Helen Irene Hazen Garrels, 101, of Maryville, Tennessee, formerly of Danville, died Tuesday, October 8, 2024 in Tennessee. Services are pending at Elliott Chapel, New London.
Prep Volleyball: IGHSAU Releases Postseason Brackets
Prep Volleyball- The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union released the regional brackets for all five classes today as postseason volleyball sits less than two weeks away. Here’s a look at our local matchups.
Class 1A
Region 2 is the place to look as eight of the 17 Southeast Iowa Super Conference (SEISC) teams reside throughout the bracket. #2 Holy Trinity Catholic earned a bye into the second round, earning the top seed. The Crusaders won’t play until October 23rd at home.
The Crusaders will face off against the winner between Winfield-Mt. Union and Lone Tree as the Wolves are set to be the hosts. Winfield-Mt. Union has not dropped a set against the Lions since 2016 as they won 2-1 earlier this season.
Staying in the op half of the bracket, Burlington Notre Dame will be the home team when they take on WACO, which will their first pair-up since 2021. The winner will take on either Wapello or New London as the Arrows will host that matchup. Wapello’s won their past two matchups against the Tigers, but New London is 10-2 since 2008.
The final SEISC team in the region is Highland as they will face off against North Cedar at home. The big hitters in the bottom half of the bracket will be Springville and Calamus-Wheatland.
The first round will start on Monday, October 21st, at 7 pm.
Class 2A
Van Buren County will be the lone local team in Region 2 as the Warriors will host Cardinal on Wednesday, October 23rd, at 7 pm. The Warriors are on a 25-game winning streak against the Comets, including a 2-0 sweep earlier this season.
In Region 3, Columbus will tango with Danville in the first round at Columbus. The Beas won the last matchup in 2022 and hold the series advantage of 4-2 since 2012. The winner will then travel to compete against #14 West Burlington.
#3 Beckman Catholic is the top seed of the region.
The first-round matchups are scheduled for Monday, October 21st, at 7 pm.
Class 3A
In region 5, Washington will take on Mediapolis at home for their first-round contest. The Demons swept the Bulldogs in early September.
Region 8 is also a place to watch out for as Fairfield will travel to Wilton and Central Lee will tumble with West Liberty on the road. This will be the Trojans first time competing against Wilton, while the Hawks have yet to beat West Liberty in their last four attempts.
The first round will commence on Tuesday, October 22nd, at 7 pm.
Class 4A
The Southeast Conference (SEC) will get a first-round matchup in Region 4 with Mt. Pleasant set to host Fort Madison. The Panther’s lone conference win of the season occurred against the Bloodhounds at home in a 3-0 sweep. KILJ 105.5 FM will be on the call.
The winner will move on to face off against #4 Clear Creek-Amana in a road matchup on Thursday, October 24th.
Lastly, Region 6 will also feature an SEC matchup as Burlington will take on Keokuk to open play at home. The Grayhounds have not dropped a set to the Chiefs in their two matchups this season and have only lost five matchups against Keokuk since 2007.
The winner will tango with #6 Pella on Thursday, October 24th.
The first round is scheduled for Tuesday, October 22nd, at 7 pm.
Up Next
Keep on staying tuned to KILJ as we will be calling postseason volleyball. Broadcast information will be released closer to postseason play.
Francis Farmer
Francis “Frank” K. Farmer, 80, of Fort Dodge, passed away Sunday October 6, 2024, at Mayo Clinics in Rochester, MN.
Memorial services will be held at 10:30 AM on Saturday October 12, 2024, at Trinity United Methodist Church. There will be a visitation on Friday October 11, 2024, from 4:00 to 7:00 PM at Laufersweiler Funeral Home. There will be a private burial in North Hill Cemetery in Wayland, IA at a later date. 
Frank is survived by his wife, Zelda; children, Bret (Kim) Farmer of Shoreview, MN, and Joely (Tom) Swenson of Ellsworth, IA; grandchildren, Matthew and Grace Farmer, Dugan, Gavin and Keagan Swenson; brothers, Keith Farmer of Iowa City, IA, Terry Farmer of Wayland, IA, Lynn Farmer of Cedar Rapids, IA, and William Farmer of Brighton, IA, sister, Bev Moore of Iowa City, IA, and 5 grand dogs.
Frank is preceded in death by his son, Todd Francis Farmer and parents, LaVerne and Dorothy (Kessel) Farmer.
Francis Kessel Farmer was born on September 26, 1944, in Wayland, IA. He was raised and educated in Wayland, graduating from Wayland High School in 1962. He attended Missouri State Teachers College and graduated from the University of Iowa.
On December 29, 1964, he was united in marriage to Zelda Graber and the couple established their home in Iowa City. Frank worked for the Iowa City Engineer Department until 1989. The couple then relocated to Fort Dodge, where he was the director of the Public Works and Engineering Department until his retirement in 2004. Frank was a member of Trinity United Methodist Church, serving as a Trustee for 10 years. He was also a member of the American Public Works Association and Fort Dodge Noon Sertoma. Frank enjoyed playing golf, fishing with grandchildren and friends, and beach time in Florida with family.
Memorials may be left to the discretion of the family.
Natural Gas Prices Drop Drastically – Weekly Fuel Report
Motor Fuels
- As of Wednesday, the price of regular unleaded gasoline averaged $2.98 across Iowa according to AAA.
- Prices fell 1 cent from last week’s price and are down 41 cents from a year ago.
- The national average on Wednesday was $3.21, up 1 cent from last week’s price.
- Retail diesel prices in Iowa rose 6 cents this week with a statewide average of $3.38.
- One year ago, diesel prices averaged $4.27 in Iowa.
- The current Iowa diesel price is 22 cents lower than the national average of $3.60.
- Wholesale ethanol held steady and is currently priced at $2.16.
- The current Des Moines Terminal/Rack Prices are $2.08 for U87-E10, $2.39 for Unleaded 87 (clear), $2.42 for ULSD#2, $2.71 for ULSD#1, and $1.87 per gallon for E-70 prices.
Heating Fuels
- Natural gas prices fell 30 cents at the Henry Hub reporting site and are currently priced at $2.66/MMbtu.
- Propane prices averaged $1.57 per gallon in Iowa.
- Home heating oil prices had a statewide average of $2.91 per gallon.
Tips for saving energy on the road or at home are available at energy.gov and fueleconomy.gov.
Teenager Only Occupant in Tractor-Trailer Rollover
There was a tractor-trailer rollover at 12:30 am on October 9th that the Henry County Sheriff’s Office responded to. They were identified via 911 emergency call.
Logan Louderman 19, of Brighton, Iowa was traveling eastbound in the 1100-Grid of Highway 78 when his tractor-trailer hit the Crooked Creek bridge guardrail and left the roadway. The tractor-trailer came to rest on the passenger side, approximately 70 yards from where it left the roadway, parallel to the bridge. Alarmingly, the driver, who was the only occupant, was trapped inside.
Wayland Fire Department and Henry County Sheriff Deputies used mechanical means to extract the driver from the vehicle. The driver was transported to Iowa Hospitals for treatment of potential injuries. The tractor appeared to be totaled.
The Henry County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Wayland Fire Department, Henry County EMS, Washington County EMS, Iowa Air-Care and Breuer Towing and Recovery.
This accident is still under investigation.
Sports, October 10th
High School Football
Mt. Pleasant will stay at home to take on Keokuk tomorrow, October 11th, at 7:30 pm. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will be on the call with the pregame show at 7:15 pm.
Columbus will face off against Van Buren County tomorrow at 7 pm.
Central Lee will square off against Mid-Prairie on the road tomorrow at 7:30 pm.
Mediapolis will compete against Davis County tomorrow at 7:30 pm on the road.
WACO will hit the road to take on English Valleys tomorrow at 7 pm.
Danville will be tested on the road against #4 Lisbon at 7 pm tomorrow.
West Burlington/Notre Dame will host Albia tomorrow at 7:30 pm.
Winfield-Mt. Union will host Mormon Trail tomorrow at 7 pm.
Wapello will travel to Pekin tomorrow at 7 pm.
Fairfield will take on South Tama tomorrow at 7 pm at home.
New London’s road game against Moravia has been rescheduled to Saturday, October 12th, at 2 pm.
High School Volleyball
New London will look for a win on their senior night tonight against Burlington Notre Dame at 7:15 pm.
Mediapolis will compete against Van Buren County tonight at 7:30 pm at home.
Danville will host Keokuk tonight at 7:30 pm.
Central Lee will travel to Holy Trinity Catholic tonight at 7:30 pm for the Crusaders’ senior night.
Winfield-Mt. Union will take on Hillcrest Academy tonight at 7:30 pm at home for their senior night.
Wapello will face off against Lone Tree tonight at 7:30 pm at home.
WACO will face off against Louisa-Muscatine tonight at home at 7:30 pm.
Columbus will take on Highland tonight at 7:30 pm at home.
Mt. Pleasant and Fairfield will travel to Oskaloosa on Saturday, October 12th, for a tournament.
West Burlington will square off against Danville on Tuesday, October 15th, at 7:30 pm in a road matchup.
High School Volleyball Rankings
The Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union released their seventh edition of the 2024 volleyball rankings and Holy Trinity Catholic continues to climb up the ranks.
Starting in Class 2A, West Burlington, despite winning the New London tournament and not dropping a set in their last five games, fell two spots in the rankings to #14. Taryn Snodgrass is 3rd in the state in assists with 884, while Carli Cline leads the state in digs by nearly 200 with 630 for the season. Add in Brenna Beggs, Jayonna Hiley, and Madelyn Hamelton, who have all tallied at least 230 kills for the season, and this team is a tough one to beat.
Holy Trinity Catholic cannot stop winning since their own classic, causing their move up to #2 in Class 1A. The Crusaders have won their past 12 contests, including the conference championship, while losing only one set. Presley Myers is a fearsome presence at the net with a team leading 185 kills and 57 blocks. With the Crusaders catching fire at the right time and plenty of tournament experience, they will look to make another deep run in the postseason.
High School Cross Country
Mediapolis and Columbus will be co-hosting the Mike Jay Invitational with Danville, Van Buren County, WACO, Central Lee, Winfield-Mt. Union, New London, Holy Trinity Catholic, Mt. Pleasant, West Burlington/Notre Dame, and Wapello all competing tonight.
Southeast Iowa Playbook
Winfield-Mt. Union was the school of focus for last night’s episode of the Southeast Iowa Playbook with special guests seniors Pacey Schlee and Lane Genkinger. For Pacey, her leadership style looks to set the foundation for the younger members of her team to build upon when they become leaders,
“I definitely try to lead by example every day at practice. You know, working hard, not giving up in the game and I always try to give the younger ones advice to, you know, let them know what they can do better and just try to show them, like, how they should be as leaders when they get to their senior year too. Yeah. Just try to remind them that it’s supposed to be fun, and, in the end, the wins and losses don’t matter as long as you had a good time with your team.”
Lane is looking to shock the state as the playoffs rapidly approach and his motivation is built out of selflessness,
“My family. Because we never really had much and going to state for any athletic activity, whether it’s basketball or track, anything, going to state is pretty big here. So, my dad’s one of my biggest supporters and he just tries to make it to everything and sometimes he couldn’t cause of work. So, I just always try to push to Let him know that I’m doing it for you, Dad, and he can go out and talk to other people and say, yeah, that’s my kid.”
If you missed last night’s episode, then you can follow this link: Winfield-Mt. Union Episode
Southeastern Community College
The volleyball team fell to Western Iowa Tech Community College last night 3-2. The Blackhawks will host a triangular tomorrow, October 11th, with Wilbur Wright College and Illinois Central College making the trip.
College Football
#11 Iowa State will travel to West Virginia on Saturday, October 12th, at 7 pm. KILJ 98.5 FM and AM 1130 will have the call.
Iowa will host Washington on Saturday at 11 am. KILJ 105.5 FM will have the broadcast.
This Day in Sports History
1916 – In Game 3, Charlie Ebbets becomes the first owner to raise the price of World Series grandstand seats to $5-up from $3.
1960 – Ron Stewart of Ottawa rushes for a Canadian Football League-record 287 yards.
1979 – Nordiques’ Real Cloutier becomes the third player to score a hat trick in their first game.
Harvest Proclamation Extended Through November 8th
Gov. Kim Reynolds today signed a proclamation relating to the weight limits and transportation of grain, fertilizer, and manure.
The proclamation is effective immediately and continues through November 8, 2024. The proclamation allows vehicles transporting corn, soybeans, hay, straw, silage, stover, fertilizer (dry, liquid, and gas), and manure (dry and liquid) to be overweight (not exceeding 90,000 pounds gross weight) without a permit for the duration of this proclamation.
This proclamation applies to loads transported on all highways within Iowa (excluding the interstate system) and those which do not exceed a maximum of 90,000 pounds gross weight, do not exceed the maximum axle weight limit determined under the non-primary highway maximum gross weight table in Iowa Code § 321.463 (6) (b), by more than 12.5 percent, do not exceed the legal maximum axle weight limit of 20,000 pounds, and comply with posted limits on roads and bridges.
Mt. Pleasant Site and Policy Committee Meeting Agenda 10/10
This meeting begins at 5:00pm in the high school media center and is open to the public.
- Intersection of S. Grand and E. Harvest Dr. Potential Improvements
- Central Campus Near-Term Goals
- Bus Garage/Buildings and Grounds/Central Receiving Facility Update
- Change Order
- LP Fueling Station Proposal
- School Bus Purchase
- Master Planning Meeting October 23, 2pm – 4pm
POLICY COMMITTEE
- First Reading of School Board Policy Series 700, Non-Instructional and Business Services
- New Board Policy 703.14 Credit and Procurement Cards
- Board Policy 707.01 School Nutrition Program
- New Board Policy 707.07 Meal Charges
- Second Reading of Board Policies:
- Board Policy 501.01 Compulsory Attendance
- Board Policy 501.01A Student Absences – Excused
- Board Policy 501.01B Truancy – Unexcused Absences
- New Board Policy 501.01C Chronic Absenteeism and Truancy
- Board Policy 501.01C-R(1) Truancy – Unexcused Absence Regulation
- Review IASB Proposed Legislative Agenda Items
- IASB Director District #9 Vacancy
- iJAG Fundraiser
- NHS Fundraiser
- FFA Fundraiser
- Oct. 28 School Board Work Session – Candidate Forum