On August 19th, at approximately 2:41PM, the Henry County Sheriff’s Office was notified of a two-vehicle collision at the intersection of Highway 218 and School Avenue near Olds. An investigation determined that Julie Shaw, of Burlington was driving southbound on Highway 218 when Peggy Huggins, 66, of Collins Iowa pulled out in front of her. Huggins did not see the approaching Shaw vehicle as she attempted to cross the southbound lanes of Highway 218. Only minor injuries were reported. Huggins was issued a citation for Failure to Yield Upon Entering a Through Highway.
Sports, Saturday, August 22nd
By: Nathan Bloechl — sports@kilj.com
Iowa Announces Elimination of Four Programs:
The University of Iowa has announced the elimination of men’s tennis, men’s gymnastics and men’s and women’s swimming and diving, as a part of the COVID-19 related budget crisis.
Each of the programs will compete this year and will be completely eliminated in 2021, the University announced.
Iowa projects lost revenue of approximately $100 million and an overall deficit between $60-75 million this fiscal year.
With the recent postponement of fall sports and immediate financial impact due to this decision, the university believed this path was “necessary” to strengthen athletics and position their programs for future success with the resources they have.
Discussion on a spring season for fall sports is expected to continue in the coming weeks.
NAIA Announces Spring Championship Schedule:
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) has announced the new dates for its postponed fall championships.
The NAIA Football National Championship has been rescheduled to occur on a Monday for the first time.
The championship will remain at Eddie G. Robinson Stadium at Grambling State University and will take place on Monday, May 10, 2021 at 6:00 p.m. CT.
In July, the NAIA Council of Presidents (COP) voted to postpone 2020 fall national championships to the spring. This move allowed NAIA conferences and institutions the autonomy to schedule games as they see fit, playing entire schedules in the fall, spring, or a hybrid of both seasons.
SLIAC Cancels All Fall Sports:
The SLIAC President’s Council, after receiving and reviewing the latest information and document from the NCAA concerning the safe return to sport for fall – 2020, voted to postpone all fall sport athletic contests, competitions, scrimmages and other shared athletic activities against outside competition of any classification or nature.
Teams on SLIAC campuses will continue to be able to have team workouts, weight training, practices, sport-specific athletic activities, scrimmages, and leadership development within their own respective campus environment.
The SLIAC Championships for cross country and women’s golf, which are normally held during the fall season, will be reviewed for the possibility of moving those championships to Spring 2021.
Former IC West Star Opts for Nebraska:
Former Iowa and Michigan wide receiver Oliver Martin has announced his plans to transfer to Nebraska.
Martin, who will be a walk-on for the Huskers, entered his name in the NCAA transfer portal earlier this month.
The 6-foot-1, 200-pound junior caught 11 passes for 125 yards and a touchdown in 2018 with Michigan before transferring to Iowa.
He played in eight games in 2019 and had five catches for 28 yards and a score.
Martin was a four-star recruit at Iowa City West High School in the Class of 2017.
MLB Scoreboard (8/21):
Miami 3, Washington 2
Toronto 6, Tampa Bay 5 — 10 inn
Pittsburgh 7, Milwaukee 2
Atlanta 11, Philadelphia 2
Detroit 10, Cleveland 5
Boston 8, Baltimore 5
Chicago White Sox 10, Chicago Cubs 1
Kansas City 7, Minnesota 2
Cincinnati 4, St. Louis 2
San Diego 4, Houston 3
Seattle 7, Texas 4
Los Angeles Dodgers 5, Colorado 1
Oakland 5, Los Angeles Angels 3
San Francisco 6, Arizona 2
Marlin Larry Putney
Marlin Larry Putney, 81, of Mt. Pleasant, IA, passed away Thursday, August 20, 2020, at the University of Iowa Hospital, in Iowa City, IA.
According to his wishes, Larry has been cremated. There will be no services. A memorial fund has been established for Midwest Old Threshers. The Olson Powell Memorial Chapel is caring for Larry and his family. Messages may be sent to the family at www.powellfuneralhomes.com.
Born September 11, 1938, in Van Meter, IA. Larry was the son of Henry and Ora (Hymes) Putney. He was a 1957 graduate of Mt. Pleasant High School. On January 4, 1959, Larry was united in marriage to Connie Williams at the First United Methodist Church in Mt. Pleasant.
They made their home in the Mt. Pleasant community. Larry worked for Continental Telephone Company, REC, Putney Electric and was the owner of the DX gas station. Larry retired from the University of Iowa Athletic Department, where he worked as a grounds keeper at Kinnick Stadium.
Larry was a member of the Methodist Church. He enjoyed working, golfing, traveling and volunteering at Midwest Old Threshers.
Survivors include his wife Connie of Mt. Pleasant, daughter Dana (Terry) Stotts of New Richmond, WI, two grandsons Wyatt and Garrett Stotts. He is also survived by 7 siblings, Peggy Snyder of Valparaiso, NE; Ardith Naifeh of Prattville AL; Kenneth Putney of Iowa City; Marvin Putney of Indianola; Theresa Rude of Palmetto, FL; Susie Gordan of Arvada, CO; and Tim Putney of The Villages, FL.
Larry is preceded in death by his parents, Henry and Ora Putney, brothers Henry Lee Putney, Morris Putney and Bill Putney.
Dennis Charles Nellor
Dennis Charles Nellor, of Mt. Pleasant, passed away Thursday, August 20, 2020, at his home. According to his wishes, Dennis has been cremated. A private family service will be held, with a Facebook Live stream available. The video can be found on the Powell Funeral Homes Facebook page, as well as www.powellfuneralhomes.com. Visitation will be held late next week, family will not be present. Please check the website for updated information. A memorial fund has been established for Henry County Conservation and Every Step Hospice. The Olson Powell Memorial Chapel is caring for Dennis and his family.
Born, January 26, 1948, Dennis was the son of Alfred and Virginia (Peterson) Nellor. He graduated from Burlington High School in 1966 and from the University of Iowa in 1971 with a degree in Business and Finance. Dennis was united in marriage to Kathy Walters on May 29, 1971 in Danville, Iowa.
They made their home in the Mt. Pleasant community, where Dennis worked as the business manager for the Prison and Mental Health, retiring in 2002.
Survivors include his wife Kathy of Mt. Pleasant, two daughters Natalie (Justin) Burgus and Rachel (Duane) Bebb, both of Mt. Pleasant; one grandson, Garrett Burgus; 2 sisters, Debora (Eric) Edmonds of Los Angeles, CA and their children Alex and Chelsea and Dorene (Roy) Jennings of Austin, TX; special niece and nephew Jenny Talley of Burlington and Rob Nichols of Mt. Pleasant; his father Alfred Nellor of Mt. Pleasant and mother-in-law Elaine Walters of Mt. Pleasant.
Dennis was preceded in death by his mother Ginny and father-in-law Charles Walters.
Sports, Friday, August 21st
By: Nathan Bloechl — sports@kilj.com
Johnson Ready to Fill Bender’s Shoes:
There was a time this spring when former Mount Pleasant star — now Iowa Western Reiver — Zach Beason and Central College commit Brody Bender were all out at Mapleleaf Athletic Complex.
Yeah, they were working their own craft, but the message seemed clear: make sure Jack Johnson was ready to take over the controls this fall.
Both Beason and Bender were in Johnson’s ear, lending tips, tricks, notes, progressions and everything in between.
And now, Johnson will be given the opportunity, in his senior season, to be the next in line of star Panther quarterbacks, albeit of the different variety.
While Beason and Bender were more traditional pocket passers, Johnson is what you could call a scrambler.
He won’t be afraid to tuck it and run and there will certainly be more designed runs called for double J, who split time with Logan Bass in the backfield at running back, last year.
Johnson is one of 10 returning starters from last year’s 6-3 bunch that still has a sour taste in their mouths following the gut-wrenching loss to Washington to end their season.
The rest of the returners include:
- Henry Lutovsky
- Cooper Pullis
- Nick Holtkamp
- Chase Williamson
- Brevin Wilson
- Cole Jarret
- Klayton Kleinkopf
- Brennen Bender
This year’s senior class of 20 athletes will provide the Panther laedership and experience, head coach Shawn Striegel told KILJ.
“This team hasn’t had the opportunity to build team unity due to the pandemic, the seniors [will help that]. Improved timing and communication will be a must before Week One” Striegel explained.
Like every team, Striegel believes that much of the season comes down to the health and well-being of the state.
With an experienced offensive line, a quarterback ready to make noise and quality at the skill position groups both offensively and defensively, Mount Pleasant can, no doubt, challenge for the top of the district.
They’ll open up next Friday against Clear Creek-Amana.
Here’s their full 2020 Schedule:
8/28: Clear Creek-Amana
9/4: at Tipton
9/11: at Fairfield
9/18: Washington
9/25: at Keokuk
10/2: at Fort Madison
10/9: Burlington
Lutovsky Named to Des Moines Register Preseason All-Iowa First Team:
Mount Pleasant guard and returning All-Stater Henry Lutovsky as been named to the Des Moines Register Sports Preseason All-Iowa First Team, the outlet announced.
Lutovsky, a Nebraska Cornhusker commit, is ranked as the #11 guard in the country per Rivals.
The 6-foot-6, 335 pound senior — who dominates both the run and pass game up front — picked Nebraska over offers from multiple other schools including Georgia and Missouri.
Meet the Players Night Tonight at Mapleleaf:
Tonight is Meet the Players Night at Mapleleaf Athletic Complex.
Here’s the full run-down for tonight’s fun:
7:15 P.M. – Introductions of Cheerleaders, Players, Managers, and Coaches Begins
- 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th Cross Country
- 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th Football – then 9th & JV warm up while VB introductions
- 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th Volleyball
7:30 P.M. – Intro 9th, JV, & Varsity Cheerleaders;
7:40 P.M. – 9-10 grade MP vs. Ottumwa 9-10 (2 x 8 min Quarters)
8:10 P.M. – Varsity MP vs. Ottumwa (2 x 12 min Quarters)
MLB Scoreboard (8/20):
Tampa Bay 10, New York Yankees 5
Toronto 3, Philadelphia 2 — 7 inn (Game 1)
Toronto 9, Philadelphia 8 — 7 inn (Game 2)
Chicago White Sox 9, Detroit 0
Houston 10, Colorado 8
Cleveland 2, Pittsburgh 0
Minnesota 7, Milwaukee 1
Los Angeles Dodgers 6, Seattle 1
Boston 7, Baltimore 1
San Diego 8, Texas 7 — 10 inn
St. Louis 5, Cincinnati 4
Oakland 5, Arizona 1
San Francisco 10, Los Angeles Angels 5
Semi On Its’ Side Blocks Traffic
On August 20, 2020, at approximately 11:10 a.m., the Henry County Sheriff’s Office received several 911 calls of a single motor vehicle rollover on Highway 34 near mile marker 229. The Henry County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene and began an investigation into the cause of the collision.
An investigation determined Kyle Blubaugh, 31 of Chariton, was operating a 2009 Kenworth pulling a refrigerated trailer when it left the roadway. Brubaugh attempted to regain control of the vehicle but oversteered causing the commercial vehicle to roll onto the passenger side. The commercial motor vehicle came to rest blocking all east bound traffic.
Blubaugh was cited for failing to maintain control of a motor vehicle, a simple misdemeanor. No injuries were reported at the scene. A dollar amount of cargo and vehicle was not determined at this time.
The Henry County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Mount Pleasant Police Department, Henry County Health Center Ambulance, Iowa State Patrol, Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Enforcement, Henry County Road Department, Iowa Department of Transportation, Lee County Health Department, and Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals.
Eva Marie Wellman
Eva Marie Wellman, 70, of West Point, Iowa, passed away at 3:25 p.m. Wednesday, August 19 2020, at the Great River Hospice House, West Burlington, Iowa.
Eva was born November 8, 1949 to Reinhard and Gertrud Goerlich in Berlin, Germany. On April 3, 1971 she married Raymond “Red” Wellman at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in West Point.
She was a member of St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church in West Point. She enjoyed tending to her flower gardens and going to the casino. Eva was an excellent cook and loved spending time with her children and grandchildren.
She is survived by her husband, Red; three sons: Dan (Kristine) Wellman of Sherman, Illinois; Geoff (Kristy) Wellman of Burlington, Iowa; Stefan (Tracy) Wellman of Boise, Idaho; seven grandchildren: Elek, Evan, Kenzie, Raegan, Braylan, Enslee, and Jordan; two great grandchildren: Isabelle and Hadley; one brother: Peter Goerlich of Berlin, Germany; one sister: Inge Herlcher of Berlin, Germany; and one brother-in-law: John Beumont of West Point, Iowa.
Eva was preceded in death by her parents; her sister, Barbara Beumont; and her brother, Fred Perske.
A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, August 22, 2020, at Schmitz Funeral Home in West Point, with Father Dennis Hoffman as celebrant.
Following the service there will be a gathering for family and friends at the West Point City Park.
Those attending will be encouraged to wear a mask and social distance.
A burial will be held at a later date at Calvary Cemetery in West Point.
A memorial is established in her memory for PAWS or West Point Fire and Rescue.
Schmitz Funeral Home of West Point is assisting the family with the arrangements. Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.schmitzfuneralhomes.com.
SCC Receives Federal Grant to Boost Student Success and Retention
West Burlington, IA – Southeastern Community College (SCC) has received a grant from the US Department of Education to continue its Student Support Services Program. The five-year grant will provide $380,984 annually to fund programming and initiatives designed to increase college retention and graduation rates of program participants.
A component of the Federal TRIO Program, the Student Support Services (SSS) Program provides academic and other support services for low-income, first-generation, or disabled college students who intend to earn a four-year degree. SCC has offered its SSS program for over 20 years.
Vice President of Student Services Joan Williams explains the application process is very competitive.
“Not every college gets accepted into the SSS program, and not every college’s program is renewed,” she says. “This grant award is due in part to a strong record of student success by our current program.”
TRIO SSS Program Director Sibyl McIntire says the program serves 225 students annually in West Burlington and Keokuk. Students receive assistance through specialized support, academic advising, and activities that focus on their first-year college experience, second-year college experience, career exploration, learning communities, and transferring to four-year colleges.
“Many of the students we serve are most at risk of not completing college, and COVID-19 is putting them in even more challenging circumstances,” she says. “Getting this grant renewal means SCC can continue our work of helping these students succeed.”
She praises her team for the exceptional academic advising they offer to SCC students. She says they are confident that participants of the program will continue to excel academically, despite the pandemic.
For more news or to learn about Southeastern Community College, visit www.scciowa.edu