Henry County Leadership Program Celebrates 2024-2025 Graduates

Mount Pleasant, Iowa – May 13, 2025 – The Mount Pleasant Area Chamber of Commerce hosted a recognition ceremony this week to celebrate the graduation of the 2024-2025 Henry County Leadership class. Over the past nine months, participants engaged in a wide-ranging leadership development journey designed to prepare them for service and leadership within their communities.

The program, organized in partnership with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach – Henry County, provided class members with valuable opportunities to interact with local business and community leaders, tour a variety of workplaces, and complete the “Leading Communities” curriculum—a program specifically tailored to building civic leadership capacity.

Henry County Leadership’s mission is to cultivate a continuous pipeline of well-prepared, motivated individuals ready to serve and lead. The program focuses on three core goals:

  • Identifying and encouraging emerging leaders
  • Strengthening leadership skills and increasing community awareness
  • Empowering participants to actively contribute to the vitality of their communities

Graduates:

Samantha O’Connor, Mount Pleasant Community School District

Scarlett Craig, Southeastern Community College

Haley Rodgers, Rock Valley Physical Therapy

Kristin Brinck, Iowa State University Extension & Outreach – Henry County

Samantha Westercamp, Southeast Iowa Realty, Inc.

Court Fischer, First United Methodist Church

Nichole Hummell, iJag

Joseph Whalen, Walmart Distribution Center

Lisa Rees, City of Winfield

Riley Barton, First Interstate Bank,

“The impact of this program is seen not just in the personal and professional growth of the participants, but in the strengthened network of leaders working together for the betterment of Henry County,” said Rachel Lindeen of the Mount Pleasant Area Chamber Alliance.

For more information about the Henry County Leadership program or to learn how to get involved, contact the Mount Pleasant Area Chamber Alliance at (319) 385-3101 or visit them at 124 S. Main St., Mount Pleasant, IA.

Henry County Supervisors Board of Supervisors May 15, 2025 9:00 a.m.

Henry County Supervisors

100 E Washington St Ste 202

Mt Pleasant IA  52641

Fax: 319-385-3601

 

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

           319-385-0759                                 319-385-0760                                     319-385-0761________

 

AGENDA

Board of Supervisors

May 15, 2025

9:00 a.m.

  1. Approve Agenda
  1. Approve Minutes
  1. Engineer, Jake Hotchkiss Weekly Update.

Motion – Calhoun-Burns Contract

  1. Follow up & Discussion on County Ordinance for Traffic Codes
  1. 2nd Reading on the Alternative Energy Overlay District Ordinance.
  1. Motion to approve settlement of EEOC #26A-2025-000463 and CP # 03-25-83451

in the amount of Twenty Thousand Dollars ($20,000.00).

Supervisors’ Sub-Committee Updates

Prep Girls’ Golf: Highland Goes Back-to-Back for the SEISC Crown

Burlington, IA- The Southeast Iowa Super Conference’s (SEISC) fairways once against belong to the Highland girls’ team as the Huskies cruised to their second consecutive conference championship Monday night by 31 strokes.

Highland was led by the two best golfers on the course in Emersyn Schultz, who carded an 87 (+16), and Adisyn Prottsman, who finished with an 88. The duo also claimed a spot on the All-Conference First Team.

The Huskies had all four scoring members make once of the three teams with Joslyn Prottsman (97) making the Second Team and Adeline Krotz (98) finding her way on to the Third Team.

Wapello’s Emmalin Marshall and Emma Gerhardt helped the Arrows finish just two strokes better than Columbus for second place overall. Marshall claimed the tiebreaker over Hailey Wellington of Columbus to grab the last All-SEISC First Team slot with a round of 93, while Wellington finished as a Second Team member.

Emma Gerhardt carded a 98 to finish on the Second Team as well as Annaka Greiner’s 103 was good enough for Honorable Mention along with Kyndall Stigge.

For the Wildcats, Aracely Garza, who carded a 99, and Kinlee Brown, who shot a 100, finished in 15th and 16th place, respectively, to claim a spot on the All-SEISC Third Team.

Emma Busby was the top golfer for New London, finishing with the 5th best score of the course, a 92, and as the lone Tiger on the All-SEISC First Team. Stevey Wintermeier helped New London finish in 4th place as a team as she shot a 95, the 8th best score of the day, which secured her Second Team honors.

Van Buren County finished in 5th place as a team with a 427, despite Sophia Jirak taking home the bronze medal with a 90 through 18 holes. Callie Kracht collected 22nd place with a 106 as she was the next best Warrior. Kracht was named Honorable Mention.

Danville and Winfield-Mt. Union tied with 437 strokes apiece for 6th place as Ashlyn Bender was the top golfer for the Wolves, carding a 96, which was good enough for 9th place and Second Team honors. Ella Kann took home a 98 and 14th overall, which landed her on the Third Team.

Eastin Chipman’s 17th place finish with a score of 101 gave her Third Team honors for the Bears. Rachael Thompson collected a score of 110 and All-SEISC Honorable Mention.

Mediapolis (446), Notre Dame/West Burlington (460), and Holy Trinity Catholic (461) finished in 8th through 10th place, respectively, as a team. Emersyn Hopkins led the Nikes with a 18th place score of 101, taking the last spot on the Third Team.

The Crusaders leaned on Emma Mohrfeld and Elizabeth Griffin as they finished with a 108 and 109, respectively, and inside the top 30, earning Honorable Mention. Mediapolis had Katelyn Wischmeier and Paytan Gerling card 108s as they each finished with Honorable Mention honors.

WACO’s Morgan Meyer was the only golfer to finish inside the top 10, despite her team ending up outside the top 10; in fact, the Warriors claimed 12th place with a 472. Meyer had a fine day, hitting a 90 for 4th place overall and taking home All-SEISC First Team as a junior.

Marie Young has a similar story as a member of Central Lee as the Hawks finished in last as a team, but Young claimed 11th place with an 18-hole score of 98, a mark that placed her on the All-SEISC Second Team.

Up Next

Classes 1A and 2A Regional Golf will start on Friday, May 16th, with the Regional Finals set for Wednesday, May 21st.

The Mt. Pleasant 7th and 8th Grade Girls’ Track Teams Bring Home Conference Titles

Keokuk, IA- The Mt. Pleasant 7th and 8th grade girls’ teams have dominated the area for the entirety of the season, including a 1st place finish at the Drake Relays in the sprint medley relay that was eight seconds faster than the runner-up. Now, they are SEIMS Conference champs.

(Photo Courtesy of Samantha Freeman)

Both the 7th and 8th grade teams cruised to victories with the 7th grade team totaling 174 points to Washington’s 116 points, while the 8th grade team found 135 points to second place Burlington’s 102.5 points.

The 7th grade Panthers ended up winning seven events as Sofia Holl paced her way to a win in the 1500-meter run with a time of 5 minutes and 30 seconds. Annabelle Szewczyk took the discus with a toss of 67 feet and 5 inches.

Hailey Schadt was a three-time gold medal collector, sprinting to a time of 13.48 seconds in the 100-meter dash and the 200-meter hurdles with a mark of 30.91 seconds. Schadt would leap 15 feet and 10 inches to snatch 1st place in the long jump.

The Panthers displayed the speed in the short relays with a 1st place time of 54.49 seconds in the 4×100 meter relay with the team of Kya Heaton, Peyton Duplessis, Natalie Osterhaus, and Schadt and the 4×200 meter relay squad of Millie Wellington, Aria Lane, Duplessis, and Heaton grabbed the victory with a time of 2 minutes and 1 second.

The 8th grade squad was led by Delaney Anderson as zoomed to victory in the 100-meter dash with a time of 13.54 seconds and the 200-meter dahs with a time of 28.18 seconds. She also collected a silver in the long jump.

Angleica Miles took the win in the 400-meter dash with a time of 1 minute and 9 seconds and Lindsay Hart grabbed the win in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 18.4 seconds.

Similarly, the Panthers found success on the relays. Anderson was joined by Gabriella Myers, Charlize Mullin, and Ellaina McMullin to win the 4×100 meter relay with a time of 55.15 seconds. Elodie Rawson, Ruby Syfert, Chloe Parriott, and Hart ran 4 minutes and 43 seconds to win the 4×400 meter relay.

Lastly, Myers, Rawson, McMullin, and Abby Benge upheld the prestige of the sprint medley relay with a 1st place time of 2 minutes and 3 seconds.

Glenwood Head Start to Host Grand Opening Celebration May 15

Mount Pleasant, Iowa — Community Action of Southeast Iowa is inviting the public to celebrate the grand opening of its newest early childhood education facility, Glenwood Head Start. The celebration will take place on Thursday, May 15, 2025, from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at 302 W Madison Street in Mount Pleasant.

The event will feature a dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony, guided tours of the newly constructed facility, and light refreshments for guests. Attendees can also look forward to appearances by special guests, underscoring the importance of early education and community involvement.

Glenwood Head Start is part of Community Action of Southeast Iowa’s ongoing mission to provide high-quality early childhood services to families across the region. The new center is designed to create a welcoming and enriching environment for young learners, with upgraded classrooms and play areas that promote developmental growth and school readiness.

The public is encouraged to attend, explore the new space, and learn more about the resources and support Glenwood Head Start will bring to families in Henry County.

For more information about the grand opening or the Head Start program, visit Community Action of Southeast Iowa’s website or contact their main office.

Mort A. Gaines

Mort A. Gaines, 76, a resident of Fairfield, passed away Sunday, May 11, 2025 at his home.

Visitation for family and friends will be 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Monday, May 19, 2025 at Behner Funeral Home in Fairfield. A memorial service celebrating his life will begin at 11:00 a.m. Burial will be at Evergreen Cemetery. Memorials may be made to Jefferson County Park or Hospice Compassus in care of Marcia Gaines, 908 Fairview Dr. Fairfield, Iowa 52556.

Mort was born November 16, 1948 in Burlington the son of Dean and Gladdis (Holsteen) Gaines. He graduated from Burlington High School in 1967. Mort married Marcia Rich, October 28, 1967 in Burlington.

Mort attended the School of Horology at Quincy College to learn the art of watchmaking. Mort and Marcia moved to Fairfield in 1970 where he began work at Kurka Jewelers. In 1978 his hobby of photography developed into a business, Mort Gaines Photography. He captured weddings, senior pictures, scenery, and many other events in the area for over 40 years.

Those left to honor his memory include his wife, Marcia; children, Dena (Shawn) Morrissey of Fairfield, Ryan (Amy) Gaines of Cedar Rapids, and Heath Gaines of Fairfield; grandchildren, Shannon and Shane Morrissey, and Regan and Brayden Gaines; sister, Sally (Jack) Ullemeyer of Rock Island; niece, Kristi; and nephew, Kurt.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

Online condolences may be made to Mort’s family by viewing his obituary at www.behnerfh.com.

Charlotte Lavina Rusk

Charlotte Lavina Rusk, 79, of Floris, formerly of Fairfield, passed away Saturday, May 10, 2025 at Jefferson County Health Center in Fairfield.

A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. Memorials may be made to the family in care of 11044 Willow Trail, Floris, Iowa 52560. Behner Funeral Home in Fairfield is assisting the family.

Charlotte was born March 3, 1946 in Fairfield, the daughter of Ben and Maxine (Hagans) Holmes. She married John Rusk, February 8, 1961 in Kahoka, Missouri.

Charlotte worked as a bartender for the former Eagles Club in Fairfield. She enjoyed puzzle books, camping, and watching birds and wildlife at their cabin in Floris.

Those left to honor her memory include her husband, John Rusk, Sr.; children, John (Gretchen) Rusk, Jr. of Fairfield and Brenda (Rick) Champ of Marlow, Oklahoma; grandchildren, Teya, Rhiannon, Robert, Robin, and Craig; eight great-grandchildren; and her sister, Joan (Tracy) Baker of Ottumwa.

Charlotte was preceded in death by her parents, and her brother, Roger Holmes.

Online condolences may be made to Charlotte’s family by viewing her obituary at www.behnerfh.com.

Judith Ann Gaylord

Judith Ann Gaylord, 85, of New London, died Monday, May 5, 2025 at the Grand Canyon National Park Campground while vacationing with her grandson, Bradley.  She was born November 15, 1940 in Burlington, Iowa to Wesley Walter and Alice Emeline Rogers Miller.  On December 6, 1957, she married Donald Lee Gaylord in Mt. Pleasant.  He died October 26, 2020.

She was a graduate of Mt. Pleasant High School and has been a member of Flint Hills Church of the Nazarene since 1964.

She worked as an LPN at Burlington Medical Center and Henry County Health Center for twenty eight years, then twelve years for Dr. Savage.  For fifteen years, she and Don owned and operated JuDon’s Silk Floral and Bridal Shop.

Judy is survived by her children; Nathaniel (Teresa) Gaylord of Gardner, Kansas, Stephen (Angela) Gaylord of Bonita Springs, Florida, and Kimberly (Rollie) Fedler of West Point, Iowa; eleven grandchildren; Michael, Rachael, Brett, Eric, Nathan, Brittney, Bradley, Mitchell, Tyler, Jagger and Wrenley; six great-grandchildren; Caleb, Leonardo, Benjamin, Madelyn, Amelia and Otto; her twin sister Joan Hesseltine of Tullahoma, Tennessee; three brothers, Larry (Peggy) Miller of Rock Island, John (Juanita) Miller of Mt. Pleasant and Jerry Miller of Connersville, Indiana; and nieces and nephews.  Besides her husband and parents, she was preceded in death by her daughter Cynthia Wilson; two great-grandsons; sisters Ruth Seager and Anna Myers; and brothers Herbert Miller, Dale Miller and Wilbur Miller in infancy.

Visitation will be held from 9:00 – 11:00 am, Friday, May 16, 2025 at Elliott Chapel, New London. Procession to Sheridan Cemetery, rural Mt Union, will immediately follow for a graveside service with Pastor Scott Landon officiating.

Memorials have been established for The Flint Hills Church of the Nazarene and Sheridan Cemetery. Online condolences may be left at www.elliottfuneralchapel.com.