Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024
Vol. 5, No. 52
PCMExplorer Local People. Local Stories.
State Fair picks
Committee awards $284K among 4 groups in Jasper County
Jasper County 4-Hers have their projects on display at the 4-H Building throughout the Iowa State Fair By Jamee A. Pierson PCM Explorer Having a 4-H project selected for the Iowa State Fair is an honor. It means hundreds of thousands of people have a chance to see what the 4-H’er made while it on display in the 4-H Building throughout the 11-day fair. “When this project was selected for the State Fair, I was super excited, and it made the hard work even more rewarding,” Sherman Sunbeam member Karly Spear said. For her project, Spear restored an old wooden rocking chair. She got the idea when at an antique store and after checking that it was structurally sound, purchased it for the project. “The first step of this project was to learn more about the chair’s past — what era it was from and what its purpose was. I soon found that this chair was likely a sewing or nursing rocker from the
Victorian era,” Spear said. “Upon completing my research, I began sanding the chair. Next I stained the chair, then reupholstered the seat cushion.” At the Jasper County Fair, Spear received the Quester Preservation and Restoration Award for her work. At the state fair she received a red ribbon. Along with her static exhibit, Spear is looking forward to showing off her animals at the state fair, too. “I am excited to exhibit my livestock at the fair,” Spear said. “I will be showing poultry, goats and cattle.” Also on display is a sculpture from Jasper County Farmhand member Kolby Clark. The intricate work put into his wire tree made it a shoe-in to move on to the next level. “I got the idea from a picture my mom sent me after I made a smaller one of a different type I saw on TikTok,” Clark said. “My steps to making it were cut-
Opioid settlement funds to go towards substance abuse treatment and prevention programs
Jamee A. Pierson/PCM Explorer Jasper County Farmhand member Kolby Clark earned a blue ribbon for his wire tree at the Iowa State Fair.
ting all the wires then wrapping them together for the trunk and branches and then putting the beads on for the leaves. I didn’t really follow a pattern, I just branched
them off randomly and I did it myself. I felt pretty good about it when it was done because it looked really nice after PROJECTS | 3
Road not open By Jamee A. Pierson PCM Explorer After more than five months of work, those looking to travel on the portion of Highway 14 under construction will have to wait a little longer. While primary work is set to be complete Aug. 19, the roadway will not open to full traffic until the north portion of the project catches up to the first phase. “They are looking to be done, not everything but the surface asphalt on the south section, by Aug. 19. Then they will start on the north section,” Iowa Department of Transportation Engineer Jacob Imming said. “We’ll get the north section to the same point the south section is in about mid-September.” After both sections are equal, the IDOT plans to pave the final asphalt using a single lane closure. The road will have a pilot car and flagger set up throughout the work, making it the first time the stretch of highway will be offi-
By Christopher Braunschweig terviewed the applicants PCM Explorer that it felt were qualified to move on and four recFour local entities ommendations were setwere awarded a com- tled upon. bined total of $284,000 Capstone Behaviorfrom the Jasper County al Healthcare received Opioid Settlement Com- $70,000 for justice-inmittee and the board of volved substance treatsupervisors, and it will ment programs with the go towards substance Jasper County Sheriff ’s treatment services, pre- Office. Julie Smith, execvention programs in an utive director of Capstone area school district and Behavioral Healthcare, an expansion for an al- said the organization ready existing treatment provides transitional facility. services to county jail inBecky Pryor, adminis- mates. trator of Jasper County For instance, the staff Health Department and member assigned to the a member of the commit- program can help inditee, told supervisors at viduals with Medicaid their Aug. 6 meeting that applications, housing applications had been and other services so that accepted until June 30. The committee then inSETTLEMENT | 3
Highway 14 between Monroe and Newton to remain closed through second phase of project
cially open to traffic. “Now, it is all going to be traversable, but it won’t be open,” Imming said. “Through traffic trying to get to Newton will still have to go around. We’ll still have the normal type three barriers up. Local traffic, those that live on Highway 14, will be able to use it.” The section of Highway 14 between Highway F62 West known as Diamond Trail Road, and Highway F62 West that goes from Highway 14 to Reasnor will also be open for through traffic. The project has Highway 14 resurfaced in two sections, first from the northern Monroe city limits to South 60th Avenue West, then extended to the southern Newton city limits. Jamee A. Pierson/PCM Explorer “We’re behind on the schedule, mostly Highway 14 is set to remain closed while the second portion of the resurfacing because of how wet it has been,” Imming project is complete from South 60th Avenue West to the Newton city limits. said. “We lost a lot of time in the spring because of rain.” formation is also available on Facebook general information about this project, For updated information on this road and Twitter or on the free IDOT app. contact Dustin Skogerboe, IDOT Marconstruction project and all roadwork Email and text alerts are available shalltown construction office, at 641-752underway, visit 511ia.org or call 511. In- at new.511ia.org/#login to sign up. For 4657 or dustin.skogerboe@iowadot.us.
A community asset Monroe Community Garden provides fresh produce and a gathering place for green thumbs By Jamee A. Pierson PCM Explorer
Jamee A. Pierson/PCM Explorer Produce from the garden is available at a stand on the Monroe square. A freewill donation box is set up and it is for anyone in the community.
A publication of est. 1851
A trip overseas gave Monroe resident Suzanna Johnson an idea. She wanted to bring the idea of a shared garden to the community after seeing the concept work so well across the pond. “I had seen something in England with their community gardens,” Johnson said. “Then, I started watching different programs on types of community gardens and I thought a sharing garden would be awesome.” An idea she thought might happen in the future took root right away. “It happened immediately, peo-
ple started working on it,” Johnson said. Located south of Monroe City Hall, the community garden is in its second year but is already growing. In its first season, on garden plot was used to grow tomatoes, cucumbers, beans and more. This year, the garden has expanded to a second plot adding more fruits and vegetable options. The picturesque garden has vines growing to form a tunnel, a scarecrow to keep it safe and a fairy garden for a little extra magical help. It has become a location people seek out, even if they aren’t gardeners. “I’ve had people call me and say it is their destination when we get out on our walks, it is so pretty,”
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
Johnson said. The produce harvested from the garden makes its way to the Monroe square where a stand displays what is available for the taking. A freewill donation box is set up and it is for anyone in the community. “That has been working out really well,” Johnson said. “I’d like to have another one located by the garden, too.” Along with providing fresh fruits and vegetables to the community, the garden serves another purpose for Johnson. She hopes it helps teach those interested in gardening along with giving kids an opportunity to be exposed to what a garden GARDEN | 3
Single Copy $1