Sports, May 13th

By Slaten Swords · Wednesday, May 13th, 2026 at 6:36 am CDT

High School Track and Field

Danville, New London, WACO, Wapello, Van Buren County, and Winfield-Mt. Union will travel to Sigourney for the Class 1A Region 10 State Qualifying meet tomorrow, May 14th.

West Burlington/Notre Dame, Mediapolis, Columbus, and Central Lee will contend at Tipton for the Class 2A Region 7 State Qualifying meet tomorrow.

Mt. Pleasant will host the Class 3A Region 5 State Qualifying meet tomorrow with Fairfield and Washington making the trip. 

High School Soccer

Burlington Notre Dame swept Mediapolis last night with the girls’ team pulling out a 4-2 victory in comeback fashion, while the boys’ team pulverized the Bulldogs 10-0. Daisy Hazell scored a pair of goals in the girls’ contest and Jordan Edgington scored four goals in the boys’ game.

Mediapolis will face off against Keokuk tomorrow, May 14th, with the girls playing at home and the boys hitting the road with both games starting at 5 pm.

Mt. Pleasant will travel to Burlington Notre Dame tomorrow with the girls’ teams leading off the night at 5 pm.

The WACO boys’ team fell to Columbus last night, 8-1, as Niles Reichenbach scored the lone goal. The Warriors will take on Sigourney-Keota tomorrow at 5 pm at home.

The Wapello girls’ team knocked off Cedar Valley Christian last night, 3-1. Kambrie Miller claimed two of the goals, while Reese Connolly saved 14 shots on goal. 

The Wapello boys’ team will compete against Monticello tomorrow at 5 pm, while the girls’ team will travel to Davenport West on Friday, May 15th, at 5 pm.

Central Lee had their wings clipped last night with the girls’ team falling 7-0 to Canton and the boys’ team losing 4-2 to Hillcrest Academy. Mason Sanders scored both goals for the Hawks. Central Lee will take on Williamsburg tomorrow with the boys’ team playing first at 5 pm.

The Washington girls’ team will hit the road to play Mid-Prairie at 5 pm tomorrow with the boys’ team making the trip to Clear Creek Amana on Friday at 5 pm.

Fairfield will contend with Centerville tomorrow with the girls’ team playing first at 5 pm at home.

The Columbus girls’ team will host Ottumwa on Friday at 5 pm.

High School Boys’ Postseason Soccer

The Iowa High School Athletic Association released the postseason brackets for all four classes yesterday with the first round slated to start on Monday, May 18th, for Classes 1A and 2A and Tuesday, May 19th, for Classes 3A and 4A. Here’s a look at the local matchups.

For Class 1A Substate 5, Mediapolis earned a home game against WACO to kickoff postseason play with the winner advancing to play Pella Christian. WACO senior Niles Reichenbach is hoping to accomplish history,

“… as a team, we’ve never won a playoff game at WACO in our soccer season. I think that’d be really fun to do. That’s one of our main goals, just to win a playoff game and make it to the second round.”

Burlington Notre Dame was given a bye as the #2-seed and will take on the winner between #3 Danville and #6 Wapello.

Over in Substate 6, Columbus will get to host Highland for first round action with the winner heading to Tipton.

For Class 2A Substate 4, #4 Washington will face off against #5 Central DeWitt at home for their first-round showdown, while #3 Fairfield will take on #6 Mid-Priaire at home. The respective winners will compete against #1 Mt. Vernon and #2 Solon.

Alone in Substate 5 is #5 Central Lee, who will travel to Knoxville to start their postseason journey.

Lastly in Class 3A, Mt. Pleasant will get a home game as the #2-seed against Pella in the second round for Substate 4. 

In Substate 5, #4 Burlington will square off against #5 Keokuk to kickoff Substate 5 action.

High School Golf

The girls’ Southeast Conference tournament is slated for today in Washington.

The Mt. Pleasant and Washington boys’ teams will gear up for their Class 3A Sectional Qualifier in Fairfield today.

The Winfield-Mt. Union boys’ team will host the Class 1A Sectional qualifier for Danville, Holy Trinity Catholic, New London, WACO, and Wapello today.

The Mediapolis, Central Lee, and Columbus boys’ teams will meet in Tipton for the Class 2A Sectional Qualifier today.

The Columbus, Danville, Holy Trinity Catholic, Van Buren County, WACO, Wapello, and Winfield-Mt. Union girls’ teams will head to New London for the Class 1A Region 5C meet on Friday, May 15th. 

The Medaipolis girls’ team will host the Class 2A Region 5B meet on Friday with Central Lee making the trip.

High School Boys’ Tennis

Fairfield will host the Class 1A District 4 Singles and Doubles competition on Saturday, May 16th, with Mt. Pleasant making the trip.

College Baseball

The Iowa baseball team will finish the regular season with a three-game series against Purdue starting tomorrow, May 14th, at 6:35 pm from Principal Park in Des Moines.

This Day in Sports History

1905 – World heavyweight boxing champion James J. Jeffries retires undefeated after 7 title defenses; returns in 1910 to be beaten by Jack Johnson.

1983 – Reggie Jackson is the first major league baseball player to strike out 2,000 times.

1985 – Carlton Fisk became the 5th catcher in major league history to steal 100 bases.

Rare White Fawn Found on Indian Hills Campus

By Allison Jacobs · Wednesday, May 13th, 2026 at 6:12 am CDT

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is confirming the rare sighting of a newborn white fawn on the Indian Hills Community College campus today, and is urging the public to enjoy the sight from a distance. The DNR wants to assure the community that the fawn is not abandoned and must be given space to ensure its well-being.

The fawn appears to be either leucistic or albino, both genetic pigment conditions that cause abnormal white coloration. Such sightings are incredibly rare, as all white deer represent far fewer than 1% of Iowa’s deer population, appearing roughly once in every 30,000 deer.

The DNR is monitoring the situation and emphasizes that the fawn is not abandoned. It is common for does to leave their fawns hidden and unattended for most of the day while they feed nearby.

The DNR asks that the public give the fawn and its mother significant space. Please do not approach the animal. Too much human disturbance could cause the mother not to feel safe returning to her fawn.

Iowa law protects deer with more than 50% white coverage from harvest, ensuring these unique animals remain for the community to enjoy from a safe distance.

Traffic Counting Focusing on Southeast Iowa

By Allison Jacobs · Wednesday, May 13th, 2026 at 6:08 am CDT

Drivers across Southeast Iowa may notice additional Iowa Department of Transportation activity along local roads and highways this spring and summer as the agency gathers traffic data to help plan future transportation improvements.

According to the Iowa DOT, this year’s traffic counting efforts will focus heavily on Southeast Iowa. Crews will be installing portable video recording equipment at select intersections and roadways to monitor vehicle traffic.

Officials say the recordings will help count and classify vehicles, track turning movements at intersections, and collect other data used to predict traffic trends and identify future roadway needs.

In addition to the cameras, DOT employees will also place portable traffic counters using air-pressure tubes stretched across roadways. Those devices record the number of vehicles traveling through an area and are typically left in place for one to two days at a time.

The department says workers may be seen checking the equipment during nights and weekends as part of the data collection process.

State transportation officials say the information gathered is critical in helping determine where improvements are needed most and how transportation dollars can be spent effectively.

Additional work planned statewide this summer includes maintenance and upgrades to permanent traffic recorders and weigh-in-motion equipment, along with railroad crossing inventories to document warning systems, gates, and other safety features.

The Iowa DOT is asking motorists to watch for employees and vehicles working along Southeast Iowa roads throughout the coming months.

Prep Girls’ Golf: Highland Owns Fairways for Third Straight Year

By Slaten Swords · Tuesday, May 12th, 2026 at 1:46 pm CDT

Fort Madison, IA- It has officially become a dynasty for the Highland girls’ golf team as the Huskies snatched their third consecutive Southeast Iowa Super Conference (SEISC) title Monday afternoon, besting Wapello by 17 strokes in the process.

Highland turned out to be a tough team to surmount as the team placed three golfers within the top 13. Doing the heavy lifting was the Prottsmans, as Joslyn, a sophomore, and Adisyn, a senior, shot an 81 and 85 to finish in 2nd and 3rd place, respectively. Emersyn Schultz turned in a 98 for 13th place.

Unexpectantly, Wapello and Burlington Notre Dame, who placed in 2nd and 3rd place respectively, were the only other teams to have multiple golfers find a spot in the top 10. Emmalin Marshall finished right outside the top three with a 4th place score of 86, while Macey Kuntz rounded out the top 10 with a 95.

The individual SEISC champion turned out to be a freshman from Notre Dame, as Allee Booten carded a 79 or just 9-over par for the course. Emersyn Hopkins helped out with a round of 88, which was good enough for 6th place.

The Arrows held the advantage in the rest of the rankings as their next three golfers finished between 19th and 22nd place. The next Nike to finish was Brylei Wisemen in 41st place.

Sophia Jirak, who took home the bronze medal a year ago, claimed 5th place for Van Buren County with a round of 87 as the Warriors took 7th place. Winfield-Mt. Union’s Ashlyn Bender was next in the individual order with a 7th place score of 91. In 8th and 9th place were Claire Withrow of Hillcrest Academy and Mediapolis’ Bri Spears, who each shot a 94.

In the next batch of ten, Elizabeth Griffin of Holy Trinity Catholic collected a 96 for 11th place, while Jocelyn Hernandez of Columbus took 12th place with a card of 97, as he teammate Hailey Wellington snatched 17th place. Morgan Meyer claimed a score of 99 for 14th place.

Winfield-Mt. Union placed two other golfers within the top 20 as Ella Kann slotted in at 15th with a score of 100, while Kellee Milks took home a 102 for 18th place. Lastly, Kate Wischmeier claimed 16th place with a round of 101.

New London was led by Sydney Kracht’s card of 105 for 24th place, while Danville’s Aubrey Nahorny grabbed 35th place with a mark of 112. Central Lee had Summer Hunold turn in a 116 to lead the Hawks.

Columbus, Danville, Holy Trinity Catholic, Van Buren County, WACO, Wapello, and Winfield-Mt. Union—or half of the conference—will be traveling to New London for the Class 1A Region 5C meet to start their postseason play.

Team Rankings

Highland: 370

Wapello: 387

Burlington Notre Dame: 403

Hillcrest Academy: 410

Mediapolis: 415

Winfield-Mt. Union: 421

Van Buren County: 425

New London: 445

Holy Trinity Catholic: 451

Louisa-Muscatine: 453

Columbus: 467

Danville: 491

No Scores: Lone Tree, WACO, and Central Lee

Player Scores for Our Local Teams

Wapello

3rd Place Emmalin Marshall: 86

10th Place Macey Kuntz: 95

19th Place Kyndall Stigge: 102

21st Place Annaka Greiner: 104

Burlington Notre Dame

1st Place Allee Booten: 79

6th Place Emersyn Hopkins: 88

41st Place Brylei Wisemen: 115

52nd Place Paige Kramer: 121

Mediapolis

9th Place Bri Spears: 94

16th Place Kate Wischmeier: 101

32nd Place Cardin Miller: 108

34th Place Paytan Gerling: 112

Winfield-Mt. Union

7th Place Ashlyn Bender: 91

15th Place Ella Kann: 100

18th Place Kellee Milks: 102

59th Place Isabella Martinez: 128

Van Buren County

5th Place Sophia Jirak: 87

26th Place Maddie Cochrell: 106

42nd Place Lilly McEntee: 116

46th Place Teagan Sickels: 116

New London

24th Place Sydney Kracht: 105

31st Place Katelyn Allen: 107

39th Place Isabella Busby: 115

48th Place Khloe Upton: 118

Holy Trinity Catholic

11th Place Elizabeth Griffin: 96

25th Place Emma Mohrfeld: 105

50th Place Eva Denning: 119

63rd Place Megan Holtcamp: 131

Columbus

12th Place Jocelyn Hernandez: 97

17th Place Hailey Wellington: 101

36th Place Kinlee Brown: 112

68th Place Ellie Valencia: 157

Danville

35th Place Aubrey Nahorny: 112

56th Place Liz Jensen: 123

57th Place Ava Walker: 125

64th Place Makayla Phillips: 131

WACO

14th Place Morgan Meyer: 99

54th Place Gracie Cardenas: 122

Central Lee

45th Place Summer Hunold: 116

49th Place Lily Smith: 119

69th Place Leah Azinger: 163

Henry County Supervisors Meeting, May 14th

By Allison Jacobs · Tuesday, May 12th, 2026 at 11:18 am CDT

Henry County Supervisors

100 East Washington St. Ste. 202

Mt Pleasant, IA  52641

Email: supervisors@henrycountyiowa.us

Chad White, Chairman                 Marc Lindeen, Member              Steven Detrick, Vice-Chair

        319-981-4614                                   319-981-4615                                    319-981-4612________

AGENDA

Board of Supervisor

May 14, 2026

9:00 a.m.

Pledge of Allegiance

Roll Call of Members and Secretary

Approval of Consent Agenda

Approval of Board Minutes.

Approval of financial claims for payment.

 

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

Discussion & Possible Action on the Draft of the Moratorium Ordinance Language.

 

COMMITTEE UPDATES

Iowa State Extension Planning and Zoning training session was attended by

White –

Detrick –

Lindeen –

 

NEW BUSINESS

Henry County Engineer, Jake Hotchkiss, weekly Updates.

  • Motion 17-2026-20 – Contract for final plans for Bridge #80
  • Motion 18-2026-20 – DOT Agreement Hwy 34 W pave intersection

Approval of Resolution # 9-2026 Inter-Fund Transfer $11,000 to Historic Preservation.

Approval of Resolution #10-2026 Inter-Fund Transfer $1,577,542 to Secondary Roads.

Approval- Motion #41426 to discontinue the Live Feed Viewing of the Board of Supervisors Office from the Henry County Auditors Office.

Board Discussion and Possible Action – Completion of Supervisors’ FOIA Request and determination of funding source for associated costs.

OTHER BUSINESS

  • May 21, 2026, Board of Supervisors Board Meeting at 6:00 p.m.

 

PUBLIC COMMENTS

Note: The Board welcomes public comments on items not listed on the agenda. You are asked to state your name and address for the record and limit your comment to 3 minutes per person to allow opportunity for others to speak.

 

Adjourn

Henry County Leadership Graduates Celebrated

By Allison Jacobs · Tuesday, May 12th, 2026 at 11:17 am CDT

The Mount Pleasant Area Chamber Alliance is celebrating the newest graduates of the Henry County Leadership program.

The leadership development initiative recognized seven participants for completing the program and their commitment to strengthening communities across Henry County.

This year’s graduates include Jessica Boyer of the Mount Pleasant Community School District, Style Haeffner of Meadow and Main Realty and Auction, Hayley Nguyen of Continental, Kendall Prehn of the Henry County Conservation Department, Shawna Schorr of Mount Pleasant Municipal Utilities, Dawn Sines with the City of New London, and Jessie Sirivath of Triple Seven Trucking.

Henry County Leadership is coordinated through the Mount Pleasant Area Chamber Alliance in partnership with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach of Henry County.

The program is designed to help participants build leadership skills while learning more about the communities and organizations that shape Henry County. Throughout the program, participants take part in nine full-day sessions focused on areas including education, healthcare and social services, economic development, agriculture, local government, and public safety.

Organizers say the hands-on experiences and discussions with community leaders are intended to encourage civic engagement and prepare participants to take active roles in the future growth and success of the region.

Henry County Leadership is part of the Chamber Alliance’s Together for Tomorrow initiative.

Crop Progress and Condition Report, May 12th

By Allison Jacobs · Tuesday, May 12th, 2026 at 11:13 am CDT

Iowa farmers made significant planting progress last week thanks to mostly dry weather conditions across the state.

According to the latest Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, there were 6.5 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending May 10th.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said farmers were able to make strong planting progress, despite a few frosty mornings reported in parts of northern Iowa. Naig added that warmer temperatures and more seasonable rainfall are expected through the middle of May, which should allow planters to continue rolling across the state.

The report shows corn planting in Iowa has reached 72 percent complete, matching last year’s pace and running 9 percentage points ahead of the five-year average. Corn emergence is now at 19 percent statewide.

Soybean planting has reached 60 percent complete, also matching last year while sitting 12 percentage points ahead of the five-year average. About 7 percent of the soybean crop has emerged.

Meanwhile, oat planting reached 94 percent complete, just slightly behind last year’s pace.

Moisture conditions across Iowa remain mostly favorable. Topsoil moisture levels were rated 68 percent adequate and 6 percent surplus, while subsoil moisture came in at 74 percent adequate and 5 percent surplus.

The weekly crop progress report is released each week from April through November by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Fairfield Native Receives Pulitzer Prize

By Allison Jacobs · Tuesday, May 12th, 2026 at 11:12 am CDT

A Fairfield native has earned one of the highest honors in American literature.

Daniel Kraus, who grew up in Fairfield before attending the University of Iowa, has been awarded the 2026 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for his novel “Angel Down.”

The novel, released in 2025, tells the story of five World War I soldiers crossing No Man’s Land in search of a rumored German stronghold, only to discover a fallen angel tangled in the battlefield wire. What makes the book especially unique is its structure — the nearly 300-page novel is written entirely as one continuous sentence, without a single period.

Pulitzer Prize judges described the novel as a “stylistic tour-de-force” that blends allegory, magical realism, and science fiction into a single narrative.

Kraus told reporters the award came as a complete surprise, saying he initially thought something was wrong when congratulatory messages began pouring in.

The author said the book’s unusual single-sentence format was intentional and meant to reflect the endless cycle of war. He explained that he wanted readers to feel trapped inside the story in the same way soldiers were trapped in conflict.

Kraus credited his upbringing in Fairfield with helping shape his creativity. He recalled spending hours writing in his basement as a child and frequently visiting Adventureland Video, where he developed an early fascination with storytelling and horror films.

Since leaving Southeast Iowa, Kraus has built a career spanning more than two dozen novels across multiple genres, along with collaborations in film and television. He co-wrote the novelization of “The Shape of Water” with director Guillermo del Toro and completed an unfinished novel by legendary filmmaker George Romero following Romero’s death in 2017.

A film adaptation of Kraus’s 2023 novel “Whalefall” is expected to be released later this year, while “Angel Down” has also already been approved for a future film adaptation.