Month: November 2021

The Donnellson Police have released the details of an incident that occurred 11/6/21. At about 1:20 pm law enforcement and emergency responders were called to the 100 block of Chestnut Street where a 2 year old Donnellson girl had been hit by a vehicle. An investigation determined the vehicle was a pickup truck driven by Andrew Boone of Donnellson.  Boone had been stopped on the street talking with a resident. Several children were playing near the street as Boone started to leave.  The girl, apparently, darted out in front of the truck. She was treated at the scene and then transferred by helicopter to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics where she is now listed in stable condition. Charges are pending against Boone.

A 2-year-old Donnellson girl is in an Iowa City hospital following a Saturday afternoon accident in Donnellson.

A 911 call was made at 1:22 p.m. reporting a small child had been struck by a vehicle.  Emergency responders were then dispatched to the 100 block of Chestnut Street.   Donnellson Fire & Rescue, Lee County EMS, Air-Evac, Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa State Patrol, and the Donnellson Police Dept. responded to the scene.

The Donnellson Police Dept. would like to acknowledge a witness to the accident, identified as Shelby Dickens, for her quick response and actions during the accident.  Police believe Ms. Dickens undoubtedly prevented a tragedy from becoming worse.

Mount Pleasant, IA – November 9, 2021 — Iowa Wesleyan University announced a $240,000 gift from Steven ’83 and Jill Howe to fund initiatives to support the Student Success Center.  The Center will be named the Steven and Jill Howe Student Success Center in recognition of their generosity.

The Student Success Center is a crucial component of Iowa Wesleyan University’s continued efforts to positively impact the higher education landscape in Southeast Iowa. Over the past two years, Iowa Wesleyan has devoted significant staffing and financial resources to expanding university-wide student success initiatives.  

“As Iowa Wesleyan welcomes an increasing number of first-generation and economically and ethnically diverse students, our Student Success Center has become the cornerstone of our work to increase retention and graduation rates,” President Christine Plunkett stated. “We are grateful to Steven and Jill for their generous support of this program, and we are proud to name our Center in their honor. Their commitment represents an investment in our students and allows us to enhance our efforts to influence and shape future generations.

Katie Aranda, Associate Dean of Student Success Initiatives, stated, “I’m excited for our students to have additional support services, and this gift will enhance what we’ve already been building. When I started in the spring of 2017, we had a staff of three; we worked around the clock to connect with students and give them the support they needed. It’s inspiring to see how the staff has grown, and this gift will help support that growth and lead to other resources for students.” The Center now boasts a full-time staff of eight, all focused on supporting students from the day they make their enrollment deposit through their academic journey at IW.

Steven and Jill Howe are passionate about student learning and supporting all students with their unique needs. Steven Howe stated, “When we heard about the intention behind the Student Success Center and the good work already being done there, we were moved by the deep sense of caring it represents for students. The Student Success program provides the kind of resources that give them the very best chance of getting the most out of their experience in higher education.”

Steven Howe is the son of Stan and Helen Howe ’81, who have been dedicated and instrumental philanthropic partners of IW. The Howe Student Activity Center on IW’s campus is named in their honor. Stan and Helen received honorary doctorates from Iowa Wesleyan in 1978 and 2010, respectively.

The Steven and Jill Howe Student Success Center will enhance the University’s ability to impact the lives of its students. “We have created a strong community in our Center, and it’s a place for our students to feel at home,” said Aranda. “This gift will help support those endeavors.” 

Henry County Public Health now has the Pfizer vaccine for children age 5-18. These will be given by appointment only with parental consent. To view clinic options visit HealthyHenryCounty.org/covid for links to sign up for available appointments or call 319-385-0779 during business hours. Public Health is also working on scheduling after school clinics at each school district for convenience. Follow Facebook.com/HealthyHenryCounty for regular updates.

Although children are at a lower risk of becoming severely ill with COVID-19 compared with adults, children can still be infected with the virus that causes COVID-19, get very sick, have both short and long-term health complications from COVID-19, and spread COVID-19 to others. Children age 5-11 will receive the pediatric dose. All children will need a second shot three weeks after their first shot. Help protect your whole family and slow the spread of COVID-19 in your community by getting yourself and your children ages 5 years and older vaccinated against COVID-19.

A tie forced the Henry County Supervisors to select the winner in the Salem mayoral race.  Both Kelly Andermann and James Tomson received 40 votes.  Tuesday morning, as part of the official canvass of the votes from the November 2 election the supervisors drew Andermann’s name from a hat, a hard hat to be specific.

Otherwise, the canvass did not reveal any issues with the results of the elections.