Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025
Vol. 6, No. 28
PCMExplorer Local People. Local Stories.
‘An Enchanted Evening’
2025 Mustang Scholars Father-Daughter Dance a magical night for kids and their favorite guys By Jamee A. Pierson PCM Explorer Twinkling lights and twirling dresses, the 2025 Mustang Scholars Father Daughter Dance is sure to be “An Enchanted Evening.” Doors open at 6:30 p.m. March 8 at the Family Life Center in Prairie City to welcome in the kids and their favorite guy for an evening of dancing and fun. “ This event has grown and becomes such a fun event that
girls look forward to in our community each year,” Mustang Scholars Director MaryCatherine Striegel said. Music will fill the gym as kids show off their best moves, eat yummy treats, get their picture taken and pick out their favorite items on the raffle table. Funds raised will be used to help the Mustang Scholar Preschool, a three-yearold school at the First Reformed Church in Prairie City, along with additional community programs. “This fundraiser helps support the continuation of Mustang Scholars, but also helps support other community programs,” Striegel said. “Proceeds have also been shared
with PCM Backpack buddies and the PCM food pantry. With different themes each year, the kids can look forward to walking through the doors and seeing what magical experience awaits them. “My favorite part is seeing what magic (organizer) Ashley Van Ryswyk and all the amazing volunteers she rounds up create each year,” Striegel said. “(Also), seeing all the excited faces, especially current and past preschoolers, when they see what the evening has in store for them!” To sign up for the event, visit the event Facebook page at 2025 PCM Daddy Daughter Dance.
Jamee A. Pierson/PCM Explorer Kids are ready to have ‘An Enchanted Evening’ at the 2025 Mustang Scholars Father-Daughter Dance March 8 at the Family Life Center in Prairie City.
Selection committee is closer to determining candidate for VA director If applicant is approved by commission, it goes to supervisors for final approval By Christopher Braunschweig PCM Explorer In the coming weeks it is likely the Jasper County Veterans Affairs Commission will hold a meeting to decide who they want as their next director or administrator of the department. Following a successful vote, the matter
will then be taken to the Jasper County Board of Supervisors for final approval. Dennis Simon, director of human resources for Jasper County, said out of the 19 eligible applications, a total of seven people were interviewed by the selection committee. Apart from Simon serving as an advisor, the com-
mittee was made up of two commissioners, Supervisor Brandon Talsma and Mike Gunsaulus. “I thought we had very good candidates,” Simon said. “There is no individual that is turn key and has sat in the VSO position or has current or prior accreditations. So whoever would be coming in would be starting from Day
GRAMS program on hold until 622 miles of Level A roads are resurfaced Jasper County reserves $2.8M in rock for roads impacted by past and upcoming road and bridge projects By Christopher Braunschweig PCM Explorer Jasper County is going to use more than $2.8 million work of rock to resurface every Level A granular road in springtime of this year, but in the process the county engineer says the recently integrated Granular Roads Assessment and Maintenance Strategy (GRAMS) will be on pause this year. County Engineer Michael Frietsch said in a Jan. 29 letter to supervisors that he will also pause the reclamation cycle and instead focus on roads damaged by past road and bridge construction projects. As part of these efforts, additional rock will be allocated to roads impacted by upcoming
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bridge and road projects. “We’re going to focus on those roads that have been damaged over the past three years or so by either the state or our own county road and bridge projects,” he said. “If we get to the stabilization, we get to the stabilization. If we don’t, we don’t. Figure stabilization is going to be the last thing we’re going to worry about.” With this approach in mind, Frietsch said the resurfacing program will provide 150 tons per mile to each gravel road classified as Level A; 600 tons per mile to Level A roads that may be impacted by current year road and bridge projects; and 600 tons per mile to roads reconstructed last year. The county will also
contract haul rock to 14 townships and in-house haul to the remaining six townships, including Palo Alto, Buena Vista, Richland, Lynn Grove, Elk Creek and Fairview East. In total, 98,233 tons of loadstone was requested for contract rock hauling, and it will be placed on about 622 miles of Level A roads. “We’re just going to go through and we’re going to dress up every single road,” Frietsch said to county supervisors during their Feb. 4 meeting. “We’re not going to consider traffic count to a degree. We’re just going to try to get everything back to a similar condition again.” GRAMS | 3
One going through the training. As we know with (employee) Josh (Price) it will take about a year.” Recently, Price was able to acquire his necessary accreditations. He has been working as the shared benefits coordinator for veterans affairs and DIRECTOR | 3
David Pautsch to run again for Congress, challenge Miller-Meeks seat ‘MAGA Republican’ returns after leading an unsuccessful primary in 2024 By Christopher Braunschweig PCM Explorer David Pautsch, a self-described “MAGA Republican” from Davenport, is going to fun for Congress once more, and he is, again, vying for Iowa’s 1st congressional district seat currently filled U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, a fellow Republican who just won her second re-election bid this past election cycle. According to a press release distributed to media last week, Pautsch intends to officially announce his candidacy in the rotunda of the Iowa State Capitol. Last year, Pautsch ran an unsuccessful primary campaign against Miller-Meeks. He frequently argued Miller-Meeks wasn’t conservative enough. Still, the primary loss seems to
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have only re-energized Pautsch’s campaign. Despite only getting 44 percent of the vote, Pautsch viewed it a strong showing when considering his six months of campaigning as Pautsch an “underfunded unknown.” In Jasper County, it was clear Republican voters preferred Miller-Meeks. Pautsch only earned 728 votes, or 37.05 percent of the vote, in Jasper County, while Miller-Meeks received 1,235 votes, or 62.85 percent. In the press release, Pautsch CHALLENGE | 3
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