Michael Edward Lee Jr.

By Theresa Rose · Tuesday, August 25th, 2020 at 11:51 am CDT

Michael Edward Lee Jr., age 77 of Mount Pleasant, Iowa, died Sunday August 23, 2020, at the University of Iowa Hospital in Iowa City, Iowa.

Michael was born May 30, 1943, in Monmouth, Illinois, the son of Michael Edward Lee Sr and Phyllis Carter. He graduated from Burlington High School in 1962.  On February 8, 1964, he married Delores Norman, they had 4 children together and later divorced. On February 28, 1987, he was united in marriage to Virginia Dold Smith. Michael made his home in the Burlington and Mount Pleasant communities. He worked as a welder for General Electric for many years, as well as helped farm for Ludwig Foresman.

Michael was a member of St. Alphonsus Catholic Church. He enjoyed having coffee at Dickies with the guys. He enjoyed racing cars, NASCAR and was an avid Iowa Hawkeye fan.

Survivors include his wife Virginia; 5 daughters: Michele Mosena of Vero Beach, FL; Robin (Craig) Davis of Vero Beach, FL; Angela (Juan) Aguirre of Brazoria, TX; Korie (Sean) Matthew of Vero Beach, FL; and Robin Smith of Mount Pleasant, IA; 11 grandchildren: Tyler, Zachary and Katie Mosena; Courtney and Ryan Jones; Brittney King; Jacob and Dustin Bassett; Juan and Alessandra Aguirre; Sean Matthew Jr; Hailee Matthew; Hannah and Sully Dameron; 15 great grandchildren and a sister; Patricia Lee of Bentonsville, AR.

Michael was preceded in death by his parents and grandson Benjamin Mosena.

A Funeral Mass will be held at 10:30 AM on Friday, August 28, 2020, at St. Alphonsus Catholic Church in Mount Pleasant. Rev. Paul Connolly will officiate. Visitation will be held from 1:00 – 7:00 PM on Thursday, August 27, 2020, at Olson-Powell Memorial Chapel, with family present from 5:00 – 7:00 PM. The Funeral Mass will be live streamed on St. Alphonsus YouTube channel: “St. Al’s MP Livestream.” Masks are required for attendance of the funeral mass. A memorial fund has been established for Midwest Old Threshers and St. Alphonsus Catholic Church. The Olson-Powell Memorial Chapel is caring for Michael and his family. Messages may be sent to the family at www.powellfuneralhomes.com.

Crop Progress Report and Weather Summary

By Theresa Rose · Tuesday, August 25th, 2020 at 11:43 am CDT
Iowa Crop Progress & Condition Report

Week of August 17-23

DES MOINES, Iowa (Aug. 24, 2020) – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig today commented on the Iowa Crop Progress and Condition report released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. The report is released weekly from April through November.

“Isolated thunderstorms brought needed rainfall to northern and eastern Iowa towards the end of last week, though much of Iowa missed out,” said Secretary Naig. “With the continued lack of rainfall, drought conditions expanded across the state. High temperatures over the next several days will add to the challenges of moisture stress and the recent derecho.”

The weekly report is also available on the USDA’s site at nass.usda.gov/ia.

Crop Progress

Mostly dry weather allowed Iowa farmers 6.6 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending August 23, 2020, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Dry conditions are now a concern for most of the State. Field activities included harvesting hay and chopping corn silage.

Topsoil moisture condition rated 31% very short, 45% short, 24% adequate and 0% surplus. The State’s topsoil moisture condition deteriorated to over three- quarters short to very short. Subsoil moisture condition rated 28% very short, 43% short, 29% adequate and 0% surplus. The State’s subsoil moisture condition fell to almost three-quarters short to very short. These are the highest levels of short to very short topsoil and subsoil moisture conditions since September 2013.

Corn was 91% in the dough stage or beyond, over 2 weeks ahead of the previous year and 6 days ahead of the 5-year average. Almost half of the corn crop was in or beyond dent stage, 12 days ahead of the previous year and 5 days ahead of average. Corn condition rated 50% good to excellent, a drop of 9 percentage points from the previous week and the lowest level this crop season. Soybeans setting pods were 18 days ahead of last year and over a week ahead of average at 95%. Soybean condition fell again this week with the crop now rated 56% good to excellent, the lowest level so far this season. Oats for grain harvest is virtually complete.

Alfalfa hay third cutting was 68% complete, 12 days ahead of last year and 3 days ahead of the 5-year average. Pasture condition fell 10 percentage points this week to just 23% good to excellent. Some farmers have been cleared to hay or graze CRP acres due to drought conditions.

Iowa Preliminary Weather Summary
Provided by Justin Glisan, Ph.D., State Climatologist Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship

A quiet weather pattern persisted through much of the reporting period, perpetuating dry conditions over much of Iowa. Sections of north-central Iowa reported above average rain over the weekend, though extended dryness persists. Drought conditions continue to expand across the region as widespread rains have not yet materialized. Average temperatures varied from unseasonable warmth in northwestern Iowa to cooler than normal conditions in southern and eastern Iowa. The statewide average temperature was 70.8 degrees, 1.1 degree below normal.

A few isolated thunderstorms popped up across western Iowa during late afternoon on Sunday (16th). Daytime highs were in the mid to upper 80s under mostly sunny skies. A small line of thundershowers pushed into northern Iowa overnight, but dissipated shortly thereafter. Rain totals were reported at multiple stations in northern Iowa at 7:00 am on Monday (17th) with the highest totals at a handful of stations in north-central Iowa; Nora Springs (Floyd County) observed 0.57 inch while Grafton (Worth County) reported 0.65 inch. Winds shifted to a northerly direction behind a weak cold front with afternoon temperatures ranging from the upper 70s north to mid 80s south. Some isolated thundershowers formed in southeastern Iowa, though totals were very light. Overnight lows into Tuesday (18th) dipped into the low to mid 50s under starry skies; there were also some isolated upper 40s reported in northern Iowa. The statewide average low was 54 degrees, seven degrees below normal. A dome of high pressure dominated the Midwest lending to pleasant conditions through the day. Highs were near seasonal, generally in the upper 70s and low 80s with a light, variable wind. Wednesday (19th) was another nice day statewide as southerly winds and sunny skies helped boost temperatures into the mid 80s as the high pressure center pushed east of Iowa. Morning lows into Thursday (20th) remained in the upper 50s and low 60s under mostly clear skies. Dry conditions persisted through the day as seasonal temperatures in the low to mid 80s prevailed.

A few thundershowers moved into northern Iowa in the early morning hours on Friday (21st), though rainfall was light. Sunny skies remained through the afternoon as daytime temperatures climbed into the upper 80s with some low 90s observed in western Iowa. Cloud cover increased in northern Iowa overnight as a line of thunderstorms pushed over the Iowa-Minnesota border just after midnight. The complex moved slowly over north-central Iowa and into eastern Iowa during late Saturday (22nd) morning. Daytime highs hit the upper 80s and low 90s in western Iowa with upper 70s and low 80s in eastern Iowa, where clouds and rain were present. Additional showers and thunderstorms fired over portions of the state through the evening hours. Sluggish thunderstorms persisted in eastern Iowa overnight into Sunday (23rd). Measurable rainfall was reported at nearly 80 stations with many of those observations below 0.20 inch; a handful of stations reported an inch or more with Mason City Municipal Airport (Cerro Gordo County) registering 1.22 inches while Northwood (Worth County) observed 1.65 inches. De Witt (Clinton County) and Maquoketa (Jackson County), two stations in eastern Iowa, both reported 2.05 inches.

Weekly rain totals ranged from no accumulation at many stations across Iowa to 3.39 inches at Lake Mills (Winnebago County). The statewide weekly average precipitation was 0.21 inch while the normal is 0.89 inch. Spencer Municipal Airport (Clay County) reported the week’s high temperature of 95 degrees on the 21st, 14 degrees above normal. Several stations reported the week’s low temperature of 47 degrees on the 20th, on average 12 degrees below normal.

Sports, Tuesday, August 25th

By Nathan Bloechl · Tuesday, August 25th, 2020 at 11:41 am CDT

By: Nathan Bloechl — sports@kilj.com 

Holy Trinity Headlines Initial IGHSAU Volleyball Rankings:

Another year, more dominance expected for Holy Trinity volleyball and head coach Melissa Freesmeier.

The Crusaders were tabbed as the preseason #1 team in Class 1A after finshing last year 29-11 with a trip to the state semifinals as well.

The Crusaders return loads of firepower from last years club, including outside hitters Claire Pothitakis and Brooke Mueller, setters Kassi Randolph and Bailey Hellweg and defensive specialists Maria Rauenbuehler and Taylor Crabtree.

Holy Trinity will start their season this Saturday when they travel to Bondurant for the Skip Anderson tournament.

They’ll battle Ames and Woodward-Granger.

While Holy Trinity opens at #1, Maureen Heath and New London were tabbed as the preseason #4 team in Class 1A.

The Tigers finished last season 29-9 and return Sofie Reighard, Keaura Williams and Kyra Linkin, among others.

New London will begin their State Tournament or bust quest on Saturday when they host Danville, Highland and Pekin.

West Burlington Wins WACO Volleyball Tournament, Full Results:

The West Burlington varsity volleyball team took home the gold yesterday, while WACO finished second in the eight-team WACO varsity volleyball tournament — which opened the 2020 season for all clubs.

WACO, the top seed, picked up a 2-0 win over Columbus to open the tournament and consequently earned a 2-0 over Van Buren to advance to the championship round.

West Burlington opened their tournament run with a sweep of Sigourney and a 2-1 semifinal win over Centerville.

It was 2-0 sweep for the Falcons in the finals, winning 21-15, 21-15.

Van Buren went over Centerville for a 3rd place finish.

In the consolation bracket Columbus took down Pekin 2-1, while Wapello swept Sigourney 2-0.

WACO volleyball, now 2-1, will be off until September 3rd, when they will travel to Wapello for a varsity triangular.

Mount Pleasant Volleyball Swept Twice in Burlington:

The Mount Pleasant volleyball team suffered a pair of losses last night to open their 2020 season falling 25-22, 25-15 to Muscatine and 25-20 and 25-16 to Muscatine at Burlington High School.

In game one against Burlington, the Panthers held 11-4 and 17-10 leads before the Greyhounds raced back into the lead.

The Panthers, 0-2 this year, will look to the right the ship on Thursday when they travel to Ottumwa for a varsity triangular.

Play will open at Evans Middle School at 5:30 p.m.

Mount Pleasant will scrap with host school Ottumwa and Davis County.

Iowa Wesleyan Soccer Signs Partnership with School in Kenya:

The Iowa Wesleyan University women’s soccer team has signed a service project partnership agreement with the Green Commandos Sports Club, scheduled to take effect on September 1st, 2020, the university has announced.

Green Sports are a soccer team based out of the Kakamega School in Kakamega County in Kenya. They have won more soccer championships than any other team in the country.

The club was formed to alleviate hardships for youth by providing equipment, paying school fees, player exchange programs, placing youths in academies and other clubs, holding camps, and creating partnerships such as this one with Iowa Wesleyan, among many other things.

Although the Tigers are hoping to find a way for coaches and student-athletes to travel to Kenya at some point next summer, the agreement’s primary focus is a cultural exchange between the student-athletes of each institution and on fundraising for the Green Commandos.

The fundraising will be done to assist the Commandos in obtaining better equipment and allowing for the ability to build better facilities.

The Wesleyan women’s soccer team is currently organizing an equipment drive and a fundraiser for the club.

MLB Scoreboard (8/24):

Toronto 6, Tampa Bay 4

Miami 11, Washington 8

Minnesota 3, Cleveland 2

Chicago Cubs 9, Detroit 3

Texas 3, Oakland 2

Milwaukee 4, Cincinnati 2

St. Louis 9, Kansas City 3

Houston 11, Los Angeles Angels 4

Colorado 3, Arizona 2

Two Accidents in Lee County over the Weekend

By Theresa Rose · Monday, August 24th, 2020 at 9:32 pm CDT

The individual killed in a crash in Lee County Saturday night has been identified by the Iowa State Patrol as Molly Hurley of Warsaw, Illinois.  According to the report the crash occurred at 8:30 pm at the intersection of Hwy 218 and 200th Street. Hurley was westbound on 200th Street when the she failed to obey the stop sign at the intersection.  The vehicle was hit broadside by a semi headed north on 218.  Both vehicle crossed the median and came to rest in the southbound lanes.  The semi driver, Ahmed Barkhadle of St. Louis Park, Minnesota was injured was taken to Ft. Madison Hospital by ambulance.

KILJ is also looking into a second crash in Lee County that occurred over the weekend. So far no details have been released but KILJ was told there were injuries and one person was airlifted from the scene at the intersection of J40 and 160th Avenue.

Donna Martin – Netherton

By Theresa Rose · Monday, August 24th, 2020 at 8:46 pm CDT

Donna Martin – Netherton, 78, of Farmington, Iowa, passed away at 4:59 p.m., Sunday, August 23, 2020, at the Great River Medical Center in West Burlington, Iowa, after a long life and successful career as a nurse, nursing supervisor and nurse practitioner.

The world lost a perfect wife, a loving mother, a devoted sister, a dedicated health care worker and a friend of many.

Donna was born on March 9, 1942, the daughter of Homer and Donna (Huston) Stroud. She was married to Russ Martin for eighteen years, having three boys and an adopted daughter. In April of 1994, she married Dale Netherton and they had twenty-six years of happiness.

She is survived by her husband: Dale; two sons: Russell (Becky) and David.

She was preceded in death by her parents and one son: Dale Wayn.

Her body has been entrusted to Schmitz Funeral Home for cremation.

A Memorial Service will be held at a later date.

A memorial has been established in her memory and can be mailed to the family at: Schmitz Funeral Home, P.O. Box 56, Donnellson, Iowa.

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

 

Ronald Eugene Carr

By Theresa Rose · Monday, August 24th, 2020 at 8:43 pm CDT

 

Ronald Eugene Carr, 79, of West Point, Iowa, passed away at 7:35 a.m. Sunday, August 23, 2020, at Great River Hospice House in West Burlington, Iowa.

He was born on August 13, 1941, in Fort Madison, Iowa, the son of Russell Eugene and Nina Fern (Zimmerman) Carr. On July 16, 1966, he married Janie Kempker in Fort Madison, Iowa.

Survivors include his wife: Janie of West Point; two daughters: Mindy (Jason) Mohrfeld of Ankeny, Iowa and Julie (Nathan) Lemley of Waterloo, Iowa; six grandchildren: Taylor, Kaitlyn, Zachary, Jacob, Aidan and Elijah and one sister: Linda Thye of Fort Madison, Iowa. Also surviving are several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents and one sister.

Ron served in the United States Navy for four years during Vietnam. He retired as a conductor from the Santa Fe Railroad after forty-three years. He loved fishing and taking trips to Minnesota.

His body has been in trusted to Schmitz Funeral Home for cremation.

A memorial has been established in his memory for West Point Fire and Rescue and can be mailed to the family at: Janie Carr, 811 Avenue C, West Point, Iowa 52656 or Schmitz Funeral Home, P.O. Box 22, West Point, Iowa 52656.

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

County Emergency Responders Called Out Twice Monday Morning

By Theresa Rose · Monday, August 24th, 2020 at 3:27 pm CDT

Monday morning at about 9:30 Olds and Wayland emergency responders were called to Hwy 218 at the St. Avenue Stop for a crash.  KILJ received information that a car and semi were involved and it wasn’t known at the time of the call whether or not there were any injuries.  The southbound lanes of traffic were closed for a period of time.

At 10:15 Monday morning emergency responders were called to Remington Seeds on North Cherry in Mount Pleasant.  Initial reports indicate a 42 year old man fell 20 to 30 feet into a corn dryer. No other details were available as of 10:20 am.

IDPH Confirms First Child Death from COVID-19

By Theresa Rose · Monday, August 24th, 2020 at 11:49 am CDT

DES MOINES, Iowa — The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) is saddened to confirm the first death of a child due to complications from COVID-19. The child was under the age of five, and had significant underlying health conditions.

The death occurred in June and the case investigation was completed on August 6 by the State Medical Examiner. The child’s death was publicly reported this weekend after ensuring the individual’s identity would remain protected and notifying the family. When any pediatric death occurs, which includes any individual under the age of 17, due to disease or other unnatural circumstances, the medical examiner performs a number of routine tests.

The investigation to confirm cause of death includes extensive pathology, metabolic and other tests that can take months to complete and certify, depending on the complexity of the case. In this case, the Medical examiner performed a full range of testing, given the complicating factor of the child’s health history. Ultimately, COVID-19 was deemed the cause of death.

We have made every effort to protect the identity of this child, while the family grieves this devastating loss. Again, we send our sincerest condolences.