The Mt. Pleasant Community School Board will meet in special session on Monday, August 26th, at 6:00pm in the High School Media Center. Below is the agenda.
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Donate Now! American Red Cross Needs Blood Donations
The American Red Cross continues to experience a national blood emergency as remnants of Hurricane Debby and other severe weather events across the country have further complicated efforts to rebuild the nation’s blood supply. Those in unaffected areas are urged to make an appointment to give now.
Weather in recent weeks has added to the summer shortfall in donations by forcing the cancellation of nearly 60 blood drives throughout the country, many of which were caused by Debby, causing approximately 1,500 lifesaving blood products to go uncollected.
Annually, severe weather − such as blizzards, tornadoes, floods and hurricanes − impacts about 90,000 blood donations made to the Red Cross. Because blood has a short shelf life and can only come from volunteer blood donors, any disruptions in the ability to collect lifesaving blood can have serious consequences for hospitals and patients.
First-time donors and those who give regularly are critical to blood supply recovery. To make an appointment, download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit RedCrossBlood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). In thanks, all who come to give through Aug. 31 will get a $20 Amazon.com Gift Card by email. See RedCrossBlood.org/Help for details.
Those who come to give Sept. 1-15 will receive an exclusive Red Cross raglan T-shirt, while supplies last.
Cause of Death Undetermined After 42-Year Old Dies in Keokuk
On August 24, 2024 at approximately 3:30am, Keokuk Police Officers were dispatched to the intersection of 8th and Concert streets for a report of a male lying on the ground with injuries.
Three Officers arrived at that location at 3:32am and secured the scene. They observed a male subject, identified as Scott Clifford Finch, 42 of Keokuk, unconscious and breathing, in the roadway with injuries. The specific cause of the injuries cannot be confirmed at this time.
The Lee County Ambulance Service arrived on the scene at 3:33am and began life-saving measures. Finch would be transported from the scene to a medical facility via ambulance at approximately 3:58am. He then succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased at the medical facility. The cause of death will be determined after an autopsy is completed.
Officers contacted the Criminal Investigations Division and requested Detectives respond to the scene. An agent from the Iowa Department of Public Safety Division of Criminal Investigation was also requested to assist with this investigation.
The area was canvassed for potential witnesses and evidence. Interviews were conducted, photographs were taken, and possible evidence was collected for further processing. This is an ongoing investigation and no arrest has been made. This is believed to be an isolated incident with no ongoing threat to the public.
The Keokuk Police Department extends its deepest condolences to the family, friends, and loved ones of Mr. Finch during this time of grief.
The LeeComm Dispatch Center, Keokuk Fire Department, Lee County Ambulance Service, and the Iowa Department of Public Safety provided valuable assistance during this event.
Sports, August 26th
High School Football
Mt. Pleasant will travel to Fairfield on Friday, August 30th, 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 talked about the upcoming matchup with their rival,
“Yeah, I mean, we’re excited obviously just to play football for real. But you know, anytime you play a foe, you know we it’s great that we still have these rivalries here in Southeast Iowa and you know we can all, all kids, both teams can get up for it. And you know they’re going to be ready. We’re on their turf and I know that is never easy there. They’re going to be ready to go. And you know, we got to match the energy and go bring it on Friday night.”
Danville will host Lynnville-Sully on Friday at 7 pm. The Bears showed off their air attack last Friday in their scrimmage against Mt. Pleasant with their returning quarterback Jaden Bauer and receivers Kessler Whaley and Landon Seibert, which head coach Cody Thompson is going to continue to roll with,
“So, the chemistry between our quarterback and two of our receivers is pretty good. They’ve grown up playing together. They had some good action together last year and that was just kind of what we got, what we got in the groove with tonight. We just kind of rolled with it.”
New London will square off against Easton Valley on Friday at 7 pm.
Winfield-Mt. Union will face off against Central City on Friday at 7 pm at home.
Central Lee will take on Van Buren County on Friday at 7 pm at home.
West Burlington/Notre Dame will take on Wapello on Friday at 7:30 pm at home.
Mediapolis will travel to compete against Columbus on Friday at 7 pm.
WACO will travel to take on Coon Rapids-Bayard on Saturday, August 31st, at 3 pm.
High School Volleyball
Holy Trinity Catholic and West Burlington will travel to Mediapolis tonight at 4:30 pm for a scrimmage with Fort Madison, Wapello, and West Liberty also participating.
WACO will be hosting a tournament tonight at 5 pm with Burlington Notre Dame, Columbus, Pekin, Centerville, and Van Buren County also competing.
West Burlington will compete in a quad on Thursday, August 29th, at Burlington with Danville and Wapello also competing.
Central Lee will hit the road to take on Fort Madison at 7:30 pm on Thursday.
Mt. Pleasant will participate in a triangular on Thursday at Ottumwa with their first game at 6:30 pm.
Winfield-Mt. Union will face off against Keokuk on Thursday at 7:30 pm at home.
Southeastern Community College
The volleyball team finished the opening weekend tournament with an even 3-3 record after picking up wins against Southwestern Illinois College and Oaktown Community College over the weekend. McKenna Marlow led the way against Southwestern Illinois College with nine kills, while Maddie Jones picked up 17 assists.
The Blackhawks will host the Jimmy John’s Tournament, starting on Friday, August 30th, against Allen County Community College at 2 pm.
College Football
The University of Iowa will officially kick off the season on Saturday, August 31st, at home against Illinois State at 11 am. Tune in to KILJ 105.5 FM to listen to the game.
Iowa State will take on North Dakota on August 31st at 2:30 pm at home. Tune in to KILJ 98.5 FM or AM 1130 to listen to the game.
This Day in Sports History
1903 – Phillies walk 17 Dodgers in a game, the most at the time.
1947 – Dodgers’ Dan Bankhead, MLB’s first African-American pitcher, homered in his first MLB at bat in a 16-3 loss to Pittsburgh, at Ebbets Field, Brooklyn, NYC.
1971 – Bobby Orr signs a five-year contract with the Boston Bruins worth one million dollars, the first million dollar contract in NHL history.
Excessive Heat Warning Throughout Southeast Iowa
Excessive heat is in the forecast for today, with heat index values reaching up to 115 degrees according to the National Weather Service. An excessive heat warning remains in effect from 11:00am-8:00pm this evening.
Remember that heat related illnesses significantly increase during extreme heat and high humidity events.
Little relief from the heat is anticipated Monday night with temperatures only dropping into the mid to upper 70s. Another day of oppressive heat is forecast on Tuesday. However, there is potential for an outflow boundary and scattered afternoon storms to lead to slightly cooler temperatures than currently forecast north of Highway 30. To the south, peak heat indices Tuesday afternoon will likely exceed 105 degrees.
Drink plenty of fluids, stay in an air-conditioned room, stay out of the sun and check up on relatives and neighbors. Do not leave young children and pets in unattended vehicles. Car interiors will reach lethal temperatures in a matter of minutes.
Anyone overcome by heat should be moved to a cool and shaded location.
August 26, 2024 – September 1, 2024
08/26/24
Rhonda Molter
08/27/24
Mary Vorhies
08/27/24
Tim & Bonnie Sammons *Anniversary
08/27/24
Kendra Zihlman
08/28/24
Jason Hill
08/28/24
Jack Donnelly - 10
08/28/24
Ayden Lee - 10
08/29/24
Deb Gerkits
08/29/24
Dennis Ebersole
08/29/24
Jill Kirby
08/29/24
Mark Overberg
08/30/24
Gabriel Brooks
08/30/24
Jessica Brooks
08/30/24
Eric Anderson
08/30/24
Monte Knudsen
08/31/24
Glorine Moeller
08/31/24
Katie Westphal
08/31/24
Susan & Jerry Lamb *Anniversary (5th)
08/31/24
Pat Coe
09/01/24
Jeep Grilliot (Lisa's Dad!!)
09/01/24
Maria Mabeus
09/01/24
Mike Mertens
09/01/24
Tate Baker
09/01/24
Dick Myers
09/01/24
Brian Carter
09/01/24
Jerry & Jean Braker *Anniversary
Henry County Public Health News
Foot Care!
Henry County Public Health has announced the “Happy Feet Program” on Monday afternoons! Starting Monday, September 9th, from 1pm – 4pm, Henry County residents will have access to a variety of services at the Henry County Public Health Office, 106 N. Jackson St. in Mt. Pleasant. The Foot Care Program includes a foot assessment, nail trim, referral to podiatry if needed, blood pressure check and an RN will be available to assist with diabetic patients. The cost is $10 per person, you do need an appointment. Call 319-385-0779 to make your appointment.
Senior Health Fair!
Henry County Public Health is offering a Senior Health Fair to showcase services for adults in Henry County. Health screenings will be provided: such as hearing, anxiety, and fall risk. Flu and Covid vaccines will also be available for those who want them. The Health Fair is scheduled for Wednesday, October 2 from 9am-11:30am and is free to attend. It is being held at the Calvary Baptist Church Auditorium, 803 East Mapleleaf Drive in Mt. Pleasant. Please check KILJ’s Community Calendar at KILJ.com for this information.
Sports, August 24th
High School Football
WACO showcased the offense last night in their week zero matchup, thumping Central City 51-36 to start the season undefeated. Clayton Miller threw for 157 yards and three touchdowns, while Louden Huisenga grabbed three rushing touchdowns for the win. The Warriors will travel to take on Coon Rapids-Bayard on Saturday, August 31st, at 3 pm.
Mt. Pleasant scrimmaged Danville to conclude their “Meet the Panthers” event last night with both teams getting a chance for their varsity and younger kids gaining some experience on the field. Panthers head coach John Bowlin was eager for the opportunity,
“Well, you know, I haven’t slept for a few days, maybe a few weeks. I don’t know. I was pretty, pretty antsy today, so I was excited. I know the boys were, you know, I don’t have to say much to get them fired up to put pads on. So, they were out there having a great time. So, and you could tell by their faces just how they were playing and running. Just you know, we’ve had a really good team camaraderie this year, so that’s been really nice.”
Danville’s offense was the first to find paydirt officially after Jaden Bauer’s arm hit a deep pass to Kessler Whaley to set up a touchdown strike to senior Landon Seibert, who then caught the two-point conversion. Bears head coach Cody Thompson discussed his team’s play last night,
“So, overall I was very pleased with how the kids came out and played. You could tell right away we had some younger guys out there, you know, the bright lights in front of people. This is a great time of year to get that out of the way, saw some really good things. And we saw some areas where we need to clean up to be ready for Week 1. But overall, as far as our varsity, even our younger kids, I’m pretty happy where we’re at today.”
Payton Walker returned the favor when he broke off a huge run, then followed it up with a bruising run to score a touchdown as Zach Newton hit Aiden Humble for the two-point conversion. Coach Bowlin talked about his team’s performance last night,
“Yeah, I thought we played pretty physical, and I was really happy with what the o-line did. You know, we had some mistakes. That’s gonna happen. Some of it was not their mistakes. It’s play calling mistakes. You know that we knew we didn’t have a guy blocked and we thought we could outrun that, and we couldn’t. So those are just some little things that we got to get better at reading people, but on an overall thing, you know, our goal was just come out and execute. We’d had very few penalties. Didn’t jump offsides just played really clean tonight, you know, and I think we created a few turnovers on defense. You know, if you look at last year, we didn’t create any turnovers on defense. So just the work our guys have done, you know, I think we’re going to be able to compete. You know, I don’t know where we’re going to end, but I know that our guys are gonna come out and give it their best and just have a ton of, you know, great opportunities this year.”
Mt. Pleasant will travel to Fairfield on Friday, August 30th, at 7:30 pm. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will be on the call with the pregame show at 7:15 pm.
Danville will host Lynnville-Sully on Friday at 7 pm.
New London will square off against Easton Valley on Friday at 7 pm.
Winfield-Mt. Union will face off against Central City on Friday at 7 pm at home.
Central Lee will take on Van Buren County on Friday at 7 pm at home.
West Burlington/Notre Dame will take on Wapello on Friday at 7:30 pm at home.
Mediapolis will travel to compete against Columbus on Friday at 7 pm.
High School Volleyball
Holy Trinity Catholic and West Burlington will travel to Mediapolis on Monday, August 26th, at 4:30 pm for a scrimmage with Fort Madison, Wapello, and West Liberty also participating.
WACO will be hosting a tournament on Monday at 5 pm with Burlington Notre Dame, Columbus, Pekin, Centerville, and Van Buren County also competing.
West Burlington will compete in a quad on Thursday, August 29th, at Burlington with Danville and Wapello also competing.
Central Lee will hit the road to take on Fort Madison at 7:30 pm on Thursday.
Mt. Pleasant will participate in a triangular on Thursday at Ottumwa with their first game at 6:30 pm.
Winfield-Mt. Union will face off against Keokuk on Thursday at 7:30 pm at home.
Southeastern Community College
The volleyball team traveled to Rockford, Illinois for the first day of their three-day opening weekend tournament, splitting their contests. The Blackhawks lost to Kansas City Kansas Community College 3-1, then swept Blackhawk Technical College. SCC will take on Southwestern Illinois College to start off their day.
College Football
The University of Iowa will officially kick off the season on Saturday, August 31st, at home against Illinois State at 11 am. Tune in to KILJ 105.5 FM to listen to the game.
Iowa State will take on North Dakota on August 31st at 2:30 pm at home. Tune in to KILJ 98.5 FM or AM 1130 to listen to the game.
This Day in Sports History
1804 – Alicia Thornton becomes the first female jockey in England, riding at Knavesmire in Yorkshire.
1875 – Captain Matthew Webb makes the first observed and unassisted swim across the English Channel in 21 hours and 45 minutes.
1978 – MLB baseball umpires stage a one-day strike.