Here are the holiday hours for the offices at the Henry County courthouse:

On Christmas Eve, Wednesday, December 24, 2025, the Henry County Clerk of court is closed, while the Henry County Treasurer’s office is open 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Henry County Auditors, Henry County Recorders, and the Henry County Assessors offices are all open 8:00 a.m. – noon.

On Christmas Day, Thursday, Decemer 25, 2025 all courthouse offices will be closed.

On Friday, December 26, 2025 the Auditors, Treasurers, Recorders, Attorneys, and Accessors Offices will be closed. The Henry County Clerk of Court will be open from 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. For assistance, please call 319-385-2632 ext. 5.

The City of Mount Pleasant will be closed on Christmas Day, Thursday, December 24, 2025.

Trash pickup in the city of Mount Pleasant for Lance Refuse and WEMIGA will be moved one day later. If your pickup day normally falls on Thursday, it will now be picked up on Friday. Garbage collection for Wednesday, December 23, 2025 will carry on as scheduled.

Similarly, garbage collection on New Years Day will be moved one day later as New Years Day also falls on a Thursday.

The City of Mount Pleasant offices are closed on New Years Day, Thursday, January 1, 2026.

The Henry County Board of Supervisors met Thursday, December 18th at the Henry County Courthouse to conduct regular business, hear department updates, and take action on several agenda items.

County Engineer Jake Hotchkiss provided an update from Secondary Roads and discussed ongoing projects across the county. Supervisors approved a lease agreement with ITC Midwest LLC to lease 10.1 acres of the county quarry for storage. The lease will run from October 1, 2026, through December 31, 2028, with the county receiving a lump sum payment of $136,350, calculated at $500 per acre per month. Hotchkiss explained that the funds from the lease will go directly toward the cost of crushing rock at the quarry in 2026. Crews plan to build a three-year stockpile of crushed rock to carry the county through the duration of the lease. Secondary Roads will still have access to its stockpiles during the lease period.

Hotchkiss also reported that crews continue work on the bridge replacement project on 235th Street west of Mount Pleasant. Crews have been removing the bridge deck and are working on ramps to access the channel below for additional work.

Supervisors and Hotchkiss discussed potential changes to the county’s dust control fees. Supervisors requested that Hotchkiss return with additional information at a future meeting, including data on the number of residents who submit late applications for dust control.

Zach James with Southeast Iowa Regional Planning Commission presented updates to the Henry County Revolving Loan Plan. James explained that eligibility requirements have expanded. Previously, applicants were required to live in Henry County but outside city limits. The updated plan now allows applicants from anywhere within Henry County. Additionally, the program has been expanded beyond for-profit businesses to include nonprofit organizations. Supervisors voted to approve the resolution updating the Henry County Revolving Loan Plan.

Steve and Marcy Davis provided an update on Preservation of Oakland Mills. The group requested permission to sign an engineering contract to re-evaluate the bridge and assess its structural integrity. Supervisors requested a copy of the proposed engineering agreement for review before taking further action.

During supervisors’ subcommittee updates, each supervisor shared reports from committees they serve on. Supervisor Chad White also addressed an ongoing issue regarding a request from Deputy Lopez for reimbursement of legal fees related to his removal from the Brady Giglio list. White reported that after consulting with an attorney provided through the Iowa Communities Assurance Pool, he was advised that Henry County does not have a legal basis to reimburse those fees. White noted that the board has reached out to Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird for additional guidance but has not yet received a response. No official decision was made during the meeting.

The meeting concluded following additional discussion and routine business.

Area Recyclers wants to remind you of their Holiday schedule for their manned recycling drop off located at the southwest corner of 1000 West Washington Street in Mount Pleasant.

For the Christmas Holiday, the recycling drop off will be closed on Christmas Eve, Wednesday, December 24th. Regular hours will resume on Friday, December 26th. For the News Years holiday, the recycling dop off will close at 2pm on Wednesday, December 31st. Regular hours will resume on Friday, January 2nd.

Please remember the Area Recyclers manned recycling drop off located at the southwest corner of 1000 West Washington Street is normally open Wednesdays and Fridays from 830am-3pm. The drop off is free and open to all residents or businesses with no residency requirements. They accept plastics # 1, 2, and 5, corrugated cardboard, glass, metals, and paper.

For more information, please visit their website.

Iowa farmland values edged up slightly this year, but the gains were uneven — and in parts of southeast Iowa, landowners likely felt more pressure than growth.

The annual Iowa State University Land Value Survey shows the statewide average farmland value rose less than one percent to about $11,550 an acre, a modest increase economists describe as a market “readjustment,” not a boom. After adjusting for inflation, most counties actually saw values slip.

In southern and southeastern Iowa, land prices remain among the lowest in the state. Appanoose County posted Iowa’s lowest average value at about $6,700 an acre, down more than two percent from last year. The broader South Central district, which overlaps much of southern Iowa, continues to trail other regions, with average land values well below the state average.

ISU economist Rabail Chandio says strong crop yields and limited land for sale helped support prices in some areas, but lower commodity prices, high interest rates and tight farm margins weighed more heavily on others — including much of southern Iowa. She notes that while sellers may receive slightly higher dollar amounts than last year, inflation means that money doesn’t go as far.

Overall, the survey shows a divided land market, with stronger increases in northeast Iowa and weaker conditions in the south. For southeast Iowa farmers and landowners, the message is stability rather than growth, as the farmland market continues to adjust to higher interest rates and softer commodity prices.

For more information, watch the Land Value Survey press conference.