Winfield Historical Society to Host Program on Local Railroad History

By Shelbi Swinscoe · Tuesday, March 10th, 2026 at 2:00 pm CDT

The Winfield Historical Society and Museum is inviting the public to take a trip back in time with a special program highlighting the history of the railroads that helped shape the region.

The event, titled “Ride Through the History of the Rails,” will feature guest speaker Ron Graber, who will share stories and historical insights about the rail lines that once served the Winfield area.

The presentation will take place Sunday, March 15th at 2 p.m. at the Winfield Community Veterans Building in Winfield.

Organizers say the program will explore the history of railroads such as the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy (CB&Q) and the Minneapolis and St. Louis Railway (M&StL) and their impact on the community. Attendees who have photographs, articles, or memorabilia related to those railroads are encouraged to bring them along to share with others.

A free will donation will be accepted, and refreshments will be served following the program.

The event is open to the public and is intended to bring together local history enthusiasts and community members interested in learning more about Winfield’s railroad heritage.

 

The Southeast Iowa Symphony Celebrates 75th Anniversary with Beethoven’s 9th Symphony

By Allison Jacobs · Tuesday, March 10th, 2026 at 1:54 pm CDT

By Ming Vierra for the Southeast Iowa Symphony Orchestra

MOUNT PLEASANT, Iowa – Joyful noises will ring through three Eastern Iowa auditoriums March 14 and 15 when the Southeast Iowa Symphony Orchestra presents its Beethoven 9th Masterworks concert.

More than 100 musicians — including the orchestra, the SEISO Chorus, and four acclaimed soloists, Jessica Faselt, Jill Phillips, Dennis Willhoit and Jeremiah Sanders — will unite on work known as “Ode to Joy.”

The popular Symphony No. 9, composed after Ludwig van Beethoven lost his hearing, is regarded as one of the most powerful and uplifting moments in all of classical music. This celebration of humanity and hope premiered in Vienna in 1824.

The program also includes the premiere of the two-movement composition “at willow’s edge” by award-winning composer Jordan Jinosko, featuring SEISO Principal Trumpet Derrick Murphy. Murphy, a longtime Burlington educator and Director of Bands at Burlington Community High School, has served as principal trumpet of SEISO for many years. Listeners will experience the quiet beauty and heartfelt emotion embedded in every note through Murphy’s expressive playing.

Students and children can attend Beethoven’s 9th and all the Masterworks concerts for free. Families are strongly encouraged to reserve youth tickets in advance at www.seiso.us, as limited tickets will be available at the door.

If You Go

What: Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 & Jinosko’s “at willow’s edge”

Who: Southeast Iowa Symphony Orchestra, SEISO Chorus, Jessica Faselt (soprano), Jill Phillips (alto), Dennis Willhoit (tenor), Jeremiah Sanders (baritone), and Principal Trumpet Derrick Murphy

When & Where:

March 14, 2026: 7 p.m., Capitol Theater, Burlington
March 15, 2026: 2 p.m., Bridge View Center, Ottumwa
March 15, 2026: 6:30 p.m., Chapel Auditorium, Mount Pleasant

Admission: $20 general admission. Free for students and children; reserve in advance at www.seiso.us

State Announces New Grants for Crime Victim Support Programs

By Allison Jacobs · Tuesday, March 10th, 2026 at 1:44 pm CDT

The Iowa Attorney General’s Office will soon offer several grant opportunities aimed at supporting victims of violent crime.

Three competitive grants will be available in 2026 for nonprofit and government organizations that provide victim-centered and trauma-informed services.

The first opportunity opens March 16th. Eligible groups that assist victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, homicide, and other violent crimes can apply for comprehensive victim service grants. Funding will be distributed regionally to help ensure support is available across the state.

Two additional funding opportunities are planned for April. One will support programs that help the criminal justice system hold offenders accountable. Those funds may go to county attorney offices, prosecutors, law enforcement agencies, courts, and others involved in investigating or prosecuting domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking.

The second April grant will support organizations that provide training and technical assistance to victim service groups, law enforcement, prosecutors, and others who work with victims of violent crime.

Both currently funded organizations and new applicants are eligible, but applicants must be registered in the Iowa Grants system for Victim Services.

More information is available on the Iowa Attorney General’s website. Questions about the grant opportunities can be directed to John Gish at 515-281-5044 or by email at crimevictiminfo@ag.iowa.gov.

Sports, March 10th

By Slaten Swords · Tuesday, March 10th, 2026 at 6:40 am CDT

Boys’ State Basketball

The Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) tipped-off the 2026 state tournament yesterday and there was one upset through the first day of action. 

In Class 3A, #1 Ballard displayed why they are the top seed after dismantling #8 Gilbert, 70-40, to lead off the day. Jude Gibson led the floor with 20 points in the winning effort. 

It appeared #4 Pella was going to steal the game away from #5 Carroll after nabbing a late lead; however, the Tigers were able to snatch it back and advance to the semifinals in a 50-49 final. Jared Mohr netted 17 points in the winning effort, while Jack McGuire led the Dutch with 24 points. 

Ballard and Carroll will play tomorrow, March 11th, at 5:30 pm. 

On the bottom half of the bracket, #2 ADM sprinted to a 15-point lead at halftime over #7 Xavier and never looked back in a 68-59 victory. Hudson Lorensen was unstoppable, tabbing 34 points. 

In one of the closest battles of the night, #3 Storm Lake and #6 Solon needed overtime to decide the outcome and the Spartans were unable to complete the upset, losing 68-60. Jaidyn Coon notched a double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds. 

ADM and Storm Lake will tangle tomorrow at 7:15 pm.

Starting the Class 4A quarterfinals, #4 Dowling Catholic clobbered #5 Dubuque Senior, 63-45. Noah Martens led the Maroons with 18 points. 

Lastly, #1 Cedar Falls kept their bid for a perfect season alive after steamrolling #8 Urbandale last night, 73-53. Will Gerdes notched a 28 point and 15 rebound double-double in the winning effort. 

Cedar Falls will face off against Dowling Catholic on Thursday, March 12th, at 10:30 am in the semifinals. 

For Class 1A, #4 Burlington Notre Dame will face off against #5 Bellevue today with tip-off at 3:45 pm. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will be on the call with the pregame show at 3:30 pm. 

Other Class 1A matchups include: #1 St. Edmond facing off against #8 Woodbine, #2 MMCRU taking on #7 Boyden-Hull, and #6 Marquette Catholic looking to upset #3 Bishop Garrigan.

Mt. Pleasant Girls’ Basketball

The Panthers celebrated their team banquet last night, reminiscing on the season and handing out the team awards.

Earning Most Improved was freshman Emma Humble. A pair won the Coaches Award and Panther Award. Taking the Coaches Award was Kaylen Hunold and Delania Hourihan, who are both seniors, while Myah Starr and Ruby Syfert earned the Panther Award.

Abby Carthey, who finished her career with 471 points, was named Offensive MVP, while Kynlee White took home Defensive MVP, as she was often tasked with taking on the opponent’s best player.

Lastly, Paityn Ensminger was named Team MVP. She averaged 6.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game on a team high 45.8% shooting as was named All-Conference Honorable Mention. Coach Watson was impressed with how she controlled the paint for the Panthers,

“Yeah, she did. I think she had four double-doubles, and she fought like crazy in the lane to get rebounds and stuff. And she, like I said, probably was the shortest post we played in all the games we played this year. But she battled, and she just got better as the year went on. And I’m looking forward for her next year to have a big year.”

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 Indoor Track and Field season started yesterday with the Dickinson Relays at the UNI-Dome and three of our local schools sent a team to compete on the boys’ side, resulting in a couple of top 10 finishers.

WACO led the charge with two top ten finishers, as Hayden Shelman notched a 54th place finish in the 60-meter dash with a time of 7.36 seconds then outleapt Mt. Pleasant’s Kayle Brown, who is just a freshman, in the long jump with a mark of 21 feet and 4.75 inches to take 8th place, while the Panther snatched 9th.

Jude Dykstra will be looking to pace southeast Iowa in the 800-meter run, as the Warrior claimed 4th place with a mark of 2 minutes and 6 seconds. Locken Henderson, Gavin Slagel, and Garrett Landau joined Dykstra for the 4×800 and the squad nabbed 17th place.

Some other top finishers for Mt. Pleasant saw Jaymisen Rich throw the shot put 45 feet and 8 inches for 34th place. Brown also took 30th place in the 200-meter dash with a mark of 24.11 seconds. Lastly, the 4×200 (33rd place) and 4×800 (38th place) each finished inside the top 40.

Columbus will again be leaning on Lamar Ceant and Alexander Rees in the hurdles, as the pair qualified for the finals in the 60-meter hurdles. Ceant’s time of 8.15 seconds was fast enough for 4th place, while Rees claimed 8th place.

The girls’ teams will compete today.

Southeastern Community College

The baseball team swept Anoka-Ramsey Community College in their home doubleheader yesterday, 18-7 in game one and 14-7 in game two. Jackson Petsche clouted two doubles and a home run for eight RBIs between the two contests. The Blackhawks 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 either Maryland or Oregon at 11 am tomorrow, March 11th, to begin their path in the Big Ten Tournament. 

The #7 Iowa State men’s team earned a bye in the Big 12 tournament and will play tomorrow at 11:30 am. 

This Day in Sports History

1985 – Dallas Maverick coach Dick Motta is the 4th NBA coach to win 700 games.

1991 – Eddie Sutton of Oklahoma State becomes the first coach to lead four schools into the NCAA tournament.

2022 – After a 99-day lockout, Major League Baseball and MLB Players Association reach a new collective bargaining agreement; MLB teams set to play a full 162 game season in 2022.

Judith Ann (Dunbar) Bower

By Allison Jacobs · Tuesday, March 10th, 2026 at 6:18 am CDT

Judith Ann (Dunbar) Bower passed away peacefully Monday, March 9, 2026, at Sunrise

Terrace Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Winfield, IA.

Judy was born on April 12, 1946, in the Washington Community Hospital in Washington, IA., the daughter of Dale and Maurine (Sheets) Dunbar. She attended Keota grade school until the fifth grade, where the family lived south of Keota, east of Talleyrand. Judy attended the 6th grade in Mt Zion, one room school. She then attended Lockridge for junior high school, and graduated from Fairfield High School, class of 1964. Judy briefly attended Northeast Missouri State University, Kirksville, MO.

After graduation Judy was employed with H&R Block, Henry County Savings Bank and US Bank for 25 years in the bookkeeping department as a supervisor in that area. She then worked as a case manager for the Henry County Attorney for 13 years, before retiring.

Judy married Ben Bower in Mount Pleasant on June 21, 1970.

Judy was a seamstress, an avid reader and sang in the Southeast Iowa Sweet Adelines Choir, Mount Pleasant Choral, Iowa Wesleyan College Vocal group, Acapella Group, Church Choir and played in Bell Choir and was an accomplished piano and flute player.

Judy and Ben built their first home in rural Salem, lived there for 12 years, then moved to West Point, for 14 years and then built a home in Mount Pleasant where they currently reside.

Judy and Ben had many interests. Spending time with friends and family. Among them was traveling to Colorado, to their condo and to Branson, MO. Trips in the late winter to visit Judy’s brother and sister in California, with stops in Arizona to visit relatives and friends. Together they traveled in all 50 states and some many times over. Cruised to Alaska, flew to the Arctic Circle and once drove to Alaska via Canada & the Yukon on the Alcan highway. They vacationed in the Hawaii, Bahamas, Germany, Italy and Austria.

Surviving is her grade school sweetheart and loving husband of 51 years, Ben. Brothers; Dennis Dunbar, Muscatine, IA.; Lyle (Ann) Dunbar, San Diego, CA. and John (Angie) Dunbar, Fairfield, IA. Sister-in-law’s: Melissa Olson, Urbandale, IA and Karen Bower, Mount Pleasant; many nieces, nephews, cousins and dear friends.

Preceding her in death are her parents Dale and Maurine “Sheets” Dunbar, a sister Linda Appleby, brother-in-law, Tim Bower, and sister-in-law Betty Dunbar.

Judy deeply appreciated all of the compassionate care she received from the entire staff and Poppy, while she was at Sunrise Terrace Care Center in Winfield, their kindness and support meant a great deal to Judy and her family.

Visitation will be held from 1:00 – 7:00 p.m. Friday, March 13, 2026, at Olson-Yoder Funeral Home in Mount Pleasant, where the family will greet friends from 5-7 p.m. Funeral service will be held 10:30 a.m. Saturday, March 14, 2026, at the First United Methodist Church, with the Rev. Court Fischer officiating. Burial will be in the Glasgow Cemetery. A memorial fund has been established for the Glasgow Cemetery and the First United Methodist Church in Mount Pleasant. The Olson-Yoder Funeral Home is caring for Judy and her family. www.olsonyoderfh.com.

Delbert H. Moeller

By Allison Jacobs · Tuesday, March 10th, 2026 at 6:15 am CDT

Delbert H. Moeller, 85, of West Point, Iowa, passed away at 11:35 a.m. Thursday, March 5, 2026 at the Southeast Iowa Regional Home Health and Hospice in West Burlington, Iowa.

He was born on November 20, 1940 in St. Paul, Iowa, the son of Rudolph and Marcella (Klesner) Moeller. On June 25, 1987 he married Barbara Peffer.

Survivors include his wife Barbara; six children: Diane (Jerry) Francy, Randy (Michelle) Moeller, Wade (Kelly) Sass, Carol (Larry) Keester, Randi (Devron) Sedy, Kelly (Jason) Anderson; seventeen grandchildren: Kristin, Brent, Brianne, Jordan, Justin, Tyler, Alexis, Dalton, Devin, Brandon, Ben, Emily, Michael, Jordan, Ryder, Jaxon, Cooper; thirteen great grandchildren; two sisters: Nancy (Mike) Cutler of Marion, Iowa, Sr. Joanne Moeller of LaCrosse, Wisconsin; and four brothers: Victor (Maureen) Moeller of Port Aransas, Texas, Ronnie (Sharon) Moeller of Fort Madison, Iowa, Gary (Sandy) Moeller of Altoona, Iowa, Roger (Joan) Moeller of West Point, Iowa.

He was preceded in death by his parents; and two brothers: Richard and Paul Moeller.

Delbert graduated from Gem City Business College. He Served in the United States Army National Guard for six years and worked at Burlington Basket Company, where he retired as a controller. He was a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church where he served on the Parish Council, as well as the West Point fire department, where he served as chief for six years. He also served on the West Point City Council, Utility Board, Zoning Board, West Point Sweet Corn Festival Committee, IARBGAR, and was Community Club President.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, March 21, 2026 at St Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church in West Point with Father Dan Dorau as celebrant.

Burial will be at a later date in Calvary Cemetery in West Point.

A memorial has been established in his memory for Southeast Iowa Regional Home Health and Hospice and West Point Fire and Rescue and can be mailed to the family at P.O. Box 22, West Point, Iowa 52656.

Schmitz Funeral Home of West Point is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences may be made to the family at www.schmitzfuneralhomes.com.

Mount Pleasant School Board Advances Budget Cut Plan

By Kadie Johannson · Monday, March 9th, 2026 at 10:59 pm CDT

The Mount Pleasant Community School District Board of Education has taken the first step toward addressing future budget shortfalls.
During Monday night’s board meeting at the Mount Pleasant High School Media Center, with dozens of school staff, parents, community members, and local officials in attendance, the board voted  4-2 to set a public hearing on the district’s tax levy and potential Fiscal Year 2027 budget reductions totaling about 1.74 million dollars.

District leaders say the proposed cuts are being considered due to declining enrollment, modest increases in state supplemental aid, and the expiration of federal COVID relief funding known as ESSER.

Board members Mark Overberg and Craig Hurd voted against the measure, while Angie Blint, Aaron Williamson, Mike Hampton, and Josh Maher voted in favor.

Phase One of the plan targets the 2026–27 school year and outlines about $936,000 in reductions, including roughly $713,000 in personnel cuts affecting both certified and non-certified staff. Because of Iowa Code and employee contract protections, specific staff reductions cannot be announced publicly until affected employees are formally notified and the required process is followed. Once staff members are notified, they will have the opportunity to address the school board before the board votes on each contract individually.

Other proposed changes include eliminating the VIBE program (contract with Burlington CSD online schooling program), ending summer school, reducing a contract with Four Oaks, and trimming services through the Great Prairie Area Education Agency. The proposal also includes reductions in support staff hours and overtime, shifting some non-instructional software costs to the district’s Physical Plant and Equipment Levy (PPEL), and lowering utility expenses tied to facility changes.

The dissenting votes came after board members reviewed financial projections and recommendations from the Piper Sandler consulting firm and Iowa School Finance Information Services, which analyzed the district’s current and projected budgets.

Hurd said he believes the proposed reductions rely too heavily on personnel and that areas like transportation and utilities should be examined further. Williamson, while voting in favor, acknowledged the difficulty of the decision but said the board ultimately must act in the district’s long-term financial interest.

The board also voted unanimously to hold a public hearing on the possible closure of Salem Elementary School at the end of the 2026–27 school year, which represents Phase Two of the district’s two-year budget reduction plan.

Phase Two would involve about $813,000 in additional reductions, including $290,000 in system-wide cuts and an estimated $523,000 in savings tied to closing Salem Elementary.

School officials emphasize the vote does not close the school, but simply allows the district to gather public input.

The public hearing on the possible closure of Salem Elementary is scheduled for Monday, March 23 at 6:10 p.m.

Mt. Pleasant Girls’ Basketball Team Awards

By Slaten Swords · Monday, March 9th, 2026 at 9:32 pm CDT

Mount Pleasant, IA- The 2025-26 Iowa Girls’ basketball season is in the books and now is the time of year that teams celebrate how much they have grown and accomplished after spending a third of a calendar year with one another. For the Mt. Pleasant Girls’ basketball team, it was a chance to recognize their largest senior class since the 2016-17 season.

“Yeah, it was really nice to get together the last time after spending a couple weeks off, you know, for the girls and stuff,” said head coach Curt Watson. “But it’s nice to see our five seniors back, you know, tonight. And then everybody else, we only missed two tonight, so it was great to have everybody back and give them the awards out. And just a great night.”

The players, coaches, parents, guardians, and friends piled into the Mt. Pleasant High School Commons Space for their team banquet Monday night to hand out the team awards and congratulate the All-Conference nominees after a 4-18 campaign.

The Panthers certainly had their chances throughout the season to improve upon their record, yet growth and ability to stay in games was the hope and expectation for coach Watson heading into the season,

“I think we came out and we competed game after game. I think there’s only two games we really didn’t compete very well. I mean, based on what I told the girls, we just had one quarter a night where we just didn’t play very well. But you take the other three quarters, we played really, really well. And we just couldn’t overcome that one quarter on there. But I was really proud of the way they competed all year and their attitude, their toughness. They just showed up every day at practice trying to get better. And really, as a coach, that’s all we can ask.”

For the team awards, Emma Humble, a freshman, earned Most Improved for the season. Coach Watson detailed how Humble took over the scout team offense responsibilities.

A pair of Panthers claimed both the Coaches Award and Panther Award. Taking home the Coaches Award was Delania Hourihan and Kaylen Hunold, both seniors. Hourihan netted two points for the year, while Hunold dished out a pair of assists.

Myah Starr, a senior, and Ruby Syfert, a freshman, each garnered the Panther Award. Starr led the team in three pointers made as she finished the season with 84 points to go along with 21 steals and 73 rebounds. Syfert was the leading rebounder on the Junior Varsity team and when asked what her secret was the freshman stated, “I get the ball.”

As the maestro of the offense, Abby Carthey was tasked with dealing with the ball handling responsibilities and maneuvering through opposing pressure defenses, resulting in Carthey being named Offensive MVP. Additionally, Carthey was the leading scorer for half of the victories, as she led the team with total points. She finished her career with 471 points.

Carthey also was named All-SEC Honorable Mention.

Notching her second Defensive MVP award was Kynlee White. The senior has been in charge of guarding the best player on the opposing team, resulting in 1.1 steals per game. She was also named Team MVP last season.

Lastly, Paityn Ensminger was tabbed Team MVP. The junior had to consistently contend with centers that were taller than her, but she answered the call each night. Ensminger averaged 6.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game, including nearly three offensive rebounds per game. She also led the team with a 45.8% field goal percentage as she was named All-SEC Honorable Mention.

Coach Watson was impressed with how she controlled the paint for the Panthers,

“Yeah, she did. I think she had four double-doubles, and she fought like crazy in the lane to get rebounds and stuff. And she, like I said, probably was the shortest post we played in all the games we played this year. But she battled, and she just got better as the year went on. And I’m looking forward for her next year to have a big year.”

The Panthers will be looking toward Ensminger and Abigail Shelangoski to lead the squad next season with Haylay Lydolph and Elodie Rawson getting plenty of reps from off the bench to help complement.