AGENDA
The Mount Pleasant Community Development Committee will meet on Tuesday, February 4, 2025, 8:00 a.m. at Central Park Coffee Company located at 111 W Monroe St.
The City of Danville will meet in regular session on Monday, February 3, 2025 at Danville City Hall with call to order at 5:00pm. Items on the agenda include updates from the fire chief, and from public works, and an open forum for the council to receive comments from the public. The meeting includes a Closed Session with the city attorney.
The Mt. Pleasant Community Development Committee will meet at 8:00am on Tuesday, February 4, 2025, at Central Park Coffee Company, 111 W. Monroe Street.
Southeast Iowa State Representative Martin Graber,72, (R-Ft. Madison) passed away on Friday morning)-1/31/25 of a heart attack. Graber, of Ft. Madison, represented House District 100 and was first elected to the Iowa House of Representatives in 2020. Graber was elected to his third term in the House in this past November’s election. Graber served 32 years in the Army National Guard, retiring as a Brigadier General and was beloved by his community. Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds, and Iowa Speaker Pat Grassley both expressed the devastation at the sudden passing of Graber. Governor Reynolds said that Rep. Graber’s contributions to Iowa are unmatched, and he was a tireless advocate for his constituents in Southeast Iowa. Graber is survived by his wife of 49 years, Coni, his two daughters, and two granddaughters.
The Mt. Pleasant Panther Trap Team is holding their 9th Annual Banquet Fundraiser on Saturday, February 22, 2025, at the Airport Road Vineyard starting at 5:30pm. Tickets are $25. They are looking for silent and live auction items, or sponsorships starting at $250.00. All proceeds go toward the Mt. Pleasant Trap program. For more information, please contact Pete Yocum at 319-931-0744 or Alicia Yocum at 319-931-3061.
High School Basketball
Mt. Pleasant split their matchup against Washington last night with the girls’ team falling 58-26 and the boys’ team spoiling the Demons senior night behind a barrage of three points, 62-53. Abby Carthey put up nine points for the girls’ game, while Ryan Helling cashed in for a career high 26 points in the win. Boys’ head coach Eric Rawson knew it was a matter of time before his squad broke through in the win department,
“Yes, it feels great. You know, a rivalry game on the road with Washington is a big night for them and for us to persevere and to get through it, we kept our composure. Ryan Helling was huge down the stretch. A lot of guys were huge down the stretch. It’s a great win for us. It’s been a challenging year to say the least and hats off to our group and our coaching staff, just keeping the vibe up and good. The mood’s good in the locker room. You know, a lot of teams could have thrown in the towel a long time ago and to get a win like this tonight on the road with where we’ve been and how we’re battling through things it says a lot.”
Mt. Pleasant will keep the road trip going today against Mediapolis with the girls’ teams tipping off at noon.
The Mediapolis girls’ team continued their reign of terror last night in a 67-48 win over Holy Trinity Catholic. Amelia Grier was unstoppable with 31 points in the winning effort. The Mediapolis boys’ team followed along, tagging the Crusaders 72-64 despite Luke Hellige notching a 29 point/10 rebound double-double performance.
The Holy Trinity Catholic girls’ team will await their opponent for the Southeast Iowa Super Conference shootout on Thursday, February 6th.
The Winfield-Mt. Union girls’ team has now claimed back-to-back wins after defeating Wapello last night 53-36. Madisen Kellogg led the way in the scoring with 19 points in the effort. The boys’ team also rallied to a one-sided win with the Wolves coming out on top 65-34.
Wapello will await their opponent for the Southeast Iowa Super Conference shootout on Thursday.
Danville celebrated their senior night with a sweep of New London last night with the girls’ team crunching the Tigers 74-17 and the boys’ team handling business 68-46.
Danville will await their opponent for the Southeast Iowa Super Conference shootout on Thursday.
The New London girls’ team will celebrate senior night on Monday, February 3rd, against Cardinal at 7:30 pm, while the boys’ team will face off against Twin Cedars on Tuesday, February 4th, at 7:30 pm at home for senior night.
Burlington Notre Dame was swept by West Burlington last night, 52-49 in the girls’ game and 77-63 in the boys’ game.
West Burlington will compete on Tuesday against Burlington with game time at 6 pm.
Burlington Notre Dame will travel to Fort Madison today with game one at 10 am.
The Van Buren County girls’ team fell to Central Lee last night 44-32. Marlee Mertens netted 10 points for the Warriors.
The Van Buren County boys’ team will square off against Clark County tonight at 6 pm on the road.
Central Lee will take on Keokuk today at home with the girls’ playing first at 12:30 pm.
For the first time in their program’s history, the Columbus girls’ team will get at least a share of the SEISC-North crown after outlasting WACO last night 44-33. The WACO boys’ team hurdled the Wildcats last night in a dominant 72-55 showing.
Columbus will face off against Pekin on Tuesday with the night starting at 6 pm.
WACO will host Winfield-Mt. Union on Tuesday with game one at 6 pm. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will be on the call with the pregame show at 5:45 pm.
The Fairfield boys’ team will face off against Holy Trinity Catholic on Tuesday at home with tip-off at 7:30 pm.
High School Wrestling
The girls’ regional tournament commenced yesterday and the winner and runner-up from each weight class advanced to the state tournament. Here’s the top results from the Williamsburg Regional.
Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union had one wrestler punch their ticket to state as Jada Moats defeated Joey Tedrow of Cardinal by fall to finish the night 2-1 and claim the runner-up slot in the 190-pound weight class.
Fairfield had two wrestlers advance to the state tournament as Samantha Lyons finished as the runner-up in the 170-pound weight class and Kendra Allsion pinned Mt. Pleasant’s Olivia Gordy to win the 235-pound weight class.
Mt. Pleasant’s Zenlynn Lee handled business, claiming a 3-0 record on the night and winning the 145-pound weight class. Olivia Gordy finished just short, falling in the 2nd place match by fall to claim third place.
Van Buren County’s highest finisher was Rylee Caviness as the Warrior produced a third place performance, racking up a 3-2 record for the evening. WACO’s Elyssa Graber took third place with a similar 3-2 record. Lastly, Wapello had two wrestlers claim a spot for the state tournament as Kenadee Helsher kept her undefeated season rolling in the 100-pound weight class and Clara Ball won by sudden victory in the 110-pound weight class as both Arrows claimed the gold.
The girls’ state tournament is scheduled to begin on Thursday, February 6th, in Coralville. KILJ will be giving live updates following our local wrestlers throughout the tournament.
The Southeast Iowa Super Conference tournament will take place today at Pekin with Burlington Notre Dame, Mediapolis, Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union, New London, Van Buren County, WACO, and Wapello all in attendance.
The Fairfield boys’ team will host the conference invite today with Mt. Pleasant making the trip.
The matchups for the boys’ regional dual has been set and scheduled for February 4th at 6 pm with the top eight teams moving on to the State Dual Tournament on Saturday, February 8th, in Coralville.
In Class 2A at Davenport Assumption, #12 Burlington Notre Dame will face off against #11 Mount Vernon in the semifinals with the winner moving on to face #6 Assumption to see who will advance to state.
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 travel to Keokuk on Tuesday, February 4th.
Fairfield will host a triangular at home on Monday, February 3rd.
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.
Southeastern Community College
The men’s basketball team will take on Triton College today at 3 pm on the road.
College Basketball
The #3 Iowa State men’s team will face off against Kansas State this afternoon at 1 pm at home.
The Iowa men’s team will compete against Purdue on Tuesday, February 4th, at home at 6 pm.
The Iowa women’s team will host USC tomorrow, February 2nd, at 12:30 pm as the Hawkeyes will retire Caitlin Clark’s Jersey.
The Iowa State women’s team will take on #9 TCU tomorrow at home at 3 pm.
This Day in Sports History
1962 – The National League released its first 162-game schedule, including a record 421 scheduled night games, up from 318 in 1961.
1967 – The 10-team American Basketball Association (ABA) with George Mikan as Commissioner was formed and lasted 9 years; its three-point shot revolutionized the game.
2014 – Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning becomes the all-time record-holder for MVP trophies, winning his 5th at the NFL Honors in New York; also named the 2013 Offensive Player of the Year.
Lynn E. Bender
Lynn E. Bender, 88, of Mt. Pleasant, died Tuesday, January 28, 2025 at the Henry County Health Center in Mt. Pleasant.
Lynn was born February 28, 1936 in Palisade, NE, the third son of Harley David and Ardith Geneva (McCleland) Bender. He moved with his family to Powell, WY, where he graduated in the Class of 1954 from Powell High School. Lynn entered the United States Army on May 20, 1958 in Butte, MT. He was assigned to the 1st Battalion Group, 3rd Infantry, Company B – the “Old Guard”. He participated in numerous ceremonial events involving dignitaries from the United States and around the world. He was honorably discharged on May 19, 1960, at Fort Myer, Arlington, VA.
On July 30, 1961 at the Methodist Church in Newcastle, WY, Lynn was united in marriage to Maxine Jean Schneider.
Lynn began his working career with Bell Telephone. In 1962, he took a position with Contel in Custer, SD. Lynn was transferred to Sundance, WY, then to Columbus Junction, Lone Tree and Richland, IA, concluding his time with the Contel/GTE in Mt. Pleasant, from which he retired in 1994. Lynn did his best to enjoy retirement but missed working and accepted the position as Assistant Manager of the Iowa Wesleyan College Physical Plant, where he later became Manager. Upon his retirement from Iowa Wesleyan, Lynn took a job at Bezoni’s True Value Hardware.
Lynn was very active in every community in which he lived. He was a former member of the Custer Commercial Club, the Custer Jaycees and the Jaycees of Sundance. He was a member of the Chamber of Commerce in every city in which he resided. He was a former member of the Masonic Lodge, Shrine and Eastern Star.
When he resided in Lone Tree, he was a member of the Lone Tree Volunteer Fire Department. Lynn was a member of the Olds United Church of Christ where he was a Deacon and taught Sunday School. He was a member of the Olds Lions Club.
He also served on the Olds City Council.
Those thankful for sharing in Lynn’s life include his wife of 63 years, Maxine; their children – Penny Bender-Penfield & Tony McElhinney of Crawfordsville, David & Alisa Bender of Rapid City, SD and Barb & Kenneth Shelman of Olds, IA; his brother – Jerry & Lila Bender and sister-in-law, Shirley Bender, all of Vancouver, WA; his grandchildren – Kyle & Kelli Penfield and their children Kylee, Kynlee and Kayden of Olds; Lyndsey & Robert Beyer and son Maxwell of Johnstown, CO; Jaxon Molly Penfield and Justin Kinney and their son Porter of Laramie, WY; Harley Bender of Rapid City, SD; Begimai Aibekova of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan; Brandan & Kate Shelman and their children, Kaiya, Landry and Avery; Ryan & Stacy Shelman and their children Keaton and Kinsley; Nathan & Kylie Shelman and their children Bennett, Beckett and June; many nieces, nephews, extended family, great friends and neighbors including Buzz and Barb Bezoni; the children of his late neighbor Jean Sammons – Charlie & Shirley Wandling, Jane Sammons & Jay Speckeen, Sue & Tom Hill and Judy Sammons; neighbor Thelma O’Neill and his special fur friend, “Peggy” O’Neill.
His parents, twin brothers Dave & Dale Bender, nephew Mitchell Bender, and dear neighbor Jean Sammons precede Lynn in death.
A celebration of life will be held at a later date. Cremation rites have been entrusted to the Kimzey Funeral Home, 213 North Main Street, Mt. Pleasant, which is assisting Lynn’s family with the arrangements.
Those considering an expression of sympathy may direct memorials to the family for a charity to be chosen at a later date.
(Picture Courtesy of Dave Schneider)
Mt. Pleasant, IA- Ramzy Davis, a junior wrestler for the Mt. Pleasant boys’ team, mentioned during an interview for KILJ’s “Southeast Iowa Playbook” that this team was aiming for their first Southeast Conference championship since the late 2000’s; after last night’s 49-28 win against Burlington the Panthers have hit the bullseye.
This journey through the conference began back on December 12th with a dual against Keokuk, which saw the Panthers dismantle the Chiefs 75-3. Mt. Pleasant followed that up with a usurping of Fort Madison 47-33 before winter break.
The Panthers returned to form with a dominating showing against Washington, winning 51-27 over the Demons.
The dual that helped seal the championship was a contentious matchup against Fairfield in front of the home crowd. A William Birdsell pin of Brody Lyons at 3:48 granted the Panthers a narrow 40-35 victory of the Trojans.
Still, Mt. Pleasant needed to beat Burlington at home last night to gain sole possession of the conference title.
In the 106-pound weight class, Levi Evans pinned Lathan Hand to gain six points along with Lane Beckler in the 126-pound weight class over Jax Rohrer. William Birdsell in the 215-pound weight class and Payton Walker in the 190-pound weight class also picked up wins by fall.
Kolbein Ostby collected three points in a high scoring match against Buxton Carlson that ended in a 15-11 decision. Charlie Bohnenkamp took down Payton Kenney by major decision to garner four points.
Helping out in gather points was Ramzy Davis, Keegan Birdsell, and Tucker French as they all gained six points due to forfeit.
Picking up points for Burlington was Braxton Hutchinson, Roy Brown, Adrian Perez-Hall, Owen Difederico, and Caden Huff.
The Southeast Conference will meet back up tomorrow, February 1st, at Fairfield to decided individual conference champions.
