February Exhibit at Local Gallery

By Theresa Rose · Monday, January 16th, 2023 at 9:36 am CDT

During the Month of February, the Mount Pleasant Main Street Art Center will be showing the Photography of Kirsten Heerdt.

A native of Colorado, Kirsten has called Mt. Pleasant home since 1996. Her education in journalism and commercial recreation & tourism has given her a wide variety of experiences. She has captured images from high atop the Rocky Mountains down to the fields of Henry County. Taking the road less-traveled has led her to some pretty amazing places.

Her reception will be held on February 9th from 5 to 7 pm with refreshments and music. This free and open to the public. The Mount Pleasant Main Street Art Center is located at 106 S. Main Street.

Enid Mortland

By Theresa Rose · Sunday, January 15th, 2023 at 6:12 pm CDT

Enid E. Mortland, 97, of Mt. Pleasant, peacefully passed away on Saturday, January 14, 2023 at Sunrise Terrace Nursing Home in Winfield, Iowa.  The middle child of Howard and Christena Marion Boughton, she was born on November 18, 1925.  Enid grew up in the depression, always ambitious, she learned the valuable trait of being resourceful with little means at a young age…..planting a garden, raising and dressing chickens and sewing her own clothes, on the family farm in New Sharon, Iowa. Fresh food was always plentiful.  In 1943 she graduated high school and married her high school sweetheart, Bill Mortland on September 12, 1943.   They farmed until Bill was called to serve in WWII in 1945 – He came home in 1947 to meet their two year old son, William Lee. Two more children followed; Carma Sue and Shirley Lou.  Life was happy for them.  She and Bill enjoyed square dancing and ballroom dancing.  In 1961 Bill took a job and the family moved to Mt. Pleasant, Iowa.  Missing her farming roots Enid embarked on a hobby of baking and decorating cakes … that hobby turned into a successful in home business…..and she became, affectionately, known in the area as the “Cake Lady”.   From Baby, Birthday, Graduation, Wedding and some she always told “don’t tell them where you got this” ……she would tackle every imaginable theme the customer wanted.  She also babysat in her home for precious children; Jerry Kerr, Angie Ross, Brenda & Duane Brown.

In 1982 she took a job at the New London Schools managing their Hot Lunch Program and the team soon became known for tasty nutritious meals under her direction for the student body and teachers too.  At age 70 she tried to retire but soon found she still wanted to “stir her spoon” and began cooking at the Van Vorhies Haus.   She again became known for her delicious meals and the pretty presentation she made for each plate.   At the age of 91 she finally “really” retired.

She was a 39 year Breast Cancer survivor.  A fierce advocate for mammography, she would frequently say “get your boobies checked, girls”!!!

Enid was widowed in 1984 and after maneuvering her way through grief she found another “dance partner” in Ole Olson.  They spent most Friday and Saturday nights dancing at The Moose in Burlington.  Life got more challenging as they aged and Ole passed away in 2022 … Enid’s heart hurt losing her faithful dance partner.   The past few months she spent a lot of time reflecting and “looking out the window” of her life.

Enid is predeceased by her husband, Bill; her parents; a brother Merle; a son William Lee (Billy); grandchildren, Elizabeth, Brandt, & Brian Reiss; son-in-law, George Reiss, and dance partner Ole Olson.

She is survived by daughters, Carma Reiss of Van Horne and Shirley (Ben) Flam of New London; grandchildren, Robin (Jill) Daniel, Sarah (Corey) Finn, Heather (Shane) Mell; great-grandchildren, Allison, Quinn, Braden and Parker; great-great grandchildren, Natalie, Declan, Landry & Peyton; one sister, Lois (Leroy) Hurst, Oskaloosa, Iowa; nieces, Chris, Cindy and Becky; and her best friend from high school, Loretta Caves.

A memorial has been established for the Culinary Arts Department at Mt. Pleasant High School.  Donations may be made (for tax deduction) to The Mt. Pleasant Community School Foundation and designated for Culinary Arts.

Per her wishes she will be cremated with a celebration of life at a later date.

Elliott Chapel, New London, is assisting the family with arrangements and online condolences may be left at www.elliottfuneralchapel.com.

Steven J. Miller (final arrangements)

By Theresa Rose · Sunday, January 15th, 2023 at 6:08 pm CDT

Steven J. Miller, 60, of Mediapolis, entered Heaven’s gates on Friday, January 13, 2023 after a hard fought ten year battle with cancer.  Steve was born August 24, 1962 in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa to John and Mary (Toft) Miller.

He was a graduate of Burlington High School and attended Cornerstone Community Bible Church in Mediapolis.

Steve absolutely loved nothing more than his children and grandchildren.  His passion was to follow them to all of their sporting events and they could always find him in his same spot at every event.  He was forever making others laugh and smile with his dry sense of humor and puns.  Steve was a lifelong faithful Chicago Bears fan – no matter how difficult they made it at times.

He always told others that cancer was the best thing that ever happened to him, because it was then that he became a Christian.  He held very closely and strongly to the hope of eternity with his Savior.  When others asked him about his cancer battle, he simply said, “I just put it in God’s hands and trust Him”.   What a legacy to leave behind.

Steve will be deeply missed by his children, Sara (Logan) Ealey of Wapello and Seth (Emma) Miller of Colorado; grandsons Lelan and Ridge Ealey; parents John and Mary Miller of Marion; and brothers Brad Miller of Davenport and Craig Miller of Ohio.  He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Lewis and Fern E. Collins Miller and Byron and Ruth Toft.

According to his wishes his body has been cremated and private family inurnment will be held at Burge Cemetery, rural New London.  A memorial has been established for his two beloved grandson’s education. Elliott Chapel, New London, is assisting the family with arrangements and online condolences may be left at www.ellliottfuneralchapel.com.

Steven Miller

By Theresa Rose · Friday, January 13th, 2023 at 6:21 pm CDT

Steven J. Miller, 60, of Mediapolis, died Friday, January 13, 2023 at his home in Mediapolis.

Arrangements are pending at Elliott Chapel, New London.

Frank Allred

By Theresa Rose · Friday, January 13th, 2023 at 5:41 pm CDT

Frank LeRoy Allred, 88, of Mt. Pleasant passed away on Thursday, January 12, 2023, at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.

Funeral arrangements are pending at the Murphy Funeral Home of Mt. Pleasant.

Henry County Supervisors Meeting Agenda

By Theresa Rose · Friday, January 13th, 2023 at 3:00 pm CDT

AGENDA

 January 17, 2023

Approve Agenda

Approve Minutes

9:00 Jake Hotchkiss, Engineer Weekly Update

9:30 Shelley VanDorin Budget Request

10:00 Jim Pedrick, IWU Request Funds FY24

Other County Business as time allows

Supervisors Sub-Committee Updates

From Senator Mark Lofgren

By Theresa Rose · Friday, January 13th, 2023 at 2:47 pm CDT

 

Dear Senate District 48,

– Week 1 – 

The 90th General Assembly Has Begun!

The 2023 session of the 90th General Assembly is underway. This week, we welcomed a total of fourteen new members to the Iowa Senate. Nine new Senate Republicans were sworn into office, officially beginning the start of the first supermajority in the Iowa Senate in decades. Along with the new members, the Senate also elected Senator Amy Sinclair as the Senate President, making her only the fourth female to serve as Senate President in Iowa history. The week also brought many speeches, swearing-in ceremonies, committee meetings, visitors and even a few subcommittee meetings to begin the work of learning about proposed legislation for the session. We have a lot of work ahead of us, but I have already begun to work on some important issues affecting Iowans all across the state. As bills get drafted, filed, and moved through the legislative process, please feel free to reach out with questions, comments and concerns. It is a pleasure to serve you in the Iowa Senate, and I appreciate hearing from each and every one of you.
Subcommittee Meetings for SF 15 and SF 16

I was excited to chair the first two subcommittee meetings in the Senate this session. Both were for bills that I sponsored.  SF 15 is a bill that will provide additional funding from the general fund for the Veterans Home Ownership Assistance Program. This bill would appropriate an additional $500,000 for this purpose for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2023. This would be in addition to the already appropriated $2 million that is allocated annually for this purpose.

SF 16 adds the violation, “steer a motor vehicle unreasonably close to or toward a person riding a bicycle…” to a section in the Code that matches the fine schedule for other motor vehicle violations. For a serious injury the fine becomes $500 and/or a suspended license for 90 days, and for a death the fine becomes $1000 and/or a suspended license for 180 days. Under current law the scheduled fine is $325. This bill adds bicyclists to the list of violations that have similar penalties for occurrences of serious injury or death related to both pedestrian and motorist accidents. By clicking on the above links to these bills you can follow their progress as they move through the legislative process this session. SF 15 is scheduled to be brought before the Veterans Affairs Committee next Tuesday, January 17th.

Redistricting Change
All legislative districts across the state have now been reapportioned based on the 2020 census data. The district I represent changed from District 46 to District 48 and also changes the counties that I serve. Although I work to serve all Iowans, the district I represent no longer includes Scott County. I now represent Iowans in most of Muscatine County, all of Louisa County, and parts of Des Moines and Henry Counties. Please click here to see the map of District 48. Over the past six months I have traveled to towns in the new part of the district for various events and meetings. It has been a privilege to meet many new constituents and to get a feel for the needs of these individuals, groups and communities. I look forward to meeting more of you in the future!

 

Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs Invests $1.5 Million in Building Creative Places

 

This week The Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs  announced it has awarded more than $1.5 million in grants to leverage local infrastructure projects and engaging programs that build culturally vibrant communities across the state.

The $1,573,997 in grants come from the department’s Iowa Great Places, Strengthening Communities, School Arts Experience, Artist Catalyst, Creative Places Project, Folk Arts Learning and Humanities Collaboration programs.

“Across Iowa, these projects are connecting Iowans to arts, culture and heritage programming and their local communities’ authentic character,” Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs Director Chris Kramer said. “They represent the quality of life people value today when choosing culturally vibrant places to live, work and raise their families.”
The grant funding aligns with the department’s strategic goals:

  • Cultivate and promote creative places, grow Iowa’s creative economy and workforce, and build the capacity of our cultural organizations.
  • Preserve and enhance access to Iowa arts, culture, film and history.
  • Provide dynamic lifelong learning opportunities while igniting creativity and innovation.

Congratulations to the following grant recipients from District 48!

Strengthening Communities Grants

Strengthening Communities grants support facility renovation and construction projects that promote youth development, healthy living and social responsibility in communities with fewer than 28,000 residents. The grants are made possible by an appropriation from the Iowa Legislature through the Rebuild Iowa Infrastructure Fund.

Burlington Area YMCA: This grant supports a building renovation providing an inclusive, safe and accessible, ADA-compliant environment in locker rooms for all current and future members. Grant Award: $93,048

Humanities Collaboration Grants

Humanities Collaboration Grants support humanities projects that encourage contemplation and spark conversation, while engaging the community through collaboration between Iowa humanities organizations, institutions of higher education and schools. Funding for the grants comes from the National Endowment for the Humanities, a federal agency.

Muscatine Art Center  curated and hosted an Exhibition on the Influence of Japanese Culture in the Midwest from the 1890s-1930s. The exhibition, entitled Captivated by Japan: Laura Musser McColm and her Era, ran from September 3rd through October 23rd, 2022. Grant award: $4,200

To see a complete listing of the Creative Places Project grants and their recipients as well as other grant opportunities offered through the Department of Cultural Affairs, follow the link below:

https://iowaculture.gov/about-us/about/grants

 

Best regards,

Mark

Senator Mark S. Lofgren
Iowa State Senator
District 46
563-272-8683
mark.lofgren@legis.iowa.gov

 

The Dickey Dispatch by Senator Adrian Dickey

By Theresa Rose · Friday, January 13th, 2023 at 2:27 pm CDT

 

Hello Senate District 44!

Well we are back at it! As of January 9, the 90th General Assembly has begun. With a new session and new faces, I am left with a great feeling about the potential of this session. With many new members joining us, I am happy to announce Republicans hold a supermajority of 34-16. We also elected Amy Sinclair as the Senate President. I believe she will do a spectacular job in this position and make Iowans proud. With this being said, I am looking forward to working with my fellow senators on both sides of the aisle to introduce and pass legislation that reflects the needs and wants of Iowans.

This week we were informed of the priorities of the governor, chief justice, and legislative leaders in Condition of the State speeches. While it was acknowledged that we have a large amount of work to do, a great number of accomplishments were also shared. From improving funding for education and public safety to reducing income taxes, we are on a great path. It is important to remember what accomplishments we made last year, but make no mistake, this session will be even better. With Governor Kim Reynolds swearing in for another term on January 13, we will work together to implement her vision for the State of Iowa that she presented in her Condition of the State address.

One quote that Governor Reynolds made was:

“It’s been nearly 40 years since we’ve undertaken a comprehensive review of government operations and structure. And frankly, it shows… I’ll be introducing a bill that will improve the services we deliver and streamline our operations by taking us from 37 cabinet agencies to 16”.

I loved hearing our GREAT governor making that issue a priority. I fully agree that our government is too big and the easiest way to be fiscally responsible with your tax dollars is shrinking the size of government AND reducing over-burdensome regulations on our businesses and citizens!

I am fortunate this year to be a part of five separate committees. Workforce (Chairman), Transportation (Vice Chairman), Ways & Means, Commerce, and Economic Development Appropriations Subcommittee (Vice Chairman). As the Chairman of the Workforce committee I am excited to tackle issues relating to labor shortages within the state. As a business owner, I understand the complications and hardship this is causing businesses across Iowa. I am deeply motivated to continue finding relief. Serving on the Senate Ways & Means committee, I understand how large of a priority property tax reform is this year. I can assure you we will be looking into the best way to bring relief to Iowa taxpayers, limit both the size and cost of local government, and show transparency in this complex process. In regard to the other committees, they are in full swing with legislation already being discussed amongst senators. On the second day of session I already had 30 bills to review. Needless to say, we are getting to work right away.

With five different committees and three condition of the state speeches given this week, it has been all-out craziness. Bills are starting to flow in and find their way to subcommittees to be discussed. Before long, debates will ensue and bills will be passed. Between meeting with constituents, attending committee meetings and researching legislation of my own, my days are at full throttle. Even with dozens of thoughts racing in my head, I still find myself with a sense of excitement every morning I walk into the Capitol. I am grateful for the opportunity the citizens of Senate District 44 have given to represent them, and am deeply motivated to make them proud!

I am always eager to meet and hear from you. If you would like to get in touch you can email me at Adrian.dickey@legis.iowa.gov.

Thank you for your support!