41st Annual Freedom Rally Entertainment Announced

By Hayden Douglas · Wednesday, February 5th, 2025 at 6:51 am CDT

A.B.A.T.E. of Iowa is thrilled to announce the 41st Annual Freedom Rally, taking place at Freedom Park in Algona, Iowa, from July 3 to July 5, 2024. The Freedom Rally will feature big-name musicians along with a variety of activities over the three-day weekend, including mud wrestling, a tattoo contest, bike shows and rodeos, a burnout pit, fireworks, vendors, and Live Music.

Thursday, July 3rd, The main stage will host America’s AC/DC Tribute, Thunderstruck, and America’s Van Halen Experience, Jump.

Friday, July 4th, Colt Ford, a successful country artist with five consecutive Top 10 debuts on the Billboard Top Country Albums Chart.

Saturday, July 5th, will see the main stage headlined by the modern rock phenomenon Pop Evil! This band has celebrated nine No. 1 hit singles, seven successful albums, and achieved multiple Gold and Platinum certifications.

Rally Passes will go on sale this Friday at 8 AM. Visit abateiowa.org or following them on Facebook @abateiowa to learn more.

Iowa State Board of Education Regular Meeting on Thursday, Feb. 6

By Hayden Douglas · Wednesday, February 5th, 2025 at 6:49 am CDT

The Iowa State Board of Education will hold its regular meeting on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025, at the Iowa Department of Education, Grimes State Office Building, State Board Room (second floor), 400 E. 14th Street, Des Moines.

The meeting is scheduled to run from 9:00 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. and will be held in person.

Members of the public may join the meeting in person at the Grimes State Office Building or remotely through video conferencing or by telephone. In-person seating is limited. Instructions for joining remotely are available at KILJ.com meeting agenda.

The 28th Annual African American History Program Hosted by Second Baptist is February 15th

By Hayden Douglas · Wednesday, February 5th, 2025 at 6:46 am CDT

Second Baptist Ministries in Mount Pleasant is hosting their 28th Annual African American History Program on February 15th to welcome Black History Month. This event will featuring a meal, music and special Keynote speaker. Betty Mullen has been orchestrating this event for 28 years.

The meal will be served at noon and the program will follow. Betty talks about what you can expect at this years event.

 

The Annual African American History Program is always highlighted with a Guest Speaker. This year Debra Campbell, Wife of Pastor Tony Campbell will be speaking for the program on February 15th.

The 28th Annual African American History Program hosted by Second Baptist is February 15th. The event is open to the public with a free will donation encouraged. Second Baptist, 801 East Winfield Avenue Mount Pleasant, IA, at noon for lunch and 1 pm for a program, celebrating African American heritage, cultures, and traditions.

Sports, February 5th

By Slaten Swords · Wednesday, February 5th, 2025 at 6:30 am CDT

High School Basketball

WACO celebrated their senior night with a sweep of Winfield-Mt. Union after a pair of tough defensive outings. In the girls’ game, the Warriors rattled off 28 second-half points to come out on top 42-25. Brenna Graber was the force behind the surge, leading the way with 20 points. Madisen Kellogg put up 12 points for the Wolves. 

The WACO boys’ team overcame a three-point second quarter to scrape by with a 45-40 victory. Christian Stacy finished the game with a gritty 18 points as Isaac Rich knocked in 11 points, while the Wolves were led by Cooper Buffington’s 10 points. WACO head coach Chayse Roth was proud of the effort shown by his squad last night,

“Yeah, this was a big win. We accomplished a lot of our goals that we set out for the beginning of the year, you know, we wanted to be top two. We wanted to get down to Burlington and I think tonight sealed it for us. So, coming into the game, I mean having a game where it’s a must win type situation. It’s obviously really good to come out on top and obviously it’s really good that you know how it came against Winfield-Mt. Union. I know this WACO, Winfield rivalry has been going on for a long time, so anytime WACO can beat Winfield, it’s obviously, you know, good on our end.”

In the #4-seed contest, the WACO girls’ team will take on Central Lee at Holy Trinity Catholic with tip-off at 6 pm tomorrow, February 6th, while the WACO boys’ team will compete against Burlington Notre Dame on Saturday, February 8th, in the two-seed game at 5 pm at SCC. 

The Winfield-Mt. Union boys’ team will face off against Rivermont Collegiate tomorrow at 7 pm at home. 

The New London boys’ team broke into the winner’s column last night for the first time this season with a 69-59 win over Twin Cedars for their senior night. The Tigers will travel to Columbus to compete against Wapello for the SEISC shootout at 6 pm on Friday, February 7th. 

The Mt. Pleasant girls’ team fell to Fairfield last night 40-35. Grace Lyon dropped 17 points for the Trojans, while Kynlee White tallied 13 points for the Panthers. 

Mt. Pleasant will travel to Keokuk on Friday with tip-off at 6 pm. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will be on the call. 

Fairfield will hit the road to take on Burlington on Friday with game one at 6:30 pm. 

The Fairfield boys’ team lost to Holy Trinity Catholic last night 57-31. Luke Hellige put up another double-double performance with 22 points and 12 rebounds.

The Holy Trinity Catholic boys’ team will face off against Pekin on the road on Friday for the #3 seed game for the SEISC shootout. The girls’ team will also compete in the #3 seed game tomorrow against Highland at home with both games at 7:30 pm.  

Burlington Notre Dame was swept by Regina Catholic last night 81-15 in the girls’ game and 61-53 in the boys’ game. The Nikes girls’ team will take on Louisa-Muscatine at home at 7:30 pm tomorrow for the #7 seed contest. 

West Burlington split their matchup against Burlington last night with the girls’ losing 63-11 and the boys’ handling the Grayhounds 77-48. 

The West Burlington girls’ team will compete against Pekin at 6 pm tomorrow at Van Buren County, while the boys’ team will face off against Hillcrest Academy on Saturday in the #1 seed game at 6:30 pm at SCC.

The Columbus girls’ team secured their first SEISC-North title in program history in a 45-28 dismantling of Pekin last night. The boys’ team struggled against the Panthers, losing 68-37. 

The Columbus girls’ team will challenge Mediapolis in the #1 seed game on Saturday at SCC with tip-off at 3:30 pm. 

High School Wrestling

The boys’ regional dual commenced yesterday and in class 2A at Davenport Assumption, #12 Burlington Notre Dame lost a close match to #11 Mt. Vernon 37-35. Kohen Dietzenbach, Rowan Berndt, C.J. Davis, and Joey Glendening each won their match by fall, while Kaiden Dietzenbach picked up a win by technical fall. Dirk Boyles won his match by major decision and Blake Wilson shut out Cooper Hird by a 7-0 decision. The Mustangs went on to upset #6 Assumption 34-31 to advance to the state duals on Saturday, February 8th. 

The Wapello and Mediapolis boys’ teams competed in a triangular last night and Mediapolis finished with a 1-1 record, scraping past Wapello 36-33 and losing to Muscatine 48-21. Mason Johnson, Peyton Johnson, Kyler Crow, and Tanner Anderson each finished undefeated last night. Wapello fell to Muscatine 51-15. Sam Boysen, Cohen Wolford, and Carter Ball each ended the night without a loss. 

The New London and Van Buren County boys’ teams will travel to Davis County tomorrow, February 6th, for a quad. 

The girls’ state tournament is scheduled to begin tomorrow in Coralville. KILJ will be giving live updates, following our 23 local wrestlers throughout the tournament. For a full breakdown, follow the link provided: Girls’ State Qualifiers

The Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union and WACO boys’ teams will travel to Mid-Prairie on Saturday for the Colton Allen Memorial Tournament. 

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. 

Dan Gable Ms. and Mr. Wrestler of the Year

 IAwrestle and Iowa Corn in coordination with the Iowa Wrestling Coaches and Officials Association (IWCOA) has released the top 15 wrestlers for the Dan Gable Ms. and Mr. Wrestler of the Year Awards and southeast Iowa has three competitors in the running.

In Class 1A, WACO’s Louden Huisenga is a strong contender for the award at the 190-pound weight class. He has compiled a 25-0 record against fellow 190-pound contenders.

Over in Class 2A, Kaiden Dietzenbach of Burlington Notre Dame is back in the top 15 after being placed on the list last year. The Nike is continuing his reign of terror on the area in the 138-pound weight class with a perfect 27-0 record, so far through his senior campaign.

Fairfield’s Cael McCabe is also up for the award in Class 2A as the junior boasts a 22-2 record in the 113-pound weight class. McCabe has won the Bob Murphy and Bill Van Horn Invitationals this season.

Fans can vote once per list at Facebook.com/IAwrestle for their favorite wrestler in each category until February 9th, when the list will be narrowed down to the top 7. The next round of voting, from February 10th to February 23rd, will determine the top 3 finalists, with the winner announced at the banquet on February 27th at the Fareway Conference Center in Boone, Iowa, on February 27th at 11:30AM.

High School Bowling

Mt. Pleasant will take on West Burlington/Notre Dame tomorrow, February 6th, at home. 

Fairfield will host the Southeast Conference (SEC) tournament scheduled for February 10th. 

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. 

Southeast Iowa Playbook

Tune in to KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, tonight at 6 pm for a new episode of the Southeast Iowa Playbook. Zenlynn Lee of Mt. Pleasant will be our special guest as she gets ready to wrestle at the state tournament tomorrow, February 6th. 

Southeastern Community College

The men’s basketball team will travel to Marshalltown Community College tonight with tip-off at 7 pm. 

College Basketball

The #8 Iowa State men’s team will host TCU on Saturday, February 8th, at 11 am. 

The Iowa men’s team held strong with #7 Purdue last night but faded down the stretch, losing 90-81. Josh Dix cashed in for 27 points in the losing effort. The Hawkeyes will compete against #21 Wisconsin on Saturday with game time at noon. 

The Iowa women’s team will travel to Minnesota tomorrow, February 6th, at 7 pm. 

The Iowa State women’s team will take on Cincinnati tonight at 5:30 pm on the road. 

This Day in Sports History

1943 – Jake LaMotta defeats future multi-weight world boxing champion Sugar Ray Robinson by unanimous points decision in Detroit in the 2nd of their 6 meetings; his only win of their rivalry. It was Robinson’s first loss in his first 40 pro bouts. 

1989 – Kareem Abdul-Jabar becomes the first NBA player to score 38,000 points.

2017 – Super Bowl LI, NRG Stadium, Houston, TX: New England Patriots defeat Atlanta Falcons, 34-28; MVP: Tom Brady, New England, QB. The first Super Bowl to be decided in overtime.

Wayland City Council Meeting Feb 5th

By Hayden Douglas · Wednesday, February 5th, 2025 at 6:00 am CDT
  1. Roll Call
  1. Public Hearing – Proposed Annexation – 7:30 PM
  1. Consent Agenda

Note:  These are routine items and will be enacted by one motion without separate discussion unless a Council member requests an item be removed for separate consideration.

  1. Minutes of January 15, 2025
  2. Bills for Payment
  3. Report
  4. Clerk Budgetary Report
  5. Utility Dept. Report
  6. Police Dept. Report
  7. Firefighter Dept. Report
  8. Building Permits
  1. Citizen Forum

The Mayor and City Council welcome comments from the public for items not listed on the agenda.  You are asked to state your name and address for the record and to limit your remarks in order that others may be given the opportunity to speak.  The Order of Business is at the discretion of the Chair.  No action will be taken. 

  1. Unfinished Business
  1. Goal Setting Session (continued)

 

  1. New Business
    1. 2025-04 Resolution Approving Applications for Annexation
    2. Set Public Hearing Date of March 5, 2025 for FY24/25 Budget Amendment #1
    3. Consider Quote for Edmunds Software (Financials/Utilities)
    4. Consider Quote – TextMyGov Communication Tool
    5. Consider Quote – Trenton Gas Plant – Natural Gas Valve Repair/Relocation
    6. Consider Quote for Share Point Cloud Migration Training
    7. Set Date of City Wide Garage Sales May 9 & 10 and Spring Clean Up May 23, 2025
    8. FY25/26 Budget Overview

Henry County Supervisors Meeting Agenda Feb 6th @ 9am

By Hayden Douglas · Tuesday, February 4th, 2025 at 12:42 pm CDT
  1. Approve Agenda
  1. Approve Minutes
  1. Department Head Meeting
  1. Jake Hotchkiss Engineer Weekly Update

Resolution – Approve City of Mt. Pleasant project

Motion – Approve and Execute IDOT Agreement

  1. Rich McNamee Sheriff, Approval of Reserve Deputy

Board’s Answer, Seeking Outside Council

  1. CDS Director Sarah Berndt, Present FY26 Budget

Discussion on Transitioning Mental Health Services to Public Health

  1. Approval of Conservations,

Resolution 8-2025 County Support, Washington Co. Riverboat Foundations Grant.

  1. Planning & Zoning, Joe Buffington, Public Hearing & Resolution #9-2025 to Sell County Property
  1. John Siegel, Discussion Back to Blue Law, Sheriff’s Salary.
  1. Mt Pleasant Public Library Board Update, Theresa Rose

11. Approval of Henry County ICAPs Annual Renewal Premiums

  1. Public Comments

Other County Business as time allows

Supervisors’ Sub-Committee Updates

Eileen McBeth

By Hayden Douglas · Tuesday, February 4th, 2025 at 12:36 pm CDT

Eileen McBeth, 91, of Mount Pleasant, died Monday, February 3, 2025, at the Henry County Health Center.

Eileen May Schuelka McBeth was born at home outside the town of Primrose, in Lee County, Iowa, on October 18, 1933.  She was the third child of five, born to John Henry Schuelka, Sr., and Grace Margaret Kemp Schuelka.

Eileen attended Donnellson Independent Schools, graduating from Donnellson High School in 1951.

She often recounted that until she next moved to Mount Pleasant to attend Iowa Wesleyan College, she had not lived in a place that had both electricity and running water.  Perhaps it was the “amenities,” but Eileen resided in Mount Pleasant for the remainder of her life.

At IWC, Eileen studied elementary education obtaining her teaching certificate in 1954.  Later in life, she went back to Wesleyan, completing further studies in psychology and science.  Eileen worked her way through college, primarily as a waitress.  Despite a busy life with studies and a job, Eileen often recounted her fun in participating in college theatrical productions and revues during those years.

While attending a softball game one summer, Eileen met her future husband, Richard McBeth.  They were married May 28, 1955, in Davenport, Iowa, and were together for 58 years until Richard’s death, February 24, 2013.

Prior to the birth of her children, Eileen taught first grade in New London, Iowa.  She was an active mother, involved as a Brownie and Jr. Girl Scout Leader, and an Asst. Cub Scout Leader.  She was an avid follower of her children’s (and grandchildren’s) sports, music, theater, and other activities.  Eileen taught Sunday School for three-year-olds at the First Presbyterian Church for several years, an institution with which she maintained a lifelong association (in spirit, if not always in person!).  In addition, for approximately twenty years she volunteered for the American Cancer Society.

For a brief time, Eileen was clerk and part owner (with Richard) of the “Budget Shop,” selling antiques and used furniture.  She and Richard also enjoyed going to garage sales, as well as staging their own.

Eileen spent hours on crocheting and cross-stitch, working on crossword and find-a-word puzzles, and she was an avid reader with a special love of memoir, history, and informational texts.  She loved listening to music and had a wonderful singing voice.  She also enjoyed journaling and had a flair for writing, and she was no stranger to laughing at a good joke.  Eileen had fun exploring the worldwide web, as well as emailing jokes and notes to her family and friends.  Her time was filled for several years with the care of their dog, “Poncho,” and she could frequently be seen walking him in the neighborhood.

Eileen was preceded in death by her parents, two brothers (Gene and John, Jr.), a brother-in-law, sisters-in-law, her wonderful grandson, Jeff, and by her beloved husband, Richard McBeth.

She is survived by her two daughters, Marcy (Robert) Russell, of Marion, Amy McBeth (Brian Barkley), of North Liberty, son Michael (Laurie) McBeth, of New London, and step-son Andrew McBeth (David Jenison), of Windsor Heights.  She is also survived by her sister Agnes Bell of Marshalltown, her brother Francis Schuelka of Cedar, and by her grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and cousins.  Her strong presence in a room will be missed.

Memorial donations may be made to the MPCSD Foundation or Henry County Health Center Foundation.

A private family graveside service will be held at the Forest Home Cemetery, words of comfort will be offered by Tim Olson. Public Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. The Olson-Powell Chapel & Crematory is caring for Eileen and her family. www.powellfuneralhomes.com