Early Season Report: Mt. Pleasant Girls’ 7th and 8th Grade Track and Field Teams Breaking Records

By Slaten Swords · Tuesday, April 15th, 2025 at 1:45 pm CDT

Mt. Pleasant, IA- The future is bright for Mt. Pleasant track and field as the girls’ 7th and 8th grade teams dismantled the meet and school record books in their first two meets of the season. Here’s some of the highlights from their competitions.

(Photo Courtesy of Julie Gilmore)

On April 11th, the Panthers picked up their first win of the season in front of the home crowd. The 8th grade girls’ squad of Lindsay Hart, Delaney Anderson, Ruby Syfert, and Avery Fedler took home the distance medley crown and record.

The 7th grade girls follow suit in the 4×1200-meter relay, setting a relay record with the team of Kya Heaton, Natalie Osterhaus, Peyton Duplesis, and Hailey Schadt.

A trip north to Washington saw the Panthers take home both championship plaques. Despite the adverse conditions, Fedler established new school record times in the 400-meter dash and the 800-meter run.

(Photo Courtesy of Julie Gilmore)

Iowa House of Representative, Taylor Collins, Hired as Executive Director Economic Development

By Allison Jacobs · Tuesday, April 15th, 2025 at 11:05 am CDT

The Greater Burlington Partnership is pleased to welcome Taylor Collins as the new Executive Director of Economic Development, effective May 1, 2025.

In this role, Taylor will lead strategic efforts to attract and retain businesses, support entrepreneurship, and promote job growth across the region. With a strong background in public policy and economic development, his leadership will be instrumental in shaping the future of Greater Burlington.

Taylor currently serves in the Iowa House of Representatives and brings with him a wealth of experience in both state government and rural economic policy.

We look forward to the energy and vision Taylor will bring as we continue to grow Greater Burlington’s economy and create new opportunities for businesses and workers alike.

Learn more at GreaterBurlington.com.

Sports, April 15th

By Slaten Swords · Tuesday, April 15th, 2025 at 6:30 am CDT

High School Track

Columbus competed in the Mike Kautz Invitational last night with the girls’ team grabbing 3rd place with 116 points and the boys’ team running away with 237 points and the victory. On the girls’ side, Kymila Bacon won the 100-meter dash with a time of 14.16 seconds. Ariana Vergara took the win in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 18.44 seconds, which led to a win in the shuttle hurdle relay. Bella Forbes heaved the shot 33 feet and 10.25 inches for the gold. 

For the boys’ team, Riley Kaalberg claimed 1st place in the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.96 seconds and the long jump with a leap of 19 feet and 8 inches. Lamar Ceant nabbed the 200-meter dash with a time of 24.16 seconds. Ty Muniz tabbed a 1st place time of 2 minutes and 17 seconds for the win in the 800-meter run. Angel Venzor finished in 1st place in the 400-meter hurdles with a mark of 1 minute and 3 seconds. 

Columbus will head to Central City on Thursday, April 17th, for a Co-Ed meet. 

The Mt. Pleasant, New London, Danville, Mediapolis, Van Buren County, Winfield-Mt. Union, Fairfield, West Burlington/Notre Dame and Central Lee girls’ teams will participate in the Pen City Relays tonight.

The Wapello boys’ team will host their own relays tonight with Danville, Mediapolis, West Burlington/Notre Dame, and Winfield-Mt. Union making the trip.

The New London boys’ team and WACO will compete in the Lisbon Opener tonight. 

High School Tennis

The Mt. Pleasant girls’ team faced off against Fairfield last night and was shutout 9-0 by the Trojans. Natalie Steele and Faeven Gebremariam notched shutout wins in their singles matches. For the Panthers, Lila Cook and Hannah Villaplaza had the closest match of the doubles competition, falling 8-5.

Mt. Pleasant will square off against Burlington on Thursday, April 17th, with the boys on the road and the girls’ taking on the Grayhounds at home.

The Fairfield boys’ team will face off against Davis County at home tonight, while the girls’ team will hit the road. 

High School Golf

WACO split their matchup against Highland yesterday with the girls’ team losing 297-196 and the boys’ team winning their showdown 218-252. Gracie Cardenas led the girls’ team with a nine-hole score of 71, while Ian Maize carded a 48 for the boys’ team. The Warriors will square off against Winfield-Mt. Union at home on Thursday, April 17th.

Winfield-Mt. Union took on Wapello yesterday and the boys’ team exited with the win 183-207 as Justin Knipfer shot a 44 for the Wolves, while Barrett Garrison finished with a 46 for Wapello. Emmalin Marshall’s 55 for Wapello secured the victory over the Wolves 232-251 as Ashlyn Bender took home a 59. 

Van Buren County swept Danville last night with the boys’ team winning 174-207 and the girls’ team sneaking past the Bears 208-217. Aidan McEntee paced the field on the boys side, shooting a 40 for the Warriors, while Alex Holtkamp tied for the 2nd best score with a 44. On the girls’ side, Sophia Jirak carded a 47 for Van Buren County, while Aubrey Nahorny tabbed a 51 for the Bears. 

The Van Buren County boys’ team will compete in a triangular on April 21st at the Bloomfield County Club. 

Danville will travel to Holy Trinity Catholic tomorrow, April 16th. 

The Central Lee boys’ team defeated Burlington Notre Dame 164-176 as Caleb Larson shot a 40 for the Hawks. The Central Lee girls’ team was led by Marie Young, carding a 55. New London will host Central Lee today.

Keokuk hosted the boys’ teams of the SEC as Washington’s team score of 160 led the charge followed closely behind by Mt. Pleasant’s 164. Brody Engle and Merrick Lamm tied for the 3rd best score of the day with a 39 (+4) as Engle was one of seven golfers to sink a birdie. Fairfield finished in 4th place with a score of 177, despite Drew Myers finishing with the 2nd best score of 3-over par. Fort Madison’s Brady Wade tabbed the best score of the meet, holing two birdies for a nine-hole score of 36 (+1). 

The SEC girls’ teams traveled to Fort Madison for their meet and in a tightly contested showdown that had the top three spots decided by five strokes, the hosts finished in 2nd place with a team score of 210 behind Keokuk’s 206. Mt. Pleasant grabbed 3rd place with a score of 211, while Fairfield finished in 5th place. 

The Mt. Pleasant boys’ team will host the next SEC meet on Thursday, while the girls’ SEC meet will take place in Keokuk. 

The Mediapolis boys’ team will compete in the Golden Hawk Invitational today at Kalona Golf Course. 

Holy Trinity Catholic will travel to Flint Hills Golf Club today with Burlington Notre Dame competing. 

Columbus will head to New London tomorrow, April 16th, for a tournament with Mediapolis making the trip.

High School Soccer

The Mt. Pleasant boys’ team squashed Washington last night, allowing only three shots on goal in a 4-0 home victory over the Demons. Brandon Veloz tabbed two goals, while Dylan White scored a goal and assisted on the three other goals. 

The Mt. Pleasant girls’ team was leading 3-1 at halftime but the game was called due to a lack of officials. The game will be made-up at a later time. 

The Mt. Pleasant girls’ team will host Keokuk on Thursday, April 17th, at 4:30 pm. The boys’ team will compete at the Fort Madison Tournament on Saturday, April 19th, along with Mediapolis.  

Fairfield was snubbed by Fort Madison, losing 3-0 in the girls game and 4-0 in the boys game. Teagan Snaadt netted two goals for the Bloodhounds in the girls contest as did Connor Horn in the boys game. The Trojans will take on Washington on Thursday at 5 pm with the boys on the road and the girls at home.

The Danville boys’ team snatched their first win of the season in a 1-0 shutout of WACO last night. Alex Pfadenhauer had the lone goal for the Bears, while Aiden Konig made 12 saves. 

The Central Lee boys’ team will face off against Danville tonight at 5 pm on the road. 

Mediapolis demolished Wapello last night with the girls grabbing a 7-0 win, while the boys’ team glided to a 10-0 victory. The Mediapolis girls’ team will take on Canton on the road tonight at 6 pm.

The Wapello girls’ team will tangle with Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union at 5 pm on Thursday at home.

The Columbus boys’ team handed Highland their first loss of the season last night, winning 2-1. The Wildcats will have a road contest against Tipton tonight with the girls game kicking off the night at 5 pm.

The Burlington Notre Dame girls’ team will host Quincy Notre Dame on April 22nd at 7 pm and the boys’ team will continue on their road series tonight at 5 pm against Fort Madison.

Southeastern Community College                                                     

The softball team will compete in a doubleheader against Marshalltown Community College on the road on Friday, April 18th, with first pitch at 2 pm.

The baseball team will stay at home today against Illinois Central College at 4 pm.

This Day in Sports History

1896 – The First Modern Summer Olympic Games close at the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens, Greece; the USA wins the gold medal count with 11; Greece wins the total medal count at 46; IOC has retroactively assigned gold, silver & bronze medals to 3 best placed athletes in each event.

1947 – Jackie Robinson becomes the first African-American to play in major league baseball.

1997 – Baseball honors Jackie Robinson by retiring #42 for all teams.

Mount Pleasant Community School District Holds Budget Hearing to Certify Spending Authority for Fiscal Year 2026

By Hayden Douglas · Tuesday, April 15th, 2025 at 6:30 am CDT

Mount Pleasant Community School District Holds Budget Hearing to Certify Spending Authority for Fiscal Year 2026

Mount Pleasant, Iowa – The Mount Pleasant Community School District held the last public hearing last night to certify its proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2026, as required by state law.

During the hearing, it was explained that the proposed property tax rate for FY26 is $11.97 per $1,000 of assessed valuation, a decrease from the current year’s rate of $12.23. Officials emphasized that this certification is about setting the legal maximum that the district can spend—not what it plans to spend.

For more information or to view the proposed budget documents, community members are encouraged to visit the school district’s official website.

Career Planning, Facilities Updates, and Legislative Developments Highlight April School Board Meeting

Facilities Master Planning and Survey

Superintendent Henriksen led the discussion on the Facilities Master Plan, noting that a public survey remains open until Sunday, April 20th. As of the latest update, about 600 people had responded, with hopes of reaching 1,000. A leadership committee will meet Thursday, April 25, to review results, with the full board set to discuss findings Monday, April 28.

Special Election Scheduled

A special election for District 2 is scheduled for Tuesday, May 13. Nomination papers are due Friday, April 18, by 5 PM. The polling place is Manning Hall on South Jackson Street, and absentee voting will be available. The anticipated cost of the election is between $5,000 and $6,000, covering staffing, ballots, and equipment updates.

Prom and Graduation Details

High School Principal Mr. Wilson confirmed that Prom will be held Saturday, May 3, beginning with promenade at 4:30 PM, followed by the dance at the high school gym from 8–11 PM. The theme is City of Lights. Graduation is scheduled for Sunday, May 18, at 2:30 PM, also in the high school gym.

Mount Pleasant Prom and Graduation Details

By Hayden Douglas · Tuesday, April 15th, 2025 at 6:27 am CDT

Prom and Graduation Details

The theme is “City of Lights”

High School Principal Mr. Wilson confirmed that Prom will be held Saturday, May 3, beginning with promenade at 4:30 PM, followed by the dance at the high school gym from 8–11 PM.

Graduation is scheduled for Sunday, May 18, at 2:30 PM, also in the high school gym.

Mount Pleasant School District Counselors Present to School Board

By Hayden Douglas · Tuesday, April 15th, 2025 at 6:25 am CDT

During the MPCS board meeting, board members heard from several members of the school counseling team, who introduced themselves and explained the scope of services they provide to students from elementary through high school.

 

The team emphasized the increasing mental health and social-emotional needs of students. They shared their work in providing tiered supports—including classroom lessons, small group counseling, individual check-ins, and crisis response. Counselors also facilitate behavior interventions like check-in/check-out systems and restorative circles.

 

A key focus was the ideal counselor-to-student ratio recommended by the American School Counselor Association: 250:1. The district is currently exceeding that ratio in some buildings, with some counselors carrying caseloads approaching double the recommended level.

The counselors shared how they’re adapting spaces to meet student needs, sometimes working from libraries or staff lounges due to limited office availability. Despite these challenges, they expressed strong commitment to student well-being and shared success stories of relationship-building and student growth.

The board expressed appreciation for the counseling team’s efforts and acknowledged the importance of their services, especially in light of increasing student needs and limited staffing. No action was taken following the presentations, but the information will lead ongoing discussions about budget priorities and student support for district Counselors.

Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report April 7-13, 2025

By Hayden Douglas · Monday, April 14th, 2025 at 4:28 pm CDT

April 7-13, 2025

DES MOINES, Iowa (April 14, 2025) – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig commented on the Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. The report is released weekly April through November. Additionally, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship provides a weather summary each week during this time.

“Planters are beginning to roll across the state. The warmer temperatures and drier weather over the past week allowed for a good start to the planting season,” said Secretary Naig. “Outlooks for the rest of April are showing better chances for rain and a more active weather pattern. The threat of severe weather is elevated this time of year, so I encourage all Iowans to be weather aware and have a safety plan in place.”

The weekly report is also available on the USDA’s website at nass.usda.gov.

Crop Report
Dry conditions helped Iowa farmers as days suitable for fieldwork increased to 5.9 for the week ending April 13, 2025, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Fieldwork included tillage, seeding oats, and applying anhydrous, manure and dry fertilizer. There were also reports of corn and soybeans being planted.

Topsoil moisture condition rated 7 percent very short, 24 percent short, 68 percent adequate and 1 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture condition rated 9 percent very short, 31 percent short, 59 percent adequate and 1 percent surplus.

Oats seeding reached 47 percent complete, 3 days behind last year but 3 days ahead of the 5-year average. Six percent of the expected oat acreage has emerged, 5 days behind last year but equal to the average.

No livestock issues were reported.

Weather Summary
Provided by Justin Glisan, Ph.D., State Climatologist, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship

A drier pattern prevailed through the reporting period with most of Iowa’s weather stations reporting no rainfall; southeastern Iowa observed the wettest conditions. Weekly temperatures varied from nearly four degrees above normal in northwest Iowa to a few degrees below average farther east; Iowa’s average temperature was 45.2 degrees, 1.0 degree below normal.

Westerly winds persisted through Sunday (6th) afternoon as daytime temperatures settled in the mid to upper 50s across much of Iowa. Winds shifted to a northerly direction overnight as a weak cold front dropped southeast through the state. Monday (7th) morning lows remained in the upper 30s over southeastern Iowa while low 20s were recorded northwest with clear skies statewide. Daytime highs were unseasonably cold, holding in the upper 30s to mid 40s, with gusty winds and sunshine. Tuesday (8th) dawned frigid across portions of Iowa with low temperatures in the teens to low 20s; the statewide average low was 21 degrees, 13 degrees below normal. Winds swung around to the south through the day, helping boost temperatures into the mid to upper 50s in western Iowa; conditions were several degrees cooler in eastern Iowa where high-level haze was reported. Clouds increased over southern Iowa after midnight as a low pressure system skirted the Iowa-Missouri border. Very light rain was reported in southeastern Iowa with a handful of stations collecting a trace; a 0.01-inch measurement was taken in Donnellson (Lee County) and Yarmouth (Des Moines County) at 7:00 am on Wednesday (9th). Temperatures rose into the upper 60s and low 70s in western Iowa through the day as scattered showers formed on the backside of the disturbance in eastern Iowa. Rain totals were under a tenth of an inch for all stations reporting measurable amounts.

Cloudy skies developed into Thursday (10th) morning with patchy fog in eastern Iowa, where temperatures were in the mid 30s; lows across the state were in the upper 40s and low 50s. The atmosphere over southeastern Iowa became unsettled through the afternoon hours, allowing scattered thundershowers to pop up. These cells moved from northwest to southeast, producing some moderate rainfall accumulations; Salem (Henry County) observed 0.17 inch while Morning Sun (Louisa County) reported the week’s highest total of 0.39 inch. High pressure built in across the Upper Midwest as clouds cleared western Iowa into Friday (11th). Hazy conditions and poor air quality were reported as temperatures rose into the upper 50s and low 60s from east to west. Cloudless skies persisted overnight and through Saturday (12th) with strong southerly winds and daytime temperatures from the low 60s in southeastern Iowa to upper 70s and a few low 80s over the state’s western extent. Gusty winds held on into early Sunday (13th) morning with spotty clouds and readings in the 50s statewide.

The statewide weekly average precipitation was 0.02 inch while the normal is 0.79 inch. Little Sioux (Harrison County) reported the week’s high temperature of 82 degrees on the 12th, 21 degrees above average. Elkader (Clayton County) reported the week’s low temperature of 13 degrees on the 8th, 18 degrees below normal. Four-inch soil temperatures were in the upper 40s northeast to upper 50s southwest as of Sunday.

Prep Tennis: IHSAA’s 2025 District Tournament Sites

By Slaten Swords · Monday, April 14th, 2025 at 1:29 pm CDT

Prep Tennis- With the boys’ district singles and doubles meets for the 2025 Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) postseason now a month away, the IHSAA released the district tournament sites for the two classes.

District and substate team assignments will be made available during the week of April 28th as the district meets are scheduled for Wednesday, May 14th, with a rain date set for Thursday, May 15th.

Individuals qualifiers from these meets will advance to the 2025 State Tournament scheduled for May 27th and 28th in Iowa City for Class 2A and Waterloo for Class 1A, as each class will feature 16 state singles and 16 state doubles qualifiers.

District Tournament Sites

Class 2A

Ames

Cedar Falls

Iowa City, City High

Johnston

Marshalltown

North Scott, Eldridge

Ottumwa

Sioux City, North

Class 1A

Boone

Columbus Catholic, Waterloo

Decorah

Fairfield

Knoxville

Pella

Red Oak

Spencer