Author: Allison Jacobs

On 10/24/24, at 12:53am, the Mount Pleasant Police Department attempted to conduct a traffic stop for a speed violation on a Red Nissan Pathfinder on Winfield Avenue. The vehicle briefly stopped then fled at a high rate of speed reaching 85MPH-110MPH East on 220^th Street failing to stop with visual lights and audible sirens. The vehicle went into a ditch then turned South onto Marsh Avenue.

The vehicle continued to flee then exited the roadway into a corn field at high rates of speed, hit an embankment causing the vehicle to go airborne and land in the field wrecking the vehicle. The driver, who was identified as 18 year old Demetrius Hendricksen, of Blairstown IA was taken into custody.

HCHC EMS was requested to the scene where Demetrius was transported by ambulance. Due to medical circumstances Demetrius was released pending charges being filed.

It was later discovered that the vehicle had been stolen.

Demetrius is being charged with several traffic violation citations, Eluding 25MPH over speed limit-D Felony, and potentially more charges to come.

An investigation is ongoing in regard to the vehicle.

The Henry County Sheriffs Office investigated the accident scene.

The Mount Pleasant Police Department was assisted by the Henry County Sheriffs Office, Breuers Towing Service, and Henry County Health Center Emergency Medical Services.

A criminal charge is merely an accusation and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

Anyone who sees suspicious activity is encouraged to contact the Mt Pleasant PD at 319 385-1450.

A Burlington man was sentenced yesterday, October 24th, to 151 months in federal prison for receiving and distributing child pornography.

According to public court documents, law enforcement received a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that Edward Allen Billheimer, 64, had uploaded files containing child sexual abuse material. Law enforcement located electronic devices at Billheimer’s Burlington residence and a search of those devices revealed approximately 100 videos and 400 images of child sexual abuse material, including content of toddlers and infants.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Billheimer will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Billheimer was also ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution. In addition, Billheimer will be required to register as a sex offender.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Burlington Police Department.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

Yesterday, October 23^rd, at approximately 8:04 am a male entered the lobby of the Burlington Police Department located at 201 Jefferson Street. The male was yelling and hitting the doors inside the lobby when he proceeded to pull the fire alarm. After pulling the fire alarm the male exited the building and fled the scene. The male was then later identified as Wayne Fordham and was taken into custody. Fordham was transported to the Des Moines County Jail and charged with disorderly conduct (a simple misdemeanor) and False Fire Report (also a simple misdemeanor).

A CRIMINAL CHARGE IS MERELY AN ACCUSATION AND THE DEFENDANT IS PRESUMED INOCENT UNTIL AND UNLESS PROVEN GUILTY.

On Saturday, October 19^th the Henry County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a motor vehicle accident at the BP fuel station in Olds, IA. The driver of the passenger car, Brett Metcalf of Burlington, was driving around the fuel pumps and at the same time the driver of a semi, Ronald Phillips of Wapello, was departing. The front passenger side of the car collided with the undercarriage of the semi’s trailer. Both vehicles sustained operable damage. No injuries were reported at the scene.

The first application cutoff for Iowa farmers and other private landowners to apply for conservation practices in Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 through USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) programs is Nov. 22.

NRCS accepts conservation program applications on a continuous basis but sets application cutoff dates as funding allows. Iowa agricultural producers and private landowners can apply for NRCS conservation program funding by visiting their local NRCS office. Iowa has 100 NRCS field offices, located at USDA Service Centers in every county.

The Nov. 22 application cutoff includes the following NRCS Farm Bill programs:

· Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)

· Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)

· Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP)

Last year, NRCS obligated a record $103 million to Iowans through CSP, EQIP and RCPP. Iowa NRCS State Conservationist Jon Hubbert believes FY25 will be another record year. “The demand for conservation funding in Iowa has never been greater,” said Hubbert. “From soil health to water quality to wildlife habitat, our staff are available to help with your resource conservation needs.”

A major reason for the increase in conservation funding is the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Signed into law in August 2022, the IRA is delivering unprecedented conservation funding to Iowa farmers. About 36 percent of Iowa NRCS conservation funding last year was through the IRA.

In addition to traditional program funding, the IRA adds targeted funding for climate-smart agricultural practices that benefit soil health, water quality, wildlife habitat, and treat other resource concerns. Examples include no-till farming, cover crops, conservation cover, crop

rotations, nutrient management, prescribed grazing, tree-shrub establishment, and windbreak-shelterbelt establishment/renovation.

More about NRCS conservation programs:

CSP Through CSP, NRCS helps agricultural producers build their operation while implementing conservation practices that help ensure its sustainability. The program provides many benefits including increased crop yields, decreased inputs, wildlife habitat improvements, and increased resilience to weather extremes. CSP is intended for working lands including cropland, pastureland, nonindustrial private forest land and agricultural land under the jurisdiction of a tribe.

EQIP

Through EQIP, NRCS offers planning and financial assistance to implement conservation practices such as no-till, cover crops, terraces, grassed waterways, nutrient management, manure management facilities, and pasture management.

The Nov. 22 application signup cutoff includes EQIP initiatives, such as the National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI), Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative (MRBI), Prairie Pothole Water Quality and Wildlife Program, Organic Initiative, High Tunnel Initiative, and On-Farm Energy Initiative.

RCPP Through RCPP, NRCS co-invests with partners to implement projects that demonstrate innovative solutions to conservation challenges and provide measurable improvements and outcomes tied to resource concerns.

For a complete list of Iowa RCPP projects, visit: nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/iowa/RCPP.

To apply for NRCS conservation programs, contact your local NRCS office.

You can find your local NRCS Office here: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/contact/find-a-service-center?state=19&county=087

Our Mount Pleasant NRCS office is located at 709 South Iris Mt Pleasant, IA 52641 and the phone number is (319) 385-2824.

For more information about conservation planning and programs to help treat natural resource issues on your land, visit www.nrcs.usda.gov/ia.

Do you have or know an amazing teacher that seamlessly incorporates Agriculture into their classrooms? To recognize and celebrate these exceptional teachers, the Iowa Agriculture Literacy Foundation offers its annual Excellence in Teaching About Agriculture Award.

This award is open to non-vocational pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade teachers across Iowa.

Applications are being accepted through November 17, 2024, and the winner will be selected and recognized in December. The selected Iowa teacher will receive $500 to support their classroom initiatives and up to $1,000 to cover expenses to attend the 2025 National Agriculture in the Classroom Conference to be held in Minneapolis, Minn. June 23 – 26, 2025.

Teachers can apply directly or be nominated by community members, colleagues, or agriculture advocates.

For more information or to apply online visit: https://www.iowaagliteracy.org/tools-resources/general/grants.