Prep Boys’ Tennis: Mt. Pleasant’s Sawyer Fulton and Max Heater Claim SEC Doubles Gold

By Slaten Swords · Friday, May 8th, 2026 at 12:21 pm CDT

Fairfield, IA- Mt. Pleasant entered the Punj Tennis Center with a different type of confidence after winning the regular season Southeast Conference (SEC) title, earning a 7-1 record against the rest of the SEC. Consequently, the Panthers swept the doubles competition.

Doubles Tournament

The strength of the Panthers has lied in their doubles’ competition with the undefeated tandem of Sawyer Fulton and Max Heater holding on the to the #1-seed, while the squad of Isaiah Lange—who does double duty with the boys’ soccer team—and Charlie Syfert were looking to make noise as the #6-seed.

Heater and Fulton breezed through the quarterfinals and semifinals as they dropped only one game in their four sets of play. Lange and Syfert had a tougher climb if they wanted a chance at a championship.

Despite the tougher competition, the Panthers’ tandem defeated the #3-seed Tyce Hoppe and Ryder Keefe of Fort Madison in two sets, 6-4 and 6-1. Standing in their way was Fairfield’s #2-seed Pranit Ruia and Caelan Chang, who had just gotten the better of Mt. Pleasant’s Grayson Walker and Carter Gehling the week before.

Lange and Syfert did not balk at the opportunity, taking the two sets 6-4 and 6-3 over the Trojans. This set up an all-Mt. Pleasant championship bout that Fulton and Heater handled with ease, snatching both sets by scores of 6-1, to finish as conference champions.

Ruia and Chang would knock down #4 Holden Fraise and Elijah Broadhurst to take home the bronze medal. The teams of Fulton and Heater, Lange and Syfert, and Ruia and Chang each earned All-Conference honors.

Hoppe and Keefe took 5th place, while the squad of Aaron Carlson and Yangyi Zhong of Fairfield rounded out the top six.

Singles Tournament

#1 Bowen Zhang was looking to continue Fairfield’s run of singles dominance intact, and he started the tournament with a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Mt. Pleasant’s #8 Carter Gehling. In his first contest with a Grayhound, Zhang took down #4 Avery Cameron 6-0, 6-3 to advance to the championship contest.

Meeting him there was #2 Patrick Morgan of Burlington, as the Grayhound skipped through Mt. Pleasant’s #10 Grayson Walker, who had to beat #7 John Helenthal of Keokuk to even make the final tournament bracket, and #3 Rowan Benda of Fort Madison to make the finals.

In a contentious showdown, Zhang snuck away with the first set 7-5 and did just enough in the second round to end out on top 6-4 and as the SEC champion. Benda would defeat Cameron in the 3rd place match, 6-4 and 6-2, for the bronze medal.

In the consolation bracket, Gehling worked his way to the 5th place match after winning the tiebreaker over #5 Caleb Mondon of Keokuk. Nevertheless, the Panther would fall 8-3 to #6 Max Craver of Fairfield.

Walker would end up defeating Mondon in the 7th place match, 8-6, to finish out his day.

Zhang, Morgan, and Benda each claimed All-Conference honors.

Up Next

Fairfield will host Fort Madison, Keokuk, and Mt. Pleasant on Saturday, May 16th, for the Class 1A District Singles and Doubles competition.

Prep Track and Field: The Mt. Pleasant Girls Defend and the Washington Boys Reclaim Conference Crowns

By Slaten Swords · Friday, May 8th, 2026 at 11:25 am CDT

Keokuk, IA- The Southeast Conference (SEC) clashed at Calvert Stadium in Keokuk, which had its track and field complex renovated less than two years ago. Despite the difference in appearance, the Mt. Pleasant girls’ team kept the status quo, capturing their 12th conference banner in the last 14 years, while the Washington boys’ team reclaimed the crown.

SEC Girls’ Results

Mt. Pleasant needed last event heroics last year to steal the crown back from Washington. There was no need for the dramatic this season, as the Panthers generated 183 points, nearly 20 more than second-place Washington.

A big reason for the boost was Mt. Pleasant freshman, Avery Fedler. The phenom competed in four events last night and rattled off 1st place finishes in the 400-meter dash (59.7 seconds), the 800-meter run (2 minutes and 21 seconds), and the 1500-meter run (4 minutes and 54 seconds) before capping off her night with a 2nd place run in the 3000-meter run.

Altogether, Fedler accounted for 38 points or nearly 21% of her team’s total points. The Panthers also secured victory in the 100-meter hurdles with Delaney Anderson turning in a time 16.32 seconds and the long jump with Izzy Sloat flying 17 feet and 1.25 inches.

Additionally, the team of Kynlee White, Alex Scott, Ellie Freeman, Taylor Williamson sprinted to a win in the 4×100 meter dash with a mark of 50.15 seconds. Jenna Schartz jumped in for Williamson to help the Panthers snatch the 4×200 meter relay with a time of 1 minute and 48 seconds.

Washington only captured victory in three events: Leighton Messinger claimed the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 1 minute and 7 seconds, the team of Lauren Drahota, Jaslyn Villa, Sawyer Manz, and Brynnlee Flynn took the 4×400 meter relay with a time of 4 minutes and 17 seconds, and the squad of Lillyn Magdefrau, Emma Lins, Manz, and Iris Dahl snatched the gold in the distance medley relay with a mark of 4 minutes and 28 seconds.

Nevertheless, the Demons finished in 2nd place in the following events: the 200-meter dash, the 400-meter dash, the 800-meter run, the 4×100, the 4×200, the 4×800, the sprint medley relay, the shuttle hurdle relay, and the long jump.

Fairfield’s best finisher was Elyse Setterstrom in the discus, as her toss of 104 feet and 7 inches was good enough for 2nd place.

Other notable finishers included Burlington’s double team of Mylee Stiefel sprinting to the win in both the 100 and 200-meter dashes and Kylee Hill sweeping the throwing events with tosses of 50 feet and 4 inches in the shot put and 138 feet and 9 inches in the discus.

Final Team Standings

Mt. Pleasant: 183

Washington: 166

Burlington: 74

Fort Madison: 67

Keokuk: 63

Fairfield: 29

SEC Boys’ Results

In a more contested battle, Washington reclaimed their crown after Fairfield evicted the Demons last year from the throne they had held the previous three years. For the top teams, it was not so much about winning the most events but garnering the most amount of help.

Still, the Demons were led by the usual suspects as Andrew Rees outpaced the field in the 1600-meter run with a time of 4 minutes and 34 seconds—just one second faster than Mt. Pleasant’s Silas Hulett. Moreover, Greyson Hartman kept his stranglehold on the throwing events, winning with heaves of 64 feet and 7.5 inches in the shot put and 186 feet and 6 inches in the discus.

The Demons also got help in the distance medley relay with a time of 3 minutes and 42 seconds with the squad of Nic Stone, Liam Roberts, Sawyer Tschantz, and Rees. Washington made their mark in 2nd place finishes as Isaac Medrano finished with the silver in the 110 and 400-meter hurdles. Overall, the Demons finished in 2nd place in six events.

The Trojans had a fine meet day with 129 points but lacked the help outside of their gold medal finishes.

Fairfield’s Spencer McCready raced to a win in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 15.75 seconds. Eli Zillman collected two conference championships, soaring 6 feet and 6 inches in the high jump and flying 21 feet and 4 inches in the long jump. The Trojans took the 4×200 meter relay with the team of Dayson Workman, Blake Burnett, Voss Richardson, and Eli Hoffman in 1 minute and 33 seconds.

Keokuk dominated the sprinting events as Ryan Bair raced to pair of gold medals in the 100 and 200-meter dashes. He also jumped in to help the Chiefs generate a win in the 4×100 meter relay. The sprint medley team of Jackson Bair, Chayce Smith, Jadyn Burton, and Travarius Smith won their event by four seconds.

Mt. Pleasant’s lone victory occurred in the 3200-meter run, as Silas Hulett turned in a mark of 9 minutes and 53 seconds, which was over 30 seconds faster than second place. The Panthers’ team of Kayle Brown, Hoang Quang, Franky Lopez, and Griffin Jones took the silver medal in the 4×200 meter relay.

Final Standings

Washington: 147

Fairfield: 129

Keokuk: 103

Fort Madison: 92

Burlington: 57

Mt. Pleasant: 54

Up Next

Mt. Pleasant will host the State Qualifying Meet on Thursday, May 14th, with the rest of the SEC making the trip.

Sashae Alter Crowned KILJ’s 2026 Mother of the Year

By Allison Jacobs · Friday, May 8th, 2026 at 11:03 am CDT

A Southeast Iowa mother known for her love, support, and dedication to her family has been named KILJ Radio’s 2026 Mother of the Year.

Sashae Alter was selected following heartfelt nominations submitted by her children, who described a mother who constantly puts her family first while encouraging and supporting each of them every day.

Her son Jahmal wrote that Sashae not only cares for her 10, 6, and 1-year-old children, but also continues to support him through college.

“She’s always willing to help me with whatever I have to do and she is always a phone call away in case I need guidance,” he shared. “She’s very kind, supportive, and loving and the best mom ever.”

Six-year-old Maverick described his mom as someone who “gives us stuff we want,” “takes us places,” “plays games with us,” and “always tells us she loves us.” He added that her kindness inspires him to be good to other people.

Jaiya also praised her mother for working hard for the family, helping whenever needed, making time for her children, and always being there with support and understanding.

The touching submissions highlighted the love and appreciation Sashae’s children have for their mother and the impact she has made in their lives every day.

As part of the recognition, Sashae Alter received a $150 gift certificate to The Drake in Burlington. The restaurant partnered with KILJ Radio for the Mother of the Year promotion and continues to be a strong supporter of local moms and families throughout the region.

KILJ and The Drake Restaurant congratulate Sashae Alter on being named the 2026 Mother of the Year and thanks all of the families who submitted nominations celebrating the mothers who make a difference every day.

Northeast Animal Hospital Named 2026 Small Business of the Year

By Allison Jacobs · Friday, May 8th, 2026 at 10:47 am CDT

A business built on caring for animals, supporting families, and serving the community has earned one of Henry County’s top honors.

Northeast Animal Hospital was named the 2026 Small Business of the Year during Friday morning’s Small Business Breakfast in Mount Pleasant. Owners Dr. Travis and Chris Van De Berg joined KILJ’s Generation Gap following the announcement, reflecting on the journey that brought them to Southeast Iowa and the relationships they’ve built along the way.

The Van De Bergs opened Northeast Animal Hospital in Mount Pleasant in 2010 after deciding to take a leap of faith and start a practice of their own. Chris Van De Berg, who previously worked as a nurse for 16 years, said the move meant leaving behind a healthcare career to help build the family business from the ground up.

Dr. Van De Berg said veterinary medicine became his calling at a young age and that he never wanted to do anything else. Over the years, he said the clinic has grown into much more than simply treating animals.

He explained that caring for pets often means helping families through emotional moments as well. Especially during difficult end-of-life decisions for longtime pets, saying those moments are some of the most important responsibilities veterinarians carry.

The couple credited their employees and the Mount Pleasant community for helping the clinic succeed. Dr. Travis said Northeast Animal Hospital has benefited from dedicated staff members over the years, including local students and interns from area schools and colleges interested in veterinary medicine. He said exposing young people to careers in animal care and customer service has always been important to the clinic.

The Van De Bergs emphasized that the award was never something they specifically worked toward, but rather a reflection of years spent trying to serve people well.

This year’s other finalists for Small Business of the Year included The Shop – DeWitt Built, Mount Pleasant Tire and Service, and Jane Ann Boutique. All four finalists represented the strength of family-owned small businesses in Henry County. During Friday’s program, Mount Pleasant Area Chamber Alliance Executive Director Rachel Lindeen called the finalists examples of businesses deeply rooted in the community and said the selection process was highly competitive.

Sports, May 8th

By Slaten Swords · Friday, May 8th, 2026 at 6:58 am CDT

High School Track and Field

The Southeast Iowa Super Conference Meet was hosted by WACO last night and the girls’ team defended their home turf and set a new school record in the process of winning the North title by four points (139 to 135) over Pekin, while Mediapolis swept the South Division by over 30 points and the Columbus boys’ team took home another North banner with 172 points. 

Starting with the girls’ North Division, WACO’s Bren Graber had a nice night as her time of 1 minute and 8 seconds in the 400-meter hurdles broke a school record and secured 2nd place in the event; in the field events, she pulled off the upset in the high jump, winning with a leap of 5 feet and 1 inch. The Warriors also grabbed victories in the 4×400 and the 4×800 meter relays.

Columbus had Ella Howell win the gold medal in the 400-meter dash with the only sub-one minute time and the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 1 minute and 7 seconds. 

On the boys’ side for the North Division, Columbus was led by Lamar Ceant as the junior won the 100-meter dash, the 110-meter hurdles, and helped the Wildcats take the shuttle hurdle relay.

WACO finished in 4th place with 98 points but claimed five events. Jude Dykstra sprinted to the win in the 800-meter run with a time of 2 minutes. Garrett Landau outpaced the field in the 1600-meter run with a time of 4 minutes and 43 seconds. In the field events, Hayden Shelman snatched the long jump with a mark of 20 feet and 8.25 inches. The Warriors also won the 4×800 meter and distance medley relays. 

Winfield-Mt. Union had Colin Anderson toss the shot put a winning distance of 47 feet and 3.5 inches. 

Moving over to the South Division for the girls’ teams, Mediapolis generated 176 points compared to Van Buren County’s second place total of 145 points. The Bullettes’ Avery Dietz crossed the finish line first in the 800-meter run. Bryn Wright won the 1500-meter run with a mark of 5 minutes and 9 seconds. In the field events, Avery Crear won the high jump, Evie Schmidgall took the long jump, and Payton Harris won the discus. The distance medley relay squad also won.

Van Buren County had Adalyn Snowgren take the 3000-meter run by over 20 seconds. Aubrey Loeffler snatched the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 1 minute and 13 seconds. The Warriors claimed the 4×100, the 4×200, and the 4×800 meter relays.

Danville’s Alaina Gourley took the 400-meter dash with a time of 59.76 seconds, while the Bears nabbed the sprint medley relay with a time of 1 minute and 55 seconds. West Burlington/Notre Dame’s Kaylee Webb sprinted to the win in the 100-meter dash, while Meadow Bennett took the 200-meter dash. The Falcons also won the shuttle hurdle and 4×400 meter relays. 

On the boys’ side, Mediapolis dominated to the tune of 161 points. Simon Wendel swept the long-distance events. Henry Luttenegger nabbed the 200-meter dash with a time of 22.42 seconds. The Bulldogs handled the relays, winning the 4×100, the 4×800, and shuttle hurdle relays.

Van Buren County’s Lincoln Bainbridge decimated the competition, claiming the 400-meter dash and the 800-meter run. Kayden Simmons won the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 15.75 seconds, while Jace Duncan won the 400-meter hurdles. The Warriors nabbed the sprint medley and 4×400 meter relays.

Danville’s distance medley team won with a time of 3 minutes and 43 seconds, while Trevon Herman threw the shot put 41 feet and 4.25 inches for the win. New London won the 4×200 meter relay, while London Franklin claimed the long jump with a leap of 21 feet. Central Lee’s Jack Benner won the discus with a toss of 127 feet and 10 inches. 

Danville, New London, WACO, Wapello, Van Buren County, and Winfield-Mt. Union will travel to Sigourney for the State Qualifying meet on Thursday, May 14th.

In the Southeast Conference meet last night, the Washington boys’ team reclaimed the conference crown, while the Mt. Pleasant girls’ team defended their conference championship for their 12th banner in the last 14 years.

On the boys’ side, Washington racked up 147 points followed by Fairfield with 129 points. Helping the Demons finish atop the standings was Andrew Rees’ time of 4 minutes and 34 seconds in the 1600-meter run. Greyson Hartman swept the throwing events with tosses of 64 feet and 7.5 inches in the shot put and 186 feet and 6 inches in the discus. The distance medley team captured the win.

Fairfield’s Spencer McCready raced to a win in the 110-meter hurdles with a time of 15.75 seconds. Eli Zillman flew 6 feet and 6 inches in the high jump for the victory. The Trojans took the 4×200 meter relay.

Mt. Pleasants’ Silas Hulett claimed the 3200-meter run with a mark of 9 minutes and 53 seconds.

On the girls’ side, the Panthers secured 183 points, nearly 20 more points than Washington.

Avery Fedler was nearly unstoppable for the Panthers as the freshman won the 400-meter dash with a time of 59.7 seconds, the 800-meter run with a mark of 2 minutes and 21 seconds, and the 1500-meter run with a time of 4 minutes and 54 seconds. Delaney Anderson glided to the victory in the 100-meter hurdles. Izzy Sloat leapt 17 feet and 1.25 inches to cruise to the win in the long jump. The Panthers snatched the 4×100 and 4×200 meter relays.

Leighton Messinger claimed the 400-meter hurdles for Washington. The Demons took the distance medley relay.

Mt. Pleasant will host the State Qualifying Meet on Thursday with Fairfield and Washington making the trip.

High School Soccer

The Fairfield boys’ team shutout Washington last night, 3-0. Oliver Siemsen scored two goals for the Trojans.  

Washington will take on Keokuk on Monday, May 11th, with the boys’ team at home and the girls’ team hitting the road with kickoff at 5 pm.

Fairfield will face off against Fort Madison on Monday with the boys playing at 4:30 pm at home, while the girls will travel for a 5 pm start time. 

The Central Lee girls’ team lost to Mid-Prairie last night, 7-0. The Hawks will compete against Canton on Tuesday, May 12th, at 5 pm at home.

The Mt. Pleasant boys’ team has claimed back-to-back Southeast Conference titles after tying Fort Madison last night, 3-3. Dylan White continued his ridiculous season with two more goals and an assist, while Josh Aguma added the other goal. 

The Mt. Pleasant girls’ team fell to Bloodhounds, 11-0, as Hadley Wolfe netted five goals. 

The Mt. Pleasant and Danville boys’ teams will travel to Centerville for the Big Red Classic tomorrow, May 9th. 

Mediapolis will stay at home tonight with the girls’ taking on Fort Madison at 5 pm and the boys’ game against Highland to follow at 7 pm.

The Wapello boys’ team will make the trip to Hillcrest Academy at 5 pm tonight.

The Danville boys’ team will travel to Central Lee tonight at 5 pm.

The Burlington Notre Dame girls’ team will travel to Wapello tomorrow at 10 am, while the boys’ team will host Williamsburg tomorrow at 10:30 am.

Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union will celebrate senior night on Monday with the girls’ team leading off the night at 5 pm against Centerville.

The WACO boys’ team will travel to Columbus on Tuesday at 5 pm.

High School Golf

The Van Buren County girls’ team lost to Fairfield yesterday, 219-226. Ella Bentler led the Trojans with a card of 48. The Fairfield girls’ team will participate in the Centerville Triangular on Monday, May 11th.

The Washington boys’ team will compete in the Elite Showdown today at Legacy Golf Course. 

The Washington girls’ team will compete in the Tigerette Invitational today.

The WACO girls’ team will travel to English Valleys for a meet today.

The Central Lee boys’ team will host a tournament tomorrow, May 9th, with Van Buren County and Holy Trinity Catholic competing. 

The Southeast Iowa Super Conference girls’ teams will compete in their conference meet on Monday.

Winfield-Mt. Union will host the Class 1A Sectional qualifier for Danville, Holy Trinity Catholic, New London, WACO, and Wapello on Wednesday, May 13th.

Mediapolis, Central Lee, and Columbus will meet in Tipton for the Class 2A Sectional Qualifier on Wednesday.

Mt. Pleasant will gear up for their Class 3A Sectional Qualifier in Fairfield on Wednesday.

High School Boys’ Tennis

The Southeast Conference tournament was held in Fairfield last night and the Trojans’ Bowen Zhang captured the singles title, while the team of Sawyer Fulton and Max Heater won the doubles championship in an all-Mt. Pleasant title bout.

In the singles bracket, Zhang outdid Burlington’s Patrick Morgan for the championship by narrow scores of 7-5 and 6-4. Additionally, Max Craver dug his way through the consolation bracket to win 5th place over Mt. Pleasant’s Carter Gehling, while Grayson Walker for Mt. Pleasant defeated Keokuk’s Caleb Mondon in the 7th place bout, 8-6.

The team of Fulton and Heater cruised through the doubles bracket, while the team of Isaiah Lange and Charlie Syfert surprised everyone as the #6-seed and upset the #3 and #2-seeds to earn a chance at a championship but fell to their teammates 6-1 in both sets. 

Zhang, Morgan, and Fort Madison’s Rowan Benda took home All-Conference honors in the singles and the teams of Fulton and Heater, Lange and Syfert, and Pranit Ruia & Caelan Chang of Fairfield, who snatched the bronze, earned All-Conference honors in the doubles. 

Southeastern Community College

The baseball team earned the #1-seed and a bye in the Region 11 Division II tournament; they will take on Des Moines Area Community College today at 3:30 pm at Merchants Park in Carroll, Iowa.  

The softball team will take on Iowa Western Community College in a best of three-game series on Sunday, May 10th, at noon on the road for the Region 11 championship.

College Baseball

The Iowa baseball team will travel to Nebraska tonight with first pitch at 6 pm.

This Day in Sports History

1878 – Paul Hines made baseball’s first unassisted triple play. 

2000 – Jason and Jeremy Giambi (Oakland) became the 10th set of brothers to hit home runs in the same game.

2012 – Josh Hamilton (Texas Rangers) became the 16th major league baseball player to hit four home runs in one game.

MPHS National Honor Society Bake Sale Raises $500 for All God’s Creatures

By Allison Jacobs · Friday, May 8th, 2026 at 6:53 am CDT

The National Honor Society chapter at the Mount Pleasant High School is making a sweet impact in the community.

The group recently donated $500 to All God’s Creatures Animal Shelter following a successful bake sale at the high school. Each year, the students select a local charity to receive a portion of the proceeds, and this year they chose to support animals in need.

The shelter thanked the students for their generosity, saying the donation will help provide food, medical care, and shelter for animals waiting to find their forever homes.

The bake sale not only satisfied sweet tooths around Mount Pleasant, but also showed how local students are stepping up to make a difference in the lives of others — including four-legged friends.

 

NOTICE OF ELECTION TO THE QUALIFIED ELECTORS OF HENRY COUNTY

By Allison Jacobs · Thursday, May 7th, 2026 at 2:08 pm CDT

NOTICE OF ELECTION

TO THE QUALIFIED ELECTORS OF HENRY COUNTY

               A Primary Election will be held on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, for the purpose of nominating candidates of the political parties for offices to be filled at the General Election to be held on November 3, 2026.  Qualified electors may vote by presenting themselves on June 2, 2026, between the hours of 7:00 AM and 8:00 PM at the polling place for the Precinct of their residence as listed below. Early voting starts on May 13th, 2026, at the Herny County Courthouse:

Precinct 1 – Polling Place Wayland City Hall, 218 W Main St, Wayland – Trenton Township, Marion Township, Jefferson Township to include the incorporated cities of Wayland, Olds and the portion of Coppock within Henry County: that part of Wayne Township residents living west of James Avenue to 140th Street and south of 140th Street east to Highway 218 and south to the township line.

Precinct 2 – Polling Place Winfield City Hall, 115 N Locust St, Winfield – Canaan and Scott Townships to include the incorporated city of Winfield: that part of Wayne Township residents living east of James Avenue to 140th Street and south of 140th Street east of Highway 218 and south to the township line.

Precinct 3 – Polling Place Emergency Management Building, 900 W Washington St, Mt Pleasant  Tippecanoe Township, Salem Township to include the incorporated cities of Salem and Hillsboro, Center Townships (excluding the portions of Center Township within Mt. Pleasant’s corporate boundaries) to include the cities of Rome and Westwood

Precinct 4 – Polling Place Manning Hall 1, 607 S Jackson St, Mt Pleasant – Mount Pleasant Ward 1 as defined by city ordinance.

Precinct 5 – Polling Place Manning Hall 1, 607 S Jackson St, Mt Pleasant – Mount Pleasant Ward 2 as defined by city ordinance.

Precinct 6 – Polling Place Manning Hall 1, 607 S Jackson St, Mt Pleasant – Mount Pleasant Ward 3 as defined by city ordinance.

Precinct 7 – Polling Place Manning Hall 1, 607 S Jackson St, Mt Pleasant – Mount Pleasant Ward 4 as defined by city ordinance.

Precinct 8 – Polling Place New London Christian Church, 2770 New London Rd, New London – Jackson and Baltimore Townships.

Precinct 9 – Polling Place New London Community Center, 103 W Washington St, New London – New London Townships to include the incorporated city of New London.

 

Any voter who is physically unable to enter a polling place has the right to vote in the voter’s vehicle.  For further information, please contact the County Auditor’s Office at 319-385-0756 or e-mail rdetrick@henrycountyiowa.us.  A public test of the voting equipment will be held at the Henry County Auditor’s Office on Thursday, May 21, 2026, at 12:00 p.m.

 

Dated 7th day of May 2026

Robin Detrick

Henry County Auditor

Election Commissioner

Middle School Track and Field: Mt. Pleasant Breaks Another School Record

By Slaten Swords · Thursday, May 7th, 2026 at 2:07 pm CDT

Fort Madison, IA- The Mt. Pleasant Middle School girls’ track and field team within a week has continued to dismantle records older than them, resulting in another team victory for the 8th grade girls’ team from Fort Madison.

For the 8th grade girls, Hailey Schadt continued her record-breaking ways, leaping 16 feet and 7.5 inches in the long jump, sprinting 26.55 seconds in the 200-meter dash, and joining Peyton Duplessis, Kya Heaton, and Millie Wellington in the 4×100 meter relay to break a 30-year-old record with a mark of 53.41 seconds.

Additionally, Wellington claimed the 100-meter hurdles in 17.19 seconds and 200-meter hurdles in 31.56 seconds, which were both personal records. The 4×200 meter relay team of Duplessis, Izzy Parker, Taylin Curtis, and Aria Lane snatched the gold, while Annabelle Szewczyk won the discus.

For the 7th grade girls’ team, the squad of Lauren Schwartz, Livvie Syfert, Joslyn Swinscoe, and Kreea Lee demolished the other teams in the 4×800 meter relay, winning by 30 seconds. Addison Striegel displayed some more throwing prowess with silver medal performances in the shot put and discus.

The Panthers will wrap up the season on Monday, May 11th, in Fairfield at the Conference meet.