Michael Reed Billups,

By Hayden Douglas · Thursday, December 5th, 2024 at 6:08 am CDT

Michael Reed Billups, 56, of Douds, IA passed away on Monday, December 2, 2024, at the Jefferson County Health Care Center in Fairfield, IA surrounded by his loving family. As were Mike’s wishes, cremation has taken place. A visitation with the family present will be held from 10:30 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. on Friday, December 6, 2024, at the Cranston Family Funeral Home in Fairfield. Military honors will begin at 1:00 p.m. with words of comfort by Paul Peterson immediately following. Burial will be held at a later date in the Zion Lutheran Cemetery. Memorial contributions in Mike’s honor may be directed to the family and may be mailed c/o Cranston Family Funeral Home, P.O. Box 189, Fairfield, IA 52556. Friends may leave online condolences or join the webcast at www.cranstonfamilyfuneralhome.com.

Micheal Reed Billups was born on July 3, 1968, in Burlington, IA to Randy and Donna Nichols Billups.  He grew up and attended school in Dallas City, IL where he graduated with the high school class of 1986.  Mike furthered his education at Western Illinois in Macomb where he was a part of the basketball team.  Mike served in the United States Army where he proudly served his country during Operation Desert Shield/Storm.  Upon his honorable discharge he returned to Burlington and began working at the Walmart Distributions Center.  He began his career in the Loss Prevention Department eventually moving into Transportation Management where he was a dedicated employee for over 30 years.  During this time Mike was a supervisor who led by example.  He was the kind of boss everyone wanted.  He was a voice of reason, someone to listen when you needed to talk, and the first to make you smile when the day wasn’t going your way.  During his time at Walmart Mike met a fellow supervisor, Tammy Kerr.  This was the first chapter in a story that lasted over 30 years.  With this union Mike became a loving father to Jackie and eventually adding two more, Dalton and Jordan.  When Mikes career with Walmart ended, he began working in transportation for Allied Blending and would remain there until his health would no longer allow.

Mike was the life of the party..and often the host.  His world revolved around his family and his ever-growing circle of friends.  Mike was a motorcross fan and loved traveling to watch the races that his family participated in.  Whether it was camping at a racetrack or poker nights, being together with family and friends was what brought him the most joy.  As his family grew with the addition of grandchildren it just made those gatherings even more special.  As we part ways with a man who impacted so many lives, we take comfort in the fact that we were able to share in the moments that meant so much and will fondly share the stories of the legendary, Michael Reed Billups.

Mike was preceded in death by his maternal and paternal grandparents, as well as his parents, Randy (Donna) Nichols.

Left to share his story is his loving wife, Tammy of Douds, IA; three children, Jackie Poe (Robert Hall) of Douds, IA, Dalton (Kelsey) Billups of Washington, IA and Jordan (Blake) Scott of Keosauqua, IA, five grandchildren, Adalynn, Jovi, Bennett, Killian, and Maverick; two siblings, Mark Billups (Melody Paulus) of Burlington, IA and Savanna (Conway) Wolf of Mediapolis, IA, his bonus family, Taylor (Gabby) McLeland and their son, Slater; Caleb (Lacey) Millard and their son Lennox; and Brandon Billups, as well as many, many extended family and friends.

Cooper Buffington Signs on to Play Football at the University of Montana

By Slaten Swords · Wednesday, December 4th, 2024 at 5:23 pm CDT

Winfield, IA- A wave of talent has washed over Winfield-Mt. Union for the past couple of years with multiple teams making a trip to their respective state tournaments and student-athletes continuing their playing careers at the next level. You can add another one to the growing list as Cooper Buffington signed his letter of intent to play football at the University of Montana Wednesday afternoon.

The senior offensive/defensive lineman has been integral to the Wolves’ gridiron success the last four years, collecting 25 wins, three straight trips to the postseason, and a trip to the state semifinals during his high school career. He’s a bulldozer on the offensive line as W-MU has averaged over 5 yards per carry the last three seasons, scoring 127 rushing touchdowns in the process.

Buffington talked about why he chose to become a Grizzly after the ceremony,

“Well, they came down to watch me work out. I don’t know when, but earlier on the school year and then they wanted me to come to camp, so end up going out there to camp on June 8th and then end up getting an offer later that week. I always went out to Wyoming, and I love the mountains. And I went out there and I landed, and when I got off the plane I jokingly said if they offer me [a scholarship] I’m gonna commit and then it came true, I guess. So, it’s kind of awesome.”

Despite the nearly 21-hour road trip to get to the University of Montana, a Division I-FCS power, Buffington expects to acclimate quickly to the atmosphere,

“I love the snow. I love the cold. So, I don’t think it’ll be much of a challenge or nothing. So, it’s also kind of why I picked it. Just felt like the perfect place for me and stuff. And then their football program being so good for the past years and stuff like, yeah. It just felt like home.”

The talented Wolve also caused havoc on the defensive line, tallying 145.5 tackles, 12.5 sacks, 34.5 tackles for loss, and five fumble recoveries in his career. His senior season he led the team in tackles, while producing 11.5 of 12.5 sacks in his junior season, which helped W-MU finish 11-1 and a game short of the state championship contest.

Even with the rule changes to make the game safer—rightfully so—the game of football still centers around physicality, an aspect that Buffington relishes in,

“Defensive line, I mean, you’re just you can be in the play every play I like. It’s hard nose, like in the trenches, every play, play and play out and stuff and. Like, I mean, if you’re a good enough d-lineman, you can really make an impact and stuff like just physical. So, I kind of like about that and stuff so.”

The lack of fame that comes with playing the offensive and defensive line has not stopped the senior from collecting his due praise as he has been named back-to-back unanimous District Lineman MVP and two-time First-Team All-State selection. As head football coach Scott McCarty mentioned after the ceremony, it’s obvious once you see him on the field,

“Cooper is one of those kids that a lot of things don’t show up on the stat line on Saturday morning after the game. But then when you sit back and watch film, you watch how truly dominant he is. You know, he might not be the one getting the tackle, but because of him, we were able to get a tackle at or behind the line of scrimmage, so. A lot of his things were just, you know, they don’t show up on the stat book, but if you’re watching film and you know football, you know how good Cooper Buffington really is.”

Assistant football coach and boys’ head basketball coach Klay Edwards discussed how Buffington was essentially a player-coach with how he approached the game,

“It was a joy, you know, he came to work every single day. He put a ton of work in the summers weight room, getting individual skill work in. And, you know, most of all, when we would break out and do our defensive line drills and everything like there’s days where I was like, I had to be there late or something and he could coach them up and do it and knew everything that was going on, so he was just a huge leader for us.”

Buffington was always eager to help the team, even in the most creative of ways according to coach McCarty,

“I mean some, some of the things that maybe not under the lights. You know, he’s had some plays. He had his strip against HLV that he took back he got called back as a penalty, you know, but we had a formation last year where we switched our guards and our running backs, and we gave him the ball for a touchdown or two-point conversion. This year we had we had a couple plays that we had designed straight for him and every lineman thinks they’re a receiver, you know, so he’s got ideas every week on how to get him the ball and things like that. And you know he’s a good kid, you know, with a good heart, good sense of humor. And those are the kind of kids that you’re really happy for to go to the next level and be successful.”

Cooper Buffington finally scored that touchdown with a one-yard plunge during this past football season. He now marks the third Wolve to sign on to a Division I football program after Cam Buffington signed on to the University of Iowa and Abram Edwards committed to Army in a ceremony last year. For coach McCarty, he’s just been taking in the view,

“Yeah, I’ve been fortunate, right. These guys, I’ve just been able to be a part of the ride, you know, just try and give them the opportunity to let them shine. You know, as I was talking earlier, you know, it takes what it takes and those guys, they’ve done what we’ve asked and then they do what it takes to be elite, you know, and you just try and create the opportunity for them and they shine and have been able to produce and put themselves in position to go to the next level.”

As his high school career winds down, it was not a memory on the field that Buffington singled out as his favorite moment; rather, a collection of memories shared amongst teammates,

“So, we do team meals every Wednesday and probably just be them like hanging out with friends after practice. You just car rides up and then eat, like we go to jumbo or Pizza Ranch and just those type of memories and after that to go to Walmart or something. Just spending time with the teammates and stuff. It just felt like a brotherhood. It was awesome.”

He’s not quite done yet though, rejoining the basketball team after a year of wrestling for the co-op Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union team that won the conference crown last year. The Wolves picked up a season opening win against Louisa-Muscatine last night 40-38 on a game winner by Max Edwards.

Coach Edwards is ready to have a physical force back on the court,

“Extremely excited. You know, he’s starting for us. So, a little rusty, but we’re going to get all that worked out. So you know he’s a hard worker. He’s going to give 100% effort in whatever he does. So yeah, we’re super excited to have him.”

That rust included four points, three rebounds, a block, but also five fouls, which ended his night early. As he enjoys the rest of the 2024-2025 school year, he will be awaiting his trip west to join a Montana squad that is currently 9-4 and gearing up for a second-round postseason matchup against #3 South Dakota on Saturday.

Joan S. Brown

By Hayden Douglas · Wednesday, December 4th, 2024 at 1:29 pm CDT

Joan S. Brown

Joan Sidney Van Ginkel Brown of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa passed away on Saturday, November 30, 2024. Joan was a resident of the Southeast Iowa Behavioral Healthcare Center in Keokuk, IA.

Joan was born on March 19, 1951 to Joseph Garrett Van Ginkel, Jr. and Ellen Peterson Van Ginkel in Des Moines, Iowa.  Joan grew up on 42nd Street in Des Moines and attended Roosevelt High School.  Joan graduated from Roosevelt High School in 1969, and she attended Iowa State University.  Joan met her future husband (Marvin Brown) in Chemistry class at Iowa State University.  They were married on February 22, 1975 at St. Augustine’s Catholic Church in Des Moines, Iowa.  Joan graduated from Iowa State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Zoology.

Joan liked to sew and had her own sewing and alterations business.  Joan also worked in many temporary jobs as her family grew and they moved around Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska and Washington, D.C.  Joan became a Certified Nursing Assistant and worked as an in-home health aid while they lived in Washington, D. C.   When her husband retired they moved to Marvin’s childhood home on the farm in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa.  Joan enjoyed her time living on the farm, gardening and raising fainting goats.

Joan was a member of the P.E.O. sisterhood from the time she was 21.  She had been a member in Chapters wherever she lived throughout her life.  It was a source of friendships and enjoyment wherever she went and Joan felt that P.E.O. helped her to become part of the community wherever she was.

Joan was a member at St. Alphonsus Catholic Church in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa and she enjoyed working with other ladies in the kitchen during Old Threshers.  Joan enjoyed singing in the church choir.

Music was a source of enjoyment for Joan and she was an accomplished violinist.   She played her violin with community orchestras in Des Moines, Iowa; Effingham, Illinois; Springfield, Illinois; and Lincoln, Nebraska.  Joan also enjoyed giving violin lessons and providing musical entertainment at health care centers in her local communities.

Joan is survived by her husband (Marvin Brown) of Mt. Pleasant, and by her three children and their spouses – Carolyn (Jack) Thomas of Champaign, Illinois; James (Sarah) Brown of Fenton, Missouri; and Andrew (Melanie) Brown of Lincoln, Nebraska.  Joan is also survived by four grandchildren and one great grandchild.

A Celebration of Life for Joan will be held on Saturday, February 22nd, 2025 from 1-4 PM at the Mt. Pleasant Masonic Temple, 206 North Main Street, Mt. Pleasant.  A private family interment service will occur at St. Alphonsus Cemetery in Mt. Pleasant.

Memorials may be directed to the family for decisions to be made later.

Online condolences may be directed to www.kimzeyfh.com

Iowa Department of Education Budgets $8.5 Million Towards A “Teachers Accelerating Learning” Grant Program

By Hayden Douglas · Wednesday, December 4th, 2024 at 7:46 am CDT

Gov. Kim Reynolds and the Iowa Department of Education today announced $8.5 million in competitive grants to support Iowa school districts in developing systems to identify and recognize teachers who significantly accelerate student learning.

Gov. Reynolds said. “This grant program builds on our momentum by working with local school districts to identify teachers with the greatest impact on student success—and then financially reward them for their extraordinary skill and dedication. Great teachers change lives, and they deserve to be recognized.”

The Teachers Accelerating Learning grant program will celebrate excellence in teaching and help districts attract and retain top teachers. All Iowa public school districts that commit to developing and implementing a methodology for identifying and recognizing teachers who accelerate student learning beyond one year’s growth are eligible to apply.

Funds for the Teachers Accelerating Learning grant are provided through State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

Applications for the Teachers Accelerating Learning grant will be accepted in IowaGrants.gov beginning Nov. 26, 2024. The application deadline is Jan. 10, 2025.

Sports, December 4th

By Slaten Swords · Wednesday, December 4th, 2024 at 6:30 am CDT

High School Basketball

Van Buren County split their matchups against Burlington Notre Dame last night with the girls’ team securing a narrow 46-40 victory, while the boys’ team was upended 71-38. Addison Brauns collected a double-double in the win with 15 points and 10 rebounds. 

Burlington Notre Dame will host Central Lee on Friday, December 6th, with the girls’ getting the night underway at 6 pm. 

The Central Lee girls’ team could not keep up with Holy Trinity Catholic’s pace last night, falling 43-29. Teagan Snaadt led the Crusaders with 16 points, while Lizzie Mason put up 14 points for the Hawks. The Central Lee boys’ team hung in against Holy Trinity Catholic last night, but ultimately came up short, losing 53-47. Luke Hellige cashed in for 24 points for the Crusaders.  

Holy Trinity Catholic will stay at home to take on Danville with the girls’ scheduled to lead off the night at 6 pm on Friday. 

Danville struggled against Mediapolis in their home opener with the girls’ team losing 71-30 and the boys’ team falling to the Bulldogs 69-40. Bryn Wright was unstoppable in the girls’ game, tallying 25 points and dishing out eight assists in the winning effort. 

The Mediapolis boys’ team will take on West Burlington on Friday at 7:30 pm on the road, while the girls’ team will host Wilton on Monday, December 9th, at 6 pm. 

The Winfield-Mt. Union’s girls’ team was tripped up by Louisa-Muscatine last night 43-36. Kynlee Buffington has registered a double-double in two of their three contests this season after finishing the night with 11 points and 11 boards. The Wolves will square off against Lone Tree on Friday with the boys playing at 7:30 pm, following the girls’ game. 

Wapello was swept by Pekin last night with the girls falling short 49-42 and the boys’ team getting outmatched 72-42. Wapello will travel to Louisa-Muscatine on Friday with the girls’ tipping off at 6 pm.  

West Burlington crushed New London in both games last night, as the girls’ team tallied a 56-20 victory and the boys’ team nearly dropped 100 in a 97-42 win.

New London will look to right the ship on Friday on the road against Van Buren County with game one at 6 pm. 

The West Burlington girls’ team will look to continue their momentum into tomorrow night’s contest against Centerville at home at 6. 

Fairfield lost both games to Oskaloosa last night as the girls’ fell 58-21 and the boys’ held close, losing 54-46. The Trojans will take on Albia tomorrow at home with the girls’ scheduled to start the night at 6 pm. 

The Columbus girls’ team pulled off a 44-37 upset against #10 Lone Tree last night, but the boys’ team could not keep pace with the Lions in a 72-46 final. The Wildcats will compete against North Cedar tomorrow with the girls’ playing at 6 pm for their home opener. 

Mt. Pleasant will commence conference play on Friday at home against Burlington with the girls’ competing first at 6 pm. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will be on the call with the pregame show at 5:45 pm. 

WACO will face off against Pekin on Friday with the girls’ tipping off the night at 6 pm. 

High School Wrestling

Both the WACO boys’ and girls’ teams competed in the Washington County meet last night; for the girls’ team Elyssa Graber, Rylee Rice, and Cayten Coakley each picked up two wins. On the boys’ side, the Warriors tied Highland and Washington at 42-all, but lost to Mid-Prairie 45-36. Braxton Stauffer, Louden Huisenga, Ian Maize, and Gage Samo each finished the night undefeated as Huisenga picked up each of his wins by fall within the first round. 

The Mt. Pleasant boys’ team hosted Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union in a dual last night, but it was the Wildcats that eclipsed the Panthers 43-33. Picking up wins for the Panthers last night were Levi Evans, Lane Beckler, Asa Rose, Ramzy Davis, Tucker French, and William Birdsell. Dakota Aney, Tayson Samuels, Alex Venzor, Riley Kaalberg, Kason Dopler, and Itai Zapiensz all won by fall for the Wildcats, while Jacob Nelson and Trevor Phillips won by decisions. 

Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union will compete in the Raider Duals on Saturday at Williamsburg. 

The Mediapolis boys’ team defeated North Cedar 59-15 and Cardinal 48-30 last night at home. Taylan Miller, Mason Johnson, and Kyler Crow won both of their matches by fall, while Landon Stewart and Peyton Johnson went undefeated with wins by forfeit against North Cedar and wins by fall against the Comets. The Bulldogs will travel to Burlington to compete in an invite on Saturday.

The Wapello boys’ team split their triangular last night, defeating English Valleys by a narrow 35-30 margin, but losing to Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont 76-6. Carter Ball won the lone match against the Rockets by fall, while Cohen Wolford, Ball, and Grayson Nagle each won their matchup against the Bears. 

The Wapello boys’ team will host WACO and Mt. Pleasant on Saturday for the Willard Howell Tournament. 

The Fairfield boys’ team will travel to Davis County tomorrow, December 5th.

The New London boys’ team will host the Jeremy Fulk Classic on Saturday.

The Mt. Pleasant, Mediapolis, Columbus, and WACO girls’ teams will compete in the Willard Howell Tournament on Saturday at Wapello. 

High School Bowling

Fairfield will take on Burlington on Friday, December 6th, on the road. 

Southeastern Community College

The #11 men’s basketball team will host Kennedy-King College on Saturday, December 7th, at 7. 

College Football

#16 Iowa State will face off against #12 Arizona State on Saturday, December 7th, at 11 am for the Big 12 conference championship. 

Iowa will await their bowl matchup, which will be announced on Sunday, December 8th. 

College Basketball

The #6 Iowa State men’s team will host Marquette tonight at 7 pm in the Big 12/Big East battle.

The Iowa men’s team started conference play with a dramatic Josh Dix buzzer-beater three-pointer to beat Northwestern 80-79 last night. Dix led the team with 22 points, followed by Payton Sandfort with 20 points. The Hawkeyes will travel to Michigan on Saturday, December 7th, at 1 pm. 

The #20 Iowa State women’s team demolished USC Upstate 92-35 last night. Four Cyclones finished in double-figures as Audi Crooks collected a 15 point and 13 rebound double-double in a tune-up game for the squad. Iowa State will face off against Central Michigan on Sunday, December 8th, at noon in front of the home crowd. 

The #17 Iowa women’s team will take on Tennessee in the Women’s Championship Classic on Saturday at 6 pm. 

This Day in Sports History

1909 – First CFL Grey Cup, Rosedale Field, Toronto: The University of Toronto Blues beat the Toronto Parkdale Canoe Club, 26-6.

1909 – Oldest still-operating NHL franchise is officially established as J. Ambrose O’Brien and Jack Laviolette create the “Club de Hockey Canadien,” known today as the Montreal Canadiens. 

1988 – Edmonton center Jimmy Carson becomes just the third player to score six NHL hat tricks before the age of 21 in the Oilers 10-6 win over the New York Rangers.

Healthy Henry County Launches Project Power for Adults: A Lifestyle Change Program

By Hayden Douglas · Wednesday, December 4th, 2024 at 6:23 am CDT

Henry County Public Health & Healthy Henry County have partnered with the American Diabetes Association to host Project Power for adults. Project Power is a no-cost 12-week lifestyle change program that aims to help you lower your risk for type 2 diabetes. The 12-week program will consists of interactive lessons, small support groups, weight management tips, and personalized health coaching. The classes are virtual and you can choose your own schedule. Learn more about Project Power and register at diabetes.org/project-power. Use referral code: C-2104.

Todd Michael Jones

By Hayden Douglas · Tuesday, December 3rd, 2024 at 1:35 pm CDT

Todd Michael Jones, 54, a resident of Batavia, passed away Sunday, December 1, 2024 at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City.

A celebration of life will be held at a later date. Memorials may be made to the family. Behner Funeral Home in Fairfield is assisting the family with arrangements.

Todd was born April 15, 1970 the son of Michael and Patricia (Smith) Jones. He worked in concrete construction for Brewington and Sons Concrete in Batavia.

Todd enjoyed repairing and working on various things. He loved to help people. Todd also enjoyed kayaking, fishing and cutting wood.

Those left to honor his memory include his sons, Jesse (Darian) Jones of Batavia, Baily Jones and Colby Jones, both of Fairfield; daughters, Jadelynn Jones and Shannah Jones, both of Fairfield; grandchildren, Bently, Jaren, Novalee, and Evalena Jones, and Maela Rice; and his sister, Donna (Jeremy) Lehman of Des Moines.

He was preceded in death by his parents, and best friend, Fred DeVore.

Online condolences may be made to Todd’s family by viewing his obituary at www.behnerfh.com.

Susan Elizabeth Krouse

By Hayden Douglas · Tuesday, December 3rd, 2024 at 1:25 pm CDT

Susan Elizabeth Krouse, 72, of Farmington, Iowa, passed away at 7:37 a.m. Monday, December 2, 2024, at her home in Farmington.

She was born on February 23, 1952, in Keosauqua, Iowa, the daughter of Robert Randall and Helen L. (Aylor) Cochran. On May 31, 1970, she married Richard Joe Krouse in Mt. Sterling, Iowa. He preceded her in death on June 19, 2023.

She is survived by her children: Rowdy (Amanda) Krouse, Adam Krouse, Jennifer (Justin) Phillips; grandchildren: Seth, LyRick, Lucan, Natalie, Lydia, Clayton, Owen, Jakson; siblings: Ben Gilbert, John (Mary Lou) Cochran, Joseph (Brenda) Cochran. Also surviving are several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband and grandson: Landon.

Susie worked at Sheaffer Pen Co. and was a bus driver and head cook for the Harmony School District. She enjoyed being a homemaker, cooking, traveling, playing cards and softball. She and Joe were best friends and enjoyed doing everything together.

Her body has been entrusted to the crematory of Schmitz Funeral Home for cremation.

A time of remembrance will be held for Joe and Susie from 12:00 noon to 7:00 p.m. Thursday, December 5, 2024, at Schmitz Funeral Home in Farmington, where the family will receive friends from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. that evening.

Burial will be held at a later date.

Memorials have been established in their memory.

Schmitz Funeral Home of Farmington is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences may be made to the family at www.schmitzfuneralhomes.com.