Author: Theresa Rose

Thanks to this caring community, the Mount Pleasant Area Chamber Alliance is delivering checks to area businesses this week! Using the tagline “Built with Heart”, the Chamber sold Mount Pleasant t-shirts, hats, tote bags and facemasks on the Chamber website. For every item purchased, customers designated a local business to receive the proceeds from the sales. Most of the recipients were on the list of the Governor’s mandatory closures due to COVID-19. On Friday, May 15 at 9:30 am, Kristi Ray will deliver the two largest checks as selected by the community to Central Park Coffee Company and The Vintage Raven. The other 44 businesses receiving assistance will be receive their checks in mail. Thanks to the help of Anywear Apparel, Custom Impressions, Safeguard and Staats, the chamber was able to purchase all of the items locally. The Chamber would like to thank Van Dijk Consultants, who is also a local small business, for helping to design this online shopping site. If you purchased a facemask, they are available at the Chamber office now. The Chamber expect the t-shirts, hats and totebags to arrive sometime next week.

Mediacom Communications announced the selection of Aurora Vansickel, a Mt. Pleasant High School senior, as a recipient of the company’s World Class Scholarship program. The award recognizes the Mt. Pleasant resident for outstanding leadership and academic accomplishments. Mediacom annually selects 60 graduating seniors who each receive $1,000 scholarships to support their post-secondary education.

“As a technology company, Mediacom understands how important it is to invest in future leaders like Aurora Vansickel,” said Group Vice President, Steve Purcell. “I’m proud that my company supports talented local students with scholarship support, and we congratulate Aurora on her accomplishments.”

This year marks the 19^th consecutive year Mediacom has funded World Class Scholarships for students who live in areas served by the cable and broadband company. On average, approximately 1,200 students apply for the scholarships each year. Recipients must attend an accredited two-year or four-year college, university or technical school within the United States.

Mediacom plans to continue funding its World Class Scholarships in all areas where it provides digital cable and broadband services. High school administrators will be notified in the fall of 2020 when scholarship applications become available online for students in the Class of 2021.

OTTUMWA – Christopher James Price, convicted of Domestic Abuse Assault- 3rd or Subsequent Offense and other crimes in Wapello County, failed to report back to the Ottumwa Residential Facility as required last night.

Price is a 53-year-old white male, height 5’11”, and weighs 233 pounds. He was admitted to the work release facility on February 6, 2020.

Persons with information on Price’s whereabouts should contact local police.

For a picture of the escapee, please see the department’s Twitter account at @IowaCorrections.

For more information on the state’s work release program, please see Iowa Code 904.901-904.910

The Jefferson County Attorney’s Office now reports that the body of Brian Patrick Cave of Keota has been found outside of Libertyville. Mr. Cave was reported missing and was last seen in the area of Libertyville in Jefferson County on the afternoon of May 11. Mr. Cave had been reported missing by family members and possibly in need of medical attention.

At the recent regular meeting the Mount Pleasant School Board approved the contract with Melaney Quereto for school nutrition services.  Querto is a school nutrition specialist who the district has contracted with for the last 4 years. She will receive $1,650 monthly as a base consulting fee and $110 per hour for any additional services.  Quereto is not usually on-site.  The district kitchen are managed locally.

Mount Pleasant High School Principal, Todd Liechty, presented 2020 Commencement plans to the district’s school board at the board’s regular meeting.  Graduation is planned for June 27.  The hope is to have the ceremony at Mapleleaf Athletic Complex in the evening.  If social distancing requirements are still in effect, the event will be moved to the High School.  Groups of 30 will be staged in the commons and each Senior will go one at a time with their family to the Media Center where a stage will be set up.  The graduate will be able to walk across the stage to receive their diploma and the family will be able to take pictures.

The virtual Senior Awards program will be held June 3 via a Zoom platform.  The time has not been set.

Sunday May 17 at 2:30 was the scheduled date for MPCHS commencement but since that cannot take place in the traditional way, Seniors can do a drive by parade at the High School.  K-12 teachers are invited to be around the circle to wave and congratulate the seniors on what should have been their graduation day. Teachers are invited to be there from 2:30 to 3:30 pm.  If anyone else would like to drive by they may join the parade.

Friday night or Saturday morning signs will go up along the student parking lot.  The community can drive thru to see the signs.  Sunday evening at 5 pm Main Street Mount Pleasant will be sending the signs to local businesses for display so they can show their support of the Class of 2020.