Mid-Am Opens New Facility in Mount Pleasant

By Yorke Prough · Friday, July 26th, 2024 at 6:19 am CDT

Mid-Am Building Supply strengthens its commitment to the Midwest with the grand opening of its expansive new facility in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. This state-of-the-art facility nearly doubles Mid-Am’s previous footprint within the Crossroads Industrial Park off Highway 218.
The expansion caters directly to the needs of Mid-Am’s lumberyard and big-box store customers by offering:

Increased Inventory: A wider selection of in-stock building materials, including doors, moulding and millwork, siding, and decking, ensures customers have everything they need readily available.
• Dedicated Door Shop: An expanded custom door shop will be enhanced with cutting-edge, automated machinery capable of producing 500 doors per day and bring new jobs to the community.
• Enhanced Efficiency: 5,000 square feet of modern office space streamlines communication and collaboration with customers and vendors.
• Improved Customer Service: Efficient loading/unloading areas, including a convenient drive-thru operation, to expedite order delivery and fulfillment.
• Ample Storage: Mid-Am’s new 19-acre site includes abundant outdoor storage space complementing the expanded indoor capacity.

Mid-Am Building Supply has been serving Southeast Iowa and surrounding areas since 1984. The completion of the new facility marks a milestone in the company’s continued growth and commitment to excellent customer service.
“This investment signifies our unwavering dedication to providing superior products and services to our valued customers throughout the Midwest,” said Jon Rakers, Vice President at Mid-Am Building Supply. “It’s a testament to our commitment to the Mount Pleasant community and our continued growth trajectory.”

“We are grateful for the support of the community and our partners throughout the construction process,” Rakers added. “We look forward to leveraging this new facility to better serve our customers and contribute to the economic development of Mount Pleasant and the broader region.”

About Mid-Am Building Supply
Mid-Am Building Supply, a subsidiary of ADENTRA, is a specialty millwork and premier wholesale building product distributor with warehouses in four states delivering products across a 10-state region throughout the Midwest. Our strategic locations offer easy access to our inventory of roofing, siding, insulation, decking and railing, windows, fasteners, cabinets, millwork, locks, interior and exterior doors, and more. For more information about Mid-Am Building Supply and its products and services, please contact Jon Rakers at 660-269-7019 or Jon.Rakers@midambuilding.com.

Learn more at midambuilding.com.

Riders on the Move! RAGBRAI on it’s way to Town – Stay Tuned to KILJ Radio All Day Long

By Yorke Prough · Friday, July 26th, 2024 at 6:14 am CDT

The wait is finally over! After half a year of waiting and anticipation, RAGBRAI riders will be rolling into town all day long. KILJ Radio, your official RAGBRAI Media Sponsor has all the information you need all day long. From traffic updates to entertainment to interviews with the riders. Stay tuned to KILJ 105.5FM, 98.5FM, AM1130, and KILJ.com for up to date information surrounding the race. This official RAGBRAI coverage is brought to you by KILJ, Lineage Logistics, Wiley’s Interior Furniture and Design, H&R Block, and Cornerstone Building Brands.

HENRY COUNTY DEMOCRATS SUPPORT “EMS- VOTE YES!”

By Allison Jacobs · Thursday, July 25th, 2024 at 1:52 pm CDT

The Henry County Democrats recently unanimously passed a resolution in support of the “EMS-VOTE YES” campaign currently underway in Henry County.  Attendees fully supported the modest increase in property taxes to make sure Henry County residents continue to have quick access to critical care.

Should this issue not receive the necessary percentage for passage, the sustainability of the local ambulance service could be at risk. As the only ambulance service in Henry County, residents would have to rely on the availability of ambulances in neighboring counties- delaying immediate critical care.  This could potentially add 30-45 minutes in response time.

Residents are urged to vote early at the Conference Room (southeast corner- 2nd floor of the Henry County Courthouse) in late August or at their precinct polling site on September 10.

Iowa Hawkeye Football is Nearly a Month Away

By Slaten Swords · Thursday, July 25th, 2024 at 1:22 pm CDT

Iowa City, IA- The Iowa Hawkeyes are gearing up for the 2024-2025 football season with head coach Kirk Ferentz making his Big Ten Media Day appearance with a note that both sides of the ball feature veterans of the program.

It was no secret that the Hawkeye offense was lackluster last season with 10 of their 14 games having a final score under 21 points. Amazingly, the Hawkeyes still went 6-4 in those games, ending the season with a 10-4 record and ranked in the top 25.

However, the offense struggled the worst at the tail end of the season with just 28 points combined in the final four games, including shutout losses in the Big Ten Championship and the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl against Michigan and Tennessee, respectively.

Ferentz noted that the Hawkeyes were without three of their top playmakers on offense once the team got into conference play, including starting quarterback Cade McNamara, who tore his ACL.

Ferentz is confident that McNamara will be the starter entering the season and back at full speed for fall camp; nevertheless, Brendan Sullivan, a transfer from Northwestern University, will provide ample competition even at the #3 slot in the depth chart,

“I know he’s eager to go” said Ferentz. “And eager to see Brendan too in practice. It will be fun to work with him. He’s been really impressive in the summer program and really competitive guy. He’s been impressive in a lot of ways, and seems like he’s transitioned really well to Iowa City. We’re eager to see all of our guys out there, but the quarterback position will be something of note, for sure.”

The lack of offense led to the offseason hire of Tim Lester after he spent the year as a senior analyst for the Green Bay Packers and as head coach of Western Michigan University from 2017 to 2022. Under Lester’s leadership, the Broncos won 37 games and ranked within the top 35 nationally in total offense from 2018 to 2021.

Ferentz has enjoyed Lester’s positive, energetic nature, but what really stuck out was the fact that he has had experience at the helm of the program,

“One thing I do appreciate, he’s a former head coach. That wasn’t a requisite, but also quickly in the conversation, I think he’s got a deep appreciation for how football works, how offense can complement defense, special teams. Everybody is going to be working on the same — you know, towards the same end. So that part’s all been good.”

Lester is bringing in a different style of offense, reminiscent of what San Francisco 49ers’ head coach Mike Shanahan is doing on the west coast. The style does not matter to Ferentz, what does matter is execution, and he believes has picked up quickly,

“It’s not like you’re inventing anything. It’s going to be a little bit different certainly, but I think our players took to it quickly. I went through a similar thing in 1996, I guess it would have been, when we moved to Baltimore, and Ted Marchibroda took over the offense for us. My takeaway from that was the players learned a lot faster than I did. I was the only guy that was stumbling on things that were in my memory bank. The players just move on pretty quickly. It’s kind of been that way this way too. It’s been a good transition.”

Iowa will have some time to iron things out with their season opener taking place on August 31st at 11 am at home against Illinois State. But, before then, Kinnick Stadium will host Kids’ Day on August 10th with the gates opening at 10 am.

Team members will sign autographs for kids around 10:30 am at the west and south stands. Additionally, the 2024 Kid Captains will join players on the field for pictures along with an “inside look” at the stadium. Admission is free for all fans.

Henry County Supervisors Update, July 25th

By Allison Jacobs · Thursday, July 25th, 2024 at 10:17 am CDT

The Henry County Supervisors met in regular session this morning, Thursday July 25th at 9 am in the Henry County Courthouse. Jake Hotchkiss the Henry County Engineer started the meeting with his weekly update. Two permits for fiber have been approved, the first starting at Franklin Avenue ending at Old Highway 34 and the second on W55 from Old Highway 34 to 245th street. Henry County Engineer Hotchkiss also updated crews continue roadway painting, are on their second round of mowing shoulders on gravel roads, along with dura patching and hauling rock to resurface in various locations around the county. Franklin Avenue (W-55) is still closed from 275th Street North to 260th street. Work is continuing with the hope to have pavement completed this fall depending on weather. There will also be a preconstruction meeting next week to discuss the Nebraska Avenue bridge replacement, this project may begin as early as this August.

During the public comment section, a concerned Henry County resident commented that they had submitted a formal complaint against the Henry County Attorney to the Attorney General of Iowa. The resident asked the supervisors to support him in his complaint. Henry County Supervisor Marc Lindeen responded that this section of the meeting is open for public comments and to not be voted upon.

Fresh Produce Easy to Come By in Henry County

By Yorke Prough · Thursday, July 25th, 2024 at 7:18 am CDT

Henry County has lots of options to get and donate fresh produce. In Mount Pleasant, leave or receive food from Community Action Food Pantry, the public library, and The Fellowship Cup. The Fellowship Cup prefers donations from 8am-12pm. New London has the H J Nugen Public Library and Tiger Food Pantry. Salem Community Center also accepts donations. Wayland and Crawfordsville have the WACO Community Food Pantry and Wayland City Hall. Anyone looking to donate in Winfield can give them to the Winfield City Hall or the Winfield Food Pantry.

Some key reminders for donating. Call ahead for hours and only wash the produce if you have time to dry it. When picking up produce, only take what you need and wash it before eating.

Even though there are several places for free produce, another great way to give more people access to fruit and vegetables is to plant your own share.

For more information about healthy living and public health, visit healthyhenrycounty.org or Healthy Henry County on Facebook.

Mobile Wi-Fi Hotspots Now Available through Mount Pleasant Public Library

By Yorke Prough · Thursday, July 25th, 2024 at 7:17 am CDT

The Mount Pleasant Public Library is now offering Mobile Wi-Fi Hot Spots for check out! This is a device that allows any Wi-Fi capable device to connect to the internet. Their service is through US Cellular, so anywhere that their service has coverage, you will be able to get internet from their devices.

Currently, the library has 2 hotspots to kickstart the program.

There is a policy in place for the usage of these devices that must be read, and an agreement that must be signed before you are able to check one out. Stop in, or call, to reserve your hot spot today! 319-385-1490.