Wes Barton

By Theresa Rose · Monday, December 14th, 2020 at 3:53 pm CDT

Wesley Dale Barton, 88, went home to his Lord on Saturday December 12th. He was surrounded by his loving family at the home he had built in Mt. Pleasant. The son of JF & Marie Barton, he was born June 15, 1932 on the family farm in Mt. Pleasant.  Growing up on a farm, he learned the value of hard work and helping family and neighbors. He attended the country school through 8th grade walking or riding his pony, Mickey.  He then attended Mt. Pleasant High School graduating in 1950.  Two years later in October 1952 he enlisted into the U.S. Army serving in Korea from May 1953 to September 1954.

In 1956, he married Geraldine (Gerry) Auge in Fort Madison, Iowa.  Their love story spanned 64 years. They made their first home in Cedar Rapids In 1959 they returned to Mt. Pleasant where he worked as a foreman for H. Eugene Smith Construction.  His unparalleled work ethic and entrepreneurial mindset led him to start his own construction business in 1966, Wesley Barton Construction. The company started out predominantly building homes, but his love of concrete work led to specializing in that area. He grew the company for 35 years and he employed many who made it their life career working for him. In the early 2000’s, his son Mike took over the operation and became the owner of Wesley Barton Construction that is still in business today.

In addition to many business ventures, he also put his time and heart into his community. In 1994, Wes, H. Eugene Smith, Jim Kinney & Sons, and Jean C. Wiley formed, BKSW LLC to focus on local projects. Along with the help of many others in the community the Rec Center in Mt. Pleasant was built, one of Wes’s proudest achievements. Wes was a member of First Baptist Church, a lifelong member of the VFW, American Legion, and Lambirth Cemetery board.  He was also a member of the Southeast Iowa Builders.

Wes quietly gave and served others, helped many in need, and set an amazing example by which to live by to all who knew him.  He loved Old Threshers and was honored to receive a Volunteer of the Year award. In 2011 he and Gerry were blessed to be Grand Marshalls of the Harvest Parade.

Wes would tell you he was blessed in many ways even as he endured medical challenges most of his life. His gifts were many, but the best gift of all was his seven children.  Wes, fondly known by many as “Red”, loved endlessly and never knew a stranger. Wes and Gerry spent many wonderful winters in Arizona where he easily formed many bonds with people in their development. He made people feel instantly at home with his kindness, wonderful sense of humor, and easy-going personality.  He was a true patriarch of the family he led with love, kindness, and strength. The Family has grown to 14 grandchildren,15 great grandchildren and to them all he was affectionately known as “Pa”. As grandchildren arrived, they became the most important thing in his life. He showered them with love, taught them to drive vehicles in the fields, and spent endless hours of play at their home or at the warehouse riding go carts, golf carts, or anything with a motor and wheels.

Wes’ love for the Lord showed through his kindness and grace towards all.  In his teens he asked the Lord to come into his heart and was later baptized in Cedar Creek.  He often said that without Him the Lord, he could not have made it to the age of 88.

Wes is survived by his wife Gerry and 6 children, Jim Barton, Mike (Lyndel) Barton, Kathy (Mike) McAlister, Phil (Karen) Barton, Pete Barton, & Missy (Jeff) Sitar.  And grandchildren Matthew and Ryan (Jim), Blaire and Gabe (Mike), Amanda and Brooke (Kathy), Weston, Whitney, and Willow (Richard), Ashley (Pete), Sam and Max (Phil), Marie and JC (Missy).  Also, 15 great grandchildren: Morgan, Reece, and Alek (Blaire), Cole and Mac (Gabe), Flynn and Emery (Amanda), Elle (Matthew), Walker and Avery (Whitney), Audri, Marley, Charlotte, Michael, and Chloe (Ashley). Wes was preceded in death by his parents JF and Marie, his son Richard, grandson Cale Barton and his sisters Wanda Wesely & Eloise Moyle.

A visitation will be held 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Olson-Powell Memorial Chapel in Mt. Pleasant, Thursday, December 17, 2020, the family will not be present. A private family service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday, December, 18, 2020. It will be livestreamed at Powell Funeral Homes Facebook page and at our website, www.powellfuneralhomes.com. A public celebration of life will be planned for a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorials in his honor will go to Midwest Old Threshers and Muscular Dystrophy Association in Iowa. The family would welcome any personal notes, memories or stories you have about Wes.  Emails can be sent to wes.barton@cutters.com or via voicemail at 312-725-3495.

Protect Water Lines & Pipes in Cold Weather

By Theresa Rose · Monday, December 14th, 2020 at 2:49 pm CDT

Although December and November have been fairly mild so far, colder weather is for sure on its way. In the meantime, Iowans should make sure the water supply to their house and livestock buildings is well protected from freezing. The three most common approaches, are adding heat with a heating device, insulating to conserve heat and adding heat by bringing in warm water. The most basic advice is to empty all water lines that can be emptied, including hoses, sprinkler lines and pasture water lines. Insulation can be added to protect outside walls, and interior insulation can be removed, to allow heat from a heated building to reach the pipes. In places that are unheated, options include using a small electric heater or heat lamp, or heat tape. For livestock water tanks, trough, tank and bucket heaters can be installed where electricity is available, for $20-$50 per unit. If electricity is not available, liquid propane gas stock tank heaters can be purchased for roughly $600. The operator needs to keep safety in mind, both for humans and for animals. Most store-bought heaters have safety features that are adequate when instructions are followed.

TOWING SAFETY: KNOW THE RISKS

By Theresa Rose · Monday, December 14th, 2020 at 2:09 pm CDT

When equipment is stuck, frustration or lack of awareness of towing hazards may tempt producers to take safety shortcuts. However, safely towing equipment for any reason greatly reduces the risk of damage to machinery or serious injury to operators.
Cheryl Skjolaas, University of Wisconsin Extension Agricultural Safety and Health Specialist, notes that selection of proper towing tools is the first step to safely moving equipment.
“Don’t grab the first rope or chain you find in the shop,” Skjolaas says. “Whether it’s a rope, cable, chain or nylon towing strap, that device will be under significant tension and force. When selecting the proper towing device, consider soil conditions and surface conditions at the towing site.”
Selecting a towing device rated strong enough for the situation is the only safe and effective way to tow equipment. “Extracting Stuck Equipment Safely – How to Avoid Expensive and Painful Incidents” (https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/ppp/ppp-98.pdf), outlines some best practices for avoiding what are often unseen but deadly hazards common to towing scenarios.
“If the towing device or part of the device breaks, a chain or hook quickly becomes a dangerous projectile,” Skjolaas says. “A one-inch nylon rope has a stronger breaking strength than a cable or chain. However, if the rope breaks, it snaps back to the point of attachment. Steel cables that reach a breaking point will rebound in an unpredictable manner and warp around any object in their path.”
Take inventory of chains, cables and straps in your shop. Unless you’re certain of the condition of each one, dispose of them. Purchase quality straps and ropes with clevises rated to withstand towing strain.
A key practice for safely towing equipment is to begin by purchasing products designed for this type of recovery. In selecting appropriate gear, consider purchasing items such as a strap that are as long as possible. A 30-foot strap provides enough flexibility to locate a towing vehicle on stable ground. If less footage is required, the strap can be doubled up and both eyelets can be attached to the stuck equipment.
A long towing chain designed to support the towed load is recommended over nylon ropes or cables. Chains will break at their weakest point, so check welds and hooks prior to use. Serious, disabling injuries and deaths have occurred when a towing device failed. Tractor and truck cabs may not be strong enough to stop the force of this kind of recoiling device, which can be very bit as lethal as a bullet.
In selecting recovery equipment, keep in mind that the value of health and life cannot be reduced to a price range. If someone is injured or killed, expenses for medical treatment, insurance rates, damaged equipment, loss of time, etc. will quickly exceed the cost of quality products.
In training employees for using towing equipment, provide written instructions for proper towing techniques. Follow training with hands-on demonstrations so employees can practice extractions in real situations.
All recovery equipment should be stored where it can be easily accessed and regularly inspected. After use, inspection should be completed before storing the equipment. Any damage should be immediately repaired. If it’s unrepairable, or there’s any doubt about its viability, the equipment should be discarded.
During the extraction process, operators should remain vigilant and carefully monitor what’s happening, anticipating the unexpected. Since every scenario is different, extracting stuck equipment is never routine. Serious injury or death can occur in one split second if equipment should fail.
In using a nylon recovery strap, it’s important to be aware that the strap will stretch until it builds up tension to help pull the stuck vehicle. A running start can be used in conjunction with a nylon strap because the strap is designed to absorb a jerking motion. In using a strap, if the towing vehicle spins its wheels and the stuck vehicle cannot be moved in a couple of attempts, the towing vehicle doesn’t have enough power to get the job done.
It takes more pulling strength to move something mired n the ground than to pull the same object on a smooth surface because the stuck vehicle is “dead weight.” Stress placed on towing devices in this scenario can be up to many times the weight of the stuck object.
The towing device must be properly attached to the towing vehicle. In using a tractor, attach the towing device to the drawbar to significantly reduce the risk of a rear overturn. Truck bumpers are not recommended attachment points because pulling force can separate the bumper from the truck, causing it to become an airborne projectile.
Tractor and truck manuals provide safe towing instructions.
If more than one towing vehicle is required, attach each vehicle with a separate towing device. Attaching one towing device to two vehicles can result in excessive pulling force on the device, leading to damaged equipment, flying debris, etc.
Before any pulling begins, all bystanders and helpers need to move away from the area. Double check all attachments to ensure they’re secure. If more than one pulling vehicle is used, coordinate pulling efforts between operators. Establish a clear channel of communication such as hand signals. Make sure everyone involved has a clear understanding of what each hand signal means. All operators should wear their seatbelts.
When the towing process begins, apply power smoothly without jerking. At the slightest sign of danger – i.e. tractor front-end off the ground, slip in attachment of the towing device – the towing process should be halted and re-evaluated before proceeding.
“The safest way to pull a stuck machine is always to use proper pulling equipment in good conditions, attach it properly and apply power slowly,” Skjolaas says. “Often, in extracting equipment, relying on past experiences plays a role the extraction process. However, just because a process worked in the past, doesn’t mean it was safe. It may have been the result of a lot of luck.”
Funding for this educational article comes from the Central States Center for Agricultural Safety and Health and the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

Sports, Monday, December 14th

By Nathan Bloechl · Monday, December 14th, 2020 at 12:43 pm CDT

By: Nathan Bloechl — sports@kilj.com 

Mount Pleasant Girls’ and Boys’ Back in Action Tonight:

The Mount Pleasant girls’ and boys’ basketball team is back in action tonight when they host Benton Community in a non-conference doubleheader at Panther Gymnasium.

The boys’ enter tonight’s contest 2-3, following a 61-50 loss to Keokuk on the road Friday night.

Senior forward Brevin Wilson is the team’s top scorer averaging 11.0 points per game, closely followed up by Sam Jerrell (8.6 ppg) and Chase Williamson (8.2 ppg).

Mount Pleasant has not yet lost back-to-back games and will look to avoid that tonight.

Meanwhile, the Benton boys’ are looking for win number one tonight, after suffering losses to West Delaware, Beckman Catholic, Maquoeketa and Grinnell.

On the girls’ side, the early season emergence of sophomore forward Andrea Lopreato has been the top story for Curt Watson’s group as they seek win number three tonight.

Lopreato is averaging 14.4 points and nearly 12 rebounds per game in her sophomore season, pacing the Panthers in both categories.

She finished with 13 points and 12 rebounds in a one-point Friday loss to Keokuk.

On the other side, the Benton girls’ are are off to a sterling 3-0 start with big wins over Beckman Catholic, Mount Vernon and West Delaware.

Their top scorer is Jenna Twedt, a sophomore pouring in 22.7 points per game.

The girls’ game will begin at 5:30 p.m., the boys’ will follow at approximately 7:30 p.m.

You can listen to both games on KILJ-FM 105.5, Nathan Bloechl and Kent Bennett will have the action beginning at 5:15 p.m.

Just one other game on the area slate:

Fort Madison at Mediapolis (Girls)

Hawkeye Football Rolls Wisconsin, Picks Up Sixth Straight Win:

Tyler Goodson had an 80-yard touchdown run and 106 total rushing yards to lead Iowa in a 28-7 win over Wisconsin (2-3).

Spencer Petras finished 211 yards passing and two scores, including 140 yards and both scores to Ihmir Smith-Marsette.

Wisconsin has now lost three straight to stumble to 2-3, while Iowa has now won six consecutive matchups to improve to 6-2.

B1G Announces Champions Week Schedule:

The Big Ten Conference has announced their 2020 Champions Week Schedule and Iowa will host Michigan, Saturday night at Kinnick Stadium the league has announced.

Friday, December 18th

Nebraska at Rutgers, 3:00 p.m. (BTN)

Purdue at Indiana, 6:30 p.m. (BTN)

Saturday, December 19th 

Ohio State vs. Northwestern, 11:00 a.m. (FOX)

Minnesota at Wisconsin, 3:00 p.m. (BTN)

Illinois at Penn State, 4:30 p.m. (FS1)

Michigan at Iowa, 6:00 p.m. (ESPN)

Michigan State at Maryland, 6:30 p.m. (BTN)

Iowa, Drake Roll in CBB Sunday:

Drake 81, Air Force 53

D.J Wilkins pumped in a game high 23 as Drake stayed perfect with an 81-53 win over Air Force on Sunday.

Roman Penn and Joseph Yesufu scored 11 points apiece while Garrett Sturtz added 10.

Drake is now 6-0 on the young year, they’ll scrap with the Coyotes of South Dakota on the road, Wednesday.

Tip is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.

No. 3 Iowa 106, Northern Illinois 53

All-American Luka Garza had 23 points and eight boards as Iowa crushed Northern Illinois 106-53 yesterday at Carver Hawkeye Arena.

Joe Wieskamp chipped in with 20 points for the Hawks who improved to 6-0.

The Hawkeyes will be off until Saturday when they’ll take on No. 1 Gonzaga at the Sanford Pentagon in South Dakota.

Tip is set for 11:00 a.m.

 

Rosemary “Rose” Smith

By Theresa Rose · Sunday, December 13th, 2020 at 3:54 am CDT

Rosemary “Rose” Smith, 79, passed away peacefully Thursday, December 11, 2020 at the New London Specialty Care Center. She was born on July 14, 1941 in Henry County to Merle Otto and Mary Marie (Todd) Scarff and had since been a lifelong resident.

 

Roses’ education started in Montgomery rural school near Trenton, Iowa and finished in the Mt. Pleasant school system. She married Charles Wesely, but later divorced and married James “Jim” Smith.

 

Rose was of the Presbyterian faith and was not a member of any clubs or organizations. She worked at Emerson Electronics early on and everyone that came across her knew Rosemary was a genuine caretaker at heart and always put others before herself. For years she was an in-home caretaker to many in the area and worked for years as CNA at the Henry County Health center, as well at the Willows Assisted Living Center. When her older grandchildren were born, she started an in-home daycare to help care for them as well as other local children. She also was a foster mother to many over the years.

 

Rosemary’s humanity and kindness will never be forgotten, and her legacy will live on through her family. Somedays you wake up and are ready to take on the day with full force, ready to smile, and others not so much – not Rosemary. Always so kind. She was a simple person with a huge “heart of gold” who always put others, especially children, ahead of her own responsibilities and needs. When able, she would work two or three jobs to have the funds to help others and gave all she had, plus more to whoever needed help.

 

Her family, especially the kids, were her main priority and definitely her pride and joy, along with her many animals over the years, including her little dog, Sassy. She thrived on having her grandkids around and always stressed the importance of family, and cooking holiday dinners.

 

Those surviving Rosemary and whom she enjoyed spending her time with was her five children; Roger Wesely, Cindy (Lynn) Conrad, Rick (Kevin) Holden-Smith, Jimmy (Shelly) Smith, and Todd (Renee) Smith; Twelve Grandchildren Jamie Conrad, Allison Smith, Jordan Wesely, Jason Conrad, Micah Leslie, Caleb Smith, Tyler Wesely, Alyssa Smith, Dalton Smith, Tessa Smith, Jenna Smith, Ryan Holden-Smith; and 13  Great-Grandchildren Justis Smith-Riley, Jaydin Smith-Riley, Linkahn Conrad, Gage Whaley, Jersie Smith-Riley, Sadie Rogers, Leah Whaley, Alton Leslie, Jason Rogers, Zain Leslie, Jalynn Conrad, Orie Leslie, and Lokie Leslie, her husband Jim, one brother, Robert (Bob) Scarff, one sister Patty Kerr, and many nieces and nephews.

 

Rosemary was proceeded in death by her parents, three sisters – Ruth VanTrump, Roberta Calloway, and Helen Parrot, and one grandson, Justin Smith.

 

A private family service for Rosemary will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 16 at the Kimzey Funeral Home. Burial will be in the Forest Home Cemetery, Mt. Pleasant. Open visitation will be 9 AM-9 PM Tuesday at the funeral home. Masks and Social Distancing will be requested at the funeral home.

Ronald D. Lenz

By Theresa Rose · Sunday, December 13th, 2020 at 3:50 am CDT

Ronald D. Lenz, 79, died Saturday December 12, 2020 at Henry County Health Center, Mt. Pleasant.  Arrangements are pending at Elliott Chapel, New London.

Mervin L. Raines

By Theresa Rose · Sunday, December 13th, 2020 at 3:49 am CDT

Mervin L. Raines, 95, of New London died Friday December 11, 2020 at New London Specialty Care.  Arrangements are pending at Elliott Chapel, New London.

Sports, Saturday, December 12th

By Nathan Bloechl · Saturday, December 12th, 2020 at 7:13 am CDT

By: Nathan Bloechl — sports@kilj.com 

Swanson’s Monster Double-Double Leads New London Past Van Buren County:

Just days after his head coach said he was the heart and soul of the team on Beyond The Game, New London’s Devon Swanson responded with a monster, 28 point, 19 rebound double-double lifting New London to their straight win — and 86-42 throttling of Van Buren County.

The win marked No. 100 in the illustrious career of their head coach, Bryant Porter.

His son Blaise chipped in with 23 points for the Tigers, who are out of the gates blazing to a 3-0 record.

New London will scrap with West Burlington next Tuesday.

Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.

Boys’ Hoops Roundup:

Keokuk 61, Mount Pleasant 50

Brevin Wilson had 16 points but it was not enough as Keokuk earned an 11-point, 61-50 Southeast Conference decision over Mount Pleasant last night.

Owen VanSickle and Sam Jerrell poured in 11 points for the Panthers, who fell to 2-3.

Anthony Potratz led Keokuk, who swept the season series against Mount Pleasant last year, with 18 points.

The Chiefs are now 2-1.

Cardinal 75, WACO 38 

The Comets raced out to an early lead and never looked back, blitzing WACO in Southeast Iowa Super Conference South Division matchup, last night.

Cardinal had three players in double figures led by Elias Ellamari’s 20 points.

WACO was led by Isaac Oswald who finished with 12.

The Warriors slipped to 1-3.

West Burlington 74, Holy Trinity 43

Pekin 58, Louisa-Muscatine 40

Panther Girls’ Fall in Heartbreaker:

The Mount Pleasant girls basketball team saw Keokuk storm back in the fourth quarter, as the Chiefs picked up a wicked 38-37 victory over Mount Pleasant last night in Southeast Conference play.

Keokuk used a 15-7 fourth quarter to edge out the Panthers, who used a 16-5 run of their own in the third quarter to build their lead.

With the loss, the Panther girls’ stumbled to 2-3.

Other girls’ finals:

WACO 45, Cardinal 30

No. 14 Winfield-Mount Union 47, Central Lee 43

West Burlington 73, Holy Trinity 30

L-M 43, Pekin 38

Cyclone Wrestling Releases 2020-21 Schedule:

Iowa State University has released their wrestling schedule for the 2020-21 season.

The Cyclones open their season January 3rd at home against Wartburg at 1 p.m. They will also hold home meets on January 10th, 17th and 30th.

The Big 12 Championship date has yet to be determined, but will take place in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

The NCAA Championships are scheduled for March 18th through the 20th in St. Louis.