The Henry County Soil & Water Conservation District Commissioners will hold their monthly meeting on Tuesday, February 18th at 3.30. at the USDA Office, 709 S. Iris Street, Mt Pleasant. Tentative agenda items include approve minutes, watershed report, and cost share payments and other district business. Those needing special accommodations should call the office @ 319-385-2824 ext. 3.
Prep Boys’ Basketball: A Pair of Burlington Schools Rounds Out IHSAA’s Top 10
Prep Boys’ Basketball-The Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) released their sixth edition of this season’s rankings as we await the announcement of the substate brackets with postseason play set to start for Class 1A on Friday, February 14th.
Class 4A
No teams were knocked out of the top 15 but a team was bounced from the top three and it was not the two favorites, Cedar Falls and Valley at #1 and #2, respectively. Cedar Rapids Kennedy faced a gauntlet last week with #4 Linn-Mar and #5 Waukee Northwest on the schedule.
Unfortunately for the Cougars a two-point loss and an embarrassing 29-point loss caused Kennedy to fall back to #6 in the rankings, while Linn-Marr hopped up to #3 and Waukee Northwest took over the void at #4.
Council Bluffs Abraham Lincoln’s bid for a perfect season was trounced last Friday in a narrow 71-66 loss at the hands of Sioux City East. The Lynx fell back to #9 in the rankings due to the loss.
Class 3A
The top four remained the same with Clear Lake holding the crown for the second year in a row. Decorah and Knoxville round out the top three, respectively. MOC-Floyd Valley might be on a two-game win streak but consecutive losses to end January and start February caused them to slide from #5 to #7 in the rankings.
Waverly-Shell Rock’s nine-game win streak, including a 20-point victory over Class 2A’s #9 Cascade promoted the Go Hawks from #8 to #6 in this week’s rankings.
No teams were dropped from the rankings.
Class 2A
Some light juggling mixed up the top ten with another top three team losing their spot. West Lyon turned back time to the 4th edition of the rankings with a 71-70 victory over Unity Christian, thus the two teams reverted to their #3-#4 rankings led by the Wildcats.
West Burlington kept their #10 spot after handing business at the Southeast Iowa Super Conference shootout with a 76-42 thrashing of Hillcrest Academy, winning the conference crown for the third straight season. The Falcons tout one of the best offenses in the state with four players averaging double figures and they are giving up the ball less than 10 times per game.
Class 1A
Havoc infiltrated the rankings for Class 1A after you get through the first three teams with Marquette Catholic sitting above everyone with a 20-0 record followed by Madrid, also undefeated, and MMCRU.
The fall starts with Woodbine as the Tigers were rolling on a five-game win streak having just dropped 100 points on Ar-W-Va to end January. Then unranked Coon Rapids-Bayard held them to just 25 points in a 29-point victory in front of the home crowd, demoting Woodbine from #4 to #9 in this week’s rankings, while the Crusader jumped up to #7.
The next team to feel the wrath of the rankings was Remsen St. Mary’s. Even back-to-back 40-plus point thumpings could not alleviate the pain of a 68-40 loss to Class 2A’s Spirit Lake. Thus, casting the Hawks out of the top 10.
Lastly, Bishop Garrigan had their nine-game win streak snapped by Forest City 45-29 last Tuesday and a narrow win over West Hancock did not convince the committee to keep them in the top 10.
Replacing the Golden Bears? Burlington Notre Dame at #10. The Nikes were ranked #9 two weeks ago, but a rough schedule: Class 2A’s #9 Regina Catholic and #10 West Burlington, knocked the squad out of the top 10 after competitive losses.
But a 65-52 win over WACO in the #2-seed contest propelled the Nikes back into the conversation with a 16-4 record, every loss coming against a team that has seen time in the rankings. This team runs through junior Shay Stephens and Jack Drew.
Stephens averages 21.4 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists per night, while Drew nets 17.3 points per game and led the scoring against the Warriors in an uncharacteristic off night for Stephens.
More
For a full list of the rankings, follow the provided link: IHSAA Top 10
MPCSD Honor Longtime Master of Ceremonies With Award
Cal Litwiller was honored with an Award of Service for his 24 years as the Master of Ceremonies at the Music in Motion Show Choir Invitational this past weekend.
Cal has retired from that role and the Music Department and Music Boosters wanted to recognize him for his past service.
Aaron Williamson is now serving as Master of Ceremonies for the annual contest.
Washington Keokuk County Corn Growers are offering a $1000 scholarship
The Washington Keokuk County Corn Growers are offering a $1000 scholarship to a high school student graduating in 2025. To be eligible, the student must be a resident of Washington or Keokuk County, with plans to enter an accredited program with a minimum completion time of two years.
The application does require that student to explain how his or her choice of career will relate to the corn industry. The scholarship is not restricted to students majoring in an agriculture field. A student must be a resident of Washington or Keokuk County.
*Student and/or parent must be a current member of the Iowa Corn Growers Association. If you are not currently a member, you can sign-up here: https://www.iowacorn.org/membership/join-icga
Application to complete – https://forms.gle/15diwbbn7S8dPgVo7
Deadline: April 1, 2025
Sports, February 10th
High School Basketball
The Southeast Iowa Super Conference Shootout finished up over the weekend and the south division reigned supreme after action wrapped up at Southeastern Community College.
The Danville girls’ team had their seven-game winning steak snapped by Lone Tree in the #2 seed contest, 50-26. The Bears will compete against Louisa-Muscatine tonight at 7:30 pm in a preview of postseason play.
In the #1 seed game, the #14 Mediapolis girls’ team left no questions unanswered in a 66-12 clobbering of Columbus. Ellah Wagenbach splashed six three-pointers on her way to a game high 22 points. Lily Coil led the Wildcats with five points.
The WACO boys’ team was unable to knock off Burlington Notre Dame in the #2 seed game, losing 66-52. Jack Drew knocked down 15 points for the Nikes, while Christian Stacy put up 18 points for the Warriors.
WACO will host Van Buren County tonight at 6 pm.
For the third year in a row, the #10 West Burlington boys’ team left the Loren Walker Arena as champions of the Southeast Iowa Super Conference with a dominating 76-42 thrashing of Hillcrest Academy. Mason Watkins was unstoppable, scoring 41 points in the winning effort.
West Burlington will host Mt. Pleasant tomorrow, February 11th, at 6 pm. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will be on the call with the pregame show at 5:45 pm.
Holy Trinity Catholic will compete against Clark County tonight with the doubleheader starting at 6 pm on the road.
Central Lee will face off against Cardinal tonight at home at 6 pm.
Mt. Pleasant will take on Ottumwa tonight with the girls’ hitting the road with tip-off at 7:45 pm and the boys hosting the Bulldogs at 7:30 pm at Central Campus Gym.
The Fairfield girls’ team will face off against Knoxville, while the boys’ teams will travel to Mid-Prairie with both games scheduled for 7:30 pm tomorrow.
The Columbus boys’ team will take on Louisa-Muscatine tomorrow at 7:30 pm on the road.
The Winfield-Mt. Union boys’ team will host Pekin tomorrow at 7:30 pm.
The New London boys’ team will hit the road to compete against Davis County tomorrow with tip-off at 7:30 pm.
The Wapello boys’ team will host WACO tomorrow at 7:30 pm.
The Mediapolis boys’ team will travel to Tipton on Thursday, February 13th, at 7:30 pm.
High School Girls’ Postseason Basketball
Girls’ regional basketball tips-off on Thursday, February 13th, for Class 1A and on Saturday, February 15th, for Classes 2A and 3A with all games starting at 7 pm. Here’s a look at our local matchups.
In Class 1A Region 7 on the top half of the bracket, Winfield-Mt. Union will travel to Keota, Wapello will make the trip to Highland, and New London will take on Hillcrest Academy on the road.
In the bottom half of the bracket, WACO will face off against Burlington Notre Dame in a cross-divisional conference matchup at home and Holy Trinity Catholic will host Moulton-Udell.
In Class 2A Region 1, Van Buren County will compete against Pleasantville on February 18th on the road. In Region 2, West Burlington will play West Branch on Saturday at home with the winner advancing to tangle with Columbus; Danville will take on Louisa-Muscatine on February 18th at home.
In Class 3A Region 1, #14 Mediapolis will face off against Washington at home. In Region 4, Fairfield will travel to Williamsburg and Central Lee will make the trip to Mid-Prairie.
High School Wrestling
The boys’ state dual tournament held their championships over the weekend and two of the three matches were decided by three points or less. In Class 1A, #2 Don Bosco snuck past #1 Alburnett 38-37 to win the gold as Wilton claimed third place.
In Class 2A, #1 Algona defeated #2 West Delaware in a contentious matchup 28-25. Clarion-Gouldfield-Dows picked up the third-place medal with a win over Williamsburg.
Lastly, #1 Southeast Polk clobbered #3 Indianola 54-14 for the Class 3A championship, while Waukee Northwest downed Waverly-Shell Rock 47-25 for third place.
The boys’ district meet is scheduled for Saturday, February 15th, with Van Buren County, WACO, and Wapello traveling to Pleasantville and New London will head to Wilton in Class 1A. For Class 2A, Burlington Notre Dame, Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union, and Fairfield will compete in Centerville and Mt. Pleasant and Mediapolis will venture to Williamsburg.
High School Bowling
Fairfield will host the Southeast Conference (SEC) tournament scheduled for today.
The girls’ state qualifying meets are scheduled for Monday, February 17th, and Fairfield and West Burlington will compete at Davis County, while Mt. Pleasant will travel to Keokuk.
The boys’ state qualifying meets will take place on Tuesday, February 18th, and Mt. Pleasant will make the trip to Keokuk to compete.
Southeastern Community College
The men’s basketball team will host Illinois Central College on Wednesday, February 12th, at 7 pm.
College Basketball
The #8 Iowa State men’s team took out their frustration on TCU over the weekend, crushing the Horned Frogs 82-52 to curtail a three-game losing streak. Curtis Jones put up 24 points in the winning effort. The Cyclones will travel to UCF tomorrow, February 11th, at 6 pm.
The Iowa men’s team had #21 Wisconsin against the ropes but could not finish the job as the Badgers exited with a 74-63 victory. Pryce Sandfort scored 14 points off the bench in the loss. The Hawkeyes will look to snap this three game losing streak on Wednesday, February 12th, on the road against Rutgers at 5:30 pm.
The Iowa women’s team will take on Nebraska tonight at 7 pm on the road.
The Iowa State women’s team rode the momentum of a dominant first quarter against Colorado to come out with the win 86-56. Audi Crooks collected a double-double with 33 points and 12 rebounds. The Cyclones will face off against Kansas on the road on Saturday, February 15th, at 4 pm.
This Day in Sports History
1920 – Baseball outlaws all pitches that involve tampering with the ball.
1971 – Bill White becomes the first African American baseball announcer.
1989 – To gain deregulation, the WWF admits pro wrestling is an exhibition and not a sport in a New Jersey court.
Central Lee School Board Meeting Agenda 2.11
CENTRAL LEE COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
DONNELLSON, IOWA 52625
LOCATION: CENTRAL LEE DISTRICT OFFICE
TENTATIVE AGENDA FEBRUARY 11, 2025
7:00 A.M.- REGULAR MEETING
1. Roll Call
2. Approve agenda
3. Receive Visitors:
a) Visitors to speak about items not on the agenda
b) K-12 P.E. Presentation
4. Superintendent’s Report:
a) Set Building Walkthrough Date
b) Finance Update
c) Legislative Update
d) March Board Meeting – 3/11/2024 at 7:00 a.m.
e) School Security Grant Update
f) Preliminary FY25 Audit Report
g) Vacancies
5. CONSENT AGENDA: Motion (Exhibit I)
a) Approve minutes
b) Approve Financial Reports: General and Schoolhouse funds, Clearing account,
Hot Lunch account
c) Approve prepaid bills
d) Approve monthly bills
e) Approve Overnight Trip:
1) Technology Student Association (TSA) State Competition – Altoona, Iowa on April 11–12, 2025
2) Boys State Basketball Tournament – 3//2025 – 3/8/2025
3) Girls State Basketball Tournament – 3/10/2025 – 3/14/2025
f) Approve/Deny Open Enrollment Requests
NEW BUSINESS:
1. Approve First Reading of Board Policies: (Exhibit II) (Motion)
a) 508.3 Disclipline of Student Threats/Violence
b) 508.3R1 – Disclipline of Student Threats/Violence Regulation
2. Public Hearing – 2025-2026 & 2026-2027 District Calendar
a) Review Calendars (Exhibit III)
b) Open Hearing for Public Comment
c) Approve Calendar for 2025-2026 & 2026-2027 (Motion) (Roll Call Vote)
3. Set Public Hearing Dates for FY25 Budget (Motion) (Roll Call Vote)
a) First Hearing Date – March 25, 2025 @ 5 p.m.
b) Second Hearing Date – April 8, 2025 @ 7 a.m.
4. Approve Nutrition Substitute Pay Increase to $12/hour
5. Approve Unused Accumulated Sick Leave/Personal Leave, Contract Pay Out Request
prior to June 30, 2025: (Motion)
a) Tom Boeck
b) Meagan McCoy
6. Transfer Approvals: (Motion)
a) Wes McGraw – K-8 Physical Education Instructor
7. Volunteer Contract Approvals: (Motion)
a) Paul Kropf – High School Golf
b) Antonio Estrada – High School Boys Soccer
c) Jerry Taft – High School Boys Soccer
d) Hollie Weber – High School Track
8. Contract Approvals: (Motion)
a) Shelly Ekle – Associate – (Effective January 14, 2025)
b) Lee Davis – Middle School Social Studies Instructor FY 25-26
c) Bridget Morrison – Middle School Girls Track
9. Board Reports
10. Adjourn (Motion)
Fatal Car Crash Involves Winfield Woman
A Winfield resident has been identified in the fatal crash that occurred early Saturday morning.
Shortly after midnight, 50-year-old Michelle Moore of Winfield, was driving a 2015 Ram pickup truck traveling east on Iowa Route 78.
The truck drove off the roadway near the intersection of Route 78 and Marsh Avenue near Winfield. After coming to a stop, Troopers say the vehicle caught fire.
There were no other passengers and Moore was pronounced dead on scene.
Iowa State Patrol was assisted by the Henry County Sheriff’s Office, Winfield Fire Department, and the Henry County Medical Examiner.
Gary Joseph Holtkamp
Gary Joseph Holtkamp, 66, of West Point, Iowa, passed away at 11:14 a.m. Friday, February 7, 2025 at his home.
He was born on December 19, 1958 in Fort Madison, Iowa, the son of Adrian and Marcella (Box) Holtkamp. On September 5, 1981 he married Mary Lynn Haden at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Fort Madison, she preceded him in death on November 12, 2005, On September 11, 2010 he married Katherine Brown, she preceded him in death on April 12, 2016.
He is survived by his fiancé Cara Gilds; son Nick (Andrea) Holtkamp of Basalt, Colorado; daughter Leslie (Mitchel) Tourte of Paton, Iowa; grandchildren: Henry and Reese Tourte and Oriah Clark; his fiancé Cara’s family: Tyler (Danielle) Dahl, Mackenzie (Jacob) Cipoth, Rylee, Jordan, Iris, and Azalea; mother Marcella Holtkamp of West Point; and two sisters: Kathy (Bryan) Fett of Donnellson and Donna (Mike) Ireland of Cedar Rapids. Also surviving are several nieces, nephews, cousins, aunts, and uncles.
Gary was preceded in death by his father Adrian; and wives Mary Lynn and Kathy Holtkamp.
He was a 1977 graduate of Marquette High School, Gary retired from Mount Pleasant Correctional Facility and worked as a farmer. He was a member of St. James the Less Catholic Church in St. Paul. He enjoyed gardening, camping, riding bikes and side by sides, watching Westerns on television, and spending time with his family, especially his grandchildren.
A visitation will be held from 12:00 noon to 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, February 11, 2025 at Schmitz Funeral Home in West Point, where the family will receive friends from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, February 12, 2025 at St. James the Less Catholic Church in St. Paul.
Burial will be int St James Cemetery in St. Paul.
A memorial has been established in his memory for Myotonic Dystrophy Foundation or Great River Home Health.
Schmitz Funeral Home of West Point is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences may be made to the family at www.schmitzfuneralhomes.com.