Southeast Iowa Regional Board of Realtors Donates Nearly 10K To Henry County Non-Profit Organizations

By Hayden Douglas · Tuesday, December 10th, 2024 at 9:34 am CDT

Southeast Iowa Regional Board of Realtors® recently sold their office building on Summer Street in Burlington, IA providing an opportunity for the Mount Pleasant Council to donate its portion of the net proceeds to 5 local 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations.

Members of the Mount Pleasant Council met to nominate and vote on various charities with the goal of supporting organizations that enhance the communities of Henry County, IA. The Henry County non-profit organizations selected to receive these funds were Henry County Conservation, Mount Pleasant Library, New London Library, Salem Library, and the Winfield Library. $9,848.73 was donated in total.

In addition to the Mount Pleasant Council, Realtor councils in Fort Madison, Keokuk, Burlington, Fairfield, Ottumwa, Rathbun and Oskaloosa also donated funds from the sale of the office building to their communities, for a combined total donation of $131,300 throughout Southeast Iowa.

The Mount Pleasant Council of the Southeast Iowa Regional Board of Realtors includes: Benchmark Real Estate, Cottage Realty, Epique, Fraise Auction & Real Estate, Jennings and Associates, Real Estate by Waters, and Southeast Iowa Realty.

Sports, December 10th

By Slaten Swords · Tuesday, December 10th, 2024 at 6:30 am CDT

High School Basketball

The Mt. Pleasant girls’ team brawled with Holy Trinity Catholic last night, but the Crusader defense delivered the decisive blow, winning 41-28. The Panthers went on a 9 to 2 run in the third quarter to cut the deficit to four, but as head coach Curt Watson said after the game, it proved to not be enough,

“Yeah, we decided we were coming out we’re just going to give it everything we got and put a little press in there and I thought we got right back into the game and then we kind of got cold air at the start of the fourth quarter and they made a few layups on us and kind of turned the game around right about the start of the fourth quarter.”

Alexa Fuller led the scoring with 10 points on the night for the Panthers, while Elizabeth Griffin cashed in for 16 points for the Crusaders. The Panthers will take on Oskaloosa at home tonight with game time at 7 pm. 

Holy Trinity Catholic will take on West Burlington on Friday with the girls starting the night at 6 pm. 

The Mt. Pleasant boys’ team could not keep up with Burlington Notre Dame’s offensive production last night, falling 72-44. Noah Lange led the Panthers with 12 points. Mt. Pleasant will travel to Fort Madison on Friday, December 13th, at 7:30 pm. 

New London will take on Burlington Notre Dame at home on Friday with the girls playing first at 6 pm. 

The Central Lee girls’ team handed Columbus their first loss of the season last night 54-44. The Wildcats will face off against Highland tonight at home with the night scheduled to start at 6. 

Central Lee will host Danville on Friday with game one at 6 pm. 

The Danville girls’ team lost to Fort Madison last night 61-31. 

The Mediapolis girls’ team stomped Wilton last night 75-35. Ellah Wagenbach tallied 18 points as the Bulldogs nabbed 20 steals in the win. Mediapolis will compete against Washington tonight with the girls’ scheduled to play at 6 pm followed by the boys’ game. 

Wapello will take on Lone Tree tonight at home with the night starting at 6 pm. 

Fairfield will face off against Ottumwa tonight on the road with the girls’ tipping off at 6:15 pm.

WACO will stay at home to play Louisa-Muscatine tonight with the boys’ following the girls game at 7:30. 

Winfield-Mt. Union will start a three-game homestand tonight against Hillcrest Academy with game one at 6 pm. 

Van Buren County will travel to West Burlington tonight with game one at 6 pm.

High School Wrestling

The Mt. Pleasant, WACO, and Wapello girls’ teams competed at the Williamsburg Invitational last night. For the Panthers, Zenlynn Lee finished the night 2-2 with a win over Aubree Bunnell of Fort Madison by fall and a 7-3 decision victory over Peggy Miller of Washington to finish in 4th place at the 145-pound weight class. Paris Phosy grabbed 8th place in the 115-pound weight class. WACO’s Elyssa Graber took 6th place in the 105-pound weight class, while Kenadee Helscher of Wapello finished with the gold in the 100-pound weight class with a 6-3 decision win in the championship match.

The Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union, Van Buren County, Mediapolis, and Mt. Pleasant girls’ teams will compete at the Keokuk Invitational on Saturday. 

Fairfield will face off against Washington on Thursday, December 12th, at home. 

The Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union boys’ team will compete in a double dual on Thursday at home with Burlington Notre Dame in attendance. 

The Mt. Pleasant boys’ team will travel to Keokuk on Thursday. 

The New London boys’ team will host a quad with Wapello attending on Thursday.

The Mediapolis boys’ team will compete at the Tiger Duals on Saturday, December 14th, at Grinnell.

The WACO and Van Buren County boys’ teams will head to Tri-County for their invitational, while the WACO girls’ will travel to Vinton-Shellsburg for a tournament on Saturday.

The Wapello girls’ team will participate in a tournament on Saturday at Marion.

High School Bowling

Fairfield split the night against Davis County with the girls’ team falling to the Mustangs 2,412-1,809, while the boys snuck out with a 2,770-2,592 victory. Grace Forrest led the girls with 282 pins and Ethan Cass anchored the boys’ team with 423 pins. The Trojans will host Mt. Pleasant on Monday, December 16th. 

Mt. Pleasant will take on Keokuk on Thursday, December 12th, at home.

College Signing

As college coaches look to fill out their recruiting class, Coe College’s Division-III softball program added a Crusader to their ranks as Emily Ross of Holy Trinity Catholic signed her National Letter of Intent yesterday. 

She admitted that the proximity of Coe College—located in Cedar Rapids—was an important factor in her decision amongst other things,

“I’ve really enjoyed the coaches, they are very nice and then also the girls are all very nice as well and just the atmosphere at Coe like where it is, where it’s located, everything like that was just perfect for me.”

Ross destroyed the ball in her first action at the varsity level last season. The junior finished the year with a top five slash line in the Southeast Iowa Super Conference South, going with a 0.519 batting average (3rd)/0.581 on-base percentage (3rd)/0.815 slugging percentage (5th).

Crusader head coach Loren Menke discussed how important she has been to her squad,

“What she means for our program, she means pretty much everything. She’s a great softball player. Beyond that, she’s a great person and she’s a great leader and the kids just look up to her and. It’s like having a second coach. She’s just outstanding. I don’t know. I’ve heard countless kids say how they can’t imagine her not being on the team after this year. They all look up to her.”

She will be studying accounting and business administration as she joins a Kohawk squad that finished with an impressive 34-11 record (12-4 in conference) for the 2024 season, falling to #7 Case Western Reserve University in the NCAA Super Regionals. Coe College ended the year with their second consecutive 30-win season and NCAA Regional Title.

Southeastern Community College

The #11 men’s basketball team will participate in the Highland tournament on Friday, December 13th. 

College Football

#18 Iowa State will face off against #16 Miami in the Pop Tarts Bowl on December 28th at 2:30 pm in Orlando. 

Iowa will take on #19 Missouri for the Music City Bowl on December 30th in Nashville at 1:30 pm. 

College Basketball

The Iowa men’s team will host #3 Iowa State for the Cy-Hawk Series on Thursday, December 12th, at 6:30 pm. 

The #21 Iowa women’s team will take on #18 Iowa State at home for the Cy-Hawk Series tomorrow, December 11th, at 8 pm. 

This Day in Sports History

1922 – The First National Football League Championship: the undefeated Canton Bulldogs (10-0-2) are named inaugural champions.

2012 – 78th Heisman Trophy Award: Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M (QB); first freshman to win the award.

2016 – 82nd Heisman Trophy Award: Lamar Jackson, Louisville Cardinals (QB), youngest player to win at 19.

Mount Pleasant CSD School Board Receives “Team Achievement” Award At Iowa Association of School Boards Convention

By Hayden Douglas · Tuesday, December 10th, 2024 at 6:20 am CDT

The Mount Pleasant CSD School Board was awarded the Team Achievement Award at the recent Iowa Association of School Boards Convention. The Team Achievement Award is given when a majority of board members participate in 15 or more hours of professional development.

In other School board news, a motion was approved to allow Mount Pleasant Childcare to use the Harlan Elementary school playground area, gymnasium, Music Room.

A motion was approved to appoint three new members to the Education Foundation, Todd Liechty, Court Fisher, & Charlie Yoder have been named the newest members.

The Middle School Ijag program will be hosting a Tip Night at Pizza Ranch to raise money for their Ijag program.

The School Board also approved a motion to purchase two new Liquid Propane School Buses that should arrive just before the 2025 school year begins. The district will retire two old buses to replace them, leaving the district with 6 LP buses. You can watch the entire school board meeting by MPCSD Spotlight on Youtube.

Don L. Hardin

By Hayden Douglas · Tuesday, December 10th, 2024 at 5:55 am CDT

Don L. Hardin, 89, passed away on Sunday, December 8, 2024 at Wapello Specialty Care.  Visitation will be from 9:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. on Friday, December 13, 2024 at Snyder & Hollenbaugh Funeral & Cremation Services of Wapello.  Memorial Services will be 11:00 a.m. on Friday, December 13, 2024 at the funeral home.  Burial will be in Edwards Cemetery.  A memorial has been established in Don’s name.    Online condolences may be left at www.sandhfuneralservices.com.

Don L. Hardin was born on March 1, 1935 in Burlington, Iowa, the son of Paul and Viola (Aberle) Hardin.  Don was a 1952 graduate of Oakville High School and attended Iowa Wesleyan College in Mt. Pleasant.  On July 29, 1955, Don was united in marriage to June Wilson in Wapello.  June preceded Don in death on January 19, 2013.  Don was a teacher for the Wapello Community School System for 16 years and then went on to own his own painting business.  Don was a former member of the Wapello School Board and was a coach for many sports.  He enjoyed fishing, watching the grandkids sporting events and was an avid St. Louis Cardinal fan.

Don will be deeply missed by his sons, Randy (Kris) Hardin of Iowa City, Kevin (Patty) Hardin of Wapello, Gordon (Lisa) Hardin of Wapello and Don (Annette) Hardin of Wapello; ten grandchildren and several great-grandchildren and great-great grandchildren; sister, Sandra Whitlow of Raytown, Missouri and Lynn (Teresa) Hardin of Middletown, Iowa and several nieces and nephews.

Don was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, June; grandson, Matt Hardin and three brothers, Dean, Ray and Kenny Hardin.     

Two Southeast Iowa Farmers Need Your Votes For The Iowa Farm Bureau’s “Grow Your Future” Contest

By Hayden Douglas · Tuesday, December 10th, 2024 at 5:54 am CDT

The decision of who will compete for the Iowa Farm Bureau’s “Grow Your Future” Award and its $10,000 grand prize is now open for public votes. The competition is designed by Iowa Farm Bureau to help young farmers, ages 18-35, expand their niche agricultural businesses, from ag products and specialty services to agritourism.

Five applicants have been chosen across Iowa, and two local county farms have been selected to advance to an online vote between Dec. 9-15.

Rachel Irwin of “Bushels & Blooms Farm” in Wapello County who grows and sells cut flowers at an on-farm stand, an endeavor she began as a tribute to her parents who died in a car accident in 2023. Her near-term goal is to build a greenhouse to start seeds and expand her growing season.

Taylor Getting of Calyx Creek Lavender & Lodging in Johnson County grows 5,000 lavender plants in six different varieties and sells them as skin care products, food ingredients, household cleaners and more. Her farm also has lodging that overlooks their lavender fields. She hopes to expand her lavender fields, add additional varieties and add processing equipment to meet consumer demand.

The three farmers with the most votes will compete in a pitch-off during the Iowa Farm Bureau Young Farmer Conference, Jan. 18.

The public may vote for their favorite business at www.iowafarmbureau.com/growyourfuture.

Iowa Moves Towards “Hands-Free While Driving” Law

By Hayden Douglas · Monday, December 9th, 2024 at 3:47 pm CDT

The End Distracted Driving Iowa Coalition is officially launching a statewide campaign to advocate for a full hands-free driving law in Iowa.

Supported by more than 25 organizations representing law enforcement, healthcare, labor, business, transportation, insurance, and state agencies, the coalition’s mission is to reduce distracted driving by advocating for a comprehensive hands-free driving law in Iowa.

Luke Hoffman, Executive Director of the Iowa Bicycle Coalition, is part of the End Distracted Driving Iowa Coalition and was willing to talk about the importance of this law being passed in Iowa.

Unfortunately, Iowans are frequently using their devices while driving; 96% of residents report regularly seeing others driving with a cellphone in hand, according to the Governor’s Safety Traffic Bureau’s annual State Fair survey.

Luke goes on to talk about Who they have gotten together in this coalition to make sure this Hands-Free while Driving  law gets recognized and passed.

Luke Hoffman, Executive Director of the Iowa Bicycle Coalition, has been in the forefront on the “End Distracted Driving Iowa Coalition” committee and says that he cant think of another safety law for Iowans that is this important, since the seat belt laws went into place.

Luke encourages you to contact your local law makers and voice your support for the “Hands-Free while Driving” Law. The coalition aims to raise awareness, promote safer roads, and pass this critical legislation during the 2025 Iowa legislative session.

Longtime Mt. Pleasant Girls’ Track Coach Dave Hutchcroft Nabs a Spot in the IATC Hall of Fame

By Slaten Swords · Monday, December 9th, 2024 at 12:29 pm CDT

Prep Track and Field- The Iowa Track Coaches Association (IATC) Hall of Fame just added some Maroon and Gold as Dave Hutchcroft was officially inducted over the weekend.

(Picture Courtesy of Mitch Anderson)

Coach Hutchcroft led the Mt. Pleasant girls’ track and field program for 22 years and success followed. He coached 17 individual and six relay state champions, 48 individuals and 40 relay medalists, and an overall count of 228 state qualifying events.

The Panthers grabbed three state team titles, collected two runner-up finishes and went top five in five other trips. Additionally, Mt. Pleasant made its mark at the Drake Relays with 106 total events qualified with 37 top 8 finishes and two golds.

In personal hardware, Hutchcroft was named IATC Regional Coach of the Year six times and State Coach of the Year twice before retiring in 2015 after 44 years of coaching. Nevertheless, you can still see him volunteer his time with the middle school girls’ track team.

This will only add to his resume as he was also inducted to the Iowa Girls Coaching Association Basketball Hall of Fame in 2004 after amassing 482 career wins.

Organizational Meeting For The MPCSD Board of Directors Will Follow School Board Meeting December 9th

By Hayden Douglas · Monday, December 9th, 2024 at 12:21 pm CDT

Please be advised that an Organizational Meeting for the Mt. Pleasant CSD Board of Directors is scheduled for Monday, December 9, at 6:00 PM, in the High School Media Center.  The Agenda is attached to this email.   You may also view the Agenda and supporting documents by going to the district website:  www.mtpcsd.org,  to the “Board” tab, then to “Agenda and Minutes”.   You can then click on Meetings (on the right side), then to Meetings Listing.

Agenda