Henry County Publik Health will hold a COVID-19 vaccine clinic Friday morning at the First Presbyterian Church in Mount Pleasant. There are still appointments available. This is for anyone who still needs their first shot (Moderna or J&J) and anyone eligible for their booster shot. Please note: the Moderna boosters have now been approved. They will have the Pfizer vaccine for kids age 5-18 there as well. They can make an appointment at healthyhenrycounty.org/covid or call 319-385-0779. However, please remember the Public Health office is closed for Veterans Day.
Dr. Joe and Dr. Kaci Vela Presented Community Pride Award
MOUNT PLEASANT— Congratulations to Dr. Joe and Dr. Kaci Vela who are the recipients of the quarterly Community Pride Award presented by the Mount Pleasant Area Chamber Alliance. This award was created to honor chamber businesses and organizations that display exceptional beautification and exterior improvements to their properties and encourage others to do the same.
The Vela’s will be recognized with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Monday, November 15 at 4:30 pm at 1804 E. Washington. Other tenants in the development include Orthodontic Associates of Iowa, Children’s Dental Center of Southeast Iowa, American Eyecare and the new Scooter’s Coffee.
“This is a beautiful development on the east side of our community. We are so fortunate the Vela’s decided to invest in Mount Pleasant,” said Kristi Perry, Executive Vice President of the Mount Pleasant Area Chamber Alliance.
The Mount Pleasant Area Chamber of Commerce board of directors created the Community Pride Award back in 2012 and have honored 3-4 recipients each year during that time. Recent recipients include Iowa Wesleyan University, Innovairre, Henry County Courthouse, Lomont Molding and Farm Credit Services of America, just to name a few.
The Mount Pleasant Area Chamber Alliance exists to improve the quality of life for Henry County residents through economic growth. The Chamber consists of 340 businesses, organizations, and individual members.
Farm Tax and Accounting Workshop
ISU Extension and Outreach – Henry County is hosting a Farm Tax and Accounting Workshop on Wednesday, December 1 from 6:00 pm – 8:00pm at the Henry County Extension Office in Mt. Pleasant (127 North Main Street).
In this timely workshop Charles Brown, Iowa State Extension and Outreach Farm Management Specialist, will address:
- Record keeping for income tax preparation.
- What are W2, W4, W9 and I9 forms?
- When do you need to send 1099 forms?
- Schedule F income versus ordinary and capital gain income.
- Depreciation rules for 2021.
- What to look for in purchasing a farm accounting program.
- A quick review of Quick Books and PC Mars accounting programs
This workshop is free for all participants, but pre-registration is required to assure adequate space. Please contact the Henry County Extension Office at (319) 385-8126 to register by November 30th.
Southeast Iowa Band Announces Fall Concert
The Southeast Iowa Band, based at Iowa Wesleyan University, announced the dedication of their fall concert to long time band member and supporter David Scott.
This concert is free and will be held at the Chapel Auditorium on the IW campus at 3 pm on Sunday November 14th.
SEIB director, Robert McConnell said, “Dave was one of those super dedicated musicians that did so many things to help music in Burlington and the Southeast Iowa area, it was difficult to know everything he did. With the Southeast Iowa Band he not only played in our percussion section but he also recorded the concerts. In addition, he was a skilled woodworker, and built the podium I conduct from.”
“I know that Dave was important to the success of both SEIB and Burlington Municipal Band and he is sorely missed.”
The concert also features the world premiere of a work by Burlington, Iowa native, Joel Prescott. Please Stay is dedicated to the prevention of suicide. The composer drew on his own experiences of being bullied growing up and learning how to cope.
“This is a deeply moving and beautiful work and I think, ultimately it will be widely known in band literature. It’s wonderful to hear a work that captures the care of concerned individuals in hoping that depressed, struggling friends will chose to continue to fight through life’s difficulties,” said Robert McConnell.
Other highlights of the program directed by McConnell include Fiesta del Pacifico, Downey Overture by Spanish composer Oscar Navarro and Noisy Wheels of Joy by Eric Whitacre. Dr. Michael Knight will conduct the Four Preludes of Robert Russell Bennett.
“This is a great opportunity for the public to come into an acoustically beautiful facility and hear a great concert featuring many of the region’s top musicians, and we hope the public takes advantage of it. “
For further information contact Dr. Michael Knight–michael.knight@iw.edu.
*masks are encouraged when attending events on the IW campus
Two Fatal Crashes in One Day in Lee County
Two people were killed in two different accidents Tuesday in Lee County. According to the Iowa State Patrol Betty Cochenour of Luray, Missouri died when her car was hit by a semi. Emergency responders and law enforcement were paged out at at about 1:30 pm to the intersection of Hwy 218 northbound and County Road J40. Cochenour was stopped facing east on J40 at the crossover with Hwy 218. She pulled out onto 218 into the path of a northbound semi driven by Nazar Bekboev of Schaumburg, Illinois.
The name of the victim in the second crash had not been released as of Wednesday morning. According to the State Patrol, Tuesday just after 6 pm, Michael Ray Walker of Fort Madison was operating a large John Deere tractor southbound on Green Bay Road near 190th Street when the tractor was struck by a northbound vehicle. The driver of the vehicle was pronounced dead at the scene.
The State Patrol continues to investigate both accidents.
Iowa Wesleyan University Partners with TEL Education
Mount Pleasant, IA – November 10, 2021 — Iowa Wesleyan University announced a new partnership with TEL Education to help lower the barriers to higher education, particularly for underrepresented and rural high school students. On November 3, TEL Education and Iowa Wesleyan University officially signed as academic partners.
TEL Education is a non-profit curriculum and educational technology organization dedicated to providing innovative and affordable online college-level learning courses to high school students, making college more accessible to underrepresented demographics and communities. Through the partnership, TEL will provide its catalog of mastery-based, online general education course materials and work with Iowa Wesleyan administration and faculty to customize TEL content to align with the university’s specific academic and program goals. High school students can access affordable dual credit and experience Iowa Wesleyan’s commitment to student success with this expanded catalog.
Iowa Wesleyan President, Christine Plunkett, stated, “I am very excited about this partnership; it’s right up our alley in terms of working with a population of underrepresented students who lack access to education.” Dr. DeWayne Frazier, University Provost, added, “Access to education is one of the key factors in serving underrepresented groups, and one of the best ways to do this is through keeping costs affordable. TEL Education and IW have the same goals of providing access and empowering students. The partnership is built on multiple synergies of the two organizations.”
Iowa Wesleyan had previously worked closely with TEL by offering online self-paced instruction courses to their current students. Through the new partnership, Iowa Wesleyan will serve as the school of record for TEL to provide online college courses to high school students for enhanced dual enrollment opportunities. As a school of record, Iowa Wesleyan will work closely with TEL to review the curriculum and assess learning outcomes. According to TEL Executive Director Dr. Rob Reynolds, this partnership with Iowa Wesleyan is essential for TEL’s mission to make college-level learning accessible to everyone in the U.S.
“A partnership works based on a common set of goals and mission; we’re drawn to IW because we have a common mission to serve through education,” said Reynolds. “Because of that commitment, I know that our two organizations can make a big difference in Iowa and the entire Midwest.”
Accident Details
The Donnellson Police have released the details of an incident that occurred 11/6/21. At about 1:20 pm law enforcement and emergency responders were called to the 100 block of Chestnut Street where a 2 year old Donnellson girl had been hit by a vehicle. An investigation determined the vehicle was a pickup truck driven by Andrew Boone of Donnellson. Boone had been stopped on the street talking with a resident. Several children were playing near the street as Boone started to leave. The girl, apparently, darted out in front of the truck. She was treated at the scene and then transferred by helicopter to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics where she is now listed in stable condition. Charges are pending against Boone.
A 2-year-old Donnellson girl is in an Iowa City hospital following a Saturday afternoon accident in Donnellson.
A 911 call was made at 1:22 p.m. reporting a small child had been struck by a vehicle. Emergency responders were then dispatched to the 100 block of Chestnut Street. Donnellson Fire & Rescue, Lee County EMS, Air-Evac, Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa State Patrol, and the Donnellson Police Dept. responded to the scene.
The Donnellson Police Dept. would like to acknowledge a witness to the accident, identified as Shelby Dickens, for her quick response and actions during the accident. Police believe Ms. Dickens undoubtedly prevented a tragedy from becoming worse.
Iowa Wesleyan University Announces Gift to Strengthen Student Success Initiatives
Mount Pleasant, IA – November 9, 2021 — Iowa Wesleyan University announced a $240,000 gift from Steven ’83 and Jill Howe to fund initiatives to support the Student Success Center. The Center will be named the Steven and Jill Howe Student Success Center in recognition of their generosity.
The Student Success Center is a crucial component of Iowa Wesleyan University’s continued efforts to positively impact the higher education landscape in Southeast Iowa. Over the past two years, Iowa Wesleyan has devoted significant staffing and financial resources to expanding university-wide student success initiatives.
“As Iowa Wesleyan welcomes an increasing number of first-generation and economically and ethnically diverse students, our Student Success Center has become the cornerstone of our work to increase retention and graduation rates,” President Christine Plunkett stated. “We are grateful to Steven and Jill for their generous support of this program, and we are proud to name our Center in their honor. Their commitment represents an investment in our students and allows us to enhance our efforts to influence and shape future generations.
Katie Aranda, Associate Dean of Student Success Initiatives, stated, “I’m excited for our students to have additional support services, and this gift will enhance what we’ve already been building. When I started in the spring of 2017, we had a staff of three; we worked around the clock to connect with students and give them the support they needed. It’s inspiring to see how the staff has grown, and this gift will help support that growth and lead to other resources for students.” The Center now boasts a full-time staff of eight, all focused on supporting students from the day they make their enrollment deposit through their academic journey at IW.
Steven and Jill Howe are passionate about student learning and supporting all students with their unique needs. Steven Howe stated, “When we heard about the intention behind the Student Success Center and the good work already being done there, we were moved by the deep sense of caring it represents for students. The Student Success program provides the kind of resources that give them the very best chance of getting the most out of their experience in higher education.”
Steven Howe is the son of Stan and Helen Howe ’81, who have been dedicated and instrumental philanthropic partners of IW. The Howe Student Activity Center on IW’s campus is named in their honor. Stan and Helen received honorary doctorates from Iowa Wesleyan in 1978 and 2010, respectively.
The Steven and Jill Howe Student Success Center will enhance the University’s ability to impact the lives of its students. “We have created a strong community in our Center, and it’s a place for our students to feel at home,” said Aranda. “This gift will help support those endeavors.”