A Burlington man was sentenced yesterday, October 24th, to 151 months in federal prison for receiving and distributing child pornography.

According to public court documents, law enforcement received a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that Edward Allen Billheimer, 64, had uploaded files containing child sexual abuse material. Law enforcement located electronic devices at Billheimer’s Burlington residence and a search of those devices revealed approximately 100 videos and 400 images of child sexual abuse material, including content of toddlers and infants.

After completing his term of imprisonment, Billheimer will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Billheimer was also ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution. In addition, Billheimer will be required to register as a sex offender.

United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Burlington Police Department.

This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.

The Henry County Board of Supervisors held their regular weekly meeting this morning at the Henry County Courthouse. After reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, Chair Greg Moeller called the meeting to order at 9 o’clock. The agenda, minutes, and claims were approved unanimously, and Sarah Berndt’s General Assistance monthly update was moved to next Thursday.

Lynn Whaley discussed recyclables in Henry County with the Supervisors. The county averages about 6.08 tons per month at the Henry County Recycling Center. Currently, Whaley hauls the recyclables to Fort Madison where they get repackaged and hauled further to Pekin, Illinois. Whaley believes this process includes extra steps and extra hauling that could be eliminated. He suggested the county investigate the costs and potential savings associated with switching to hauling their recyclables to a recycling center in the Davenport area, eliminating the repackaging and extra mileage to Pekin, IL. Supervisor Marc Lindeen plans to look at this possibility and bring it back to the board later.

Henry County has also agreed to a contract with Ahlers & Cooney to represent Henry County, Iowa on the Henry County LMI Residential Urban Renewal Plan & Development as they work with the Southeast Iowa Regional Planning Commission and other parties involved.

The last big item of discussion before public comments was the Alternative Energy Ordinance in response to the potential commercial wind turbine project in northern Henry County. The Henry County Planning & Zoning Commission had tabled the ordinance but had not set any dates to resume discussions on it. All three Supervisors agreed that the Henry County Planning & Zoning Commission should revisit the ordinance and go through the process again to get an ordinance back to the Supervisors for review with assistance from the Henry County Attorney’s Office.

Public comments were made by various citizens in attendance regarding the alternative energy ordinance, posted meeting dates and times, and the efficiency in different departments at the courthouse. The meeting adjourned just before 10 am. The next regular meeting of the Henry County Board of Supervisors will be on Thursday, October 31 at 9:00 am. These meetings are open to the public.

It was business as usual at the Mount Pleasant City Council meeting yesterday evening. All council members and department heads were present except Ward IV Councilman Kevin Glaha. Mayor Steve Brimhall called the meeting to order promptly at 5:30 and the council moved through the agenda items swiftly and unanimously.

There was a second reading to a city ordinance amending Chapter 12, Article II prohibiting stopping, standing, or parking on Eugene Way. Eugene Way is a street improvement project completed this year. This road connects to Roosevelt Street and heads west about 1200 feet, opening access to six more industrial lots.

Other items to note include approval of sidewalk replacement and curb construction bids to continue work on the 600 and 700 blocks of West Washington Street and the council is taking advantage of TIF districts (tax increment revenue fund) for various projects and properties throughout the city.

Lastly, congratulations to RaeAnn Burns as the council approved her to serve a second term on the Parks & Recreation Board. As the council and department heads each had an opportunity to comment, Councilman Matt Crull praised the Mount Pleasant Police Department for their help and partnership at the Midwest Haunted Rails this year, noting their professionalism and assistance has been top notch.

The next regular board meeting of the Mount Pleasant City Council will be Wednesday, November 13 at 5:30 p.m. Citizens of Mount Pleasant are welcome and encouraged to attend.

Yesterday, October 23^rd, at approximately 8:04 am a male entered the lobby of the Burlington Police Department located at 201 Jefferson Street. The male was yelling and hitting the doors inside the lobby when he proceeded to pull the fire alarm. After pulling the fire alarm the male exited the building and fled the scene. The male was then later identified as Wayne Fordham and was taken into custody. Fordham was transported to the Des Moines County Jail and charged with disorderly conduct (a simple misdemeanor) and False Fire Report (also a simple misdemeanor).

A CRIMINAL CHARGE IS MERELY AN ACCUSATION AND THE DEFENDANT IS PRESUMED INOCENT UNTIL AND UNLESS PROVEN GUILTY.

On Saturday, October 19^th the Henry County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a motor vehicle accident at the BP fuel station in Olds, IA. The driver of the passenger car, Brett Metcalf of Burlington, was driving around the fuel pumps and at the same time the driver of a semi, Ronald Phillips of Wapello, was departing. The front passenger side of the car collided with the undercarriage of the semi’s trailer. Both vehicles sustained operable damage. No injuries were reported at the scene.

The first application cutoff for Iowa farmers and other private landowners to apply for conservation practices in Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 through USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) programs is Nov. 22.

NRCS accepts conservation program applications on a continuous basis but sets application cutoff dates as funding allows. Iowa agricultural producers and private landowners can apply for NRCS conservation program funding by visiting their local NRCS office. Iowa has 100 NRCS field offices, located at USDA Service Centers in every county.

The Nov. 22 application cutoff includes the following NRCS Farm Bill programs:

· Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP)

· Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)

· Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP)

Last year, NRCS obligated a record $103 million to Iowans through CSP, EQIP and RCPP. Iowa NRCS State Conservationist Jon Hubbert believes FY25 will be another record year. “The demand for conservation funding in Iowa has never been greater,” said Hubbert. “From soil health to water quality to wildlife habitat, our staff are available to help with your resource conservation needs.”

A major reason for the increase in conservation funding is the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Signed into law in August 2022, the IRA is delivering unprecedented conservation funding to Iowa farmers. About 36 percent of Iowa NRCS conservation funding last year was through the IRA.

In addition to traditional program funding, the IRA adds targeted funding for climate-smart agricultural practices that benefit soil health, water quality, wildlife habitat, and treat other resource concerns. Examples include no-till farming, cover crops, conservation cover, crop

rotations, nutrient management, prescribed grazing, tree-shrub establishment, and windbreak-shelterbelt establishment/renovation.

More about NRCS conservation programs:

CSP Through CSP, NRCS helps agricultural producers build their operation while implementing conservation practices that help ensure its sustainability. The program provides many benefits including increased crop yields, decreased inputs, wildlife habitat improvements, and increased resilience to weather extremes. CSP is intended for working lands including cropland, pastureland, nonindustrial private forest land and agricultural land under the jurisdiction of a tribe.

EQIP

Through EQIP, NRCS offers planning and financial assistance to implement conservation practices such as no-till, cover crops, terraces, grassed waterways, nutrient management, manure management facilities, and pasture management.

The Nov. 22 application signup cutoff includes EQIP initiatives, such as the National Water Quality Initiative (NWQI), Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative (MRBI), Prairie Pothole Water Quality and Wildlife Program, Organic Initiative, High Tunnel Initiative, and On-Farm Energy Initiative.

RCPP Through RCPP, NRCS co-invests with partners to implement projects that demonstrate innovative solutions to conservation challenges and provide measurable improvements and outcomes tied to resource concerns.

For a complete list of Iowa RCPP projects, visit: nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/iowa/RCPP.

To apply for NRCS conservation programs, contact your local NRCS office.

You can find your local NRCS Office here: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/contact/find-a-service-center?state=19&county=087

Our Mount Pleasant NRCS office is located at 709 South Iris Mt Pleasant, IA 52641 and the phone number is (319) 385-2824.

For more information about conservation planning and programs to help treat natural resource issues on your land, visit www.nrcs.usda.gov/ia.