2026 KILJ’s March Madness Bracket Challenge

By Slaten Swords · Sunday, March 15th, 2026 at 10:30 am CDT

Mt. Pleasant, IA- It’s that time of the year earn bragging rights amongst your friends, family, and local community members. March Madness is just around the corner and your chances of getting a perfect bracket sits at roughly 1 in 9.2 quintillion, so time to start guessing in one of the most exhilarating tournaments in all of sports.

The KILJ Bracket Challenge is on for the 2026 NCAA men’s basketball tournament bracket to crown a National Champion and more importantly a local champion! Last year, 15 of our 46 local brackets picked the correct champion. Can that same success rate continue?

This is our third season holding the challenge under these new rules; so, here’s a refresher on what to do when the challenge tips-off.

The night that starts March Madness will be Selection Sunday on March 15th. Followed by first round action on March 19th.

A printable bracket will be posted to KILJ’s Facebook page after Selection Sunday for you to fill out. You can either bring your bracket out to our station or email it to sports@kilj.com. The rules to apply are listed below:

  1. First and Last Name must be attached to your backet.
  2. A phone number or email address must be attached to your bracket.
  3. One entry per person.
  4. The bracket must be turned in by 5 pm on March 18th.

The scoring will be done as such: first round (2 point for each correct pick), second round (4 points for each correct pick), Sweet 16 (8 points for each correct pick), Elite Eight (16 points for each correct pick), Championship Game (32 points for each correct pick), Correct Champion (64 points). The four play-in games will not count towards your final score.

The top three brackets will receive a prize package (listed below) and leaderboards will be updated after every round. Winners will be notified after the results are tabulated.

Prizes:

1st Place

  • Meal a month from The Press Box
  • 2 Old Thresher Gate Passes
  • 2 State Fair Tickets

2nd Place

  • 2 Old Thresher Gate Passes
  • 2 State Fair Tickets
  • 2 Festival of Lights Tickets

3rd Place

  • 1 Old Thresher Gate Pass
  • 2 State Fair Tickets
  • 2 Festival of Lights Tickets

KILJ thanks The Press Box for sponsoring KILJ’s Bracket Challenge!

Mt. Pleasant American Legion Fundraiser for Iowa Boys State

By Lisa Grilliot · Saturday, March 14th, 2026 at 11:45 am CDT

Iowa Boys State is a week-long, hands-on leadership and civics program for high school junior run by the American Legion Department of Iowa.  Mt. Pleasant American Legion Post #58 is a proud supporter of this event and is hosting a soup and salad fundraiser on Saturday, March 21st.  Boys State is a mock government experience where students create a miniature version of the Iowa State government and is for boys who are juniors in high school.  Students learn how the government works by running for office, passing laws, debating issues, and collaborating to solve problems.  The Mt. Pleasant American Legion fundraiser meal is a free will donation and will be held at the Mt. Pleasant Veterans Hall, 300 W. Monroe Street from 5:30pm – 7pm, 3/21/26.

“Safe Driving Takes More Than Luck” – GTSB

By Lisa Grilliot · Saturday, March 14th, 2026 at 11:00 am CDT

Local law enforcement is partnering with the Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau in their statewide “Safe Driving Takes More Than Luck.” enforcement weekend to combat drunk driving. St. Patrick’s Day is Tuesday, March 17th and last year, the Iowa Department of Transportation reported 148 crashes and five traffic fatalities on Iowa roadways.  Young drivers ages 21-34 accounted for the highest percentage (35%) of alcohol-impaired drivers involved in fatal traffic crashes during the 2023 St. Patrick’s Day holiday.

If your plans include drinking for this holiday, make sure you have plans for a designated driver or other sober ride.

 

 

 

Winter Weather “Advisory”- What to Expect

By Lisa Grilliot · Saturday, March 14th, 2026 at 11:00 am CDT

Winter weather is in the forecast Sunday into Monday, and a Winter Weather ADVISORY is issued when the forecast calls for blowing snow, accumulations of more than 3 inches of snow in a 12-hour period, freezing rain, or sleet.  Also, a reminder that Unplowed/less traveled roads may be slick, and road conditions can change quickly.   Headlights should be ON not on auto, distance, slow down and ease into braking. Buckle up, avoid distractions and use extra caution on ramps, bridges and overpasses and of course: don’t crowd the plow!  Check 511ia.org for the latest road conditions in Iowa.

Early Voting for Henry County Attorney Begins on Monday, 03/16/26

By Lisa Grilliot · Saturday, March 14th, 2026 at 6:36 am CDT

The Henry County Auditor’s Office in Mt. Pleasant received the ballots for the upcoming special election to fill the position of Henry County Attorney and early voting begins on Monday, March 16th.  The Henry County Courthouse is located at 100 E. Washington Street and is open from 8am – 4:30pm Monday through Friday.  Citizens of Henry County can cast their vote up until the time of the special election.

The special election will be held on Tuesday, March 31st. On that day, voters will cast their ballots at their regular polling locations across Henry County. Residents looking for information about their polling place or voting details can find a full list of polling locations at KILJ dot com under the news tab.

 

To listen to the Candidates forum with Abbie Liechty and Becky Wilson visit the KILJ spotify page found on our website, or tune in to 105.5 FM and KILJ.com Monday night (3/16/26) at 6pm for the rebroadcast.

 

Friday Afternoon: Lockridge Fire Department- Grass Fire/Washington County Accident

By Lisa Grilliot · Saturday, March 14th, 2026 at 6:30 am CDT

Lockridge Fire & Rescue Department was dispatched to a grass fire on Friday afternoon in the 2900 block of 239th Street in Lockridge.

 

Washington County Sheriff’s Deputies and Washington County Fire & Rescue responded to an overturned semi tractor trailer with an attached manure spreader late Friday morning at Highway 92 and Hwy 1.  Washington County dispatch reported that Both occupants of the vehicle were transported to the University of Iowa hospitals.

Sports, March 14th

By Slaten Swords · Saturday, March 14th, 2026 at 6:30 am CDT

Boys’ State Basketball

The Iowa High School Athletic Association’s (IHSAA) 2026 state tournament is in the books and four new champions were crowned yesterday.

The Class 3A championship went down to the wire to tip-off the day, as #1 Ballard battled back to force overtime and win the title over #2 ADM, 43-39. Parker Miller scored 17 points in the winning effort. It is Ballard’s first state championship.

It was the Cinderella story versus a perfect season for the Class 4A championship and #6 Johnston’s magic ran out despite sprinting out to a 22 to 7 lead after the first quarter as the Dragons fell to #1 Cedar Falls, 56-48. Will Gerdes scored 19 points to help lead the comeback. The Tigers claimed their third state championship. 

For the third straight season, #6 Marquette Catholic played in the Class 1A state championship contest and for the third straight year they were denied, as #1 St. Edmond won their program’s second state championship in a 54-42 final. The Defenders held a slim lead entering the final quarter, but the Gaels went on an 18 to 3 run to seal the victory. Hunter Horn, the All-Tournament Team captain, collected a 21 point and 10 rebound double-double. 

Burlington Notre Dame’s Shay Stephens was also placed on the Class 1A All-Tournament team as the Nike averaged 22 points, nine rebounds, 2.5 steals, and 4.5 assists in his two state tournament games. 

In the Class 2A nightcap, #2 Unity Christian outlasted #1 Kuemper Catholic, 67-64, for their program’s fifth state championship. Tyler VanDonge tallied 25 points in the win. 

Girls’ High School Basketball

A handful of local athletes will be participating in the Larry Niemeyer Senior Girls All-Star basketball tournament scheduled today.

In Class 2A, Danville’s Alaina Gourley will play on the Gray Team with their game at 1 pm.

Over in Class 3A, Adalyn Long of Washington will join a trio from the Southeast Iowa Super Conference in Kenna Sandoval of Central Lee and Grace Holsteen and Ellah Wagenbach of Mediapolis on the White Team. They will play at 10:30 am. 

Lastly, Kendra Boatman of Keokuk and Burlington’s Mylee Stiefel will join sides for the Gray Team in a combination of Class 3A/4A/5A talent. They will square off at 9:15 am.

High School Track and Field

The IATC Indoor Track Championships wrapped up yesterday with Classes 1A and 2A getting the chance to compete and the Southeast Iowa Super Conference produced a dominant performance.

The New London boys’ team set the tone by finishing tied with Iowa Valley for Class 1A runner-up, securing 48 points, with Van Buren County taking 7th place with 30 points.

London Franklin had a terrific day for the Tigers, snatching the gold in the long jump with a leap of 21 feet and 4.5 inches, joining Brigham Porter, Cale Westerbeck, and Gavin Strawhacker to win the 4×100 meter relay with a time of 44.32 seconds, and claiming the silver medal in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.14 seconds. 

Van Buren County had Lincoln Bainbridge take home a pair of 1st place finishes, winning the 400-meter dash with a time of 49.28 seconds and the 800-meter run with a time of 2 minutes. Additionally, the Warriors took 3rd place in the 4×400.

Danville’s 1600-meter sprint medley team of Drake Biesler, Byers Nealey, Ty Frazier, and Noah Horn snatched 2nd place with a time of 3 minutes and 46 seconds. For WACO, Jude Dykstra finished with the bronze medal in the 800-meter run with the 4×800 meter relay team also taking 3rd place. Cruz Hagmeier led Winfield-Mt. Union with a 9th place finish in the 60-meter hurdles.

On the girls’ side, Alaina Gourley of Danville grabbed 1st place in the 400 and 800-meter events, while helping the 4×400 meter relay team take home the bronze medal. WACO’s Carlee Lunsford finished right behind Gourley in the 800-meter run. Moreover, the Warriors claimed 4th place in the 4×400 meter relay.

Jumping to Class 2A for the boys’ teams, Mediapolis and Columbus each finished in the top 10 with the Bulldogs securing 5th place with 30 team points. Mediapolis’s 4×400 team of Nathan and Will Schmidgall and Henry and Will Luttenegger finished with the gold medal. Moreover, Simon Wendel claimed the bronze in the 3200-meter run.

Columbus had Lamar Ceant and Alex Rees finish in 2nd and 3rd place, respectively, in the 60-meter hurdles. The girls’ team saw Ella Howell take 8th in the 400-meter dash and Bella Forbes claimed 8th in the shot put with a heave of 33 feet and 8.5 inches.

Southeastern Community College

The baseball team lost to Delgado Community College yesterday, 5-3. Gavin Awbrey smacked a three-run homer for the Blackhawks. SCC will continue their three-game road series today. 

The softball team will take on Lewis & Clark Community College on Monday, March 16th, for home doubleheader.

College Basketball

The #7 Iowa and Iowa State women’s teams will see their postseason fate determined on the Selection Sunday Show tomorrow, March 15th, at 7 pm.

The #7 Iowa State men’s team fell to #2 Arizona on a buzzer beater in the Big 12 Tournament semifinals last night, 82-80. Milan Momcilovic drilled eight threes for 28 points in the effort. The men’s Selection Sunday Show is scheduled for 5 pm tomorrow.

This Day in Sports History

1962 – Red Wings’ forward Gordie Howe becomes the second player in NHL history to score 500 career goals in Detroit’s 3-2 loss to the New York Rangers.

1972 – NBA’s Cincinnati Royals, plagued by poor home attendance, announce they are moving the franchise to Kansas City. They renamed the team to “Kings” to avoid confusion with the baseball team.

2017 – World’s oldest golf club Muirfield in Scotland, votes to admit women as members for the first time in 273 years.

Henry County Public Health: COVID-19 Boosters Available/Clinic Hours

By Lisa Grilliot · Saturday, March 14th, 2026 at 6:27 am CDT

Henry County Public Health Department announced on Friday afternoon that they have COVID-19 boosters for eligible adults.  The Centers for Disease Control recommends that all people aged 65 years or older receive a second 2025-26 COVID-19 vaccine dose to boost protection.  The booster dose can be given 6 months after the first shot.  Henry County Public Health office is located at 106 N. Jackson Street.  Immunization Clinic hours are: Tuesdays 9-11am, Wednesdays and Thursdays 1-4pm, and the 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month 1-6pm. No appointment is necessary, but you will need your insurance card if you have one. Uninsured and underinsured individuals can still receive the vaccine through a government funded program.