Author: Lisa Grilliot

Henry County Heritage Trust – www.henrycountyheritagetrust.org

The Mt. Pleasant Community School District Board of Education is holding a Special Session meeting on Monday, April 27, 2026, at 6pm in the high school media center, 2104 S. Grand Avenue.  Highlighting the agenda is a board discussion and motion on closing Salem Elementary School: Fall 2027. Items in the superintendent’s report include Kindergarten Roundup, Central Office remodel update, and potential H.S. baseball field fencing update. The full agenda is available HERE. This meeting is open to the public.

The Second Public Hearing regarding the Henry County property tax levy for the FY27 budget is scheduled for Monday, April 27^th – 6pm at the courthouse in Mt. Pleasant.

The hearing will review the proposed fiscal year budget covering July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, for Henry County. County officials say any resident or taxpayer may attend the meeting, ask questions, present objections, or speak in favor of any part of the proposed budget.

According to the budget summary, total proposed revenues and other sources are approximately $22.7 million, while total expenditures and other uses are projected at about $24.7 million.

Major spending areas include public safety and legal services, roads and transportation, administration, and capital projects. Public safety and legal services account for more than $6.4 million, while road and transportation spending is projected at more than $7.2 million.

The notice also states that if a valid protest petition is filed, the State Appeal Board could hold an additional hearing. Budget documents and supporting details are available through the county auditor’s office, at henrycounty.iowa.gov, or here.

Henry County Public Health and Healthy Henry County Communities advised this week that some tick bites can cause a serious red meat allergy.  Lone star ticks and alpha-gal syndrome cases are present in Henry County.  Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS) is a serious, potentially life-threatening allergy to red meat (beef, pork, lamb) and dairy triggered by the bite of certain ticks, most notably the Lone Star tick in the US. A tick bite injects a sugar molecule called “alpha gal” into the body, causing the immune system to produce IgE antibodies. A blood test confirms the diagnosis.

Symptoms include hives, severe stomach pain, or anaphylaxis.  Symptoms are delayed and can appear 2–6 hours after consumption of red meat. There is no cure, so prevention and avoiding trigger foods are key.

The CDC reports that cases have risen significantly in the U.S. since 2010, totaling over 110,000 between 2010 and 2022.

Be careful if you are out doing spring yard work or any outdoor activity. Wear an EPA-registered insect repellent and be sure to check for ticks when you come inside. Henry County Public Health advises you to check the CDC website for more information and a tool to help you choose the right insect repellent.

https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/prevention/index.html

Henry County was declared a disaster area which extends the deadline for informal reviews and for petitions to the Board of Review as per Iowa code 441.37(1)(a)(1). The informal review period is extended to May 25th Petitions to the Board of Review must be post marked by June 5^th.  This information can be found on the Henry County Government website: henrycounty.iowa.gov  Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds issued a disaster proclamation for five Iowa counties, including Henry County, following severe storms earlier this month.

A two vehicle collision has the left lane of northbound Highway 218 at Winfield (MM 55) blocked at 4:30pm this afternoon (Friday, 04/24/26).  Henry County Sheriff’s Deputies and the Winfield Fire and Rescue are on scene at this time.