Saturday night at about 6 pm emergency responders were called to a crash on Winfield Avenue east of Mount Pleasant. Early information indicates three people were injured. One person was airlifted from HCHC and it appears a second person was transported by air, as well. KILJ will have more information when it becomes available.
Randy Espy
Randolph “Randy” Espy, 59, of Mount Pleasant, formerly of Burlington, died unexpectedly Thursday, October 7, 2021 at his home.
Randolph was born January 11, 1962, in Centerville, Iowa, the son of Roger and Patricia (Van Landingham) Espy. He graduated from Burlington High School in 1980. He served in the United States Air Force for 20 years. Randolph was a member of the Moose Lodge and the VFW. He enjoyed playing pool and bowling.
Randolph is survived by his wife Angela Runnells of Mount Pleasant; two daughters: Randha O’Dourty of Kansas City, MO; Zofia Espy of Mount Pleasant; a step daughter: Brooke Runnells of Middletown; and his parents: Roger and Paula Rae Espy of Burlington and Patricia Woodside of Burlington. He was preceded in death by his step father Bob Woodside and a sister Paula Espy.
Funeral service will be held at 4:00 pm Tuesday, October 12, 2021, at the Olson-Powell Memorial Chapel in Mount Pleasant. Visitation will be held from 3:00 pm until service time on Tuesday. Military rites will be conducted by the Henry County Honor Guard. A memorial fund has been established for Zofia Espy’s education. www.powellfuneralhomes.com
Crash Details
On October 7 around 2:45 PM, Henry County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a single-vehicle crash, with injuries, on Highway 78 near Marsh Avenue. Henry County responded to the scene and investigated the accident.
The driver of the vehicle, Judy Hazlett, 58, Cedar Rapids was traveling east on Highway 78 when she swerved to miss an animal in the roadway causing the vehicle to enter the south ditch. The vehicle continued through the ditch and the rear passenger side struck a utility pole, causing it to spin. The vehicle came to rest in a field. One passenger of the vehicle was transported to Henry County Health Center Emergency Room with minor injuries.
Judy Hazlett was issued a citation for Failure to Maintain Control of a Motor Vehicle. The Henry County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by Iowa State Patrol, Iowa Department of Motor Vehicle Enforcement, Winfield First Responders, Henry County Ambulance, and Mullen’s Towing.
Gabriel Diaz
Gabriel Diaz, 56, of Wayland, IA and formerly of the Miami, Florida area, died Saturday, October 2, 2021 at Unity Point Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines.
A burial service for Mr. Diaz will be held at a later date at the Southern Memorial Park Cemetery, North Miami, Florida, under the direction of the Bernardo Garcia Funeral Home of Miami. Local arrangements have been entrusted to the Kimzey Funeral Home, 213 North Main Street, Mount Pleasant.
Online condolences may be left at www.kimzeyfuneralhome.com.
MP School Board Site Committee Meeting Agenda
Mt. Pleasant CSD – Central Office
The Mount Pleasant Board of Education SITE COMMITTEE will meet at 4:30 PM on Thursday, October 7, 2021, to review/discuss:
- Facilities Report and Master Planning Schedule
- Elementary Roof Restoration Update
- Buildings and Grounds Project Update
- Sale of School Buses
The meeting is open to the public and patrons are welcome.
Michelle Lynn Byars Richards
Michelle Lynn Byars Richards, 55, of Danville, died Tuesday, October 5, 2021 at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City.
Funeral services will be held at 10:30 AM, Monday, October 11 at St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, Mt. Pleasant. Father Paul Connolly will officiate with burial to follow in St. Alphonsus Cemetery. Visitation will be held at Elliott Chapel, New London on Sunday, October 10 from noon until 6:00 PM, with the family receiving friends from 4:00 to 6:00 PM. Memorials may be made to H2O (Help to Others) and St. Alphonsus Religious Education. Condolences may be left at www.elliottfuneralchapel.com.
William Lee Matthews
William Lee Matthews passed away on September 28, 2021, at the Colonial Manor in Columbus Junction, Iowa. He was 91. Services will be Saturday, October 16, 2021, at the Wapello United Methodist Church. Funeral services will be at 10:00 a.m. followed by burial services with Military Honors at the Wapello Cemetery. Online condolences may be left for the family at sandhfuneralservice.com.
Bill Matthews as born July 25, 1930, near Kingston, in Des Moines County, Iowa, the son of William Hiram Matthews and Mary Eldred (Faris) Matthews.
He grew up in Louisa County and graduated from Wapello High School in 1948. He then graduated from Iowa Wesleyan College in Mt. Pleasant in 1952, and was a member of the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. Bill entered military service in 1952 serving with the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict, obtaining the lofty rank of Corporal. Bill graduated from the University of Iowa College of Law in 1959, and joined the Hicklin Law Firm in Wapello.
William Matthews and Patricia Ann Williams were united in marriage on September 8, 1957. They were married for 60 years. She preceded him in death on October 15, 2017. Bill is survived by his son, David (Rebecca) Matthews, Wapello, Iowa; daughter, Elizabeth Ann Matthews, West Chester, Pennsylvania; and son, Robert Matthews, Kirksville, Missouri; six grandchildren, Danielle Buckley, Wilmington, Delaware; Alex Matthews, Wapello, Iowa; Andrew (Gesell) Buckley, Cramerton, N.C.; Lindsey (Chris) Giffrow, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida; Christopher Buckley, Charlotte, N.C.; and, Courtney Matthews, Waverly, Iowa; one great grandchild, Patrick Buckley, Cramerton, N.C.; and his three brothers, Bob of Wapello; and Gene and Evan, both of lowa City.
Besides his wife Pat, Bill was preceded in death by his parents, and four sisters-in-law, Joan, Insook, and Marilyn Matthews, and Joanne Schwob.
Bill resided in the same house in Wapello for 61 years, and walked to work everyday until he retired from the practice of law at age 85. He was a 50 year member of the Iowa Bar Association, a founding member of Indian Hills Golf & Country Club, now Heritage Oaks, a Thirty Second Degree Mason, and a member of Wapello Lodge No. 5 AF & AM, the American Legion, and the Wapello United Methodist Church.
Bill and Pat were devoted Iowa Hawkeye Football fans and season ticket holders for over 50 years. They rarely missed a home football game, even during the dark years of 17 straight non winning seasons, being rewarded with a trip to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena in 1982.
Bill enjoyed his family, church, Friday afternoon “Lawyers” golf, Friday night bridge club, and the occasional Johnnie Walker.
10-6-21 Henry County COVID-19 update:
14-day positivity rate for individuals: 15.1%
14-day positivity rate for tests taken (includes duplicate tests): 8.4%
# of cases last 3 days: 19
# of cases last 7 days: 62
# of cases last 14 days: 142
% of residents 12+ years of age fully vaccinated: 55.8%
% of all residents fully vaccinated: 47.5%
New data shows that if you’re vaccinated you are 8x less likely to become infected with COVID-19 and if you do get infected, you’re 25x less likely to experience hospitalization or death. Public Health does not have the Pfizer vaccine, but continues to hold walk-in vaccine clinics for Moderna or J&J at 106 N. Jackson St. Monday – Friday 8am-3:30pm UNTIL those boosters are approved. Then we will change to all off-site appointment clinics. We will post updates here.
Henry County Public Health is sharing these regular updates to hopefully provide the most helpful information to keep you informed. There is a lot of data out there so they are reporting data from the local public health portal, with the exception of the vaccinated % which comes from the CDC Data Tracker since they break it out by eligible residents instead of just all residents.**