Robert R. “Bob” Roth

By Allison Jacobs · Monday, April 27th, 2026 at 6:04 am CDT

Robert R. “Bob” Roth, 96, of Mt. Pleasant, died Friday, April 24, 2026 at his residence with his family at his side.
Bob was born on December 9, 1929 in Wayland, Iowa. He was the son of Ralph and Ermina (Troutman) Roth. Bob graduated from Wayland High School. He was called to the service of his country during the Korean War. Bob enlisted into the United States Navy and served 4 years. Upon his honorable discharge, Bob entered Barber College in Cedar Rapids and graduated following 2 years of study.
Also following his tour of duty, Bob was united in marriage to Evelyn M. Lampe. Evelyn passed away on December 2, 1972. On June 20, 1975 in the Chapel of the First United Methodist Church in Mt. Pleasant, Bob was united in marriage to Janet Marie Eyre Van Der Heyden. Last June, they marked their 50th Wedding Anniversary.
Bob began his barbering career in Cedar Rapids. He and his family moved to Mt. Pleasant where Bob opened his own barbershop in a shop located behind the former Henry County Bank. Bob joined forces with Ray King in the barbershop, later moving the barbershop to North Main Street and selling the business to Ray. Bob continued to have a chair in the barbershop until the mid-1960’s when he accepted a position as the Head Groundskeeper for the Mt. Pleasant Golf and Country Club. Bob remained in that position for more than 40 years.
Bob was a member of Mt. Pleasant Golf and Country Club, Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #2561 and St. Alphonsus Catholic Church. He served on the Mt. Pleasant Volunteer Fire Department. While his boys were growing up, Bob coached them in the Mt. Pleasant Little League. For many years, Bob was a member of the “Chain Gang” for the Mt. Pleasant High School Football Team home games.
Those thankful for sharing in Bob’s life include his wife, Jan, of Mt. Pleasant; 2 sons – Tim Roth of San Diego, CA and Steve Roth and his wife Tammy of Washington, IA; a step-son – Mark Van Der Heyden and his wife Janean of Maxwell, NE; 8 grandchildren – Jessica and Michael Van Der Heyden, Stephanie McConahay, Joe and Rob Roth, Mackenzie, Matt and Lindsay, and 8 great grandchildren – Leven, Laeken, Hayley, Conor, Wyatt, Rowan, Ava and Jack.
His parents, first wife Evelyn, daughter JoEllyn Marie Roth and stepson Scott Van Der Heyden precede Bob in death.
A memorial funeral service for Bob will be held at 1:30 PM on Wednesday, April 29 at the Kimzey Funeral Home, 213 N. Main Street, Mt. Pleasant. Pastor Jeffrey A. McPheron of the Trenton and Wesley Chapel United Methodist Churches will officiate. Burial will be in the St. Alphonsus Cemetery in Mt. Pleasant with Military Honors at the graveside. Bob’s family will greet friends 1 hour prior to his memorial service on Wednesday.
Those considering an expression of sympathy may direct memorials to the Summer Sacks Lunch Program of the Fellowship Cup in Mt. Pleasant.
Online condolences may be directed to www.kimzeyfh.com

Henry County Exploring Office Reorganization, New Meeting Space to Improve Access and Safety

By Kadie Johannson · Monday, April 27th, 2026 at 5:45 am CDT

Henry County leaders are in the early stages of exploring changes to county office space and meeting facilities, with a focus on improving public access, efficiency, and safety.

On April 16th, county officials toured multiple county buildings alongside representatives from All Makes, a design and planning firm helping evaluate how spaces could be reorganized and modernized before any construction or remodeling decisions are made.

One idea under consideration is the creation of a dedicated Board of Supervisors meeting room, equipped with audiovisual technology to allow meetings to be streamed to the public. The goal is to improve transparency and make meetings more accessible to residents who cannot attend in person.

Leaders are also discussing potential office relocations to improve workflow, safety, and ADA compliance. At the same time, infrastructure concerns have been identified—most notably that current IT server areas lack fire suppression systems, a risk that may need to be addressed in any future upgrades.

Another option being explored is converting the county assessor’s space into a larger meeting room, potentially doubling current seating capacity, though no final numbers have been determined.

Officials emphasize that all plans remain preliminary, with no cost estimates finalized and no formal decisions made. Further discussions are expected as the county continues to evaluate its needs and options.

April 27, 2026 – May 3, 2026

By Slaten Swords · Sunday, April 26th, 2026 at 11:19 pm CDT
04/27/26
Sandra Christner
04/27/26
Jerry Davis
04/27/26
Peggy & Gregg Crew *Anniversary
04/28/26
Jared Walker
04/28/26
Bernard Woerdeman
04/29/26
Dorothy Wenger of Wayland !00th Birthday!
04/30/26
Sherri McPheron
04/30/26
Bonnie Woodall Vogeler
05/01/26
Brent Rich
05/03/26
Jaymisen Rich

Salem School Closure on Agenda for MPCSD Special Session Board Meeting 4/27/26

By Lisa Grilliot · Saturday, April 25th, 2026 at 8:01 am CDT

The Mt. Pleasant Community School District Board of Education is holding a Special Session meeting on Monday, April 27, 2026, at 6pm in the high school media center, 2104 S. Grand Avenue.  Highlighting the agenda is a board discussion and motion on closing Salem Elementary School: Fall 2027. Items in the superintendent’s report include Kindergarten Roundup, Central Office remodel update, and potential H.S. baseball field fencing update. The full agenda is available HERE. This meeting is open to the public.

 

 

Henry County Board of Supervisors: 2nd Public Hearing for FY27 Budget on Monday: 4/27/26

By Lisa Grilliot · Saturday, April 25th, 2026 at 6:37 am CDT

The Second Public Hearing regarding the Henry County property tax levy for the FY27 budget is scheduled for Monday, April 27th – 6pm at the courthouse in Mt. Pleasant.

The hearing will review the proposed fiscal year budget covering July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, for Henry County. County officials say any resident or taxpayer may attend the meeting, ask questions, present objections, or speak in favor of any part of the proposed budget.

According to the budget summary, total proposed revenues and other sources are approximately $22.7 million, while total expenditures and other uses are projected at about $24.7 million.

Major spending areas include public safety and legal services, roads and transportation, administration, and capital projects. Public safety and legal services account for more than $6.4 million, while road and transportation spending is projected at more than $7.2 million.

The notice also states that if a valid protest petition is filed, the State Appeal Board could hold an additional hearing. Budget documents and supporting details are available through the county auditor’s office, at henrycounty.iowa.gov, or here.

 

Tick Bites Can Cause Serious Health Issues: Henry County Public Health & CDC

By Lisa Grilliot · Saturday, April 25th, 2026 at 6:30 am CDT

Henry County Public Health and Healthy Henry County Communities advised this week that some tick bites can cause a serious red meat allergy.  Lone star ticks and alpha-gal syndrome cases are present in Henry County.  Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS) is a serious, potentially life-threatening allergy to red meat (beef, pork, lamb) and dairy triggered by the bite of certain ticks, most notably the Lone Star tick in the US. A tick bite injects a sugar molecule called “alpha gal” into the body, causing the immune system to produce IgE antibodies. A blood test confirms the diagnosis.

Symptoms include hives, severe stomach pain, or anaphylaxis.  Symptoms are delayed and can appear 2–6 hours after consumption of red meat. There is no cure, so prevention and avoiding trigger foods are key.

The CDC reports that cases have risen significantly in the U.S. since 2010, totaling over 110,000 between 2010 and 2022.

Be careful if you are out doing spring yard work or any outdoor activity. Wear an EPA-registered insect repellent and be sure to check for ticks when you come inside. Henry County Public Health advises you to check the CDC website for more information and a tool to help you choose the right insect repellent.

https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/prevention/index.html

 

 

Sports, April 25th

By Slaten Swords · Saturday, April 25th, 2026 at 6:30 am CDT

High School Track and Field

The 116th Drake Relays continued yesterday and four local athletes finished with a medal. Here’s a look at the highlights. 

In the boys’ 100-meter dash, Landry Haberichter of West Burlington/Notre Dame and Keokuk’s Ryan Bair continued their rivalry into the finals with the Chief turning in the 2nd best time of 10.55 seconds, while Haberichter claimed 4th place with a mark of 10.72 seconds.

In the girls’ 100-meter dash, Mylee Stiefel of Burlington finished in 5th place.

Van Buren County’s Lincoln Bainbridge had a successful day with a silver medal performance in the 800-meter run with a time of 1 minute and 52 seconds before snatching 5th place in the 400-meter dash later in the evening.

In the girls’ 800-meter run, Mt. Pleasant’s Avery Fedler’s time of 2 minutes and 11 seconds was good enough for 5th place. She also teamed up with Delaney Anderson, Kynlee White, and Alex Scott turning an 8th place time of 1 minute and 47.9 seconds in the sprint medley relay.

In the field events, Pekin’s Anna Hadley, with a toss of 147 feet and 7 inches, and Kylee Hill of Burlington, with a throw of 140 feet and 9 inches, finished in 3rd and 4th place, respectively, in girls’ discus. 

Lastly, Washington’s Greyson Hartman would have won the boys’ shot put with all three of his officially measured throws, but his best heave of the day was a mark of 65 feet and 0.5 inches.

For a full look at yesterday’s results, follow this link: Friday’s Results for Drake Relays

Mt. Pleasant and Central Lee will participate in the Keosippi Relays on Tuesday, April 28th.

WACO, Winfield-Mt. Union, Van Buren County, and Columbus will compete in the Sigourney Co-Ed meet on Tuesday.

New London will host the Chris Selby Co-Ed Invitational on Tuesday with Danville, Mediapolis, Wapello, and West Burlington/Notre Dame making the trip.

High School Soccer

The Burlington Notre Dame boys’ team defeated Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union last night, 2-0. The Nike girls’ team will host Macomb at 5 pm, while the boys’ team will take on Danville at 7 pm on Tuesday, April 28th.

The Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union boys’ team will face off against Hillcrest Academy on Tuesday at 5 pm on the road.

Central Lee split their night with Wapello as the girls’ team lost 3-2 and the boys’ team won big, 10-0. Kambrie Miller scored all three goals for the Arrows, while Evelyn Adkins netted both goals for the Hawks. Zach Estrada and Mason Sanders each collected a hat trick in the win. 

Central Lee will take on Albia at home on Monday, April 27th, with the girls’ team leading off the night at 5 pm.

The Wapello boys’ team compete at home against Sigourney-Keota on Monday at 5 pm, while the Wapello girls’ team will travel to Monmouth-Roseville on Tuesday at 5 pm.

The WACO boys’ team fell to Hillcrest Academy last night, 4-0. The Warriors will hit the road to play Mediapolis on Tuesday at 5 pm.

The Danville boys’ team has won back-to-back games after beating Highland last night, 5-4. Trevor Yaley snatched a hat trick in the victory. 

The Mediapolis girls’ team took down Monmouth-Roseville last night, 5-1. The Bullettes will play Burlington on Tuesday at 4:30 pm on the road. 

The Mt. Pleasant boys’ team will compete in a triangular today in Muscatine. The Mt. Pleasant girls’ team will travel to Keokuk on Monday at 5 pm.

Washington will take on Fort Madison on Monday with the boys on the road and the girls at home with both games starting at 5 pm.

Fairfield will face off against Burlington on Monday at 5 pm with the boys on the road and the girls at home.

High School Golf

The Fairfield boys’ team held their invite yesterday and the Chiefs earned the title with a team score of 315 followed by Van Buren County’s 316. Leo Jirak led the Warriors with a 2nd place card of 75, as Aiden Cooper and Will Cocherell also finished within the top 10.

Mt. Pleasant claimed 4th place with a team score of 325, while Fairfield rounded out the standings with a 333. Merrick Lamm shot a 78 to finish in 8th place for the Panthers, while the Trojans had Archer Kreuter claim 9th place with a round of 79.

The Southeast Conference boys’ teams will head to Keokuk, while the girls’ teams will meet up in Burlington on Monday, April 27th.

Van Buren County will host Mediapolis on Monday. 

The WACO and Burlington Notre Dame boys’ teams competed in the Sigourney Invite yesterday and the Nikes took 7th place with a team score of 341, while the Warriors snatched 9th place with a score of 362.

WACO’s Ian Maize carded a 79, which was good enough for 10th place, while Sam Yonker took 12th place for the Nikes. 

Wapello will host WACO on Monday.

Columbus will travel to Highland on Monday.

The Burlington Notre Dame girls’ team will compete in an invite on Monday at Cedar Creek Golf Course in Ottumwa.

The Winfield-Mt. Union boys’ team will participate in the West Liberty Invitational on Tuesday, April 28th. 

High School Boys’ Tennis

Mt. Pleasant will host Fort Madison on Monday, April 27th.

Fairfield will travel to Burlington on Monday.

Southeastern Community College

The baseball team will look to get back in the win column at home today against Northeast Community College in a doubleheader at 1 pm.

The softball team will look to bounce back at home today in a doubleheader against Marshalltown Community College at 1 pm.

College Baseball and Softball

The Iowa baseball team demolished Indiana last night, 12-2. Kooper Schulte scored two runs. The Hawkeyes will continue their road series with the Hoosiers today at 1 pm.

The Iowa softball team dropped both games of their doubleheader against #3 Nebraska yesterday, 9-1 in game one and 5-2 in game two. The Hawkeyes will look to avoid the sweep today at 1 pm.

The Iowa State softball team evened up their series with Kansas last night in a 4-1 final. Jessie Clemons gathered two RBIs in the win. The Cyclones will attempt to win the rubber match today at 2 pm on the road. 

This Day in Sports History

1950 – Chuck Cooper becomes the first African American to be drafted into the NBA (for Boston Celtics).

1974 – The NFL moves the goalposts and adopts a sudden-death playoff.

1978 – Phillie Phanatic makes first appearance.