Doug Bausch

By Yorke Prough · Tuesday, October 15th, 2024 at 6:40 am CDT

Doug Bausch, 89, of Morning Sun passed away Sunday, October 13, 2024, at the Southeast Iowa Hospice House in Burlington.  Funeral services will be held on Wednesday, October 23, 2024 at 10:30 a.m. at the Yarmouth Baptist Church.  A private burial will follow the services. Visitation will be held on Tuesday, October 22, 2024 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.at the Snyder & Hollenbaugh Funeral and Cremation Services of Morning Sun.   In lieu of flowers, memorials may be left to Yarmouth Baptist Church, Southeast Iowa Hospice or the Morning Sun Ambulance Service.    Sympathy notes may be left for the family at www.sandhfuneralservice.com. 

Douglas Lee Bausch was born on September 4, 1935 in Sweetland, the son of Stephen and Mae Adeline (Male) Bausch.  Doug was united in marriage to Janet Lutz in 1957.  The couple later divorced.  On October 21, 2004 he was united in marriage to Joan Bonar-Delzell in Smokey Mountain, TN. Doug worked in sheet metal maintenance, taught welding at Black Hawk Community College and retired as a welder from John Deere after 20 years.  He was a member of the Yarmouth Baptist Church and very involved in singing with the Rhythm Rockers, at Old Threshers and in many local churches. Doug enjoyed woodworking, fishing, going to the races in Columbus Junction, showing off his 1984 Pontiac in car shows and most of all, being with his family.

Doug will be deeply missed by his wife, Joan Delzell-Bausch of Morning Sun; children, Tim (Lori) Bausch of Illinois City, Joy Greer of Milan, IL and Brian (Julie) Bausch of Moline, IL; step-children, Monte (Becky) Delzell, Kent (Sheila) Delzell and Kirk (Kim) Delzell, all of Morning Sun; grandchildren, Ryan, Dusty, Kodi, Jason, Amanda, Alex and Amber; 10 great-grandchildren; siblings, Lester (Fern) Bausch of Columbus Junction; Gary (Joyce) Bausch of Columbus Junction; Carol (Leonard) Chatfield of Columbus Junction; Joyce (Leonard) Johnson of Louisiana; Philip Bausch of Indiana; Jarry (Lindy) Bausch of Connecticut and Susan (Ed) Sturgis of New Jersey.

He was preceded in death by his parents; step-son, Mark Delzell; son-in-law, Greg Greer and siblings, Hope, Ruth, Ron, Steve, Marilyn and Larry.

Sports, October 15th

By Slaten Swords · Tuesday, October 15th, 2024 at 6:30 am CDT

High School Football

Mt. Pleasant will travel to Fort Madison on Friday, October 18th, at 7:30 pm. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will be on the call with the pregame show at 7:15 pm. Head coach John Bowlin will be looking to get off to a fast start against the Bloodhounds,

“Yeah, it’s a rivalry game. It’s their homecoming, you know, they’re going to be hungry. They’ll be ready to play. So, we’ve got to come out and we’ve gotta limit those first drives, and we gotta be able to move the ball in the first drive without mistakes. You know, we make mistakes early and then we kind of get settled down. You know, if we come out and get our jobs done right away and not get clawing from behind the whole first half, you know, I think we’ll see a lot of confidence grow there. But, if not, I know our guys will keep battling for four quarters.”

Van Buren County will host #4 Lisbon on Friday at 7 pm.

Winfield-Mt. Union will face off against HLV on Friday at 7 pm on the road. 

New London will take on English Valleys on Friday at 7 pm at home. 

Danville will host Columbus to end the season at 7 pm on Friday. 

Wapello will square off against Highland on Friday at 7 pm at home to end the season. 

Fairfield will travel to Solon on Friday at 7 pm. 

West Burlington/Notre Dame will compete against Davis County on Friday at 7:30 pm in a road matchup. 

Central Lee will face off against Mediapolis on Friday at 7:30 pm for their regular season finale. 

High School Volleyball

Mt. Pleasant and Fairfield will compete in the final round of the SEC tournament tonight at Burlington with the first match at 5 pm. 

Winfield-Mt. Union will take on Lone Tree on the road tonight at 7:30 pm.

Wapello will face off against Louisa-Muscatine tonight at 5:30 pm on the road. 

WACO will travel to Pekin tonight at 7:30 pm. 

Columbus will face off against Hillcrest Academy in a road matchup tonight at 6:30 pm.

#14 West Burlington will square off against Danville tonight at 7:30 pm in a road matchup. 

#2 Holy Trinity Catholic will compete in a quad at Mediapolis on Thursday, October 17th, at 5 pm. 

Burlington Notre Dame will compete at a tournament hosted by Danville on Thursday starting at 5 pm.

The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union released the postseason brackets and for a breakdown of our local matchups, follow this link: IGHSAU Postseason Brackets

High School Cross Country

Danville, Central Lee, Columbus, Holy Trinity Catholic, WACO, Van Buren County, Mediapolis, Winfield-Mt. Union, Wapello, and West Burlington/Notre Dame will compete tonight at Cedar Crest Country Club for their conference meet. 

Mt. Pleasant and Fairfield will compete in their conference meet on Thursday, October 17th, at Keokuk. 

High School Cross Country Rankings

The Iowa Track Coaches Association (IATC) released their latest individual rankings and seven of our local runners were ranked within the top 30 for their respective classes.

In Class 3A, Washington has a runner ranked from both the boys’ and girls’ teams with Tyler Alderton going from 22nd to 27th and Iris Dahl jumping back into the top 30 at 27th. The Demons competed at the Bob Mudd Lynx Invitational over the weekend where Alderton turned in a 5th place time of 16 minutes and 49 seconds and Dahl grabbed the bronze with a time of 19 minutes and 30 seconds.

In Class 2A, Will Schmidgall of Mediapolis tumbled in the rankings from 12th last week to 18th this week. A tightly contested Mike Jay Invitational last week saw the Bulldog grab 3rd place with a time of 16 minutes and 50 seconds.

The boys’ of Class 1A continue to dominate as Danville’s Jackson Shacklett ventured into the top five at that 5th spot. Ty Muniz of Columbus also moved up in the rankings from 15th to 8th. Van Buren County’s Lincoln Bainbridge fell from 7th to 18th. Lastly, WACO’s Jude Dykstra was also leapfrogged, moving from 19th to 28th this week.

In a preview of their conference meet, Shacklett, Muniz, and Bainbridge competed at the Mike Jay Invitational where Shacklett cruised to a 1st place time of 16 minutes and 33 seconds followed shortly by Muniz. Bainbridge crossed the finish line with a time of 17 minutes and 4 seconds, which earned him 4th place. For Dykstra, the Warrior competed early last week at the Hillcrest Academy Invitational where he took 6th place with a time of 17 minutes and 14 seconds.

Southeastern Community College

The volleyball team will take on Iowa Central Community College tonight at 7 pm at home. 

College Football

#9 Iowa State will host UCF on Saturday, October 19th, at 6:30 pm. KILJ 98.5 FM and AM 1130 will have the broadcast. 

Iowa will square off against Michigan State on the road on Saturday at 6:30 pm. KILJ 105.5 FM will be on the call. 

This Day in Sports History

1884 – Charles “Old Hoss” Radbourn pitches his 60th win of the season for the MLB Providence Grays in 8-0 win over the Quakers at Philadelphia.

1925 – MLB World Series: the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Washington Senators 9-7 in Game 7 at Forbes Field for 4-3 series victory; the Pirates became the first team to recover from 3–1 deficit in a 7-game series.

1988 – Oklahoma broke its own NCAA record for most net rushing yards in a game, going for 768 yards on the ground in a 70-24 win over Kansas State.

Prep Football: Upsets and Top 10 Matchups Shake the Rankings

By Slaten Swords · Monday, October 14th, 2024 at 12:19 pm CDT

Prep Football- Another week closer to the postseason and another week of rankings have been released by the Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA). There were upsets and clashes between top squads all throughout Friday.

Class 5A

Last week, Ottumwa’s path towards a perfect record and an eventual meet up against a top 10 Waterloo West to end the season appeared plausible. Waukee Northwest had other thoughts as they destroyed the Bulldogs 65-13.

Ottumwa fell from #6 to #13 in the RPI and left only Bettendorf as the only undefeated team in Class 5A. Iowa City Liberty sits at #2 followed by Pleasant Valley. Southeast Polk continues to climb the rankings as the Rams now sit at #11 as they look to defend their championship.

For a full look at the ratings: Class 5A Ratings Percentage Index

Class 4A

There was not much movement in the top 10 other than Gilbert’s 31-28 loss to #22 Bondurant-Farrar for just their second victory of the season. The Tigers were undefeated before that loss and now sit at #8.

Beyond that loss, #1 North Polk still sits atop the rankings followed by Decorah, Pella, and Lewis Central, respectively, as the only undefeated teams left. #23 Clinton’s comeback win over Burlington saw the Grayhounds fall back to #28.

For a full look at the ratings: Class 4A Ratings Percentage Index

Class 3A

This is the only class where a team with a loss sits at the top of the rankings with Humboldt with only one loss to Class 4A’s #1 North Polk causing the blemish to their record. In fact, the Wildcats edged out a 21-20 win over the previous #1 team, Algona, last Friday. The Bulldogs are now #5 in the RPI.

Another top 10 matchup saw #8 Williamsburg hand #7 Solon their second loss of the season in decisive fashion, causing the Spartans to tumble four spots to #11 and the Raiders to take the #6 spot in the RPI.

For other District 4 teams, Mt. Vernon’s drubbing of #36 Fort Madison moved the Mustangs up to #7 in the rankings. Washington tumbled all the way back to #20 after a disastrous loss to #28 Assumption.

#26 Mt. Pleasant’s comeback win over #23 Keokuk shocked the Chiefs but did not result in much movement as Keokuk’s early season losses to Ottumwa and Pella outweigh the Panthers’ strength of schedule.

#30 Fairfield avoided catastrophe by scoring 20 unanswered points in the second half to dispatch #35 South Tama 33-29. For the win, the Trojans will be awarded with a trip to Solon.

For a full look at the ratings: Class 3A Ratings Percentage Index

Class 2A

The top eight teams kept their position with West Lyon and PCM staying undefeated at #1 and #2, respectively. Central Lyon/George-Little Rock and Anamosa entered the top 10 as they replaced #9 Western Christian and #10 Des Moines Christian.

Class 1A

Another undefeated team bit the dust as Regina Catholic tumbled down the rankings from #2 to #7, while Grundy Center continued their perfect season. Dike-New Hartford starts the week as the new #2 team. The Regals can prove themselves when they take on #4 Wilton this Friday at their home turf.

Class A

#1 West Hancock, #2 ACGC, #3 Saint Ansgar, and #4 Lisbon won last Friday, so they kept their top four positions. A lot can change in a week as North Linn loss, falling from #5 to #10. Earlham, Woodbury Central, and Starmont were all dropped from the top 10 as well.

New teams include #7 Maquoketa Valley, #8 Pekin, and #9 Riverside.

8-Player

In a top 10 matchup last Friday, Woodbine fell to #4 Remsen St. Mary’s 46-30, resulting in the Tigers losing their undefeated season and being catapulted down from #5 in the rankings to #8. The other members of the top 10 remained as Iowa Valley moved up one spot to #7.

Iowa Valley has one of the most potent offenses in the state as the Tigers have scored at least 70 points in six of their seven games this season. In that seventh game, they put up 56 points against a tough WACO team.

District Standings for Local Teams

Class 4A District 3

Xavier: 3-0 (5-2)

North Scott: 2-1 (5-2)

Clear Creek-Amana: 2-1 (4-3)

Clinton: 2-1 (3-4)

Burlington: 0-3 (2-5)

Oskaloosa: 0-3 (1-6)

Class 3A District 4

#7 Mt. Vernon: 3-0 (6-1)

Assumption: 2-1 (2-5)

Washington: 2-1 (5-2)

Mt. Pleasant: 1-2 (3-4)

Keokuk: 1-2 (3-4)

Fort Madison: 0-3 (0-7)

District 5

#6 Williamsburg: 3-0 (6-1)

Benton: 3-0 (5-2)

Solon: 1-2 (5-2)

Grinnell: 1-2 (5-2)

Fairfield: 1-2 (2-5)

South Tama County: 0-3 (0-7)

Class 2A District 5

Mid-Prairie: 4-0 (4-3)

West Burlington/Notre Dame: 3-1 (6-1)

Mediapolis: 2-2 (3-4)

Albia: 2-2 (4-3)

Central Lee: 1-3 (4-3)

Davis County: 0-4 (3-4)

Class A District 5

#4 Lisbon: 6-0 (7-0)

#8 Pekin: 5-1 (6-1)

Columbus: 4-2 (4-3)

Danville: 4-2 (4-3)

Highland: 2-4 (3-4)

Wapello: 2-4 (2-5)

Van Buren County: 1-5 (1-6)

Louisa-Muscatine: 0-6 (0-7)

8-Player District 6

#7 Iowa Valley: 5-0 (7-0)

WACO: 4-1 (7-1)

Winfield-Mt. Union: 2-2 (4-3)

English Valleys: 1-3 (1-6)

New London: 1-3 (1-6)

HLV: 0-4 (1-7)

Helen Garrels

By Yorke Prough · Monday, October 14th, 2024 at 9:38 am CDT

Helen Irene (Hazen) Garrels, age 101, passed away peacefully on October 8, 2024, at Parkview Retirement Community in Maryville, TN. Born on July 26, 1923, in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, she was the daughter of the late Zellah Mae (Anderson) Hazen and James (Harry) Hazen. Helen was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Irwin Harold Garrels; her brothers, John Hervey Hazen and Dale Harry Hazen; and her sister, Louise (Hazen) Roach.

She is survived by her son, James Irwin Garrels, and his wife, Joan Brooks; her daughter, Susan Irene (Garrels) Larsen, and her husband, Mark; and her treasured granddaughter, Shaina Walker, and her husband, Ian. Helen will also be deeply missed by numerous extended family members, friends, and all those whose lives she touched.

A graduate of Mount Pleasant High School, Helen went on to become the owner of the Danville and New London Variety stores. She had a love for collecting antiques, creating artificial bouquets, and crafting. After moving to Tennessee, Helen found joy in spending time with her daughter and granddaughter, further enriching her life with love and laughter.

Helen’s extraordinary life was featured in a documentary titled Crossroads: The Ballad of Helen and Ernie, which highlighted her memories in Iowa and the beautiful partnership she shared with her husband. Known for her warm smile, sense of humor, and love for making others laugh, Helen had a unique gift for brightening people’s lives with her sweet personality.

The legacy Helen leaves behind is one of kindness, joy, and a deep love for her family and community. Services for Mrs. Garrels will be at 11:00 am, Friday, October 18, 2024, at Elliott Chapel, New London, with Rev. David Mixon officiating. Burial will follow at Long Creek Cemetery, rural Danville, with a luncheon immediately after at Long Creek Church. The family will greet friends at the chapel beginning at 10:00 until the time of the service.

Her family will be hosting a memorial service in Tennessee at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Helen’s memory to The Michael J. Fox Foundation or The Macular Degeneration Association. Online condolences may be left at www.elliottfuneralchapel.com.

Mt. Pleasant Marching Band Takes 2nd in Missouri, Best Colorguard, Drum Majors

By Yorke Prough · Monday, October 14th, 2024 at 9:36 am CDT

The Mt. Pleasant Community High School Marching Band traveled to Clark County, Missouri, this weekend for a competition in which they made a good name for themselves. The show, “Dare to Dream” left a good impression, as the panthers placed second in Class 4A at the 33rd Annual Parade of Champions at the high school in Kahoka.

The Color Guard placed first in 4A and the Drum Majors received top honors in 4A. They also had the highest score among all of the participating bands’ Drum Majors in all classes.

The panthers will compete at the state marching band competition this coming weekend. Congratulations to the Mt. Pleasant High School marching band!

Fatal Accident in Ainsworth

By Yorke Prough · Monday, October 14th, 2024 at 8:44 am CDT

A car vs train accident early Monday morning saw one teenager in Ainsworth deceased.

17-year-old Rowan Ross of Washington was driving a vehicle southbound on Spruce Avenue just after 1:45am on Monday. According to the Iowa State Patrol, the teenager ran a stop sign over a railroad crossing, and was struck by a westbound train. The vehicle then ended up in a ditch.

The Iowa State Patrol was one of many agencies to respond to this accident, and say that the incident remains under investigation.

Mt. Pleasant Community School Board Meeting Agenda 10/14

By Yorke Prough · Monday, October 14th, 2024 at 6:58 am CDT

The Mt. Pleasant Community School Board will meet in regular session on Monday, October 14th, at 6:00pm in the high school media center.

Meeting Agenda
1. Call To Order
2. Roll Call
3. Approval of Agenda
4. Student Spotlight
5. Citizen Comments
6. Approval of Minutes, Claims and Financial Report
7. Reports
a. Student and Family Advocate Services
i. Chronic Absenteeism and Truancy – Martha Peterson, Student and Family Advocate
b. Superintendent’s Report
i. Certified Enrollment Update
ii. IASB Proposed 2025 Legislative Agenda
iii. School Board Work Session, Monday, Oct. 28 @ 6pm. Candidate Forum
iv. IASB Annual Convention – Wednesday Nov. 20 – Friday Nov. 22
a. Delegate Assembly Nov. 20 @ 9am
v. IASB Director District #9 Vacancy
vi. Bus/Central Receiving/Buildings and Grounds Facility Project Update
vii. Master Planning Update – Oct. 23, 2pm – 4pm
viii. School Improvement Advisory Committee (SIAC) – Wed. Dec. 4 @ 6pm
c. Board Committee Reports
i. Finance Committee
ii. Site Committee
iii. Policy Commitee
8. Other Board Communications
9. Consent Items
a. Personnel
b. Open Enrollment
10. Unfinished Business
11. New Business
a. Consideration to Approve LP Fueling Station Proposal (Motion)
b. Consideration to Approve Transportation Facility Change Order (Motion)
c. Consideration to Approve Modified Allowable Growth for Limited English Proficiency (Motion)
d. Second Reading of Board Policy Changes (Motion)
i. Board Policy 501.01, Compulsory Attendance
ii. Board Policy 501.01A, Student Absences – Excused
iii. Board Policy 501.10B, Truancy – Unexcused Absences
iv. New Board Policy 501.01C, Chronic Absenteeism and Truancy
v. Board Policy Regulation 501.01C – (R)1, Chronic Absenteeism and Truancy
e. First Reading of Board Policy Series 700, Non-Instructional and Business Services (Motion)
i. New Board Policy 703.14 Credit and Procurement Cards
ii. Board Policy 707.01 School Nutrition Program
iii. New Board Policy 707.07 Meal Charges
f. Consideration to Approve iJAG Fundraiser (Motion)
g. Consideration to Approve National Honor Society Fundraiser (Motion)
h. Consideration to Approve FFA Fundraiser (Motion)
12. Adjournment

Sports, October 14th

By Slaten Swords · Monday, October 14th, 2024 at 6:30 am CDT

High School Football

New London’s slow start over the weekend resulted in a 36-20 loss to Moravia. Gavin Menke-Bailey finished the game with three total touchdowns and 98 total yards. The Tigers will face off against English Valleys on Friday, October 18th, at 7 pm at home. 

Mt. Pleasant will travel to Fort Madison on Friday at 7:30 pm. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will be on the call with the pregame show at 7:15 pm. 

Van Buren County will host #4 Lisbon on Friday at 7 pm.

Winfield-Mt. Union will face off against HLV on Friday at 7 pm on the road. 

Danville will host Columbus to end the season at 7 pm on Friday. 

Wapello will square off against Highland on Friday at 7 pm at home to end the season. 

Fairfield will travel to Solon on Friday at 7 pm. 

West Burlington/Notre Dame will compete against Davis County on Friday at 7:30 pm in a road matchup. 

Central Lee will face off against Mediapolis on Friday at 7:30 pm for their regular season finale. 

High School Volleyball

#2 Holy Trinity Catholic’s double-digit winning streak was snapped over the weekend as the Crusaders finished 2-3 at the Pella tournament for 3rd place overall. The Crusaders picked up wins against Valley (21-18, 21-17) and Washington (21-13, 21-11), while falling to Pella (11-21, 17-21) and Grinnell (20-22, 20-22) and Knoxville in three sets (12-21, 21-17, 10-15). Holy Trinity Catholic will compete in a quad at Mediapolis on Thursday, October 17th, at 5 pm. 

Davis County hosted their tournament over the weekend and Van Buren County took the tournament for the second year in a row as the Warriors went a perfect 4-0. The champs picked up sweeps over Central Lee (21-16, 21-14) and Cardinal (21-16, 21-17), while defeating Albia twice: one game in three sets (21-14, 20-22, and 15-13) and the other in straight sets (21-18, 21-19).

Central Lee finished 2-3 at the tournament with straight set victories over Davis County (21-15, 22-20) and Chariton (21-19, 21-19), while falling to Centerville twice in sweeps (7-21, 11-21 and 17-21, 15-21). Taylor Jones tabbed 14 kills and 13 blocks over the course of the tournament. 

Central Lee and Van Buren County will be back in action for their regional quarterfinal matchups.

Mt. Pleasant and Fairfield made the trip to Oskaloosa to participate in a tournament over the weekend and the hosts exited as the champions, while the Panthers finished 1-4 and the Trojans went 3-2, including a win over their SEC foes. 

Mt. Pleasant’s lone win came against Des Moines North in a sweep 21-11 in both sets. Addison Clark led the team with seven kills in the match, while Zoey Atkinson tabbed three aces. The Panthers were swept the rest of the tournament, including a 21-15 and 21-16 loss to Fairfield as Sonya Simon tallied three aces and Alex Scott led the Panthers with five kills. Mallory Wigle had four aces in the win for the Trojans. 

Fairfield defeated Marshalltown 21-14 and 21-12 and Des Moines North 21-9 and 21-12, while losing to Ottumwa and Oskaloosa in straight sets. Lilly Bergren finished the tournament with 23 kills and Faith Jones rallied for nine aces. 

Mt. Pleasant and Fairfield will compete in the final round of the SEC tournament tomorrow, October 15th, at Burlington with the first match at 5 pm. 

Winfield-Mt. Union will take on Lone Tree on the road tomorrow at 7:30 pm.

Wapello will face off against Louisa-Muscatine tomorrow at 5:30 pm on the road. 

WACO will travel to Pekin tomorrow at 7:30 pm. 

Columbus will face off against Hillcrest Academy in a road matchup tomorrow at 6:30 pm.

#14 West Burlington will square off against Danville tomorrow at 7:30 pm in a road matchup. 

Burlington Notre Dame will compete at a tournament hosted by Danville on Thursday starting at 5 pm.

The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union released the postseason brackets and for a breakdown of our local matchups, follow this link: IGHSAU Postseason Brackets

High School Cross Country

Danville, Central Lee, Columbus, Holy Trinity Catholic, WACO, Van Buren County, Mediapolis, Winfield-Mt. Union, Wapello, and West Burlington/Notre Dame will compete tomorrow, October 15th, at Cedar Crest Country Club for their conference meet. 

Mt. Pleasant and Fairfield will compete in their conference meet on Thursday, October 17th, at Keokuk. 

Southeastern Community College

The volleyball team will take on Iowa Central Community College tomorrow, October 15th, at 7 pm at home. 

College Football

#9 Iowa State continued their undefeated season with a gritty 28-16 victory over West Virginia over the weekend. Carson Hansen rumbled in for three touchdowns and 97 rushing yards as Jaylin Noel caught the lone passing touchdown. The Cyclones will host UCF on Saturday, October 19th, at 6:30 pm. KILJ 98.5 FM and AM 1130 will have the broadcast. 

Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson carried the Hawkeyes to a dominating 40-16 win against Washington over the weekend as head coach Kirk Ferentz tabbed his 200th career victory. Johnson tallied 166 rushing yards and three total touchdowns in the winning effort. The Hawkeyes will square off against Michigan State on the road on Saturday at 6:30 pm. KILJ 105.5 FM will be on the call. 

This Day in Sports History

1908 – The MLB World Series: the Chicago Cubs beat the Detroit Tigers 2-0 at Bennett Park to clinch the 4-1 series win; only 6,210 fans attend as it is the smallest crowd in World Series history. 

1908 – Upset over seating arrangements at the MLB World Series, sports reporters form a professional group that will become known as the Baseball Writers Association of America.

1979 – Wayne Gretzky scores his first NHL goal.