Author: Yorke Prough

There was a string of car burglaries on Monday morning in Mount Pleasant. The Mt. Pleasant Police Department received a report of this at the Plantation Apartment complex at 306 W Monroe St.

Upon investigation it was found that a total of three vehicles were burglarized at this location. All vehicles were processed at the scene with DNA samples and fingerprints being located, collected, and sent to the Department of Criminal Investigations crime lab.

Anyone with information regarding these acts is urged to contact the Mount Pleasant Police Department.

Family dinners might be awkward for one family in Ottumwa, after a woman was found guilty of using her mother in laws identity to transfer funds into her own bank account.

Between January and July 0f 2023, Ammy Ann Nelson, also known as Ammy Dennison, of Ottumwa, used the identity information of her elderly mother in law to illegally transfer atleast $84,000 into her own bank account. If that’s not bad enough, it was found that the stolen funds were used to purchase $40,363 in Iowa lottery tickets in just a six month period.

On August 26, 2024, the District Court of Jefferson County, Iowa sentenced Ms. Nelson to 10 year indeterminate sentences in the Iowa Correctional Institute for Women in Mitchellville, IA, to run concurrent and be imposed, and took Ms. Nelson into immediate custody. The Defendant was also ordered to pay restitution to the victim in the amount of $84,025.99, and ordered to have no contact with the victim.

Severe heat threatens once again today, with index values reaching into the triple digits. An excessive heat warning has been issued for our listening area. Some records may be broken today, as the highest temperature recorded in Burlington on August 27^th was set in 1955 at 97 degrees.

For those of you who work outside, OSHA recommends scheduling frequent rest breaks in shaded or air-conditioned environments.

As usual, drink plenty of fluids throughout the day, even if you plan to spend the majority of your time indoors. Crank the air conditioning in your car, and do not leave children or pets unattended in a vehicle.

Scattered thunderstorms have now been thrown into the mix, with a marginal risk (level 1 of 5) for severe storms later today. The primary threats are damaging winds, hail, and torrential rainfall.

The Family Tent at the Midwest Old Threshers Reunion in Mt. Pleasant is known for its eclectic mix of entertainment. Groups of all music and entertainment genres have appeared there – family music groups, bands, jazz combos, soloists and choirs. This year will feature a new music entertainment group. On Sunday, September 1 at 3PM, the “Fighting Scots” Bagpipe Band of Monmouth College (Monmouth, IL) will make its MOT debut in the Family Tent for a hour long concert. The concert will feature traditional Irish and Scottish Bagpipe music, along with demonstrations of bagpipes workings, drumming techniques and the unique backgrounds of each of the musicians. Led by Mt. Pleasant Community High School (’15) and Monmouth (‘19) graduate Aaron Kimzey, the performance will be one you will surely want to make a part of your Midwest Old Threshers experience this year.

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.

“With the Farm Progress Show kicking off in central Iowa, much of the state will receive a blast of heat followed by cooler weather as we head into September,” said Secretary Naig. “This stretch of unseasonably dry conditions is providing a nice window for farmers to bale hay, chop silage and begin to seed cover crops.”

The weekly report is also available on the USDA’s website at nass.usda.gov.

Crop Report
The State experienced mostly dry weather this week. These conditions allowed Iowa farmers 6.4 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending August 25, 2024, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Primary field activities continued to be cutting and baling hay and preparing for the fall harvest.

Topsoil moisture condition rated 3 percent very short, 23 percent short, 72 percent adequate and 2 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture condition rated 3 percent very short, 20 percent short, 75 percent adequate and 2 percent surplus.

Corn in the dough stage or beyond reached 90 percent this week, 6 days behind last year but 1 day ahead of the five-year average. Forty-five percent of the corn crop reached the dent stage or beyond, 3 days behind last year. Corn mature reached 4 percent. Corn condition rated 77 percent good to excellent. Soybeans setting pods reached 90 percent, 9 days behind last year and 3 days behind the five-year average. Soybeans coloring reached 5 percent, 4 days behind last year and 2 days behind the average. Soybean condition was 77 percent good to excellent.  

The State’s third cutting of alfalfa hay reached 79 percent, 6 days behind last year but 6 days ahead of the five-year average. Hay condition rated 77 percent good to excellent. Pasture condition rated 65 percent good to excellent. As temperatures rose at the end of the week, stress became a concern for livestock.