Thursday, Feb. 22, 2024
Vol. 5, No. 27
PCMExplorer Local People. Local Stories.
END OF AN ERA City funding secured for congregate meals in Monroe
PC Library says goodbye after more than 20 years at East Fifth Street location
28E agreement between the city and The Gathering Place will help fund elderly nutrition By Jamee A. Pierson PCM Explorer
Jamee A. Pierson/PCM Explorer What was first used as a doctor’s office until 1999, the Prairie City Library made a home in the converted space for more than 20 years. The doors closed for the final time at the East Fifth Street location as the library prepares to move to its new building on the east side of the square.
Sgt. Tracy Cross announces campaign for Jasper County sheriff Sheriff’s race now has at least two confirmed candidates vying for top spot By Christopher Braunschweig PCM Explorer Sgt. Tracy Cross of the Jasper County Sheriff ’s Office announced this past week on Facebook that he will be running for sheriff. Current sheriff John Halferty has indicated this will be his last year holding the elected office, and he is likely to retire from law enforcement. When Cross announced Cross his campaign, he said the sheriff ’s office has a long, rich history of strong leaders who have paved the way for those who are called into leadership. If elected as the next sheriff,
Cross said he will honor those who led before him by upholding the integrity, honor and service pillars through serving and protecting communities, while also investing in the people serving and volunteering beside him. Faith plays a large part in Cross’s life and he often devotes time and effort to this church. But Cross told Newton News in a phone interview that he felt led to do something more for his community. He enjoys his job at the sheriff ’s office and working with both paid and volunteer agencies. “I found that I like being out there in the community, and I don’t want to lose that in our office. I want to have more ability CROSS | 3
A 28E agreement between the City of Monroe and The Monroe Gathering Place Senior and Community Center will help fund congregate meals at the location for the next year. The Monroe City Council at its meeting Feb. 12 approved $100 per month, or $1,200 total, in city funds to go towards using the space to house Jasper County Elderly Nutrition. “We have had a site in Monroe for many, many years ... and it has been a great partnership,” Jasper County Elderly Nutrition Program Director Kelli Van Manen said. “We don’t want to lose the site in
Monroe because once it is gone, it will be hard to get back.” Previously housed at Monroe City Hall, when operations ceased last year meals were delivered regularly to four people are various locations who continued to dine. “We started conversations with The Gathering Place. They have a beautiful facility there and are wanting to get more people in,” Van Manen said. “We want to get more people to the site to eat.” The city also agreed to pay The Gathering Place an additional onetime payment of $3,800 to provide for programming activities, staffing needs and/or any program or MEALS | 3
Jasper County GOP chair announces campaign for supervisor Thad Nearmyer wants to improve relationships between county and cities By Christopher Braunschweig PCM Explorer Thad Nearmyer has spent the past eight years helping Republican candidates get elected, but now the shoe is on the other foot, and he is running his own campaign for county supervisor. The chairman of the Jasper County Republican Party announced Feb. 12 he will be running for Denny Stevenson’s seat. Nearmyer said in a press release that, as a rural citizen of Jasper County, he is very familiar with the challenges of maintaining gravel roads. He said the cur-
rent board of supervisors has worked closely with the county engineer to devise a plan to upgrade the roads, and he believes they have done a good job. “It’s a work in progress and always will be. I will strive to see that this im- Nearmyer provement continues,” he said, later noting he would prioritize roads and ensure public safety is properly funded. If elected county supervisor, Nearmyer said he will also work hard to keep property taxes in check. He complimented the current board’s efforts when it comes to lower property taxes these past few years. His goal is to continue that work and make sure tax-
payers are “getting the best bang for their buck.” Another goal Nearmyer has as supervisor is to improve Jasper County’s working relationship with city governments throughout the county to ensure future growth. “To be clear, I am not saying the county should open up the checkbook,” Nearmyer said. “I’m saying that we share similar goals to make our county a great place to live, raise families and retire in; a place to be proud of and where people want to come to live and work.” Nearmyer said he will bring the work ethic he learned on the farm to the courthouse, along with his interpersonal skills and collaborative abilities he cultivated while working seven years at Principal Financial Group and serving NEARMYER | 3
County supervisors break tradition and approve an almost $5K raise for themselves Talsma reasoned the county needs to keep salary attractive enough for future candidates By Christopher Braunschweig PCM Explorer Over the years Jasper County supervisors have prided themselves for not taking a salary increase despite recommendations from the compensation board, but this past month elected officials broke tradition and not only approved a raise for themselves but also gave the chairman a $2,500 stipend. Jasper County Compensation Board recommended the supervisors receive a $7,980 raise, bumping their annual salaries from $42,020 to an even $50,000. In the past few years, the supervisors have not thought twice about rejecting the compensation board’s recommendation for their salaries.
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However, supervisor Brandon Talsma reasoned that although he did not like the idea of a raise he also wanted to incentivize individuals to run for a seat on the board. To him, he always had a sense of pride saying the Jasper County Board of Supervisors hasn’t taken a raise in X-amount of years. “We’re nearing the point where if we don’t Talsma keep it at an attractive enough of a salary we’re going to have a harder and harder time finding quality individuals who are willing to take time out of their personal lives, their family lives,
their hobbies to run for this job,” Talsma said. Supervisor Denny Stevenson said years ago, when he was first on the board, the stipend was taken away for the chairman. Looking back, Stevenson said that was a mistake and he would like to see it come back. The board chair “does way more extra work” than the $2,500 will cover, but it will help, he said. As the current board chair, Talsma didn’t comment. Supervisor Doug Cupples agreed with Stevenson, leading to a 2-0 vote to reinstate the stipend. Talsma abstained from the vote. When it comes to supervisor salaries, Cupples and Talsma argued Jasper County’s wages were below that of nearby Marion and Marshal Counties.
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Still, Talsma agonized over the idea of giving supervisors a pay raise, but he felt it was worth it to have the conversation now. “Denny, you’re on the (Kellogg) City Council, how hard is it to find somebody who is wanting to sacrifice their time to run for city council?” Talsma asked. Stevenson shook his head. “It’s terrible,” he said. While the supervisors would go on to approve the salary increase, they did not fully commit to the compensation board’s recommendation. Instead, they took a $4,980 increase instead of the proposed $7,980 increase, bringing their annual salaries to $47,000. The board approved the raise in a 3-0 vote.
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