The Mt. Pleasant Community School District School Board will meet in Special Session on Monday, September 22nd at 6pm in the High School Media Center, 2104 S. Grand Avenue. On the agenda are plans to set a public hearing date for plans, specifications, and cost of the PEO Memorial Building Demolition. The date of the hearing is planned for October 13th. Board work session items include 2025-26 district goals and Iowa School performance profile report. This meeting is open to the public.
Southeast Iowa Drought Conditions
SE Iowa Symphony Orchestra Concert Season
The Southeast Iowa Symphony Orchestra celebrates its 75th Anniversary with a Masterworks Concert Series! The Masterworks Series features Brahms’ monumental 1st Symphony, Beethoven’s triumphant 9th Symphony, and Tchaikovsky’s passionate Violin Concerto. To make this season even more memorable, complimentary drinks and hors d’oeuvres will be served after every concert. Meet the musicians and concertgoers.
75th Masterworks Series tickets are transferable to any location – this means you can attend the concert venue and date that works best for you! Physical tickets will be mailed to you prior to the October 11th concert. Each concert is general admission seating. Concerts are held in Mt. Pleasant on Sundays at 6:30pm in the Chapel Auditorium, at 2pm on Sundays at the Bridge View Center in Ottumwa, and on Saturday evenings at the Capitol in Burlington at 7pm. For more information and regular performance updates, please join our email list or follow these events on our Facebook page.
Sports, September 20th
High School Football
In a clash of two undefeated teams, Central DeWitt’s offense outpaced Mt. Pleasant’s defense in a 49-27 final. The Panthers had a terrific start to the game, recovering the game’s opening kickoff and striking first with a five-yard touchdown run by Griffen Jones; however, after three weeks of no turnovers, Mt. Pleasant threw an interception, lost a fumble, and bobbled the snap of a punt, resulting in a 21-point swing. Panther head coach John Bowlin talked about the mistakes after the game,
“Well, I always preach to them short term memory, mistakes happen. You can’t dwell on them and you gotta get over and get to the next play whether it’s offense or defense, you got to go get that first down or make the next tackle, try for a turnover. You know, if you dwell on the mistakes, it’s going to be a long night for you. So that’s football. It’s a tough game and you know we got ourselves in some tough spots tonight by making mistakes, you know, coaches, players, all of us made mistakes tonight, so the things we can learn from going into district play, obviously it’s a big week starting district next week and we’ll get a lot better from tonight and be ready next week.”
Ramzy Davis led the way on the ground with 122 yards and two touchdowns, while Grayson Walker connected with Brody Clark for a 25-yard touchdown pass for the final score of the game. The Panthers will look to bounce back against Washington on Friday, September 26th, at home at 7:30 pm for their Homecoming.
Wapello staged a comeback against New London, usurping the Tigers in a 20-12 final. Wapello will host North Cedar on Friday at 7 pm.
WACO fell to Fremont-Mills last night 54-13. The Warriors will hit the road to take on Belle Plaine on Friday at 7 pm.
Winfield-Mt. Union had their Homecoming spoiled by Wayne last night in a 55-24 final. The Wolves will square off against Iowa Valley on Friday at 7 pm at home.
Mediapolis and West Burlington/Notre Dame added another classic to their rivalry history last night after Parker Holsteen rushed for 172 yards and two touchdowns in a 28-21 win for the Bulldogs to start district play.
Mediapolis will celebrate their Homecoming on Friday at 7 pm against Wilton.
West Burlington/Notre Dame will attempt to bounce back against Central Lee on the road at 7 pm on Friday.
Central Lee was no match for West Liberty as the Hawks lost 45-6 last night.
Fairfield earned their first win of the season in dominant fashion, crushing Knoxville 55-16. The Trojans will host Solon on Friday at 7:30 pm.
Danville racked up their third straight victory after shutting out Van Buren County last night 42-0. The Bears had their game against Highland canceled on Friday due to forfeit.
Van Buren County will travel to Pekin on Friday at 7 pm.
Columbus was steamrolled by North Linn last night 54-7. The Wildcats will host New London on Friday at 7 pm.
High School Cross Country
Mt. Pleasant will host their invitational on Tuesday, September 23rd, with Fairfield, Central Lee, Columbus, Danville, Mediapolis, Holy Trinity Catholic, New London, WACO, and Winfield-Mt. Union participating.
High School Volleyball
Mediapolis and #1 Holy Trinity Catholic will travel to the Lisbon Invitational today.
Danville will compete at the West Liberty Tournament today.
Mt. Pleasant and Fairfield will participate in the Ottumwa Invitational today.
Van Buren County will host Washington on Monday, September 22nd.
Holy Trinity Catholic will host their Classic on Monday with Danville, Central Lee, Columbus, Mediapolis, and Wapello making the trip.
High School Girls’ Tennis
Mt. Pleasant will travel to Central DeWitt today for their Team Regionals match.
Fairfield will host Fort Madison today for the Class 1A Team Regionals.
Southeastern Community College
The volleyball team will compete at John Wood Community College today.
The men’s and women’s soccer teams will host Northwest Iowa Community College today with the women playing first at 1 pm.
College Football
In a rare display of offense, Iowa rallied past Rutgers last night 38-28 to open up Big Ten play with a victory. Mark Gronowski ran for 55 yards and three touchdowns in the winning effort. The Hawkeyes will look for an upset against Indiana on Saturday, September 27th, at 2:30 pm at home.
#12 Iowa State is on a bye week.
This Day in Sports History
1973 – Billie Jean King defeats Bobby Riggs in the Battle of the Sexes tennis match.
1987 – Chicago running back Walter Payton scores his then-NFL record 107th rushing touchdown in the Bears’ 20-3 victory over Tampa Bay.
1988 – Wade Boggs of the Boston Red Sox becomes the first player of the modern era to reach 200 hits in six consecutive seasons.
Local High School Football Scores (Week 4)
8-Player
(3-1) Wayne 55, (1-3) Winfield-Mt. Union 24
(3-1) Fremont Mills 54, (3-1) WACO 13
(5-0) Iowa Valley 70, (1-3) HLV/TC 12
Class A
(3-1) Danville 42, (1-2) Van Buren County 0
(4-0) North Linn 54, (1-3) Columbus 7
(3-1) Wapello 20, (2-2) New London 12
Class 2A
(2-2) Mediapolis 28, (2-2) West Burlington/Notre Dame 21
(2-2) West Liberty 45, (2-2) Central Lee 6
Class 3A
(4-0) Central DeWitt 49, (3-1) Mt. Pleasant 27
(2-2) Washington 42, (0-4) Oskaloosa 7
(3-1) Burlington 62, (2-2) Keokuk 27
(4-0) Solon 28, (2-2) Benton 21
(3-1) Mt. Vernon 56, (0-4) Fort Madison 0
(1-3) Fairfield 55, (0-4) Knoxville 16
Elizabeth “Liz” Mae Troutman
Elizabeth “Liz” Mae Troutman, 91, of Wayland, died Thursday, September 18, 2025, at the Parkview Home in Wayland.
Graveside Services will be at 9:00 AM, Tuesday, September 23, 2025, at the Wayland Cemetery. The service will be livestreamed on the Beatty-Peterseim YouTube channel and Facebook page. Family visitation will be from 4-6:00 PM, Monday, September 22, 2025, at the Beatty Funeral Home in Wayland. Memorials may be designated to Hospice Compassus or the Parkview Home.
Elizebeth was born on January 16, 1934, the daughter of John and Ada (Turner) Arbogast. She graduated from Wayland High School in 1952 and was united in marriage to James “Jim” Richard Troutman.
She was a secretary for the Wayland School Superintendent and later a secretary for the Wayland New Life Parish. She enjoyed word search books, Pepsi, and was a chocolate lover.
Survivors include two children, Brian Troutman of Wayland and Lori (Darrell) Gressley of Lincoln, NE; grandson Caleb Rasmussen; siblings Mildred Wilson of Ainsworth, Dorothy Jacob of Wellman, Charles Arbogast, Johnie Arbogast, and Stanley (Shelly) Arbogast, all of Washington.
She was preceded by her parents, husband, and brothers, Howard, Richard, Dean and Edwin. 
2025 Henry County City and School Election Candidate List Released
Election Day: Tuesday, November 4, 2025
Henry County voters will head to the polls on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, to choose leaders for a variety of city and school positions. The official candidate list includes contested mayoral races, city council openings, and several school board seats.
City Races
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City of Coppock – Mayor (no candidates filed); Council, vote for four (no candidates filed).
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City of Hillsboro – Council, vote for three: Steven Jorgensen, Michaeleen Kaeser, Myrom Helmers.
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City of Mt. Pleasant – Mayor: Kim Conrad, Steven Brimhall.
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Council At-Large: Terry McWilliams.
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Council Ward 2: Robert Griffith.
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Council Ward 4: Matthew Barton.
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City of New London – Council, vote for three: Dan Berner, John Doyle, Scott Campbell, Brad Helmerson.
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City of Olds – Mayor: Candice Curry.
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Council, vote for two: Jason Waterhouse, Timothy Breuer, Timothy Faller.
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City of Rome – Mayor: Jeremy Lanferman.
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Council, vote for five: John Anderson, Lester Garrison, Sandy Johnson, Clayton Sammons, Ashley Schultz.
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City of Salem – Mayor: Cody Cousins, JC Lambert.
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Council, vote for two: Aaron Berry, Kaitlini Cousins, Tarrant French, Kenneth Guinther, Justin Traman, Haley Swinscoe, John Wagner.
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City of Wayland – Mayor: Travis Shelman.
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Council, vote for two: Jamie Roth, Caylon DeVaul, Mike Miller.
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City of West Wood – Mayor: Brant Knudsen.
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Council, vote for three: Monte Knudsen, Gary Lane, Zachary Moehle.
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Council Vacancy (two-year term): Dee Bumgardner.
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City of Winfield – Council, vote for three: Scott Jennings, Jennifer Lemke, David Pieart.
School Board Elections
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Mt. Pleasant Community School District
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At Large: Joshua Maher.
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District 1: Melinda Huisinga, Craig Hurd.
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District 2: Kevin Schrader, Derek Mullin.
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New London Community School District – At Large, vote for two: Jessica Boyer, John Housman, Kyle Helmerson.
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WACO Community School District
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At Large: Bryce Shelman.
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District 2: Tim Braber.
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District 4: Barb Shelman.
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Winfield-Mt. Union Community School District – At Large, vote for two: Aaron Cummings, Grant Klopfenstein.
Public Measures
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Public Measure JZ (WACO) – Authorizes a 10-year Physical Plant and Equipment property tax levy for facility improvements.
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Public Measure KB (Fairfield) – Proposes up to $39.5 million in bonds to build a new middle school.
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Public Measure KA (Winfield) – Seeks approval of a Revenue Purpose Statement for use of state sales tax funds for school infrastructure.
Polls will be open across Henry County on Tuesday, November 4. Voters are encouraged to review sample ballots and polling locations ahead of election day.
Sports, September 19th
High School Cross Country
It was a busy night in Fort Madison with the Timm Lamb Invitational hosting a legion of our local teams broken up into two divisions based on school size.
In Division A for the girls, Fort Madison took the crown with all five of their scoring runners taking a spot inside the top 10, including the winner Avery Rump with a time of 18 minutes and 55 seconds.
Mt. Pleasant, without Avery Fedler, did not have enough runners to constitute a team score, but Quintrie Lee nearly grabbed a spot on the podium, turning in a 4th place time of 20 minutes and 15 seconds.
Fairfield collected 119 points as a team with Naomi Stiemsma anchoring the team with a 17th place time of 22 minutes and 45 seconds.
In Division B for the girls, Van Buren County added another notch to their team belt, winning the meet by 45 points, as Kayley Snowgren, Adalyn Snowgren, and Rylee Philips finished in 5th through 7th place, respectively.
It was the non-scoring teams that populated the top 10 though, Hannah Ritter of Notre Dame/West Burlington snatched 2nd place with a time of 20 minutes and 13 seconds, while WACO’s Josie Dykstra (20:25) and Macie Carter (20:54) claimed 3rd and 4th place, respectively.
Columbus finished in 3rd as a team with 110 points, while Danville and Central Lee tied for 4th place with 119 points. Alaina Gourley led the Bears with an 11th place time of 22 minutes and 23 seconds, followed by Iris Garza of Columbus with a 12th place time of 22 minutes and 37 seconds. Avery Dietz anchored Mediapolis with a time of 22 minutes and 49 seconds.
Switching to Division A for the boys, Fort Madison swept the team crowns and the individual crowns as Riley Tripp won the race with a time of 16 minutes and 38 seconds.
Mt. Pleasant had Silas Hulett contending with the top of the division as he finished with a sub-17 minute time and 5th place. Fairfield’s John Miller collected 23rd place.
On the boys’ side for Division B, Columbus took the team title over Mediapolis by 20 points. Ryan Villa anchored the Wildcats effort with a 10th place time of 17 minutes and 35 seconds.
Simon Wendel claimed 2nd place and Will Schmidgall took 5th place for the Bulldogs.
WACO’s 4th place finish as a team was helped by Jude Dykstra’s bronze medal finish, clocking a time of 16 minutes and 22 seconds. Van Buren County tied for 5th place as a team with Lincoln Bainbridge notching a time of 16 minutes and 46 seconds for 4th place, individually.
Notre Dame/West Burlington had Cavin Denney finish in 7th place with a time of 17 minutes and 7 seconds to aid the Nikes’ 7th place finish as a team. Central Lee, Danville, and New London claimed 8th through 10th place, respectively.
Mt. Pleasant will host their invitational on Tuesday, September 23rd, with Fairfield, Central Lee, Columbus, Danville, Mediapolis, Holy Trinity Catholic, New London, WACO, and Winfield-Mt. Union participating.
High School Volleyball
#1 Holy Trinity Catholic swept New London last night, allowing just 16 points through the three sets. Olivia Bendlage led the offense with 10 kills.
Mediapolis and Holy Trinity Catholic will travel to the Lisbon Invitational tomorrow, September 20th.
Van Buren County defeated Central Lee in four sets last night (25-21, 25-15, 21-25, and 25-19). Taylor Jones notched 18 kills for the Hawks.
Van Buren County will host Washington on Monday, September 22nd.
Burlington Notre Dame handled Danville last night, winning in straight sets 25-19, 25-15, and 25-20. The Bears will compete at the West Liberty Tournament tomorrow.
WACO was swept by Highland last night by scores of 25-19, 26-24, and 25-19.
Wapello swatted Columbus last night, defeating the Wildcats in three sets by scores of 25-22, 25-21, and 25-10. Mila Jordan tallied 10 kills and three aces in the winning effort. Jessica Del Rio collected 11 kills for the Wildcats.
Mt. Pleasant and Fairfield will participate in the Ottumwa Invitational tomorrow.
Holy Trinity Catholic will host their Classic on Monday with Danville, Central Lee, Columbus, Mediapolis, and Wapello making the trip.
High School Football
Mt. Pleasant will square off against fellow undefeated Central DeWitt tonight at 7:30 pm at home. KILJ 98.5 FM, AM 1130, and kilj.com will be on the call with the pregame show at 7:15 pm. Panther head coach John Bowlin knows this will be their toughest test through non-district play,
“…They got running back that runs really hard, they got speed all over the field. So it’s going to be a challenge next week but you know, I think we keep building confidence and I think we can come out and we’ll compete for four quarters for sure.”
New London will face off against Wapello tonight at 7 pm at home.
WACO will host Fremont-Mills tonight at 7 pm.
Winfield-Mt. Union will host Wayne for their Homecoming tonight at 7 pm.
West Burlington/Notre Dame will welcome Mediapolis tonight at 7 pm for their Homecoming.
Fairfield will hit the road tonight at 7:30 pm to play Knoxville.
Danville will take on Van Buren County in a road showdown tonight at 7 pm.
Columbus will compete tonight at 7 pm against North Linn.
Central Lee will travel to West Liberty tonight with kickoff at 7 pm.
High School Girls’ Tennis
Mt. Pleasant will travel to Central DeWitt tomorrow, September 20th, for their Team Regionals match.
Fairfield will host Fort Madison on Saturday for the Class 1A Team Regionals.
Southeastern Community College
The volleyball team will compete at John Wood Community College tomorrow, September 20th.
The men’s and women’s soccer teams will host Northwest Iowa Community College tomorrow with the women playing first at 1 pm.
College Football
Iowa will travel to Rutgers tonight at 7 pm. KILJ 105.5 FM will be on the call.
#12 Iowa State is on a bye week.
This Day in Sports History
1947 – Jackie Robinson is named “Rookie of the Year.”
1988 – American diver Greg Louganis smashes his head on the diving board during the 3-meter springboard preliminaries at the Seoul Olympics; he recovers to qualify for the final which he wins the following day.
2004 – Oakland Raider wide receiver Jerry Rice ends his NFL-record streak of 274 consecutive games with a reception in a 13-10 victory over the Buffalo Bills.