By Sam Parsons

The Mahaska Chamber put on another round of Eggs and Issues on Saturday morning with a panel full of members from Mahaska Health and the Mahaska County EMA on hand to answer questions from local citizens.

The panel was asked about some of the broader statistics from emergency services, such as the amount of 911 calls they respond to on a monthly basis and how much time Mahaska County residents should expect it to take for their 911 calls to be answered. It was said that Mahaska County emergency services go above and beyond the national standards.

The panel was also asked about the ongoing discussions surrounding which entity will be assuming control of the 911 services county-wide after the district court ruling that they could not be run under a county EMA levy. Local officials have expressed the desire to place the services under the control of a law enforcement agency with the Oskaloosa Police Department and the Mahaska County Sheriff’s Department as the two leading candidates. Sheriff Russ Van Renterghem said that he thought the Sheriff’s Department made the most sense because the transition would be at its simplest that way.

The final scheduled round of Eggs and Issues will happen on March 25 with local representatives from the state house and senate visiting Smokey Row in Oskaloosa. That information can be found at mahaskachamber.org.