kills and three digs and Bottorff registered five kills and two aces.
Olivia Parrie dished out 13 assists and added three digs, Danika Flora collected eight digs, Rilyn Titus had six digs, Beals put down three kills and Denver Sulzle finished with two kills, three digs and two aces.
The Bolts were 87-of-107 in serves with 25 aces. Baxter’s kill efficiency was .040.
Notes: Caydence Sulzle, Burdess, Flora, Dart, Titus and Ariana Stampfli were recognized before the match for Senior Night. Stampfli is a foreign exchange student from Switzerland. “These seniors are my babies. I started coaching four years ago,” Wesselink said. “So it’s also sentimental for me. There’s been a lot of growth and passion in these girls. They’ve gotten better over the years. They’ve dealt with a lot of roster changes and lineup changes, and they show up and work to get better every day. This is a group I will hold near and dear to my heart.” … Caydence Sulzle leads the Bolts with 109 digs and 27 aces. Burdess has a team-best 55 assists and Denver Sulzle leads the squad with 31 kills.
Colfax-Mingo sophomore
Ashlynn Hosbond led the Tigerhawks with a fourth-place finish at the West Marshall Invitational on Sept. 23. She was clocked in a career-best 20 minutes, 29.75 seconds and was behind three ranked runners.
October 7, 2025 at 1:00 p.m. in the Board of Supervisors room YEA: CUPPLES NEARMYER
TALSMA Motion by Nearmyer seconded by Cupples to approve final plans for the replacement of bridge H08 located on N. 35th Ave. W. over small stream 0.3 miles east of W. 28th St S.
YEA: CUPPLES NEARMYER
TALSMA Motion by Nearmyer seconded by Cupples to approve the lease between Jasper County and Heart of Iowa Regional Transit Agency (HIRTA) effective October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2028
YEA: CUPPLES NEARMYER
TALSMA Motion by Nearmyer seconded by Cupples to approve Board of Supervisors minutes for September 9, 2025.
YEA: CUPPLES NEARMYER
TALSMA Motion by Nearmyer seconded by Cupples to appoint Alida Anderson to the Central Iowa Housing Trust Fund YEA: CUPPLES NEARMYER
TALSMA Motion by Nearmyer seconded by Cupples to enter into closed session requested by Jasper County Community Development Director Kevin Luetters in accordance with Iowa Code Section 21.5(1)(i) to evaluate the professional competency of an individual whose appointment hiring, performance, or discharge is being considered when necessary to prevent needless and irreparable injury to that individual's reputation and that individual requests a close session and Iowa Code Section 21.5(1)(a) to review or discuss records which are required or authorized by state or federal law to be kept confidential or to be kept confidential as a condition for that governmental body's possession or continued receipt of federal funds
YEA: CUPPLES NEARMYER
TALSMA ROLL CALL YEA: CUPPLES, NEARMYER, TALSMA Motion by Talsma, seconded by Nearmyer to come out of closed session.
YEA: CUPPLES NEARMYER
TALSMA Motion by Cupples, seconded by Nearmyer to adjourn from the regular meeting and enter into the work session.
YEA: CUPPLES NEARMYER
moved for the adoption of Resolution No 924-2025#1 "RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE PURCHASE A HEART MONITOR FROM STRYKER AT A COST OF $47,118.19 PLUS THE MOUNTING COST OF APPROXIMATELY $2,100.00
Cancer is a formidable disease that the World Health Organization reports is the leading cause of death worldwide. Figures vary, but organizations such as the WHO and the American Cancer Society estimate that around 9.5 million people die from cancer every year. No type of cancer causes more deaths in women across the globe than breast cancer.
Though the five-year survival rate for breast cancer patients has increased by a significant margin in recent decades, a 2019 study published in The Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention reported a significant increase in breast cancer mortality rate in the 25-year period preceding the study. The researchers behind the study theorized that the spike in mortality rate could be due to an increase in incidence and prevalence of breast cancer.
Like all cancers, breast cancer cannot be prevented. However, various healthy habits could help women reduce their risk for the disease.
• Avoid alcohol. The ACS reports that alcohol consumption is a clear risk factor for
breast cancer. Risk increases with the amount of alcohol a woman consumes. For example, a woman who consumes one alcoholic drink per day has a 7 to 10 percent higher risk of getting breast cancer than a woman who abstains from alcohol. Drinking two to three drinks per day could increase risk by around 20 percent.
• Establish and maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight or obese increases breast cancer risk, particularly among postmenopausal women. According to the ACS, after menopause women get most of their estrogen from fat tissue. Fat tissue increases estrogen levels in the body, which in turn increases a woman’s risk for breast cancer. Elevated levels of insulin in the body, which is common among individuals who are overweight, also has been linked to higher breast cancer risk. Establishing and maintaining a healthy weight cannot prevent breast cancer, but it can help women reduce their risk for the disease.
• Maintain a physically active lifestyle. A sedentary lifestyle increases a person’s risk for various conditions
and diseases. Women who live such a lifestyle are at elevated risk for breast cancer. The ACS notes that sedentary behavior such as sitting, lying down, watching television, or engaging with screen-based forms of entertainment that do not require physical activity can increase breast cancer risk, especially for women who spend most of their work day sitting down. A more physically active lifestyle that includes routine exercise can help women reduce their breast cancer risk.
• Adopt a nutritious diet. Eating right is another way for women to reduce their breast cancer risk. Vegetables, fiber-rich legumes such as beans and peas, fruits across the color spectrum, and whole grains are some components of a healthy, nutrient-rich diet that can help lower breast cancer risk. Women also can avoid certain foods, such as red and processed meats and refined grains, to lower their breast cancer risk.
Though there’s no guaranteed way to prevent breast cancer, women can embrace various healthy habits to lower their risk for the disease.
Findings show more than 70 percent of Breast Cancer diagnoses found in those age 50 and older
A 2024 report from the International Agency for Research on Cancer indicated 71 percent of new cases of breast cancer across the globe were diagnosed in individuals age 50 and older. Though age is a known risk factor for various types of cancer, it’s important that women recognize a significant percentage of breast cancer diagnoses in many parts of the world are made in women younger than 50. For example, nearly one in five of breast cancer diagnoses in both North America (18 percent) and Europe (19 percent) are made in women
younger than 50, while almost half of all breast cancers in Africa (47 percent) are diagnosed in women who have not yet reached their fiftieth birthdays. Though such figures are affected by a number of variables, including the accessibility of screening procedures like mammograms, they speak to the reality that breast cancer can affect women at any age, a notion that underscores the significance of screening and the need to support efforts to make it more accessible in every corner of the globe.
