by Senator Adrian Dickey Good afternoon Senate District 44! I’d like to start this week’s dispatch off with the sad news of David Heaton from Mount Pleasant passing away. Representative Heaton served Henry County for 23 years in the Iowa House, retiring in 2017. While Dave had been away from the Capitol for 8 years, […]
by Senator Ken Rozenboom Funding for K-12 schools In our first floor debate of the year, the Senate passed our version of the K-12 education funding proposal for this year. Senate File 167 is a $235 million increase for K-12 education in Iowa. Iowa’s total amount in state aid for K-12 schools will come to […]
by Robin Opsahl, Iowa Capital Dispatch February 13, 2025 The Iowa House passed a bill Thursday with a 2.25% per-pupil funding increase alongside other funding changes for Iowa’s public K-12 schools. The move sends the legislation back to the Senate, which proposed a 2% rate. The House voted 58-35 to pass an amended version of […]
Friends of Mahaska County Conservation has been collecting plastic shopping/grocery bags for recycling. Since 2019 over 700,000 shopping/grocery bags have been collected and have been recycled and kept out of the Mahaska County Landfill. Over the years, we have expanded our collection capability. Currently, we have two buildings, one located at the Southern Iowa Fairgrounds […]
WASHINGTON, D.C. – North Mahaska was notified this past week that it has been ranked No. 51st in Iowa among the 2025 Best Elementary School rankings by U.S. News & World Report. The rankings include more than 79,000 public elementary and middle schools across the country. Schools are ranked at the state and district level, […]
by Representative Helena Hayes February 12, 2025 The State Legislature is once again considering a bill that would limit civil liability for chemical companies that manufacture pesticides. The bill recently passed out of a Senate subcommittee on February 5th and is awaiting agenda action in the Senate Judiciary Committee. This pesticide bill is a tort […]
by Robin Opsahl, Iowa Capital Dispatch February 11, 2025 Rep. Steven Holt, R-Denison, said Tuesday he has high hopes for the Iowa Legislature to pass an anti-SLAPP bill this session after several years of the measure stalling. SLAPP, or “strategic lawsuits against public participation,” is a term used for civil lawsuits filed to intimidate a […]
OSKALOOSA, IA. Mahaska Health is thrilled to announce the state-of-the-art 2025 Siemens X.Cite CT Scanner for patients in Oskaloosa and the Southeast Iowa region. Computed Tomography (CT) scanners use imaging to show detailed images of the body. This new device will assist the radiology team in enhancing patients’ experience and overall scan results. The 2025 […]
an Oskaloosa School District Press Release OSKALOOSA, IA — Oskaloosa Middle School’s ongoing renovations are advancing smoothly, allowing an additional roof project to be added years ahead of schedule, thanks to proactive steps taken by Oskaloosa Schools and Boyd Jones Construction. Pete Perez, director of education and municipal services with Boyd Jones, recently shared how […]
The Oskaloosa School Board met on Tuesday, February 11, 2025, addressing key topics ranging from student behavior and facility improvements to finance and academic planning. The meeting included presentations from district staff, public comments from community members, and discussions on ongoing projects and funding initiatives. Facilities: Middle School Roof and Instructional Support Levy The board […]
