Author: Yorke Prough

The state’s largest volunteer river cleanup event, Iowa Project AWARE, is excited to celebrate 21 years of beautifying Iowa waterways and spreading watershed awareness. Over 300 volunteers will be heading to Southeast Iowa to clean up 75 miles of the Skunk River this July 7-12.

This year, volunteers and organizers aim to surpass 1 million pounds of trash removed from Iowa rivers. As part of Iowa Project AWARE’s mission to improve and protect the environment and natural resources, organizers limit contributions to landfills by recycling 81% of all river finds, including 228 tons of scrap metal and nearly 7,000 tires.

Volunteers will embark by canoe on the Skunk River in Richland and make their way southeast to Burlington over the course of five days. Volunteers will load their canoes with trash by day and tent camp and participate in educational programs by night. Speakers from around the state are coming to present on the unique features of the Iowa River, covering topics such as birding programs with renowned birder Kelly McKay, river and lake management with Claire Hruby (Drake University), insights into the Iowa Mussel Blitz with Scott Gritters (Iowa DNR), and the history of the Ho-Chunk Tribe presented by Tribal Historic Preservation Officer Bill Quakenbush, who will also showcase his traditional dug-out canoe!

As volunteers paddle their way down to Mount Pleasant from July 11-12, campers will stay on the outskirts of the city at Oakland Mills Water Works Area. Caleb Waters, Executive Director of Henry County Conservation, stated, “The Henry County Conservation Department would like to express our support for Project AWARE as they continue to improve Iowa’s water quality through annual river cleanups. When the canoes pass through, there is an immediate and visible difference as tires, bottles, and other debris are removed. The group also encourages long-term change by emphasizing stewardship of public lands and a deeper understanding of a river’s flora and fauna.”

Slots are still open if you are interested in joining the cleanup efforts. Registration can be found on their website at www.iowaprojectaware.org

Calling all campers! RAGBRAI is right around the corner and that means camping, and you don’t have to go far to find a great spot. The Old Threshers Campground will be open for camping that Friday evening July 26^th, and registered riders can reserve a spot for $50. This is a 30amp site with shared water. Non-registered riders can also reserve a spot for $70. Registration closes on July 12^th, so hurry and get your reservations in.

Accepted forms of payment include Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express. Call 319 385 8937 to reserve today! As well as a camp site, there will be restrooms, showers, and food and fun on the grounds that night.

The Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program is now accepting applications. This program provides eligible older adults with checks, totaling $50, that can be spent at participating farmers’ markets and roadside stands. This money can be used to purchase fresh, Iowa grown fruits, vegetables, herbs, and honey. To receive an application, please call milestones at 855 410 6222. *Participants who received coupons last year will automatically receive a 2024 application. *

Participants must be 60 years of age or older at the time of application. They must live in the service area of Milestones Area Agency on Aging, and they must have a yearly income below $27,861 if single or $37,814 for a household of two.

On June 8th at approximately 9:40 P.M., Burlington Police Officers responded to a report of shots being fired in the 700 Blk Oak St. Upon officer’s arrival they located multiple shell casings outside of 713 Oak St. Officers learned that two individuals had been injured. Both individuals were transported to Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center, where they were both treated for, what appears to be non-life-threatening single gunshot wounds. This incident appears to be isolated. The facts and circumstances surrounding this incident remain under investigation by the Burlington Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Division.

Anyone with information about this, or other recent shooting incidents, is encouraged to call the Burlington Police Department at (319) 671-7001, or Crime Stoppers at (319) 753-6835. If you leave a Crime Stoppers tip and your tip leads to an arrest, you could be eligible for a cash reward.

Although school is out for the summer, work still needs to be done in the school district. The Mount Pleasant Community School Board will meet in regular session this evening for a board meeting beginning at 6:00pm.

First off is the recognition of retirees for their many combined years of service to the school district. Afterwards, Mr. Wilson, Mr. Adams, and Ms. Sands, will provide an instructional report on summer school, which has begun. Superintendent Henriksen will give an update on Grade-Alike elementary. The transition into the new buildings and classrooms has already began. The Chapel repair has also been going smoothly, and he will update the board on that. You can’t escape hearing about RAGBRAI, as that overnight stop in Mount Pleasant scheduled for July 26^th even affects the school district. Henriksen will give more information on that this evening.

There will be readings on multiple school board policies, and the evening will culminate in a year-end review of the Superintendent’s job performance, as per Iowa Code.

This meeting will be held at the high school media center at 6:00pm, and is open to the public.

Paul and Kadie had a special guest on Friday’s “Generation Gap” episode, to discuss happenings and circumstances surrounding Iowa Wesleyan University. Doug Moore, principal of Highland Group LLC, a Des Moines based company, has been working for the past 12 months on ensuring a smooth transition for the community of Mount Pleasant after the closure of the University. The agreement expired on May 31^st, and Doug was able to provide a recap.

Moore admitted that he was expecting more issues with the properties than surfaced, one example being freezing pipes. However, he stated that the project went better than expected. The dorms were winterized and with the assistance of local contractors, many problems were avoided.

While the vast majority of buildings will be repurposed, one building that did not survive is the Old Gymnasium, and locals may have found that upsetting. According to Moore, the damage to the exterior of the property was beyond repair, and it’s fate was sealed. The pile of rubble that lays there today belongs to the demolition contractor.

Transparency has been, perhaps, the key word in the closure of the former university. With the sale of buildings happening in what seemed to be a very short period, eyebrows were raised. Doug Moore assured that the USDA received all of the proceeds from the building sales and the auction, and that they will forgive the rest of the large debt. Moore is confident that transparency was achieved, saying that in 30 years of work in liquidations, he has never seen such transparency.

He later stated that this process was no faster or slower than other liquidations. When it comes to the periphery buildings, the only bids to come were from those who purchased the buildings. Christopher Ales, along with an ownership recently purchased buildings on the east and west side of campus, and Moore believes he is an “honest and up-front guy.” He has no doubt that those properties will be repurposed into something that will benefit the community.

Whether Mount Pleasant has a university or not, Doug Moore picked up on how special this town really is, and said that he is a Mount Pleasant fan.