Out And About With Jamie Grout

The Inspiration Gardens at DMACC in Newton are growing and are having a big event this Saturday morning. I talk about this with Master Gardners Mark Monroe and Carol Camp on this edition of Out And About With Jamie Grout

This a combination podcast with The final day of The Jasper County Fair and I wrap up the Fair reports with an interview with The Jasper County Fair Queen and Princess. I want to personally thank ISU Extension Youth Coordinator Stacy Wilson the her interns for all help she and they have given me for the results of the projects the kids in 4-H and FFA have done. The results are great but what you don't see is all the hard work these kids put in every year with their projects. They deserve to be in the spotlight and that's why I do these reports. I could not do these reports without the help of the fine sponsors I have that support this podcast including the presenting sponsor Timberline East Campground. Thanks also to Little Red, Lynette Neubauer Baker, my podcast and video podcast partner who I could not do these without.

Everything from Art In The Park to Farmers Markets to Music In The Park coming up in the next few days in Grinnell. Find out what's going on with my Grinnell Happenings Podcast.

Here are more results from this years Jasper County Fair with ISU Estenson Youth Coordinator Stacy Wilson on what happend with the 4-H and FFA kids at the fair for 7-21 and 7-22.

More results on what happened with the 4-H and FFA kids at this year's Jasper County Fair with ISU Youth Coordinator Stacy Wilson for Tuesday. Let's give these kids a pat on the back by putting a spotlight on their acomplishments.

Since I'll be busy this week at The Jasper County Fairgrounds with Stacy Wilson compiling reports on what the 4-H and FFA youngsters are doing I'll be replaying some of the best interviews I've had in the past year. In this podcast I interviewiewed Speed Herrig who is know for his Cookies BBQ Sauce. I'm sure you've seen is catchy commercials over the years and if you go to this years Iowa State Fair you'll see his rib wagon. His story if getting into the BBQ Sauce business is very interesting. As you'll hear he was in the automotive and auto parts business and stumbled into the BBQ Sauce business through a lawsuit. Enjoy this best of podcast with Speed "the sauceman" Herrig.

With Iowa State University Extention Youth Coordinator Stacy Wilson, here are the results of this weekends competitions at this years Jasper County Fair. Thanks to sponsors: Timberline East Campground in Newton, Johnson Aviation, Lonnie Portner State Farm Insurance, Brookwood Incorporated, and Ryan's Tire and Auto. I will have daily audio and video reports both on Spotify, Amazon, I-Heart, Apple Podcast and all the other platforms along with my YouTube channel and outandaboutwithjamiegrout.com.

Starting Monday I will have daily reports from this year's Jasper County Fair. The presenting sponsor is Timberline East Campground. However today is a normal podcast as Stacy Wilson, The Iowa State University Extension Youth Coordinator tells us about upcoming events for this weekend. Make sure you check out the outandaboutwithjamiegrout website, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, I-Heart Podcasts, Amazon Podcasts plus all the other platforms and my YouTube channel for all the results on what's going on at The Jasper County Fair starting on Monday.

Events coming up for 7/11/26 in Grinnell, Iowa USA. A run/walk, farmers market, acting class and music class. It's all happening this Saturday in beautiful Grinnell. Check it out on Out And About With Jamie Grout.

Childrens charities have always been near and dear to my heart since me and my co-host on the morning show when I was on the air in Waterloo/Cedar Falls started a childrens charity that is still going strong after 27 years. A few weeks ago Make A Wish Iowa made a presentation at The Newton Rotary Club and I was very impressed. I had know about Make A Wish but didn't have much of an idea of how they found the kids who had the wishes and how they were granted. In this podcast I speak with Nichole who started out as a volunteer for Make A Wish and now is a full time spokesperson for Make A Wish. She gives us an overview of what Make A Wish is all about, gives us an idea of some of the stories behind some of the wishes granted and how the wishes are funded. As you will hear this is a busy time of year for Make a Wish with wishes being granted but they need your donations to keep going. Please give a listen to Nichole and hear her story and the stories of the kids and how Make A Wish put's smiles on the childrens faces. And, if you can, do what you can to help with this fine organization.

In this podcast I speak with Newton Salvation Army Captain Tim North. Unfortunately many folks don't think of The Salvation Army this time of year. At Christmas they do because of the belling ringing Red Kettle campaign. But not usually in the summer months. That's why I decided to do this podcast. In our conversation we talk about the history of the Salvation Army in Newton and in the United States. He also gives us an overview of The Salvation Army Food Pantry and The Thrift Story. He also tells us with the summer warmer weather how The Salvation Army can help to keep folks cool and with utility bills on a limited basis.

In this podcast I speak with Randy Ervin about the new AU Chemical plant. In this podcast I throw the questions at Randy that many folks around the community have been asking about. What kind of chemicals with the plant be producing? Are the tax breaks the AU will be recieving really worth the 27 jobs that the company will be creating? Will our water bills being going up with the water that the company will be using? Will the city have to be providing new infrastructure for the facility? And many more questions. In the podcast the Mayor, from the outset of the interview, gives his contact information on how you can reach him if you have any other questions or concerns about the AU chemical plant.

There's still time to see the musical A Year With Frog And Toad at The Loft Theatre at Grinnell Arts Center this coming weekend. In this podcast I speak with The plays Director Tom Lacina and one of the actors Irish. The Musical Director is Erin Bustin from The Grinnell School Of Music. The play is being presented by The Grinnell Community Theatre and The Grinnell School Of Music.

This podcast is abot The Newton Community Theatre's presentation of Annie. It's being presented on 6/19. 6/20. and 6/26 at 7 pm. And 6/21, 6/27 and 5/28 at 2 pm at The Newton Community Theatre. I tip my hat to the cast of crew of Annie where I had a chance to see the dress rehersial last week and the performance was impressive. In this podcast I speak with the vocal music director of the play and the Exectuive Director of The Newton Community Theatre about the story of the play, the lead actors in the play and the characters they portay along with the presentation dates and times. Make it a point to check out "Annie" at The Newton Community Theatre.

In this podcast I speak with a couple of ladies who are heavily involved with The Grinnell Historical Museum. They have a couple of big events going on in July that you might want to attend. The ladies talk about how the museum has had youngsters in to find out about the history of Grinnell and to see some of the artifacts of the past. They also talk about some of the manufacturing exhibits they have at the museum too. Don't forget to check out the video shortcast of the tour of the museum with the ladies. They give you a taste of some the the exhibits you can see at the amazing Grinnell Historical Museum.

A couple weeks ago I ran into my former speech teacher at Newton High Frank Kruse and NHS Alum Brent Bagnall. It was thanking Mr Kruse for being an influence on me in being in 5 decades of broadcasting. Mr Kruse appricated the "thanks" I gave him and suggested that during Newton Fests Alumni Weekend that I interview Newton High Alum and ask them who their favorite teachers were and why? Plus what kind of impach that teacher had on their lives. Check out the podcast, you may hear some familar voices.

This podcast is about all the activities going on this weekend for Newton Fest. If you would like more information go to newtonfest.org

This podcast is a "best of" podcast with radio's Van Harden. I am lucky enough to get together with a group of radio folks once a month for lunch and normally Van is a part of that group. Van is a great story teller and a heck of a nice guy. When I started doing this podcast I knew I wanted to get Van on the air to talk about some of the promotions he and his partners on the radio had been through and he talks of some of them in this podcast.

On this podcast I speak with Katie Cantu who is a Naturalist with Jasper County Conservation. Jasper County Conservation has a new home out by where the Jasper County Care Facility used to be next to where the Law Enforcement Center is located. Make sure you check out the shortcast video for a tour of the new Nature Center who will be having their ribbon cutting soon. In this podcast Katie talks about the Summer Camp programs they will have going on, the various parks that Jasper County Conservation manages, the cabins that are available for rent, the specific date for the ribbon cutting that coming up soon for the new Nature Center.

In this podcast I speak with Ella White, Newton's new Chamber Of Commerce Director. In this podcast I talk with Ella about her work history, her goals and ideas for the Chamber, the benefits of belong to the Chamber and what she feels are the benefits of living and having a business in Newton, Iowa. If you don't have time to listen to the entire podcast make sure you watch the shortcast video on both outandaboutwithjamiegrout.com or on my YouTube channel or on the link below.

In this podcast I speak with Melissa Strovers with The Poweshiek Economic Development Collaborative. Their mission aims to foster strategic economic growth by leveraging partnerships and programs which will create a vibrant economy for the benefit of regional businesses and residents alike. We had a great conversation about the benefits of having a business in Poweshiek County and the progress this organization has made over the years.

One of the badges of honor in Newton is it's golf course. Westwood Golf Course has been around a number of years. In fact when I was a kid I took golf lessons from retired golf pro Larry Stewart. I was at Westwood when they had their ribbon cutting last year for their new clubhouse. Since I was at the ribbon cutting they've added the outside deck for more activities for spring, summer and fall months.I felt it was time to revisit Westwood and find out what was going on for the upcoming season at the golf course with its new addition. In this podcast you'll learn of all the golf tournaments they have coming up in the next few months. You'll also find out how the clubhouse is becoming a new venue for class reunions, birthdays and other celebrations. They also have a great selection of yummy food at Westwood too. You'll hear about all that and more with the pro & manager at manager at Westwood Brad Sponseller.

The Minneapolis Steam Engine has been in Brian Healy's family for many years and also belongs to The Jasper County Museum. Unfortunately, after many years, the steam engine is in a state of disrepair. Because of the the museum and Brian are heading up a fund drive to repair the steam engine. In this podcast you will learn what repairs need to be made to the steam engine, the history of the steam engine, how the steam engine functioned and the number of parades the steam engine was in. Make sure you watch the video that I do with Brian so you can see the before and after cosmetic repair pictures of the steam engine that have been done over the years.

In this podcast I speak with a couple of ladies involved in The Link Mentoring program in Grinnell. If you didn't know, Link Mentoring is much like The Big Brothers, Big Sisters program. Link Mentoring is having their big bowling event this weekend. LINK Mentoring Looking for 'Bigs LINK Mentoring engages volunteers as positive, supportive, and encouraging role models to children in need. The LINK Mentoring program helps instill hope, introduces children to positive and healthy activities, and empowers them to set goals and become responsible committed members of the community. LINK Grinnell. Email [email protected] to sign up or learn more!

When I looked up the name Speed Herrig on Google it described him as an Iowa icon. And why shouldn't he be described that way! He is the man that brought Cookie's BBQ Sauce to fame. If you've lived in Iowa for any length of time you've probably seen his TV commercials or heard his jingles on the radio. Speed has been selling his various flavors of Cookies Sauces since 1977 and the story of how it all got started is very interesting. Speed never planned on being "the sauce man" but that's how life turned out for him and now "Cookies" is sold in over 30 states around the midwest. If you don't see his "Rib Wagon" at county fairs and other events you might see him at The Iowa State Fair once again this year giving out samples of tasty ribs with the various flavors of Cookies BBQ sauce. I hope you enjoy this podcast with the one and only Speed Herrig, "the sauce man."

In this podcast I speak with one of the owners of The Iowa Nite Hawks and the new Coach of The Iowa Nite Hawks about their upcoming season and their goals and what excites them about the upcoming season. I also talk to the new coach about his coaching philosophy. I also ask the coach about what changes he has made since last season? What are the teams biggest strengths and weaknesses? How does he build team chemistry? What role do veterans do veteran players play on the team? And, what message to they have for the Iowa Nite Hawk fans heading into the season?

In this podcast I speak with Chris Nolte who is with The Poweshiek County Veterans Affairs Department. He answers a wide variety of questions dealing benefits veterans can receive. The motto here is "if you served you deserve." If you have served in the military please don't hesitate to contact Poweshiek County Veterans Affairs. They will be glad to answer any questions you may have about the benefits you may have coming to you.

The Newton Optimist Club is a fairly new service club in town that puts it's focus on helping youth. Recently The Newton Optimist Club had an essay and oratory contest. At this point The Newton Optimist Club is a small but growing service club that is all about helping the community. If you'd like more information about the Newton Optimist Club please feel free to contact me at: [email protected] or call or text me at 319 504 7661; It only costs $100 per year to join. In this podcast I speak with various members of The Newton Optimist Club about why they've decided to join and the purpose of the organization.

This podcast is about Wesley Life At Home. Wesley Life At Home has been around for a number of years. Now Wesley Life At Home will be opening a new office on the east side of the Newton Square next The Red Pride Cafe in the old Blooming Nails location. In this podcast we find out about all the services Wesley Life At Home offers. More and more people are looking at home health care. If you or a friend or relative are thinking about a situation like that check out this podcast. It may answer some questions you may have about Wesley Life At Home. If not, check out their website or their location opening up in late April or early May in downtown Newton.

If you want to know what's going on in Grinnell on 4/2 and 4/3 I have all the information for ya. If you'd like to know more about what's going on in Grinnell check out The Grinnell Chamber Of Commerce website.

This podcast is with Taylor McDonnell who is a counselor at Emerson Hough Elementary School in Newton. She is heading up a drive started by her church to reduce the school lunch deficit in the Newton School System. As you will hear the deficit is huge. It is the feeling of this podcaster that no child should go to bed hungry at night so I wanted to spread the word about this fund drive. In this podcast we also talk about the food pantry's that the various schools have around the district. If you have money to donate you might consider giving money toward this drive. Or, the next time you are at the grocery store picking up and few extra canned goods or non-perishable items and bringing them to the Newton Administration Office or one of schools and dropping them off for one of the families who are dealing with food insecurity,

My Sister Deb passed away in early November from complications of Parkinson's Disease in early November. So, when a longtime listener, Lori, contacted me and said she would like my help in spreading the word about a Parkinson's Disease Support Group forming in Newton, I was more than happy to help. In this podcast I speak with a couple of ladies whose husbands are fighting Parkinson's Disease right now. I also speak with a lady who worked as a nurse in the Neurological Department at Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines. The ladies talk about the early symptoms of Parkinson's that they saw in their husbands and how they are dealing with the disease in their day to day lives. The retired nurse talks about what causes Parkinson's and the various forms of the disease, We also hear about the support group and where they meet and how you can get involved. Marke sure you check out the podcast and the video shortcast if you are dealing with Parkinson's by either having the disease, having a family member with the disease or a friend who is fighting the disease.

In this podcast I talking about all the things coming up in Grinnell on March 25th and 26th. For a heads up on many of the other things going on in Grinnell make sure you go to The Grinnell Chamber of Commerce website.

This podcast is with Newton City Council Person Melissa Dalton. As I mention in the podcast, after chatting with Newton Mayor Randy Ervin, he had suggested talking with Melissa about the Newton Rail Park. This rail park out by TPI has the potential for bringing employment and industry to Newton. In this podcast we discuss what Iowa Interstate Railroad has in mind for this land and the opportunities available for it.

This Podcast is with Regan Maher who is heading up a drive for people to committ to organ donation. Regan is the recipient of a kidney donation several years ago. Regan is very grateful for that and is paying that forward with this drive for folks to commit to being an organ donor. You can commit to this by signing up on his Facebook page beginning on April 1st.

This is part 2 of a podcast I did with Newton Mayor Randy Ervin. In this we discuss some positive aspects of Newton including all the new housing being built in Newton. Remember you can check this podcast and all my other podcast out at outandaboutwithjamiegrout.com and also Spotify, Apple Podcast, I-Heart podcast and all the other platforms.

This is part 1 of a 2 part podcast interview I did with Newton Mayor Randy Irvin. Most of my podcast don't go 40 minutes so I chopped up this podcast into 2 segments. The second part of this interview will be uploaded Monday night into Tuesday morning. In this wide ranging interview I speak with "Irv" about the harrassing texts, phone calls and emails he's been getting about the man who was arrested at a Newton City Council meeting a few years ago who took the city to court about his 1st amendment rights being violated. The judge recently ruled against the city. We also talk about Randy's pro active approach to fireworks, the city's controversial discussion about franchise fees and a brief conversation about a possible inclusive playground in Newton.

It's International Women's Month. With that in mind "She Counts" is a Grinnell organization that is involved in helping women from all walks of life. In this podcast I speak with Jennifer Cogley who is with She Counts and the Claude and Dolly Ahrens foundation. She talks about the special project that She Counts has going on this month and other projects they have coming up and their goals for the future. Check into She Counts, it's a great organization.

This podcast is about The Open Arms Foundation of Jasper County. This is a great organization that helps kids transition into or out of foster care. The Open Arms Foundation has a couple of fund raiser coming up in the month of April you should know about so get ready to mark your calendars for some good times and good food for a GREAT cause. Always remember you can find the library of all of the Out And About With Jamie Grout videos and audios at outandaboutwithjamiegrout.com or at my YouTube channel.

Almost everyone I speak with has been affected by Alzheimer's or Dementia in some way. Either they are related to someone who has it or they know of someone who has it. In this best of podcast I speak with Greg Woods who works for the State Of Iowa in The Health And Human Services Department and focuses on Alzheimer's and Dementia. We discuss if there is a cure for these health issues and if not what we can as care givers can do to deal with these memory issues that effect our loved ones.

I had heard about Stew Makerspace but really didn't know anything about it. I had driven by it, I had done podcast with Monica and others from across the street at Grinnell Area Arts and The Community Theatre but never at The Stew. Finally I had heard about the pottery classes they were having and decided to find out more about this place. When I got there I got the tour from Craig, the Program Director of the place and found that it was much bigger than I thought it would be. As you will see from the video, they use their space for all kinds of crafting from woodworking to pottery. Enjoy the audio podcast but make sure you check out the video tour either on the link below our on The Out And About With Jamie Grout YouTube channel and find out what The Stew Makerspace is all about.

In this podcast I speak with Ida who talks about all the events coming up at the Newton Arboretum. At The Arboretum their motto is create, grow, bloom and discover your peace of nature. The Arboretum is 6 acres of arboretum and gardens and 13 acres of seedling prairie. They have a volunteer Board of Directors. Listen to the podcast and find out about all the programs and events The Arboretum has coming up in the next several months.

The Newton Rotary Club has been around for a long time. Rotary is tied in with their organization Rotary International is a service organization that strives to help locally and worldwide. In this podcast I speak with Wade Sheeler who is the current President of The Newton Rotary Club. In this podcast Wade talks about all the projects Rotary takes on both internationally and locally. He also talks about what happens at meetings and how often they meet, I can endorse Newton Rotary having been a past board member and President of the organization. I really enjoy getting together with my Rotary brothers and sisters every Tuesday at noon at the DMACC Newton campus to enjoy a great program and meal. Come on up and join us sometime and enjoy this podcast.

Today's podcast focuses on the many things going on in Grinnell in the next 30 to 60 days. If you are looking for something to do or somewhere to go in the Grinnell area listen up, you might get some ideas from this podcast.

In this podcast the topic is The Newton Kiwanis Club. Many times I have spoken with Tim North as Captain Tim North of The Salvation Army, but this time I am speaking with Tim as President of The Newton Kiwanis Club. Kiwanis International is a global volunteer organization dedicated to improving children's lives, with over 80 countries represented. Members participate in service projects, such as building playgrounds or mentoring and raise nearly 480 million dollars annually. The Newton Kiwanis Club does many of these same kinds of things as you will find out in this podcast. Since I am in Newton Rotary and Tim is in Kiwanis we give each other a hard time about it but both service organizations do a great job in helping the communities they serve. If you would like to attend a Newton Kiwanis Club meeting or would like more information on Newton Kiwanis contact Tim at The Newton Salvation Army at 641 792 6131

This is a "best of" podcast with Iowa's Masonic Grand Master Wade Sheeler. When this podcast was recorded Wade was Secretary of The Masonic Lodge of Newton. I've been a Mason for a number of years. My dad was a Mason, my grandfather was a mason, my great uncle was a mason and my mom was a Grand Worthy Matron of The Eastern Star which is the women's side of The Masonic Lodge. In this podcast Wade tries to dispel the myth that masonry is a religion. He talks openly about many of the rituals of masonry and what they are based on. Don't forget to check out the video of my interview with Wade where he gives a tour of Newton's Masonic Lodge and the symbols within the lodge hall.

In this podcast I repeat my podcast I did with Anne Harris who is the President of Grinnell College. President Harris talks about all the positive aspects of the college and how the college strives to work with the community. As you will hear President Harris is an energetic force who talks about the bright future of Grinnell College and the various classes they offer and how she takes pride in the school being called "The Harvard Of The Midwest."

It's time for another Out And About With Jamie Grout podcast and this time I chat with Newton Community Theatre Administrator and Director of the play Three Viewings Sue Beukema. Sue talks about the plot of the play and the cast members. One different aspect of the play is that on the 19th of February NCT is having a "pay what you can" night where you can play whatever you can afford to watch the presentation of Three Viewings. Sue also talks about the upcoming season at The Newton Community Theatre. It sounds like the theatre has some exciting performances one the way including the smash broadway hit ANNIE.

A few weeks ago I was having lunch with Iowa radio legend Van Harden. He suggested that I ask folks on Facebook who is the funniest person in Newton? Some people suggested Mark Allen. Mark is known in Newton for being a financial advisor, the inventor of the Moose Grill and being involved in The Mercy One Foundation. But to Iowans he might be known for being the morning sports reporter on the Van & Bonnie show on WHO Radio. It's a bit ironic that Van would suggest this topic and the person's name that comes up is someone who was on his radio show for a number of years. I think you'll enjoy Marks funny stories about his kids. He even has a funny story about working with Van at a golf course where he and Van had to wear a suit of armour. Enjoy!

This podcast is with Kent Reed who is the founder of American Braun and The Solace Center located in the Masonic Lodge in downtown Grinnell. American Braun is an organization that helps First Responders and Firefighters. The Solace Center is an organization that strives to help active and retired military folks who are dealing with PTSD with the battles they are facing. In this podcast Kent tells us about how the first responders saved his life and how he got the idea to pay them back by starting American Braun and after that starting The Solace Center.