Thursday, July 4, 2024
Vol. 5, No. 46
PCMExplorer Local People. Local Stories.
Jasper County has been added to president’s disaster declaration EMA had been requesting additional assistance since the May floods and storms By Christopher Braunschweig PCM Explorer
Christopher Braunschweig/PCM Explorer Only the roof of the shelter in Holmdahl Park can be seen during the May 21 floods in Kellogg. A month after the president issued a disaster order for a number of Iowa counties affected by storm damage and floods, Jasper County and two other counties were added to the declaration.
Jasper County has now been added to the president’s major disaster declaration following the severe flooding and wind storms that occurred one month ago. The decision comes after emergency management officials
Water, sewer rate increases for Monroe By Jamee A. Pierson PCM Explorer In effect as of July 1, Monroe residents will pay a little more for water and sewer. The Monroe City Council approved the rate increases to keep up with higher costs from water suppliers and institute gradual changes instead of large increases. For metered water customers, monthly fees will start at $20.49 for 0-999 gallons used. For 1,000 to 1,999 the fee will be $25.10, from 2,000 to 2,999 will be $29.97, 3,000 to 3,999 at $34.61, 4,000 to 4,999 at $38.97, 5,000 to 5,999 at $43.23, 6,000 to 6,999 at $48.29, 7,000 to 7,999 at $53.77, 8,000 to 8,999 at $58.72 and 9,000 to 9,999 at $63.79. For all use more than 10,000 gallons it is $7.02 per 1,000 gallons or part thereof. For customers who receive water services outside of city limits, rates begin at $25.60
for 0-999 gallons used. For 1,000 to 1,999 the fee will be $31.37, from 2,000 to 2,999 will be $37.45, 3,000 to 3,999 at $43.25, 4,000 to 4,999 at $48.71, 5,000 to 5,999 at $54.03, 6,000 to 6,999 at $60.35, 7,000 to 7,999 at $67.21, 8,000 to 8,999 at $73.40 and 9,000 to 9,999 at $79.74. For all use more than 10,000 gallons it is $10.74 per 1,000 gallons or part thereof. Sewer rates, which will also increase July 1, will start at $19.23 per month for the first 1,000 gallons used. At 1,000 to 1,999 the rate will be $23.56, 2,000 to 2,999 at $28.14, 3,000 to 3,999 at $32.49, 4,000 to 4,999 at $36.58, 5,000 to 5,999 at $40.59, 6,000 to 6,999 at $45.34, 7,000 to 7,999 at $50.49, 8,000 to 8,999 at $55.13 and 9,000 to 9,999 at $59.89. At 10,000 plus per thousand the rate $6.60. The changes passed three readings in April, May and June before being placed into code.
met with state leaders and even U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley to convince the feds for help. “Advocating for Iowans’ needs at the federal level is my core responsibility as an elected representative,” Grassley said in a statement to Newton News. “Local residents and emergency respond-
ers have communicated with my staff and spoken with me directly about the urgent need for federal assistance following May’s severe storms. I was glad to support Jasper County’s addition to the Major Disaster Declaration, and I stand ready to help storm-impacted Iowans recover in any way that I
TOP SHOT
can.” In a press release from Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management, it was announced three more counties had been added to the presidential disaster order: Jasper, Adams and Cedar. The counties of Adair, DECLARATION | 2
Junior golfers participate in clinic and skills tournament at Gateway Recreation in Monroe
Jamee A. Pierson/PCM Explorer Sixth Grade Boys — First Place: Huxton, Second Place: Jace, Third Place: Rudy. More golfer photos on page 8.
NEWTON RADIO STATIONS LOSE LOCAL VOICES
Syndicated satellite programming replaces on-air personalities at KCOB and Energy 106.7, leaving the community furious and at a loss without familiar figureheads
Christopher Braunschweig/PCM Explorer From left: Joe Swanson, commercial production director, has been spending a great deal of his time at the library to apply for jobs after Alpha Media USA decided to terminate local on-air personalities for Newton’s radio stations; Jamie Grout, content manager, is spending more time at his part-time job in Hy-Vee after he was fired from what he has described in the past as his dream job; and Randy Van Roekel, news director, sits on the porch of his home in Newton, the market he was expecting to finish his radio career on his own terms.
By Christopher Braunschweig PCM Explorer
Editor’s note: This is Part one of a two-part series. Watch next week’s PCM Explorer for the rest of the story.
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Bob Lane has been a longtime listener of Newton’s radio stations, so he found it odd when the local content he had been accustomed to all these years had suddenly vanished. He wasted no time making a complaint, and that is when he
learned the on-air personalities at KCOB and KRTI-Energy 106.7 were fired. As usual, news travels fast in Newton. Only this time, one of the key figureheads in delivering quick, on-the-spot local news stories was
now the top story in town. Alpha Media USA, a radio broadcasting company that owns several stations across the country and had purchased the Newton radio brands in 2015, made staff cuts at many of its Midwestern stations this past May. Which meant that Jamie Grout, Joe Swanson and Randy Van Roekel were taken off the air. Lane couldn’t believe it. He had been listening to the Newton radio stations for the past 40 years. It was a trusted and an immediate source of news, and it provided entertainment for listeners on the road. All three on-air personalities have been replaced with syndicated satellite programming. “I was shocked,” Lane said. “How can we go without a local radio station in a town of 15,000? Of course the paper now we only get two days a week, and that limits us there, too. Years ago we’d get it every day. With the radio station you could get the news three times a day. My gosh. What are we gonna do?” In addition to listening to the news programs, Lane had also worked with radio staff to promote shows organized by the Jasper County Concert Association,
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and he even helped do some ads for them for Newton Village and Forbes. Ever since the radio shifted away from its local programming, he has not bothered to listen. All he hears now is music, and it’s not the type Lane really cares for. “It’s just a major hole in my life because now I can’t get their local news,” Lane said. “I’d say it’s a real loss to the community, too. We’ve just lost a source of local news. How do we find out what’s going on? Or what the school board is doing? Or what the board of supervisors or city council are doing? It’s a loss.” Community members have not taken the loss lightly either. In response to the radio station’s Facebook promotions for a four-person trip to Orlando, community members ignored the prompts and gave ‘em a small-town tongue lashing. Comments show people don’t care about theme park passes or hotel stays. They care about the people who supported the community. I wouldn’t want to win a free trip from a station that just fired their longtime local radio persons who helped support our community and RADIO | 3
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