Michael A. Chrissinger, 62, of Mt. Pleasant, died Friday, May 23, 2025 at his residence.
Funeral arrangements are pending at the Kimzey Funeral Home, 213 North Main Street, Mount Pleasant. Online condolences may be directed to www.kimzeyfh.com.
NOW ONLINE! 2025 Henry County Fair Book
The 2025 Henry County Fair Book is now available online!
Whether you’re preparing exhibits, planning your visit, or just looking for key dates and details, the digital fair book has everything you need.
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Important Dates, Entry Deadlines, and Event Info
đ Full Digital Fair Book Access
đ Click here to view: https://www.extension.iastate.edu/henry/county-fair
Stay informed and get ready for another exciting year at the Henry County Fair!
Margaret M. Triska
Margaret M. Triska, 92, of Salem, died following a brief battle with cancer on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, at the Southeast Iowa Regional Hospice House in West Burlington.
Margaret was born March 12, 1933, in Salem, the daughter of Walter G. and Mary L. (Hudson) Elmore. She attended the Salem schools. On September 16, 1950, Margaret was united in marriage to Richard L. Triska, at the Salem Friends Church. The couple made their home in the Salem community and raised three daughters. Margaret worked at Salem Elementary School, and later at Kramerâs Convenience Store. She was a devoted member of the Gospel Peace Baptist Church, formerly known as the Salem Congregational Church. Margaret loved attending church, and serving others in any capacity. She also treasured the time she spent with family. Margaret enjoyed tending to her yard and mowing the lawn.
Margaret is survived by two daughters, Susan (Bill) DeWolf of Mount Pleasant, Teresa (Chuck) Kramer of Salem; eight grandchildren; 19 great grandchildren; four great great grandchildren; and two brothers Wayne Buck Elmore of Omaha, NE, Larry Elmore of Franklin, NC.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband Richard; daughter Bonnie Pickard; infant son James Triska; and four sisters Beverly Lyle, Patsy Smith, Mary Lou Stewart, and Miriam Francis.
Funeral service will be held 10:00 a.m. Friday, May 30, 2025, at the Gospel Peace Baptist Church in Salem, with Pastor Aaron Helterbran officiating. Burial will follow in the Salem East Cemetery. Visitation will be held 1:00 â 7:00 p.m. Thursday, May 29, at the Olson-Powell Chapel & Crematory. The family will be present to greet friends from 5:00-7:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial funds have been established for Gospel Peace Baptist Church, and the Southeast Iowa Regional Hospice House. The Olson-Powell Chapel & Crematory is caring for Margaret and her family. www.powellfuneralhomes.com
Kenneth Lee Rich
Kenneth Lee Rich, Jr., 79, of Mt. Union, died Sunday, May 25, 2025 at his home. He was born in Burlington on February 6, 1946 to Kenneth Lee, Sr and Bonnie Jean Ried Rich. On February 18, 1984, he married Rosalee Bell Stuart. She died August 28, 2002.
He was a graduate of Burlington High School. He worked as a machinist and in fabrication for JI Case Company for thirty-seven years, retiring in 2001. Kenneth loved being outdoors and took immaculate care of his beloved acreage. He enjoyed motorcycle rides, driving his jeep with the top off, and boating.
Survivors include his daughters Kendra (Eric) Knottnerus of Ainsworth and Kori Rich of New London; step daughter Gidget (Andy) Crossett of Mt. Pleasant; stepsons Tony (Sharon) Stuart of New London and John (Sharon) Stuart of Danville; thirteen grandchildren; twenty great-grandchildren; sisters Marcia Gaines of Fairfield and Kelly (Mark) Ripperger of Burlington; brother Tony (Liz) Rich of Burlington; brother-in-law Ron Hummer of Burlington; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his wife; parents; son Keith Rich; sister Teri Hummer; and brother-in-law Mort Gaines.
The family will greet friends from 9:00 am until 11:00 am on Monday, June 2, 2025 at Elliott Chapel, New London. A committal of his ashes next to his beloved wife, Rosie, will follow at Trinity Cemetery, Mt. Union. Memorials have been established for the American Cancer Society and Alzheimerâs Research. Online condolences may be left at www.elliottfuneralchapel.com.
Sports, May 28th
High School Tennis
Fairfieldâs Rumin Luo started off the Class 1A State Singles Tournament breezing past Isaac Jackson of Audubon 6-2 in set one and 6-1 in set two to advance to the semifinals. Unfortunately, the Trojan was upset by Parker Stroh of Columbus Catholic, losing the third set by tiebreaker. Luo skipped past Leif Lundberg of Clear Lake in the 5th place bracket, setting up a matchup in the consolation semifinals today against Easton Lubarski of Bishop Heelan.
High School Golf
The boysâ Class 1A state championship teed off yesterday and Hillcrest Academyâs Liam Schrock sits in 3rd place after shooting a 75, just four strokes behind the leader. Rowan Miller carded a 76 (+4) as he is tied for 4th place and looking to end up on the podium. As a team, the Ravens are in 7th place with a score of 338. The championship will conclude today.
Central Lee is tied for 7th after day one of the boysâ Class 2A state championship at Gates Park Golf Course with a team score of 325. The Hawks are led by Caleb Larsonâs 18-hole score of 79, which leaves him tied for 20th individually, and Mylan Lowenbergâs card of 81, which places him tied for 27th place. The championship will conclude today.
Washingtonâs Drew Conrad had the top of the podium to himself early on in the course but cooled off as the day progressed, turning in a 74, which is tied for 15th. The championship will conclude today.
The girlsâ Class 1A state meet will be held at American Legion Golf Course in Marshalltown with New Londonâs Emma Busby and Wapelloâs Emmalin Marshall making the trip, starting tomorrow, May 29th, and concluding on Friday, May 30th.
High School Soccer
In the boysâ Class 1A Substate 5 bracket, Danville was defeated by West Liberty 10-0 last night.Â
The Mediapolis boysâ team smacked Central Lee last night 5-0, peppering the goal with 16 shots on goal. The Bulldogs will travel to West Liberty tomorrow, May 29th, for the Substate Championship at 7 pm.
In the boysâ Class 2A Substate 5 bracket, #6 Burlington Notre Dame was able to fend off Assumption last night in a 2-1 final. The Nikes can punch their ticket to state tomorrow at home against Maquoketa at 7 pm.
A tense atmosphere at East Lake between two Southeast Conference foes was quickly nullified by a Brandon Veloz goal on a mad scramble in the first two minutes of the game for Mt. Pleasant, eventually leading to a 2-0 win for the Panthers over Fairfield when Asa Rose headed in a second half goal. Veloz could not ask for a better group of teammates to play with on the pitch,
âIt’s a blessing, honestly. I moved from first season here, you know, doing things that we’ve never done in this school before. I’m just happy, thankful to God for all my teammates, I’ve been able to spend this time with and just enjoy this season and hopefully continue this run.â
The Panthers will square off against Williamsburg on the road tomorrow at 7 pm for the Substate 6 championship. Head coach Rocco Russo talked about what his team will be leaning on heading into the big game,
âOur defense 100%, I mean Aiden, humble, Abraham, Cass, Cohen Cass, and Jackson Newman. Those guys don’t get any stats on bounds, but you know, without those guys, I mean, we’re not much of A soccer team. Those guys are solid back there. And I mean, our goalkeeper Zach is the real deal. You know, he’s really good. He’s been putting in working. It’s his turn to shine.â
In the girlsâ Class 1A Region 3 bracket, Assumption will take on Washington tonight at 7 pm.
The Mediapolis girlsâ team will host Mid-Prairie tonight at 7 pm.
In the girlsâ Class 2A Region 4 bracket, Fort Madison will square off against Burlington on the road tonight at 7 pm.
High School Baseball
West Burlington outlasted Winfield-Mt. Union last night 9-7. Garret Bence notched three RBIs for the Falcons, while Graham Haines batted in two runs for the Wolves.Â
West Burlington will compete against New London at home tomorrow, May 29th, at 5:30 pm.
Winfield-Mt. Union will square off against Burlington tonight at 6 pm at Community Field.
Mt. Pleasant could not stop Clear Creek Amanaâs offense last night in a 14-1 thumping. Zach Newton tabbed the lone RBI for the Panthers.Â
Van Buren County will face off against Mt. Pleasant tonight at 5:30 pm at home.
Fairfield and Moravia went to extra innings last night after the Trojans scored three runs over the last three innings to tie the game at 6; nevertheless, the Mohawks would walk them off in the ninth inning to win 7-6. Luke Konczal nabbed two RBIs in the loss.Â
Central Lee will compete against Fairfield tonight at 7:30 pm on the road.
Mediapolis and New London needed 11 innings before the Bulldogs could finally push across the winning run to end the game 4-3. Gavin Menke-Bailey tabbed two RBIs in the losing effort. Mediapolis will tangle with Wilton tonight at 7 pm on the road.Â
Burlington Notre Dame started the season off with a 6-1 win over Danville last night. The Nikes will travel to Central Lee tomorrow at 7:30 pm.
Danville will take on Highland tomorrow at 5:30 pm on the road.Â
Wapello will look to right the ship against Hillcrest Academy tomorrow at 5:30 pm on the road.Â
High School Softball
New London fell to Mediapolis last night 9-2. Payton Harris collected five RBIs off of two home runs and a triple at the plate. The Bulldogs will face off against Van Buren County tomorrow, May 29th, at 7 pm at home.
Columbus held off Wapello last night, 6-2. The Arrows will travel to Hillcrest Academy tomorrow at 7 pm.
Columbus will host WACO tomorrow at 7 pm.
Mt. Pleasantâs Paityn Ensminger slammed a two-run homer to get the Panthers on the board first but they were unable to sustain that momentum, losing 11-3 to Oskaloosa last night. Mt. Pleasant will stay on the road tonight to take on Central Lee at 7 pm. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will be on the call with the pregame show at 6:45 pm.
Central Lee continued their offensive prowess from a season ago, handing Van Buren County a 9-1 loss. Jalyn Hawk and Kenna Sandoval each hit home runs, while Marie Young tabbed four RBIs.Â
Fairfield will face off against Van Buren County tonight at 7 pm on the road.
WACO lost to Highland last night 10-0. The Warriors will travel to Winfield to square off against New London tonight at 7:30 pm.
Holy Trinity Catholic defeated Danville last night 8-1. The Crusaders will tangle with Koekuk tonight at 5:30 pm on the road.
Danville will take on Highland tomorrow at 7:30 pm on the road.Â
West Burlington/Notre Dame will square off against West Liberty tonight at 7 pm.
Southeastern Community College
The baseball team avoided disaster yesterday, as Trey OâNeil was able to pitch his way out of a no outs, bases loaded jam in the top of the ninth inning to beat Kellogg Community College 8-4. Abrahan Rios tabbed three RBIs in the win, bringing his World Series total to four. The Blackhawks will compete against East Central today at 3 pm with the winner advancing to the semifinals.Â
Prospect League
Kooper Schulte, the former SCC ballplayer and New London native, put on a show for the Burlington Bee fans last night in a 12-4 victory over the Quincy Doggy Paddlers in the home opener. Schulte went perfect at the plate, hitting for the cycle, while notching 5 RBIs in the dominant performance. The Bees start their four-game road trip tonight against the Normal CornBelters at 6:30 pm.
The Clinton LumberKings shutout the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp last night 7-0 to start the season off right at home. The trio of Jaqson Tejada, Jake Weissenberger, and Jackson Bruno allowed only six hits in nine innings of work, while striking out 10. The LumberKings now hit the road to compete against the Springfield Lucky Horseshoes tonight at 6:30 pm.
This Day in Sports History
1742 – The first indoor swimming pool opens (Goodman’s Fields, London).
2000 – Indianapolis 500: reigning CART champion Juan Pablo Montoya leads for 167 laps to cruise to victory; first rookie winner since Graham Hill in 1966.
2006 – Barry Bonds hits his 715th career home run, passing Babe Ruth on the MLB all-time list.
Henry County Attorney Darin R. Stater Pushes Back on Sheriffâs Request for Outside Legal Counsel
A letter sent by Henry County Attorney Darin Stater, to the Board of Supervisors, and KILJ, reveals sharp disagreement with Sheriff Rich McNameeâs request for outside legal counsel in connection with an ongoing state administrative case involving former Deputy Arturo Perez.
The request, discussed at the Henry County Board of Supervisors meeting Thursday morning, stems from Sheriff McNameeâs concerns about testifying in a disciplinary hearing overseen by the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA). However, Stater argues that there is no legal basis for hiring external counsel at the countyâs expense.
The situation became complicated during April 10 depositions, when Sheriff McNamee reportedly told state prosecutors he did not feel comfortable proceeding without âhis attorney.â That prompted both state and defense attorneys to agree to pause the proceedings.
Following the incident, Stater said he spoke with Assistant Attorney General Lynn Hardisty, who confirmed she did not advise McNamee to seek counsel. Hardisty later offered to meet with the Sheriff to answer any questions about the processâan offer that, as of Thursday, McNamee had not accepted.
Stater said he met with both McNamee and Bell on April 18 to discuss the case and the deposition process. He also confirmed in a May 9 email that he would personally attend future depositions to ensure adherence to Iowa legal standards.
In light of the facts, Stater urged the Board of Supervisors to deny the Sheriffâs request for outside legal representation.
âConsidering that neither the County nor the Sheriff are parties to this action, and there are two public attorneys attending to the Sheriff in this matter, I strongly advise you to deny Sheriff McNameeâs request,â Stater concluded.
It remains unclear how the Board will proceed. A decision could come at a future meeting or following consultation with legal counsel.
KILJ News will continue to monitor this story as it develops.
Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report May 19 â May 25, 2025
May 19 â May 25, 2025
DES MOINES, Iowa (May 27, 2025) â 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.
âLast weekâs cool and soggy conditions sidelined many farmers who were looking to finish planting or complete other field work. Despite the delays, most farmers are grateful to receive the rain as we recharge our soils and give the crops a strong early season boost,â said Secretary Naig. âWe expect a less active weather pattern with warmer temperatures and spotty rain in the week ahead.â
The weekly report is also available on the USDAâs website at nass.usda.gov.
Crop Report
Timely rains while needed, limited Iowa farmers to 3.8 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending May 25, 2025, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Corn and soybean planting continued but some producers are waiting for warmer and drier conditions to start spraying.
Topsoil moisture condition rated 4 percent very short, 15 percent short, 76 percent adequate and 5 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture condition rated 5 percent very short, 23 percent short, 67 percent adequate and 5 percent surplus.
Corn planted reached 95 percent. Corn emerged reached 76 percent, 6 days ahead of last yearâs pace and 2 days ahead of normal. Corn condition rated 0 percent very poor, 2 percent poor, 15 percent fair, 62 percent good and 21 percent excellent. Ninety-two percent of the expected soybean crop has been planted, just over 2 weeks ahead of last year and 8 days ahead of the 5-year average. Soybeans emerged reached 60 percent, 8 days ahead of last year and 4 days ahead of normal. Soybean condition rated 1 percent very poor, 2 percent poor, 17 percent fair, 64 percent good and 16 percent excellent. Ninety-two percent of the Stateâs oat crop has emerged. Oats headed reached 26 percent. Oat condition rated 0 percent very poor, 1 percent poor, 13 percent fair, 69 percent good and 17 percent excellent.
Forty percent of the Stateâs first cutting of alfalfa hay has been completed. Hay condition rated 85 percent good to excellent. Pasture condition rated 68 percent good to excellent.
MPCSD Superintendent Addresses Rumors About P.E.O Memorial Building Demolition
Mount Pleasant Community School District Superintendent John Henrickson is seeking to settle confusion and calm concerns following a recent article that misrepresented the districtâs intentions for the P.E.O. Memorial Building.
The Mississippi Valley Publishing Group recently published a story suggesting that the district had decided to demolish the historic structure, located on the former Iowa Wesleyan University Central Campus, which the school district purchased earlier this year. However, Superintendent Henrickson emphasized that no such decision has been made.
In a public statement, Henrickson clarified:
âSeveral weeks ago I met with correspondent Bob Hansen of the Mississippi Valley Publishing Group regarding Mount Pleasant Community School Districtâs (MPCSD) purchase of the former Iowa Wesleyan University Central Campus. We discussed details of the purchase and how Central Campus fits into the Districtâs long-range facilities plan. Mr. Hansen produced a well-written article; however, the P.E.O Memorial Building is not set to be demolished as the articleâs title states. The MPCSD school board has not âmoved for its destruction.â The District continues to evaluate and discuss the best uses of Central Campus to meet the needs of our students.â
At this time, there are no intentions to demolish the P.E.O. Memorial Building. Instead, the district is considering further community input, potentially through additional surveys, to guide the planning process for the Central Campus.
Residents are encouraged to stay engaged in upcoming discussions, as the district moves forward with careful consideration of both educational needs and the preservation of community landmarks.