Helen Truitt

By Yorke Prough · Thursday, August 29th, 2024 at 8:07 am CDT

Helen Truitt, 93, of Morning Sun, passed away on Tuesday, August 27, 2024, at Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center in West Burlington.  Visitation will be held on Thursday, August 29, 2024, from 5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at St. Paul Lutheran Church of Wapello.  Funeral services will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, August 30, 2024, at the Church.  Burial will be in the Wapello Cemetery.   Memorials have been established for St. Paul Lutheran Church and Morning Sun Ambulance Service in Helen’s name.    Online condolences may be left for the family at www.sandhfuneralservices.com.    Snyder & Hollenbaugh Funeral & Cremation Service of Wapello are caring for Helen’s arrangements and her family. 

Helen Mabel Giese was born on December 28, 1930 in Wilton, Iowa, the daughter of Henry and Rosa (Scheel) Giese.  Helen attended Wapello Community Schools.  On December 20, 1947, Helen was united in marriage to Joseph William Truitt.  They later divorced.  Helen was a homemaker and worked in production at HON Industries. In her earlier years Helen had worked for Wolverine Worldwide and in her later years was a caregiver.  Helen was a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church of Wapello, where she was a Sunday School teacher and also a part of ladies’ aide.  She also was a member of home club at Morning Sun.  She enjoyed embroidery and reading but most of all to Helen her family, especially her children and grandchildren were her pride and joy.

Helen will be deeply missed by her children, Andy (Shirley) Truitt of Muscatine, Diana (Craig) Taylor of Media, Illinois, Joey (Nikki) Truitt of St. Petersburg, Florida and Randy (Jenn) Truitt of Wapello; 17 grandchildren; 41 great-grandchildren; four great-great grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.

Helen was preceded in death by her parents; one brother, Walter, Giese and Mason the wonder dog.

 

Sports, August 29th

By Slaten Swords · Thursday, August 29th, 2024 at 6:30 am CDT

High School Football

Mt. Pleasant will travel to Fairfield tomorrow, August 30th, at 7:30 pm. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will be on the call with the pregame show at 7:15 pm. 

Danville will host Lynnville-Sully tomorrow at 7 pm.

New London will square off against Easton Valley tomorrow at 7 pm.

Winfield-Mt. Union will face off against Central City tomorrow at 7 pm at home. 

Central Lee will take on Van Buren County tomorrow at 7 pm at home.

West Burlington/Notre Dame will take on Wapello tomorrow at 7:30 pm at home. 

Mediapolis will travel to compete against Columbus tomorrow at 7 pm. 

WACO will travel to take on Coon Rapids-Bayard on Saturday, August 31st, at 3 pm.

High School Volleyball

Fairfield will host WACO and Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont in a triangular match tonight with the Trojans and Rockets starting off the night at 5:45 pm.

West Burlington will compete in a quad tonight at Burlington with Danville and Wapello also competing. 

Central Lee will hit the road to take on Fort Madison at 7:30 pm tonight.

Mt. Pleasant will participate in a triangular tonight at Ottumwa with their first game at 6:30 pm. Head coach Logan Wall discussed some names to look out for as the season gets underway,

“We have a great senior class. They’re just well-rounded student athletes. They’re very positive and lots of them show some leadership qualities. This will be some of their first time on varsity, but I think they can really step into that role. Obviously, we have, you know, Alex Scott coming back. She’s an all-conference player. We have Addison Clark. She’s coming back from an injury from last year. And so, we’re excited to see what she can add to our team. We have Kynlee White coming back. We’ve got Myah Starr coming back. We’ve got Sonya Simon. So, we have a lot of returning players that we’re counting on to show some leadership qualities and you know, just have a well-rounded team this year.”

Winfield-Mt. Union will face off against Keokuk tonight at 7:30 pm at home.

Van Buren County will hit the road on Saturday, August 31st, to compete in a tournament at Central Lee with the day starting at 9 am.

Holy Trinity Catholic and Burlington Notre Dame will travel to Bondurant-Farrar on Saturday for a tournament.

Mediapolis will get their season rolling on Tuesday, September 3rd, at Wapello for a tournament. 

High School Cross Country

Van Buren County will have their first meet tonight at Albia, starting at 4:30 pm. The Iowa Association of Track and Field and Cross Country has the boys team ranked #19 in Class 1A.

Southeastern Community College

The volleyball team will host the Jimmy John’s Tournament, starting tomorrow, August 30th, against Allen County Community College at 2 pm. 

Freshman Taryn Stephens received ICCAC Athlete of the Week honors in DII volleyball after her work in last weekend’s opening tournament. The Burlington Notre Dame alum finished the weekend with 114 digs and eight service aces. Overall, she provided nine points to the offense, while averaging 5.18 digs per set.

College Football

The University of Iowa will officially kick off the season on Saturday, August 31st, at home against Illinois State at 11 am. Tune in to KILJ 105.5 FM to listen to the game. This is the second matchup between these two squads with the Hawkeyes defeating the Redbirds 31-14 in 2015.

Iowa State will take on North Dakota on Saturday at 2:30 pm at home. Tune in to KILJ 98.5 FM or AM 1130 to listen to the game.

This Day in Sports History

1885 – Boxing’s first heavyweight title fight with 3-oz gloves and 3-minute rounds is fought between American boxers John L. Sullivan and Dominick McCaffrey in Cincinnati, Ohio.

1977 – MLB St Louis Cardinal Lou Brock eclipses Ty Cobb’s 49-year-old career stolen bases record at 893 as the Padres win 4-3.

2022 – St. Louis Cardinal slugger Albert Pujols hits career home run 694 off of a major league record 450th different pitcher in 13-4 win over Reds in Cincinnati.

Disaster Proclamation Issued for Des Moines County Following Severe Storm

By Yorke Prough · Wednesday, August 28th, 2024 at 4:07 pm CDT

Gov. Kim Reynolds has issued a disaster proclamation for Des Moines County in response to severe storms that occurred on August 27 and continuing. The governor’s proclamation allows state resources to be utilized to respond to and recover from the effects of this severe weather and activates the Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program and Disaster Case Advocacy Program.

The Iowa Individual Assistance Grant Program provides grants up to $7,000 for households with incomes up to 200 percent of the federal poverty level. Grants are available for home or car repairs, replacement of clothing or food, and temporary housing expenses. Original receipts are required for those seeking reimbursement for actual expenses related to storm recovery. The grant application and instructions are available on the Iowa Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management website https://homelandsecurity.iowa.gov/assistance. Potential applicants have 45 days from the date of the proclamation to apply.

The Disaster Case Advocacy Program addresses serious needs related to disaster-related hardship, injury, or adverse conditions. Disaster case advocates work with clients to create a disaster recovery plan and provide guidance, advice, and referrals to obtain a service or resource. There are no income eligibility requirements for this program; it closes 180 days from the date of the governor’s proclamation. For information on the Disaster Case Advocacy Program, contact your local community action agency or visit iowacommunityaction.org.

For more information on disaster-related programs and resources available to Iowans, visit DisasterRecovery.iowa.gov. You can also find additional resources for preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery on the Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Department website, Homelandsecurity.iowa.gov. Both websites offer vital information for those affected by disasters, including guidance and assistance resources.

Teenager Interferes with Traffic Stop, Arrested on Warrants

By Yorke Prough · Wednesday, August 28th, 2024 at 11:23 am CDT

On August 26, 2024, at approximately 11:33p.m. Des Moines County Deputies stopped a vehicle for a registration violation at Harrison Ave. and Whittier St. During the traffic stop a Des Moines County K-9 unit conducted an open-air sniff around the vehicle. The K-9 alerted the odor of narcotics and a subsequent search of the vehicle was conducted.

Deputies located a nicotine vaping device in a backpack that had been between the legs of a back seat passenger. The back seat passenger advised he was 18 years of age but refused to identify himself to law enforcement. He was then placed under arrest for interference with official acts. He was placed into handcuffs and a search of his person was conducted. Deputies located a handgun in his waistband. He was then transported to the Des Moines County Correctional Center where he was charged with interference with official acts while armed with a firearm, a D felony.

The subject was eventually identified as O’Marree Darnell Wyldon, age 18, of North Liberty, IA. Deputies discovered Wyldon also had an arrest warrant out of Iowa City, IA for failure to appear for case management conference reference assault causing bodily injury or mental illness and assault on persons in certain occupations.

SCC Volleyball: Taryn Stephens Earns ICCAC Athlete of the Week

By Slaten Swords · Wednesday, August 28th, 2024 at 10:40 am CDT

West Burlington, IA- The Southeastern Community College volleyball team traveled east to Illinois to start the season with a weekend tournament consisting of six matches. At the end of the weekend, the Blackhawks sit at 3-3 and a Player of the Week honoree.

Freshman Taryn Stephens received ICCAC Athlete of the Week honors in DII volleyball after her work in the tournament. The Burlington Notre Dame alum is now a defensive specialist for the Blackhawks, and she played like a veteran.

Stephens finished the weekend with 114 digs, more than double anyone else on the team, and added eight service aces, which is second on the team. Overall, she provided nine points to the offense, while averaging 5.18 digs per set.

Stephens will look to continue her run at home this weekend with the Jimmy Johns Tournament with the first game on Friday, August 30th, at 2 pm against Allen County Community College.

One Dead After Fatal Crash in Keokuk

By Yorke Prough · Wednesday, August 28th, 2024 at 9:38 am CDT

There was a fatal car crash in Lee County early this morning according to a report from the Iowa State Patrol. Limited details have been released, but we do know that this accident occurred at 3511 Main Street in Keokuk just before 1:00am. The report states that the driver lost control of their vehicle and struck a utility pole. The report also states that they were not wearing their seatbelt. The name of the victim is currently being withheld.

**UPDATED as of 8/30/24 to remove incorrect information which was taken from a crash in Polk County, Iowa.

 

David and Lisa Oetken Welcomed into 4-H “Hall of Fame”

By Yorke Prough · Wednesday, August 28th, 2024 at 7:01 am CDT

The Iowa State Fair was a whopping success once again, with people flocking from all over to enjoy the music, animals, and anything fried in butter. One Henry County couple was recognized at the fair for their dedication and service to 4-H. David and Lisa Oetken have been committed to volunteering to 4-H and the Henry County Fair for years and were inducted into the 4-H hall of fame this year.

According to the Iowa 4H Foundation, Dave is known for his “patience and ability to inspire young minds to fulfill their full potential”. Meanwhile, Lisa has a “heart for her community and a willingness to go above and beyond”. Congratulations to Dave and Lisa, and make sure to share your thanks with them if you see them in public!

Wrong Way! Woman Arrested for OWI, Open Container, Driving on Wrong Side of Highway

By Yorke Prough · Wednesday, August 28th, 2024 at 6:58 am CDT

Late night drivers on Highway 218 may have noticed a strange sight on Monday, as many called to report a wrong-way driver. Reports stated that a vehicle was going southbound in the northbound lanes. The Henry County Sheriff’s Office responded just after 9:00pm and located the vehicle in the 1400-grid of Highway 218.

A traffic stop was performed, and the driver was identified as Jannette Vermeiere, 55 of Rock Island, Illinois. Unsurprisingly, it was determined that she was under the influence of alcohol. Vermeire was arrested for OWI, 1 Offense, Open Container, and Driving on Wrong Side of Two-Way Highway.  The Henry County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Iowa State Patrol.