Author: Yorke Prough

“Jim and Sandi Hotchkiss of Washington were recognized at the Washington County Fair on July 19 as the 2024 Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame recipient for Washington County.   Annually, every county is to select one recipient for the Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame.

Once members, then parents to 4-Hers, then club and project leaders, and now grandparents to 4-Hers.  Jim and Sandi Hotchkiss don’t recognize a time in their life without 4-H.

They met the summer of 1970 in the sheep barn at the Washington County Fair. Jim then proposed to Sandi under the trees north of the sheep barn during the County Fair. 

Three generations of the Hotchkiss Family have been involved in 4-H leadership.  Jim’s dad was a 4-H leader and superintendent of sheep department. The first brick purchased for the patio in front of the Washington County Extension Office is in honor of James Hotchkiss.  Ruth, his wife, was one of the greatest 4-H cheerleaders to her children and grandchildren.

As a team, Jim and Sandi had great 4-H role models and have become ones themselves.  The Washington County 4-H horse department, arena, barn and kids would not be what it is without the Hotchkiss family.   They have been active filling many volunteer roles and are proud supporters of the 4-H program.  They are great examples of hard work, family focused and generous giving.

The couple will be further recognized at the Iowa State Fair on August 18 for their dedication to Iowa 4-H.”

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department has received a donation of body armor for K9 Kalo.

He will receive a bullet and stab protective vest thanks to a charitable donation from non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. K9 Kalo’s vest is sponsored by Vested Interest in K9s, Inc.* and will be embroidered with the sentiment “In memory of K9 Hobbs, Des Moines, IA – EOW 12/12/23”. Delivery is expected within eight to ten weeks.

*Vested Interest in K9s, Inc., established in 2009, is a 501(c)(3) charity whose mission is to provide bullet and stab protective vests and other assistance to dogs of law enforcement and related agencies throughout the United States.

Mount Pleasant, Wayland, Trenton, places that we call home and love. With RAGBRAI cycling through in just two days, it’s time to show an estimated 25,000 visitors why we love home so much. Currently, riders are cycling 75 miles and over 3000 feet of climb as they reach the halfway point of the race across Iowa. In just two days time, our community will welcome them. Take pride in your town.

Clean up your yard or your business, mow the lawn, and decorate! If you live in Mount Pleasant, the theme is Make Yourself at Home/Americana. This is not the last you’ll hear of RAGBRAI over the coming days, as KILJ Radio is proud to be the official media sponsor.

The Mount Pleasant Community School Board met in special session on Monday evening in what turned out to be a full night of discussion.

The first big ticket item was an update on the Mount Pleasant Community Daycare and the sharing of space with the school district. At a previous meeting, a representative with the daycare met with the board and proposed a before and after school program, which would benefit both the district and the city.

Dr. Angie Butler and superintendent John Henriksen met with Matt Barton regarding using space at one elementary building for a before and after school program. Barton suggested developing a survey to develop the needs of the program, which would be distributed on behalf of the daycare. The district plans to continue working with Barton and moving forward with this, although there seems to be no rush.

A lease agreement was signed with South Iowa Symphony Orchestra to utilize a portion of Old Main, which encompasses the entire third floor, two rooms on the second floor, and accessory rooms and walkways.

Superintendent Henriksen then reviewed where the district currently is with master planning. Historically, the district has upgraded elementary A/C in the past 7 years, a facilities assessment report was completed on all buildings in 2021 (support, attendance centers, EVERYTHING), and focus was shifted to support services after that. Multiple sites were considered for the transportation, central receiving, and buildings and ground facility. The old Shottenkirk facility was one idea, with McWhirter’s and behind the high school the other failed contenders. Ultimately, 1515 E Monroe was selected, and completion at that site is scheduled for Spring 2025 for a total cost of just over $3,000,000.

After the closure of Iowa Wesleyan University, the board determined that many needs of the district could be suited by purchasing facilities on central campus. Currently, color guard camp is taking place in the HOWE Student Activity Center, and it seems this won’t be the only activity to occur in this space.

Following this was the district master planning discussion, as board members conversed about what they would like to see in the future. SVPA architects and Dan Culp with Carl A Nelson Construction Company weighed in during the discussion their expertise.

A blueprint for the central office at HOWE Hall was provided to the board, with the first floor consisting of 5 offices, including payroll, director of finance, social worker, director of instruction, and HR. Completing the first floor is the superintendent’s office, a conference room, and a storage and file room, amongst other necessities. The second floor would consist of a homeschool room with two offices and a conference room, as well as a library and additional storage. A large boardroom would allow between 40 and 50 citizens in the audience to attend meetings.

One additional point of discussion was the potential traffic light outside of the high school. A traffic study was conducted in the past, but after meeting with the city, progress has slowed. One citizen believes the city should take responsibility regarding the traffic study and fix the issue of traffic and collisions outside of the school grounds.

It seems the board would like to explore different opportunities to utilize the central campus. One way they may do that is through community engagement, input, and surveys.

The Henry County Sheriff’s Office dealt with another car vs. wildlife situation on Sunday night. Just after 9:00pm, they received a report of a vehicle collision in the 2500 grid of 170^th Street outside of Mt. Union.  It was determined that Rachel Davis of Winfield was driving a Chrysler van west on 170^th Street, when a deer entered the roadway. Luckily for her, no injuries were reported, however, an estimated $5000 in damages was caused and the vehicle suffered disabling damage.

On July 19, 2024, at approximately 8:41p.m. Des Moines County Sheriff’s Deputies stopped a vehicle near Beaverdale Rd. and Washington Rd. for an equipment violation. A passenger in the vehicle was identified as Rachael Marie Brown, age 34, of Burlington, IA. Brown had two warrants for her arrest for possession of a controlled substance 3rd or subsequent offense and possession of drug paraphernalia. She was placed under arrest and transported to the Des Moines County Correctional Center.

While at the Des Moines County Correctional Center, Brown was found in possession of a bag of pills identified as Alprazolam. Brown was then charged with possession of a controlled substance 3rd or subsequent offense (D felony) and possession of contraband in a correctional facility (D felony).