Mount Pleasant “Festival Of Trees” Open to View In Union Block

By Hayden Douglas · Friday, November 22nd, 2024 at 11:52 am CDT

Cindy Wardle, owner of ”Sorta Sweet Boutique” in Mount Pleasant, gave KILJ a sneak peek into her inaugural  “Festival of Trees” event. This event will be held at 111 Monroe street, on the Third floor in the Union Block.

Local Businesses have decorated a tree or wreath that are now on display leading up to the Holiday Parade. Starting tonight, visitors can stop by to pay $5 for individuals or $10 per family, and walk through the indoor festival of trees.

Money from the entry fee will go to Main Street Downtown. Proceeds from the Christmas Tree & Wreath sales will go to EveryStep Hospice in Mount Pleasant. EveryStep Hospice is Iowa’s oldest and largest nonprofit, community-based hospice provider. Opening in 1978.

Following the lighted parade on December 5, the Christmas Trees and Wreaths from the Festival of Trees will be available for sale in a live auction at 8pm. All the Trees pictured below will be auctioned off to the public.

Sports, November 22nd

By Slaten Swords · Friday, November 22nd, 2024 at 6:30 am CDT

Meet the Players Night

Last night was Meet the Panthers night at the Mt. Pleasant high school gym where the night kicked off with a $1,000 donation from the Mt. Pleasant VFW to the Mt. Pleasant Athletic Booster Club, as they announced that $1.2 million dollars has been spent on the various Panther athletic projects since 2007. 

The winter athletic sports teams were introduced with a couple basketball scrimmages to end out the night. Mt. Pleasant boys’ basketball head coach Eric Rawson thought his team performed well in front of the community,

“Yeah, it was a great showing. And we want to thank the administration for putting it together and the booster club. And it’s certainly a nice way to highlight our winter activities. And it was a great showing. And the community came out and supported. And it was good to see.”

High School Basketball

The Winfield-Mt. Union girls’ team will start the season tonight at New London at 6 pm.

The Columbus girls’ team will travel to Tipton, while the boys’ team will host English Valleys tonight for a scrimmage.

WACO will take on Van Buren County tonight at home in a scrimmage. WACO’s boys’ head coach Chayse Roth discussed what he’s looking to see out of his squad tonight,

“…Defensively it’s going to be a little bit different style. So, hopefully we can kind of get that installed and hopefully see, you know, getting a little more game action, not, you know, practice reps for that defense is going to help a bunch. And we’ve said it a few times, we want to play fast, get up down the floor, offensive transition, you know, we’ll see how good of condition we are. I mean, if we can beat a lot of teams down the floor, that’s an easy way to score some points. So mainly, yeah, offensive transition. Our man-to-man defense is going to be key these first couple practice games.”

West Burlington will scrimmage Fort Madison at home tomorrow, November 23rd, at 6 pm. 

Holy Trinity Catholic will compete against Keokuk tomorrow for a scrimmage on the road. 

Postseason Football

The 8-Player championship game quickly got out of hand yesterday as Remsen St. Mary’s squashed Gladbrook-Reinbeck 51-12 for their fourth state title in program history. Landon Waldschmitt turned in an MVP performance, collecting 333 all-purpose yards and all seven touchdowns for the Hawks. 

Tri-Center beat the defending Class A champions West Hancock at their own game, rushing for 153 yards in a contentious 14-10 win yesterday for their first state championship in school history. Carter Kunze led the charge with 168 rushing yards and two total touchdowns. 

Grundy Center can now be considered a dynasty after capturing their third straight Class 1A state championship in a 28-7 mauling of Dike-New Hartford. Continuing the theme of the day, quarterback Judd Jirovsky tossed for 92 yards and added 121 yards and three touchdowns on the ground. This was the Spartans’ sixth title in program history. 

North Polk entered the night as the #1 team of Class 4A and the Comets exited the UNI-Dome as the #1 team after taking down Pella last night 24-14. Nathan Feldmann helped lead North Polk to their first state championship as the quarterback ran for 117 yards and all three touchdowns. 

Spirit Lake and West Lyon will play for the Class 2A state championship today at 10 am.

The Class 3A championship between Wahlert Catholic and Humboldt is scheduled for 1 pm today.

Valley and Southeast Polk will compete tonight at 7 for the Class 5A championship.

High School Wrestling

The Wapello girls’ team will compete at Bellevue tonight for a tournament. 

The Mt. Pleasant and Mediapolis girls’ teams will travel to Burlington for the Grayhound Invite tomorrow, November 23rd, at 10 am. 

The Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union and Fairfield girls’ teams will travel to Wilton for a tournament tomorrow. 

The WACO girls’ team will participate in a tournament at BGM tomorrow. 

Southeastern Community College

The men’s basketball team will be back in action tonight at 5 pm against North Arkansas College on the road. 

College Volleyball

Mount Mercy’s freshman outside hitter and former Holy Trinity Catholic standout Mary Kate Bendlage nabbed Heart of America All-Conference Second Team after a terrific season. Bendlage led the team with 448 kills on a 0.128 kill efficiency. Additionally, the freshman collected 416 digs, 30 blocks, and 29 aces as the Mustangs finished the season with a 16-17 record. 

College Football

#22 Iowa State will face off against Utah tomorrow, November 23rd, at 6:30 pm on the road. KILJ 98.5 FM and AM 1130 will be on the call.

Iowa will travel to Maryland tomorrow at 11 am. KILJ 105.5 FM will have the broadcast. 

College Basketball

The #5 Iowa State men’s team will play #4 Auburn in the first round of the Maui Invitational on Monday, November 25th, at 8 pm. 

The Iowa men’s team will face off against Utah State for the NABC Hall of Fame Classic tonight at 7 pm on the road. KILJ 105.5 FM will have the call.

The #8 Iowa State women’s team will head back home to take on Drake on Sunday, November 24th, at 2 pm. 

The Iowa women’s team will host Washington State on Sunday at 3 pm. 

This Day in Sports History

1950 – 7,021 fans see the Fort Wayne Pistons defeat the Minneapolis Lakers 19-18 at Minneapolis Auditorium; lowest ever NBA score of 37 combined points.

2008 – Patrick Roy’s #33 jersey is retired by the Montreal Canadiens.

2016 – The ‘Vegas Golden Knights’ is revealed as the Las Vegas NHL expansion team’s name.

Addington Place of Mount Pleasant & Mount Pleasant Kiwanis Raise $2,653 For Area Families This Christmas

By Hayden Douglas · Friday, November 22nd, 2024 at 6:21 am CDT

Addington Place of Mount Pleasant & The Mount Pleasant Kiwanis club teamed up this November a Lunch for a Cause event. Addington Place hosts several Lunch for a Cause events throughout the year, where they serve lunch to the public for a small price and either raise money for a charity or they invite a local organization out to help serve the lunch for a cause and collect donations for their organization. Allison Jacobs, President Elect of the Mount Pleasant Kiwanis club tells us about the plans for the money raised.

Thanks to Addington Place of Mount Pleasant & The Mount Pleasant Kiwanis club, they served over three hundred meals on November 19th, and raised $2,653 for the Kiwanis Tree of Lights project! The Tree of Lights project will pair up with around fifty families this Christmas who could use a little extra holiday cheer this season.

Henry County Health Center Gift Shop Opens For Business

By Hayden Douglas · Thursday, November 21st, 2024 at 2:06 pm CDT

The Mount Pleasant Area Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting for the Henry County Health Center’s Gift Shop re-opening. Lots of area chamber member employees came to support the Health Center the Gift Shop. Several Gift Shop Volunteers were on site to help cut the ribbon. The gift shop is located right inside the lobby of the Henry County Health Center. Shop apparel, decor, games, puzzles, ornaments and more! There is something for everyone on your list. The gift shop is open Monday through Friday 10am-2om & 9am-3pm on Thursdays.

Apply Now For “Paint Iowa Beautiful”

By Hayden Douglas · Thursday, November 21st, 2024 at 7:49 am CDT

Diamond Vogel and Keep Iowa Beautiful have announced that applications for 2025 Paint Iowa Beautiful grants opened this week. These grants help provide free paint to public service and community betterment projects throughout Iowa. Thousands of gallons of paint have been donated to community groups through the Paint Iowa Beautiful program.

Andy Frantz, Executive Director of Keep Iowa Beautiful, “We were thrilled to see the number of quality applications submitted by Iowans working to make their state a more beautiful place to live, work and play.”

The two companies have helped donate enough paint to cover over five million square feet of surfaces, for 1,438 community projects in Iowa. Your organization can fill out an application., which are due February 14th, 2025. For more information visit keepiowabeautiful.org

Be Prepared on The Road This Winter

By Hayden Douglas · Thursday, November 21st, 2024 at 7:33 am CDT

AAA projects that Seventy-Two million Americans will travel by car this holiday season. KILJ caught up with Mount Pleasant Police Chief, Lyle Murray for some safe driving tips.

Take time to find out about the weather and road conditions before you leave the house. Use good driving skills, and leave plenty of space to avoid losing control of your vehicle. Chief Murray offers advice on what to do if your car breaks down or you’re stranded in the cold of winter.

In the event of an accident or emergency, contact 911 immediately for assistance. Always keep an extra blanket, water, and a phone charger in your car during the winter months. Chief Murray says being prepared before a storm and having the supplies you need in your car during a storm can keep you safe while you wait for help.

Sports, November 21st

By Slaten Swords · Thursday, November 21st, 2024 at 6:30 am CDT

Meet the Panthers Night

Tonight is your opportunity to meet the winter sports teams at the Mt. Pleasant high school gym. Introductions will begin after the booster club announcements at 6:45 pm with the Bowling, Wrestling, Cheerleaders/Dance, and Basketball teams being presented. The Dance Team will perform their state pom routine and basketball scrimmages will follow, starting at 7:10 pm. 

High School Basketball

The Winfield-Mt. Union girls’ team will start the season tomorrow, November 22nd, at New London at 6 pm.

The Columbus girls’ team will travel to Tipton, while the boys’ team will host English Valleys tomorrow for a scrimmage.

WACO will take on Van Buren County tomorrow at home in a scrimmage. 

West Burlington will scrimmage Fort Madison at home on Saturday, November 23rd, at 6 pm. 

Holy Trinity Catholic will compete against Keokuk on Saturday for a scrimmage on the road. 

Postseason Football

The 8-Player championship game between Remsen St. Mary’s and Gladbrook-Reinbeck will be played today at 9:30 am.

The Class A championship game between Tri-Center and West Hancock starts at 1 pm today. 

The Class 1A championship game is scheduled for today at 4 pm between Dike-New Hartford and the defending champions Grundy Center.

Pella versus North Polk will decide who the Class 4A champion is tonight at 7 pm.

Spirit Lake and West Lyon will play for the Class 2A state championship tomorrow, November 22nd, at 10 am.

The Class 3A championship between Wahlert Catholic and Humboldt is scheduled for 1 pm tomorrow. 

Valley and Southeast Polk will compete tomorrow night at 7 for the Class 5A championship.

High School Wrestling

The Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union girls’ team will host a Southeast Iowa Super Conference showdown tonight.

The Mt. Pleasant girls’ team will travel to Burlington for the Grayhound Invite on Saturday, November 23rd, at 10 am.

Southeast Iowa Playbook

Last night was a new episode of the Southeast Iowa Playbook as girls’ and boys’ head coaches of various Southeast Iowa Super Conference teams talked about the upcoming basketball season. One of the coaches that joined us for last night’s episode was first year head coach for the New London girls’ team Austin Burns and for him the Tigers’ home opener tomorrow night cannot arrive any faster,

“I can’t wait. I was looking forward to the first practice and practice is so much fun to me. I’ve enjoyed coaching these girls and teaching these girls at every practice. And yeah, I’m really looking forward to Friday. I can’t wait. I mean, there’s no other group of girls, group of kids that I’d rather be coaching and no other sport that I’d rather be coaching. So I’m really excited for the seniors and for them that I really want to send them off with a really great season for them to finish their career and for the freshmen to get a really great start. So, I’m super excited. Can’t wait for Friday at six o’clock here in New London for us to play Winfield.”

If you missed last night’s episode, then follow the link provided: SEISC Basketball Preseason Report

Southeastern Community College

The men’s basketball team will be back in action tomorrow, November 22nd, at 5 pm against North Arkansas College on the road. 

College Football

#22 Iowa State will face off against Utah on Saturday, November 23rd, at 6:30 pm on the road. KILJ 98.5 FM and AM 1130 will be on the call.

Iowa will travel to Maryland on Saturday at 11 am. KILJ 105.5 FM will have the broadcast. 

College Basketball

The #5 Iowa State men’s team will play #4 Auburn in the first round of the Maui Invitational on Monday, November 25th, at 8 pm. 

The Iowa men’s team will face off against Utah State for the NABC Hall of Fame Classic tomorrow, November 22nd, at 7 pm on the road. 

The axel was dragging in the #8 Iowa State women’s team’s road trip to Cedar Falls last night as the University of Northern Iowa pulled off an 87-75 upset against the Cyclones. Iowa State was outscored 23 to 11 in the third quarter despite Audi Crooks (22 points and 10 rebounds) and Addy Brown (21 points and 12 rebounds) both turning in double-doubles. Maya McDermott’s 37 points led the Panthers. The Cyclones will head back home to take on Drake on Sunday, November 24th, at 2 pm. 

The Iowa women’s team had their defense set the tone, holding Kansas to just four points in the first quarter as the Hawkeyes cruised to a 71-58 win last night. Hannah Stuelke and Lucy Olsen each scored 16 points as Stuelke grabbed 10 rebounds to collect a double-double. The Hawkeyes will host Washington State on Sunday at 3 pm. 

This Day in Sports History

1925 – Red Grange plays his final University of Illinois game, signing with the Chicago Bears.

1949 – Bill Veeck sells the MLB’s Cleveland squad for $22 million to fund his divorce settlement. 

1956 – Don Newcombe of the Brooklyn Dodgers won both the National League MVP and the first-ever Cy Young Award.

Henry County Planning and Zoning Met To Discuss Potential Wind Turbine Project Ordinances

By Hayden Douglas · Wednesday, November 20th, 2024 at 11:15 am CDT

The Henry County Planning and Zoning Commission, along with the Henry County Board of Supervisors had a full room for their work session that was held Tuesday night, at the Emergency Management Offices. The focus of the meeting was to outline the ordinances for the potential wind turbine project in the county.

The Board of Supervisors presented P&Z with a rough draft of what these individual ordinances would look like, for someone who has signed up for the wind project.

Many different setbacks were brought up as to what may keep this project from happening. The biggest setback to the wind turbine project is space. The Planning and Zoning commission understands the landowners who don’t want to participate in the project, so distance from any dwelling or residence was a long topic of discussion for the room.

If the project were to start and then fold, decommission of the turbines was another big concern for the sake of the county.

The quality of life around a wind turbine project brings several forms of pollution. Henry County Superintendents spoke on how they have gone out and talked to families living with turbines both on or near their property. They heard both good and bad things. The money is good coming in from the wind energy company, but the home owners deal with noise.

A constant hum will happen anytime the blades are turning. Around 40 decibels of sound roughly, can be heard from a quarter mile away, and the flashing red lights at night don’t stop.

The Planning and Zoning commission has some big decisions to make. Decisions that will decide how many IF any Wind Farms could physically fit in Henry County. If the project lands in Henry County, it’s certain a large commercial wind energy conversion system will change the lifestyle of residents in Henry County.