Former Mount Pleasant Correctional Officer Sentenced After Selling Chewing Tobacco for Profit in Facility

A former correctional officer accused of sneaking tobacco into the Mount Pleasant Correctional Facility has been sentenced to probation. Thirty-three-year-old Joseph Dean Martens Junior of Keokuk received five years of probation after pleading guilty in Henry County Court to possession of contraband in a jail, a class D felony. Prosecutors say Martens had originally faced a possible prison sentence of up to 25 years.

According to court records, Martens admitted to bringing chewing tobacco into the prison for financial gain on multiple occasions between October of 2024 and February of 2025. Investigators say he received about 35-hundred dollars in cash in exchange for the tobacco, while other co-defendants allegedly helped move money through payment apps or distribute the contraband inside the prison.

His case is the second involving alleged criminal activity by staff members at the Mount Pleasant Correctional Facility. Former prison counselor Kimberly Jo Kerr was also sentenced to probation last year after pleading guilty to bringing contraband into the facility.

Southeast Iowa Weekly Fishing Report, May 29th

The latest Iowa DNR fishing report shows warm temperatures are speeding up spawning activity across Southeast Iowa lakes, with bluegill and bass anglers continuing to find success.

At Big Hollow Lake near Burlington, water temperatures have climbed to 75 degrees with very good water clarity. Bluegills remain on the nests, though the hot weather is causing fish to move in and out quickly. Male largemouth bass are still guarding nests in shallow flooded timber.

At Lake Belva Deer near Sigourney, crappies have shifted into deeper summer patterns along old creek channels. Anglers are having better luck targeting bluegill near weed beds and largemouth bass around flooded trees and shallow nesting areas.

Lake Darling near Brighton continues to provide good bluegill and largemouth bass action. Fisheries staff say the early heat has accelerated spawning activity, with fish moving rapidly between nesting areas and deeper summer habitat.

At Lake Geode near Danville, water temperatures are now in the mid-70s. Bluegill spawning activity remains fair, while largemouth bass continue guarding nests in shallow water. Anglers are encouraged to use jigs or soft plastics for reaction strikes.

On the Skunk River between Rose Hill and Coppock, falling water levels have slowed the catfish bite somewhat, though anglers are still catching channel catfish using minnows, green sunfish, and nightcrawlers.

Elsewhere in the region, Lake Wapello is reporting slow bluegill action but fair largemouth bass fishing around cedar tree piles, while Rathbun Reservoir continues to see fair crappie and catfish action as fish move closer to shore in warming water.

For updated conditions and complete reports, anglers can contact their local Iowa DNR fisheries office.

Mount Pleasant Celebrates ADA Improvements at Amtrak Station

Community leaders, Amtrak officials, and Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks gathered in Mount Pleasant this week to celebrate the completion of accessibility upgrades at the city’s Amtrak station. 

During the ribbon cutting ceremony, Mount Pleasant Mayor Steve Brimhall shared the impact rail service has on our area.  

The project is part of Amtrak’s nationwide ADA Stations Program, aimed at improving accessibility and safety for passengers traveling between trains and station platforms. 

The ceremony also included an unexpected real-time demonstration of the station’s new accessibility features. During remarks, the California Zephyr briefly reversed back into the station after a handful passengers accidentally missed their stop in Mount Pleasant. 

One of the returning passengers, a local resident arriving home from her trip, utilized the station’s new ADA-accessible platform while using a wheelchair walker combination. The moment drew smiles and laughter from the crowd, with one attendee remarking that “it’s not every day you’re welcomed home by the mayor and a congresswoman.” 

Similar projects are underway or completed in Ottumwa, Osceola, Creston, and Fort Madison. 

Congresswoman Miller-Meeks praised the importance of passenger rail service in rural communities and highlighted the value of making stations more accessible for travelers with disabilities. 

The event also highlighted the use of Iowa contractors and subcontractors throughout the construction project, helping keep investment and jobs within the state. 

Congresswoman Miller-Meeks stopped out to KILJ after the event for an exclusive interview updating KILJ listeners on what’s happening in D.C., and what concerns constituents are expressing during the tour across her district in Iowa. The interview will be aired in its entirety in the 8 o’clock hour on all of our stations, and found with this article on KILJ.com. 

New Charges Filed in Henry County Nursing Home Investigation

The Henry County Attorney’s Office has filed new criminal charges against a former nursing home employee connected to an investigation at New London Specialty Care.

According to a news release issued yesterday, Ashley Bessine, 30, of Burlington, has been charged with four counts of prohibited acts involving controlled substances, classified as Class C felonies, along with one aggravated misdemeanor count of wanton neglect of a resident of a health care facility.

Court records indicate the allegations stem from December 2025, when Bessine was employed as a licensed practical nurse at the facility.

The release states Bessine had previously been charged with four felony counts involving controlled substances, as well as counts of tampering with records and dependent adult abuse. Those charges were filed under former Henry County Attorney Darin Stater.

Henry County Attorney Becky Wilson states the earlier case was dismissed after a required court filing deadline was missed. Under Iowa law, prosecutors must file a Trial Information within 45 days of a defendant’s initial appearance in court. Bessine’s initial appearance was held December 5th, making the filing deadline January 19th.

The Henry County Attorney’s Office says the new charges were filed Wednesday, May 27th.

As with all criminal cases, the charges are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.

Find the full release here.

Sports, May 29th

High School Golf

The girls’ Class 1A state meet teed off yesterday and Highland’s team score of 356 put them squarely in 2nd place, trailing by 12 strokes to Easton Valley. The Huskies are led by Adisyn Prottsman, whose first round score of 81 has her tied for 4th place.

Individually, Wapello’s Emmalin Marshall shot 16-over par for 21st place and Claire Withrow of Hillcrest Academy carded a 90 along with Emersyn Schultz of Highland to be placed in 30th and 31st place, respectively.  

Burlington Notre Dame’s Alexandria Booten put together a strong first round at the girls’ Class 2A state tournament, as the freshman shot a 75 (+4) for a 3rd place slot. Roland Story holds the team lead by 12 strokes over Mid-Prairie. 

The girls’ Class 3A state meet had Fort Madison’s Kylie Lumino snatch a tie for 42nd place after shooting a round of 92. After day one, Gilbert leads the other teams after collecting a team score of 308. 

High School Postseason Soccer

In Class 1A Region 2, the Fairfield girls’ team dropped their contest to Regina Catholic, 11-1, last night. The Trojans finished the season with a 6-10-1 record. 

The Wapello girls’ team fell to Assumption last night, 10-0. The Arrows collected a 3-10 record for the year. 

In a Southeast Iowa Super Conference South Division clash, the Mediapolis girls’ team took down Burlington Notre Dame last night, 2-1. The Nikes turned in a record of 8-7-2 for the season. 

Mediapolis will attempt to upset Assumption in the Regional semifinals on Tuesday, June 2nd, at 7 pm on the road. 

The Washington girls’ team pushed Mid-Prairie to overtime but could not clip the Golden Hawks, losing 1-0. The Demons finished the season with a 10-7 record. 

For Class 2A Region 4, the Mt. Pleasant girls’ team fell to Davenport North last night, 8-0. 

The Fort Madison girls’ team trounced Keokuk last night, 8-1. The Bloodhounds will travel to Burlington on Tuesday at 7 pm. 

In Class 1A Substate 5, the Burlington Notre Dame boys’ team will compete against Pella Christian tonight at 7 pm on the road with the winner advancing to the state tournament. 

In Class 3A Substate 4, the Mt. Pleasant boys’ team will play Xavier on the road at 7 pm tonight for the substate championship. Panther head coach Rocco Russo believes their victory over Pella will give his team the necessary push to pull off the upset,

“Yeah, well, it gives us a huge confidence boost, but I think our guys have been believing in themselves all year anyways. You know, we got moved up to 3A this season instead of 2A. And that was kind of a punch in the stomach to the guys. But once the season started rolling, they realized, hey, we can play. And we just got to do our job and depend on the guy next to us to do his job and just play ball. And that’s what they’ve been doing all year. You know, these guys, these guys are playing well, and it’s the right time to be clicking right now.

High School Baseball

Burlington Notre Dame fell to Central Lee last night, 7-5. Kellen Weber went 3 for 4 with four RBIs in the win. The Nikes will tangle with Mediapolis tonight at 7 pm on the road. 

Central Lee will play Danville at home tonight at 7 pm.

West Burlington defeated New London last night, 8-2. Kye Reighard collected the lone RBI for the Tigers. The Falcons will host Van Buren County tonight at 7 pm.

New London will contend with Louisa-Muscatine tonight at 7 pm at home. 

Van Buren County was shutout by Mediapolis last night, 12-0.

Danville lost a barn-burner last night, 22-16, at the hands of Highland. Zander Stotlar led the Bears with a double and four RBIs. 

Winfield-Mt. Union put up four runs in the final two innings to sneak out with a 5-4 victory over Louisa-Muscatine last night. Kason Dopler got the complete game win, striking out eight. The Wolves will head back home to take on Pekin tonight at 5:30 pm.

Wapello lost 2-0 to Hillcrest Academy last night. Wapello will face off against Lone Tree tonight at 5 pm on the road. 

Washington will travel to Solon tonight at 7 pm.

Mt. Pleasant will hit the road to play Muscatine tonight at 5 pm. 

Fairfield will compete in a tournament held by Davis County tomorrow, May 30th.

High School Softball

Fairfield was swept by Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont last night, 10-4 in game one and 11-9 in game two. Leah Helmick clobbered a home run for five RBIs in game two. The Trojans will start conference play on Monday, June 1st, with a home doubleheader against Mt. Pleasant with game one at 5:30 pm.

New London held off West Burlington/Notre Dame’s 7th inning rally to win 6-5 last night. Tannisyn Christofferson collected three RBIs in the losing effort. The Falcons will look to bounce back against Van Buren County at 7 pm at home tonight. 

New London will stay at home to tangle with Louisa-Muscatine tonight at 7 pm.

Mediapolis clobbered Van Buren County last night, 12-3. Payton Harris clouted a home run and Avery Crear tabbed a triple, as both Bullettes finished with four RBIs. Lizzie Camp had two RBIs for the Warriors. 

Holy Trinity Catholic will face off on the road against Mediapolis tonight with first pitch at 7 pm. 

WACO collected their first victory on the diamond since 2016, beating Columbus last night, 17-7. The Warriors will take on Hillcrest Academy tonight at 7 pm on the road. 

Columbus will host Highland tonight at 7 pm.

Wapello outlasted Hillcrest Academy last night, 6-4. The Arrows will travel to Lone Tree tonight at 7 pm.

Danville was shutout by Highland last night, 5-0. The Bears will hit the road to play Central Lee tonight at 7 pm.

Washington will play a doubleheader against Ottumwa tonight with game one at 5 pm on the road. 

Mt. Pleasant will travel to Mid-Prairie tonight at 7 pm. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will be on the call with the pregame show at 6:45 pm. 

Local Summer Athletic Camps

Mt. Pleasant girls’ basketball is offering up a camp for any girls’ basketball players entering 3rd through 12th grades from June 23rd through the 25th located at the Mt. Pleasant High School Gym. The camp will focus on the fundamentals and introduce team concepts employed by the high school’s system.

If you would like to sign-up, then follow this link and fill out the form: https://kilj.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/mp-girls-bball-camp.pdf  

New London is holding a girls’ basketball camp for girls entering grades 4th through 8th grade starting on June 1st and running through the 3rd from 1 to 3 pm with lunch provided at noon. If you have any questions, then contact Austin Burns at austin.burns@nlcsd.org.

Prospect League

The Burlington Bees fell to the Johnstown Mill Rats last night, 6-4. The Bees will look to return the favor tonight at 6 pm.

The Clinton LumberKings lost to the Normal CornBelters last night, 8-1. The LumberKings will look to pick up their first win of the season tonight at 6:35 pm against the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp on the road. 

This Day in Sports History

1911 – The first running of the Indianapolis 500 took place. Ray Harroun won the race. 

1922 – The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that organized baseball was a sport, not subject to antitrust laws. 

1977 – Janet Guthrie became the first woman to race in the Indianapolis 500. She finished in 29th. 

Michelle Lee Beatrice Schnicker

Michelle Lee Beatrice Schnicker, 47, of Mt. Pleasant, died Saturday, May 23, 2026 in the Emergency Room of the Henry County Health Center in Mt. Pleasant.

Michelle was born November 18, 1979 in Portland, Oregon. She was the daughter of Gary Michael and Candy Lynn (Hale) Almendinger. Born into a family of musicians, she spent her early years traveling with her family to a variety of performance venues. The family settled in the New London and Mt. Pleasant areas, where Michelle attended schools. She graduated from Wisdom Quest High School in Mt. Pleasant. While Michelle worked for a number of years, she went back to school and completed her Bachelor of Arts degree in Art and Digital Media from Iowa Wesleyan University in 2022.

Michelle was united in marriage to Anthony Joseph Schnicker on May 16, 2009 in Mediapolis, IA.

For 15 years, Michelle was a Machine Operator at Mackay Envelope in Mt. Pleasant. She then accepted a position at the Wal-Mart Distribution Center in Mt. Pleasant in shipping and product placement.

With her family, Michelle was recently baptized at and became a member of the First Presbyterian Church of Mt. Pleasant.

Michelle utilized her artistic talents in many ways. She was gifted in painting and drawing, saying that the PBS Television artist Bob Ross was her favorite artist. Her talents extended into her baking capabilities, with cupcakes being her specialty. Her interests were not always on the canvas and in the kitchen, as she also enjoyed being in the outdoors on a deer hunt.

Those thankful for sharing in Michelle’s life include her husband Tony; 2 children – Tori (Jessie Rios) McPherson of Fairfield and Jesse (Sarah Reitz) McPherson of Wayland; 3 siblings – Reba Hale of Big Fork Montana, Priscilla Larson of West Burlington, IA and Jamie Larson of Atkin, Iowa; her stepfather, Dave “Pops” Almendinger; her mother-in-law, Cyrena Schnicker; her father-in-law, Chuck (Deb) Schnicker and 3 grandchildren – Kiron, Jaston and Elayne McPherson.

Michelle’s mother and father precede her in death.

Michelle’s family has chosen not to schedule any services at this time, but will do so at a later date.

The Kimzey Funeral Home, 213 North Main Street, Mount Pleasant, is caring for Michelle and her family. Online condolences may be directed to www.kimzeyfh.com.

 

Marianette Miller-Meeks and Ashley Hinson Visit Mount Pleasant on Campaign Trail

Republican Senate candidate Ashley Hinson visited Mount Pleasant Tuesday alongside Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks during a campaign event at the Mount Pleasant Golf and Country Club. The appearance came one week ahead of Iowa’s June 2 primary election, where both Hinson and Miller-Meeks face contested Republican races.

The RSVP-only gathering was initially open to individuals who had submitted reservations to attend. According to multiple attendees, several individuals who had RSVP’d and were initially allowed inside were later asked to leave before the candidates arrived after being identified as Democrats. Event organizers later described the gathering as a Republican-only event.

KILJ News was permitted to attend the event and requested comment following the appearance. Hinson’s campaign declined an interview request.

Miller-Meeks said she was pleased to return to Mount Pleasant and meet with local residents, voters, and supporters during the campaign stop.

Sports, May 28th

High School Golf

The Class 1A and Class 2A boys’ state tournaments wrapped up play yesterday and several of our local golfers finished within the top 30.

In Class 1A, Winfield-Mt. Union finished in 12th place as a team, shooting +105 for the course. Cody Milks led the Wolves with a 27th place finish at 19-over par. Hillcrest Academy’s Rowan Miller claimed a 77 for day two to finish tied for 23rd place with a 17-over par finish. 

Over in Class 2A, Central Lee put together a nice run to take 7th place as a team at 62-over par, while Mediapolis rounded out the team standings in 12th place with a 101-over par. The Hawks had three golfers finish in the top 30 with Caleb Larson leading the pack with a 166 after the two days to grab a tie for 22nd place. Carson Morrison turned in a 77 for day two to tie for 25th place and Mylan Lowenberg shot 7-over on day two to finish tied for 28th place. Mediapolis’ Ephram Hallgren and Kohen Stotlar each shot 21-over par for the course to tie for 41st place.

The girls’ Class 1A state meet is scheduled to take place at Cedar Pointe Golf Course in Boone today with Highland and Wapello’s Emmalin Marshall competing. 

Burlington Notre Dame’s Alexandria Booten will be heading to the American Legion Golf Course in Marshalltown today for the girls’ Class 2A state meet. 

The girls’ Class 3A state meet will take place in Cedar Falls at Pheasant Ridge Golf Course today with Fort Madison’s Kylie Lumino participating.

High School Postseason Soccer

In Class 1A Substate 5, the Mediapolis boys’ team fell to Pella Christian last night, 3-0. The Bulldogs finished the year with a 6-7-2 record. 

The Burlington Notre Dame boys’ team squashed Danville last night, 9-0. The Bears collected a 5-8-3 record for the year. 

Burlington Notre Dame will compete against Pella Christian tomorrow, May 29th, at 7 pm with the winner advancing to the state tournament. 

In Substate 6, the Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union boys’ team lost to Tipton last night, 3-1. 

Over in Class 2A Substate 4, the Washington boys’ team was shutout by Mt. Vernon last night, 3-0. The Demons finished the season with a 6-9-2 record. 

The Fairfield boys’ team found the back of the net, but Solon proved to be too much in a 3-1 loss. The Trojans went 10-6-1 for the season.

In Class 3A Substate 4, the Mt. Pleasant boys’ team welcomed Pella to town last night and in a showdown between the goalies, the Panthers walked away victorious, 1-0. According to Mt. Pleasant head coach Rocco Russo, the team takes home field advantage to heart,

“Well, all year long the kids have been saying this little saying, defend the lake, and that’s exactly what we did. You know, I think the last time we lost here was maybe two and a half years ago. I think we tied two years ago maybe here, but we’ve been defending the lake, you know, for two and a half years, and we loved our odds when we knew we were playing at home. You know, Pella’s a really good team though. They brought it. We knew they were gonna bring it. A lot of people thought that their record didn’t show that they were not gonna be a high-powered team, but they definitely were a high-powered team after watching film on these guys. They’re a really good soccer team and the boys did well.

Xach LeBlanc and the Panther defense made life difficult for the Dutch offense, as the senior made four clutch saves to keep Pella off the board. LeBlanc knew he had to play close to perfect for his teammates,

“My main priority was just not let my other teammates down, because I know they were hustling. They’re busting their butts off and really running. And I just really wanna continue to be there for them. And if there’s any mistakes made, that I’m there for them.

Josh Aguma took advantage of a first-half rebound to net the lone goal of the night. A stark contrast to the Panther way this season, but it was not from a lack of great opportunities, something Aguma contributes to the unselfish attitude of the team,

“The offense, our offense is good because we play as a one team. And we talk, we communicate, and we have a lot of momentum together. We go all at once. We don’t attack like one person. We go as a whole team and attack. And we don’t back down. We just go there and keep pushing. The job’s not finished, yeah.

Mt. Pleasant will play Xavier at 7 pm tomorrow for the substate championship.

In Class 1A Region 2, the Fairfield girls’ team will travel to Regina Catholic tonight with a 7 pm start time. 

The Wapello girls’ team will face off against Assumption on the road tonight at 7 pm. 

The Burlington Notre Dame girls’ team will face off against Mediapolis and Washington will travel to Mid-Prairie with both games scheduled to start tonight at 7 pm.

For Class 2A Region 4, the Mt. Pleasant girls’ team will tangle with Davenport North tonight at 7 pm and Fort Madison will host Keokuk with the winner advancing to play Burlington on June 2nd. 

High School Boys’ Tennis

Mt. Pleasant’s duo of Sawyer Fulton and Max Heater and Fort Madison’s Rowan Benda each went 0-2 at the Iowa High School State Singles and Doubles tournament yesterday. The championships will be decided today.

High School Baseball

Fairfield smacked Central Lee last night, 13-1. Dain Burkhart collected four RBIs in the winning effort. The Trojans will compete in a tournament held by Davis County on Saturday, May 30th.

Burlington Notre Dame will square off against Central Lee tonight at 7 pm at home. 

West Burlington fell to Burlington last night, 12-2. The Falcons will fly to New London tonight at 7 pm.

New London lost to Keokuk last night, 6-1. 

Washington was walked-off by Louisa-Muscatine last night, 12-11. The Demons will travel to Solon tomorrow, May 29th, at 7 pm.

Van Buren County will face off against Mediapolis tonight at 7 pm at home.

Danville will host Highland tonight at 7 pm. 

Winfield-Mt. Union will hit the road to play Louisa-Muscatine at 7 pm tonight. 

Wapello will square off against Hillcrest Academy tonight at 7 pm at home.

Mt. Pleasant will travel to Muscatine tomorrow at 5 pm. 

High School Softball

Holy Trinity Catholic picked up a pair of victories against Keokuk last night, 9-1 in game one and 17-9 in game two. The Crusaders will face off on the road against Mediapolis tomorrow, May 29th, with first pitch at 7 pm. 

Washington handled Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont last night, 8-0. Colbie Greiner allowed only four hits in the complete game effort. The Demons will play a doubleheader against Ottumwa tomorrow with game one at 5 pm on the road. 

Fairfield shutout Van Buren County last night, 3-0. Leah Helmick struck out 10 in the two-hit, complete game shutout. The Trojans will take on Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont tonight on the road at 5:30 pm for game one of a doubleheader. 

New London will square off against West Burlington/Notre Dame at home at 7 pm tonight.

Mediapolis will travel to Van Buren County tonight at 7 pm. 

Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union will head to WACO tonight for a 7 pm start time. 

Wapello will take on Hillcrest Academy tonight at 7 pm at home. 

Danville will play Highland tonight at 7 pm at home. 

Mt. Pleasant will travel to Mid-Prairie tomorrow at 7 pm. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will be on the call with the pregame show at 6:45 pm. 

Local Summer Athletic Camps

Mt. Pleasant girls’ basketball is offering up a camp for any girls’ basketball players entering 3rd through 12th grades from June 23rd through the 25th located at the Mt. Pleasant High School Gym. The camp will focus on the fundamentals and introduce team concepts employed by the high school’s system.

If you would like to sign-up, then follow this link and fill out the form: https://kilj.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/mp-girls-bball-camp.pdf  

New London is holding a girls’ basketball camp for girls entering grades 4th through 8th grade starting on June 1st and running through the 3rd from 1 to 3 pm with lunch provided at noon. If you have any questions, then contact Austin Burns at austin.burns@nlcsd.org.

Southeastern Community College

Southeastern Community College has named John McVey as its next Athletic Director, effective June 1. McVey succeeds Joe O’Brien, who will retire July 1 after nearly three years leading SCC athletics. McVey, who joined SCC in 2014 as a volunteer baseball assistant, has served most recently as residence life coordinator and assistant baseball coach. McVey takes the helm of a program that has experienced a decade of growth, going from a handful of sports to 19 men’s and women’s programs, ranging from the upstart men’s and women’s wrestling programs to a number of storied national championship-winning programs in men’s basketball, men’s baseball, men’s soccer, and women’s softball.

Prospect League

The Burlington Bees had their contest rained out last night. It will be made up on Saturday, May 30, in a doubleheader at 4:05 pm. The Bees will be on the road tonight against the Johnstown Mill Rats with a first pitch time set for 6 pm.

The Clinton LumberKings fell to the Normal CornBelters last night, 13-6. The LumberKings will get their rematch tonight at 6:30 pm on the road. 

This Day in Sports History

1951 – Willie Mays hit his first home run. It was also his first major league hit.

1956 – Dale Long became the first to hit home runs in 8 consecutive games.

1957 – National League club owners voted to allow the Brooklyn Dodgers to move to Los Angeles and that the New York Giants could move to San Francisco.