Maribeth Oetken Moravec

By Hayden Douglas · Monday, February 17th, 2025 at 5:44 am CDT

Maribeth Oetken Moravec, 79, of New London, died Friday, February 14, 2025 at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.  She was born in Green Bay, Wisconsin on May 8, 1945 to Vernon Floyd and Mary Esther Morris Oetken.

She was a 1963 graduate of New London High School and attended the University of Dubuque where she met the love of her life, Theodore Lawrence “Larry” Moravec, Jr.  They were married September 3, 1966 at St. John’s Catholic Church in Burlington.  They then quit college, returning home to help with Maribeth’s family’s business.  He died August 3, 2021.  Maribeth was a member of Burlington Baptist Church and worked as a teller at New London State Bank; as bookkeeper for Oetken Inc.; and retired as admissions secretary for Iowa Wesleyan College.

She enjoyed reading, especially biblical mysteries; loved watching mystery medical shows, and action and adventure movies with her sons; she loved food and family dinners; and spending time in Florida with her parents.

She is survived by her sons, Brett (Kristy) Moravec of Danville and Drew (Andi) Moravec of St. Louis City, Missouri; two grandchildren; nieces and nephews, Mike Michener, Brian Cox, Tami Simon, Joy Oetken and Rodger Oetken.  She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, son Scott, sister Linda, and brother Jim.

A memorial service for Mrs. Moravec will be held at 2:00 pm, Tuesday, February 18, 2025 at Elliott Chapel, New London with Pastor Kendall Adams officiating.  Visitation will begin at 10:00 with the family greeting friends from 1:00 until the time of the service.  According to her wishes, her body has been cremated and will be inurned at a later date at Burge Cemetery, New London, next to her beloved husband and son.  A memorial has been established for Burge Cemetery.  Online condolences may be left at www.elliottfuneralchapel.com.

Radiothon Raises $71,000 for All God’s Creatures

By Hayden Douglas · Monday, February 17th, 2025 at 5:41 am CDT

All God’s Creatures was overwhelmed with support this past Saturday, as the community continued to show support for the shelter project during a radiothon that was held 9am-2pm, by KILJ.

KILJ and All God’s Creatures set out to raise $40,000 on Saturday during the radiothon, taking call in donations at the radio station, and onsite taking donations and giving tours at All god’s creatures.

Not knowing the amount of support that would show up, families, businesses, churches, and charities showed their support by stopping by AGC, giving donations and even adopting several animals. As the Radiothon started, it was a strong start of donations. The donations surpassed the $40,000 goal in just two hours and the donations continued to walk in the door and ring the phones.

Through all the donations of time, money, and materials, the community raised $71,000 for All God’s Creatures in just five hours.

Emily Davis is the Executive Director of AGC and was overwhelmed with support.

With these donations, AGC will be able to construct several projects. They will make room in the front lawn for an outdoor enclosure for the dogs, additional kennel space to the building, improve the back outdoor space for newer puppies, and add a sign to the building. Find out how you can donate to All God’s Creatures at AGC.

Prep Boys’ Wrestling: District Results and State Qualifiers for Our Local Teams

By Slaten Swords · Monday, February 17th, 2025 at 12:51 am CDT

Prep Boys’ Wrestling- The 2025 boys’ wrestling postseason got underway this past Saturday with the District Tournaments for all three classes sending 24 qualifiers per weight class. In Classes 1A and 2A, the top two place-winners advanced and the top three in Class 3A.

Class 1A

Pleasantville

Van Buren County, WACO, and Wapello traveled to Pleasantville to compete in their district assignment and each team sent at least one wrestler to the state tournament.

For Van Buren County in the 106-pound weight class, Leo Jirak picked up a win by fall over Cooper Sampson of North Mahaska to advance to the 1st place match. It was there where he ran into WACO’s Ian Maize, who continued his wonderful season, and fell by a 10-6 decision.

Jirak had a winner-takes-all match with Iowa Valley’s Carter Koenig and the contentious battle ended with a victory by fall for the Warrior. He will enter the state tournament with a 29-7 record.

Along with WACO’s Maize, Gage Samo in the 120-pound weight class and undefeated Louden Huisenga in the 190-pound weight class each breezed their way to district championships. Samo defeated Logan Van Zee of North Mahaska by technical fall and Owen Henriksen of Alburnett by a 5-3 decision.

For Huisenga, he pinned Blake Lamansky of Cardinal in the semifinal and collected technical fall wins over Grayson Nagle of Wapello in the quarterfinals and River Williams of Alburnett in the 1st place match.

Wapello will have Cohen Wolford in the 138-pound weight class making the trip to Des Moines after finishing in 2nd place at districts. He started off his day with a win by fall of Cardinals Kyran Spees and followed that up with a quick pin of Blake Rowson of Pleasantville in the semifinals.

Wolford would lose by technical fall of Preston Klostermann of Alburnett with his win over Rowson acting as a no contest and officially sending him on to the state tournament.

Wilton

New London was our lone local team who made the trip to Wapello and the Tigers will send two wrestlers to Des Moines.

In the 126-pound weight class, Kane Foreseen finished his day 3-1 and grabbed 2nd place after pinning Lone Tree’s Hudsyn Sojka, claiming a win by major decision over Brock Thomann of Highland, losing by major decision against Mason Shirk of Wilton, and sealing his ticket with a victory by major decision against Jaxson Wedekind of Louisa-Muscatine.

Gage Burden will return to the state tournament for another season as he started off the tournament with a pin of Clay Gates of West Branch and win by major decision over Hayden Riggan of Louisa-Muscatine to wrestle in the 1st place match.

Gabriel Brisker of Wilton would get the better of Burden with a victory by major decision but the Tiger’s early win against Riggan was enough to push Burden to the state tournament.

Class 2A

Centerville

Centerville housed four of our local teams as they wrestled for the chance to compete in Des Moines and what has become recent tradition Burlington Notre Dame will have a litany of wrestlers attending the state tournament.

In the 100-pound weight class, Kohen Dietzenbach had a relatively stress-free day, nabbing two wins and 1st place at the district. Dietzenbach’s win over Ryan Rose of Keokuk by major decision in the 1st place match was enough for Rose to qualify as he defeated Dakota Aney of Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union by fall in the semifinals.

Rowan Berndt suffered an early loss to Fairfield’s Cael McCabe, who would go on to take 1st place, in the 113-pound weight class but that did not deter him as he rattled off three straight wins, including a victory by major decision over Ben James of Creston to claim 2nd place.

Colt Boyles in the 120-pound weight class finished 3-0 on the day with a 7-2 decision victory over Matt Genobana of Centerville to win 1st place.

CJ Davis in the 126-pound weight class and Kaiden Dietzenbach in the 138-pound weight class each followed the same script and won their district with a couple of wins.

In the 132-pound weight class, Jared Glendening’s win by fall over Bowen Thomson of Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union meant the Nike got to punch his ticket to the state tournament after falling to Lane Travis of Creston in the 1st place match.

In the 150-pound weight class, Kael Cook took 1st place as did Blake Wilson in the 165-pound weight class.

In the 157-pound weight class, Fairfield’s Cason Miller and Dirk Boyles met up in the championship match and it was the Trojan who escaped with the narrow 4-1 decision victory to win the district. Boyles won defeat Parker Hemann of Albia by major decision to take 2nd place.

In another Trojan versus Nike 1st place match, Dain Burkhart of Fairfield got the better of Joey Glendening with a win by fall to take 1st place in the 175-pound weight class. Glendening’s 9-4 decision win over Kason Dopler of Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union claimed him 2nd place.

Also advancing to the start tournament was Bridge Anderson in the 190-pound weight class as he took 2nd place after pinning Jayden Myers of Creston. The Nikes will officially have 11 wrestlers competing at the state tournament.

Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union had no wrestlers advance to state as Markel Zapiensz, Itai Zapiensz, Dopler, Thomson, and Aney each ended up at the doorstep, finishing in 3rd place.

For Fairfield, along with McCabe, Miller, and Burkhart, the Trojans also had three other wrestlers advance to the state tournament.

In the 144-pound weight class, Zandrik Allison took 2nd place after defeating Paxton Thompson of Davis County by major decision in the semifinals. This granted him a win by no contest in the 2nd place match after falling to Conner Pickerell of Albia by technical fall.

Also claiming 2nd place was Alex Hudson in the 285-pound weight class as he finished 2-1 for the day. His only loss was to Nate Ballard of Albia by fall in the 1st place match.

Dre Smithburg won the district for the 215-pound weight class after pinning Giorgi Natchkebia of Centerville in the semifinals and Gunner Martwick of Creston in the championship match.

Ryan Rose of Keokuk in the 106-pound weight class, was the lone state qualifier for the Chiefs.

Williamsburg

Mediapolis had a trio of wrestlers punch their ticket to the state tournament as Kyler Crow won the district for the 175-pound weight class after defeating Jackson Feuerbach of Solon by major decision in the 1st place match.

Mason Johnson started off his run in the 150-pound weight class with a pair of pins before losing to Nile Sinn of Williamsburg by fall in the 1st place match.

At the same time, Mt. Pleasant’s Ramzy Davis fell to Sinn in the semifinals, which sent the Panther to the consolation bracket where he collected two wins by fall to secure a matchup with Johnson with the winner attending the state tournament.

It turned out Johnson would be the one to escape with the win by a 7-3 decision to knock out Davis.

In the 157-pound weight class, Peyton Johson fell to Brady Grier of Williamsburg by major decision in the 1st place match but narrowly escaped with a victory over Carson Kidwell of Solon by a 3-2 decision to earn a trip to state.

Washington’s Aaron Boone will be heading back to the state tournament after defeating Jefferson Avalos Ramirez of Mt. Pleasant by technical fall to earn a no contest in the 2nd place match.

Mt. Pleasant did not have a wrestler earn a spot at the state tournament as Levi Evans, Lane Beckler, Ramirez, Davis, and Payton Walker grab 3rd place.

Class 3A

Fort Madison and Burlington each ventured to Cedar Rapids Jefferson for their district matchup and the Bloodhounds had one wrestler earn a trip to state and the Grayhounds had a pair of wrestlers earn 2nd place.

In the 106 pound-weight class, Braxton Hutchinson of Burlington nearly had 1st place under his belt but a sudden victory for Abe Heysinger of Dubuque Hempstead in the 1st place match sent the Grayhound to a winner-takes-all match.

Hutchinson would get the best of Cole Kasparek of Clear Creek-Amana by technical fall to advance to the state tournament.

Adrian Perez-Hall’s win over Ben Haughey of Clear Creek-Amana in the semifinals for the 157-pound weight class earned his ticket to the state tournament after falling the Cole Green of North Scott by fall in the 1st place match.

Lastly, James Fuller of the 113-pound weight class pulled off a sudden victory over Maxwell Davis of North Scott in the 1st place match to secure the district championship.

Upcoming

Stay tuned to KILJ for an article detailing the first-round matchups for all of our local wrestlers and our coverage during the state tournament set the begin on Wednesday, February 19th.

February 17, 2025 – February 23, 2025

By Allison Jacobs · Sunday, February 16th, 2025 at 2:23 pm CDT
02/17/25
Myar Rodgers
02/17/25
Heidi Paradysz
02/18/25
Elias Hampton
02/18/25
Abigail Henrikson
02/18/25
Stone Stallman
02/19/25
Holly Jones
02/19/25
Jason Warner
02/19/25
Victoria Wilson
02/19/25
Barb Donnolly
02/20/25
Sydney Collins
02/20/25
Dean Aicher
02/20/25
Jean Barker
02/20/25
Lisa Dunn
02/20/25
Mason Fraker
02/20/25
Nadine Martin
02/20/25
Joseph Syfert
02/20/25
Linda Renken
2/22/25
Jan Henss
2/22/25
Carol Stafford

David E. Heaton

By Hayden Douglas · Saturday, February 15th, 2025 at 8:41 am CDT
David E. Heaton
David Edward Heaton, known to most as “Dave”, passed away peacefully on February 12, 2025 at Park Place in Mt. Pleasant after a brief stay and under the care of Hospice.

Born February 2, 1941, in Sigourney, Iowa to Ward V. and Jean Miles Heaton, Dave was raised in a restaurant family with arts and music plentiful. From his father he learned the value of labor and hard work; the love of the arts came from his mother. He graduated from Sigourney High School in 1959. The family then relocated to Washington, Iowa.

Dave earned a B.A. degree in History and Business Administration from Iowa Wesleyan College in 1964. He was a member of Phi Delta Theta and remained connected to his fraternity brothers and fellow alums for the decades that followed.

Following graduation from college, Dave enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserves and was attached to the 872nd Maintenance Support Company of Washington, Iowa. He taught Social Studies and Government at Van Buren High School, also serving as assistant coach of girls basketball and defensive coach for the football team under Coach J.D. Schimmelpfenning, his lifelong friend and fraternity brother at Iowa Wesleyan.

After working at the Iris Restaurant during college, he jointly purchased the establishment in 1967, becoming sole owner several years later.

On May 18, 1968 he married Carmen Crawford in Olds, Iowa and together they raised two children, Mary Elizabeth and David.

Dave and Carmen were true partners in the restaurant and he took pride in serving the public with good food and service. Dave valued the relationships he made in the restaurant business with loyal customers and employees, many who held jobs during high school and college and during points of transition in their lives.

In 1995, Dave was elected to the Iowa House of Representatives, serving southeast Iowa for 12 terms (24 years). He served as a co-chair of the Health and Human Services Appropriations Sub-Committee for an extended period. His focus and passion were on Human Services and improving the system for Iowa’s most vulnerable people. “I’ve been so happy to have the opportunity to make a difference in people’s lives, trying to improve the quality of life for people. It’s been very rewarding and very challenging,” he said. Dave was known for working across the aisle to reach consensus, impassioned speeches, and as a champion for those who needed it most.

During the legislative sessions Dave always returned home on weekends. He believed that his greatest listening and learning opportunities occurred when people talked to him as he carved their ham and roast beef at the end of the buffet line at Iris Sunday dinners. He retired from office in 2019.

Dave was a member of St. Alphonsus Catholic Church and the Mt. Pleasant chapter of Kiwanis International. In recent years he served on the Board of Directors of the Iowa Chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and on the board of the Hope Haven Development Center. He was a past president of the Iowa Restaurant Association and the Iowa Licensed Beverage Association; also, a former board member of the Mt. Pleasant Chamber of Commerce and a former co-chair of the Henry County Republican Party.

Dave was the recipient of a Distinguished Alumni Award from Iowa Wesleyan College. In 2012 he gave the commencement address at Iowa Wesleyan College, where he received an Honorary Doctorate of Letters. In 2018 Dave was the recipient of the Hoover Uncommon Public Service Award. Through the years he was also recognized for his work and advocacy by many state agencies and organizations.

Dave cherished morning coffee at Dicky’s, and time with his brother, Denny, and good friends after his retirement. He was a regular at 2nd Tuesday dinners with ROMEOs.

Dave is survived by his wife of 56 years, Carmen; his daughter, Mary Elizabeth (Ben) Carrick of Omaha, Nebraska; his grandchildren Sophia and Patrick Carrick, Omaha; his brother, Denny Heaton (special friend Judy McCuen) of Mt. Pleasant; his sister Jan (Leo) Gordon of Los Angeles, California; sisters in law Mary Crawford of Georgetown, Texas and Jo Crawford of Falls City, Nebraska; brother in law Bill (Karolyn) Crawford of Winfield; nephews Chris (Erin) and Mike (Abigail) Heaton, Mt Pleasant; Ari and Jason (Ed) Gordon, Los Angeles; Anna Crawford, Kansas City, Mo.; Philip Crawford of Winfield; grand nieces and nephews Robert and Eli Heaton, Keegan and Kya Heaton, Avery and Jacob Gordon, and Audrianna Crawford.

He was preceded in death by his son, David, his parents Ward and Jean Heaton, and his mother and father-in-law Viola and Philip Crawford.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held 10:30 a.m. Saturday, March 1, 2025, at St. Alphonsus Catholic Church in Mount Pleasant. Rev. Ross Epping and Rev. Nick Adam will con-celebrate the Mass. Inurnment will follow in the St. Alphonsus Cemetery. Visitation will be held Friday, February 28, from 2:00 – 7:00 p.m. at the church. A Vigil Prayer Service will be held at 3:30 p.m. The family will greet friends from 4:00 – 7:00 p.m.

Memorial funds have been established for St. Alphonsus Vincent de Paul fund which exists to provide assistance to members of our Mount Pleasant community who may find themselves in financial hardship; as well as Mount Pleasant Kiwanis for projects benefiting local children. The Olson-Powell Chapel & Crematory is caring for Dave and his family. www.powellfuneralhomes.com

Weather – Event Postponed

By Allison Jacobs · Saturday, February 15th, 2025 at 6:36 am CDT

Winter weather continues through the weekend and into next week.  Snow and the possibility of accumulating ice in the forecast for today, gusting winds up to 35 miles per hour through Sunday night and extreme cold early next week.  The temperatures drop into single digits during the day and negative temperatures overnight, coupled with the wind chill makes for dangerous conditions.  Be sure to check road conditions at 511ia.org before heading out of town.

MPCMS Band Director Adam Creager has announced that due to the weather, the solo and ensemble contest scheduled for this morning has been postponed.  Mr. Creager said the chance of freezing rain the forecast prompted this decision.  Be looking for this event to be rescheduled in March.

Danville City Council to Meet

By Allison Jacobs · Saturday, February 15th, 2025 at 6:34 am CDT

The Danville City Council will meet in regular session on Monday, February 17th in Danville City Hall.  Call to order is at 5pm and this meeting is open to the public.

Accidents in MP on Friday

By Allison Jacobs · Saturday, February 15th, 2025 at 6:32 am CDT

The Mt. Pleasant Police Department responded to two traffic accidents on Friday.  There was a collision at the intersection of Henry and Lincoln Streets and then later in the day, an accident was investigated at the intersection of Baker and Grand Avenue.