The Burlington Fire Department says that no one was injured in a fire that occurred Saturday, August 10th.

According to a news release, at 11:42 AM Saturday, the Burlington and West Burlington Fire Departments responded to a reported fire at the Midtown Motel, 2731 Mt. Pleasant Street.

Firefighters arrived three minutes later to find smoke coming from a single-story utility room.  The fire was called in by a citizen passing by, and the owner was not there at the time.

The cause of the fire is undetermined, and not considered suspicious.

Damages to the structure were estimated at $10,000.

Last week, 27-year-old Michael Bernard Hicks Jr. of Burlington was sentenced to 12 and a half years in federal prison for distribution of methamphetamine. Court documents and evidence presented during sentencing established that Hicks Jr. had distributed more than three kilograms of meth in southeast Iowa to confidential informants and undercover officers from October 2022 to October 2023. All of these transactions occurred while Hicks Jr. was on probation for a state conviction for possession with intent to deliver meth. Following his 150 month incarceration, Hick’s Jr. will be required to serve five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.

This sentence was handed down by the federal court for the Southern District of Iowa. The initial case was investigated by the Southeast Iowa Narcotics Task Force and Iowa Department of Safety Division of Narcotics Enforcement.

The City of New London will hold the regular New London City Council meeting on Monday, August 12th at 6:00pm.  This meeting is held in the city office, 112 W. Main St.

The Mt. Pleasant Community School District School Board will hold its regular session meeting on Monday, August 12^th at the Mt. Pleasant Community High School.  The meeting is scheduled for 6pm in the high school Media Center. To view the agenda, visit the district website at mtpcsd.org, click on the Board tab.

Henry County Residents will be able to decide in a special election scheduled for September 10^th,  on whether or not to approve a 75 cent Essential Services Tax for Emergency Medical Services in Henry County.  The Henry County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution in May declaring EMS as an essential service.  The vote would need at least 60 percent approval and the current hospital levy cap is 27 cents.  The difference is 48 cents per $1,000 dollar valuation but it would more than double the funding for Henry County EMS.  This vote will also allow for 24/7 EMS services to continue in Henry County.

EARLY VOTING

Early voting on the second floor of the courthouse begins on August 21, 2024, Monday through Friday 8:00am – 4:30pm.  Voter Pre Registration Deadline for people not registered in Henry County is August 26^th.   Absentee ballots are accepted now until Monday, August 26^th.  Absentee ballots will begin mailing on August 21^st through August 26^th.