Vince Mahoney, 93, of Mount Pleasant, died Saturday, October 25, 2025, at Silver Palms.
Vincent David Mahoney was born on December 22, 1931, in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Vincent Patrick and Hannah (Flynn) Mahoney. Vince grew up in Carlin, Nevada, following his graduation from high school, he received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Nevada. He received a Foundation of Science grant to attend Michigan State University, where he earned a master’s degree in science. Some may call it fate that he met his future wife Betty, who had also received the same grant. He was called to serve his country during the Korean War in the Army Signal Corps from 1954-1956. Vince returned to earn a PhD in English from the University of California, Berkeley.
On June 22, 1963, Vince was united in marriage to Betty Bollin in Carthage, Illinois. The couple moved to Mount Pleasant in 1969. Vince attended the University of Iowa to earn a PhD in American Literature, and a minor in Physics. For the next 35 years Vince was a dedicated professor at Iowa Wesleyan University, finishing his career after 13 years as the Education Department Head in 1996. Vince would say his biggest accomplishment was training over 300 grade school teachers, and watching them become great educators.
Betty and Vince took pride in helping to take care of the Pleasant Lawn One Room Schoolhouse at Old Threshers. During the reunion they enjoyed hosting spelling bees and teaching children about what it would have been like to attend school there. Vince loved to read science and physics books and filled the margins with notes and corrections he felt should be made.
Vince was a member of the National Association of Teachers of Science, National Council of Teachers of Math, and Retired Teachers Organization. Additionally, Vince was a Master Gardener. Vince was a member of the Mount Pleasant Kiwanis Club since 1961, where he served as club secretary for 36 years, club president, and Lieutenant Governor of Division 18. Vince was a faithful member of St. Alphonsus Catholic Church.
Vince is survived by a brother Patrick (Gail) Mahoney; brothers-in-law Ed (Dixie) Bollin, Harry (Melody) Bollin; sister-in-law Emily Eckhardt; nieces and nephews Kevin Mahoney, Kathleen Logue, Michael Mahoney, Jeanine Mahoney, Randy (Chris) Eckhardt, Jeff (Dawn) Eckhardt, Marcie (Brian) Gaylord, Kayla (Willie) Carnes, Scott Bollin, Wayne (Lori) Bollin, Grant (Shani) Bollin; and many great nieces and nephews.
Vince was preceded in death by his parents, wife Betty, brother and sister-in-law David and Doris Mahoney, brother-in-law Dale Eckhardt, sister-in-law Janet Bollin and niece Michelle Mahoney.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held 10:30 a.m. Thursday, October 30, 2025, at St. Alphonsus Catholic Church. Rev. Ross Epping will celebrate the Mass. Military Rites will be conducted by the Henry County Honor Guard. Burial will be in the Durham Cemetery in Durham, Illinois, at a later date. Visitation will be 1:00 – 7:00 p.m. Wednesday, October 29, at the Olson-Yoder Funeral Home & Crematory. A prayer service will begin at 4:30 p.m. and the family will be present to greet friends following until 7:00 p.m. Memorial contributions may be directed to St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, and Midwest Old Threshers for the Pleasant Lawn School. The Olson-Yoder Funeral Home & Crematory is caring for Vince and his family. Condolences may be made at www.olsonyoderfh.com
Haven Ann Nichting, born September 29, 2025. Passed away at the University of Iowa Hospital, October 24, 2025. She lived three amazing weeks filled with love, family and friends.
She was the beloved daughter of Kolby and Danelle Nichting and little sister to Vera Nichting. From the moment she was born to the moment she passed away in mom’s arms she knew nothing but love.
She showed everyone her strength and perseverance. She was quickly named Goldy Locks in the hospital because everything had to be perfect and if she didn’t like it she would let you know. She fought the hard fight and gave us time to spend with her.
Haven is survived by her parents Kolby and Danelle Nichting, and older sister Vera Nichting. Grandparents, Steve and Cindy Nichting, Ivy Mcdowell (Percy Ware), and Scott Morris (Jaclyn Renee). Great Grandparents Robert and Elizabeth Wollam, David and Lisa McDowell and Tammy Pichardo. Aunts and Uncles, Teresa Morris (Ben Pezley), Kelli and Brandon Corbin, Kevin and Shelby Nichting, Jennifer Wollam (Matthew Klocke), Kelli and Kyle Penfield, Michelle and Daryn Parker, Stephanie and Josh Vantrump, Jacque McDowell and Tabitha Calderon. Cousins: Kinnley, Greyson, and Emberly Nichting. Steven, Oliver, AnnElaine(Ellie) Zachmeyer. Mayson, Aybel, Brandon, and Brooklynn Corbin. Kirsten and AJ Jeberg. Jacey and Jackson Fett. Kylee, Kynlee, and Kayden Penfield. Dayne and Dawysn Parker. Addyson Frakes. Cearsen, Draven, and Behern Vantrump. Alyssa Sosa. Haven is also survived by many great aunts, great uncles, and extended cousins. She was preceded in death by Great Grandma Nancy Prevett.
Public visitation will be held from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, October 28, 2025, at the Olson-Yoder Funeral Home and Crematory. A private funeral service will be held. A general memorial fund has been established. The Olson-Yoder Funeral Home and Crematory is caring for Haven and her family. www.olsonyoderfh.com
Prep Football- The 2025 regular season is officially in the books and each class has been whittled down to 16 teams left fighting for a chance to lift the coveted Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) state championship. Here’s our local team’s matchups.
All matchups are slated for Friday, October 31st, at 7 pm.
Eight-Player
Iowa Valley kept their undefeated season alive without expending much energy, smearing Moravia to a 64-0 final—it was 35-0 at the end of the first half. Nolan Kriegel slashed the Mohawk defense for 145 rushing yards and five total touchdowns.
The Tigers will attempt to avoid being ousted from the round of 16 for the fourth consecutive year when they host Janesville. The Wildcats avenged a one-possession loss against Riceville earlier in the season with a 44-34 victory in round one.
This matchup is confined to Pod D with the winner taking on the winner between (7-2) Montezuma and (9-0) Audubon.
Class A
In Pod B, Pekin is on the heels of their 2014 season that saw the Panthers finish the season 11-1, as they are still undefeated through nine weeks. Much like 2014 and even last year for that matter, Pekin will be hosting North Linn.
The Panthers are 2-0 against the Lynx in those two playoff games, winning 62-13 back in 2014 and a narrow 28-20 victory last season as Will Adam totaled 192 yards and two touchdowns. That experience has been flipped to the Lynx side this season, but Nolan Glick has been nearly unstoppable with 1,368 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns along with a pick-six.
Pekin beat Earlham 42-7 in round one, while North Linn pounded Columbus 59-14. The winner will advance to play eight (7-2) West Fork or (9-0) Saint Ansgar.
Class 2A
Nothing like a district matchup to spice things up in postseason, as Mediapolis will venture north to Wellman to face off against Mid-Prairie for the second time this season. In the first showdown, the Golden Hawks flew away with a decisive 62-21 final.
The most impressive part of that performance was the lack of offense needed for Mid-Prairie. The defense force five takeaways and scored two touchdowns of their own, while their special teams returned an 80-yard kick for a touchdown.
The connection between Quincy King and Gannon Gunn has been deadly as they pair have combined for 592 yards and four touchdowns. Additionally, Parker Holsteen has found his stride, gaining 900 yards and scoring 16 touchdowns on the ground. The problem? 16 interceptions.
King had a nice game against Centerville to pull off the 28-13 upset with 171 yards and two passing touchdowns with only one interception. Additionally, the defense came ready to play with three takeaways on their own and nine tackles for loss.
It took Mid-Prairie some time, but the Golden Hawks finally took flight in the second half, outscoring North Fayette Valley 21 to 6 in the second half to win 34-19. Overall, the Golden Hawks own an 8-5 record over Mediapolis since 2008, having won four of the last six.
The duo was place in Pod C and will play either (7-2) Van Meter or (7-2) Roland Story in the quarterfinals.
Class 3A
It has been 15 years, but Mt. Pleasant is back in the playoffs for the 18th time in their program’s history after executing their second double-digit second-half comeback in their last three weeks, taking down Fairfield 25-22 after trailing by 16 at the half. Panther head coach John Bowlin knows how much the win means for the community,
“Absolutely, just super happy with how much these guys work and how much they want it. You know, so, when they work as hard as they do, that makes you want it more and they show up every day ready to go. And now we got a new season to play and that’s just super exciting for, you know, not just them, the staff as well, just the hard work put in paying off. And, you know, we got great support all year. So, let’s keep it going.”
(Picture taken by MPTV-CloseUp)
The Panthers will have to keep it rolling against West Delaware, who was the consensus #1 team in Class 3A last week before losing to Clear Lake in their district championship. Its not the first time this pair has met in the postseason, in fact, its not even the second time.
The duo met in back-to-back years, 1993 and 1994, and engaged in two hotly contested games with West Delaware winning 24-19 in 1993 in the semifinals, while the Panthers won in the quarterfinals in 1994 27-21 in overtime, which at the time was just the 33rd postseason game to go into overtime.
The Panther defense will be tested again, this time against the #2 rushing team in Class 3A. Add in a defensive unit that has held their opponents to just 13.9 points per game and the Panthers will have their hands full on Friday night. KILJ105.5 FM, kilj.com, will be on the call with the pregame show at 6:45 pm.
Pod C will be awfully competitive with a district matchup pinning last year’s champion, Wahlert Catholic, against Central DeWitt, who boats one of the best quarterbacks in the state in Hudson Krukow. The Golden Eagles won their regular season match 17-12.
Mt. Pleasant fell to Central DeWitt 49-27, while West Delaware defeated Wahlert Catholic 27-20 back in week four.
More Information
For a full look at the round of 16 matchups for all five classes, follow this link: Round of 16 Matchups
“Operation Front Porch” has officially launched in Mt. Pleasant and is dedicated to supporting the families of our deployed soldiers by fostering a community of care, connection, and encouragement.
Everyone is invited to an organizational meeting scheduled for November 5th, from 6p-8pm at the Mount Pleasant Veterans Hall, 300 W. Monroe Street. This gathering is to begin to build a database of people that are interested in helping support the community’s miliary families if/when needed. Name, contact information and what areas you would be willing to help is all it takes to help support these very important families. If you are unable to attend the meeting, or if you have questions, please email: forthetroops67@gmail.com or call Angie Walderbach at 319-931-7434. Their Facebook page can be found at “Operation Front Porch”.
We are one week away from darkness falling earlier in the evening as daylight savings time ends. Next weekend, on Sunday, November 2nd, clocks are set back 1 hour (“fall back”), at 2am, gaining an hour.
Daylight Saving Time begins on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November. To remember which way to set their clocks, folks often use the expression “spring forward, fall back.”
Daylight saving time was first established in the U.S. by Congress after the Calder Act, or the Standard Time Act of 1918, was passed more than 100 years ago and was more recently amended with the Energy Policy Act of 2005.
High School Football
In a battle for a playoff spot, Mt. Pleasant and Fairfield added another classic to their series history when the Panthers marched back from 16 down at the half to comeback and beat the Trojans last night 25-22. The Trojans rushed for nearly 200 yards in the first half as Zandrik Allison tabbed two touchdowns and Ethan Bisgard gashed the Panther defense for a 64-yard touchdown run to make 22 to 6 at halftime. Panther head coach John Bowlin discussed what was said during the break,
“Yeah, we got a lot of kids that got a lot of heart, a lot of fighting. We talked to them at halftime about just how much we had it there in the first half on offense. We just obviously, you know, turned the ball over, made some mistakes with some penalties and couldn’t get it going there and they were running the heck out of the ball on us. We had to change our defense at halftime a little bit. Obviously that helped a ton for us, the d-line came through big time in the second half. But all these guys just kept fighting. They believe in themselves, and you know, they knew it was a stake. And, well, what a battle between them both teams.”
The second half saw Ramzy Davis plunge into the endzone for the second time of the night, as he finished with 111 rushing yards, while Griffen Jones had his own runaway 68-yard touchdown run and his first career game breaking the century mark for yards. What later turned out to be the game winning touchdown was a 10-yard strike from Grayson Walker to Brody Clark. Yet, it was the defense that sealed the deal as Max Sloat grabbed two sacks to end the game. The Panthers are now 7-2 and heading to the playoffs for the first time since 2010, coach Bowlin knows how special of a moment this was for the community,
“Absolutely, just super happy with how much these guys work and how much they want it. You know, so, when they work as hard as they do, that makes you want it more and they show up every day ready to go. And now we got a new season to play and that’s just super exciting for, you know, not just them, the staff as well, just the hard work put in paying off. And, you know, we got great support all year. So, let’s keep it going.”
Playoffs start on Friday, October 31st, and KILJ will be on the call.
Washington put up 14 unanswered points in the second half to beat Keokuk last night 21-20. The Demons finished the season with a 5-4 record, while the Chiefs took home a 3-6 record.
Postseason Football
Mediapolis pulled off the road upset against Centerville last night 28-13. The Bulldogs advance to the next round of the postseason.
#3 Mid-Prairie moved on to the next round of the postseason after outscoring North Fayette Valley 21 to 6 in the second half to fly away with the 34-19 victory.
WACO was knocked out by Edgewood-Colesburg last night 58-7. The Warriors ended the season with a 3-6 record.
#4 Iowa Valley advanced to the second round of the postseason after dismantling Moravia last night 64-0.
Danville was eliminated from the playoffs by Maquoketa Valley last night, 43-0. The Bears collected a 6-3 record for the season.
Wapello was shutout by Lynnville-Sully last night 42-0. Wapello finished the season with a 5-4 record.
Columbus turned in a 3-6 season after falling to North Linn last night 59-14.
Pekin demolished Earlham last night 42-7 to keep their undefeated season alive for another week. Nolan Glick rushed for 145 yards and four touchdowns in the winning effort.
Postseason Volleyball
In Class 1A Region 2, #4 Holy Trinity Catholic will face off against Wapello in a rematch of last year’s semifinals on Monday, October 27th, at 7 pm. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will be on the call with the pregame show at 6:45 pm.
In Class 2A Region 8, West Burlington will make the trip to Regina Catholic on Monday at 7 pm.
High School Cross Country
The state meets for Classes 2A and 3A are scheduled for Friday, October 31st, while Class 1A will run on Saturday, November 1st, at Fort Dodge.
For a full breakdown of who will be running at state, follow the links:
Southeastern Community College
The volleyball team fell to Madison College yesterday in four sets. The Blackhawks will look to rebound today against Elgin Community College today to continue the Madison College Tournament.
College Football
Iowa will compete at home against Minnesota for the Floyd of Rosedale today at 2:30 pm. KILJ 105.5 FM will be on the call.
Iowa State is back in action today as they look to upset #11 BYU at home at 2:30 pm. KILJ 98.5 FM and AM 1130 will be on the call.
This Day in Sports History
1905 – First College Football Crab Bowl Classic: Navy beats Maryland 17-0 in Annapolis.
1964 – “The Wrong Way Run,” Viking Jim Marshall runs 66 yards in the wrong direction for a safety (NFL’s #1 blooper).
1981 – New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner scuffles with two fans in a hotel elevator.
Henry County has six food pantries; they are ready and willing to help if there is a need. The pantries service many of the communities in the KILJ listening area:
Community Action and The Fellowship Cup in Mt. Pleasant, The Tiger Food Pantry in New London, The WACO Community Food Pantry in Crawfordsville, the Wayland Food Pantry in Wayland, and the Winfield Food Pantry in Winfield.
Please consider donating items such as instant rice, instant oatmeal, instant potatoes, tortillas, and packaged meals like macaroni and cheese. Canned food items (with pop-top lids), fresh or frozen meat, and treats for children. Fresh produce is always welcome.
Personal care items are also needed (shampoo, toothpaste/brushes, body wash, deodorant, dish soap, razors, laundry items.)
Community Action of Southeast Iowa
1303 W. Washington St., Mt. Pleasant
319-385-2310
Monday-Friday 8:30am-4:30pm
The Fellowship Cup
203 N. Jefferson St., Mt. Pleasant
319-385-3242
Thursdays 10am-4pm
Delivery to Hillsboro and Salem available
Tiger Food Pantry
106 W. Wilson St., New London
319-367-0512
Thursdays 3:30-6pm, Saturdays 9-11am
WACO Community Food Pantry
United Church of Crawfordsville
105 N. Chestnut St., Crawfordsville
319-461-0532
1st & 3rd Thursdays 2-3:30 for age 60+ or those
needing help, ALL other shoppers 3:30-5:30pm
Wayland Food Pantry
Wayland Mennonite Church
104 W. 2nd St., Wayland
319-591-0961
2nd & 4th Thursdays 4-6pm
MOPS-Winfield Food Pantry
Winfield Methodist Church (current)
Summer 2023 moving to: 107 E. Elm St.
319-217-2655
Wednesdays 12-5pm
