Mount Pleasant Utilities customers, especially the elder, are being targeted in a newly reported phone scam.  Customers who have received the automated call report getting a message that says you are late paying your bill and utility service will be cut in 45 minutes if you don’t send payment electronically.  The message then directs you to give your bank information. Mount Pleasant Utilities manager Jack Hedgecock confirms these are scam calls.  If, in fact, you are behind on your utility bill payments, you should have already received a formal notice posted on your door. Hedgecock also said there are no disconnections taking place over the holiday weekend. The Mount Pleasant Utility office is closed today but Hedgecock said dispatch is reporting a lot of calls from concerned residents.  If you have any further questions about this scam or your bill please call the business office Monday, January 3.  Also please note, you can’t rely on caller i.d. to pin point where the calls are coming from. Customers of other energy providers have received scam calls like this.

The Mount Pleasant Public Works Department is gearing up for the weekend winter storm. Here are some reminders for Mount Pleasant residents that will ensure the City can provide effective and safe traffic flow.

All residents are asked to limit or remove vehicles parked on side streets.  These vehicles can be a hindrance to proper snow removal. City ordinance states vehicles parked on side streets and in public parking lots must be moved every 24 hours

City Ordinance requires residents to remove snow from sidewalks within 24 hours of the end of the storm to ensure safety of postal carriers and pedestrians.

City Ordinance also states that snow removed from driveways should not be deposited in the street.

A couple of other notes:

After a snow storm residents are asked to clear a path to a fire hydrant if there is one in front of your property. Also, be sure to clear sidewalks, steps and porches leading to mail boxes. If you are a rural resident try to clear the area in front of your mail box so the rural postal carrier can get as close as possible to your mail box.

At 4:34 PM, Thursday, December 30th 2021, the Burlington Fire Department responded to a
reported house fire at 1413 Gnahn Street in Burlington, IA. The Battalion Chief arrived at 4:38
PM and reported smoke and fire showing from the first floor of the one and a half story single
family residence. A box alarm was struck which resulted in a call for off-duty Burlington
firefighters. West Burlington firefighters responded on automatic aid. Initial engine company
arrived one minute later. Firefighters gained access through a walk out basement door and
contained the fire to the first floor.
The single family one and half story wood frame house is owned and occupied by Angel
Magnuson and is insured. Damage is estimated at $25,000 to the structure and $20,000 to
contents. The residence had multiple working smoke detectors. No one was home at the time of
the incident. No injuries were reported.
The cause of fire remains under investigation by the Burlington Police and Fire Departments.
Twelve on-duty Burlington firefighters responded to the initial call with an additional five offduty Burlington firefighters being called in. Nine West Burlington firefighters as well as
Superior Ambulance assisted on scene. Burlington Police Department, Alliant Energy and Gas,
1800 Board up, and Red Cross also assisted at the scene. Firefighters cleared the scene at 7:35
PM.

Henry County Jail

In the interest of keeping Henry County residents informed, the Henry County Sheriff’s office has requested KILJ post the daily jail count. During the jail referendum campaign it was publicized that the jail would be able to house additional inmates from surrounding counties and this would generate revenue for Henry County.

Date:   ____12-31-2021_____

JAIL COUNT

  27_    Henry County Inmates

 39_    Out of County Contract Inmates              

 66  Total

Let’s take look at the news highlights from the fourth and final quarter of 2021. On October 4t the Iowa Wesleyan University Board of Trustees agreed to a two-year contract extension for Christine Plunkett, IW’s 30th president, and the first female president in its 180-year history. Under the new contract terms, Plunkett will remain in the position through the end of May 2024.

On October 16 Judge MaryAnn Brown of Judicial District 8B announced her retirement effective Dec. 31. The district includes Henry, Lee, Des Moines, and Louisa counties in southeast Iowa. Judge Brown is a graduate of Mount Pleasant High School. Later in the quarter District Judge Myron Gookin of Fairfield was named to succeed Brown effective January 1.

Since 1981 the Fellowship Cup in Mount Pleasant has been offering a little help along the way. Over 40 years local churches, businesses and individuals have generously support the mission of service and outreach. The Fellowship Cup took time in October time to not only celebrate this milestone but also say thank you to everyone who has contributed in some way to this strong community led organization.

Of course, elections always make headlines.  November 2 voters went to the polls to vote in the school board and municipal city elections. Salem voters found themselves with more choices than usual for city council and mayor. In fact

November 9 when the Henry County Board of Supervisors canvased the votes from the November 2 municipal elections the supervisors had to decide a tie for Salem Mayor. There were three candidates for the position.  The top two vote-getters, Kelly Anderman and James Tomson, each received 40 votes so those two names went into the hat. Anderman’s name was drawn making him mayor of Salem.

November proved to be a tragic month in terms of teen violence. November 3 the body of Fairfield High School teacher Nohema Graber was found in a Fairfield park. The following afternoon the Jefferson County attorney’s office issued a press release regarding the arrest of two 16 year olds in connection with Graber’s death. Willard Noble Chaiden Miller and Jeremy Everett Goodale, have been charged with Homicide in the First Degree, and Conspiracy to Commit Homicide in the First Degree.

17-year-old Dimari D. J. Meredith of Fort Madison was arrested and charged with 1st degree murder in connection with the November 3 shooting death of a 15-year-old boy in Fort Madison.

On November 7 law enforcement and emergency medical personnel were dispatched to a home in Fairfield on a report that an individual in the home had suffered a gunshot wound to the head. 21 year old Finnegan Edward Malloy, reported that 19 year old Caleb Heisel had shot himself in the head while playing “Russian Roulette.” Heisel was found dead with what appeared to be a gunshot wound to the head. Malloy was arrested on November 24 by Fairfield Police, and is charged in Jefferson County with one count of Assisting Suicide, and one count of Aiding and Abetting Reckless Use of a Firearm.

And on November 14 West Burlington Police were dispatched to Pat Klein Park, 631 Swan Street, West Burlington for a report of shots fired. Upon arrival, police discovered an eighteen year old that had been shot. The victim was transported to the South East Iowa Regional Medical center where he was declared deceased. Law Enforcement took into custody a juvenile related to the investigation.

The 4^th quarter of 2021 was good for Iowa Wesleyan University in terms of support for facility improvements. In recognition and appreciation of Iowa Wesleyan’s longstanding and ongoing relationship with National Management Resources, the firm committed a generous gift of $250,000 to support campus improvements and student retention initiatives. Since 2001 Iowa Wesleyan has partnered with National Management Resources for its facilities, maintenance, landscaping, and housekeeping services. The gift will support facility enhancements on campus as a result of the University’s enrollment growth and the switch back to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Iowa Wesleyan also announced a $240,000 gift from Steven and Jill Howe to fund initiatives to support the Student Success Center.  The Center will be named the Steven and Jill Howe Student Success Center in recognition of their generosity. Over the past two years, Iowa Wesleyan has devoted significant staffing and financial resources to expanding university-wide student success initiatives.

The year finished on a high note for Winfield. The new Winfield Hy-Vee Clinic Pharmacy, located at 107 N. Locust Street in Winfield opened its doors to the public at 8 a.m. on Friday, Nov. 12. The approximately 900-square-foot clinic pharmacy operates as a telepharmacy and provide patients with a direct line of communication to a pharmacist without having to leave their community. At the Winfield Hy-Vee Clinic Pharmacy, patients can access the following services: Automated prescription refill ordering, Generics medication discount list, Private medication consultation. The Winfield Hy-Vee Clinic Pharmacy also offers over-the-counter health and convenience-style items. Though it does not have a full-time pharmacist, it will have a pharmacist on site 16 hours per month. The Mount Pleasant Hy-Vee is the home store for the Winfield pharmacy location.

2022 is a boat registration year and Iowans will be registering about 215,000 boats before April 30.

Boat registrations are handled by Iowa’s county recorders and boat owners may bring their current registration to any recorder’s office when they renew. Nonresidents who register their boat in Iowa will go to the county where the boat is primarily used.

Owners who purchased a boat from a private seller and are registering it in their name should bring the signed registration and to make sure the title is signed over to them, if applicable.

Boat registrations are good for three years. Only boats displaying a current registration are allowed to operate on Iowa waters. Registration fees go to support water trails, navigation enforcement, aquatic invasive species, boater education and safety, and the registration system.