Thursday, March 13, 2025
Vol. 6, No. 30
PCMExplorer Local People. Local Stories.
Prairie City’s water ‘best taste on tap’
Prairie City’s water was named best in the state for 2025 by the Iowa Rural Water Association By Jamee A. Pierson PCM Explorer Grab a glass, turn on the tap, fill it up and take a drink. If you’re in Prairie City you’ll be drinking the best tasting water in the state. In February, the City of Prairie City was named the winner of Iowa’s 2025 Best Tasting Water competition by the Iowa Rural Water Association. The statewide contest is a part of the Quality On Tap! campaign to emphasize the high quality, standards and taste of water
in rural America. “All the praise and recognition goes to our public works staff,” Prairie City Mayor Chad Alleger said. “Their knowledge and expertise are what made this possible.” According to the association, Prairie City is unique in that its wells are located in neighboring Colfax. From the wells, the water then has to travel about eight miles of pipe before entering the plant near the square in Prairie City. With the water already
high in quality before it makes it to the plant, operators including Prairie City Public Works Superintendent Harry Brannen and employees Tyler Curry and Dylan Cornelison only have to do iron and manganese removal, ion softening, nitrate removal, fluoridation and chlorination. About 150,000 gallons of water flow through to citizens each day or about 4 million gallons a month. The competition was
And they lived happily ever after PCM Middle School musical “Haphazardly Ever After” brings the laughs during its 3-day run
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Submitted Photo The City of Prairie City was awarded best tasting water by the Iowa Rural Water Association for 2025.
Fun in the fairy garden Fancy dresses twirled across the floor during the 2025 Mustang Scholars Father-Daughter Dance
Jamee A. Pierson/PCM Explorer
Jamee A. Pierson/PCM Explorer
Jasper County could hire retired Marshalltown officer as new VA director
was a Marine veteran and retired veteran, his unit during the last years of provided Simon with their top candiMarine veteran still needs group police officer from Marshalltown. The his service worked as a transition unit dates. recommended him to the for Marines separating after their en“I went through the list of names and approval from supervisors committee commission. listment was completed. Maxey is not a anyone who appeared on two or more Ramon Maxey was accepted to be veterans service office, but he has a good lists got slotted for an interview,” Simon before he can be hired the next director of the department understanding of the systems within said. “…I think we had some very good By Christopher Braunschweig PCM Explorer
Jasper County Veterans Affairs may have found its next director. Of the seven applicants who were interviewed by a selection committee this past month, the top recommendation from the
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by the Jasper County Veterans Affairs Commission at a special meeting on March 5, but the final approval will have to come from the board of supervisors at an upcoming meeting. The commission recommended him to board in a unanimous vote. In addition to being a 24-year Marine
veterans affairs. Dennis Simon, director of human resources for Jasper County, said he received 19 qualified applications. He distributed copies to all of the commissioners with the exception of Katherine Thompson, whose spouse had also applied for the position. Commissioners
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candidates. We definitely learned a lot of individuals, interesting experiences and stuff. But it come down to it, we had two top candidates.” By the time the committee thought about scheduling additional interviews, DIRECTOR | 3
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