Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024
Vol. 5, No. 28
PCMExplorer Local People. Local Stories.
TABLED
PCM School Board requests additional information for elementary alignment; proposal of split K-2, 3-5 buildings presented By Jamee A. Pierson PCM Explorer
Jamee A. Pierson/PCM Explorer Middle school students will take the stage March 1-3 for performances of the musical “The Nifty Fifties” at the middle school auditorium.
Going back to the ‘50s ‘The Nifty Fifties’ take the stage March 1, 2 and 3 at the PCM Middle School Auditorium By Jamee A. Pierson PCM Explorer More than 70 kids are ready to help transport the audience back to the 1950s. The PCM Middle School presents “The Nifty Fifties,” a comedy musical tribute to the decade that brought poodle skirts, slicked back hair and doowop beats. “We always alternate year to year from a fairy tale to a realistic piece,”
director Janice Davis said. “We had three that we had picked from and this one;we like the music and thought it would be fun to try out something with the ‘50s and the costuming and sets.” Hitting the stage for three performances, the community can step back into the ‘50s starting with opening night at 7 p.m. March 1. The cast will be back for a second performance at 7 p.m. March 2 and a 2 p.m. matinee March 3 at the
PCM Middle School Auditorium. The musical features Gracie Stanley, who has gotten herself in hot water by promising to deliver her distant cousin, rock star Ziggy Springer, for the high school Hippity Hop at Louise’s Luncheonette. A wrench is thrown into the plans when Ziggy’s manager doesn’t want his client performing anywhere without pay. MUSICAL | 3
Work on elementary alignment will move into March as the PCM School Board tabled the topic during its Feb. 18 meeting. The proposal of moving all of third grade to Prairie City as a part of the elementary vision to have all students on the same campus will need further explanation to the board before continuing what was started two years ago with fourth and fifth grades combining in Prairie City. “This was a part of our grade alignment plan when we had space available,” superintendent Michelle Havenstrite said. Currently, with the retirement of a third grade teacher in Monroe, there would only be one third grade class in the building. It would have about 20 kids. If the alignment remains the same as the previous year, the other
three third grade classes will be housed in Prairie City. Board members asked about kindergarten through second grade and how many classrooms there would be for each grade. Elementary principal Donita Geetings said the school is using a recommendation approved by the board for class size ranges. “Several years ago, the board approved a class lists recommendation where we would stay within certain numbers,” Geetings said. “We can’t have class sizes of 14 or 15 and afford that. Right now we are looking at class sizes in kindergarten, first and second grade of about 18 or 19 in three sections. Rather than it be a certain number of sections, we look at how many kids there are.” Havenstrite also added that additional factors play into how many sections each grade level has. SCHOOL BOARD | 3
Colfax Police Chief Jeremy Burdess announces run for Jasper County sheriff June primary will decide Republican nominee from 3 potential candidates so far By Christopher Braunschweig PCM Explorer Colfax Police Chief Jeremy Burdess is one of three Republican candidates running for sheriff of Jasper County. Following the announcement of current Burdess sheriff John Halferty’s retirement at the end of this year, three other law en-
forcement officers have stepped up to take his place this coming election. In addition to Burdess, the other candidates include Lt. Brad Shutts and Sgt. Tracy Cross, both of the Jasper County Sheriff ’s Office. In a recent interview with Newton News, Burdess said what prompted him to run for election was when a number of current employees at the sheriff ’s office told him how unhappy they were with the culture of the sheriff ’s office. They also did not like the idea of a new sheriff coming from within the department. “It wasn’t necessarily appealing to them. Having worked
there and them knowing me, they reached out to see if it would be something I was interested in,” he said, noting he worked at the sheriff ’s office for 10 years. “Personally, I also felt like I had the experience and the leadership abilities to be able to take on that task.” While at the sheriff ’s office, Burdess worked patrol before becoming a detective and a field training officer. Eventually, he moved to West Liberty for a year and then returned back home in Jasper County and has been serving the Colfax Police Department as its chief since 2022. If elected as county sheriff, Burdess said he would address
One click to help By Jamee A. Pierson PCM Explorer Finding help is just a click away with the new Jasper County Resource Guide available on the county’s website. The project was developed in collaboration between the Jasper County Health Department, Jasper County IT and Jasper County Cares Coalition (JCCC), and it provides almost 200 available services throughout the county. “Jasper County Cares has continued to grow with health and human service providers serving Jasper
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County. We are always getting phone calls or people asking where they go to get help for things like mental health, food programs, help for seniors to transportation needs,” Jasper County Health Department Administrator Becky Pryor said. “Jasper County Health Department has been doing the guide in a Word document for a few years, but we really wanted something user friendly.” Recently, the county updated its website and Pryor found out there was a way to add the guide to the site. She wrote a grant and was supported by the board of supervisors to move forward
with providing the information on an easy-to-use online format. “We worked with the JCCC which has a distribution list of over 190 people that serve Jasper County,” Pryor said. “This includes all the schools, law enforcement, health and human service agencies. We worked together to make categories of services that many people often request.” Pryor will continue to update the document as information changes or need to be added. She hopes by making the guide available WEBSITE | 3
the issues brought up to him by personnel within the department by creating an environment where “everybody wants to come to work and do their job and feel wanted and respected.” Burdess said employees want a different style of leadership. The sheriff ’s office needs to have a proactive role when addressing these issues, he added, as well as the many other challenges law enforcement faces today. “We have mental health issues that is a huge deal that we’re dealing with,” Burdess said. “Probably 20 percent of the calls we go on are some sort of mental health issue … All law enforce-
ment agencies are dealing with that. It’s just a matter of training and better preparing the officers.” Providing resources to people experiencing a mental health crisis is also pivotal, but it can take some time before the adequate response can arrive on scene. Which means individuals with a mental illness may end up in jail rather than getting the real help they need. Burdess said jail is not what they need. “They’re going there because there is essentially nowhere else for them to go at that particular time, and the mental health thing is a larger issue that’s kind of out of our hands,” BURDESS | 3
Jasper County Resource Guide now available on county website to provide contact information for services
Jamee A. Pierson/PCM Explorer The Jasper County Resource Guide has 50 categories – from colleges to hospitals, and senior services to vision care – providing information on services available to residents in the county. The guide is available on the Jasper County website: jasperia.org/resources.
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