Girls’ State Wrestling: Breaking Down Day One for Class 2A

By Slaten Swords · Thursday, February 6th, 2025 at 3:25 pm CDT

Coralville, IA- The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union’s third sanction State Wrestling Tournament is underway and the first session is in the books. Class 2A has completed their quarterfinals and second round consolation bracket matchups and five of our local wrestlers will be competing tomorrow, February 7th, with one eyeing a possible state championship.

105-Pound Weight Class

Burlington’s #13 Grace Navarre started off her day with an upset of #4 Lila Sheehan of Mason City with a narrow 1-0 decision victory. This set up a matchup against #5 Nora Ohnemus of Indianola in the quarterfinals, which ended by fall, sending Navarre to the consolation bracket.

Unfortunately, the Grayhound was again punching up and could not come out the winner against Lauren Watson of Ankeny, ending her tournament run. Navarre finished the season 32-19.

125-Pound Weight Class

#14 Briena Fenton of Fort Madison was sent to the consolation bracket after a first round pin by Destiny Brown of Ridge View. Fenton survived her first match with a quick pin of #11 Chole Adamson of Linn-Mar but could not keep the momentum against #4 Addi Nelson of Southeast Polk, losing by fall.

Fenton finished the season with a 36-18 record.

130-Pound Weight Class

Fort Madison’s #4 Mara Smith has made her third consecutive trip to state and she started off the day strong with a 12-7 decision win over Brooklyn Mitchell of South Tama.

In a contentious quarterfinal matchup against #5 Arbella Varvel of Southeast Polk Smith would lose by fall, ushering her to the consolation bracket where she defeated #6 Kallie Gibbons.

Smith will face off against #10 Tatum Heaberlin of Gilbert on her path towards third place.

135-Pound Weight Class

#16 Mia Oddo of Burlington had a tough draw, competing against #1 Bella Miller of Dubuque Hempstead then #8 Claire Hynek of Prairie in the consolation bracket. She was pinned by Miller then fell to Hynek by major decision to end the season with a 25-25 record.

140-Pound Weight Class

Fort Madison’s #10 Kat DiPrima started off her tournament run with a win over #7 Addison Appelhans of Anamosa via pin before losing to #2 Shaylee Sutherland of Spencer in the quarterfinals.

DiPrima could not find a rhythm in her matchup against #8 Meredith Kaump Cedar Rapids Kennedy, losing by fall. DiPrima finished her season with an impressive 42-7 record.

155-Pound Weight Class

#13 Amaziah Twillie of Burlington has been nothing but amazing in her maiden journey to the state tournament. The freshman started things off with a pin of #4 Shanona Emmanuel of Iowa City City High just 36 seconds into the match.

Twillie then took down Gracey Smith of Clear Lake without much effort in the quarterfinals to advance to the semifinals. She will have to produce another upset as she will face off against undefeated #1 Haylee McGrew of Ankeny with the winner moving on to the championship match.

170-Pound Weight Class

Burlington’s #15 Macy Peterson executed one of the biggest upsets of the morning with a pin of #2 Ashley Chasteen of Hinton. Unfortunately, she could not keep up the momentum in the quarterfinals, falling by tiebreaker to #7 Jazelle Smith of Indianola.

Peterson would come away with a win by ultimate tiebreaker over #9 Anna Johson of Cedar Falls to prolong her stay in the tournament. #5 Kayma Burleson of Clear Lake awaits Peterson in a win or go home match.

190-Pound Weight Class

Burlington’s #3 Kiara Rodriguez in her senior campaign started the tournament with a pin of #14 Aliya Phillips of Prairie but lost her quarterfinal matchup against #6 Josie Bishop of Southeast Polk by fall.

Rodriguez took care of business in her first match of the consolation bracket, taking down #12 Reese Winslow of Pleasant Valley. She will compete against #9 Maddison Wright of Lewis Central tomorrow.

235-Pound Weight Class

Lastly, #4 Alannah Peterson of Burlington collected a first-round pin over Elizabeth Mills of Cedar Falls to advance to the quarterfinals. She would run into #5 Delilah Subsin of Ottumwa who ultimately exited with the win, sending Peterson to the consolation bracket.

Peterson would pin #11 Aubrey Borcherding of Dallas Center-Grimes within a minute of the match starting to advance in the consolation bracket. She will face off against #7 Sage Dzeladini of North Scott tomorrow.

Stay tuned to KILJ 105.5 FM and kilj.com for more updates and wrap-ups throughout the State Tournament.

Holy Trinity Students Earn Impressive Science Awards

By Hayden Douglas · Thursday, February 6th, 2025 at 1:02 pm CDT
L-R: Emma Menke, 9th Grade, Ellie Hellman, 10th Grade

Holy Trinity’s Ellie Hellman (10th grade) and Emma Menke (9th grade) have recently made their mark in the science community by securing top honors at various prestigious competitions through their hard work, dedication, and passion for science. These remarkable achievements highlight the exceptional talent and commitment of Holy Trinity students, who continue to shine as leaders in the scientific field. Congratulations to all the awardees!
Ellie Hellman will be representing the Iowa Junior Academy of Science next week in Boston, Massachusetts. She was selected last May after a Science Competition at MaryCrest University. During her week in Boston, Ellie will tour labs at Harvard and MIT and present her research in a poster format to the American Association of Academies of Science, where 15,000 to 20,000 scientists from around the world attend the conference.
Emma Menke and Ellie Hellman were recently selected to present their Science Research at the Regional Junior Science and Humanities Symposium on February 24 and 25 at Iowa State University. Out of a pool of the highest-caliber science research students across Iowa, only 18 were selected to present their work. Best of luck to both Ellie and Emma.
“Ellie and Emma are two outstanding members of the HTC Science Club” stated Ernie Schiller, HTC Science Coordinator & Science Research Sponsor, “both girls are supreme science researchers, and we couldn’t be more proud of them”!
“We are excited to offer our students these opportunities for growth and advancement in the fields of science and research.” said Craig Huebner, HTC 6-12 Principal and CAO, “Over the years, the program, led by Ernie Schiller, has expanded, and we are now seeing the rewards of that hard work, as evidenced by the impressive achievements of students like Ellie and Emma. We are incredibly proud of the representation they will bring to our school and our community. We wish both of them the very best and look forward to seeing their continued success.”

From The Desk of Matthew B. Rinker, Iowa House District 99

By Hayden Douglas · Thursday, February 6th, 2025 at 12:54 pm CDT
February 6, 2025

This past Friday we lost a great member of the Iowa Legislature, Representative Martin Graber, a devoted husband, father, and community leader in Fort Madison. Martin was a native Iowan and served for over 30 years in the Iowa Army National Guard, achieving the rank of Brigadier General. He was also a financial advisor in the Fort Madison area, and spent time both in his personal life and in the legislature working to improve the lives of those around him. Martin was not only a great and dedicated public servant, but he was also an amazing friend and family man, and he will be missed by all whom he had an impact on.

The issue I’d like to discuss this week is an one that I know was important to Rep. Graber and a recurring topic on the House floor: the Veterans Trust Fund.

Created in 2007, the Iowa Veterans Trust Fund (managed by the Iowa Department of Veteran Affairs) is a multi-million dollar fund that offers financial assistance to veterans in Iowa. It is funded by proceeds from the Iowa Lottery ($2.5 million annually) every year to ensure the fund grows and exists in perpetuity, while the interest from the fund helps provide services and support to our Veterans community. This can be for things like vehicle repairs, mental health services, or emergency housing repair such as fixing a broken water pipe. This program is vital to ensuring our veterans get the help and support they need. Last year the Department of Veteran Affairs gave out more than $775,000 to Veterans in need. I am currently reviewing legislation that impacts the Iowa Trust Fund and how it may impact our Iowa Veterans.

Another topic discussed at the capitol this week was Iowa’s child welfare system. The Department of Health and Human Services presented data to legislators this week showing the valuable work they’ve done to improve children’s lives. Over the past decade the number of children in foster care has decreased by 30%, caseloads have reduced almost 10% since 2021,  and social workers are spending more time than ever with children who have been removed from their home. Under Iowa’s DHHS, children in the foster care system are in good hands.

Finally, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship (IDALS) issued a press release in which Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced that his state agency is encouraging Iowa corn growers to leverage the new Nitrogen Fertilizer Application Consultation Tool (N-FACT) to inform nutrient application decisions this growing season. The N-FACT tool takes multiple field-level production variables into account, then recommends an optimal nitrogen application rate to help farmers balance productivity, environmental stewardship and input costs. The N-FACT tool leverages thousands of data points from hundreds of field trials conducted by ISU. Data inputs include field location, weather, residual soil nitrogen, estimated planting dates and input and commodity prices.  Field trials were conducted in each region of the state, yielding more than 21,000 possible optimal nitrogen rate scenarios.

MPCSD Finance Committee Meeting 2/7/2025, 12:30 PM

By Hayden Douglas · Thursday, February 6th, 2025 at 12:42 pm CDT
2/7/2025, 12:30 PM
Finance Committee Meeting
The meeting has been published. You may review the agenda by clicking on Meeting Title.

Meeting Title:  2/7/2025, 12:30 PM-Finance Committee Meeting
Meeting Agenda
1. January 2025 Financial Reports
2. FY26 Taxable Valuations
3. FY26 Certified Budget Process
a. Public Hearing Dates, etc.
4. FY24 Audit Results
5. FY26 New Money Calculations
6. Apple Device Renewal Options
7. Review 2024-2025 School Calendar
8. Review 2025-2026 Proposed School Calendar
9. Instructional Support Levy Review

Henry County Board of Supervisors Deny Outside Legal Counsel For Henry Co. Sheriff

By Hayden Douglas · Thursday, February 6th, 2025 at 11:29 am CDT

At this weeks Henry County Board of Supervisors meeting, the conversation continued between Henry County Sheriff, Rich McNamee, and the Board of Supervisors on request by Sheriff McNamee for outside legal counsel.

This counsel would represent the Sheriff in a proceeding related to an FOIA request involving the sheriff’s office.

Rich argues on his own behalf that the county attorney has a conflict of interest and cannot represent him fairly.

 

However, the board of supervisors previously denied this request and reaffirmed their decision in this meeting.

Board of Supervisor Chairman, Marc Lindeen reminded the room that legal counsel by the county attorney is responsible for representing the sheriff’s office unless officially removed from the case.

Despite Sheriff McNamee providing documents supporting his position, the board members maintained their stance in not approving outside council.

Weekly Fuel Report

By Hayden Douglas · Thursday, February 6th, 2025 at 11:11 am CDT
  • As of Wednesday, the price of regular unleaded gasoline averaged $2.97 across Iowa according to AAA.
    • Prices rose 2 cents from last week’s price and are up 13 cents from a year ago.
    • The national average on Wednesday was $3.13, up 1 cent from last week’s price.
  • Retail diesel prices in Iowa rose 5 cents this week with a statewide average of $3.47.
    • One year ago, diesel prices averaged $3.53 in Iowa.
    • The current Iowa diesel price is 20 cents lower than the national average of $3.67.
  • Wholesale ethanol held steady and is currently priced at $2.16.
  • The current Des Moines Terminal/Rack Prices are $2.10 for U87-E10, $2.27 for Unleaded 87 (clear), $2.40 for ULSD#2, $2.64 for ULSD#1, and $1.96 per gallon for E-70 prices.

Heating Fuels

  • Natural gas prices were up $.16 at the Henry Hub reporting site and are currently priced at $3.28/MMbtu.
  • Propane prices averaged $1.68 per gallon in Iowa.
  • Home heating oil prices had a statewide average of $3.03 per gallon.

Tips for saving energy on the road or at home are available at energy.gov and fueleconomy.gov.

Donnellson Fire Chief, Fred Hoyer Retires After 69 Years

By Hayden Douglas · Thursday, February 6th, 2025 at 11:10 am CDT

Donnellson Fire Department is congratulating Fred Hoyer as he retires as the Fire Chief.

Chief Hoyer joined the Donnellson Fire Department in 1956 and has served the community for 69 years. Fred has been the Fire Chief for the last 53 years after receiving the title in 1972. In addition to this role, Fred was also a first responder for many years, serving as a medical provider for the department.

The department would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Chief Hoyer for his leadership, commitment, and service to the department and the community.