Prep Basketball: Venue Change for Mt. Pleasant Girls’ Basketball on February 4th

By Slaten Swords · Friday, January 31st, 2025 at 9:15 am CDT

Mt. Pleasant, IA- The Old Iowa Wesleyan University Gym (now Central Campus Gym) has slowly been waking up the echoes after Mt. Pleasant polished and redecorated the floor with a few basketball games for underclassmen. Now, a Varsity conference showdown will grace the floors.

The Mt. Pleasant girls’ teams will face off against Fairfield on Tuesday, February 4th, at the Central Campus Gym to celebrate the new opening and present an opportunity for the community to witness the remodel. This will not be a permanent venue.

The address is 601 N. Main Street in Mt. Pleasant and the JV will start off the night at 6 pm with the Varsity going at 7:30 pm.

SOUTHEAST IOWA FISHING REPORT

By Hayden Douglas · Friday, January 31st, 2025 at 9:11 am CDT

SOUTHEAST

Big Hollow Lake
Ice is still in pretty good shape; the warm weather has led to standing water on the ice and some slush.  Black Crappie – Fair: Bite is hit-and-miss. Most anglers are working the edge of the trees along the south side across from the campground and down towards the dam.

Lake Belva Deer
Puddles of standing water showing up on the ice with the warm weather; the first inch or so of ice is getting pretty soft.   Black Crappie – Good: Bite mostly at night.  Some also caught very early morning and at last light.  Daytime pretty slow.  Bluegill – Fair: Most bluegills caught early morning, then slow.

Lake Darling
Due to the warm weather there is standing water on the ice; the first inch or so of ice is in pretty bad shape.  The hole kept open by the geese is getting bigger everyday; currently 4-5 acres.  Bluegill – Fair: Anglers are catching decent numbers of bluegills during the day along with some crappies.  The crappie bite picks up a little bit near dark.

Lake Geode
Geese are still keeping the middle of the lake wide open; avoid that area. Most anglers are concentrating their efforts in the two bays on each side  the main boat ramp. Black Crappie – Fair: Anglers are picking up crappies over the habitat in 8 to 10 feet of water. Bluegill – Fair: Bite hit-and-miss. Work the fish habitat in 8 to 10 feet of water.

Lost Grove Lake
Lost of anglers were out on the ice last weekend.  Most are catching bluegills.  Bluegill – Good.  Most fishing pressure remains at the western end down from causeway. Most anglers are fishing in the thicker patches of flooded timber up at that end of the lake.

For more information on the above lakes and rivers call the Lake Darling Fisheries Office at 319-694-2430.

Cedar River (La Porte City to Cedar Rapids)|
Black Crappie – Slow.  Bluegill – Fair.  White Crappie – Slow.

Iowa Lake (Iowa Co.)
Ice thickness is 6-8 inches. Black Crappie – Slow.  Bluegill – Slow.

Lake Macbride
Black Crappie – Slow.  Bluegill– Slow.  Walleye -Slow. White Crappie – Slow.  Wiper (Hybrid Striped Bass) – Slow.

Pleasant Creek Lake
Ice thickness is 10-12 inches.  Fishing success and anglers numbers have reduced significantly since last week.  Black Crappie – Slow.  Bluegill– Slow. Walleye – Slow.  Wiper (Hybrid Striped Bass) – Slow.

Rodgers Park Lake
Ice thickness is 12 inches. Black Crappie – Fair.  Bluegill – Fair.

Union Grove Lake
Ice thickness is 8 inches. Large open area near west boat ramp from waterfowl.  Black Crappie – Slow.  Bluegill – Slow.

Wapsi River (Troy Mills to Oxford Junction)|
Final stage of dredging at the Pinicon Ridge Park will start the first week of February.  Some areas will be closed to ice fishing.  Closures are expected to last for about one month. Black Crappie – Slow: Few fish are being caught in backwater area at Pinicon Ridge Park. Bluegill – Slow: Few fish are being caught in backwater area at Pinicon Ridge Park.

For more information, contact the Lake Macbride Fisheries Station at 319-624-3615.

Hawthorn Lake
Ice conditions are variable with open water in some areas and 2-5 inches in others.  Fishing activity has been slow with variable ice conditions. Use caution if venturing out.

Lake Keomah
Lake Keomah is drained for a lake restoration project. Please keep out of the lake bed.

Lake Miami
Ice conditions are variable with a pressure ridge developing on the east side creating some open water.  Entering the lake from the west boat ramp is best.  Catch crappies with jigs in  brush piles.

Lake Sugema
The lake has quite a bit of open water; Canada geese are keeping areas open. No fishing activity has been occurring. Unsafe ice conditions. 

Lake Wapello
Ice conditions vary; use caution.

Rathbun Reservoir
The current lake level is 903.02 msl; recreation pool is 904 msl. Anglers are fishing in the coves and bay at South Fork, Buck Creek and Honey Creek.  Ice thickness varies; use caution and be aware of pressure ridges in some areas. Catch crappies with jigs around brush piles. Lake Rathbun has zebra mussels; properly drain, clean and dry equipment before transporting to another waterbody.  Target crappie using jigs around brush piles.

Red Haw Lake
Ice thickness varies; use caution.  Target brush piles and the submerged structure near the campground hill.

Ice conditions vary at each lake; use caution and check ice thickness often. Contact the Rathbun Fish Hatchery at 641-647-2406 with questions about fishing south central Iowa.

Steven Ray Pickle

By Hayden Douglas · Friday, January 31st, 2025 at 8:36 am CDT

Steven Ray Pickle, 75, of New London, died Sunday, January 26, 2025, at Savannah Heights, Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. He was born August 21, 1949, in Burlington, Iowa to Joseph Clinton and Juanita Rae Beams Pickle. On September 18, 1971, he married Dalene Renee Allen at the United Methodist Church in New London.

He attended Mt. Pleasant High School; then enlisted in the United States Navy and served on the USS Lexington in Pensacola, Florida. There he trained pilots to land on ships and served as a firefighter. Steve worked for J. I. Case Company in Burlington for 30 years before retiring.

Steve was a volunteer firefighter for the New London Fire Department for many years. He enjoyed hunting, playing cards, helping local farmers, and hanging out at Mettler’s. He absolutely loved fishing and watching his grandchildren play sports.

Besides his wife, Steve is survived by his daughters Stephanie Pickle of Danville and Debbie Pickle of New London; his sister Jody (Denny) Gholson of New London; grandchildren Quincy Porter, Jayden Flowers, Keaura Williams, Jakiah Pickle, nieces and nephews; and a great-granddaughter is expected in June. He was preceded in death by his parents.

A Celebration of Life luncheon will be held Sunday, February 2 at 12PM at the New London VFW post 7641, 802 E. McKinley; all family and friends are invited. His body has been cremated, and inurnment will be held at a later date. A memorial has been established for Southeast Iowa Regional Hospice House.

Elliott Chapel is assisting the family and online condolences may be left at www.elliottfuneralchapel.com.

District 95 Representative, Taylor Collins Gives His Week 3 Recap From the 91st Legislative Session In Des Moines

By Hayden Douglas · Friday, January 31st, 2025 at 7:03 am CDT

To the People of House District 95

 

The legislative process is well underway now with a flurry of subcommittees and committee meetings this week. If you have some free time this weekend, tomorrow I will be attending a forum at Muscatine Community College as well as hosting my own forum in Wapello at City Hall after that – I would love to see you there!

 

Higher Costs Continue to Impact DOT Budget in FY 2026

Stubbornly high prices for heavy equipment, supplies, and technology continue to impact the budget of the Department of Transportation. This was the Department’s message as it presented its Fiscal Year 2026 spending proposal to the House Transportation, Infrastructure, and Capitals budget subcommittee on Monday.

The Department and Governor Reynolds are proposing to spend $482.6 million on DOT operations and facility improvements in Fiscal Year 2026. This is an increase of $12.5 million over the current fiscal year’s spending level. The vast majority of the increase is driven by replacement costs for equipment.

The DOT is replacing vehicles and equipment on a 12-year schedule. And again, this year, replacement costs have taken a big jump. As an example, the Department said the cost of replacing a truck purchased in 2013 for $132,000 had risen to $226,000 last year. That is 71% increase over 12 years. DOT is working to stretch out the working life of some vehicles beyond their scheduled replacement date as it tries to combat the rise in prices and continued supply chair issues. But still, the budget line item for equipment replacement in Fiscal Year 2026 will go up by another $10.2 million, with the total cost of this year’s new equipment coming in at almost $40 million.

The Governor’s proposal also includes investments in safety equipment. DOT is proposing to deploy new equipment for replacing potholes, by deploying trucks where employees would remain in the cab while filling the pothole. The need for this was made clear when a DOT employee was killed last spring in the Council Bluffs area while attempting to make road repairs.

Another part of the budget is the annual effort to maintain the Department’s network of 100 garages around the state.  As the Department completes the replacement of the maintenance garages in Albia and Jefferson, it is next garage project for Fiscal Year 2026 is in Waterloo. The new garage will be built on the site of the current facility, helping to reduce the cost of the project. Still, the new facility with 38 maintenance bays and 6 wash bays will cost $18.9 million to construct.

In addition to the regular budget request, DOT is also asking for authorization to begin replacing the 20-year-old computer system handling drivers licenses and vehicle registration. Building the new computer system will be a three-year project costing a total of $60 million. If approved, the new system would be functioning by FY 2029 and is expected to save $12.5 million annually.

 

Rep. Taylor Collins, Chairman of the Higher Education Committee

The Cost of Higher Education

The cost of college is going up. But what is included in that cost and what are some of the reasons behind it? One is the rise in administrative support versus instructional staff. According to US News, at public four-year schools in 2010, 32.1% of expenditures were for instruction and 23.7% were for academic support, student services and institutional support. In 2021, 27.4% was spent on instructional spending and 22.9% on academic support, students services and institutional support.

US News states that the steady growth in these administrative and nonteaching staff positions is in part due to DEI initiatives, as well as mental health, entertainment, intramural sports, and workforce preparedness and initiatives. Jay P. Greene, a senior research fellow at The Heritage Foundation’s center for Educational Policy said: “A university is not an all-service commune with full-service, soup-to-nuts care for every need, as if students were children. The core mission of a school is teaching and research, so those should be the priorities, as well as limiting the cost to families and taxpayers. But that’s not their priority. Their priority is to expand empires.”

Many agree with the sentiment that there is administrative bloat. Andrew Gillen, senior policy analyst at the Texas Public Policy Foundation; Gregory Price, a business professor at the University of New Orleans; Bengamin Ginsberg, a political science professor at Johns Hopkins University, Todd J. Zywicki, professor at George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School, and Christopher Koopman, executive director of The Center for Growth and Opportunity at Utah State University, to name a few, have all spoken out about the issue or published research on the issue.

Iowa Regents data on Instructional vs Non-Instructional Staffing pulled from the IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) database is below.  As you can see, the non-instructional staffing numbers are much higher than instructional staffing numbers.

The graph below shows what that split is for the top 25 endowed universities. Again, there is a large gap between instructional and non-instructional staff.

The increase in non-instructional staff cannot be separated from the discussion the continually rising cost of college.

 

Judiciary Subcommittees Carefully Evaluate Policy

When a subcommittee is held on a bill, members of the public and the lobby have a chance to provider Representatives with information and to speak either in favor or against the proposal. Subcommittees normally have three members, two from the majority party, and one from the minority party. Many bills advance from a subcommittee to full committee, however some bills have end up being set aside due to concerns about the policy changes. This week judiciary committee subcommittee members advanced some bills but chose to stop others that weren’t ready for full committee.

HF 17 – Castration for Sex Offenders
House File 17 introduces a requirement for surgical castration for individuals convicted of serious sex offenses involving victims under twelve years old. The court may order this procedure in addition to other punishments, and it must be performed either before probation or within a week of release from confinement. After careful consideration members of the subcommittee decided not to advance the bill at this time.

HSB 12 – Criminal Groping
The bill would have increased penalties for groping making a first offense a serious misdemeanor, a second offense an aggravated misdemeanor, and third or subsequent offense a class ‘D’ felony It also stipulates that if the offense is determined to be sexually motivated, the offender must register as a sex offender, with the classification depending on the victim’s age. Representatives were concerned that the bill, as proposed would catch individuals who had no intention of groping another and that the penalty structure could create unintended problems. The bill is currently tabled, unless new language is brought forward.

HF 64 – Obscene Material
HF 64 increases the penalty for those who provide pornographic material to minors. Under current law it is a serious misdemeanor. The bill creates a tiered penalty structure. A first offense will remain a serious misdemeanor, second offense an aggravated misdemeanor with a mandatory one-year sentence, a third or subsequent offense will be a class “D” felony with mandatory confinement for 3 years.  Members advanced the bill to committee for further discussion and a vote.

 

Public Safety Committee Advances Multiple Bills to Improve Road Safety

This week the House Public Safety Committee advanced three bill focused on keeping Iowans safer on the roadways. The bills were sponsored by individual members as well as the Department of Public Safety.

House File 41 – Failure to Maintain Control
House File 41 enhances road safety by imposing additional penalties if a person does not maintain control of their vehicle and cause serious injury or death to another. Under current Iowa law, drivers are required to control their vehicles and reduce speed in dangerous situations, including when approaching pedestrians, navigating intersections, or passing emergency vehicles. The existing penalty for not reducing speed is a fine of $135. HF 41 raises the fine for causing serious injury to $500 and a suspension of drivers license for 90 day. If the accident results in a death the fine is increased to $1,000 and a potential loss of license for up to 180 days.

House File 45 – Excessive Speeding
House File 45 will increase in the penalty for speeding more than twenty miles per hour over the speed limit. Currently, the fine for this violation is $135 plus an additional $5 for each mile per hour over the limit. This bill seeks to raise the base fine to $285, while maintaining the additional $5 for each mile per hour over the twenty-mile threshold. With a record-breaking number of drivers being ticket at excessive speeds, raising the penalty is one more way Iowa law enforcement can encourage drives to slow down.

House Study Bill 29 – THC Open Containers
House Study Bill 29 aims to enhance road safety by prohibiting both drivers and passengers from having open containers of beverages containing tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in motor vehicles. This legislation aligns with existing laws that already restrict open alcoholic beverages in vehicles. Under the bill, an open or unsealed container of a THC beverage, cannot be accessible in the passenger area, but can be stored in the trunk or behind the last upright seat if the vehicle lacks a trunk. Violating this law would result in a simple misdemeanor, carrying a scheduled fine of $260.

 

Improved Behavioral Health System Presents to Health and Human Services Committee

This week, the House Health and Human Services Committee heard a presentation on progress implementing Iowa’s newly improved Behavioral Health System that will improve outcomes, remove duplication, and create a statewide plan. Recently, the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services announced that the Iowa Primary Care Association will serve statewide as the Administrative Service Organization for the state’s redesigned Behavioral Health System after winning a competitive bidding process. IPCA and DHHS participated in the presentation this week.

“The ASO is responsible for establishing a network of providers and ensuring that all Iowans have clear, consistent pathways to care and support they need. Alongside local leaders, school officials, law enforcement, health care providers and public health professionals, the ASO will develop and lead a unified operational approach for each district to meet district community needs.”

The bill that passed last year additionally did the following:

  • The behavioral health service system has the purpose of prevention, education, early intervention, treatment, recovery support, and crisis services for mental health, substance use, tobacco use, and problem gambling.
  • Each district will have a district behavioral health advisory council.
  • The bill directs the funds from the federal community health mental health services block grant and the federal substance abuse prevention and treatment block grant to DHHS.
  • Creates a central data repository for behavioral health data with demographic information, expenditure data, and services and supports provided to individuals.
  • Establishes a behavioral health fund, with similar funding to the existing annual increases based on a state growth factor.  The bill prohibits an ASO from spending more than 7% on administrative costs.
  • Provides $3 million from the regional incentive fund for 988. The FY2025 ending balance for the fund is expended to be over $40 million. This bill also appropriated $1 million from the regional incentive fund for DHHS administrative costs and requires DHHS to report to the legislature on administrative costs and funds for a central data repository.

Below is the district map that will go into effect July 1, 2025, that transitions the current county run mental health and disability services regional system to a state behavioral health service system with the state contracted administrative service organization governed by the Iowa DHHS.

 

Local Government Moves Bill to Provide Flexibility for County Attorneys 

This week the Local Government Committee advanced House File 37 for consideration for the full House of Representatives. The bill, introduced by Representative Ingels, would provide flexibility to counties for salaries of county attorneys. Currently, 97 counties are not allowed to provide an annual salary to a county attorney higher than Iowa district court judge. Many rural counties in Iowa have struggled to higher qualified county attorneys with this salary cap. Additionally, assistant county attorneys’ salaries are limited to 85% of their county attorney’s salaries. These factors have increasingly made it difficult for counties to hire adequate staffing for the county attorney office.

By removing this one size fits all salary imitation, House File 37 will empower county boards of supervisors to make the best salary decisions for their local needs. Legislation like this that allows local governments the flexibility to govern to their needs better serves their communities.

 

It is Pothole Season Again – Here is How You Can Help Take Care of Them

As January’s arctic temperatures and occasional snows hopefully in the rear-view mirror, Iowans are now experiencing another ritual of winter – potholes.  Getting rid of these takes more than just a few days of spring-like temperatures.

Potholes are mostly caused by moisture getting into or underneath the pavement. During the freeze and thaw periods, moisture can cause the asphalt or concrete to shift, buckle, or break. As vehicles drive over the weakened areas of the road, your vehicle’s suspension takes a beating.

The Iowa Department of Transportation maintenance staffs, as well as city and county crews, attempt to address the driving menace by patching potholes as quickly as they can.  To do this, they must use cold-mix asphalt to fill the holes. This mix is not considered to be a long-lasting solution, but it does help to smooth out the roads until the weather warms up enough to more permanent solution can be implemented in the spring.

Permanent patches use hot-mix asphalt or concrete and work best when the temperatures are above freezing and stay that way.  So, this work is usually completed in the spring and summer.

Key to addressing potholes is identifying them.  Drivers can help road crews with this.  To report potholes on streets or county roadways, Iowans should contact their local city administrator/engineer or county engineer. Drivers can also report potholes on the interstates, Iowa numbered routes, and U.S. highways to the Iowa DOT’s maintenance manager located nearest the problem roadway. If you see a pothole on one of these roads, give the DOT district staff a call: 641-472-4171.

 

Iowa’s Labor Force Participation Rate Increases in December

Iowa’s labor force participation rate rose to 66.4% in December amid an influx of recent graduates entering the workforce, while the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 3.2%. Meanwhile, the U.S. unemployment rate decreased to 4.1% in December.

“December’s report shows modest growth as a result of hiring across most parts of the Iowa economy, and employers added 4,000 jobs,” said Beth Townsend, Executive Director of Iowa Workforce Development. “The increase in labor force participation was driven largely by college graduates who quickly decided to enter our workforce. With over 50,000 open jobs in Iowa, there is still an abundance of opportunities for graduates and other Iowans looking for their next job.”

The number of unemployed Iowans increased to 53,900 in December from 53,000 in November. The total number of working Iowans rose to 1,635,500 in December. This figure is 2,700 higher than November and 19,500 lower than one year ago.

Seasonally Adjusted Nonfarm Employment
Businesses in Iowa added 4,000 jobs in December, raising total nonfarm employment to 1,606,200 jobs. This is the second-consecutive increase following a gain of 3,300 jobs in November. Service industries fueled the hiring and were led by gains in trade and transportation along with healthcare and social assistance. Goods-producing industries were little changed versus November as increases in construction were matched by losses in manufacturing. Private industries overall advanced by 2,300 jobs compared to November. Government (a sector that includes federal, state, and local political subdivisions, as well as schools, universities, and public hospitals) increased by 1,700 jobs in December. Most of this movement happened at the local level, with gains coming from local school districts and public administration (city government). Overall, December’s job increases have brought Iowa’s total nonfarm employment up 7,400 annually.

Construction added 800 jobs in December to lead all industries. This is the second consecutive increase for this sector, which now rests up slightly for the year. Accommodations and food services increased by 600 jobs and has added 2,300 jobs since July. Hotels and motels provided much of the increase this month. Health care and social assistance added 500 jobs to end the year. This sector has added the most jobs annually and has increased by 2,400 jobs since September. Trade and transportation combined for an increase of 600 jobs in December. Wholesale and retail trade were responsible for most of the jobs gained and fueled the first monthly increase for trade and transportation since July. Losses in December were led by manufacturing which shed 800 jobs to end the year. Durable goods factories pared most of the jobs this month (-700 jobs).

Compared to last year, health care and social assistance has gained 4,400 jobs to lead all private sectors. This increase fueled an overall gain of 6,100 jobs in education and health care services. Leisure and hospitality also increased by 6,100 jobs annually. Most of these gains were in accommodations and food services (+3,900 jobs). Conversely, manufacturing has shed 7,700 jobs over the past 12 months to lead all sectors. Nondurable goods factories are down 4,100 jobs while durable goods shops combined have pared 3,600 jobs.

 

Upcoming Forums

As I shared in my last newsletter, some of these dates are quite a ways out and are subject to change, but I will make sure to include a most updated list every week.

Des Moines County:

  • Greater Burlington Partnership Forum: Friday, February 21st from 8 – 9AM at the Greater Burlington Partnership in the Winegard Board Room.
  • Greater Burlington Partnership Forum: Friday, March 21st from 8 – 9AM at the Greater Burlington Partnership in the Winegard Board Room.
  • Greater Burlington Partnership Forum: Friday, April 18th from 8 – 9AM at the Greater Burlington Partnership in the Winegard Board Room.

Henry County:

  • Mount Pleasant Area Chamber Alliance Forum: Saturday, February 22nd time and place TBD.
  • Mount Pleasant Area Chamber Alliance Forum: Friday, March 14th time and place TBD.

Louisa County:

  • Self Organized Forum: Saturday, February 1st from 11AM – 12PM at Wapello City Hall in the City Council Chambers. (TOMORROW)
  • Self Organized Forum: Saturday, March 1st from 11AM – 12PM at Wapello City Hall in the City Council Chambers.

Muscatine County:

  • Muscatine Community College Forum: Saturday, February 1st at 9AM at Muscatine Community College in the lounge in the Student Services Building. (TOMORROW)
  • Self Organized Forum: Saturday, March 1st from 9 – 10AM at Wilton City Hall in the Community Room.
  • Greater Muscatine Chamber Forum: date, time, and location TBD.

 

Staying in Touch

As always, you can can shoot me an email with any questions or concerns at taylor.collins@legis.iowa.gov or you can call the Capitol Switchboard and leave me a message at (515) 281-7340.
Sincerely,

Rep. Taylor Collins

 

 

 

 

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WACO Community School District Update From Superintendent, Ken Crawford

By Hayden Douglas · Friday, January 31st, 2025 at 6:48 am CDT

WACO Community School District Superintendent, Ken Crawford caught up with KILJ for an update on their happenings. A few things ken highlighted were the Four-day School week, the New Ag Science center, And highlights with the winter sports and activities.

Superintendent Crawford talked about his support in the four-day school week, and says WACO CSD is a leader at the forefront of the four-day school week.

Ken talked about the Waco district needing an Elementary level Music teacher and a High School level Music teacher. Winter sports are finishing up with just two weeks left on their schedules.

You can stay up to date with everything Waco community school district by visiting their website, https://www.wacocsd.org or follow them on Facebook  at WACO CSD, Wayland, Iowa.

Sports, January 31st

By Slaten Swords · Friday, January 31st, 2025 at 6:38 am CDT

High School Basketball

In senior night action, Fairfield was swept by Southeast Conference foe Keokuk last night with the girls’ team losing 68-27 and the boys’ team falling 51-29. The Fairfield boys’ team will face off against Holy Trinity Catholic on Tuesday, February 4th, at home with tip-off at 7:30 pm, while the girls’ team will compete against Mt. Pleasant on the road at 7:30 pm. 

The Holy Trinity Catholic girls’ team picked up their fifth consecutive win last night after defeating Wapello 43-32. The Crusader boys’ team rallied in the middle quarters to down Wapello 73-56 as Luke Hellige tabbed a double-double with 26 points and 10 rebounds.

Mediapolis will venture to Holy Trinity Catholic tonight with the girls tipping-off at 6:30 pm. 

Winfield-Mt. Union will make a trip to Wapello tonight with the girls playing first at 6 pm. 

Danville will host New London tonight for their senior night with game time at 6 pm. 

Burlington Notre Dame will make a trip across town to compete against West Burlington with the doubleheader starting at 6 pm tonight.

Van Buren County will face off against Central Lee tonight with the night starting at 6 pm on the road. 

WACO will hit the road to take on Columbus tonight with the night starting at 6 pm. Isaac Rich, a WACO guard on the boys’ team, knows his team has to pick up the win to stay in the North Division race,

“That’s a really important game for us. We know they can all shoot and you know, give any one of them the ball. They can all shoot and anybody can go off any given night. They have a really good coach. And I think our defense is really going to be the key for that game. We really got to step it up better than last time when we played them. And I think that’s just going to be the key to win the game.”

Mt. Pleasant will continue their road trip tonight against Washington 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. 

High School Wrestling

The Mt. Pleasant boys’ team claimed the Southeast Conference championship last night in a 49-28 clobbering of Burlington. Levi Evans, Lane Beckler, Payton Walker, and William Birdsell picked up wins by fall, while Kolbein Ostby won by a 15-11 decision over Buxton Carlson and Charlie Bohenkamp claimed a victory by major decision. 

The Mediapolis boys’ team hosted a quad last night but it was Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union that exited the night unscathed, defeating Montezuma 49-27,  Lone Tree 63-12, and the Bulldogs 51-27. Jacob Nelson, Bowen Thomson, Alex Venzor, Riley Kaalberg, Itai Zapiensz, and Justin Knipfer each went undefeated for the Wildcats. 

Mediapolis picked up wins against Montezuma 39-30 and Lone Tree 60-24. Leading the pack was Peyton Johnson, Kyler Crow, and Hayden Timmerman as they each finished 3-0. 

The New London and Van Buren County boys’ teams participated in a quad at Burlington Notre Dame last night and the hosts finished the night with the perfect 3-0 record. Jared Glendening, Tate Sherwood, Kael Cook, Dirk Boyles, Blake Wilson, and Bridge Anderson each won all of their matches. 

New London lost to Van Buren County 38-12 and tied Louisa-Muscatine 30-30. Tucker Syfert picked up a win by fall against Van Buren County’s Parker Boley and Liam Garvery finished 2-0 for the night. Gavin Menke-Baily, Corbin Jacobs-Jewell, and Killian Kelly won by fall against the Falcons.

Van Buren County went 2-1 after defeating Louisa-Muscatine 47-36. Leading the way for the Warriors was Carver Goehring, Kaimrin Ellingson, Jackson Meek, and Alex Scott as they each collected two wins last night. 

The WACO and Wapello boys’ teams traveled to Highland last night for a double dual and the Warriors exited the night 2-1 with a 65-12 win over Pekin and a 42-33 victory over Wapello with Highland scraping by 42-35. Louden Huisenga, Ian Maize, Gage Samo, and Deacon Bird each finished the night undefeated. 

For Wapello, the boys’ team collected a 1-2 record with a 48-30 loss to Highland but a 54-6 drubbing of Pekin. Carter Ball, Cohen Wolford, and Jordan Chamberlin each handled business and won their matches. 

The Southeast Iowa Super Conference tournament will take place tomorrow, February 1st, at Pekin with Burlington Notre Dame, Mediapolis, Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union, New London, Van Buren County, WACO, and Wapello all in attendance.

The girls’ regional tournament will commence tonight at Williamsburg with Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union, Fairfield, Mediapolis, WACO, Wapello, Van Buren County, and Mt. Pleasant all making the trip. 

The Fairfield boys’ team will host their invite tomorrow, February 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 split their contest against Burlington last night with the girls’ team winning 2,267-1,739, while the boys’ team fell 2,847-2,357. The Panther girls were led by Bethany Drury as she totaled 359 pins. Mt. Pleasant will travel to Keokuk on Tuesday, February 4th. 

Fairfield will host a triangular at home on Monday, February 3rd. 

Southeastern Community College

The men’s basketball team will take on Triton College on Saturday, February 1st, at 3 pm on the road. 

College Basketball

The #3 Iowa State men’s team will face off against Kansas State tomorrow, February 1st, 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 on Sunday, February 2nd, at 12:30 pm as the Hawkeyes will retire Caitlin Clark’s Jersey. 

The Iowa State women’s team was looking to pull off the upset against #11 Kansas State, but the Wildcats ended that thought with a 87-79 win in overtime. Audi Crooks had a monster game with 28 points and 11 rebounds to secure a double-double. The Cyclones will take on #9 TCU on Sunday at home at 3 pm. 

This Day in Sports History

1920 – Quebec Bulldogs center Joe Malone sets an NHL record with 7 goals in a 10-6 win against the Toronto St. Patricks at the Quebec Arena. 

1923 – The Montreal Canadiens beat the Hamilton Tigers 5-4 at the Mount Royal Arena, Montreal; first penalty-free game played in NHL history. 

1991 – Denver Nuggets Michael Adams becomes the shortest NBA player to get a triple-double at 5’10.

Addington Place of Mount Pleasant Has New “If I Could” Program

By Hayden Douglas · Friday, January 31st, 2025 at 6:30 am CDT
Judy Fye: Credit David Kroll & Addington Place Mt. Pleasant

Addington Place of Mount Pleasant helped make on of their residents dreams come true though their “If I Could” program. The program is designed to take a dream and make it a reality for residents at Addington place.

Whether it be a trip to a city, meeting someone they have always wanted to meet, or in the case of Judy Fye, She wanted to see a Hawkeye Basketball game in person! David Kroll with ADington Place set out across social media with an alert for anyone who could offer up some tickets to a game.

 

Within the first hour, David was receiving offers from people online who wanted Judy to experience her wish. Judy was given four tickets to a Hawkeye Basketball game where she chose to take her three advisors from Addington Place.

Judy said when she found out she was going to see the Hawkeyes play, she was shaking and couldn’t believe it.

You can be on the lookout for more of these heartwarming stories from Addington Place as they continue their new program “If I Could”

John Deere Ottumwa Submits Their Title V To The DNR Air Quality Bureau

By Hayden Douglas · Friday, January 31st, 2025 at 6:08 am CDT

The DNR Air Quality Bureau has the following draft permits up for review. The permits help protect Iowans’ health and the air where we live. DNR’s permitting staff review the applications to ensure facilities comply with state and federal air quality standards.

The public is encouraged to comment on listed draft permits. DNR considers public comments before finalizing the permits on March 1st.

John Deere Ottumwa Works located in Ottumwa County at 928 E Vine St, Ottumwa has submitted their Title V to operate their existing Farm Machinery and Equipment facility.

Title V Operating permits are reviewed and re-issued every five years. Facilities with a Title V permit have the potential to emit large amounts of air pollutants compared to other facilities.

The five-year reviews are a federal requirement and ensure adequate monitoring is included in the permit