Month: September 2024

*Update as of 9/18 morning*

Firefighters with the Mt. Pleasant Fire Department had a stressful and busy day on Tuesday, fighting multiple fires and responding to calls. A house in the 600 block of North Carol Avenue caught fire and upon arrival, firefighters observed heavy fire coming from the front and rear of the house. The fire was quickly contained in 15 minutes, as a two-man crew entered through the front while a deck gun was used to knock the fire down. In total, four trucks and 13 firefighters were on scene, as well as Mt. Pleasant Police and Henry County Health Center. There were no human injuries, but family pets were lost.

Before the call was wrapped up, two brush trucks and a tanker were sent to a brush fire. At the end of the evening, the department was called to Arby’s for a fire alarm around 11:00pm.

Continue reading “*UPDATE* No Danger at this time for Tuesday Afternoon Fire”

The Winfield-Mt.Union Homecoming King and Queen have been crowned. Congratulations to Cooper Buffington and Olivia Martinez. Also on the court are Pacey Schlee, Sofia Boschi, Josie Nelson, Rachel Tapia, and Summer Neubauer for the girls. The guys on the court are Kohlby Newsom, Sheaden Adams, Jake Edwards, and Sinjin Brown. The Junior Royalty are Henry Shinstock and Ceila Malone.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig commented on the Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. The report is released weekly April through November. Additionally, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship provides a weather summary each week during this time.

Secretary Naig. “National Farm Safety and Health Week is a timely reminder for all farmers and drivers to do our part to ensure a safe and productive harvest season for everyone in the field, around the farm and on the road. Given the stress and long hours of harvest as well as challenges in the ag economy, it’s also important for farmers and those involved in agriculture to prioritize their mental health and well-being.”

Iowa experienced hot and dry conditions this week. These conditions allowed Iowa farmers 6.7 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending September 15, 2024, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service.  Field activities included chopping corn silage and harvesting corn and soybeans.

Topsoil moisture condition rated 6 percent very short, 38 percent short, 55 percent adequate and 1 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture condition rated 6 percent very short, 32 percent short, 61 percent adequate and 1 percent surplus.

Corn in the dent stage or beyond reached 85 percent this week, 8 days behind last year and 2 days behind the five-year average. Corn mature reached 41 percent, 4 days behind last year but 2 days ahead of the average. Corn harvested for grain began this week at 2 percent. Corn condition was rated 77 percent good to excellent. Soybeans coloring or beyond reached 72 percent, 3 days behind last year but 2 days ahead of the five-year average. Soybean dropping leaves reached 31 percent, 3 days behind last year. The soybean harvest began this week at 1 percent. Soybean condition was 77 percent good to excellent.

The State’s third cutting of alfalfa hay reached 96 percent, 9 days behind last year but 1 week ahead of the five-year average. Pasture condition fell 11 percentage points to 52 percent good to excellent.

The weekly report is also available on the USDA’s website at nass.usda.gov.

On September 14, 2024, at approximately 1:19p.m. Des Moines County deputies attempted to stop a motorcycle for a registration violation at Oak St. and Ashmun St. The motorcycle failed to pull over and accelerated as deputies activated their emergency lights and sirens. Deputies pursued the motorcycle through the north side of Burlington.

The pursuit continued until the suspect pulled into a drive in the 1200 block of Washington St. and lost control of the motorcycle, laying it down. The suspect, identified as Littlewill Tucker Minton, 40, of Burlington, attempted to flee on foot and was shortly taken into custody. A check of his driving status showed he was revoked, and a registration check on the motorcycle revealed it was stolen out of Burlington in 2021.

A search of Minton was conducted, and law enforcement located multiple baggies of suspected crack cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana as well as a large sum of cash. Minton was transported to Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center to check on injuries he sustained during the pursuit. He was later transported to the Des Moines County Correctional Center and charged with fail to display registration plate, eluding 2nd or subsequent offense, driving while revoked, reckless driving, possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine, possession with intent to deliver crack cocaine, possession with intent to deliver marijuana, failure to affix a drug tax stamp, and theft 2nd.