Last night many people filled the Heatilator Performing Arts Center, not for a concert but for a RAGBRAI townhall. Rachel Lindeen with the Mt. Pleasant Chamber was joined by Lisa Oetken with Main Street Mount Pleasant as they facilitated the evening meeting which was full of important information.
If you haven’t heard by now, RAGBRAI will be passing through Mt. Pleasant as an overnight stop on Friday, July 26th, which will see 20,000 plus riders looking for a place to lay their head. This also means they will be looking for a place to shower, entertainment, and food. The theme for the overnight stop is “Make Yourself at Home in Mount Pleasant” which is designed to showcase the charm and warmth of our quaint town. As said last night, picture a hallmark movie scene, that’s the setting they are looking for in July.
So where do all of these people sleep? Well, there’s a few answers to that question. Midwest Old Threshers campground will be the main area, with the old Iowa Wesleyan Campus and Mapleleaf also being converted into a campground for a night. If you’ve been wanting an excuse to camp on your lawn, why not allow some tired cyclists the same opportunity? Please contact Lois Roth if you’d be able to host some riders, either on your lawn or inside. Her email is ljrteach@gmail.com The cyclists will arrive sometime in the mid-afternoon and depart by 9:00am the next day.
The Downtown festival will see two bands take the stage. Blake Jack and South 35, a group from Des Moines, mainly plays country music such as Brooks and Dunn to Jason Aldean. The Spazmatics are the main act, and they bring all of the good from the 80s and leave the bad in that decade.
Shelbi Remick spoke about the need for volunteers, from greeting riders to helping in the beverage garden and giving out information, they need you. Please email info@mpiowa.org if you are interested in volunteering. Remember, it will be 80 with a light tail wind on Friday, July 26th, atleast one can hope!
Lydia Louise Rotzinger, 59 of Wayland, died Sunday, April 7, 2024, at her home in Wayland.
Funeral Services have been set for 2:00 PM, Friday, April 12, 2024, at the Fern Cliff Evangelical Free Church with Pastors David Shreeves and Ben Linville officiating. A burial will follow at the Fern Cliff Cemetery. Visitation will be from 4-6:00 PM, Thursday, April 11, 2024, at the church. The Beatty-Peterseim Funeral Home is assisting with arrangements. A general memorial in the name of Lydia Louise has been established.
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig commented on the Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. The report is released weekly April through November. Additionally, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship provides a weather summary each week during this time.
“Soil temperatures are slowly warming up, the crop insurance coverage window will soon be opening, and a more active weather pattern is helping to replenish some soil moisture,” said Secretary Naig. “This time of year, nothing can eclipse farmers’ focus on getting ready for planting once conditions are favorable.”
Another week of colder than normal temperatures with rain and snow left Iowa farmers with 2.8 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending April 7, 2024, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Minimal fieldwork was done during the week, but some producers were able to apply anhydrous, manure, and dry fertilizer. High winds prevented producers from spraying fertilizer towards the end of the week.
Topsoil moisture condition rated 14 percent very short, 35 percent short, 47 percent adequate and 4 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture condition rated 26 percent very short, 38 percent short, 34 percent adequate and 2 percent surplus.
Oats seeding reached 32 percent complete, 6 days ahead of last year and 1 week ahead of the 5-year average. Oats emerged reached 4 percent complete.
There were no reports of cattle turned out onto pasture yet as pastures continue to green up. Calving was in full swing with reports of mud in some areas.
The weekly report is also available on the USDA’s website at nass.usda.gov.
The Henry County Sheriff’s Office reports of an arrest over the weekend.
On April 6, 2024, at approximately 10:20 PM a traffic stop was conducted on 2004 red Buick Lesabre for improper registration plate lamps in the 2600-grid of Hickory Avenue near Oakland Mills.
The driver was identified as David Whiteaker, 39, Homeless, previously of Winfield, Iowa. David’s Iowa driving status was Barred with 11 withdrawals in effect. David was arrested for Driving While Barred, an Aggravated Misdemeanor and received a citation for Improper Registration Lamps.
Joseph Edward Kessler, 89, a resident of Fairfield, passed away Saturday, March 30, 2024 at Good Samaritan Society in Ottumwa.
Graveside services will be held 10:00 a.m. Monday, April 15, 2024 at Pleasant Plain Friends Cemetery in Pleasant Plain. Memorials may be made to the donor’s choice. Behner Funeral Home in Fairfield is assisting the family.
Joe was born September 23, 1934 the son of Arthur and Thelma (Coil) Kessler. He served in the United States Army. Joe married Mary Britt, December 19, 1959. She preceded him in death November 1, 2018.
Joe worked as a semi driver for 20 years at Modine in Fairfield. He loved to talk to people about driving his semi. He enjoyed fishing, mushroom hunting, and visiting with friends.
Those left to honor his memory include his daughter, Roberta Nicholson of Guthrie Center, Iowa; grandchildren, Cassie and Keenan Nicholson; four great-grandchildren; sisters, Marjorie McMillan of Cedar Rapids and Dixie Watson of Mt. Pleasant.
In addition to his wife, he was preceded in death by his parents; twin sister, Josephine; sister, Marie; and brother, William.
Online condolences may be made to Joe’s family by viewing his obituary at www.behnerfh.com.
Reed Ross Haeger, 78, of West Point, Iowa, passed away at 8:24 p.m. Friday, April 5, 2024, at Birkwood Village in Fort Madison, Iowa, surrounded by his family.
Reed was born on July 28, 1945, in Oak Park, Illinois, the son of Reed “Ross” Haeger, Sr. and Mary (Phelan) Haeger. On August 10, 1968, he married Susan Teresa Hanley in Lewistown, Montana. She preceded him in death on January 15, 2024, after fifty-five years of marriage.
As a boy, Reed spent summers at his grandparents home outside of Rhinelander, Wisconsin at Haeger’s Lodge on Lake Thompson. Upon graduation from Fenwick High School in Oak Park, Reed spent a summer on the Whitetail Ranch outside of Missoula, Montana working as a ranch hand. This experience provided a lifetime of stories and a deep personal connection to the cowboy persona. Reed attended St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa receiving his Bachelor’s Degree in education. Accepting a gift from his father upon graduation, Reed spent three months traveling Europe. Through a college roommate, he learned of and accepted a teaching position at Marquette High School in West Point where he would teach English for nine years. After teaching, Reed dabbled as a restaurateur managing the West Point Knights of Columbus, Donnellson Green Acres Golf Club and as owner/proprietor of Reed’s Pizza in West Point. He finished his full-time working career at the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant in Middletown after twenty years. Reed and Sue purchased the Corner Tap in 1983. In August of 2023, in fine West Point Sweet Corn Festival festive fashion, they celebrated forty years in business.
From area bass fishing tournaments to weekend fishing getaways with Sue, Reed was an avid fisherman. He transitioned from water to land in the game of golf, a pastime passion he renewed with a vengeance. His dedication and knowledge for the game was intense, perhaps even driving a patron or two out of the Corner Tap with his incessant talk of it! His love of reading was evidenced by the many books that went through his hands, thousands and thousands of pages turned. Reed had not only the gift of word crafting, but with those page turning fingers, he would use his woodworking craft to spend hours in his basement making gifts for family and friends, especially his grandkids. Reed was most proud of his family. Four children, thirteen grandchildren, two great grandchildren and counting… Always the teacher, always the storyteller, lighting up at the opportunity to share with them is what he loved best.
Reed is survived by his three daughters: Kathleen “Katie” (Chris) Dailey of Terre Haute, Indiana, Jennifer “Jenny” Steffensmeier (Randy Larson) of West Point, Megan (Bill) Kruse of West Point; son: Ross (Erin) Haeger of Burlington; thirteen grandchildren: Daniel Dailey, Jack Dailey, Claire Dailey, Isaac Steffensmeier (Courtney Abolt), Rachel Steffensmeier (Julian Holmes), Sarah (CJ) Richardson, Aaron (Taylor) Steffensmeier, Nathan Steffensmeier (Larissa Ferrill), Elton Kruse (Madelyn Swigart), Owen Kruse (Katie Beach), Emmett Kruse, Liam Haeger and Gordon Haeger; two great-grandchildren: Quincy and Calvin Richardson; three sisters: Beth (Paul) Reis of Wheaton, Illinois, Jane (Greg) Zimmerman of Downers Grove, Illinois, Anne Haeger of Marion, Iowa and one brother: Mark (Julie) Haeger of Downers Grove, Illinois.
Reed was preceded in death by his parents; sisters-in-law: Sister Kathleen Hanley, CHM, Laurie Voelker; brothers-in-law: Mark Hanley, Edward Hanley, Eugene Foecke and son-in-law: Ben Steffensmeier.
A visitation will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Friday, April 12, 2024, at Schmitz Funeral Home in West Point.
A time of remembrance will be held at 11:00 a.m. Friday with Father Gary Beckman officiating at Schmitz Funeral Home in West Point. A time of food and fellowship will be held at the West Point American Legion after the burial. Following the luncheon, a celebration of life will be held at the Corner Tap.
Burial will be at Calvary Cemetery in West Point.
In lieu of flowers, memorials have been established in his memory for Southeast Iowa Hospice.
Schmitz Funeral Home of West Point is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences may be made to the family at www.schmitzfuneralhomes.com.
Congratulations to the three Mt. Pleasant High School students who participated at the Iowa State Science Fair recently. Below each name is a list of their accomplishments!
Briar Bender
– SSTFI Honorable Mention Plant Sciences
– Loras College Scholarship $1000
– Mayowa Aderoju – Plant Sciences Innovation Award
Jacie Campbell
– FFA Agriscience – 1st place Environmental Systems Division III – Nomination to the National FFA Agriscience Fair
– SSTFI Honorable Mention Environmental Science
– Loras College Scholarship $750
– ISU College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Scholarship $500
Sarai Sanchez
– Loras College Scholarship $750
– 4H Excellence in Research
– Invitation to IGNITE Leadership Conference March 2025
