Prep Volleyball: Holy Trinity Catholic Holds Their Spot While West Burlington Climbs Up a Rung

By Slaten Swords · Wednesday, October 4th, 2023 at 2:28 pm CDT

Prep Volleyball- The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union (IGHSAU) has released their eleventh edition of the volleyball rankings and with less than two weeks remaining until the first round of Regional Volleyball, teams are jockeying for position.

Class 1A had minimal movement with the top three teams keeping their spot in Ankeny Christian, Boyden-Hull, and Holy Trinity Catholic, respectively. Janesville jumped three spots up the rankings from 8th to 5th with back-to-back wins including a win over newly ranked #12 Don Bosco. Central City fell out of the top 15 after going 2-2 at the Union tournament over the weekend.

Dike-New Hartford is still undefeated and on top of the rankings for Class 2A followed by Hinton and Grundy Center, respectively. Sumner-Fredericksburg fell two spots to #6 in the rankings after losing to Don Bosco two sets to one. Aplington-Parkersburg hopped up to #8 in the ranking, switching spots with South Hardin. West Burlington moved up one spot to #14 after placing second in the New London tournament behind Mid-Prairie. Beckman Catholic, who touts a 23-7 record, replaced Wilton in the top 15 at the #12 slot.

Class 3A had no movement in the top 15. Western Christian is still #1 followed by Mount Vernon and Des Moines Christian. Mid-Prairie is ranked 8th and MOC-Floyd Valley rounds out the top 15.

Clear Creek-Amana is now 35-0 and still the team to beat in Class 4A. The top six stayed the same with the only movement in the top ten being Marion leapfrogging North Polk to the #7 spot. Despite six wins in a row, Carlisle’s losses last week to #3 ADM and #11 Ballard knocked the Wildcats out of the top 15. Nevada enters the rankings at the #12 spot after previously being unranked.

In Class 5A, the top three teams are Dowling Catholic, Ankeny Centennial, and Waukee Northwest. Ankeny’s losses to Denver (#4 in Class 3A), Nevada (#12 in Class 4A), and Ankeny Centennial knocked the Hawks from #5 to #8 in the rankings. Linn-Marr has dropped three games in a row, resulting in the Lions being unranked. Iowa City Liberty went from unranked to #10 after winning six games in a row; however, the Lightning have now dropped their last two to Mount Vernon and Xavier.

Crack, Heroin, and Marijuana, Found During Burlington Traffic Stop

By Yorke Prough · Wednesday, October 4th, 2023 at 12:07 pm CDT

For the past several months the Southeast Iowa Narcotic Task Force has been investigating a drug trafficking organization distributing Crack Cocaine and Heroin in and around the Burlington, Iowa area.

On October 3, 2023, a traffic stop was conducted on the vehicle that Laquese Murphy was driving. Detectives executed a search warrant on the vehicle and found a significant amount of Crack Cocaine and Heroin.

Laquese Murphy was arrested for Possession with Intent to Deliver Crack Cocaine , (Class C Felony), Possession of Heroin with Intent to Delivery (Class B Felony) and two counts of Fail to Affix Drug Tax Stamp (Class D Felony). A passenger in the vehicle, Corsha Williams, was also charged with Possession of Controlled Substance – Marijuana (Serious Misdemeanor).

The Southeast Iowa Narcotics Task Force was assisted by the Iowa State Patrol, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Lee County Narcotics Task Force.

This investigation is ongoing and additional arrests are anticipated.

All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in the court of law.

Historical Harlan-Lincoln House, Now A Stand-Alone Non-Profit Corporation, Re-Opening This Month!

By Yorke Prough · Wednesday, October 4th, 2023 at 11:07 am CDT
The Harlan-Lincoln House Board : Left to right – Elizabeth Garrels, Tricia File, Pat White, Lea Bradley, Lynn Ellsworth, Paul Juhl

It was an exciting morning in Mt. Pleasant on Wednesday, as a special announcement regarding the Historical Harlan-Lincoln House brought many rounds of applause. The Harlan-Lincoln House is now a stand-alone Iowa non-profit corporation, Harlan-Lincoln House, Inc. It is an IRS 501[c](3) designated charity. Maintenance and operations will now become the responsibility of its Board of Directors, which consists of six members, 5 of which are from Mt. Pleasant.

This announcement comes after Iowa Wesleyan University transferred ownership of the house. Opportunities for financial support will once again be in “Friends of the Harlan-Lincoln House.”

The mission of the nonprofit is to “preserve and promote the House and it’s contents, to share with the public this heritage site for its relevance to the James Harlan and Abraham Lincoln families, and to explain the significant impact of these prominent American families who offered vital leadership for the life of Iowa Wesleyan University, community of Mount Pleasant, state of Iowa, and our nation.”

149 years of resources help tell the stories of two famous families over the span of four generations. The House used to be owned by Iowa Wesleyan University and was donated in 1907 by Mrs. Lincoln. Now, history is preserved and the legacy lives on.

The walls tell stories of the United States from the Civil War and expansion West, to the Gilded Age. This is a vital piece of our heritage and culture and plays a significant role in remembering the past.

Lynn Ellsworth, one of the directors, spoke about the important change. She mentioned many people who have already shown interest in volunteering for this next chapter of history for the House. Over 20 potential volunteers will help as tour guides, giving guided tours throughout the Harlan-Lincoln House, as well as providing general upkeep. These aren’t just volunteers. They are community members who are committed to this town that they love, and are determined to never let their passion die.

A public re-opening event is planned for October 21 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.

They look forward to open hours for tours in the near future. Make sure that you follow Harlan-Lincoln House on their Facebook page and their brand-new website harlan23.wixsite.com/hlhm for upcoming information.

Sports, October 4th

By Slaten Swords · Wednesday, October 4th, 2023 at 6:30 am CDT

High School Football

Mt. Pleasant will stay on the road to take on Keokuk this Friday, October 6th, at 7:30 pm. KILJ will be on the call with the pregame show at 7:15 pm. 

In other Class 3A District 4 matchups, Washington will host Assumption and Fort Madison will wrestle with Mt. Vernon at home.

Fairfield will attempt to bounce back this Friday against South Tama in a road matchup.

#10 Mediapolis will host Davis County this Friday.

Columbus will hit the road to take on Van Buren County this Friday. 

Central Lee will take on Mid-Prairie at 7:30 pm for their Homecoming game.

Danville will host Lisbon this Friday in an attempt to extend their win streak to four games. 

#10 WACO will face off against English Valleys at 7 pm in a home game.

New London will compete against Moravia at 7 pm.

#1 Winfield-Mt. Union will be at home to face off against Mormon Trail this Friday.

High School Volleyball

Mt. Pleasant will be competing in the Oskaloosa Invite on Saturday, October 7th. 

New London will host Fort Madison tomorrow, October 5th. 

Winfield-Mt. Union hosted WACO in a SEISC North battle last night and despite the close scores, the Wolves exited with the sweep by scores of 27-25, 25-18, and 25-11. Audrie Gipple notched 15 kills and three aces in the winning effort. Winfield-Mt. Union will hit the road to take on Pekin tomorrow. 

WACO will be at home to take on Columbus tomorrow.

Burlington Notre Dame fell in straight sets to #15 West Burlington last night by scores of 25-17, 25-23, and 25-21. Lauren Krieger dished out 38 assists with Aviana West leading the Nikes with 15 kills. The Falcons will take on Van Buren County tomorrow on the road. 

Mediapolis celebrated their senior night in style last night as the Bulldogs took down Van Buren County in straight sets. Jaydon Wirt tallied 26 assists and Haley Steffener led the Bulldogs with 10 kills. Mediapolis will compete against West Burlington on October 10th. 

#3 Holy Trinity Catholic breezed past Central Lee last night in straight sets by scores of 25-13, 25-9, and 25-9. Taylor Jones was a bright spot for the Hawks with 9 kills and four blocks. Central Lee will participate in the Davis County Invitational on October 7th.

Danville will take on the Crusaders for Holy Trinity Catholic’s senior night tomorrow.

Cross Country

Mt. Pleasant will be competing in the Southeast Conference (SEC) meet on October 12th. 

The Southeast Iowa Super Conference (SEISC) meet will be run tomorrow, October 5th. 

Cross Country Rankings

The Iowa Association of Track Coaches (IATC) released their team rankings yesterday as the season draws close to its conclusion.

The Southeast Conference proves to be tough with the boys’ teams of Washington and Fort Madison ranked inside the top 15. The Demons are ranked 8th with Micah Rees ranked 3rd individually for Class 3A. 

On the girls’ side, Washington is ranked 16th and Fort Madison snuck inside the top 20 at the #19 slot. For the Bloodhounds, Avery Rump has a great claim to an individual title as she is ranked 2nd overall.

The Mediapolis boys’ team ranks 17th in Class 2A with #3 Solomon Zaugg and #5 Owen Schmidgall leading the way for the Bulldogs.

Lastly, Jackson Shacklett’s #16 individual ranking for Class 1A has helped propel the Danville boys’ team to 14th in the rankings.

Van Buren County has their own individually ranked runner in Lincoln Bainbridge, who is ranked 22nd in Class 1A.

Southeast Iowa Playbook

New London will be this week’s school of focus with Tysann Gipple and Gavin Menke-Bailey joining us on KILJ 105.5 FM or kilj.com at 6 pm tonight. 

College Football

The University of Iowa will celebrate Homecoming this Saturday, October 7th, against Purdue. The Hawkeyes will be led by Deacon Hill after Kirk Ferentz announced yesterday that Cade McNamara had torn his ACL in his left knee in last week’s game.

Iowa State University will take on TCU in a home game this Saturday.

For the Hawkeye broadcast, tune into KILJ 105.5 FM and the Cyclone broadcast will be on 98.5 FM and AM 1130. 

This Day in Sports History

1873 – The Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League was founded. The Argonauts are North America’s oldest professional sports team, still using its original name.

1906 – The Chicago Cubs beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 4-0, to end the MLB season at 116-36 with .763 winning percentage; the highest winning percentage in MLB history.

2001 – Brendan Shanahan scores a hat trick in the Detroit Red Wings 4-3 overtime win at San Jose; becomes the second player in NHL history to score an opening-night hat trick twice in his career.

Police Pursuit Through Two Counties Eventually Leads to Arrest

By Yorke Prough · Wednesday, October 4th, 2023 at 6:13 am CDT

There was a pursuit that ripped through two counties on Monday, October 2nd. The Iowa State Patrol initiated a chase involving a stolen vehicle travelling eastbound on US Highway 34 from the Jefferson County Line. The Henry County Sheriff’s Office were made aware of this and began preparing for the vehicle to cross the county line into Henry County.

Stop Sticks were deployed by Henry County Deputies near 170th Street and Iowa Avenue, which ultimately brought the driver to a halt. As a result of Stop Sticks, which cause air to slowly leak out of the tire, bringing the vehicle to a gradual stop, no injuries were reported to the driver, officers, or the public.

Ashley M. Sanders, 29, of Chicago, Illinois, was placed under arrest and transported to the Henry County Jail without further incident.

As a result of the investigation Ashley was charged with Eluding – Speed 25 Over Limit (Aggravated Misdemeanor), Theft 2nd Degree (Class D Felony), Interference With Official Acts – Bodily Injury (Serious Misdemeanor), among several other nonscheduled traffic citations by the Iowa State Patrol.

*Generic Photo*

Prep Cross Country Rankings: Two Teams Ranked in the Southeast Conference While Mediapolis Touts Two Top 5 Runners

By Slaten Swords · Tuesday, October 3rd, 2023 at 4:43 pm CDT

Cross Country- The Iowa Association of Track Coaches (IATC) released their team rankings today as the season draws close to its conclusion. Southeast Iowa has a couple teams to look out for as the state qualifying meet will begin on October 18th and 19th.

Washington is ranked 8th for the boys and 16th for the girls in Class 3A. A big reason for the boys’ success is Micah Rees as he is ranked 3rd in all of Class 3A. Iris Dahl was ranked 16th last week for Class 3A for the Demons as she is the leader for the girls’ team.

Fort Madison is another tough team in the Southeast Conference with the boys’ ranked 15th and the girls’ put at the #19 slot. Avery Rump is a favorite for the individual title as she is ranked 2nd overall in Class 3A.

In Class 2A for the boys’, Mediapolis is ranked 17th as a team. The Bulldogs have one of the best two-headed attacks in the state with Solomon Zaugg ranked 3rd and Owen Schmidgall ranked 5th for Class 2A leading the pack.

Lastly, the Danville boys’ team is ranked 14th in Class 1A. Jackson Shacklett leads the Bears as the 16th best runner in Class 1A, according to the rankings.

Another name to look out for in Class 1A is Lincoln Bainbridge of Van Buren County. Bainbridge is ranked 22nd in Class 1A.

Fort Madison and Washington will compete in the Southeast Conference meet on October 12th, while the Southeast Iowa Super Conference will run on October 5th.

Keokuk Police Conducting Alcohol Compliance Checks

By Yorke Prough · Tuesday, October 3rd, 2023 at 3:01 pm CDT

The Keokuk Police Department, in partnership with The Best You Coalition, strives to educate local retailers on best practice concerning alcohol sales. The Best You Coalition has emphasized prevention, by providing Merchant Alcohol Training, signs, guides, and other information to local businesses, free of charge.

The Keokuk Police Department will be conducting alcohol compliance checks at local business within the next thirty days. The checks will consist of underage buyers entering local businesses to try to purchase alcoholic beverages. They will be working with the Keokuk Police Department.

Any merchant caught selling to underage buyers will immediately be cited and referred to the Lee County Attorney’s Office for criminal prosecution. Penalties for a licensee selling alcohol to an underage person will result in a $1925 fine. Individual employees can expect to cough up $645 for making the transaction. Businesses found in violation of Iowa’s alcohol laws will be referred to the Iowa Alcoholic Beverages Division for administrative action.

For more information regarding Merchant Alcohol Training, please contact The Best You Coalition at 319 293 2579.

Steer It Clear It Law Reminder

By Yorke Prough · Tuesday, October 3rd, 2023 at 3:00 pm CDT

The Iowa Department of Transportation would like to remind drivers of a common law that may get overlooked too often. Iowa’s “Steer It Clear It” law requires drivers involved in a crash with no serious injuries to move the vehicles out of the driving lanes of traffic. Of course, you should only attempt this if it is safe to do so.

Moving your vehicle out of the lane of traffic and off to the shoulder helps prevent other crashes from happening. Also, almost nobody enjoys arriving at their destination late, and keeping your car in the way of traffic increases travel times.

Astonishingly, there are approximately 55,000 crashes in Iowa every year. Every minute that a lane is blocked increases the likelihood of a secondary crash occurring by 2.8%. By just thirty minutes, the chance of another crash happening is very high. Every minute of blocked traffic equals four minutes of delay for the rest of the traffic.