Author: Hayden Douglas

On Friday, September 5, 2025, Burlington Police responded to reports of gunfire in the 900 block of Iowa Street. Officers arrived on scene at approximately 6:29 p.m. and discovered multiple shell casings in the roadway as well as damage to a house that had been struck by bullets. No injuries were reported.

Detectives from the department’s Criminal Investigation Division assisted with the case, interviewing witnesses, gathering evidence, and reviewing surveillance footage from the area. Through the investigation, police identified 31-year-old Darius Smallwood of Mount Pleasant as a suspect.

Officers later located Smallwood and transported him to the Burlington Police Department for questioning. He was subsequently taken to the Des Moines County Jail, where he was booked on a charge of Intimidation with a Dangerous Weapon, a Class C felony.

Police emphasize that a criminal charge is only an accusation and that Smallwood is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.

WACO High School has announced its 2025 Homecoming Court, as voted on by students this morning. Selected members are (L-R): Nick West, Morgan Leichty, Niles Reichenbach, Aliyah Graber, Raefe Davison, and Morgan Meyer.

The student body will cast another round of votes next Wednesday, with the king and queen set to be crowned during Boom Night festivities.

Homecoming week is packed with events, starting with volleyball at home Thursday evening, with the freshman/sophomore team playing at 5:30 p.m. and varsity at 7:30 p.m.

Boom Night kicks off at 7 p.m. Wednesday, featuring a pep rally, the always-popular “Evolution of Dance,” coronation, Boom Boom volleyball, and Powder Puff football.

School will be in session all day Friday, leading up to the big football game against HLV/TC at 7 p.m. The week concludes with the Homecoming Dance on Saturday, beginning at 8:30 p.m.

The Mount Pleasant Community School District finance committee met this week to review August expenditures, payroll transitions, and preliminary enrollment numbers.

Expenditures and Facilities
Bills included routine maintenance and equipment purchases, as well as repair of a collapsed storm drain at the high school. The district also continues renting Cottrell Gymnasium and the Heatilator Center from the City of Mount Pleasant for practices and performances. Preparations are underway for moving technology and equipment into the new RTM building by the end of September.

Payroll Transition
Consultant Shauna Brown, a former West Burlington School Business Official, has been assisting with payroll while updating processes to reduce manual work. The district will decide later whether to continue outsourcing payroll, hire staff, or share services with another district.

Budget and State Funding
Preliminary numbers show revenues and expenses for fiscal year 2025 mostly on target, though late-arriving state payments may adjust totals. The general fund balance dipped, which administrators tied to staffing costs previously covered by federal funds. The district’s Instructional Support Levy is secured through 2031, expected to generate $1 million annually, and SAVE sales tax revenues are projected near $2.4 million for fiscal year 2026.

Enrollment
Early figures show 78 preschool students and 123 in kindergarten, with elementary enrollment totaling 651 in town and 88 in Salem. Superintendent John Henriksen noted that upper elementary grades now enroll nearly as many students as the entire middle school, underscoring the need to review future staffing and support.

Final certified enrollment will be reported in October.

Burlington, Iowa — Detectives with the Burlington Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division arrested a Burlington man earlier this week following a months-long investigation into child pornography.

The department received a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Detectives identified 43-year-old Carl Shirts II of Burlington as a suspect. After executing search warrants and gathering evidence, investigators obtained arrest warrants for Shirts.

On September 4, 2025, at approximately 7:30 a.m., Shirts was taken into custody and charged in Des Moines County with 56 counts of Child Pornography—Purchase/Possess Depiction of a Minor in Sex Acts, a Class D felony, and one count of Invasion of Privacy, an aggravated misdemeanor.

Shirts was transported to the Des Moines County Jail, where he was booked and is being held on bond.

Authorities emphasize that a criminal charge is only an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The Mount Pleasant Ordinance Committee will meet on Tuesday, September 9, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. in the City Administrators’ Conference Room at City Hall.

The committee is set to review several city code issues, including regulations regarding amplified sound under Chapter 14-69. Noise concerns have been a recurring topic for both residents and businesses, and the discussion may include potential updates or clarifications to the existing ordinance.

In addition, the committee will address ongoing nuisance complaints within the city. This portion of the meeting will focus on problem properties or situations that have generated repeated concerns from citizens.

Another major topic on the agenda is discussion of the city’s loitering and panhandling ordinance. The committee is expected to consider whether adjustments are needed to current policies, balancing public safety, community concerns, and legal requirements.

The meeting will also include an open forum, giving attendees an opportunity to voice questions or comments before adjournment.

A motorcycle and car accident occurred Thursday afternoon on Highway 34 eastbound, just east of U.S. Highway 218, according to Iowa State Patrol Website.

Emergency crews from the Mount Pleasant Police Department, Henry County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa State Patrol, and local first responders arrived on scene around 3:00 p.m. Crews remained at the site for several hours, working well past 4:00 p.m.

Chief Murray confirmed the incident but said the Iowa State Patrol is leading the investigation. “I can confirm there was a motorcycle car accident east of 218 on Highway 34 eastbound. The State Patrol is handling the accident investigation, so that’s all I got for right now unfortunately,” he stated.

According to a minimal crash report from the Iowa State Patrol, the crash occurred at approximately 3:00 p.m. at the intersection of U.S. 218 and U.S. 34 in Mount Pleasant.

The report states that a 2025 Harley-Davidson motorcycle, operated by 67-year-old Jackie Lewis Bilotta of Bellefontaine, Mississippi, was stopped at a stop sign on the northbound U.S. 218 off-ramp. Bilotta attempted to make a left-hand turn onto westbound Highway 34 and was struck by an eastbound 2003 Oldsmobile Alero, driven by 30-year-old Tanner J. Waterhouse of Brighton, Iowa.

Bilotta was injured in the crash and transported by Mount Pleasant emergency crews to the hospital. His motorcycle was towed from the scene by Breuer’s Towing.

Waterhouse’s vehicle was also towed. The report additionally states that Waterhouse did not have a valid driver’s license.

The crash remains under investigation by the Iowa State Patrol.

The Mount Pleasant Community School District’s site committee met this week ahead of the upcoming board meeting, with much of the discussion centered on a proposed addition to the high school’s agricultural education program.

Agriculture teacher and FFA advisor Ethan Faeth, joined by student officers Caden Mullen and Kyle Campbell, presented details on a planned 24-by-48-foot greenhouse. The structure would provide year-round, hands-on learning opportunities for students, particularly those who do not have access to traditional farm projects required for FFA’s Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) programs.

Faeth explained that the greenhouse would feature modern irrigation, ventilation, and temperature control systems, allowing students to conduct experiments, grow flowers for fundraisers, and even support school community efforts such as providing plants for bereavement gifts. “This would give students who don’t live on a farm the chance to pursue their SAE projects right here at school,” Faeth told the committee.

The project is estimated at about $102,000, including construction, site preparation, and a concrete slab. Funding would draw in part from a $229,000 career and technical education grant awarded by Continental just before the pandemic. The greenhouse would be located on the east side of the high school, near the existing FFA garden, with water and power already accessible at the site.

If approved by the school board on Monday, the district would move forward with site preparation, state approval, and ordering the greenhouse structure.

Also during the meeting, Faeth outlined plans for the annual FFA trip to the National Convention in Indianapolis, set for October 28 through November 1. Fourteen students are expected to attend, gaining opportunities to network with peers from across the country, explore career paths, and tour agricultural facilities.

The committee also heard updates on broader district facility planning. Superintendent John Henriksen reported that Dr. Steve Murley will lead a facilities master planning process beginning in October, with six community meetings scheduled to gather input. The goal is to deliver a final report to the board by January.

Discussion then turned to the P.E.O. Memorial Building, with steps moving forward on hazardous materials testing and eventual demolition. Early estimates place abatement and demolition costs at up to $500,000, depending on the presence of asbestos in the roof materials. Work could begin in November and conclude by the end of the year.

The school board is expected to vote on the greenhouse proposal and other facility matters at its next meeting on Monday.