Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025
Vol. 5, No. 52
PCMExplorer Local People. Local Stories.
PCM welcoming new superintendent Aaron Becker
Administrator is looking forward to the upcoming school year and listening and learning to help make the district its best By Jamee A. Pierson PCM Explorer New PCM superintendent Aaron Becker has been hard at work since starting in July. He is meeting with staff, getting to know the communities and learning about what being at PCM looks like going into the next school year. With all of that on his desk, the most exciting part for Becker is yet to come. “It is a reality the excitement of the kids. That is why we are here,” Becker said. “You will hear me a lot saying ‘student focused, student driven decisions.’ Those students who do come through
the front door, that is the most important commodity we have in the whole district. When we have students come through the door, there is tons of hope that comes through the door. They are hoping for a great school year. They are hoping that our dedicated staff helps kids find their passion area.” In his 26th year in education, Becker didn’t start out thinking he would be an educator. After taking business classes in college, he realized that was the path he was meant to go down. “I was sitting in a macroeconomics class and decided this wasn’t quite what I thought it was going to be,” Becker said.
“My older brother was in elementary education. I was close with him, we were at the same college and he’s three years apart from me and I thought ‘that’s what I want to do, I want to be with kids.’ I had to make that decision in college and made a major shift to elementary education.” Following graduation, Becker taught third, fifth and sixth grades before beginning his next chapter as an administrator. While he thoroughly enjoyed working with a smaller group of kids, he felt like he had a chance to make a bigger impact on a larger group of students SUPERINTENDENT | 3
IT’S A GREAT STATE FAIR
Jamee A. Pierson/PCM Explorer PCM Superintendent Aaron Becker is excited to get kids into the schools to start the new school year.
Jasper County 4-H members take home top prizes for projects selected for the state fair
Jamee A. Pierson/PCM Explorer An eye spy table, handmade bench and beautiful wreath are just a few of the projects created by Jasper County 4-H members on display in the 4-H building at the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines. The projects will be available to view throughout the 11-day fair.
Rob Sand confronts industrial ag and water quality issues at Newton town hall
Rob Sand rejects the ‘moderate’ label, embraces being ‘independent-minded’ Iowa gubernatorial candidate wants to end the ‘lesser-of-twoevils’ system By Christopher Braunschweig PCM Explorer
Christopher Braunschweig/PCM Explorer Rob Sand, the state auditor of Iowa running for governor, speaks with guests at a recent town hall on Aug. 6 at the Newton Arboretum & Botanical Gardens.
‘Growers and farmers want to do more…we’re not giving them the resources’ By Christopher Braunschweig PCM Explorer Rob Sand thought he had answered an Iowa woman’s question about holding industrial
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agriculture accountable for nitrate pollution throughout the state and if he could make hard decisions that could impact his family, whose businesses could be adversely affected. But about
three questions later he realized he didn’t. So, before he called on anyone else, the Democratic candidate for TOWN HALL | 3
Rob Sand has been described by both friend and foe as a “moderate.” It is a term used by some of his supporters to describe his stances on issues, and it has even been used by opponents as a derogatory. In an interview with Newton News, he firmly rejected the label, describing himself as “independent-minded.” Admittedly, it was a term I placed upon him, too, when I asked, in a sort of movie trailer-esque way: In a world ruled by political extremes, how can a moderate hope to survive? Despite the
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tongue-in-cheek manner in which I inquired, Sand answered sincerely. He swiftly dismissed the label I and others placed upon him. “I reject pretty much all labels, including the word moderate,” he said. “I’m pretty issue-based and I’m independent-minded. I think what we need to do is actually end the system of ‘the lesser of two evils.’ It’s not necessarily so all the answers belong to any one place, it’s just to actually free people up in both parties.” He suggested doing so would allow Democrats SAND | 3
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