Keokuk High School senior Kelly Takorbisong was honored as a Governor’s Scholar on Sunday, April 27, as one of the top academic seniors from across Iowa by the Iowa Governor’s Office, the Iowa High School Athletic Association, and the title sponsor, the Iowa Farm Bureau in Des Moines.

There were 425 seniors honored and Takorbisong was chosen to represent KHS. Takorbisong ranked first in her class, who recently qualified to compete at the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) for a second year in a row this Spring, she is an officer in the KHS FFA Chapter, a member of band, a varsity track athlete that has qualified for the Drake Relays, and participates in many more organizations with numerous honors.

The Iowa Governor’s Scholar program states that it is “proud to continue the tradition to honor students’ hard work, dedication, and perseverance.”

Each student received a recognition plaque and certificate to commemorate the achievement. The Governor’s Scholar program began in 2003.

More than 1,000 Mount Pleasant Community School District residents provided input on the district’s facility needs through a recent community survey.

The survey, conducted from April 7-20, received 1,022 responses. The MPCSD Board of Education and administration requested feedback as they explore options for modernizing and right-sizing the district’s schools.

“The participation we saw in the survey was impressive for a community of our size and speaks to how important public education is in Mount Pleasant,” Superintendent John Henriksen said. “We want to thank everyone who made their voices heard and for providing valuable insight that will help the district with our planning.”

The district has worked with architects over the past year to conduct comprehensive evaluations of existing facilities and formed a Master Planning Committee to identify solutions. Areas of focus include modernizing schools to support 21st-century learning, adjusting the number of attendance centers to reflect declining enrollment and population, and reducing financial and operational inefficiencies associated with maintaining four elementary schools.

Survey results showed strong awareness of the planning process, with more than 92% of respondents indicating they were familiar with the district and Board of Education’s efforts to address facility needs. Additionally, 64% agreed the district’s most urgent needs must be addressed now.

The survey gathered feedback on potential projects including renovation and new construction at Van Allen Elementary School and Central Campus (former Iowa Wesleyan University).  The projects would allow for the closure of multiple elementary schools, reducing the number of elementary attendance centers from four to two.

Approximately 37% of respondents said they would support a general obligation bond referendum in November 2025 to fund the proposed projects.

“We listened, and it is clear that many people understand there are facility challenges our students and staff face, but our community is not yet aligned on how to solve them,” Henriksen said. “We will re-evaluate our next steps and continue engaging with the community.”

A full report of the survey results is available at https://tinyurl.com/mpcsdsurvey.

A house fire on Hedge Avenue claimed the lives of two dogs Monday evening, though no people were injured, according to the Burlington Fire Department.

Firefighters were dispatched at 6:40 p.m. on April 28 to 624 Hedge Ave., where they arrived four minutes later to find the first floor of a one-and-a-half-story home fully engulfed in flames. Crews made entry and quickly brought the fire under control.

The home, owned by Michael and Audra Baker, was insured and equipped with working smoke alarms. The Bakers were not home at the time of the incident. The cause of the fire was determined to be a failed extension cord, and officials have ruled the fire accidental.

The Burlington Fire Department was assisted by Alliant Energy and Gas, West Burlington Fire Department, and Burlington Police. Fireground operations concluded at 8:35 p.m.

Fire Marshal Robert Berndt confirmed that damages are still being assessed.

The upcoming school board election and a series of district business items were major topics at the latest school board meeting from Monday night.

A School Board Candidate Forum will take place Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. in the high school Media Center. The event is sponsored by KILJ Radio and the Mount Pleasant Area Chamber Alliance. Rachel Lindeen, Vice President of the Chamber Alliance, will serve as moderator. The forum is open to the public and will be livestreamed on KILJ.com and broadcast live on 105.5 FM.

The election itself will be held on Tuesday, May 13th. Early and absentee voting options are available; voters can contact the County Auditor for more information. There will be one polling location, set at Manning Hall, adjacent to St. Alphonsus Catholic Church. The decision regarding the polling site was made by the County Auditor, not the school district.

In other business, the board approved the 2025-26 Employee Compensation Packages for non-union employees. Here’s a summary of the approved increases:

• Building Secretaries: Total package increase of 5.161%, starting hourly wage now $15.31.
• Bus Drivers: 3% wage increase (wage only, due to part-time status).
• Managers in Buildings and Grounds, Technology, and Transportation: 3.8% total package increase.
• Administrators (including the Superintendent and Director of Finance): 3.19% total package increase.
• Central Office Staff: 3.53% total package increase.
• Food Service Staff: 14.04% total package increase, raising starting wages to $14.00/hour for new hires in food service.

The board noted that these adjustments are aimed at keeping district wages competitive regionally, as the district has historically lagged behind neighboring districts.

Lastly, the board approved pricing for the 2025-26 afternoon milk program. The milk program will now serve only preschool and kindergarten students, based on feedback from principals and teachers. The cost will remain 40 cents per half-pint of 1% white milk, even though the district’s current cost is about 34.2 cents per carton, reflecting efforts to keep the program affordable.

The meeting concluded with a reminder that the Candidate Forum is on Wednesday evening and the election follows on May 13.

If your gas or electric bill is causing you stress, help is just a phone call away. The 211 network, supported by United Way, connects individuals and families with local resources that can offer financial assistance for past-due utility bills.

By dialing 211, callers are connected to trained specialists who can guide them to programs and services available in their community. Whether you’re facing an unexpected crisis or ongoing hardship, the 211 network is designed to provide confidential support across the United States and Canada.

Don’t wait — call 211 today and ask about utility assistance options. To learn more, visit unitedway.org/211.

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig commented on the Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service.

“Widespread rainfall across the state delayed planting last week, but provided much-needed moisture, easing drought conditions across portions of Iowa. Outlooks for the next few weeks show unseasonably warm temperatures and perhaps a break in the wet weather, which would give farmers a window to get in the field. Weather models are showing much of Iowa has an elevated risk of experiencing varying types and strength of severe weather this afternoon and evening. This is a good reminder to Iowans to be vigilant, have safety plans in place and be ready to take shelter if needed.”

Crop Report
Periodic rains throughout the week resulted in just 2.3 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending April 27, 2025, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. While needed, the precipitation slowed or stopped fieldwork and cool temperatures hampered crop emergence.

Topsoil moisture condition rated 3 percent very short, 11 percent short, 75 percent adequate and 11 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture condition rated 4 percent very short, 21 percent short, 67 percent adequate and 8 percent surplus.

Corn planted reached 34 percent, 2 days ahead of the 5-year average. Statewide, corn emerged was 2 percent. Twenty-five percent of the expected soybean crop has been planted, 1 day ahead of last year and 4 days ahead of the 5-year average. Oats seeding reached 81 percent complete, 4 days behind last year but 2 days ahead of the 5-year average. Forty-one percent of the expected oat acreage has emerged, 3 days behind last year but 4 days ahead of normal.

Pastures and grass continue to green up. Apart from some muddy feedlots, no livestock issues were reported. Some cow calf pairs were being turned out to pasture.