Craig Eugene Kongable

By Kadie Johannson · Tuesday, January 6th, 2026 at 10:39 am CDT

Craig Eugene Kongable, 65, of Mount Union, passed away on Sunday, January 4, 2026, at Henry County Health Center in Mount Pleasant, surrounded by his family, following a courageous and extensive battle with COPD.

Craig was born on September 29, 1960, in Mount Pleasant, the son of Max and Wilma (Anderson) Kongable. He was a 1979 graduate of Winfield–Mount Union High School and spent his life rooted in the Winfield-Mount Union community he loved.

Known to all the locals as “Kid,” Craig was a man of hard work, steady loyalty, trust, caring, and had a great sense of humor. He was quietly dependable and consistently looked out for those he cared about.

Craig was a lifelong farmer and worked for 33 years at Dan’s Plumbing & Heating in Winfield, having started there while in high school until the business closed. Outside of family and friends, his greatest joy was working on the farm and tinkering with equipment. He enjoyed NASCAR racing, attending the Knoxville National Sprint Car Races, and a good Blackjack hand. As a kid, he enjoyed fishing, riding dirt bikes, and some hunting with his brothers — though recollections are that they weren’t very successful. He also had simple pleasures, including a fond love for Blooming Onions from Texas Roadhouse, which always brought a smile.

One of the most meaningful relationships of Craig’s life was with Kara Rene Davis, his high-school sweet-heart, first wife and later his fiancée. Their bond endured over time, and Kara remained the love of his life until her passing from breast cancer December 15, 2014.  Kara’s mother, Evelyn Davis, held a special place in Craig’s heart and is forever his mother-in-law.

Craig was deeply appreciative of the compassionate care he received from the Winfield first responders, staff at Sunrise Terrace Care Center and EveryStep Hospice, whose kindness and support meant a great deal to both Craig and his family.

Craig will be deeply missed by his parents, Max and Wilma Kongable of Mount Union; brother, Kevin (Lisa) Kongable of Mount Union; sister-in-law, Shelly Kongable of

Winfield; step-son, Benny (Meredith) Lee of Mount Pleasant; step-grandchildren, Lucas and Logan Lee; nieces and nephews, Alissa (Casey) Herrick, Janessa (Trent) Hoekstra, Kaleb (Hannah) Kongable, Sophie Kongable, and Jacob (Arianna) Kongable; great-niece and nephews, Jonas Hoekstra, Emersyn and Easton Herrick; Uncle, Terry Anderson of Geneseo, Illinois; and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his grandparents; aunt, Dixie Anderson; brother, Kenny Kongable; and his fiancée, Kara Davis.

The Memorial Service and Visitation will be held on Thursday, January 8, 2026 at the Winfield First Presbyterian Church. Visitation will begin at 4:00 p.m. with family present at 5:00 p.m. and the Memorial Service beginning at 6:00 p.m. at the church.

Memorials may be directed to the Winfield First Responders in memory of Craig Kongable. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.sandhfuneralservice.com.  The family asks that, in remembering Craig, others honor his life by quitting—or choosing never to begin—smoking or vaping.

 

Mt. Pleasant Youth Wrestling Club Snatches Gold at the AAU’s Winter National Championships in Omaha

By Slaten Swords · Tuesday, January 6th, 2026 at 10:12 am CDT

Omaha, NE- The Mt. Pleasant Youth Wrestling Program produced a pair of All-Americans during their preseason trip to Des Moines. This past weekend they sent six wrestlers to Omaha to participate in AAU’s Winter National Championship, which saw the club decorate the trophy room.

Cooper Mason and Karter Ettinger both put together two great matches but fell just short of their goals, while Kolton Kruger started his weekend out with a pin in his first match, unfortunately he fell in the next two matches ending his run for the podium.

In the 8U 80-pound division, Damian Manning broke out onto the scene and sprinted his way to the finals but lost his two matches of the tournament to claim 3rd place. Head coach Nick Ettinger is excited for the future of Manning,

“Damian’s future is bright, as he grows into his athleticism and ability he will continue to do very well in wrestling, it’s been a pleasure to travel with him and watch him get better as we go!”

Kenai Mason was looking to improve upon his 7th place finish at the preseason nationals and worked his way into the semifinals. Unfortunately, Mason would be sent to the 5th place match after losing to the eventual 3rd place winner. Despite the setback, Mason would snatch the 5th place medal for the 10U 90-pound division.

“Kenai continues to face adversity head on, in life and in the practice room” said coach Ettinger. “His maturity and ability in comparison to a few months ago is more than remarkable. Kenai is a great wrestler, a great role model, and a great teammate. Our team is very proud of him!”

All that was left for the club was to win a title and that rested on Kamden Ettinger’s shoulders. It was clear he was not satisfied with taking 4th place at the preseason national championships, attending four to five practices a week between Mt. Pleasant Youth Wrestling Club, DC Elite South, DC Elite Lone Tree, and MPYWC’s Premier Program Iron Panther Wrestling to make sure previous mistakes were not repeated.

Ettinger made quick work of his competition to earn his way to the semifinals prompting a thriller where he was able to sneak away with an overtime takedown to move on to the finals. Not only was it a chance to make all the hard work worth it but also a shot at redemption, as a year ago his championship hopes were foiled at the Tulsa finals.

Ettinger did not waste his shot as he clinched an impressive 5-0 shutout victory to claim the National Championship. For coach Ettinger, this was a special victory,

“There’s a lot of things I can say about Kamden and why he’s different but what always sticks out the most is his willingness to work hard. He is always ready to work way past discomfort with the goal of being the best wrestler ever. Kamden met Spencer Lee this fall in Iowa City and made sure to let him know his goal is to be better than Spencer himself. While we all laughed and understand that’s a lofty goal, my hope is that his hard work produces his goals in the future. He’s a kind kid, a great student, and an amazing athlete! His mom and I couldn’t be prouder that he is bringing this title back to Mount Pleasant and his team!”

It has been a collaborative effort all the way from the high school varsity boys’ head coach Anthony Blint to the parent volunteers and everyone that has committed time to the Mt. Pleasant Youth Wrestling Club, they continue to see a return on their investment with record-breaking seasons and a continuance of high-level performance on the mat.

The future is bright for wrestling in Mt. Pleasant.

Two Illinois Residents Arrested in Des Moines County Burglary Investigation

By Kadie Johannson · Tuesday, January 6th, 2026 at 7:07 am CDT

The Des Moines County Sheriff’s Office reports two Illinois residents are facing multiple felony charges following a burglary investigation in rural Des Moines County.

According to Sheriff Kevin Glendening, deputies were called January 3rd to a burglary discovered at a property in the 25900 block of 205th Avenue. Investigators determined forced entry had been made to a building’s overhead garage door, which appeared to have been rammed by a vehicle. Several hand tools and power tools were reported stolen.

Deputies were able to identify a suspect vehicle through video surveillance and recognized it from a prior traffic stop earlier that day. The occupants were identified as 50-year-old Shane David Proctor of Peoria, Illinois, and 45-year-old Laura Lynn Beard of Galesburg, Illinois.

The vehicle was later located by the West Burlington Police Department. Both suspects were taken to the Des Moines County Sheriff’s Office, where they admitted to backing a vehicle into the garage door and stealing tools. The stolen items were found inside the vehicle.

Proctor and Beard were arrested and charged with first-degree criminal mischief and second-degree burglary, then transported to the Des Moines County Correctional Center. While being booked into jail, Beard was also found in possession of methamphetamine and now faces additional charges of possession of a controlled substance and possession of contraband in a correctional facility.

Authorities remind the public that criminal charges are accusations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Sports, January 6th

By Slaten Swords · Tuesday, January 6th, 2026 at 6:32 am CDT

High School Basketball

Mt. Pleasant traveled to New London and swept the night with the girls’ team clobbering the Tigers 59-11 and the boys’ team coming out on top 75-52. Myah Starr led the scoring in the girls’ game with 11 points, while Ryan Helling and Noah Lange each put up 16 points in the boys’ game for the Panthers. Molly Proost led the Tigers with five points, while Israel Lemley knocked down five threes for the night. 

Danville will square off against New London tonight at 6 pm at home.

Mt. Pleasant will head back home to take on Fairfield on Friday, January 9th, 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 fell to Burlington last night 73-42. The Trojans will compete against Centerville on the road tonight with the girls’ playing at 6:15 pm followed by the boys’ game. 

WACO will travel to Wapello tonight with gametime at 6 pm.

Winfield-Mt. Union will host Pekin tonight with the night tipping-off at 6 pm. Wolves boys’ head coach Klay Edwards talked about what his team will have to focus on with their matchup tonight, 

“…They got probably the best shooter in the league in the Millikin kids, so we’re gonna have to know where he is at all times, and they got a good interior guy, and that, you know, the Adam kid’s a tough, tough guard, and they just, they just have a well-rounded team. I think the Brock kid might be leading the league in rebounding, so they’re playing really well right now. I know they lost one early here, and then I think a close one maybe to Hillcrest or somebody, but they’re playing really well. They put up 80 yesterday in Des Moines, so we’re gonna have our hands full.”

Burlington Notre Dame will compete against West Burlington on the road tonight with the girls tipping-off at 6 pm.

Central Lee will take on Van Buren County tonight with game one at 6 pm on the road. 

Mediapolis will face off against Holy Trinity Catholic tonight with the night starting at 6 pm on the road. 

Columbus will play Louisa-Muscatine tonight at 6 pm.

Boys’ High School Basketball Rankings

The Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) released their first rankings of the season and Burlington Notre Dame, who is 9-0, was placed at #4 in the Class 1A top 10. The offense has been buzzing all season, scoring over 70 points in seven of their nine victories. The defense has been strong as well, holding opponents to just 47 points per game. 

Shay Stephens has been playing out of his mind, averaging 27.4 points, 8.3 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and 2.9 steals per game. Overall, the team is turning the ball over just 9.3 times per contest. 

High School Wrestling

Mt. Pleasant swept Keokuk at their dual yesterday with the girls’ team taking a 30-21 final and the boys’ team handling the Chiefs 51-21. Zenlynn Lee pinned her opponent for the Panthers. For the boys’ team, Aven Beauchamp, Levi Evans, Lane Beckler, Jefferson Avalos Ramirez, Charlie Bohenkamp, Ramzy Davis, Keegan Birdsell, and Ethan Peck all collected victories. 

Mt. Pleasant will participate in a meet on Thursday, January 8th, at Iowa Valley.

The WACO girls’ team hosted their invitational last night and the Van Buren County girls’ team cruised to the team victory with 180 points and three wrestlers atop the podium.

Leading the charge for Van Buren County was Brystol Wiley, Rylee Caviness, and Teagan Sickels as they each finished with the gold. In a shocker, Armony Adams fielded 2nd place after suffering her first loss of the year. 

The Columbus girls’ team took 6th place with 68 points and WACO finished with 57 points for 8th place. Jada Moats collected a pair of wins for 1st place in the 190-pound weight class for the Wildcats, while WACO’s Makayla Morrison took 2nd place in the 120-pound weight class after sneaking past Rylee Philips of Van Buren County by a 7-6 decision. 

The Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union, Mediapolis, Van Buren County, Mt. Pleasant, and WACO girls’ teams will wrestle at the Highland Invitational on Friday, January 9th. 

Fairfield will head to Wapello for a boys/girls dual tonight.

The Burlington Notre Dame boys’ team will host a triangular on Thursday with Columbus in attendance. 

The New London boys’ team will travel to HLV for a triangular on Thursday. 

The Mediapolis boys’ team will compete at the Washington Meet on Thursday.

The WACO and Wapello boys’ teams will face off at Lone Tree in a meet on Thursday. 

High School Bowling

Fairfield was swept by Keokuk last night with the girls’ team falling 2,182-1,989 and the boys’ team losing by only 80 pins (2,640-2,560). Emma Cass led the Trojans with 305 total pins. Fairfield will host Burlington on Monday, January 12th.

West Burlington/Notre Dame will travel to West Central tomorrow, January 7th. 

Mt. Pleasant will hold a triangular on Thursday, January 8th.

Southeastern Community College

The women’s basketball team will square off at home against Marshalltown Community College tomorrow, January 7th, at 5:30 pm.

The men’s basketball team will host Indian Hills Community College on Saturday, January 10th, at 7 pm.

College Basketball

The #11 Iowa State women’s team will attempt to right the ship tomorrow, January 7th, against Cincinnati on the road at 5:30 pm.

The #14 Iowa women’s team defeated Northwestern last night 67-58. Ava Heiden cashed in for 23 points in the win. The Hawkeyes will travel to Indiana on Sunday, January 11th, for tip-off at 4 pm.

The #19 Iowa men’s team will face off against Minnesota tonight at 7 pm on the road. KILJ 105.5 FM will be on the call.

The #3 Iowa State men’s team will take on Baylor on the road tomorrow at 7 pm.

This Day in Sports History

1681 – First recorded boxing match is engineered by Christopher Monck, 2nd Duke of Albemarle; his butler takes on his butcher and the butcher wins. 

1980 – The Philadelphia Flyers set the longest unbeaten streak in North American sports history with 35 consecutive games without a loss.

1995 – Atlanta Hawks’ coach Lenny Wilkens passes the legendary Red Auerbach to become the NBA’s all-time winningest coach, with 939 career victories.

Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center Welcomes First Babies Born in 2026 – Both Girls

By Kadie Johannson · Tuesday, January 6th, 2026 at 6:06 am CDT

Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center (SEIRMC) welcomed its first babies of 2026, both baby girls.

The Birthplace at SEIRMC, Fort Madison, greeted Josie Louise Johnson at the very start of the New Year on January 1st at 12:12 a.m. She is the daughter of Breann Jones and Quintin Johnson. Josie weighed 6 pounds 11 ounces and was 20 inches long! Dr. Timothy Staudte was the attending physician.

On the West Burlington campus, at the Women and Family Center, Phoebe Malone made her New Year debut on Friday, January 2nd at 7:43 p.m.  The daughter of Alexis Bell and Hunter Malone, she weighed 7 pounds, 9 ounces and was 19.5 inches long.  The attending physician was Dr. Erin Haeger.

The Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center Auxiliary generously gifted each family a basket filled with essential baby gear to celebrate their newest additions.

In 2025, the health system celebrated more than 800 deliveries between The BirthPlace in Fort Madison and the Women & Family Center in West Burlington.

Henry County Public Health Updates Website

By Kadie Johannson · Tuesday, January 6th, 2026 at 6:03 am CDT

Henry County Public Health has updated its website to make local health information and resources easier to access for residents.

Officials say the updated site now includes expanded details on public health services, additional information on key health topics, and new local resource pages to help residents find services throughout Henry County. The website now features an online version of the Directory of Community Services, along with dedicated pages focused on behavioral health, food assistance, healthcare access, and safe medication disposal.

Health topics highlighted on the site include cancer prevention, respiratory illnesses, healthy eating, and physical activity. The homepage has also been redesigned to include space for health alerts, public health news, and upcoming events.

Community Outreach Coordinator Kelly Carr says the goal was to make the site easier to navigate while providing more information on services and health concerns impacting the community.

The updated website can be found at HealthyHenryCounty.org and includes a translation option for multiple languages. Henry County Public Health is also working to update the printed Directory of Community Services, with new guides expected later this winter.

Temporary Closure Planned for 200th Avenue in Des Moines County Tuesday for Culvert Replacement

By Kadie Johannson · Tuesday, January 6th, 2026 at 5:58 am CDT

Drivers in Des Moines County are advised of a temporary road closure beginning Tuesday morning.

According to the Des Moines County Engineer’s Office, 200th Avenue will be closed starting at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, January 6th, for a culvert replacement project. The closure will affect the area immediately south of 7676 200th Avenue.

Officials say the road is expected to reopen by approximately 3:30 p.m., weather permitting.

County Engineer Brian Carter says the closure is necessary to complete needed infrastructure improvements and thanks the public for their patience during the work.

Motorists are encouraged to plan alternate routes during the closure. For more information, contact the Des Moines County Road Department, 319-753-8241.

Mary E. Ruschill

By Kadie Johannson · Monday, January 5th, 2026 at 4:00 pm CDT

Mary E. Ruschill, 90, of Mt. Pleasant, died Sunday, January 4, 2026 at the Henry County Health Center in Mt. Pleasant.

Mrs. Ruschill, the former Mary Ellen Riley, was born July 11, 1935 in Glasgow, Iowa. She was the daughter of John Wilbur and Frances (Messer) Riley. She attended school in Denmark, IA and graduated from Denmark High School as a member of the Class of 1953. On September 5, 1953 at the Methodist Parsonage, Mary was united in marriage to James “Jim” Frederick Ruschill. Mr. Ruschill died Monday, June 17, 2013 at the Pleasant Manor Care Center in Mt. Pleasant.

Mary worked at Sylvania in Burlington for a few years following her marriage. After they started their family, Mary took on the role of a stay at-home mom to raise their family. Mary did some painting and wall paper hanging on the side, as well as doing the same for her husband Jim’s construction business, Ruschill Construction. For a time, she also kept the books for the construction company.

While living around the Lowell, IA area, Mary was a member of and taught Sunday School at the Lowell Baptist Church. After their move to Mt. Pleasant, Mary and Jim became members of the First United Methodist Church.

Mary was an extremely talented quilter. She loved to bake and cook as well. She enjoyed eating out with her “Once a Month Lunch Bunch”. Mary spent many enjoyable hours playing cards with friends. She gave of herself often, volunteering at nursing homes, the Oakland Mills Nature Center and the Quarter Maybe More Store.

Those thankful for sharing in Mary’s life include her children and spouses, Jeffrey & Cathy Ruschill of Mt. Pleasant, Sue & John Lambert of Burlington, Robin & Brent Lehman of New London, and Jerry & Kendra Ruschill of Mt. Pleasant; 12 grandchildren, 4 step grandchildren, several great grandchildren, step great grandchildren and step great-great grandchildren. She is also survived by sisters-in-law, Mary Riley and Deloris Ruschill, both of Mt. Pleasant and brother-in-law Gary Yaley of Danville.

Her parents, husband and 2 brothers – John Riley, Jr. and Kenneth Riley precede Mary in death.

Friends may call from 12 Noon to 7PM on Wednesday, January 7 at the Kimzey Funeral Home, 213 North Main Street, Mt. Pleasant. The family will not be present at that time, but will receive friends from 10-11 AM on Thursday at the church.

A funeral service for Mary will be held at 11:00 AM on Thursday, January 8 at the First United Methodist Church, 309 North Main Street, Mt. Pleasant. The Rev. Court Fischer, Senior Pastor, will officiate. Burial will be in the Forest Home Cemetery, Mt. Pleasant.

Those considering an expression of sympathy may direct memorials to the Oakland Mills Nature Center or The Fellowship Cup.

Online condolences may be directed to www.kimzeyfh.com