Thursday, Jan. 30, 2025
Vol. 6, No. 24
PCMExplorer Local People. Local Stories.
PCM Dance Team flies high at Winter Show
The dance team was joined by a variety of guests for a celebration of the 2024-2025 season
Jamee A. Pierson/PCM Explorer Top: The PCM Dance Team performs its first place hip-hop routine during the 2025 Winter Show on Jan. 25 at the PCM High School. Above from left to right: The Co-Ed dance team took the floor to wrap up the show. Dancing dads were once again a favorite with a tropic themed routine. The dance team performs its state pom routine which brought home third place. Junior dances took the floor to show off their moves.
Raising money and having fun (and a laugh) doing it Comedian Willie Farrell featured at the PCM Athletic Booster’s Crimson and Gold Gala Feb. 28 By Jamee A. Pierson PCM Explorer Back for a third year, the PCM Athletic Boosters Crimson and Gold Gala is looking to not only raise funds but have a “funny” time. Comedian Willie Farrell will headline the event that also includes
cocktails, games and dinner starting at 6 p.m. Feb. 28 at the Graham Center at Central College. “This year we have comedian Willie Farrell performing. We wanted to make it an evening of celebration, fun and laughter,” organizer Kim Wilson said. The evening will begin with the cock-
tail hour and games at 6 p.m. Guests can play a game of bags, try their hand at mini-golf or go for the big prize with Plinko. A buffet-style dinner will be served at 7 p.m. complete with desserts donated by local bakers. Following dinner, a program by the boosters will take the stage leading in to Farrell performing and finally the evening will conclude with a live auction. Reservations are still available for the event for both individual seats at $40
and tables at $400. A big fundraiser for the boosters, they invite anyone from the communities to come have a good time and see what all boosters do for the district. “We have had a good response but we have room for more,” Wilson said. “We want to include our elementary and middle school families as well — before you know it, our kids will be graduating and GALA | 3
Veterans affairs could have a qualified applicant for new director by February Jamee A. Pierson/PCM Explorer The Jasper County Community Health Assessment found that lack of affordable housing was the third highest priority for residents.
Lack of affordable housing concern for Jasper County Almost half of Jasper County residents report problems with their current living arrangements By Jamee A. Pierson PCM Explorer
Editor’s note: This is the third in a series of articles exploring the results of the Jasper County Community Health Needs Assessment. Following mental health and
substance misuse and lack of healthcare professionals, lack of affordable housing rounds out the top three priorities for Jasper County. According to the Jasper County Community Health Needs HOUSING | 3
Selection committee to hold candidate interviews within the next few weeks By Christopher Braunschweig PCM Explorer Applications for the new director or administrator of the Jasper County Veterans Affairs department have been submitted to commissioners for review. If all goes well with the selection committee’s interview process in the next two weeks, it is possible a candidate will be recommended for commission approval in February. Dennis Simon, director of human resources for Jasper County, said he has been sending applications to all five members of the veterans affairs commission ever since the position was posted. The department is in need of a new department head after
NEW SHERIFF SETTLES IN By Christopher Braunschweig PCM Explorer Jasper County Sheriff Brad Shutts is still adjusting to his new leadership role, but the good state in which the department was left to him by retired sheriff and mentor John Halferty allows him to maintain the course the office was headed while also being forward thinking and proactive in its law enforcement. It is important to Shutts
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that the sheriff ’s office continues offering its quality customer service in every aspect of the department. Whether it is policing, EMS support, communications or jail services, the new sheriff wants to set and meet high Schutts standards. He
the firing of former Veterans Affairs Administrator Alyssa Wilson. The deadline for applications was Jan. 10. Two days prior to the deadline, the county had received about 15 applications so far. Members of the steering committee were selected during the Jan. 8 veterans affairs commission meeting. In addition to Simon serving on the committee as an advisor, the commission chose Mike Gunsaulus, Supervisor Brandon Talsma and commissioners Marta Ford and Ed Spangenburg to conduct the interviews. Simon encouraged commissioners to send him their questions about individual candidates so that their in-
put can be provided in the interview process. However, to avoid a quorum and possible violations to open meetings laws, it was decided that only two commissioners can serve on the committee. Prior to the interview process, Simon recommended commissioners provide him and the committee an unranked list of their top five applicants. From there, the committee will decipher who to interview, giving special attention to overlapping names that appear on commissioners’ top-five lists. “Once the interviews are done, the selection committee will discuss and debate and we will make a APPLICANTS | 3
Sheriff Brad Shutts wants a forward thinking sheriff’s office that looks after employees and citizens of Jasper County
also wants the sheriff ’s office to maintain its community visibility. “One of the biggest deterrents to crime is being out there and being visible and being proactive,” Shutts said in a recent interview with Newton News. “We don’t want to sit back or be reactive or wait for things to happen. Before we act we want to be out there on the front lines of it.” The sheriff ’s office, he added, is left in great shape af-
ter Halferty’s retirement. For the past few years the Jasper County Jail has made improvements to its pods to account for more inmates held as overflow from other counties. It is additional revenue for the county and it increased the maximum capacity to 96 inmates. Approximately 20 years ago the county completed the construction of the jail, and Shutts said that has since been paid off. So now his efforts
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will be focused on maintaining and refreshing the building itself and keeping up with security to make it a safe place for employees and inmates in the years to come. “It’s the biggest division in the sheriff ’s office and the biggest portion of the budget besides the wages and things like that,” Shutts said. “We’re watching people and having to feed them and SHERIFF | 3
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