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Local Hot Spot Recognized as ‘Outstanding Attraction’

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The Iowa Tourism Office and the Travel Federation of Iowa presented 27 awards recognizing excellence in the tourism industry at a ceremony last night in Sioux City during the 2017 Iowa Tourism Conference.

“The Iowa Tourism Awards recognize exceptional work by passionate tourism individuals and organizations,” said Shawna Lode, manager of the Iowa Tourism Office. “We appreciate our many partners who provide memorable traveler experiences and grow the state’s economy through their efforts.”

“These awards represent the best of the best in the state,” said Andy Milam, president of the Travel Federation of Iowa. “The award ceremony gives us a chance to celebrate their efforts.”

Awards to both metro and rural areas were made in 13 award categories. Outstanding Attraction in a metro area was given to The Alley KADTS from Oskaloosa. The Alley was planned by five ladies, Karen Hafner, Ann Brouwer, Deb Beach, Theresa Grahek and Sherry Vavra who call themselves the Alley KADTS, and partnered with Oskaloosa Main Street to revamp an alley riddled with trash into an attractive gathering place. It began with a conversation in September, 2015 and hosted its grand opening in July, 2016. It is a truly eclectic space that continues to wow with its many facets. The Alley KADTS had a vision to create a culture in the downtown area where the community would come to gather and visitors would experience a unique open-air environment, even adding an impressive metal-
cut archway to further attract visitors “just passing through”.

Deann DeGroot from the Oskaloosa Area Chamber and Development Group accepted the award on behalf of the Alley KADTS and stated, “It was an honor to accept The Alley award from Iowa Tourism. I know the amount of time the Alley KATDS have spent and continue to spend on this project and the community truly appreciates this space. Birthday parties, anniversary gatherings, weddings, Wine down Wednesday’s, Thankful Thursday’s and more have now become a part of The Alley. Thank you, KADTS, for all your work!”

The annual Iowa Tourism Conference brings together nearly 250 industry representatives from across the state to network, attend educational sessions and discuss emerging industry trends.

Tourism in Iowa generates more than $8.06 billion in expenditures and $466 million in state taxes, plus employs 67,400 people statewide. The Iowa Tourism Office is part of the Iowa Economic Development Authority. For more information, visit traveliowa.com, call 800.345.IOWA, or stop at any Iowa Welcome Center. Travelers can find additional travel inspiration on the Iowa Tourism Office blog, Facebook page, Twitter feed, Pinterest boards, Instagram account, or You Tube channel.

Wind Project XI Slated to Begin in Poweshiek County

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MidAmerican Energy Company plans to build a new wind farm in Poweshiek County. This is the third site in Iowa selected for construction as part of the Wind XI project.

MidAmerican Energy has begun construction activity on the North English wind farm, with completion scheduled for December 2018. The wind farm will share an operations and maintenance building in Montezuma with the Prairie wind farm, currently under construction in neighboring Mahaska County.

The North English wind farm is part of MidAmerican Energy’s Wind XI project and will add up to 170 new wind turbines with a combined capacity of 340 megawatts of new wind generation. MidAmerican Energy expects to pay up to approximately $137 million in county property taxes and up to approximately $114 million in landowner lease payments over the 40-year lifespan of the project.

“We are excited to continue development of our Wind XI project and come closer to achieving our 100{99cd714f394079a7f0ed2eb1518dd31342ff3ceb5b6c267c3ad8acd5b5a7d66b} Renewable Vision,” said Bill Fehrman, president and CEO of MidAmerican Energy. “The benefits of Wind XI are very clear: clean energy produced right here in Iowa, for Iowa customers, using one of Iowa’s abundant renewable resources.”

The company is working with developers, county officials and landowners at potential wind farm sites in other Iowa counties for the balance of the Wind XI project. Construction on these projects will start in 2018 and 2019, and sites will be announced at a later date. Altogether, the $3.6 billion Wind XI project will consist of up to 1,000 wind turbines and 2,000 megawatts of wind generation capacity in Iowa when complete in December 2019.

The Wind XI project is expected to produce $1.2 billion in economic benefits for Iowa communities as a result of landowner easements and property tax payments over the next 40 years. Additionally, during construction thousands of jobs are expected to be added to Iowa’s economy and hundreds of new permanent jobs will be added when the expansion is complete. MidAmerican Energy is not asking for an increase in customer rates or financial assistance from the state to pay for the Wind XI project, and the development will help provide stable rates for its customers without requesting an increase until at least 2029.

About MidAmerican Energy Company
MidAmerican Energy Company is an energy provider serving 760,000 electric customers and 742,000 natural gas customers in Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska and South Dakota. It is headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa. Information about MidAmerican Energy is available on the company’s website, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube pages, which can be accessed via www.MidAmericanEnergy.com.

Drug Take Back in Mahaska County Weighs In

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The Oskaloosa Police Department in conjunction with the Drug Enforcement Administration and Mahaska County Sheriff’s Office hosted the county installment of the state, and nationwide, Drug Take Back Day.

Held at the Mahaska Drug location in Oskaloosa, the Oskaloosa Police Department received a substantial amount of prescription drugs that were unwanted, expired, dangerous or deemed unsafe.

“We collected 150 pounds of prescription drugs at this event,” said Oskaloosa Police Chief Jake McGee. “This would be in addition to the 302 pounds that we collected in April of this year.”

On April 29, 2017, the state of Iowa collected 11,774 pounds on National Take Back Day and over 450 tons country wide.

The next National Drug Take Back Day will be in April of 2018.

Young Adult Arrested for Robbery

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Shortly after midnight on Friday the Wapello County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call from the BP Gas Station in Agency on reports of a robbery.
Deputies respond to the area and located a subject matching the reported description on foot just a few blocks from BP.
An investigation was conducted and deputies arrested Jacob Bonner Age 18 of Eldon.  Bonner was charged with Burglary in the second degree – a Class  C Felony, Robbery in the second degree – a Class C Felony, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and Person Under the Legal Age both Simple Misdemeanors.
Bonner is in the Wapello County Jail and bond is set at $12,300.

Oskaloosa Man Arrested on Sexual Abuse

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On Thursday, October 26, the Oskaloosa Police Department arrested and charged Adam Wesley Sunkle age 43, of Oskaloosa with sexual abuse in the third degree.

The initial complaint was filed on September 25. The Oskaloosa Police Department received the complaint that the defendant that he had been sending, via phone messages, explicit material to a person age fifteen. Upon investigating the complaint it was also discovered that the defendant had committed sex acts against the fifteen year old. These sex acts had been ongoing since June 2017.

Sexual abuse in the third degree is a Class C Felony punishable by up to ten years in a state penitentiary.

Adam Sunkle is currently in the Mahaska County Jail waiting for an initial appearance in front of a Mahaska County Magistrate.

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It should be noted a criminal charge is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

Ottumwa Police Department Makes Traffic Stop, Drug Bust

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A Thursday morning traffic stop by Ottumwa Police Officer  led to four arrests and a drug bust.

The driver of the vehicle was identified as Wesley Alan Simmons, 34, Ottumwa. Simmons was arrested and charged with Driving under Suspension, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and No Seatbelt, all Simple Misdemeanors.

Four of the five occupants of the vehicle were arrested and charged with the following crimes:

Richard Dean Driver, 43, of Centerville, IA, was charged with:

  •  Possession With the Intent to Deliver More Than 5 Grams of Methamphetamine, a Class
    “B” Felony
  • Prohibited Acts Possession of Marijuana (Enhanced), a Class “D” Felony
  • Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, a Simple Misdemeanor

Shad Shannon Palmer, 43, of Ottumwa, was charged with:

  • Possession With the Intent to Deliver More Than 5 Grams of Methamphetamine, a Class
    “B” Felony
  • Prohibited Acts Possession of Controlled Substance (Enhanced), an Aggravated
    Misdemeanor
  • Unlawful Possession of a Prescription Drug, a serious Misdemeanor
  • Failure to Affix a Drug Tax Stamp, a Class “D” Felony
  • Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, a Simple Misdemeanor

Heather Beth Murphy, age 27, of 824 S. Lillian, Ottumwa, was charged with Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, a Simple Misdemeanor.

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Please note the following pursuant to recent Supreme Court rulings: “A criminal charge is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.”

Oskaloosans Honored With Governor’s Award

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Nearly a dozen residents and groups from the Oskaloosa area received a Governor’s Volunteer Award from Governor Kim Reynolds and Lt. Governor Adam Gregg during a special recognition ceremony held on October 27 in Ottumwa.

List of recipients from Oskaloosa include: Joshua Buckingham, Karen Hafner, Shirley Kelderman, Janet Masterson, Mary Lue McCartie, Gary Malin (MHP), Mark Neff, and Jamey Robinson for individuals. Group honors were awarded to Mahaska County CERT and the Oskaloosa High School FFA.

“Volunteerism is such an integral part of what it means to be an Iowan,” Gov. Kim Reynolds said. “I’m pleased to honor those who have given of themselves to meet the needs of others.  Their commitment helps improve the lives of those around them and consistently keep our state’s volunteerism rate in the top ten nationally.”

More than 600 awards are being presented this year during ceremonies held at several locations around the state.  It is estimated that more than 31,000 hours of service, with an economic impact of more than $727,000, were served by this year’s honorees during the past twelve months.

“Volunteering is win-win,” Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg said. “Not only does it have a positive impact on the individuals served, but also transforms the individuals giving.  The dedication of those selected for these awards often encourages others to get involved, and I’m happy to recognize them for their important contributions.”

Coordinated by Volunteer Iowa, the Governor’s Volunteer Award program—now in its 34th year—provides an easy way for Iowa nonprofits, charitable organizations, and government entities to honor their volunteers with a prestigious, state-level award.  More information is available at volunteeriowa.org.

 

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A complete list of award recipients and an electronic copy of this news release are available at volunteeriowa.org.  Photographs will be available from this website approximately one week following the ceremony.

About Volunteer Iowa (Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service)

Volunteer Iowa and its partner agencies work with organizations and individuals on three main fronts.  The first is to help agencies develop quality programs that use service as a strategy to fulfill their missions and address Iowa’s greatest areas of need.  The second is to help engage Iowans in their communities by promoting service and expanding the volunteer base.  Finally, the third area of work is to connect individuals with appropriate service opportunities by building the volunteer infrastructure.  More information is available at volunteeriowa.org.

OES Students Meet Iconic, Local Monster Jam Driver

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Children at the Oskaloosa Elementary School got an opportunity to meet with a special guest on Thursday morning.

Tyler Menninga is an Oskaloosa native who went through the Oskaloosa school system just a few years ago. Menninga is now 20 years old and is a driver for one of the most iconic names in Monster Jam: Grave Digger.

Being one of only nine drivers with Grave Digger, Menninga knew at a very young age that driving a monster truck was what he wanted to do. Speaking to children of all ages at the elementary school, Menninga shared his story about having a dream and vision.

He asked students one simple question: What do you want to do? Answers from students varied from doctor to gymnast, bunny tamer to nurses and even the occasional ‘I don’t know’.

“School taught me a lot about striving for my goals. If I wanted something, I was going to go get it,” said Menninga. “That’s what hard work will teach you.”

Menninga was accompanied by his mother and grandmother who shared stories of when Tyler was growing. When he was a young boy, possibly 2 or 3, he sat in the nosebleeds at Monster Jam with his grandfather and watch the guys work below. Tyler used to piece together ramps and jumps in his grandmother’s home using couch cushions and pillows. As Tyler dragged a backpack stuffed with monster cars that he would play with – noises and all – according to his mother and grandmother.

Menninga’s late grandfather seemed to have a passion for monster trucks that transferred over to him. “When he was a little boy, he said he was going to be a monster truck driver. He was saying that since he could talk,” said his mother and grandmother.

Growing up, Menninga really only drove All Terrain Vehicles and did off-road racing. Menninga went to work for Adam, Dennis’s son, on Grave Digger while he was still in high school. He didn’t get his start on Grave Digger, however, he actually drove Blue Thunder at the beginning of his career. Menninga is coined as the youngest Grave Digger driver… ever.

Menninga loves competing in the freestyle events “because we can go out there for a whole minute and do whatever we want.”

The tour that Menninga is currently a part of has been to Mexico City, Mexico and Peoria, Illionis already. After their weekend in Cedar Rapids, Menninga and Team Digger will head to Puerto Rico, Jackson, Miss., and Macon, GA.

Puerto Rico is a stop Menninga is by far his favorite. But what about a country this Grave Digger driver would love to freestyle in? Menninga says Australia because the tour is a month long and the team doesn’t have to go home between shows.

Grave Digger is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, as is Dennis Anderson. The ‘Father’ of Grave Digger.

“Guys, come check it out in Cedar Rapids,” said Menninga. “It’s going to be a good show!”

Duchow Hired as BBBS Program Manager

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Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mahaska County is pleased to announce that Robbyn Duchow has been hired as Program Manager.  She will start Monday, October 30th, at her office in the Mahaska YMCA.

Duchow lives in Oskaloosa and comes from the Iowa Department of Public Health, where she ran a statewide tobacco use prevention program.  She had been involved with youth prevention programs since high school, so she has a lot of experience working with diverse groups in community outreach.

The advisory board is excited to hand over the reins to Duchow and is confident she will do an amazing job helping launch BBBS Mahaska.
Duchow will receive a lot of training and support from BBBS Johnson County over the coming months, as well as continued oversight from the local advisory board. Although BBBS has received some requests to apply to be a mentor or mentee, and the best estimate for when they will begin accepting those applications is February. It is the intent of the organization to give Duchow enough time to learn about the BBBS model and build a solid foundation.
“Remember, we don’t just want to make matches.  We want to make effective, long-term matches that will do real good for the kids involved.”

PELLA ADVANCES TO VOLLEYBALL REGIONAL FINAL; OSKY, EBF ELIMINATED

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Four area teams were in action in regional semifinal action Tuesday night.
Pella and Osky battled in Class 4A Region 4 and it was all Lady Dutch from start to finish. Oskaloosa held their own during the first set before slipping late to drop it 25-20. Pella would stroll through the next two sets as they found their footing. They would win the second set 25-14 and the third set 25-8.
Pella was led by Emily Holterhaus, who would get 19 kills to lead all players. Josie Bunnell had eight kills for Osky, who ends their season with a record of 13-21.
Pella moves into the Region 4 Final next Monday where they will face Bondurant-Farrar. Pella is 32-6 on the season and one of their losses came against Bondurant-Farrar in the B-F Tournament back on August 26th. That match will be in Pella on Monday, October 30th at 7 PM.
Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont hosted Davis County in a matchup between two South Central Conference teams in Class 3A Region 8. EBF had beaten DC in the regular season in both of their matchups without dropping a set, but Tuesday night was different. Davis County would pull off the road upset in four sets (25-21, 25-19, 23-25, 25-23). EBF’s season comes to an end with a record of 21-16.
Finally, Ottumwa went on the road and faced a tough Waukee squad and came up short in straight sets (25-10, 25-18, 25-10). Ottumwa finished their season with a 19-20 record.
More volleyball action will be on tap on the No Coast Network on Thursday as Montezuma plays in the Class 1A Region 4 Semifinals against North Tama. You can hear that on 104.9 FM KBOE, kboeradio.com, and the KBOE mobile app with the pregame show starting at 6:45 PM for the 7 PM first serve.

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