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: ____12-29-2021_____
JAIL COUNT
22_ Henry County Inmates
33_ Out of County Contract Inmates
55 TOTAL
State conservation officers have charged three men with multiple hunting violations in Des Moines County from two separate investigations for illegal activity that allegedly occurred this fall.
| An anonymous call to State Conservation Officer Paul Kay in October began an investigation into the alleged unlawful taking of a mature white-tailed deer that lead officers to discover additional deer and a turkey were also allegedly illegally taken, as well as, multiple violations for hunting over bait and a felon in possession of a firearm. The individual faces the possible loss of hunting privileges as well as the loss of the firearm used to take the deer and turkey. |
| The second case grew from an investigation into suspicious activity in northern Des Moines County in November that lead state conservation officers to a machine shed where they discovered three mature white-tailed deer along with several antlerless deer that were allegedly illegally harvested. Officers identified two individuals who were charged with hunting over bait, using firearms and crossbows in archery season and multiple deer tagging violations. Both individuals face the possible loss of hunting privileges as well as the loss of the firearms, bows and crossbow used to take the deer. |
Potential fines and civil damages from these cases could exceed $100,000. All individuals are considered innocent until proven guilty.
Bonnie Lou Stotts, 75, longtime resident of Morning Sun, Iowa, went home to Heaven on December 24, 2021 at the Henry County Health Center. Visitation will be held on Thursday, December 30, 2021, from 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at the Snyder and Hollenbaugh Funeral and Cremation Services in Morning Sun. Funeral services will be 10:00 a.m. on Friday, December 31, 2021, at The Way Church in Morning Sun. Burial will be in the Elmwood Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Des Moines County Humane Society in memory of Bonnie. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.sandhfuneralservice.com.
Bonnie Lou Hester was born on June 20, 1946, in Burlington, Iowa the daughter of Clarence “Buss” and Edith (Albright) Hester. She went to the Salem Elementary School and was a graduate of Burlington High School. On June 27, 1964, Bonnie was united in marriage to Archie Eugene “Gene” Stotts at the First Christian Church in Burlington. She was a custodian at the Burlington Medical Center. Bonnie was a member of the Yarmouth Baptist Church and loved visiting with family and friends, going out to eat, gardening, feeding the birds, listening to Country music and was an avid Iowa Hawkeye fan.
Bonnie is survived by and will be deeply missed by her daughters, Tammy( Darren) Wilson of Danville and Kris (John) Dale of Morning Sun; two grandsons, Josh (Randi) Dale of Washington and John Dale Jr. of Ames; great grandchildren Kaitlin, Andrew and Nate Edmonds; sister, Shirley Watson of Burlington; special cousin, Rose Dean of Morning Sun; other family members and some very dear friends.
Bonnie was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Gene, of over fifty years of marriage whom she loved deeply and missed dearly; her faithful pet, Holly and brother David.
Judy Maxine George, 80, of Hamilton, Illinois, died Tuesday, December 28, 2021 at Jefferson County Health Center in Fairfield. She was born September 29, 1941 in rural Mt. Pleasant to Virgil George and Helen Frances Swan Prickett.
On August 18, 1961 she married Melvin Eugene George at the First Baptist Church in Mt. Pleasant.
Judy was a graduate of Mt. Pleasant High School. She attended Word of Life Lutheran Church in Fairfield and formerly attended First Lutheran Church in Keokuk where she was a member of LCW, sang in the choir, and taught Sunday school for twenty years. She and her husband were charter members of Christ Vision TV ministry in Keokuk. She was a cub scout leader and took Tom Ross classes in oil painting; enjoyed line dancing, coloring and drawing, embroidery, and playing with her grandkids.
She worked at the telephone company in Mt. Pleasant as a switch board operator and retired after twenty-five years at Pioneer Lumber in Hamilton.
Survivors include her husband of Hamilton; two sons, Mark (Armilda) of Hamilton and Marty (Sue) of New London; daughter Joni (Mike) Wikman of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada; eight grandchildren; sisters Shirley Giberson of Hillsboro and Barb Prickett of Salem; brothers Gary Prickett of Burlington and Randy Prickett of Salem; and sister-in-law Karen George of Northfield, Minnesota. She was preceded in death by her parents; brothers Ronald and James; two brothers-in-law John George and Dwight Giberson; and two sisters-in-law Debbie Prickett and Brenda Prickett.
According to her wishes, her body has been cremated and inurnment will be at a later date. A memorial service will be held at Elliott Chapel, New London at 10:30 am Friday, December 31, 2021 with Rev. Michael Scudder officiating. The family will greet friends beginning at 9:30 am until the time of the service. A memorial has been established in her honor. Online condolences may be left at www.elliottfuneralchapel.com.
July
College Sports: Two Former Mount Pleasant Standouts Named Heart of America Scholar Athletes
Two former Mount Pleasant standouts were named Heart of America Scholar Athletes, the league announced in July.
Brady Sartorius of men’s basketball and Pat Canby of football were honored.
In order to qualify for the honor, a student-athlete must have a cumulative GPA of 3.40 or higher (on a 4.0 scale) and must have accumulated a minimum of 60 credit hours and completed at least 5 semesters.
Grand View’s men’s basketball team finished 11-12, while the football team finished 7-1.
College Basketball: Former Mount Pleasant Standout Playing in TBT Tournament
Former Mount Pleasant standout Jordan Ashton competed for top cash prizes as a part of the TBT Basketball tournament, where he suited up with the Peoria All-Stars.
Ashton, a 6-4 guard who starred at Iowa State and Northern Iowa, joined a roster of 13 other former collegiate players in a field of 64 tournament.
The No. 13 seed in the Illinois bracket, Ashton’s group took on No. 4 “Always Us” — a team of Oregon alumni in the first round.
Last year, the Golden Eagles — Marquette alumni — won the tournament.
Prep Baseball: New London Heads to State for the First Time Since 2006
For the first time since 2008, the New London Tiger baseball team reached the pinnacle of the Iowa High School State Baseball tournament.
The Tigers rode timely hitting, slick fielding and elite pitching to a 4-2 win in July over Mount Ayr in Oskaloosa clinching their spot in Carroll in the Class 1A State Baseball Tournament.
New London got the scoring started in the 2nd inning and never trailed, grabbing the first olive on Ryan Richey’s booming solo home run, his first of the season.
Then, the Tigers held off every rally started by Mount Ayr.
Kooper Schulte inherited a jam in the 6th as the Raiders put the first two men on and chased New London starter Hecniel Rodriguez.
Schulte induced three ground balls and kept the Tiger lead intact at 3-2.
From there, New London would add on the bottom of the 6th.
Ryan Richey reached on a fielder’s choice and after a Seth Bailey single that put runners on the corners with two men gone, Josh Catala stepped to the plate and grounded an 0-2 fastball into left field for a much-needed insurance run.
That gave the Tigers their 4-2 they would not relinquish.
Schulte worked a scoreless, 1-2-3 7th inning to earn the save as New London then mobbed him.
Hecniel Rodriguez earned the win — he was stellar over five innings, allowing just four hits and two runs while striking out nine.
New London improved to 26-1 with that win before bowing out in Round One to Kee High of Lansing.
August
Prep Basketball: It’s Here — Shot Clock Coming to State of Iowa
For the first time in the history of high school basketball in Iowa, shot clocks will be introduced to the game in the start of the 2022-23 season.
The decision was finalized at August’s Iowa High School Athletic Association Board Meeting.
Now, the state will mandate shot clocks in all varsity boys and girls basketball games starting in the 2022-23 season.
The timer will be set for :35 seconds on each offensive possession.
Iowa became the 10th state nationwide to adopt a shot clock, joining Georgia, Massachusetts, California, Maryland, New York, Washington, South Dakota, Rhode Island and North Dakota.
Major League Baseball: Field of Dreams Game Puts Iowa on Center Stage
More than three decades after the film, the Field of Dreams was back in center stage in August as the world watched the Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees play in Dyersville in the MLB Field of Dreams game.
It marked Iowa’s first ever Major League Baseball game, with a crowd of 8,000 in attendance, more than the double that of the population of Dyersville itself.
Both teams wore throwback jerseys for the contest, harkening back to the legends of the 1919 season.
The White Sox defeated the Yankees 9-8.
Prep Football: Not Bad — W-MU’s Buffington Provides Ten Touchdowns as Wolves Break the Scoreboard
The Winfield-Mount Union football team scored early and often as the Wolves rolled to a 84-34 win over Moravia in August.
The noteworthy bit was Cam Buffington making his debut at quarterback — it did not disappoint.
The Iowa recruit finished 11-of-15 passing for 288 yards and six touchdowns, while rushing 19 times for 152 yards and four more touchdowns, accounting for 10 in total.
September:
College Football: Wesleyan’s Esquivel Named Conference Offensive Player of the Week
Iowa Wesleyan quarterback Gavin Esquivel was named the North Star Athletic Association Conference offensive player of the week for the week of September 14th
Esquivel completed 24-of-40 passes for 393 yards and three touchdowns.
Esquivel’s longest completed pass was 69 yards and the gunslinger connected with 10 different receivers in the game.
Esquivel was the first Iowa Wesleyan football player to earn conference honors as the Tigers joined the conference this season along with their return to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletic.
College Wrestling: Iowa Adds Women’s Wrestling
The University of Iowa announced in September the addition of women’s college wrestling — the Hawkeyes are the first power five program to do so.
With the addition of women’s wrestling, Iowa now offers 22 sports including 14 women’s teams.
The program is slated to begin competition in the 2023 season.
One of the first highlights of the second quarter 2021 was the announcement in April that Mount Pleasant teacher, Lorna Hood, had been named the Iowa Headstart Teacher of the Year. Hood teaches at the Tolson Community Action Center in Mount Pleasant. She has been teaching since 1999. Hood is the daughter of Doris and Larry Price, also of Mount Pleasant.
May 3 two bodies were discovered while Mount Pleasant Fire fighters battled a house fire on Redbud Lane. Monday morning about 3:30 the call came in from 1004 Redbud. The bodies were located inside the house. Investigators with the State Fire Marshalls Office and the Division of Criminal Investigation were called in. The victims’ names were not immediately released but records and neighbors confirmed it was the home of Khay and Keith Baccam. Funeral Services were held for the couple but it wouldn’t be until July that investigators would confirm it was in fact the Baccams who died in the fire.
The first week of May the Mount Pleasant Chamber Alliance showcased five small businesses during National Small Business Week, recognizing the important contributions of America’s entrepreneurs and small business owners. Smith Plumbing Heating and Cooling was the final winner was announced at the end of the week during a special celebration luncheon. The week was filled with open houses and ribbon cuttings for each of the nominees that also included Airport Road Vineyard/Crossfit Teo, Big Dog Tattoos & Piercing, Jason Smith Plumbing, Heating and Cooling, Little Mexico and Zeglen Construction.
At the May Mount Pleasant School Board meeting Supt John Henriksen recommended to the board that Mike Wilson be promoted from High School associate principal to the position of principal. Long time principal Todd Leichty has accepted a supt position and when he tendered his resignation, according to Henriksen, Wilson came forward. Middle School Associate Principal Dalton Stone stepped up to take the same position at the High School.
At a special meeting of the Wayland City Council in May Dustin Stuelke was offered the city’s Police Chief position. Stuelke replaced Ron Roth who submitted his resignation in February to be effective July 26th. Roth had served in the position since April of 2002. On May 16, 2021, Deputy Sheriff Chad Doak, was appointed as the new Chief Deputy. A 30 year veteran of the department Chad started as a reserve deputy2, worked as a part-time jailer, and became a deputy sheriff in 1995. Deputy Doak replaced Chief Deputy Tracy Brooks who retired from the position.
In May the Mount Pleasant City Council approved a site plan submitted by an out of state developer for a two-tenant building to be constructed on North Grand Avenue replacing the Old Buff’s Truck Plaza. According to the site plan one space is designed primarily for a retail business. The second space is intended for a restaurant that also includes a drive-thru.
At the end of May the Mount Pleasant City Council approved a high-quality jobs application and the sale of land in the Crossroads Industrial Park for Mid-Am Building Supply to complete an $8.6 million expansion in Mount Pleasant, IA.
Mid-Am Building Supply came to Mount Pleasant in 1984 and continued to grow increasing sales volume, production capabilities and service foot print. However, over the last couple of years it became apparent that growth could no longer take place in the current facility. Following the Mount Pleasant City Council’s approval of the sale of the last three available lots in the Crossroads Industrial Park to Mid-Am, the company announced construction of a new, 120,000 square foot facility on the 19-acre piece of ground on Bluegrass Road.
In her announcement of the Citizen of the Year on May 27, Mount Pleasant Chamber Executive Kristi Perry quoted Billy Graham….The greatest legacy one can pass on to one’s children and grandchildren is not money or other material things accumulated in one’s life, but rather a legacy of character and faith. She cited those have received the honor in the past and shared that honor with their parents….like Melinda Huisinga and Mary Elgar. She went on to announce that Matt Schimmelpfennig was selected as the 2020 is the Citizen of the Year! His parents JD and Kathy were honored in 2013.
On 5-31 following the third and final reading, a new ordinance regulating ATV/UTV use on Henry County secondary roads received final approval Tuesday on a 2 to 1 vote by the Board of Supervisors. The new ordinance would go into effect July 1, 2021.
5-31
The highlight of this quarter for KILJ Radio was addition of 98.5 FM that went live at the end of May.
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.
Henry County Jail
Date: ____12-28-2021_____
JAIL COUNT
22_ Henry County Inmates
34_ Out of County Contract Inmates
56 Total
