Thursday, May 1, 2025
Vol. 6, No. 37
PCMExplorer Local People. Local Stories.
Food prices cause increase to school meals, milk A $0.15 increase approved across the district for student lunches By Jamee A. Pierson PCM Explorer
Meals and milk for students at PCM will increase for the 2025-26 school year. The PCM School Board approved a $0.15 hike for both products due to several factors, including rising food costs. “Several factors, including rising food costs (a huge impact), equipment and repair costs and increased salaries,”
PCM Nutrition Director Kerri Roling said. “In addition, the state encourages SFAs to have funding in their account to cover three months of expenses.” For the next school year, K-12 breakfast will be $1.75, K-5 lunch $3 and 6-12 lunch $3.10. Adult breakfast will be $2.05 and adult lunch $5. Milk, which was approved to Anderson Erickson, will be $0.60. “Other factors to
consider with the meal prices include decreased district enrollment, high school open campus and aging equipment. These factors need to be considered along with increased costs mentioned earlier,” Roling said. “We want to maintain our nutrition fund; we do not want to drop below the suggested three months of expenses balance.” The board also approved Pan O Gold Bak-
ing Co. for bread services. Roling said Bimbo Bakeries came in with a lower bid but would only deliver to one site for the entire district. Pan O Gold Baking agreed to deliver to the three school buildings — Prairie City Elementary and PCM Middle School is one stop — saving the staff significant time. “I priced out the difference by estimating what I would order for next school year - the
Holding on with hope By Jamee A. Pierson PCM Explorer Spring City Pharmacy in Colfax is facing an uncertain future. The community staple is looking to local state legislators to work to pass legislation that will greatly benefit not only Spring City Pharmacy but all other pharmacies across Iowa. “Our biggest struggle is that a large portion of the prescriptions we (or any pharmacy) fill, the pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) pay us less than it costs us to buy the drugs,” Spring City Pharmacy owner Brad Magg said. “So it’s not uncommon to lose anywhere from $1-$200 filling a patient’s prescription before we even pay for overhead like lights, staff, labels and packaging.” In just the three years Magg
and fellow owners Brittney Van Howeling and Brenda Tjaden have been in charge of the pharmacy, they have lost $105,884.57 just filling 9,790 prescriptions. Magg points to PBMs as middlemen or subcontractors that have minimal regulations or oversight managing the prescription drug portion of health insurance for insurance companies. “For instance, Canada does not have PBMs, and their wholesale drug prices are 30 percent less on average than America’s,” Magg said. “Think of how much different healthcare would be if 30 percent of all of the prescription drug sales in America were split between pharmacies so they could be paid for the work they do, health insurance companies to reduce premiums and out-of-pocket prices for patients
lowered.” Two bills are moving through the state house, Senate File 383 and House File 852. According to Magg, the legislation would require PBM’s and insurance companies to pay pharmacies what the drug actually costs and bans them from charging the insurance companies more for the prescription than they pay the pharmacy. “Basically making them be transparent about the fees that they’re collecting instead of skimming their profits from what is intended to go to the pharmacies,” Magg said. “In its current form, the legislation also requires them to pay a small dispensing fee to help cover the overhead costs, as well.” Iowa House Rep. Jon Dunwell recently addressed the issue saying HF 852 is on the House
difference is $658 based on estimated orders, but I feel having product delivered to our three sites would be more beneficial to us when we consider vehicle use, labor, potential work comp issues, etc.,” Roling said. “Pan O Gold has made corrections or credits whether their mistakes or we were late to order in time. They have been satisfactory to work with this past school year.” Interim superinten-
dent Art Sathoff recommended holding the current school fees for the next year and look to raise them for 2026-27. Currently, fees include book fees for elementary at $50, middle school at $55 and high school at $60. Full day preschool is $150 per month and band rental fees are $25 if rented through the district. Activity passes are $45 for students, $100 for adults and $50 for a 10-punch card.
Spring City Pharmacy looking at bleak future if state legislature doesn’t address middleman with prescription drugs
Jamee A. Pierson/PCM Explorer Spring City Pharmacy in Colfax is urging community members to talk to local state legislators about passing files related to pharmacy benefit managers, a “middleman” that is costing the pharmacy thousands of dollars.
unfinished business calendar, ensuring it is “funnel-proof ” and will remain under consideration for this session. It has
REARRANGING HISTORY
Jasper County Historical Museum opens for the 2025 season May 1 with updated exhibits, reorganized treasures and new displays
already passed the commerce committee unanimously. PHARMACY | 3
County engineer plans to replace more than 20 bridges in the next 5 years or so HMA resurfacing and other kinds of pavement projects also listed as priorities By Christopher Braunschweig PCM Explorer
all these wonderful things on display now so you can see them. I got my exhibit committee together and said, ‘What do you folks want to do?’ They said they wanted to change some things. ‘Well, great! Let’s do that!’” Other noticeable changes include the Victorian parlor being set up for a funeral or wake, complete with
Over the next five years, almost two dozen bridges in Jasper County are planned to be replaced, along with five HMA resurfacing projects, 10 or so pavement projects and a few surface improvement projects, according to the fiscal year 2026 (FY26) secondary roads five-year program. County Engineer Michael Frietsch said all construction projects — replacing in kind or repairing — are included in the five-year plan. Regularly scheduled maintenance work is not included in the plan. He noted the dates included in the plan are when the projects will be let and not necessarily when the work is done. However, there are a number of projects whose accomplishment year has been set for FY26, which is from July 1, 2025 until June 30, 2026. Bridge R01 on East 40th Street South over Reasnor Creek will be replaced with pipe. The Bridge R20 project on West 24th Street South over Buck Creek will be let after July 1 and then be built within the next year. Bridge S33 on County Line Road over a branch of Skunk River is expected to be finished in fall. Bridge C16 on North 99th Avenue East over
MUSEUM | 3
PRIORITIES | 3
Christopher Braunschweig/PCM Explorer Lynne Whelan, director of the Jasper County Historical Museum, showcases the newly established Maytag room, which features the many different endeavors the Maytag family was involved in over the years.
By Christopher Braunschweig PCM Explorer Jasper County Historical Museum is going to look a bit different this year. Many of the displays have been altered and updated, and some new exhibits have even been added to pique the interests of returning patrons. Probably one of the biggest changes is the expanded viewings on the Main Street floor.
A publication of est. 1851
For years the recreated period home and its accompanying schoolhouse, drug store and other old timey businesses have been closed off and prevented guests from getting a closer look. Museum director Lynne Whelan said those areas are now open to let patrons see all of the small details hiding in the corners. “You don’t see them unless you can walk back there and see what’s all there,” Whelan said. “… We’ve got
CONTACT US Newsroom: 641-792-3121, ext. 7 • Advertising: 641-792-3121, ext. 2 Subscriptions/Delivery: 641-792-5320 • Billing: 641-792-3121, ext. 6
Single Copy $1