Marlene Marie Reid, 87, of New London, died Sunday, August 11, 2024 at her home. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 am, Friday, August 16, 2024 at Elliott Chapel, New London with Rev. David Mixon officiating. Visitation will begin at noon on Thursday at Elliott Chapel with the family greeting friends from 5:00 – 7:00 pm. Memorials have been established for New London Rescue Unit, New London United Methodist Church, and EveryStep Hospice. Online condolences may be left at www.elliottfuneralchapel.com.
Danville Man Arrested, Heroin Found
On August 8, 2024, at approximately 11:45 p.m., a Des Moines County Deputy stopped a vehicle at Vine and S. Central Avenue for an abnormally loud exhaust and failure to obey a stop sign. The driver was identified as Paul Swartzlander, age 46, of Danville. During the traffic stop, a Des Moines County K-9 Unit conducted an open-air sniff around the vehicle and alerted to the odor of narcotics.
Deputies then searched the vehicle, locating multiple items of drug paraphernalia, a powdery substance, and a wax substance, later field tested positive for heroin.
Swartzlander was placed under arrest and charged with possession of controlled substance- third offense, possession of drug paraphernalia and failure to obey stop sign.
A CRIMINAL CHARGE IS MERELY AN ACCUSATION AND THE DEFENDANT IS PRESUMED INNOCENT UNTIL AND UNLESS PROVEN GUILTY.
Two Arrests in Burlington Following Traffic Stop
On August 8, 2024, at approximately 10:48 p.m., a Des Moines County Deputy stopped a vehicle at Highway 61 and Sunnyside Avenue for an improper turn. The driver was identified as Kevin Coffel, age 47, of Burlington. During the traffic stop, Coffel advised the Deputy he had marijuana on his person, and he did not have a valid driver’s license. Additionally, passenger was identified as Michelle Young, age 46, of Ft. Madison, IA. She advised she too had marijuana on her person.
After a search of the vehicle, suspected marijuana was located along with multiple items of drug paraphernalia.
Deputies ran Mr. Coffel’s information through dispatch, where they advised he had an active Des Moines County Warrant. Coffel was placed under arrest for the local warrant and additionally charged with possession of marijuana- first offense, possession of drug paraphernalia and no valid driver’s license. Young was charged with possession of controlled substance, marijuana- second offense and possession of drug paraphernalia.
A CRIMINAL CHARGE IS MERELY AM ACCISATION AND THE DEFENDANT IS PRESUMED INNOCENT UNTIL AND UNLESS PROVEN GUILTY.
Traffic Stop Leads to Arrest
On August 8, 2024, at approximately 10 p.m., a Des Moines County Deputy stopped a vehicle at Highway 61 and Sunnyside Avenue for an improper turn. The driver was identified as Kevin Coffel, age 47, of Burlington. During the traffic stop, Coffel advised the Deputy he had marijuana on his person, and he did not have a valid driver’s license. Additionally, passenger was identified as Michelle Young, age 46, of Ft. Madison, IA. She advised she too had marijuana on her person.
After a search of the vehicle, suspected marijuana was located along with multiple items of drug paraphernalia.
Deputies ran Mr. Coffel’s information through dispatch, where they advised he had an active Des Moines County Warrant. Coffel was placed under arrest for the local warrant and additionally charged with possession of marijuana- first offense, possession of drug paraphernalia and no valid driver’s license. Young was charged with possession of controlled substance, marijuana- second offense and possession of drug paraphernalia.
A CRIMINAL CHARGE IS MERELY AM ACCISATION AND THE DEFENDANT IS PRESUMED INNOCENT UNTIL AND UNLESS PROVEN GUILTY.
Sports, August 13th
High School Football
Danville is gearing up for their second consecutive season after having the program go into hibernation for seven years and for head coach Cody Thompson there’s a new expectation for the Bears after making the playoffs last year,
“So, honestly, I feel like last year everybody was just kind of happy to be there, happy to have it. And I thought we did a really good job of setting the tone, you know, and being a playoff team and winning some games. That and I don’t know if I’d say the pressure is really there, maybe from the outside, right? But I know internally, you know, and we talked to the kids as coaches, right. You know, playoffs are the yearly expectation. That’s where we want to be. We want to win those games you know and continue to play longer than everybody else. So, I’d say we’re raising the standard probably more so than there being a lot of pressure. But I believe we’ve raised the bar and set the standard higher than it’s been in the past.”
WACO will host practice from 5 pm to 8 pm tonight.
Van Buren County will have their practice this week starting at 7 am and going to 10 am.
Winfield-Mt. Union’s “Meet the Players” will take place on Wednesday, August 21st, at 6:30 pm.
Mt. Pleasant will have their “Meet the Panthers” night on Friday, August 23rd, starting with an intrasquad volleyball game at the high school gym at 5 pm. The football team will scrimmage Danville at 7:30 pm.
High School Volleyball
WACO will practice tonight from 5 to 8 pm. The student-athletes need a current physical and concussion form.
Van Buren County will have their practice starting at 4:30 pm.
High School Cross Country
New London will practice this week with a 9 am start time. Junior high runners are encouraged to join the high school practices for extra conditioning as their first practice is scheduled for Friday, August 23rd, at 4 pm. Head coach Bridget Swails enjoyed the relaxed nature of summer runs and believes that atmosphere will transfer well into the season,
“It tends to grow the team in terms of their friendships and their family oriented atmosphere that cross country kind of brings and so it gives us an opportunity to like we went to Geode a few times and ran and we can go on the van and we ride and it gives us an opportunity for the kids to be relaxed and joke around and realize that running can be fun, but also then have a purpose in getting some training in in the process.”
Fairfield will continue having practice at 7:45 am at Waterworks for the week.
Mt. Pleasant will continue their team camp today.
Van Buren County will start their practice at 4 pm at the track.
IHSAA and IGHSAU News
The Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) and Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union (IGHSAU) announced that boys’ golf and girls’ tennis will move from the spring sport season to the fall for the 2025-26 school year. The move was made to even out a crowded spring season. Boys’ golf for Classes 3A, 2A, and 1A and girls’ tennis will still play in the spring this year.
In other news, basketball has eliminated the closely guarded “five seconds” rule for the upcoming winter season in conjunction with the NFHS rules for states using shot clocks. Additionally, substate final games for Classes 3A and 4A will be hosted by the higher-seeded teams.
The individual bowling tournament will bowl out to eighth place, similar to the team tournament. There’s also discussion about splitting the boys’ and girls’ bowling season.
College Football
The University of Iowa will officially kick off the season on Saturday, August 31st, at home against Illinois State at 11 am.
Iowa State will take on North Dakota on August 31st at 2:30 pm at home.
Award Watch List
Iowa’s vaunted defense is getting their due recognition before the season as Sebastian Castro, Jay Higgins, and Nick Jackson were all placed on the Chuck Bednarik Award watch list, the award is given to the most outstanding defensive player in the nation.
Castro is a ball hawk in the secondary with a team leading eight pass break-ups and three interceptions last year. Higgins led the Big Ten and ranked third in the nation with 171 total tackles. Lastly, Jackson totaled 110 tackles, which ranked fourth in the Big Ten.
Iowa State’s Jeremiah Cooper was also named to the Chuck Bednarik Award watch list after nabbing five interceptions last year, which ranked second in the Big 12, and knocked away 10 passes–a mark that ranked fourth in the nation.
This Day in Sports History
1910 – The Brooklyn Superbas and the Pittsburgh Pirates play “the game of perfect symmetry” in baseball to tie 8-8, both have 13 hits, 2 errors, 12 assists, 5 strikeouts, 3 walks, 1 hit baseman, and 1 passed ball.
1932 – Yankees hurler Red Ruffing became the first MLB pitcher since 1906 to hit an extra-inning, game-winning home run in New York’s 1-0 win over the Senators in Washington.
1993 – Blue Jay Rickey Henderson pays Turner Ward $25,000 for his #24.
Ed Chabel Honored After 27 Years of Service to MPCSD
The Mount Pleasant Community School Board met in regular session last night. After the traditional calling the meeting to order, roll call, and approval of the agenda; a new element has been added to future school board meetings with the first Student Spotlight taking place last night. A group of the Mount Pleasant Pather Cheerleaders introduced themselves, which cheer teams they are a part of including JV/Varsity, Freshman, and Competition, and then performed a cheer for the school board as well as meeting attendees.
Following the performance Mount Pleasant Community School District Superintendent John Henriksen presented a special retirement plaque to Ed Chabel CFO for the Mount Pleasant Community School District. Through 27 years and around 500 school board meetings, Mr. Henriksen shared that Ed Chabel “has been a leader in the state of Iowa, a leader internationally. (and has) The respect of hundreds of fellow SBOs”.
There is much preparation between now and the beginning of the school year in Mount Pleasant with new teacher orientation yesterday, All Staff Opening Day today, and Professional Development taking place today through the 22nd.
Also discussed in the meeting was the possibility of reconfiguring the crosswalk to Salem elementary school to connect directly to the sidewalk that runs in front of the school instead of leading the children into the parking lot of the school. The school board will continue communications on this project with Jake Hotchkiss, the Henry County Engineer, and the City of Salem with Mayor Kelly Andermann in attendance at last night’s meeting.
Weekly Crop Progress and Condition Report
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Burlington Woman Arrested for Meth Possession
On August 8, 2024, at approximately 8:52 p.m., a Des Moines County Deputy stopped a vehicle northbound on Central Avenue for an inoperable brake light. The driver was identified as Renee Murphy, age 52, of Burlington. During the traffic stop, a Des Moines County K-9 Unit conducted an open-air sniff around the vehicle and alerted to the odor of narcotics.
Deputies then searched the vehicle, locating a baggie, later field tested to be methamphetamine. Murphy was arrested and charged with Interference with Official Acts, Improper Rear Lamps, Driving While License Suspended and Possession of Controlled Substance- 2nd Offense.
A CRIMINAL CHARGE IS MERELY AM ACCISATION AND THE DEFENDANT IS PRESUMED INNOCENT UNTIL AND UNLESS PROVEN GUILTY.
