December 9, 2024 – December 15, 2024

By Allison Jacobs · Sunday, December 8th, 2024 at 1:47 pm CDT
12/09/24
Joe Goody
12/09/24
Bob Roth - 95
12/09/24
Stan Stigge
12/10/24
Karl Thomas - Mon & Jamie Thomas - Tues (husband & wife)
12/10/24
Avery Jacobs
12/12/24
Lexi & Riley Peterson
12/13/24
Piper Wiley
12/13/24
Susie Kuhens
12/13/24
Gale Thompson
12/13/24
Kiley Miller (50th)
12/13/24
Tony McDowell
12/13/24
Tim and Angel Jacobs 27th anniversary
12/15/24
Natalie Duffie

Area Meetings Next Week

By Allison Jacobs · Saturday, December 7th, 2024 at 7:36 am CDT

The Mt. Pleasant Community School District School Board will meet in regular session at 6:00pm on Monday, December 9th.  The meeting will be held in the High School Media Center, 2104 S. Grand Avenue.  Following the regular session meeting, the MP school board will hold its organizational meeting including election of officers, assignments to committees and other items.  Both agendas can be found at MTPCSD.org and the meetings are open to the public.

 

The New London City Council will meet in regular session on Monday, December 9th at 6:00pm at the NL city office; 112 W. Main St.  This meeting is open to the public.

Space Heater Safety

By Allison Jacobs · Saturday, December 7th, 2024 at 7:34 am CDT

Consumer Product Space heaters can provide extra, but they can also pose a safety risk. The Safety Commission reports that portable space heaters were involved in an average of 1,700 house fires a year from 2017-2019. These fires resulted in an average of 70 deaths annually.

If you rely on a portable heater for supplemental heat, it’s important to make space heater safety a priority including whether a model gets hot enough to ignite nearby materials, whether the surface gets so hot that it can cause a burn, and whether or not the model has a tip-over switch that turns the heater off when it’s knocked over.

Nearly half of all home heating fires happen during the months of December, January, and February—and they’re often caused when a heater (typically an electric one) is placed too close to curtains, bedding, or upholstered furniture. The Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers and the National Fire Protection Agency, offer the following safety tips:

  • Place the heater on a hard, level, and nonflammable surface. These appliances are intended to sit on the floor, not on a table.
  • Establish a 3-foot kid- and pet-free zone around the heater, and never put a space heater in a child’s room.
  • Keep the space heater at least 3 feet away from combustible materials, such as furniture, bedding, and curtains.
  • Don’t use a heater in a workshop or garage near flammable paints, gas cans, or matches.
  • Turn it off when you leave the room or go to bed.
  • Unplug the heater when it’s not in use by pulling the plug straight from the outlet. Check the cord for damage periodically, and don’t use the heater if the cord is frayed or worn.
  • Don’t plug another electrical device or an extension cord into the same outlet as a heater because that can cause overheating.
  • Install working smoke alarms on every level of your home and in every bedroom and test them monthly.

Opening Day in Iowa!

By Allison Jacobs · Saturday, December 7th, 2024 at 7:04 am CDT

Shotgun season for deer in Iowa begins this morning through Wednesday and then 12/14/24 – 12/22/24.  The Iowa Department of Natural Resources predicts about 100,000 Iowans will hunt during the shotgun season.  With so many people in the field, safety is the primary concern for hunters.  Under Iowa law, hunters must wear blaze orange while in the field.  Deer harvesting plays a valuable role in Iowa’s ecosystem.  The approximately 60,000 deer killed annually help maintain the population, which helps protect crops and keep deer off of roads.

Iowa Fuel Prices Continue to Drop

By Allison Jacobs · Saturday, December 7th, 2024 at 6:58 am CDT

Fuel Costs Continue To Fall in Iowa. Earlier this week, the price of regular unleaded gasoline fell 5 cents from last week’s price and, according to AAA, prices  are down 18 cents from a year ago.

The national average on Wednesday was $3.03, down 4 cents from last week’s price.

Retail diesel prices in Iowa fell 2 cents this week with a statewide average of $3.28. One year ago, diesel prices averaged $4.00 in Iowa. The current Iowa diesel price is 26 cents lower than the national average of $3.54.

Wholesale ethanol held steady and is currently priced at $2.16. Propane prices averaged $1.55 per gallon in Iowa.

Home heating oil prices had a statewide average of $2.90 per gallon. Tips for saving energy on the road or at home are available at energy.gov and fueleconomy.gov.

Sports, December 7th

By Slaten Swords · Saturday, December 7th, 2024 at 6:30 am CDT

High School Basketball

Mt. Pleasant was swept by Burlington last night to kick off conference play for the season. The girls’ team struggled against the Grayhound’s full-court press defense, coughing the ball up over 30 times as Mylee Stiefel directed the scoring with 30 points in a 74-32 statement win. Addison Clark led the Panthers with 9 points. 

In the boys’ game, a third quarter lead was squandered by the Panthers as Mt. Pleasant turned the ball over on consecutive possessions, ushering a Burlington lead that would remain for the rest of the game in a 53-47 final. Head coach Eric Rawson knows his team can and will play better,

“That’s what we talked about in the locker room is there’s two games there that we had leads in the second half and, you know, our youth just got exposed. We got to be able to learn how to again value the possession. Play with a little bit more grit. You know, I think we had maybe 2.5 guys out there that were really gritty tonight, and that’s not enough. It’s got to come from everybody, and it’s got to start in practice. So, you know we’re, you know, we’re really young and we’re going to learn from this and we’re going to move forward and we’re going to see a lot of growth out of the team throughout the year and that’s what’s going to be exciting. We could take some lumps, you know, but, gosh darn, these kids take it to heart. You know, they’re playing for what’s on the chest and not what’s on the back of the jersey and they’ll certainly be ready to go. We’ll practice Sunday and then we got a really talented Burlington Notre Dame team coming in on Monday.”

Aiden Humble and Noah Lange each scored 18 points on the night in the losing effort. The Mt. Pleasant boys’ team will host Burlington Notre Dame on Monday, December 9th, at 7:30 pm.

The Mt. Pleasant girls’ team will head south to compete against Holy Trinity Catholic on Monday with game time at 7:30 pm. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will be on the call with the pregame show at 7:15 pm.

The Central Lee girls’ team picked up a 57-43 road victory last night against Burlington Notre Dame. 

The Fairfield boys’ team picked up their first conference victory in over a year with a thrilling 57-55 win over Fort Madison last night. The Trojans will face off against Ottumwa on Tuesday, December 10th, on the road with the girls’ tipping off at 6:15 pm.

The Columbus girls’ team rattled off their fourth straight victory to start the season last night, defeating Hillcrest Academy 55-35, while the boys’ team was demolished by the Ravens 80-28. The Wildcats will hit the road to take on Central Lee on Monday with the girls’ tipping off the night at 6 pm. 

Holy Trinity Catholic’s defense showed up in both games against Danville last night with the girls’ winning a 38-28 slugfest and the boys’ cruising to a 67-40 final. Luke Hellige led the scoring with 18 points for the Crusaders. 

The Danville girls’ team will travel to Fort Madison on Monday at 7 pm. 

The Holy Trinity Catholic boys’ team will take on West Burlington on Friday, December 13th, at 7:30 pm on the road. 

The Mediapolis boys’ team was unable to keep up with West Burlington last night, losing 86-59. The Bulldogs will host Wilton on Monday with the girls starting off the night at 6 pm. 

Winfield-Mt. Union split the night with the girls’ team falling to Lone Tree 68-18, while the boys’ team made their free throws late in the game last night to seal a 49-41 victory against the Lions. 

The Wapello boys’ team was chopped down by Louisa-Muscatine last night 75-57. The Wapello boys’ team will compete against Danville today on the road at 3:30 pm, while the girls’ team will face off against Prince of Peace on Monday at 6:30 pm on the road.

The Van Buren County boys’ team defeated New London handily last night 65-45. The Tigers will take on Burlington Notre Dame at home on Friday with the girls playing first at 6 pm. 

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

WACO hosted Pekin last night and despite Brenna Graber’s 20 points, the girls’ team lost 52-45, while the boys’ team survived a back-and-forth contest to down the Panthers 53-52. Christian Stacy led the scoring with 20 points. The Warriors will stay at home to play Louisa-Muscatine on Tuesday with the boys’ following the girls game at 7:30. 

Central Lee will be hosting an invitational today with Winfield-Mt. Union and West Burlington both making the trip. The Central Lee girls’ team will take on Canton at 3 pm, while the boys’ team will face off against Mendon at 1:30 pm. 

The Winfield-Mt. Union boys’ team will compete against Centerville at noon, while the girls’ team will look for a win against Mendon at 1:30 pm. 

The West Burlington boys’ team will tango with Canton at 3 pm and the girls’ team will play West Prairie at 10:30 am.  

High School Wrestling

Fairfield will travel to West Delaware today for the Bob Murphy Invitational. 

The Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union boys’ team will compete in the Raider Duals today at Williamsburg. 

The Mediapolis boys’ team will travel to Burlington to compete in an invite today.

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

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

The Mt. Pleasant, Mediapolis, Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union, and WACO girls’ teams will compete in the Willard Howell Tournament today at Wapello. 

High School Bowling

Fairfield will hit the road to duel Davis County on Monday, December 9th.

Southeastern Community College

The #11 men’s basketball team will host Kennedy-King College tonight at 7. 

College Football

#16 Iowa State will face off against #12 Arizona State today at 11 am for the Big 12 conference championship. 

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

College Basketball

The #6 Iowa State men’s team will stay at home to take on Jackson State tomorrow, December 8th, at 6 pm. 

The Iowa men’s team will travel to Michigan today at 1 pm. KILJ 105.5 FM will have the call.

The #20 Iowa State women’s team will face off against Central Michigan tomorrow at noon in front of the home crowd. 

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

This Day in Sports History

1907 – Eugene Corri becomes the first referee in a boxing ring. 

1939 – New York Yankees legend Lou Gehrig, 36, is elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, only six months after his retirement. He was the first player to have his number retired by a team. 

1996 – The first Big 12 Championship Game: Texas beats #3 Nebraska, 37-27.

Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day – Flags at Half Staff Today in Iowa

By Allison Jacobs · Saturday, December 7th, 2024 at 6:30 am CDT

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds has ordered all flags in the state of Iowa to fly at half-staff from sunrise to sunset today in honor of Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.  Flags will be at half-staff on the State Capitol, all public buildings, grounds and facilities state-wide.  Today, we remember the thousands whose lives were lost or forever changed on this day 83 years ago.  Thank you to all who serve this country.

Marjorie Ruth McDowell

By Allison Jacobs · Friday, December 6th, 2024 at 5:03 pm CDT

Marjorie Ruth McDowell, 95, of Mount Pleasant, passed away on Wednesday, December 4, 2024, at Addington Place in Mount Pleasant.

Marjorie Ruth Baker McDowell was born on December 13, 1928, on a farm near Yarmouth, Iowa, the daughter of Carl Elmer Baker and Sylvia Myrtle (Hodson) Baker. She married John E. McDowell on June 17, 1949, at the First United Methodist Church in Yarmouth.

Marjorie graduated from Yarmouth High School in 1946, where she played forward in the girls state championship basketball game, losing only to Coon Rapids. After high school, she attended Iowa Wesleyan College where she was a member of the Alpha Xi Delta sorority and was named Iowa Wesleyan Homecoming Queen in 1947. She graduated from IWC in 1950, with a teaching certificate in education.

Marjorie lived a fulfilling life and was a woman of many talents, but she especially loved teaching. She taught first grade for several years before opening her own dance studio. She taught tap, ballet, jazz and acrobatics to many students in the Mount Pleasant area and produced annual dance recitals. After retiring from teaching dance, she enjoyed attending her grandchildren’s dance recitals. She was very athletic and was always ready to teach skills related to basketball and softball to her grandchildren. Her husband John, and son Scott shared her love for baseball and the three of them often traveled to Kansas City to watch the Royals play. Marjorie and John also were active card club members where they developed many close friendships. Marjorie enjoyed sewing and baking desserts that were often the highlight of many family gatherings. She also tended a small garden and canned her best harvests. Marjorie was a kind soul and was always putting the needs of others before her own . Her love and compassion extended to all those who knew her and she will be remembered for her bright disposition and personality.

Marjorie was an active member of the Founder’s Chapter of T.T.T. for over 50 years. She also was a dedicated volunteer at the First United Methodist Church and later in life volunteered at the Quarter Maybe More Store.

She is survived by her youngest brother Dee Lawrence Baker of Acton, CA, daughter Janette Zuk of Easton, PA, daughter Joan Coan of Lennox, KS, son Scott McDowell of Overland Park, KS. Grandchildren include Daria Kret of Easton, PA, Jill Coan of Shawnee, KS, Natalie Brigham of Atlantic Highlands, NJ, Jenna Bobrov of Fitchburg, WI, and John Zuk of Bethlehem, PA. Marge has seven great grandsons, one great granddaughter and another great granddaughter on the way.

Her husband, John, and first-born infant son, Bradley, preceded her in death.

The family would like to thank all of Mom’s fantastic caregivers at Addington Place and EveryStep Hospice.

Funeral service will be held 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, December 11, 2024, at the First United Methodist Church in Mount Pleasant. Pastor Jeff McPheron will officiate. Burial will follow in the Forest Home Cemetery. Visitation will be held Tuesday, December 10, at the Olson-Powell Chapel & Crematory. The family will be present to greet friends beginning at 5:00 p.m. Memorial contributions in Marjorie’s name may be directed to EveryStep Hospice and the First United Methodist Church. The Olson-Powell Chapel & Crematory is caring for Marjorie and her family.