Robert Latta
Robert Latta, 77, of Mt. Pleasant, died Thursday, March 13, 2025 at Arbor Court in Mt. Pleasant.
Funeral arrangements are pending at the Kimzey Funeral Home, 213 North Main Street, Mt. Pleasant.
Online condolences may be directed to www.kimzeyfh.com
Larry Lee Price, 81, of Mt. Pleasant, IA, died Wednesday, March 12, 2025 at Halcyon House in Washington, IA.
Larry was born January 4, 1944 in Mt. Pleasant, the son of Jack Emerson and Lena Mae (Thomas) Price. He graduated from Mt. Pleasant High School in 1963. On October 17, 1964 at the former Methodist Church in Crawfordsville, Larry was united in marriage to Doris Jane Griffith.
Larry began his working career as a Psychiatric Aide at the former Mt. Pleasant Mental Health Institute. He then worked at his uncle Bob Thomas’s Conoco Gas Station in Mt. Pleasant. From there, Larry worked at the I.A.A. P. in Middletown, and later at the former Blue Bird Manufacturing Plant in Mt. Pleasant. From there, Larry began a career as a Lineman for REC. His time with REC spanned 36 years until he retired as a General Foreman in 2007.
Larry was a member of Calvary Baptist Church and I.B.E.W. Union. While at REC, he taught CPR and First Aid to the workers. For over 40 years, Larry volunteered his labor in the Maintenance Department of Midwest Old Threshers. Larry enjoyed hunting of many kinds. He held a deep and genuine fondness for fishing, gardening and mowing his lawn. Larry also liked to play cards and pool, make homemade ice cream and watch Western shows and movies.
Those thankful for sharing in Larry’s life include his wife of 60 years, Doris of Mt. Pleasant; 3 children – Lorna (Jeff) Hood and Lisa Price, all of Mt. Pleasant, and David (Janet Orr) Price of Fairfield; 3 siblings – brother Donald (Jan) Price of Adel, IA, Patricia (Larry) Marlow of Myrtle Beach, SC and Sue Postol of Ames, IA; 4 grandchildren – Jakob (Kristi) Hood, Linzie Mitchell, Liam Hood and Zachary Price, and 4 great grandchildren – Oliver, Remington, Walker and Freya.
A funeral service for Larry will be held at 10:30 AM on Saturday, March 15 at the First United Methodist Church, 309 North Main Street, Mount Pleasant. Pastor Jeffery A. McPheron of the Trenton United Methodist Church will officiate. Burial will be in the Cambrian Cemetery, rural Columbus Junction. Friends may call from 12 Noon to 7 PM on Friday at the church. The family will be present to receive friends from 5-7 PM.
In lieu of flowers, those considering an expression of sympathy may direct memorials to Save the Bridge (the restoration project of the Oakland Mills Footbridge). Online condolences may be directed to www.kimzeyfh.com.
On Wednesday, March 12, 2025, at approximately 2:01 a.m., the Fort Madison Police Department received a 911 call reporting that an individual had been shot at 505 10th St. in Fort Madison. Upon arrival, law enforcement and first responders located a young male with a single gunshot wound to the upper torso.
The victim, 16 year-old Cary T. Griffin, was transported to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced deceased.
An autopsy has been scheduled at the Iowa Office of the State Medical Examiner in Ankeny for March 13, and the results are pending. The case remains under investigation by the Fort Madison Police Department, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Lee County Attorney’s Office. At this time, there is no threat to the general public. No further information will be released as the investigation is ongoing.
Additionally, on March 12, officers with the Fort Madison Police Department responded to the Fort Madison Middle School following concerns from students who interpreted news of the juvenile’s death as a potential threat to the school. After an investigation, the Fort Madison Police Department and the Fort Madison Community School District determined that no credible threat existed and that social media posts suggesting otherwise were false.
To ensure the safety and security of students, the Fort Madison Police Department placed additional officers inside the school as a precautionary measure.
We appreciate the cooperation of the community as we continue this investigation. Anyone with relevant information is encouraged to contact the Fort Madison Police Department.
Chief Cody Potthast
Fort Madison Police Department
The Lee County Narcotics Task Force reports the arrest of two Fort Madison men on misdemeanor drug charges.
Bradley Michael Dettmers Jr., age 39 of Fort Madison is charged with; Possession of methamphetamine 1st offense, a serious misdemeanor; Possession of drug paraphernalia, a simple misdemeanor.
Joshua Edwin James Hartman, age 39 of Fort Madison is charged with; Possession of methamphetamine 2nd offense, an aggravated misdemeanor; Possession of drug paraphernalia, a simple misdemeanor.
The charges came after a search warrant that was executed at a residence to where both defendants were present.
The Lee County Narcotics Task Force were assisted by the Fort Madison Police Department, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.
The defendants in this case are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Carol “Susie” Holland Ellis, 79 of Ft. Madison, Iowa passed away at 10:05 p.m. Tuesday, March 11, 2025 at Birkwood Village in Fort Madison.
Carol was born on December 5, 1945 in Ft. Madison, Iowa the daughter of the late Parvin Holland and Alice “Gen” Prather Egley.
Carol was a 1963 graduate of Fort Madison High School. She was a dedicated employee of DuPont in Ft. Madison and retired after a long career. She most enjoyed taking in the views of the Mississippi River, including walks with her dogs and her family. She was an avid photographer, writer, and scrap booker. She had great love for the Ft. Madison community and supported local businesses whenever possible.
Survivors include her son John (Jane) Gram; her grandchildren Jessica Smith, Sophie Gram, and Sydney Gram; and her great granddaughter Daycee Smith. She is also survived by her two sisters Patti (Bob) Boyd, Paula (Dave) Kropp; brother Mike (Belinda) Holland and several nieces, nephews, family and friends.
Along with her parents, Carol was also preceded in death by her daughter Lisa Gram McKinnie; and brothers Ted Holland and Bob Holland.
Her body has been entrusted to Schmitz Funeral Home for cremation.
A Visitation will be held from 12:00 noon to 6:00 p.m. Friday, April 18, 2025 at Schmitz Funeral Home in Donnellson, where the family will receive friends from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
A memorial has been established in her memory for PAWS Animal Shelter.
Schmitz Funeral Home of Donnellson is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences may be made to the family at www.schmitzfuneralhomes.com.
The highly anticipated 75th anniversary of the Midwest Old Threshers is set to bring an exciting mix of entertainment to this year’s event. The Entertainment was revealed at last nights Alive After Five event hosted by the Old Threshers Reunion. The lineup includes performances from the Mallpass Brothers, rising country music stars Cooper Allen and Priscilla Block, and an evening of comedy with legendary comedian Jeff Foxworthy on Sunday.
Reserved seating tickets will go on sale today 8 a.m., while multi-day admission passes are available now online at shop.oldthreshers.com. You can purchase multi-day passes at a discounted rate of $30 until May 31.
With a strong lineup and special anniversary celebrations, this year’s Midwest Old Threshers promises to be a must-attend event. August 28th – September 1st.
High School Boys’ Postseason Basketball
Class 1A wrapped up their quarterfinal round yesterday and despite no surprises the games came down to the wire. After allowing #5 North Linn to take a lead in the fourth quarter, #4 Gladbrook-Reinbeck knocked out the defending champions behind phenomenal free throw shooting to win 61-55. Drew Eilers scored 21 points and went 11 of 12 from the free throw line in the win.
#1 Marquette Catholic was able to fend off #8 Remsen St. Mary’s third quarter surge to exit with the win 64-54. Spencer Roeder buried four three-pointers on his way to a game high 28 points. #4 Gladbrook-Reinbeck will take on #1 Marquette Catholic in the semifinals at 5:30 pm tonight.
#2 Madrid handled business and eliminated #7 Boyden-Hull 68-57 as Toryn Severson scored 30 points in the winning effort. Also joining them was #3 St. Edmond as they beat #6 Woodbine 52-49. Jakob Koopman tallied 18 points from off the bench. The semifinal contest will be played tonight at 7:15 pm.
In Class 4A, #4 Waukee Northwest whisked away #1 Cedar Falls 57-49 as four of the starters finished the night in double figures. Additionally, the defending champions #3 Valley snuck their way back in after taking down Linn-Mar 58-56 in an overtime thriller. Jayden McGregory nabbed 23 points in the winning effort. The championship showdown is scheduled for tomorrow, March 14th, at 1 pm.
For the top half of the bracket in Class 3A, Clear Lake and ADM will face off today at 10:30 am. #7 Xavier and #6 MOC-Floyd Valley will play today at 12:15 pm.
In Class 2A, #1 Western Christian will meet #4 Grand View Christian in the semifinals today at 2 pm. On the bottom half to the bracket, #2 West Lyon and #7 Unity Christian will compete today at 3:45 pm.
High School Track
The IATC Indoor Championships will take place today for the boys’ teams and tomorrow, March 14th, for the girls’ teams at Iowa State University.
High School Girls Basketball
The Iowa Girls Coaches Association announced the senior Larry Niemeyer All-Star Game rosters for the upcoming games this Saturday, March 15th, and Lily Coil of Columbus will be playing for the Gray Team in Class 2A.
Coil led the Wildcats with 15.4 points and 8.6 rebounds per game and added 3.8 steals per game on defense as Columbus claimed their program’s first Southeast Iowa Super Conference North title after finishing the season with an 18-5 record.
The Class 2A Gray team will play the Class 2A White team at 2:15 pm.
Southeast Iowa Playbook
Last night’s episode of the Southeast Iowa Playbook featured a recap of postseason basketball for our local teams as two of the squads ended up a game away from attending the state tournament. If you missed last night’s episode, then you can follow this link: 2025 Postseason Basketball Recap
Southeastern Community College
The softball team will be hosting a spring break camp from March 17th through the 20th for grades 2-5 from 8 am to 10 am and grades 6-12 from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm at Fun City Turf at 614 S. Broadway Street. It is $120 per student or $100 for a sibling discount as the participants should bring their bats, gloves, and sliding gear.
There are limited spaces available and a registration form to fill out attached to this article. Instructions on where to mail the form are located on the registration.
Link: Softball Registration
College Basketball
The #12 Iowa State men’s team squashed Cincinnati in the second round of the Big 12 tournament 76-56. Joshua Jefferson led the scoring with 19 points as Dishon Jackson collected a double-double with 10 points and 16 rebounds. The Cyclones will face off against #17 BYU today at 11:30 am in the quarterfinal round.
The 15th-seeded Iowa men’s team picked up an upset victory against the 10th-seeded Ohio State 77-70 to open up the Big Ten tournament. Payton Sandfort dropped 17 points in the winning effort. The Hawkeyes will compete against Illinois tonight at 5:30 pm.
The Iowa State and Iowa women’s teams will have to wait until Sunday, March 16th, to see if they will get a spot in the National Championship bracket.
March Madness
The KILJ Bracket Challenge is back for the 2025 March Madness men’s bracket with the same rules as last year. A printable bracket will be posted to KILJ’s Facebook page after Selection Sunday on March 16th. The bracket must be filled out and turned in to sports@kilj.com or our station by the end of the day on March 19th.
For a full list of rules and prizes, follow this link: KILJ Bracket Challenge
This Day in Sports History
1915 – Brooklyn Robins manager Wilbert Robinson tried to catch a baseball dropped from an airplane, but the pilot, Ruth Law, substituted a grapefruit, which exploded on impact and left Robinson temporarily believing that he was seriously wounded.
1954 – Braves’ Bobby Thomson breaks his ankle, he is replaced by Hank Aaron.
2022 – After a 40-day retirement, Tom Brady announces he will play at least one more season in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Great news for MPCSD Elementary School families—your child can receive a FREE tree! The school has teamed up with Neighborhood Forest, a nonprofit dedicated to planting trees and inspiring young environmentalists.
Parents have until March 15 to sign up and claim a free tree for their child. This initiative aims to encourage kids to care for nature while making their community greener.
Don’t miss out! Click the link to register: Neighborhood Forest Parent Registration
