Dansons Comments on Death of Senior VP of Sales Scott Lowe

By Theresa Rose · Tuesday, August 18th, 2020 at 9:34 pm CDT

Jeff Thiessen, President of Dansons reached out to KILJ to share the company’s statement regarding the tragic loss of its Senior Vice President of Sales, Scott Lowe, of Mount Pleasant, who was killed in a plane crash in Missouri this past weekend:

I am deeply saddened to share the passing of our dear friend and colleague, Scott Lowe, and his precious wife, Amy. He and his wife were tragically killed in a plane crash on Sunday, August 16th near Osage Beach, Missouri.

Scott served as the Senior Vice President of Sales for Dansons, successfully representing brands like Pit Boss, Louisiana grills and Country Smokers. Scott was an exceptional salesman and was highly regarded by customers and coworkers.  Through his passion and leadership, Scott helped grow the company at an enormous rate.

Scott was a pillar of strength and wisdom, always lifting others up and rallying those around him. He always had a big smile on his face and a kind word for others. He also had a wonderful sense of humor and he loved to laugh. Scott’s positive attitude and love of life was contagious.

Scott was a dear friend, a wonderful father, and a devoted husband. He was truly an inspiration to me. Scott had a strong faith in God, and I am encouraged to know that we will visit again in heaven one day.

Scott and Amy’s children, Ally and Jake, were the most important thing in the world to them. He was so proud of them.

We pray for comfort and peace for the family and friends of Scott and Amy. We simply cannot begin to express the depth of our grief, and how much he will be missed.

 

Randel “Dean” White

By Theresa Rose · Tuesday, August 18th, 2020 at 8:45 pm CDT

Randel “Dean” White, 76, of the Rome community passed away on Tuesday, August 18, 2020, at the Great River Hospice House in West Burlington.

A Memorial Service will be held on Friday, August 21, 2020, at 4 p.m. at the Murphy Funeral Home in Mt. Pleasant with Chaplain Gordon Hawkins officiating.  Friends may call after 2 p.m. on Thursday at the Murphy Funeral Home.  The family will not be present. Private family burial will be in the Grant Cemetery.  Memorials may be directed to Every Step Hospice or to the Great River Hospice House in his memory.

Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.murphyfuneralandmonuments.com

Murphy Funeral Home of Mt. Pleasant is caring for his arrangements

Dale S. Fraise

By Theresa Rose · Tuesday, August 18th, 2020 at 8:43 pm CDT

Dale S. Fraise, 91, of the Kensington in Fort Madison, formerly of West Point, passed away at 6:30 p.m. Monday, August 17, 2020, at the Kensington.

Dale was born on July 11, 1929, in West Point, Iowa, the son of Herman H. and Verda M. (Grelk) Fraise.

Survivors include his two brothers: A.B. “Sonny” (Shirley) Fraise of West Point, Iowa and Richard “Rick” (Joan) Fraise of West Des Moines, Iowa. Also surviving are several nieces, one nephew and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his parents; one brother and three sisters.

Dale was a United States Navy veteran. He retired from Sonny’s Supermarket. He was a member of St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church and the West Point American Legion. Dale enjoyed going to car shows and visiting with friends.

Friends may call after 12:00 noon to 6:00 p.m. Thursday, August 20, 2020, at Schmitz Funeral Home in West Point .

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, August 21, 2020, at St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church in West Point with Father Dennis Hoffman as celebrant.

Those attending are required to wear a mask and social distance.

A private family burial will be held in Calvary Cemetery with full military rites presented by the West Point American Legion Holtz – Geers Post #668.

Memorials have been established in his memory for St. Mary’s Catholic Church or Holy Trinity Catholic Schools.

Schmitz Funeral Home of West Point is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences may be made to the family at www.schmitzfuneralhomes.com.

Accident Report

By Theresa Rose · Tuesday, August 18th, 2020 at 4:46 pm CDT

On August 17, at about 0629 hours, the Henry County Sheriff’s Office was notified of a motor vehicle crash in the 2400 grid of 260th Street.  Upon investigation it was determined that a vehicle operated by Emily June Parks, 23, New London was eastbound on 260th Street and was negotiating a curve in the roadway.  At the same time a car operated by Lauren Elizabeth Carleton, 19, Morning Sun was westbound at the same curve.  Both vehicles collided in the roadway while negotiating the curve.

Slight pain was reported by both drivers but medical transports were declined. Damages were estimated at $9000 to the Parks vehicle and $6000 to the Carleton vehicle. Parks was cited for Failure to Yield Half of Roadway.

 

 

Drug Arrest

By Theresa Rose · Tuesday, August 18th, 2020 at 3:53 pm CDT

On August 14th, 2020, at approximately 7:50PM, the Henry County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop in the 1200-grid of US Highway 218. The driver of the vehicle was identified as Amar Abdullah, 25, of Minneapolis, Minnesota. During this traffic stop an odor of a controlled substance was detected from the vehicle. Upon investigation and subsequent search, multiple items of concern were located including a controlled substance. Items were seized, the driver taken into custody, and the vehicle removed from the scene.

Resulting from this incident and investigation Amar Abdullah was charged with Controlled Substance Violation and Failure to Affix Drug Stamp, both class D felonies. Amar additionally received citations for No Valid Driver’s License and other traffic offenses.

The Henry County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Iowa Department of Transportation Officers and area tow services.

WACO Football Turning to Youth After Graduating Coble, Others

By Nathan Bloechl · Tuesday, August 18th, 2020 at 1:45 pm CDT

By: Nathan Bloechl — sports@kilj.com 

(Photo Courtesy: Burlington Hawkeye)

KILJ — It will be a youth movement in Wayland this year.

Chad Edeker, entering his 20th season as the head coach of WACO, will be looking to find his next crop of standouts after graduating an outstanding group of seniors including quarterback Nik Coble, WR Jaden Williams, and OL Gabe Reichenbach and Braden Hammond.

WACO, who finished last year 4-5 and 3-4 in district action, will rely heavily on a more balanced offensive scheme this season without the fireworks of Nik Coble.

Coble accounted for 51 touchdowns last year — 26 through the air and 25 on the ground — and for the Warriors to be successful this year, Edeker knows it will be an all hands on deck approach to replacing Coble.

WACO does have two returning starters on the defensive line — Landon Provino and Chancey Miller —  another spot Edeker believes his team can be strong at.

Also returning on the defensive side of the ball is Will Edeker and Jonah Clark.

Provino, Miller and Edeker are three of just four seniors on this year’s group.

“The key this year will be our junior class” Edeker told KILJ.

“They had a lot of success at the JV level last year as sophomores, we’re expecting them to step up their level of play to a varsity level to fill in the gaps for a smaller senior class.”

Despite the youth movement, Edeker believes that this year’s team can compete for a district title.

WACO will open their season August 28th at HLV.

Here’s their full 2020 Schedule:

8-28: at HLV

9-4: at New London

9-11: Lone Tree

9-18: at Moravia

9-25: at Tri-County

10-2: Montezuma (HC)

10-9: at Winfield-Mount Union

Winfield-Mount Union Football Hopes for Continued Growth

By Nathan Bloechl · Tuesday, August 18th, 2020 at 1:41 pm CDT

By: Nathan Bloechl — sports@kilj.com

(Photo Courtesy: Burlington Hawkeye)

The Winfield-Mount Union football team is hoping for continued growth as head coach Scott McCarty enters his 10th season as the lead man.

The Wolves graduated lots of talent from last year’s team that finished 1-8, but do return OL Seth Schurr, OL Chance Malone and last year’s leading wide receiver Jacob Ford.

Winfield will have the trouble of replacing all three of their top skill players last year in QB Daunte Oepping, RB Juanito Piper and WR Christian Gerot.

Oepping threw 13 touchdowns to just five interceptions last year while rushing for 949 yards and an additional 17 scores.

Getting the first crack at signal caller this year will be junior Noah Sparrow.

Sparrow appeared sparingly in a backup role last year, missing on his only attempted pass.

“We are going to play to the strengths of our team and put our guys in a position to be successful in every game we have” said head coach Scott McCarty.

McCarty believes that aforementioned strength will be the offensive and defensive lines.

“With the new schedule and the uncertainty we face week in and week out it will be imperative to control what we can control. We will be investing our time in the basics so we can become extraordinary in the ordinary.” 

Winfield will open their season on August 28th at home against Tri-County.

Full Schedule:

8-28: Tri County (HOME)

9-4: Montezuma (AWAY)

9-11: Twin Cedars (AWAY)

9-18: Iowa Valley (HOME)

9-25: New London (AWAY)

10-2: English Valleys (HOME)

10-9: WACO (HOME)

Sports, Tuesday, August 18th

By Nathan Bloechl · Tuesday, August 18th, 2020 at 11:40 am CDT

By: Nathan Bloechl — sports@kilj.com 

WACO Football Looking to Find Rhythm After Graduating Coble, Others:

It will be a youth movement in Wayland this year.

Chad Edeker, entering his 20th season as the head coach of WACO, will be looking to find his next crop of standouts after graduating an outstanding crop of seniors including quarterback Nik Coble, WR Jaden Williams, and OL Gabe Reichenbach and Braeden Hammond.

WACO, who finished last year 4-5 and 3-4 in district action, will rely heavily on a more balanced offensive scheme this season without the fireworks of Nik Coble.

Coble accounted for 51 touchdowns last year — 26 through the air and 25 on the ground — and for the Warriors to be successful this year, Edeker knows it will be an all hands on deck approach to replacing Coble.

WACO does have two returning starters on the defensive line — Landon Provino and Chancey Miller —  another spot Edeker believes his team can be strong at.

Also returning on the defensive side of the ball is Will Edeker and Jonah Clark.

Provino, Miller and Edeker are three of just four seniors on this year’s group.

“The key this year will be our junior class” Edeker told KILJ.

“They had a lot of success at the JV level last year as sophomores, we’re expecting them to step up their level of play to a varsity level to fill in the gaps for a smaller senior class.”

Despite the youth movement, Edeker believes that this year’s team can compete for a district title.

WACO will open their season August 28th at HLV.

Here’s their full 2020 Schedule:

8-28: at HLV

9-4: at New London

9-11: Lone Tree

9-18: at Moravia

9-25: at Tri-County

10-2: Montezuma (HC)

10-9 at Winfield-Mount Union

Mount Pleasant Baseball Announces Team Honors:

The Mount Pleasant baseball team has announced their team-voted honors for the 2020 season.

Co-Offensive Player of the Year

Nik Coble

Clayton Lowery

Defensive Player of the Year

Rylan Seberg

Most Improved Player

Chase Williamson

Rookie of the Year

Jack Johnson

Coaches Award

Sawyer Carrasco

MVP

Corbin Broeker

The Panther baseball team were crowned Southeast Conference champions before falling in the second round of the postseason to top-ranked Davenport Assumption.

All Virtual, No Sports, DPOE Says:

School districts that opt for 100% online learning may not get to play sports this fall.

The Iowa Department of Education announced late last week that if a school district moves to 100% online or remote learning, all “in-person activities and practices would need to be suspended during the period of 100% remote learning.”

The Department of Education did say that extracurricular activities could still be held virtually.

That would include sports sponsored through the Iowa High School Athletic Association and the Iowa Girls’ High School Athletic Union, as well as activities sanctioned through the Iowa High School Music Association and the Iowa High School Speech Association.

The statement was made in conjunction with the department’s return to learn guidance released last month.

Last night, the first domino fell as Des Moines Public Schools voted to move their learning 100% online but will continue with fall activities for now, as the Department of Education’s recommendation was just that — a recommendation.

The Des Moines Public School Districts says activities are voluntary, not compulsory so the district will go against the Department of Educations’s recommendation to suspend fall sports.

Iowa Projects a Loss of 100 Million in Revenue: 

Iowa Director of Athletics Gary Barta is feeling the heat.

Yesterday Barta penned a letter to Hawkeye faithful detailing the grim news about the future of the athletic program and it’s not good.

Barta anticipates lost revenue of approximately $100 million and an overall budget deficit of between $60-75 million and has begun working on finding solutions to that revenue loss.

Barta did say the Big Ten Conference and the Iowa athletics department staff have already started working diligently on the winter and spring sport seasons.