Month: August 2023

The Harvest Day Parade begins at 3:30pm today and will serve to remind residents of the Midwest Old Threshers Reunion. If you are not aware by now, Old Threshers truly encapsulates the brilliance of small-town celebration. Expected to bring in tens of thousands of visitors from all over the country, this 5-day celebration is the perfect opportunity to show others how great our community is. Please be extra careful while behind the wheel, as some visitors are unfamiliar with the streets. Ensure that you are parking in a public parking space or a lawn that is open for parking if you want to stay away from tickets.

KILJ will be on air for the Harvest Day Parade preview show at 3:00pm! We will be getting interviews, speaking with reunion goers, and transporting excitement from the street into your homes through radio.

The Lee County Sheriff’s Department reports the arrest of a Keokuk man on Felony and Misdemeanor charges on Monday August 28^th.

Mathew Wayne Sly, age 30, of Keokuk, is charged with: Enticement of a Minor Under 16 for Sexual Purposes, Class D Felony, and Dissemination of Obscene Material to a Minor, Aggravated Misdemeanor.

The arrest was the result of an investigation where Mathew Sly is alleged to have arranged a meeting with a minor at a local park in Keokuk with the intent to commit a sex act.

Departments involved in the investigation included the Lee County Sheriff’s Department, Des Moines County Sheriff’s Department, the Keokuk Police Department, the Fort Madison Police Department, and the Lee County Attorney’s Office.

The defendant in this case is presumed innocent unless, or until proven guilty.

The Henry County Board of Supervisors voted on Tuesday against the 1^st Reading of an ordinance to Rezone a Part of SE of SE Section 7 Township from A-1 Agricultural to I-1 Industrial in a 2-1 vote. The first reading did not pass, meaning it is “dead in the water” according to city legislation 380-3. There will be no more readings for this issue.

The public did bring a conversation to the table, with the supervisors allowing that to happen as this was not a public hearing. A concerned citizen believed that it was a “muddied up messy process” and called for the Planning and Zoning commission to have direction. Another citizen, who owns property near the proposed concrete plant, stated that their property taxes will increase, but the value of their house will decrease.

William John, an attorney for Chad Ebling who planned to build a plant in this area, wanted the public to be aware that the Planning and Zoning commission is made up of volunteers, and was quoted as saying “if you have concerns (about Planning and Zoning), volunteer.”

The Board of Supervisors will meet again on Thursday, August 31^st with an update from Sarah Berndt with the CDS.

Derek Mullin announced today that he will be taking out papers to run for the Mt. Pleasant Community School District Board Director District 2 position for a two-year term.  He will begin gathering signatures on August 29th.

Director District 2 encompasses the areas of the school district outside of the city of Mt. Pleasant.  However, all residents of the Mt. Pleasant Community School District vote for the entire slate of candidates.

Mullin is currently serving on the school board and has served since 2021. He has served on the Ag Task Force which started the current Ag Education program and FFA at the high school.  He and his wife, Tina, have three children that attend MPCSD: Caden, a Freshman in High School; Charlize, a 7th grader at the Middle School and Cuyler, a 4th grader at Harlan Elementary.

“As a parent with three children in the district, I have focused on making the best decisions for all students.  I am supportive of our teachers and staff, so that they can give our students the best education.  I also want to ensure that we make strong financial decisions for our district taxpayers.”

“As a former Industrial Technology teacher at the Mt. Pleasant Community High School, I am also committed to helping expand the Career and Technical Education offerings in our District.”

School board elections will be held on Tuesday, November 7th.

With the upcoming Mt. Pleasant Community School Board election on Tuesday, November 7^th, all seats will be available. This is due to the redistricting which now includes 2 seats in district 1 and two in district 2, and 3 at large seats.

Sarah Donnolly has announced her campaign for the School Board, and as a mother of three kids in elementary school in our community, she “understands the importance of education and the value of teachers and staff.” She and her husband own a local small business, and they are “deeply invested” in the community.

There are a few critical issues facing the district that she believes she can tackle. “I’m running for school board to ensure we have a high level of accountability and transparency from administration.”

She is committed to fostering a “thriving environment” for every child in the district and plans to discuss her ability to make an impact over the coming months.

On August 25^th at approximately 9:56am, Burlington Police Officers were alerted of a man standing on the ledge over the railing on the Great River Bridge. Upon arrival, officers made contact with the man and learned that he was in crisis. While waiting for a mobile crisis response team to be dispatched and for the crisis response team to arrive, the officers began speaking with the man to de-escalate the situation. They were able to build a rapport with the man, eventually convincing him to step away from the ledge and join the officers.

When the mobile crisis team arrived, the officers worked with them to develop a plan that would help the man. This included an evaluation by a licensed mental health provided, who determined the man was “no longer suicidal” but found that he was having issues with housing. The mobile crisis team was able to obtain temporary housing for the man and then took him to that location.

Then, at 5:53pm on the same day, officers were once again dispatched to the Great River Bridge. They were sent to check on a man sitting on the ramp to the bridge, and upon arrival, identified the man as the same man who had been standing on the ledge of the bridge earlier in the day. The officers determined that the man’s intention was not to injure himself or to jump off the bridge, and then he complied with officers when they asked him to not be on the bridge. He then was accompanied by the officers to a safer location.

The Burlington Police Department was assisted by the Burlington Fire Department and Elevate CCBHC Mobile Crisis Team.