Juvenile Charged After Assault and Gun Discharge During Fight in Burlington

By Allison Jacobs · Wednesday, March 11th, 2026 at 9:41 am CDT

A juvenile has been taken into custody following a violent incident Tuesday afternoon in Burlington that involved an assault and a firearm discharge.

According to the Burlington Police Department, officers were called to the 1500 block of Thul Street at approximately 2:26 p.m. on March 10th after receiving reports of a large fight and a gunshot being fired.

When officers arrived on scene, they located a juvenile victim who had reportedly been pistol whipped by another juvenile with a handgun. During the assault, police say the suspect struck the victim with the firearm, causing it to discharge. The round struck a nearby residence. Authorities reported that no individuals were struck by gunfire.

While investigating the incident, a Des Moines County deputy observed a vehicle leaving the area with several juveniles inside. Deputies conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle near Highway 99 and Tama Road for a traffic violation.

During the stop, law enforcement located the juvenile suspect along with a firearm inside the vehicle.

The juvenile suspect has been charged with willful injury, going armed with intent, aggravated assault with a dangerous weapon, reckless use of a firearm causing damage, and persons ineligible to carry a dangerous weapon.

Police say the incident appears to be isolated and that there is no ongoing threat to the public.

The suspect was transported to the Lee County Juvenile Detention Center and is currently being held without bond.

The Burlington Police Department was assisted in the investigation by the Des Moines County Sheriff’s Office.

Authorities remind the public that a criminal charge is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Police Seek Camera Footage in Fort Madison Car Burglary Investigation

By Allison Jacobs · Wednesday, March 11th, 2026 at 9:29 am CDT

The Fort Madison Police Department is asking residents for help following reports of recent car burglaries.

Police are asking anyone with home security cameras in the area of the 3000 block of Avenue L through the 3300 block, and south to Avenue P, to check their footage for any suspicious activity.

In a social media post, the department asked residents to review video recorded between March 6th and March 7th that may show suspicious people, vehicles, or other unusual activity in the neighborhood.

Anyone who notices something unusual, or believes their footage may be helpful to investigators, is asked to contact the Fort Madison Police Department and reference the request.

Police say community cooperation plays an important role in helping keep neighborhoods safe.

Severe Weather Recap from Tuesday March 10th

By Allison Jacobs · Wednesday, March 11th, 2026 at 9:27 am CDT

Strong thunderstorms moved through Southeast Iowa Tuesday evening, prompting multiple Severe Thunderstorm Warnings and Tornado Warnings as storms tracked across the region.

Some of the first tornadic storm cells were reported in Fort Madison, Bonaparte, West Point, and Donnellson. Reports indicate storm damage to a home in Bonaparte and a metal building in Donnellson. Pea sized hail was also reported in West Point as the storms moved through Lee and surrounding counties.

More significant hail was reported elsewhere in eastern Iowa as the storms intensified. The National Weather Service received reports of hail measuring nearly 2.75 inches in diameter about three miles southwest of West Branch, 2.5 inch hail near Iowa City, and 2 inch hail south of Cedar Rapids. Hail larger than two inches is roughly the size of a hen egg and can cause damage to vehicles, roofs, and crops.

Near Donnellson in Lee County, a cattle shed and feed shed were blown down roughly three miles west southwest of town along the path of a tornado warning. At this time it has not yet been confirmed whether the damage was caused by a tornado or strong straight line winds. Storm reports and damage surveys are continuing, and the National Weather Service may release additional information if tornado damage is confirmed.

During the height of the severe weather Tuesday evening, Fort Madison residents also received a less common alert. Fort Madison Fire Chief Chad Hannum confirmed a hazardous materials warning sent to phones in the area was the result of an accidental activation of the alert system and there was no hazardous material incident.

The storms also led to a few schedule changes across the region. In Mount Pleasant, the 7th and 8th grade band performance has been rescheduled for Tuesday, March 24th, which will be the same night as the 4th through 8th grade choir concert. The Mount Pleasant Community School District PTA meeting has also been postponed and will now be held Thursday, March 12th at 6:30 p.m. at Harlan Elementary School. All parents and teachers are welcome to attend.

Donnellson Man Arrested After Assaulting Neighbor with a Shovel

By Allison Jacobs · Wednesday, March 11th, 2026 at 9:24 am CDT

A Donnellson man was arrested on Monday after authorities say he beat his neighbor with a shovel during an argument.

Richard Jonathon Wybenga, 72, Donnellson, was arrested by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and charged with assault with serious injury (aggravated misdemeanor).

At around 9:42 a.m. Monday, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call that a man was assaulted by his neighbor in Donnellson.

When deputies arrived at the scene on the 2700 block of 211th Avenue, they spoke with the victim, who said he went to the corner of his property to tell Wybenga, his neighbor, to fix his fence due to cows getting out, according to a criminal complaint.

The complaint noted that the victim and Wybenga had been having “issues” with each other in the past.

Wybenga then allegedly took a handle of a shovel and hit the victim a couple of times on the right side of his body, the complaint states.

The victim sought medical attention and was released.

Pictures of the victim’s injuries were taken and a no-contact order was requested.

Wybenga was released from police custody on his own recognizance on Monday.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. April 16 at the North Lee County Courthouse in Fort Madison.

 

Cynthia Ann “Cindy” (Kendall) Hillyer

By Allison Jacobs · Wednesday, March 11th, 2026 at 9:07 am CDT

Cynthia Ann “Cindy” (Kendall) Hillyer, 64, of Mount Pleasant passed away at her home on Saturday, March 7, 2026.

Funeral arrangements are pending at the Murphy Funeral Home of Mount Pleasant.

Sports, March 11th

By Slaten Swords · Wednesday, March 11th, 2026 at 6:36 am CDT

Boys’ State Basketball

The Iowa High School Athletic Association’s (IHSAA) state tournament continued yesterday with two upsets highlighting the night. 

In Class 4A, #6 Johnston’s defense stymied any attempt at a comeback for #3 Waukee Northwest as the Dragons escaped with a 48-42 victory. Tino Daye led the scoring with 15 points. 

#2 Waukee avoided the upset, beating #7 Prairie, 57-51, behind 51.2% shooting from the field. Max Roach netted 18 points in the winning effort. 

#6 Johnston will attempt another upset tomorrow, March 12th, at 12:15 pm against #2 Waukee.

For Class 1A, #1 St. Edmond’s 19 to 6 run in the second quarter was all the Gaels needed as they thumped Woodbine, 60-44. Hunter Horn, a member of the All-Tournament team last year, snatched 17 points in the winning effort. 

In a game that was closer than it needed to be, #4 Burlington Notre Dame stood their ground and downed #5 Bellevue, 68-62, behind a slew of three-pointers. The Nikes roared out to multiple large runs in the first half as Shay Stephens scored 21 of his 26 points in the first half, but Bellevue was not going to go down easy, as Nike head coach Dan Kies predicted in his halftime speech,

“We knew they’re gonna make a run. You know, they’re here for a reason. They’ve got good athletes, they got size. So, I mean, the big thing is to say we’re battle-tested enough that we just need to hang in there and stay calm, do our thing, you know, take a little bit better shots, and just find a way to get it done, you know.”

It was Notre Dame’s first victory at the state tournament since 1981. They will look to knock off #1 St. Edmond tomorrow at 2 pm in the semifinals. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will be on the call with the pregame show at 1:45 pm.

#2 MMCRU never struggled with #7 Boyden-Hull last night, beating the Comets 58-39. Four of the five Royal starters finished in double figures.

Lastly, #6 Marquette Catholic held strong to pull off the 58-55 upset against #3 Bishop Garrigan in the last game of the night. Justin Severson notched an 11 point and 15 rebound double-double in the winning effort. 

#6 Marquette Catholic will look for another upset when they take on #2 MMCRU tomorrow at 3:45 pm.

The Class 2A quarterfinals will commence today.

For Class 3A, #1 Ballard and #5 Carroll will play tonight at 5:30 pm. #2 ADM and #3 Storm Lake will tangle tonight at 7:15 pm.

In Class 4A, Cedar Falls will face off against Dowling Catholic tomorrow at 10:30 am in the semifinals. 

Girls’ High School Basketball

A handful of local athletes will be participating in the Larry Niemeyer Senior Girls All-Star basketball tournament scheduled for Saturday, March 14th.

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 Dickinson Relays continued yesterday with the girls’ team partaking in the action and a couple local athletes found a spot inside the top five for their respective events.

Danville’s Alaina Gourley made the most of her one event as the senior cruised to a silver medal finish in the 800-meter run with a time of 2 minutes and 23 seconds. Ella Howell of Columbus took 23rd in the event, while Ellie Freeman of Mt. Pleasant snatched 38th place.

WACO’s Bren Graber claimed 47th place in the 60-meter hurdles and 32nd place in the high jump. 

The long jump saw WACO’s Madelyn Farmer leap 15 feet and 4.75 inches for 29th place, while Izzy Sloat of Mt. Pleasant soared to a distance of 16 feet and 10 inches for 8th place.

The shot put displayed the strength of the area as Mt. Pleasant’s Ella Ensminger led the region with a 4th place throw of 39 feet and 0.5 inches, while her teammate, Paityn Ensminger, launched it 32 feet and 5.75 inches for 28th place. Bella Forbes of Columbus claimed 18th place with a toss of 34 feet and 7 inches.

In the relays, Mt. Pleasant’s group of Lindsay Hart, Elizabeth Mullin, Elodie Rawson, and Haylay Lydolph took 27th in the 4×400 with a time of 4 minutes and 50 seconds. 

In the 4×800, Columbus finished in 40th place with Mt. Pleasant snatching 26th place with a time of 11 minutes and 22 seconds, but leading the pack was WACO’s crew of Josie Dykstra, Carlee Lunsford, Aliya Graber, and Macie Carter as they claimed a time of 10 minutes and 42 seconds, which was good enough for 14th place. 

The IATC Indoor Track Championships will start tomorrow, March 12th, at Iowa State University.

Southeastern Community College

The baseball team will travel to Delgado Community College on Saturday, March 14th. 

The softball team will travel to St. Louis Community College on Monday, March 16th, for a doubleheader.

College Basketball

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

The Iowa men’s team will take on Maryland at 11 am today to begin their path in the Big Ten Tournament. 

The #7 Iowa State men’s team will face off against Arizona State today at 11:30 am for their first Big 12 tournament game. 

This Day in Sports History

1912 – First Stanley Cup challenge game to be played in three 20-minute periods (formerly 30-minute halves), Quebec beats Moncton, 9-3 on way to series sweep.

1986 – New York Islanders Mike Bossy is the first NHL player to score 50 goals in nine straight seasons.

1991 – Monica Seles ends Steffi Graf’s streak of 186 weeks ranked as the #1 women’s tennis player.

Kesone Sisomphane

By Allison Jacobs · Wednesday, March 11th, 2026 at 6:09 am CDT

Kesone Sisomphane, 76, a resident of Fairfield, passed away Sunday, March 8, 2026 at his home.

Visitation for family and friends will be 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. with a Celebration of Life to begin at 12:00 p.m. Saturday, March 14, 2026 at Behner Funeral Home in Fairfield. Memorials may be made to the family.

Kesone was born March 13, 1949 in Laos, the son of Thitsey and Pheng (Chantavong) Sisomphane. He married Thile Leovan, December 15, 1972.

Kesone and his family came to the United States in 1979. When they arrived, Kesone worked at various factories in Fairfield. Later in life, he went into the restaurant business and opened the Noodle House in Fairfield. Kesone loved the outdoors, fishing and hunting.

Those left to honor his memory include his wife, Thile; sons, Nikhom Sisomphane of Fairfield, Nikone (Madison) Sisomphane of Maui, Hawaii, and Kanda Sisomphane of Fairfield; grandchildren, Alex, Talan, Kodey, Chloe, Colton, Keenan, Kianna, Kelsey, Natalia, Asher, and Axton; siblings, Phad, Toui, and May.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, Phou; and sister, Baung.

Janea E. Osier

By Allison Jacobs · Wednesday, March 11th, 2026 at 6:07 am CDT

Janea E. Osier, 19, of Mount Pleasant, died Sunday, March 8, 2026, at the Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center in West Burlington.

Janea was born on May 7, 2006, in Iowa City, the daughter of Walter and Dana (Reed) Osier. She grew up in the Salem and Mount Pleasant communities. Janea graduated from Mount Pleasant High School in 2023, completing her education one year early. She worked as a car detailer at J.D. Byrdyer in Burlington.

Janea was the definition of a free spirit. She had a passion for traveling and riding motorcycles. She was a true animal lover, especially devoted to her dog, Nova. Janea enjoyed spending time outdoors, swimming in ponds and lakes, fishing, and embracing nature. Janea loved spending time with her family and friends; especially her best friend Aaeriona Baker. She carried the best qualities of all her family within her.  Janea will be deeply missed by all who knew her.

Janea is survived by her mother Dana (Pat Ireland) Osier of Mount Pleasant; brother Beau (Shyanne Kirby) Reed of Anamosa; brother Chantz (Lyndsey) Vargus of Mount Pleasant; sister Katie (Tim) Ireland of Dyersville; granny Janet Boulton of Mount Pleasant; grandfather Danny (Marie) Reed of Macomb, IL; father Walt (Kim Bessine) Osier of Danville; sister Desiree (Brandon Schmitter) Osier of Keosauqua; sister Kelso (Dayton Griggs) Messerschmitt of Seatle, WA; grandfather Jerry (Mary Dietrick) Osier of Mount Pleasant; many aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins.

She was preceded in death by her infant brothers Deven Vargus, Bret Osier; grandfather Douglas “Papa” Boulton; grandmother Marjorie Osier; cat Mr. Wayne; and dog Oakey.

Funeral service will be held 4:00 p.m. Saturday, March 14, 2026, at the Olson-Yoder Funeral Home. Visitation will be held prior to the service beginning at 12:00 p.m., with the family present to greet friends from 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. Memorial contributions may be directed to All God’s Creatures. The Olson-Yoder Funeral Home is caring for Janea and her family. Condolences may be left for the family at www.olsonyoderfh.com

Screenshot