Henry County Sheriff Monthly Update

By Hayden Douglas · Monday, January 6th, 2025 at 5:44 am CDT

Henry County Sheriff Rich McNamee stopped by the KILJ studio for his monthly update on the jails inmate count and budget.

As we see the colder weather and frigid temperatures below zero, Sheriff McNamee wants to advise people to be safe on the roadways and be prepared for emergency.

 

During his monthly update, Sheriff also talked about the new year being a good time to update your emergency contact information if you have moved, or if you are a business owner, The Sheriffs office needs the most updated information in their efforts to help in an emergency.

Lastly Sheriff McNamee talks the new year being a great time to check Fire alarms and smoke alarm batteries in your home or business, check the batteries in your security cameras and changing the batteries so you know they are new and good for the year.

Senator Chuck Grassley Honored Once Again as President Pro Tempore of the United States Senate

By Hayden Douglas · Monday, January 6th, 2025 at 5:35 am CDT

Senator Chuck Grassley was honored to be sworn in once again as President pro tempore of the United States Senate. Grassley previously held the position from 2019 to 2021.

This constitutional leadership role is traditionally held by the most senior member of the majority party and places me third in the line of presidential succession, following the Vice President and Speaker of the House. Senator Grassley is only the second Iowan in history to serve as President pro tempore, following in the footsteps of Senator Albert B. Cummins, who served in this role from 1919 to 1925.

Iowa is number one in the Senate as a result of my leadership. Grassley says he is looking forward to delivering for our great state as President pro tempore and Senate Judiciary Chairman this Congress.

January 6, 2025 – January 12, 2025

By Allison Jacobs · Sunday, January 5th, 2025 at 3:01 pm CDT
01/06/25
Lance Hampton
01/06/25
Greg Peck
01/06/25
Lucky Kreiger (102 years old)
01/07/25
Marci Adams
01/07/25
Willow Barton
01/07/25
Dalton Gardner
01/07/25
Sabrina Mathews
01/08/25
Kendall Horn
01/08/25
Averee McMullin
01/09/25
Jerry Lamb
01/10/25
Steve Mallams
01/10/25
Paul Lampe
01/10/25
Megan Rolenc
01/10/25
Emery Ledbetter - 12
01/10/25
Vada & Violet Johannson
01/11/25
Marlene Hill
01/11/25
Joni Maxwell
01/11/25
Mitchell Moothart
01/11/25
Rita Glover
01/11/25
Greg Perrott
01/11/25
Julie Wesley
01/11/25
Patsy McClain
01/12/25
Holly Nelson

Rosemary E. Marley

By Hayden Douglas · Sunday, January 5th, 2025 at 1:26 pm CDT

Rosemary E. Marley, 82, of Mt. Pleasant, died unexpectedly on Friday, January 3, 2025 at the Henry County Health Center Emergency Room after suffering a fall at her home.

Mrs. Marley, the former Rosemary Emma Hallowell, was born May 1, 1942 in Iowa City, IA. She was the daughter of Carl Joseph and Beulah Edith (Miller) Hallowell. She graduated from Mt. Pleasant High School in 1960. She worked at the Hy-Vee Food Store where she met and began dating the man who became the love of her life. On July 2, 1961 at the Salem Methodist Church, Rosemary was united in marriage to William Warner “Bill” Marley. It was a love and partnership that lasted 58 years until Bill’s passing on Sunday, April 26, 2020 in Iowa City.

After their marriage, Rosemary worked at Smitty’s Cleaners and Motorola in Mt. Pleasant. Together with Bill, they cleaned houses for numerous families in the area. Rosemary also babysat for many people as well.

Rosemary was a devoted member of the First United Methodist Church, seldom missing a worship service. A gifted cook, Rosemary prepared a meal every Saturday night for the Saturday night worship service at FUMC. Rosemary employed her cooking skills far more than at church. She would host her fellow co-workers from Motorola for suppers. Other groups and individuals were the beneficiaries of her skills in the kitchen and their hospitality. When the meals were not at her house, Rosemary would prepare meals and take them to people.

Rosemary loved flowers and enjoyed tending to her flower beds. She was a devoted fan of the Iowa Hawkeyes, cheering them on, no matter what sport it was. Above and beyond all this, Rosemary loved pleasing people and would go out of her way to bring life and joy into someone’s life.

Those thankful for sharing in Rosemary’s life include her 4 children – Deb Marley of Mt. Pleasant, Dawn (Ron Walgren) Marley of Maui, Hawaii, Denise (Brian) Kirby of Mt. Pleasant, and Doug (Ashly) Marley of Mt. Pleasant; her sister – Carlene Miller of Ft. Madison; 2 grandsons – Spencer Kirby and Kasey (Michaela Speketer) Kirby, and 4 great grandchildren – Izabella Rose Kirby, Isla Kirby, Oakland Kirby and Bennett Duncan.

Her parents and husband Bill precede Rosemary in death.

Friends may call from 12 Noon to 8 PM on Wednesday, January 8 at the Kimzey Funeral Home, 213 N. Main St., Mt. Pleasant. The family will be present to receive friends from 4-6PM.

The funeral service for Rosemary will be 11 AM on Thursday, January 9 at the First United Methodist Church, 309 North Main Street, Mount Pleasant. The Reverend Court Fischer, Senior Pastor, will officiate. Cremation Rites will be accorded following the service, and Rosemary’s ashes will be interred on Friday at the Forest Home Cemetery, Mt. Pleasant.

Those considering an expression of sympathy may direct memorials to the First United Methodist Church. Online condolences may be directed to www.kimzeyfh.com

Carl Nicholas Bloom

By Allison Jacobs · Saturday, January 4th, 2025 at 8:31 am CDT

Carl Nicholas Bloom, 57, passed away Thursday, January 2, 2025, as the result of a brain tumor.

Per Carl’s wishes, his brain will be donated for medical research and his body cremated. A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. Memorials may be made to Relay for Life of Jefferson County and mailed to the family at 408 W. Broadway, Fairfield, Iowa 52556. Behner Funeral Home in Fairfield is assisting the family.

Carl was born August 13, 1967 at Graham Hospital in Keokuk, Iowa to George N. and Barbara A. Bloom. Carl’s grandparents were Leonard “Bud” and Bette Bloom of Keokuk and Harold and Alta Bangert of Montrose.

Carl graduated from Central Lee High School in 1985. In 1989, he graduated from Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Later, he graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi with a Master’s degree in English. At the University of Southern Illinois in Carbondale, he earned a Doctorate degree in English and taught there. Carl wrote many educational papers and published one book.

In March of 1998 in St. Helen, Oregon, Carl married Hafiza Nilofar “Nel” Khan. Carl enjoyed painting, drawing, writing, magic cards, Dungeons and Dragons, concerts, and debating.

Those left to honor his memory include his wife, Nel of Dhaka, Bangladesh; one daughter, Alisha Bloom, of Denver, Colorado; his parents, Barbara Bloom of Fairfield and George N. Bloom of Montrose; two sisters, Christy Bloom of Chicago, and Rebecca Angell of Fairfield; many cousins, aunts, and uncles, in California and Iowa; and his mother-in-law, Mrs. Wali Khan.

ISP & NHTSA Issue Safe Winter Driving Tips

By Allison Jacobs · Saturday, January 4th, 2025 at 7:06 am CDT

During winter weather, the Iowa State Patrol sees a lot of action on Iowa’s roads during winter weather and all types of collisions.   Law Enforcement officials advise one of the biggest keys to driving safe during winter weather is to allow extra room between your car and the car in front of you.  Slow down and use caution on ramps, overpasses and underpasses and consider if you absolutely need to be on road during snow, fog or icy conditions.

 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has some preparation tips for winter driving.  Remove snow and ice from your vehicle, warm up your vehicle, check the tires, have an emergency kit and know your route.  NHTSA.gov has a complete list of life saving information and what to do in an emergency when you are on road during the winter months.

 

Iowa DNR 2024 Deer/Turkey Harvest Report

By Allison Jacobs · Saturday, January 4th, 2025 at 7:01 am CDT

The Iowa DNR Deer and Turkey Harvest report has been posted for the end of 2024. There were a total of 90,506 deer and 16,088 turkeys harvested in the state, which was down from last year for deer by about 500. Last year, there were over 100,000 deer harvested. The number of turkeys is up from last year by over 1,200.   Henry County reported 1,284 deer harvested and a total of 79 turkeys.  Jefferson County: 1,239 deer and 86 turkeys.  Lee County: 2,116 deer harvested and 152 turkeys were reported.

Sports, January 4th

By Slaten Swords · Saturday, January 4th, 2025 at 6:30 am CDT

High School Basketball

In a double-overtime thriller, the WACO girls’ team snapped Columbus’ five-game winning streak, winning 58-57. Ella Huisenga had a remarkable game with 26 points in the win, while Arianna Vergara chipped in 15 points for the Wildcats. The WACO boys’ team followed suit but with no extra time needed in a 66-44 final. Christian Stacy led the Warriors with 17 points and Juan Chairez finished the night with 15 points for the Wildcats. 

Columbus will host Louisa-Muscatine on Tuesday, January 7th, with game one at 6 pm. 

Winfield-Mt. Union split the night against Wapello with the girls’ team falling 36-31, despite an 11-point fourth quarter, while the boys’ team demolished Wapello 62-29. 

Winfield-Mt. Union will face off against WACO at home today with the girls’ tipping off at 3:30 pm. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will be on the call with the pregame show at 3:15 pm. 

Mt. Pleasant attempted to defend their home court against Keokuk last night but the Panthers were swept, losing 54-26 in the girls’ game and 59-30 in the boys’ game. The girls’ team was lifted by the return of Abby Carthey after injury sidelined her for the first half of the season as she led the team with 8 points, while the boys were led by Ryan Helling’s 11 points. Boys’ head coach Eric Rawson saw glimpses last night but his team is still working on putting a full game together,

“We came out of half and couldn’t really stop the bleeding. You know, we stayed in man, we just got to get tougher defensively and, you know, transition right now for us seems to be a chore and we’ve got to be able to sprint down the floor and sprint through our cuts and it’s got to be consistent throughout the entire game and we’re just not there yet.”

Mt. Pleasant will take on New London on Monday, January 6th, at home with the girls’ teams starting the night at 6 pm. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will be on the call with the pregame show at 5:45 pm.  

Fairfield surrendered 60-plus points last night to Burlington in the girls’ game, falling 63-48, while the boys’ team picked up a conference win over the Grayhounds 67-46. The Fairfield girls’ team will play Davis County today at 2:30 pm at home. 

The Burlington Notre Dame boys’ team got back in the win column in a big way last night, winning 87-50 over Danville. The Danville girls’ team collected their fifth straight win last night, handling the Nikes 53-38. 

Danville will host English Valleys tonight with the boys’ following the girls’ game at 6 pm. 

Burlington Notre Dame will take on West Burlington on Tuesday with the girls playing at 6 pm. 

West Burlington split their matchups against Van Buren County last night with the girls’ team losing a slugfest 33-27 as Callie Kracht scored 10 points for the Warriors and the boys’ team won 92-51. The Falcons will compete against Wapello today with the girls’ teams playing at 3 pm. 

Van Buren County will take on Central Lee at home on Tuesday with the first game at 6 pm. 

The Mediapolis girls’ team continued their undefeated season with a dominating 62-31 win over Central Lee as Josie Hutcheson collected 24 points and five steals in the win, while the boys’ team handled the Hawks 67-47. 

The Central Lee girls’ team will travel to Burlington on Monday at 6:30 pm. 

Mediapolis will tango with Holy Trinity Catholic at home on Tuesday with the first game at 6 pm. 

Holy Trinity Catholic swept New London last night with the girls’ team winning 51-27 and the boys’ team crushing the Tigers 74-24 behind Luke Hellige’s 24 points. Mylee Miller finished with a double-double for New London, cashing in for 12 points and grabbing 17 rebounds. 

High School Wrestling

The Burlington Notre Dame boys’ team will participate in a Tri-Meet today at Davenport Assumption. 

The New London boys’ team will travel to Durant on January 9th to compete in a meet.

The Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union and Mediapolis boys’ teams will participate in the Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont tournament today.

The Van Buren County boys’ team will compete at the Ottumwa Invitational on January 11th. 

The WACO girls’ and boys’ teams will compete in a dual tournament today at BGM. 

Fairfield will host a quad on January 7th with Wapello making the trip. 

The Mt. Pleasant boys’ team will travel to Highland for the Gary Curtis Invitational on January 11th. 

The Mt. Pleasant, Fairfield, Van Buren County, and Mediapolis girls’ teams will participate in the Keokuk Invite today.

High School Bowling

Mt. Pleasant will host Washington on January 9th. 

Southeastern Community College

The #20 men’s basketball team will take on Western Iowa Tech at home on January 8th with tip-off scheduled for 7 pm. 

College Basketball

The #3 Iowa State men’s team will face off against #25 Baylor in a home matchup this afternoon at 1 pm. KILJ 98.5 FM and AM 1130 will have the call.

The Iowa men’s team could not stop Wisconsin last night, falling 116-85. Drew Thelwell led the scoring with 25 points. The Hawkeyes will host Nebraska on Tuesday, January 7th, at 7 pm. 

The #23 Iowa women’s team will face off against Maryland tomorrow, January 5th, at home with game time at 5 pm. 

The Iowa State women’s team will stay at home to take on Utah tomorrow at 6:30 pm. 

This Day in Sports History

1887 – Thomas Stevens is the first man to bicycle around the world. It took him 986 days as he traveled 13,500 miles.

1975 – NHL Boston Bruins Dave Forbes becomes the first athlete indicted for criminal assault for excessive violence during play; stick butt-end to the face of Minnesota North Star Henry Boucha, which caused permanent vision damage. The court case ends in hung jury, and a civil settlement is eventually reached. 

2000 – A day after accepting the head coaching position for the New York Jets, Bill Belichick resigns and moves to the New England Patriots.