The Henry County Democrats recently unanimously passed a resolution in support of the “EMS-VOTE YES” campaign currently underway in Henry County. Attendees fully supported the modest increase in property taxes to make sure Henry County residents continue to have quick access to critical care.
Should this issue not receive the necessary percentage for passage, the sustainability of the local ambulance service could be at risk. As the only ambulance service in Henry County, residents would have to rely on the availability of ambulances in neighboring counties- delaying immediate critical care. This could potentially add 30-45 minutes in response time.
Residents are urged to vote early at the Conference Room (southeast corner- 2nd floor of the Henry County Courthouse) in late August or at their precinct polling site on September 10.
The Henry County Supervisors met in regular session this morning, Thursday July 25th at 9 am in the Henry County Courthouse. Jake Hotchkiss the Henry County Engineer started the meeting with his weekly update. Two permits for fiber have been approved, the first starting at Franklin Avenue ending at Old Highway 34 and the second on W55 from Old Highway 34 to 245th street. Henry County Engineer Hotchkiss also updated crews continue roadway painting, are on their second round of mowing shoulders on gravel roads, along with dura patching and hauling rock to resurface in various locations around the county. Franklin Avenue (W-55) is still closed from 275th Street North to 260th street. Work is continuing with the hope to have pavement completed this fall depending on weather. There will also be a preconstruction meeting next week to discuss the Nebraska Avenue bridge replacement, this project may begin as early as this August.
During the public comment section, a concerned Henry County resident commented that they had submitted a formal complaint against the Henry County Attorney to the Attorney General of Iowa. The resident asked the supervisors to support him in his complaint. Henry County Supervisor Marc Lindeen responded that this section of the meeting is open for public comments and to not be voted upon.
Cathy L. Wellington, 65, of Mt. Pleasant, died Sunday, July 21, 2024 at her residence.
Cathy Lynn Wellington was born March 1, 1959 in Mt. Pleasant. She was the daughter of Darrell and Kathrine (Singsheim) Wellington. She was a member of the Mt. Pleasant Community High School Class of 1977. Cathy was united in marriage to Wayne Woline. The couple later divorced.
Early in her working career, Cathy worked at Pizza Hut and the former Mustang Market. Cathy worked at the long term care unit at the Henry County Health Center, where she enjoyed taking care of the residents as a nurse’s aide. For many years, Cathy was employed on the production line of the former Motorola and Celestica Corporations. After her employment at Celestica, Cathy enrolled at Southeastern Community College and earned an associate’s degree in Horticulture.
Cathy loved to raise flower and vegetable gardens. She enjoyed antiquing and had a unique talent to repurpose antique items, especially to decorate her home. She loved her family deeply, and enjoyed making holiday meals for them. She also loved to making family recipes for her children. At home, Cathy was very fond of spending time with her beloved pet cat, Frannie.
Those thankful for sharing in Cathy’s life include her 4 children – Ryan (Christina) Woline of Washington, Brandon (Josh DeWeese) Woline of Cedar Rapids, Tristan (Dana) Wellington of Mt. Pleasant and Nakayla Wellington of Mt. Pleasant; her siblings – Peggy Wellington of Ottumwa, Danny (Gina) Thompson of Corydon, IA, Brenda (Tom Kracht) Thompson of Moravia, IA and Tony Thompson of Batavia, IA, and 4 grandchildren – Paige Woline, Evan Woline, Enola Wellington and Freya Wellington, and her cat, Frannie.
Her parents and two sisters – Vickie Wellington and Debbie Allender – precede Cathy in death.
A funeral service for Cathy will be held at 10:30 AM on Thursday, July 25 at the Kimzey Funeral Home, 213 North Main Street in Mt. Pleasant. The Reverend Mark Youngquist, Pastor, Swedesburg Evangelical Lutheran Church, will officiate Burial will be in the Forest Home Cemetery, Mt. Pleasant. Friends may call from 12 Noon to 7 PM on Wednesday, July 24 at the funeral home. The family will be present to receive friends from 5-7 PM.
Those considering an expression of sympathy may direct memorials to the Paws and More Animal Shelter.
Bonny Kay Story, 71, of Frankewing, Tennessee, formerly of Mt. Pleasant, died Sunday, July 14, 2024. She was born September 12, 1952 in Mason City, Iowa to William “Bill” Roland and Martha Jean Baker Butterfield.
She married Gary R. Davis; they later divorced. She then married Dodds “Chip” Charleston; he preceded her in death. On February 14, 2009 she wed Dennis Clark Story at United Methodist Church in Mt. Pleasant.
She attended school in Mason City and was a graduate of Danville High School. Bonny had an inquisitive mind and love of learning obtaining several degrees from Iowa Wesleyan College. Bonny worked in various human resources positions, eventually retiring from Iowa Wesleyan College. Upon retirement, Bonny and Dennis moved to The Story Farm in Frankewing, Tennessee. Together, they accomplished their dream by turning their land into a successful cattle farm known as “Reveille Farm” and raised and sold high quality, Pure Bred Black Angus cattle until 2023.
Kind hearted by fault, she had a deep love for animals, especially her dog, Mollie. Bonny was a lover of nature and found beauty everywhere she went. She enjoyed hiking on their farm, especially with Dennis, her grandchildren, and Mollie. She always had her eyes open for unique rocks, feathers and other interesting items that caught her attention. This is something that has been passed down to her grandson AJ. Bonny was skilled and talented in sewing, crafting, gardening, and known as an exceptional cook. A gifted seamstress with a flare for crafting, their home would be decorated beautifully, especially for the holidays. She had an exquisite green thumb as she and Dennis created beautiful flower gardens throughout their farm. During holidays and family gatherings Bonny would be found in the kitchen, cooking everyone’s favorite homemade dishes and desserts. A selfless individual to a fault, she had a warmhearted way about her; family meant everything to her.
Bonny is survived by her daughters Ann (Tony) Durr, Amelia (Terry) Strickland, Carol (Greg) Morris, and Susan Story; father William “Bill” Butterfield; brother Monte “Bud” Butterfield; sister Kim (Mike) Pepping; grandchildren, Jonathan (Wendy) Newman, Stacey (J.C.) Strickland, Josh Smith, Brandon Morris, Bailey (Kalei) Morris, Zachary Story, Bryce (Cloe) Story, and Kalayna, AJ and Layney Durr; great-grandchildren, Peyton Halstead, Makayla Newman, Kayne Halstead, Grace Newman, Ryker Story and Ansley Story; and a number of nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband Dennis of fourteen years; her mother; son John Davis; brother Bill Butterfield and his wife Jan; sister Tammy Eagen and (Howard “Chewy” Degen); sister Brenda in infancy; and nephew Jacob Eagen.
According to her wishes, her body has been cremated and a Celebration of Life for family and friends will be held the afternoon of September 14th at the Oakland Mills Nature Center Cabins. A private family celebration will be held October 12th in Frankewing, Tennessee at The Reveille Farm. In lieu of flowers, memorials have been established for Oakland Mills Nature Center and Healthy Paws Veterinary Care. Elliott Chapel, New London, is assisting the family with arrangements and online condolences may be left at www.elliottfuneralchapel.com.
Larry Eugene Breitenstein, 85, of Farmington, Iowa passed away at 5:00 p.m. Sunday, July 21, 2024 at his home.
Born on July 2, 1939 in Farmington, Iowa, the son of Walter Virgil and Sara Katherine (Miner) Breitensten. On December 22, 1963, he married Ginger E. Gantz at the Union Presbyterian Church in Fort Madison, Iowa, she preceded him in death on December 4, 2021.
Survivors include his two daughters: Shawn (Ken) Perkins of Bonaparte, Iowa and Rhonda Jordan of Donnellson, Iowa; one son Darin (Casey) Breitenstein of Farmington, Iowa; grandchildren: Brittany (Matthew) McClure, Billy Perkins, Spencer (Morgan) Breitenstein, Richard (Stephanie) Jordan, Kaitlin Jordan, Adrian Breitenstein, and Sara Breitenstein; great grandchildren: Landen Jones, Logan, Cameron, Weston McClure, Xander, Ryder, Lane, Sailor, Laremee Breitenstein, Liam and Lakeson; and two sisters: Sue Spanier and Edith Schaffer. Also surviving are several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; wife Ginger; son-in-law Bill Jordan; sisters: Virgil Kerr and Betty Mead; brothers: Glenn, Jack, Harold, and Charles Breitenstein.
Larry worked at Santa Fe Railroad for over forty years. He was a United States Navy Veteran. Larry was a past member of the Farmington Rod and Gun Club and an active member of the Farmington American Legion.
He loved his family and being on his sesquicentennial family farm. Larry was a great father and grandfather.
A visitation will be held from 12:00 noon to 7:00 p.m. Thursday, July 25, 2024 at Schmitz Funeral Home in Farmington, where the family will receive friends from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
A Funeral Service will be held at 10:00 a.m. Friday, July 26, 2024 at Farmington United Methodist Church with Pastor Jared Meyers officiating.
Burial will be in Acklam Cemetery near Primrose, Iowa with full military rites by the Farmington American Legion
A memorial has been established in his memory for Farmington American Legion or Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center Home Health and Hospice.
On-line condolences may be made to the family at www.schmitzfuneralhomes.com. Schmitz Funeral Home of Farmington is assisting the family with arrangements.
Kathleen M. Mathews, 96, of New London and formerly of Denver, Colorado, died Friday, March 29, 2024 at the Morning Sun Care Center.
Kathleen was born January 6, 1928 in Danville, she was the daughter of Fred D. and Bertha F. Parrott Mathews. She was a 1946 graduate of Danville High School Danville and attended the Congregational Church of Danville. Kathleen was a legal secretary for Caddes Law Firm in Denver for almost 50 years. She enjoyed reading, walking, and loved to travel.
Kathleen is survived by her nieces and nephews: Pat (J.D.) Stucker and Tom (Becky) Wagner of Danville; John (Bev) Wagner of Amana; and Mike Mathews, Norm (Susie) Mathews, and Judy (Charlie) Webb, all of Arizona. She was preceded in death by her parents; brothers Ralph, Wayne, and Wendell Mathews; sister Cyrene Wagner; nephews Donald and Fred Mathews; and her stepmother Isabelle Mathews.
A graveside service will be held at 4:00 pm, August 6, 2024 at Jaggar Cemetery, rural Danville with Steve Parker officiating. Memorials have been established to the Danville Museum and the Danville Congregational Church.
Elliott Chapel, New London is assisting the family with arrangements and online condolences my be left a www.elliottfuneralchapel.com
Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) are collaborating on a series of cover crop fact sheets for Iowa farmers interested in adopting the practice or trying new cover crops to achieve specific goals on their operation.
Thousands of Iowa farmers plant cover crops annually to help reduce soil erosion, increase soil organic matter, suppress weeds, minimize soil compaction, scavenge excess nutrients, or provide supplemental livestock grazing. A large percentage of Iowa farmers use cereal rye, oats, wheat, radishes and turnips. However, there are many other cover crop options available.
The collection of fact sheets includes legumes like hairy vetch and cowpeas, broadleaves like flax and buckwheat, grasses such as millets and triticale, and brassicas like camelina and rapeseed.
“We feel these fact sheets are a good introduction to cover crops for producers who haven’t tried them yet,” said Mark Licht, associate professor and cropping systems specialist with ISU Extension and Outreach. “There are also species that a more seasoned cover crop user might be interested in learning more about.”
More than 25 fact sheets are currently available on the Iowa NRCS website, with 33 fact sheets by the end of August and the potential to add additional species as interest develops. Each fact sheet includes sections on: Identifying Features, Cultural Traits, Planting Information, Performance Ratings, and pictures that highlight various features and growth patterns.
“The collaboration between ISU Extension and Outreach and NRCS on the fact sheets is important,” said Iowa NRCS State Soil Health Specialist Hillary Olson. “We are on the same page in the belief that all Iowa crop producers can find a way to make cover crops work on their farms. We feel these fact sheets will be a valuable learning tool for producers.”
For more information about conservation programs and practices to help you treat natural resource concerns on your farm, visit www.nrcs.usda.gov/ia. To connect with ISU Extension and Outreach, visit www.extension.iastate.edu/.
