Author: Theresa Rose

The Mt. Pleasant Police Department will be conducting our annual toy drive.  We are looking for names of families who may need some assistance this year.  Families may be called in anonymously. Parents name, address and phone number and then the name(s) and ages of the children are needed.  If you were on the list last year you will be unable to sign up this year.

The Department will be working with the Fellowship Cup and Community Action to make sure all families receive what they need.  If you have signed up with one of the other organizations you will not be eligible for the police department’s toy drive.  This is for local residents only. If you do not live in the city of Mt. Pleasant you should check with your local city hall or chamber to see if there is a local organization doing a toy drive.

Please remember this is a toy drive, they do not take anyone 18 years old and above.  There will be a toy drop off box in the lobby at the Mt. Pleasant Police Department.  The lobby is open Monday through Friday 8am-4pm.

Toy Distribution will be December 22, 2021.  Parents will be called and informed of a time to come to the Police Department to pick up toys.

Please call the Mt. Pleasant Police Department to sign up at 319-385-1450.  Please call between the hours of 8am-4pm Monday through Friday.

Here are results from the local school board elections….

Lindsay Porter and Kyle Helmerson were elected to the New London School Board.

Derek Mullin will serve his first term on the Mount Pleasant Board.  Willy Amos and Kevin Sandersfeld were both re-elected.

For the WACO school district…Barb Shelman and Tim Graber were both re-elected.  There were 35 write-in votes for the District II seat. Neil Rich received 29 of those votes to put him in the seat.

Write-in votes for one of the open seats on the WMU School Board have been tabulated. Matt Nelson received 96 votes. 4 others received votes, as well. Incumbent Aaron Cummings will return to his seat on that board.

11-3-21 Henry County COVID-19 update:

Booster shots are available for many people! Children age 5-11 are also now eligible for shots (once vaccine arrives). Find more information and links to sign up for a vaccine appointment at healthyhenrycounty.org/covid or call 319-385-0779.

14-day positivity rate for individuals tested: 10.4%

14-day positivity rate for tests taken (includes duplicate tests): 6.1%

# of cases last 3 days: 22

# of cases last 7 days: 45

# of cases last 14 days: 86

% of residents 12+ years of age fully vaccinated: 57.2%

% of all residents fully vaccinated: 49.2%

The Fairfield Police Department is asking for assistance in locating a missing person. The person is Nohema Graber. Ms. Graber is 66 years of age. She is a 5-5 and weighs approximately 125 pounds.

She is operating a gray 1997 Honda Odyssey van with Iowa license, GNF 897. The van has a Fairfield High School parking permit and a rosary hanging on the rear-view mirror. It also has damage to the rear, passenger side bumper.

Please contact the Fairfield Police Department at (641) 472-4146, or call 911 in an emergency, if you have any information. Thank you for your assistance in this matter.

Salem won’t know who the next mayor will be until the Supervisors draw the name from a hat.  In other words, there is a tie.  There were three candidates on the ballot for mayor. Kelly Andermann and James Tomson each received 40 votes. County Auditor Shelly Barber said the drawing will probably take place when the votes are canvassed but she didn’t have a confirmed date yet for that.

Both incumbent Salem City Council members Christina Feehan and Gary Tedrow were denied their bid for re-election.  Haley Swinscoe and Tarrant French will be the two new council members.

In other municipal election results…..

Mt. Pleasant Mayor Steve Brimhall and council members Terry McWilliams, Bob Griffith and Jeff Batty were all re-elected.

In Westwood Brant Knudsen was elected Mayor.  Eric Peterson, Gary Lane and Monte Knudsen were elected to the council.

Jason Waterhouse won the mayoral race in Olds and Timothy Breuer and Candice Sue Curry were elected to fill the two open council seats.

Chet Fort was elected mayor in Wayland. Melinda Ullery was selected to fill a vacancy on the city council and Caylon DeVaul and Jamie Roth were elected to the council.

In Winfield there were five candidates for three open seats on the city council.  The top three vote getters were David Pieart, Randy Redlinger and Jennifer Wade.

Kirk Miller was re-elected New London Mayor. Travis Benz will fill a vacancy on the council and Dan Berner, Scott Campbell and Brad Helmerson are three selected for the open seats on the that council.

In Hillsboro William Sanderson was elected to fill a vacancy on the city council.  There were four candidates for three other open seats.  The top vote getters were Michaeleen Kaeser, Eric Sanderson and Chad Brousseau.

DAVENPORT, Iowa – Eight Burlington men were charged in federal court for their
roles in a multi-year joint federal and state investigation of a large drug trafficking
organization that operated out of Burlington. One of the defendants was previously
arrested and federally charged with felon in possession of a firearm. Four defendants
were arrested today. Those arrested will make their initial appearances in federal
court at the United States Courthouse in Davenport on Wednesday, November 3,
2021. All eight defendants have been charged with Conspiracy to Distribute
Methamphetamine in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(b)(1)(A)
and 846.
The charges stem from an investigation conducted by the Southeast Iowa Narcotics
Taskforce; Burlington Police Department; Des Moines County Sheriff’s Office; Henry
County Sheriff’s Office; Drug Enforcement Administration; and the Iowa Division of
Narcotics Enforcement. The Des Moines County Tactical Response Unit; Des Moines
County Attorney’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Lee County Narcotics
Task Force; Muscatine County Tactical Team; Muscatine County Narcotics Task
Force; Washington County Tactical Team; Iowa State Patrol Tactical Teams; West
Burlington Police Department; and the Johnson County Municipal Drug Task Force
also assisted in the investigation.
“This long-term joint investigation shows our continued resolve to stand with and
support the hard work of our state and local partners and hold accountable those that
seek to obtain and distribute a highly addictive and lethal drug, methamphetamine,
into the Southeast Iowa community,” stated Acting United States Attorney Richard
Westphal.
“I want to thank all of the participating agencies for their hard work and dedication
that has resulted in the service and execution of the multitude of search and arrest
warrants, which will significantly impact the crime within the City of Burlington and
Southeast Iowa,” stated Marc Denney, Chief of Burlington Police, “as we know, drug
trafficking has no boundaries and has a detrimental effect, on our community and
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those near and far. Our commitment is to continue to work diligently to rid our
society of the criminal syndicates that rob our children of their youth and young
adults of a promising life.”
“This was a long-term collaborative investigation involving numerous investigators
from many different agencies. The excellent work and tireless efforts of these
investigators are a testament to their dedication to making our communities a safe
place to live, work, and play. The Des Moines County Sheriff’s Office is proud to have
worked together with all the law enforcement professionals involved in this
investigation, and to get these dangerous narcotic distributors out of our
communities,” stated Des Moines County Sheriff Kevin Glendening.
Those arrested include Clyde Macks Stewart, Jr.; Rudolph Sinclair Allen; Brian Keith
Davis, Jr.; Gregory Jermain Johnson; and Marcus Allen Johnson. The identities of
those not yet arrested remain sealed at this time. They all face mandatory minimum
sentences of at least ten years of imprisonment and a maximum term of life
imprisonment. A federal district judge will determine the sentences after considering
the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the
federal court system.
The investigation culminated in the execution of federal search warrants at the
following locations on November 2, 2021. Law enforcement officers seized four guns,
over $13,000 cash, marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, and drug paraphernalia
at six locations.
• 400 block of Franklin Street, Burlington
• 100 block of South Marshall Street, Burlington
• 1300 block of Jefferson Street, Burlington
• 1500 block of Ashmun Street, Burlington
• 1300 block of Washington Street, Burlington
• 1400 block of Hillary Avenue, Burlington
• 1200 block of Aetna Street, Burlington
The public is reminded that charges contain only accusations and are not evidence of
guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the
government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt