Connie I. Woodsmall, 73, of Mt. Pleasant, died Thursday, October 10, 2024 at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City.
Funeral arrangements are pending at the Kimzey Funeral Home, 213 North Main Street, Mount Pleasant.
Online condolences may be directed to www.kimzeyfh.com
Two arrests were made in Burlington after police were made aware of a sexual abuse.
Sherry Chamblee, 59-, and 57-year-old Wayne Chamblee, were both arrested on Tuesday by the Burlington Police Department. Sherry was charged with second-degree sexual abuse while Wayne was charged with two counts of second-degree sexual abuse of a child, and one count of third-degree sex abuse by force.
There will be a hearing at the Des Moines County Courthouse on Friday, October 18th.
Kathleen Melinda “Kathy” Berry, 64, of Argyle, Iowa, passed away at 4:17 a.m. Thursday, October 10, 2024, at Southeast Iowa Regional Medical Center in Fort Madison, Iowa. 
She was born on March 28, 1960, in Fort Madison, Iowa, the daughter of Robert L. and Alice J. (Geigley) Berry.
Survivors include her siblings: Jeff Berry of Argyle, Iowa, Terry (Bob) Conlee of Argyle, Iowa, Steve (Carrie) Berry of Burlington, Iowa; nieces: Laura (Rob) Conlee – Russell, Jennifer (Ryan) McMillan, LouAnna (Jeremy) Bryant, Amanda (Charles) Holloway; nephews: Will (Amy) Conlee, Rob (Holly) Conlee, Robert (Marie) Berry; special friend: Linda Derr and several cousins.
She was preceded in death by her parents.
Kathy was a 1978 graduate of Burlington High School. She enjoyed crafts, woodworking and spending time with her nieces, nephews, friends and family.
A visitation will be held from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Friday, October 18, 2024, at Schmitz Funeral Home in Donnellson (no family will be present).
A private family service will be held Saturday, October 19, 2024, with Tony Keefe officiating.
Burial will be at Evangelical Cemetery in Donnellson.
A memorial has been established in her memory for the Central Lee Foundation.
Schmitz Funeral Home of Donnellson is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences may be made to the family at www.schmitzfuneralhomes.com.
Stephen Albert Smyth, 78, of New London, died Wednesday, October 9, 2024 at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Des Moines.
Stephen was born July 4, 1946 in Burlington, IA. He was the son of Horace Frederick and Frances Cecila (Maddox) Smyth. He attended school in Lockridge and Fairfield.
Stephen was called to the service of his country during the Vietnam War. He entered the United States Army on July 29, 1964 at Camp Dodge in Des Moines. He was stationed with the 33rd Battalion of the 7th US Army Division . He served as a mechanic in general vehicle repair, which also included tank retrieval and repair. He was honorably discharged as a Tech Sergeant on July 20, 1967 at Fort Hamilton, New York.
On November 30, 1968 in Mt. Pleasant, Stephen was united in marriage to Patricia Ann Rich. The couple later divorced. On October 3, 1980 in Kahoka, MO, Steph was united in marriage to Linda Lou McDowell Starr.
For 30 years, Stephen was an overhead crane operator for the Burlington Northern Sante Fe Railroad yards in West Burlington. He liked to hunt and fish. He also enthusiastically collected eagle memorabilia and Budweiser steins and mugs. A man with a generous heart, Stephen was often the first to assist a friend in need, and the last to want any recognition of the help he offered.
Those thankful for sharing in Stephen’s life include his wife of 44 years, Linda of New London; their children – John Smyth and wife Wende of Mt. Union, Michael Smyth and wife Beth of Mt. Pleasant, David Smyth of New London, Susie Carter and husband Dennis of New London, Robin Willey of Mt. Pleasant, Brett Starr (Sonya Brown) of Mt. Pleasant, Shaun Blythe and wife Tracy of Mt. Pleasant and Brittani Beeding and husband Daniel of Wapello, IA; many grandchildren and great grandchildren; a sister, Joyce Rauscher of Mt. Pleasant, and sisters in law Agnes Smyth of Niles, IL and Gretchen Liechty of Mt. Pleasant. Stephen is also survived by his cat, Mimi.
His parents, daughter Susan Starr, and brothers Paul, Daniel and John Smyth, precede Stephen in death.
Per his request, there will be no public service. His family will gather later to celebrate his life. Cremation rites have been entrusted to the Kimzey Funeral Home, 213 North Main Street, Mt. Pleasant. Burial will be at a later date in the Forest Home Cemetery, Mt. Pleasant.
Those considering an expression of sympathy may direct memorials to the New London Trap Team. Online condolences may be directed to www.kimzeyfh.com
Joyce Garretson, 99, of Salem, died Thursday, October 10, 2024 at her residence.
Funeral arrangements are pending at the Kimzey Funeral Home, 213 North Main Street, Mount Pleasant.
Online condolences may be directed to www.kimzeyfh.com.
Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, IA, K9 Kalo has received a bullet and stab protective vest thanks to a charitable donation from non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. K9 Kalo’s vest was sponsored by Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. 
Vested Interest in K9s, Inc., established in 2009, is a 501(c)(3) charity whose mission is to provide bullet and stab protective vests and other assistance to dogs of law enforcement and related agencies throughout the United States. This potentially lifesaving body armor for four-legged K9 officers is U.S. made, custom fitted, and NIJ certified. Since its inception, Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. has provided over 5,794 vests to K9s in all 50 states at a value of $6.9 million, made possible by both private and corporate donations.
The program is open to U.S. dogs that are at least 20 months old and actively employed and certified with law enforcement or related agencies. K9s with expired vests are also eligible to participate. There are an estimated 30,000 law enforcement K9s throughout the United States.
The Southeast Iowa Symphony Orchestra (SEISO) will perform their first Masterworks Series concert set on October 13th at 6:30 PM at the MTPCSD (formerly IW) Chapel Auditorium in Mt. Pleasant.
They are beginning our 74th season: Welcome to the Symphony with a bang by opening the concert with Iowa composer Linda Robbins Coleman’s In Good King Charles’s Golden Days Overture, followed by Claude Debussy’s La Mer and An Afternoon of a Faun before ending with the masterwork of all masterworks: Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5.
Music Director, Robert McConnell says, “I am amazed at how much excitement performing Beethoven’s 5th Symphony generates. Some of our musicians have performed this work over 30 times and for others it’s a first. It is gripping each and every time it is performed.”
For tickets and information, head to their website at www.seiso.us
Tickets may also be purchased at the door. or may be purchased at the door. Single-concert tickets are $20. Children/student tickets (aged 0-22) are free. There is no reserved seating.
Make the most of your concert experience by attending the ‘Prelude.’ Music Director Robert McConnell will be on hand 45 minutes prior to each performance to talk about the programmed music in depth. ‘Prelude’ is supported in part by the Charles W. Rand Memorial Lecture Fund in Burlington and is offered free of charge to all audience members.
If you have questions, please contact the SEISO Office at seiso@seiso.us. More information is available on the SEISO web site at www.seiso.us.
An officer will once again roam the halls of the New London Community School District after a 28E agreement was signed at Thursday’s Henry County Supervisors meeting. A deputy from the Sheriff’s Office will soon be installed as the school resource officer, with the school district reimbursing the deputies package when on location.
Supervisor Lindeen, and acting chairman due to Greg Moeller’s absence, told the Henry County Sheriff that he does not want to get comfortable with this in the future. He believes that, due to the limited budget, it would be very difficult to approve an SRO in other school’s in the district in the future. McNamee fired back, reminding that the deputy is reimbursed by the school entirely, and that he or she will serve the citizens of the county. The 28E agreement was approved unanimously.
Conservation Director, Caleb Waters, shared his frustrations over the dump station with the 2-man board. His main concerns come from the time it has taken, 2 years, and the $30,000 or so that they have spent on this project. At the conservation board meeting on Wednesday, it was brought to Water’s attention that the department can hire Bruce Wilson with RUSS (Regional Utility Service Systems) to come up with a plan for $100 an hour. He also mentioned that the majority of the campground will be closed on October 21st as they begin to winterize the cabins. This allows more time to be spent on mowing and cleanup of the outlying parks.
The public comments section saw multiple voices from residents within the county. One woman directed a question to supervisor White. At a past meeting, White had asked for clarification from the assistant county attorney, Steve Giebelhausen, over which parts of the Henry County Watchmen proposed ordinance would be non-defensible. White did meet with Giebelhausen and while they disagreed on some parts, the supervisor mentioned that he is not a lawyer himself.
Another citizen asked the board if they are still researching wind turbines, in which supervisor Lindeen responded that he is going on a roadtrip soon, presumably to a wind farm. Supervisor White has spoken with Emergency Management director, Walt Jackson, who has agreed to ask colleagues from counties with wind turbines for more information.
The Planning and Zoning Director and the County Engineer also gave reports at Thursday’s meeting. The Henry County Board of Supervisors will meet again next Thursday, October 17th in regular session.
