Thursday, April 11, 2024
Vol. 5, No. 34
PCMExplorer Local People. Local Stories.
PICTURE PERFECT By Jamee A. Pierson PCM Explorer With the eyes of the sports world centered on Iowa City this women’s basketball season, PCM grad Ayrton Breckenridge had a front row seat for the action as a photo editor for The Daily Iowan, the student led newspaper serving the University of Iowa community since 1868. In his senior year, Breckenridge is double majoring in journalism and cinema with a minor in history. He is also in his fourth year at the DI, making him a senior member of the team and a trusted person to cover such an important topic. “For sports that are doing really
well or just a profit sports, we try to put more experienced people on them,” Breckenridge said. Since the Big Ten Tournament, he has been on the road with the team. From Minneapolis to Albany and now in Cleveland, Breckenridge is capturing moments from the historic year. “The few games I got to cover as an underclassman there wasn’t a lot of people around. People knew Caitlin Clark was a good player but it didn’t have quite the attention and draw that it does now,” Breckenridge said. “We saw it towards the end of last year but especially this year. All eyes were on Iowa basketball because they were returning
PCM grad has unique experience photographing history at the University of Iowa
from competing in the national championship. And obviously Caitlin Clark with all of the records.” Breckenridge got his start behind the lens during a semester in journalism class at PCM. While he didn’t continue in the class because he wanted to try out as many extracurriculars as possible, the pull towards the camera continued. “I had a visual interest in high school, even middle school, making short films with the MacBooks they gave us. The semester I was in journalism I worked on Thunder TV. That is where I started,” Breckenridge said. “My editor at PCM went
Submitted Photo PCM grad Ayrton Breckenridge works at The Daily Iowan, the newspaper covering the University of Iowa. During his time at the DI, he has covered many unique events, including the women’s basketball teams run for a national championship.
PHOTOS | 3
ROAD CLOSED
Highway 14 from Monroe to south of Newton under construction for several months
Enjoying a meal together Congregate meals now serving lunch at The Gathering Place By Jamee A. Pierson PCM Explorer
Jamee A. Pierson/PCM Explorer Signs have been out for several weeks warning drivers of the upcoming closure to Highway 14 from the northern city limits of Monroe to South 60th Avenue north of the Skunk River.
By Jamee A. Pierson PCM Explorer Starting April 8, travelers who frequent Highway 14 from Monroe to Newton need to search for a new route. From the northern city limits of Monroe to South 60th Avenue West north of the Skunk River, road construction has closed the busy thoroughfare for an extended period of time. “They anticipate the closure of this portion of the highway to last about three months,” Jasper County officials shared on the county website. The Iowa Department of Transportation project, will
put an overlay will be put on the existing pavement to hopefully improve the roadway. According to the county, the IDOT hopes to keep the F-62 intersection passable during the construction, but all other intersections with Highway 14 will be closed. A detour route will be marked using Highway 163, Highway 117 and Interstate 80. IDOT said changes can be made to the detour routes during construction and to visit 511ia.org to find the most up-to-date detour route information. “Pay attention to detour signing and message boards while driving,” IDOT said in
a news release. “Help keep everyone on the road safer. Drive with caution, obey the posted speed limit and other signs in the work area and be aware that traffic fines for moving violations are at least double in work zones. As in all work zones, you should stay alert, allow ample space between vehicles and wear seat belts.” Once the first portion of the project in complete, the next piece from South 60th Avenue to the City of Newton will be closed for resurfacing. Additional information will be shared by the IDOT when available as the project moves forward.
Making beautiful music
Monday through Friday, seniors in the greater Monroe area are invited to have a meal together at The Gathering Place. Served by Jasper County Elderly Nutrition, the new congregate meals site serves lunch each weekday at 11:30 a.m. “It is really nice. They’ve done a great job with it,” Jasper County Elderly Nutrition Program Director Kelli Van Manen said when talking about moving the meals to The Gathering Place at a county supervisors meeting. “They already have some programming that we can tap into. And we can bring in some programming that we have access to through Aging Resources, so I think it will be a win-win.” Congregate meals ended last fall at its previous site, Monroe
City Hall. Four dedicated people continued to gather at various spaces for meals until The Gathering Place was approved to hold the meals. Since then, more than a dozen seniors regularly come together to eat lunch each day. There is no charge for the meals for those ages 60 and older, but donations are accepted and needed. Spouses are eligible to participate and do not need to be 60 to receive a meal. Those under age 60 must pay $7.91 for each meal regardless of income. Since meals are prepared in Newton and delivered each day, they must be reserved ahead of time. To reserve a meal, call 641-792-7102 or email kvanmanen@jasperia.org before 9 a.m. the morning of the meal. Monthly menus are available on the county website or posted at The Gathering Place. Jamee A. Pierson PCM Explorer Congregate meals is now serving seniors at 11:30 a.m. each weekday at The Gathering Place in Monroe.
Students from area middle schools perform at 50th Jasper County Honor Band
By Jamee A. Pierson PCM Explorer More than 100 of the county’s top middle school student musicians took the stage for the 50th Jasper County Honor Band. Held April 2 at the Newton High School Center for Performance, students from the six area schools performed together after only a day of rehearsal. Guest conductor Michelle Grant, Colfax-Mingo 5-12 music director, led the group through four pieces including “Castles and Dragons,” “Freefall!,” “After the Storm,” and “Theme from Spider-Man.” “These kids have been incredible all day. I can’t think of a better group to work with,” Grant said. “We had some hard moments where things were difficult and they just played ‘After the Storm,” incredibly well. It was easily they best they HONOR BAND | 3
A publication of est. 1851
Jamee A. Pierson/PCM Explorer More than 100 middle school students perform in the 50th Jasper County Honor Band April 2 at the Newton High School Center for Performance.
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