Mount Pleasant City Council March 26th Agenda

By Hayden Douglas · Tuesday, March 25th, 2025 at 1:32 pm CDT

The Mount Pleasant City Council will meet in Regular Session on Wednesday, March 26, 2025, at City Hall, 307 E. Monroe Street, second-floor meeting room at 5:30 p.m.

AGENDA

  1. Roll Call.
  2. Consent Agenda:
    • To the Public — All items with an asterisk (*) are routine by the City Council and will be enacted by one motion and a roll call of the Councilmembers.
    • There will be no separate discussion of items unless the Mayor, a Councilmember, or a citizen requests it. If requested, the item will be removed from the Consent Agenda and considered in its normal sequence on the Agenda.
  3. Receive & file communications.
  4. Approve agenda.
    5. Approve minutes of previous meetings.
    6. Approve payment of bills.
    7. Receive report of Officers.

Old Business

a) 5:30 p.m. Public Hearing to approve plans, specifications, and form of contract for the Mt. Pleasant Municipal Airport Taxilane and Hangar Construction project.
b) Resolution approving plans, specifications, form of contract, and estimate of costs for the Mt. Pleasant Municipal Airport Taxilane and Hangar Construction project.
c) 3rd reading and adoption of an ordinance amending Chapter 12, Section 12-6 (stop intersections and load limits) of the City Code of Ordinance.
d) Resolution rescinding Resolution 2025:18 waiving the right to review the preliminary and final plats on Auditor’s Parcel 2025-4 subdivision.
e) Renewal of a Class F Retail Alcohol License with Outdoor Service for Mt. Pleasant Golf & Country Club at 2275 Hickory Avenue.

New Business

a) Authorize City Administrator to sign a Subscription Service Agreement with QTpod petroleum on demand to provide services for the Mt. Pleasant Municipal Airport fuel credit card system.
b) Set date for a Public Hearing on the proposed FYE26 Budget.
c) Resolution approving the promotion of Anthony A. Carrasco to Criminal Investigator.
d) Resolution authorizing Nickolaus Kruger as a firefighter with the Mount Pleasant Volunteer Fire Department.

Public Forum

Adjournment

  • Next regular session: Wednesday, April 9, 2025, at 5:30 p.m.

 

MPCSD School Board Reviews Proposed Tax Levy Rate & AEA Service Agreement

By Hayden Douglas · Tuesday, March 25th, 2025 at 6:56 am CDT

 

 

 

 

 

The local school board held a budget public hearing to discuss the proposed fiscal year 2026 tax levy. Superintendent Henriksen explains the public hearing process and the proposed levy rate.

 

During the budget hearing, the board reviewed the proposed fiscal year 2026 tax levy, set at $11.97 per $1,000 of assessed value—a decrease from the current $12.23 rate. However, due to rising property valuations, some homeowners may see tax increases, with officials estimating a 10.23% rise for a $100,000 property.

Board members also approved the 2025-26 AEA service agreement, shifting control of flow-through funds to the district. By fiscal year 2026, the district will receive 100% of these funds, estimated at $235,000, and will contract directly with the AEA for services. Dr. Butler talks about some of the AEA Services that are supported in the district.

 

The agreement includes a literacy consultant working one day per week, continued support for science and computer science education, and a $29,435 investment in media resources. A new Special Education Facilitator will assist with compliance and teacher support, while crisis response services and professional development programs will continue.

Special Election Called for School Board Vacancy in Director District 2

By Hayden Douglas · Tuesday, March 25th, 2025 at 6:47 am CDT

The school district has officially received the required number of signatures to call a special election for the vacant Director District 2 seat. The confirmation came from the auditor’s office last Wednesday.

Under state law, the election must take place between 60 and 70 days from the date of the vacancy. The school board will work closely with the auditor’s office to determine the official election date. Superintendent Henriksen talks about the process.

Candidates interested in running must reside in Director District 2 and gather at least 50 signatures to qualify. However, voting for the position will be conducted at-large, meaning all registered voters within the district are eligible to participate.

As per Iowa election code, within ten days of receiving the petition, the board president must call a board meeting. This meeting must take place within 30 days of the petition’s receipt, during which the board will officially set the election date. The next regular board meeting is scheduled for April 14, where a vote to call the election is expected.

The estimated cost of the election is still being determined, as ballots will need to be prepared for voters across four counties—Henry, Lee, Jefferson, and Van Buren. The board is awaiting additional cost details from the auditor’s office.

Further updates will be provided as the process moves forward.

Sports, March 25th

By Slaten Swords · Tuesday, March 25th, 2025 at 6:30 am CDT

High School Track

The Washington boys’ team will host the Steve Roth Relays on Thursday, March 27th, with Fairfield, Mediapolis, Wapello, Mt. Pleasant, Danville, West Burlington/Notre Dame, Columbus, WACO, and Winfield-Mt. Union all competing. 

The Danville, Fairfield, Mediapolis, New London, WACO, Winfield-Mt. Union, West Burlington/Notre Dame, and Mt. Pleasant girls’ teams will meet up in Burlington for the Falcon Relays on April 1st. Panther head coach Scot Lamm wants his team to get back up top the pedestal of the conference again,

“That’s always the goal. Washington hadn’t won the conference since 1979, and like I said, you know, we won ten of the last 12 and we certainly pride ourselves on being good not only in Southeast Iowa but across the state. Yeah, that’ll be the goal all year long, and we’ll try to chase down the demons and see if we can get that conference title back to Mount Pleasant.”

High School Basketball

The 2025 Pizza Ranch All-Star Game is scheduled for Saturday, March 29th, at Dallas Center-Grimes High School with three of our local players and a coach making the trip to compete. 

On the girls’ Southeast team, WACO’s Ella Huisenga, who ranked 2nd on the team in points and 1st in rebounds, earned a spot and accompanying her will be her coach Lisa Graber. The Southeast squad will face off against the Northwest team for the first round at 10:45 am.

On the boys’ Southeast team, a pair from the Southeast Iowa Super Conference South Division will join forces in West Burlington’s Mason Watkins and Luke Hellige of Holy Trinity Catholic. Watkins and Hellige both finished within the top 10 in the state in points per game and as their respective program’s all-time leading scorer. The Southeast and Northwest will square off for their first round matchup at noon. 

Southeastern Community College                                                     

The softball team will host a doubleheader against Marshalltown Community College tomorrow, March 26th. 

The baseball team will hit the road tomorrow to take on Ellsworth Community College in a doubleheader. 

College Basketball

The #6-seed Iowa woman’s team proved to be outmatched in their showdown with the #3-seed Oklahoma yesterday, losing 96-62. Lucy Olsen collected 20 points in the loss. The Hawkeyes finished the season with a 23-11 record. 

Ben McCollum will be the 23rd head coach in Iowa men’s basketball history after accepting the job yesterday. McCollum sports an 81.8 winning percentage in his career and holds four NCAA Division II National Championships when he coached at Northwest Missouri State. He was named Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year after leading Drake to a conference regular season and tournament title along with a win in March Madness. McCollum will have an introductory press conference today at 3:30 pm.

March Madness

The KILJ bracket challenge, sponsored by The Press Box and Wiley’s Interior Furnishings and Design, is officially underway with nearly 50 brackets submitted with the top three set to receive prizes. 

The standings have been updated through the first two rounds. For a look at the top 10 breakdown, follow this link: KILJ Bracket Challenge Standings

The standings will be updated after the Elite Eight, Final Four, and championship matchup. The Sweet 16 will be back in action on Thursday, March 27th.

This Day in Sports History

1934 – The Masters Tournament was held for the first time. Horton Smith becomes the inaugural Champion with a 20-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole.

1972 – Chicago Blackhawks’ Bobby Hull becomes the 2nd NHLer to score 600 goals, with a goal in Boston assisted by his brother Dennis.

1986 – Kurt Browning becomes the first figure skater to land a quadruple jump.

2025 KILJ Bracket Challenge Standings After Two Rounds

By Slaten Swords · Monday, March 24th, 2025 at 4:04 pm CDT

Mt. Pleasant, IA- Two rounds of March Madness are down for the men’s NCAA tournament with the Sweet 16 looming ahead on Thursday, March 27th, it is the perfect time to update what has happened in the pool of 64 and the standings heading into a bit of a reprieve.

What Happened

The prediction amongst the people of southeast Iowa was that upsets were so last year and that came to fruition as only seven upsets prevailed through the first round with #12 McNeese State pulling off the biggest upset, knocking out Clemson—an upset only four brackets had.

Home state pride proved successful until the second round as Iowa State and Drake were eliminated by Ole Miss and Texas Tech, respectively.

The second round was thrilling but did not yield many upsets, especially on the right side of the bracket as only #6 BYU was able to down #3 Wisconsin in a tough game. The left side of the bracket was a bit more unpredictable as #5 Michigan, the Big Ten winner, and #6 Ole Miss advanced.

Oh and #10 Arkansas, coached by John Calipari, outpaced #2 St. John’s, coached by Rick Pitino, 75-66 to galivant into the Sweet 16 in a battle between two legendary coaches. Nine brackets predicted St. John’s to lose in the second round, but only three had Arkansas complete the task. Most did not have the Razorbacks escaping past Kansas in the first round.

Above all, seven of the top eight teams still remain and only four brackets lost their champion out of 46, although one lost their entire championship matchup.

Before we jump into the top 10, most people did an excellent job guessing the first round with 30 brackets at least guessing 25 games correctly. The most belonged to Mat Wilson and Terry McWilliams as each picked 28 first round matchups correctly.

The second round was also above average as 37 brackets at least picked 10 games right, though 16 were able to get up and over 12 correct. Wanda Broeker demolished the second round with 14 correct choices out of a possible 16 contests. Five brackets accurately guessed 13 games right.

Standings

  1. Wanda Broeker: 110
  2. Rick Bunnell: 104 Guessed the Arkansas Upset
  3. Mat Wilson: 104 Guessed the Arkansas Upset
  4. Curt Wilson: 102
  5. Aaron Freeman: 102
  6. Matt Donnolly: 102
  7. Terry McWilliams: 100
  8. Brent Broeker: 100
  9. Janae Body: 98
  10. Karen Brimhall: 98

More

Stay tuned to KILJ for an update on the standings after the Elite 8.

Ben McCollum will be Iowa’s New Men’s Basketball Coach

By Slaten Swords · Monday, March 24th, 2025 at 11:17 am CDT

Iowa City, IA- The madness of March is not just confined to the hardcourt, but the coaching carousel as well with numerous coaches having announced their decision to accept vacant positions at other programs. You can add Ben McCollum to that list as Iowa has reached an agreement to have the 43-year-old lead the men’s basketball team next year.

It did not take McCollum long to make a name for himself at the Division I level as his first season at the helm of Drake yield a 30-3 record during the regular season that included the Missouri Valley Conference regular season and tournament championships, which brought upon an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

The #11-seeded Bulldogs pulled off one of the few upsets in the first round, handing the #6-seeded Missouri a 67-57 loss. Despite just entering the upper echelon of coaching, McCollum has exuded confidence in himself and his players,

“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t expect this,” McCollum said late Thursday night after Drake secured its first NCAA tournament win since 2021. “… I expected exactly this. I expected [my players] to compete. I brought winners with me. That’s what I brought. I guess my superpower is finding winners, finding tough kids and believing in them. So, I kind of expected this. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t. I know I try to be humble in other words. But man, I believe in these kids.”

His 31 wins this season were a program record for the Bulldogs as they finished a win away from their first Sweet 16 appearance since 1971.

Before coaching at Drake, McCollum dominated at the Division II level with Northwest Missouri State, totaling 394 wins in 15 seasons as he won four Division II titles. After returning to his home state, his overall record now sits at 425-95—a winning clip of 82%.

Now, coaching in the city he was born in; McCollum will now have to deal with the expectations of improving a Hawkeye team that has missed back-to-back NCAA tournament bids. Additionally, he will have to replace Fran McCaffery, the all-time winningest coach in Iowa history.

This will be McCollum’s first power conference job when the Hawkeyes tip-off in the upcoming winter. Iowa Athletics will be hosting an introductory press conference tomorrow, March 25th, at 3:30 pm.

Henry County Solid Waste Commission Announces Retirement of Helen See and Welcomes Shelbi Swinscoe as New Secretary/Treasurer

By Hayden Douglas · Monday, March 24th, 2025 at 9:34 am CDT

The Henry County Solid Waste Commission is announcing the retirement of Helen See, who has served as the Commission’s Secretary and Treasurer for an impressive 27 years.

Throughout her tenure, Helen’s dedication, professionalism, and tireless commitment have played a key role in the success and growth of the Commission’s operations and community initiatives.

In recognition of her years of service, the Commission extends its deepest gratitude to Helen for her invaluable contributions and unwavering support. Her legacy of hard work and leadership will be felt for years to come.

With Helen’s retirement, the Commission is pleased to announce the appointment of Shelbi Swinscoe as the new Secretary and Treasurer.

Jeffrey Robert Fitz-Randolph

By Hayden Douglas · Monday, March 24th, 2025 at 8:28 am CDT

Jeffrey Robert Fitz-Randolph died March 6, 2025 after a fall.  He had severe heart disease and increasing memory loss.  His last conscious act was making sure his car was clear of light snow, something he loved to do.

Jeffrey was born July 6, 1942, in Piscataway, New Jersey. He graduated from Rutgers University and earned a master’s degree from Crozer Theological Seminary in Upland, PA. He was the director of several sheltered workshops in New York and Pennsylvania before moving to Fairfield in 1986.

Here, Jeff managed Iowa Computer and worked as a computer and website consultant until retirement, while volunteering in several local and state organizations.

He was a member of The Fairfield Historical Society; founding member of

The Jefferson County Trails Council as well as The Fairfield Cultural Alliance.

Jeff served as Jefferson County Representative to The Iowa Barn Foundation and also volunteered at the local Maasdam Barns.

Jeff is survived by his family: wife Jacqueline Signori; beloved daughters Heather (Chris Plankey) Fitz-Randolph of Falls Church, Virginia, and Kristen Fitz-Randolph of Concord, New Hampshire; brothers, David (Penny) and Tim (Meg) Fitz-Randolph of Fairfield; sister, Pam Klesse of Port Crane, New York; and five nieces.

An informal celebration of Jeffrey’s life will be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to any of the organizations listed above in which Jeffrey served. Behner Funeral Home in Fairfield is assisting the family.

Online condolences may be made to Jeff’s family at www.behnerfh.com.