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.

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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.

At their latest meeting, the Mount Pleasant Community School District Board of Education reviewed results from a community-wide survey regarding facility needs and potential upgrades. Jerry Gallagher of Donovan Group, a communications firm specializing in public schools, presented the findings.

The survey, conducted between April 7 and April 20, gathered over 1,000 responses — a strong turnout for a community of Mount Pleasant’s size. The survey gauged community familiarity with the district’s facility challenges, opinions on proposed solutions, and support for a potential bond referendum.

Key highlights from the survey included:

• Awareness: 92% of respondents said they were familiar or somewhat familiar with the district’s facility issues.
• Urgency: About 58% agreed or strongly agreed that facility needs should be addressed now.
• Bond Support: Only 30% indicated they would “definitely” or “probably” support a bond referendum in November.
• Concerns: High levels of concern were expressed regarding tax impacts, overall costs, and trust in district leadership.

Participants were also asked about the potential consolidation of elementary schools into centralized locations. Results showed strong resistance:

• 68% opposed consolidating all Pre-K through 5th-grade students into two attendance centers.
• 67% opposed closing Salem Elementary, 60% opposed closing Harlan, and 59% opposed closing Lincoln.

Open-ended responses further highlighted community dissatisfaction with the “grade-alike” model, skepticism about the district’s purchase of the former Iowa Wesleyan University campus, and concerns about fiscal responsibility and community engagement.