We Didn’t Start the Fire: Burlington House Fire Credited to Lightning Strike

By Yorke Prough · Wednesday, July 3rd, 2024 at 2:19 pm CDT

On July 2nd, 2024, the Burlington Fire Department was dispatched at 10:57 pm for a report of a house on fire at 1800 River Dr. Burlington, IA. Burlington firefighters arrived five minutes later to find smoke showing. As firefighters entered the structure they saw flames in the attic space.

The property is owned by Clifford and Letha Reif who were home at the time of the incident and were awaken by a loud noise, smelled smoke, and saw flames within the attic space. Mr. Reif attempted to extinguish the fire with a fire extinguisher. The home had working smoke alarms.

Damages to the structure and contents are being assessed at this time and the home is insured.

Burlington Fire Department was assisted by Alliant Energy and Gas, West Burlington Fire Department, and Burlington Police Department.

There were no civilian or firefighter injuries reported during this incident.

The cause of the fire was ruled an act of nature resulting from of a lightning strike to the structure.

 

Hershey Apartment Project Bolstered by Tax Credit

By Yorke Prough · Wednesday, July 3rd, 2024 at 2:10 pm CDT

The Hershey Apartment project at 601 N Broadway St in Mount Pleasant received a credit award of $605,000 and a State HOME award of $500,000 to be used for “adaptive reuse” of family home for a total of 22 units.

The building was purchased in October and was identified as a possible site for affordable housing. The construction could begin as early as this coming spring, with the units ready by the end of 2025.

The Iowa Finance Authority Board of Directors today awarded a total of more than $10.6 million in federal housing tax credits to support the construction and rehabilitation of a total of 404 affordable rental homes for Iowans. The awards were made to 10 rental housing projects located in Burlington, Charles City, Davenport, Des Moines, Jefferson, Knoxville, Mount Pleasant, Oskaloosa and Spirit Lake.

The Internal Revenue Service makes an annual per capita allocation of federal tax credits to each state for the Federal Housing Tax Credit program. The Iowa Finance Authority is charged with allocating those credits to affordable housing developers. The developers who receive tax credits sell them to investors to generate equity for the housing developments.

The Iowa Finance Authority received 27 applications requesting nearly $30 million in housing tax credits in the 2024 tax credit round. IFA had a total of approximately $10.8 million available to allocate. The actual awards total nearly $106 million because the credits are committed annually for a 10-year period.

In addition to the federal housing tax credit awards, the projects received a total of $4.8 million in HOME program funds and a total of $2 million in National Housing Trust Fund and Senior Living Revolving Loan Funds.

The full awards list is available here

Continue reading “Hershey Apartment Project Bolstered by Tax Credit”

Wayland City Council Meeting Agenda 07/03

By Yorke Prough · Wednesday, July 3rd, 2024 at 10:35 am CDT

City Hall/Council Chambers
PO Box 155
218 W Main St
Wayland, IA 52654
Phone: 319-256-3276
Fax: 319-256-3279

Regular Meeting Agenda Wayland City Hall @ 5:00 P.M.

MAYOR: Travis Shelman
COUNCIL: Caylon DeVaul,
Kathie Grimm, Jamie Roth,
Chad Rohe, Mike Miller
CLERK: Beverly Conrad
TREAS: Terry Kaufman
ATTORNEY: Lynch Dallas

July 3, 2024

1. Roll Call

2. Consent Agenda
Note: These are routine items and will be enacted by one motion without separate discussion unless a Council member requests an item be removed for separate consideration.
a. Minutes of June 19. 2024
b. Bills for Payment
c. Treas. Report
d. Clerks Budgetary Report
e. Utility Dept. Report
f. Police Dept. Report
g. Firefighter Dept. Report – Annual Report/ Roster FY 24/25
h. Building Permits

3. Citizen Forum
The Mayor and City Council welcome comments from the public for items not listed on the agenda. You are asked to state your name and address for the record and to limit your remarks in order that others may be given the opportunity to speak. The Order of Business is at the discretion of the Chair. No action will be taken.
4. Unfinished Business
a. Sewer Improvement Project – Progress Report/Discuss – Jim Warner

5. New Business
a. Acknowledge/Receipt of FYE23 Annual Examination Report

6. Adjournment

Sports, July 3rd

By Slaten Swords · Wednesday, July 3rd, 2024 at 6:30 am CDT

High School Baseball

Patience was a virtue for Mt. Pleasant last night as the Panthers took seven walks and were plucked by three other pitches to exit with a 5-1 victory over Mediapolis last night that was stopped in the sixth inning due to weather. 

Ben Newton, Zach Newton, and Payton Hagans each tabbed an RBI for the Panthers as Ben Newton picked up the win on the mound, allowing only three hits and fanning two. Lance Ludens had the lone RBI for the Bulldogs.

Mt. Pleasant will compete against Davis County tonight at 7:30 pm on the road. 

Danville kept it close but was unable to pull off the upset last night, losing 6-2 to Burlington Notre Dame. Dylan Kipp went 4 for 4 with two RBIs in the win. The Nikes will travel to Mid-Prairie tonight at 7 pm. 

Fairfield claimed the Southeast Conference title yesterday on a walk-off RBI double off the bat of Luke Konczal to defeat Washington 2-1. Voss Richardson went 6.2 innings, allowing only seven hits and striking out five. It’s Fairfield’s first outright conference title since 2018. The Trojans will face off against Clear Creek Amana tonight at 7 pm on the road. 

West Burlington’s offense outpaced Burlington last night 8-3. Isaac Beard and Garret Bence each claimed two RBIs in the win for the Falcons. 

High School Postseason Baseball

New London will travel to Keota on Saturday, July 6th, to take on Pekin in the Class 1A Substate 6 first round at 5 pm. 

Danville will square off against Keota at 7 pm on Saturday on the road. 

Mediapolis will host the first round of the Class 2A Substate 5 postseason Saturday matchups with Winfield-Mt. Union facing off against Louisa-Muscatine at 5 pm and the Bulldogs taking on West Burlington at 7 pm. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will be on the call for both games with the pregame show at 4:45 pm. 

Central Lee will start their Class 2A Substate 6 playoff journey on Saturday at home against Centerville at 7 pm. 

Van Buren County will play Cardinal at 5 pm on Saturday at Central Lee. 

High School Softball

West Burlington’s Madelyn Thomas pitched a gem against Fort Madison last night, going the distance and striking out three in a 6-1 win over the Bloodhounds. Logan Kelley led the charge for the Falcons with a double and three RBIs at the plate. Kylie Lumino had the lone RBI for Fort Madison.

Mt. Pleasant will host West Burlington tonight at 7 pm. 

Winfield-Mt. Union will take on Columbus at home tonight at 5:30 pm. 

Fairfield will face off against Albia tonight at 7:30 pm on the road. 

Central Lee will travel to Burlington tonight for a doubleheader with game one at 5 pm. 

Mediapolis will compete in a doubleheader on Monday, July 8th, against Davis County on the road with game one at 5:30 pm. 

High School Postseason Softball

For Class 1A Region 6, New London will be playing host to Danville on Monday, July 8th, at 7 pm. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will be on the call with the pregame show at 6:45 pm. 

WACO will hit the road to face off against Holy Trinity Catholic at 7 pm on Monday. 

For Class 2A Region 5, Van Buren County will face off against Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont on Wednesday, July 10th, at 7 pm at home. 

High School Cross Country

Mt. Pleasant’s optional summer runs, available for 7th through 12th graders, are scheduled Monday through Thursday. The runs will often be led by upperclassmen as coaches may not be present for every run.

On Mondays and Wednesdays the runs will start at 6:30 am at the Old Threshers Museum Theatre and on Tuesdays and Thursdays they will be at Saunders Park by the swimming pool at 7 pm. 

If you have any questions, contact Coach Murray at 319-850-0867. 

Prospect League

The Burlington Bees took on the O’Fallon Hoots last night and reached the minimum number of innings before lightning put an early end to the game in favor of the Hoots, 4-2. Merrick Mathews and Jackson Lindquist each tabbed an RBI in the loss.

The Clinton LumberKings late offensive surge led to a 9-5 victory over the Springfield Lucky Horseshoes last night. Jaden Hackbarth slugged a home run as he notched two RBIs in the win.

The Bees will host the LumberKings tonight at 6:30 pm with a fireworks show after the game.  

This Day in Sports History

1966 – Atlanta Braves Tony Cloninger becomes the first National League player and only pitcher to hit 2 grand slams in an MLB game.

1983 – Calvin Smith sets a new world record of 9.93 seconds for the 100-meter dash in Colorado Springs; beats Jim Hines’ 1968 mark by 0.02 seconds as he was the first man to finish the race in under 10 seconds. .

1983 – The Texas Rangers explode for an MLB single extra innings record 12 runs in the 15th inning of a 16-4 win versus Oakland.

8 Year Old Boy Struck and Killed by Truck in Horrific Accident

By Yorke Prough · Tuesday, July 2nd, 2024 at 3:54 pm CDT

On July 2, 2024, at approximately 12:25 p.m., emergency personnel responded to the East Alley of the 200 Block of North Hancock and Dewey Street for a motor vehicle accident involving a Dodge truck and an 8-year-old male riding a bicycle.

The driver of the truck was identified as Earc Timothy Pilcher, age 37, of Eldon. The initial investigation into this incident identified that the truck accidentally backed over the child in the traveled portion of the alley. The 8-year-old child died as a result of the accident. No charges have been filed and the accident remains under investigation by the Ottumwa Police Department and the Iowa State Patrol.

Dean Weber

By Yorke Prough · Tuesday, July 2nd, 2024 at 3:32 pm CDT

Dean C. Weber, 78, of Argyle, Iowa, passed away at 7:13 p.m. Monday, July 1, 2024, at his home.

He was born on March 9, 1946, in Keokuk, Iowa, the son of Edward V. and Bernice (Behner) Weber. On July 26, 1975, he married Kathy Mesecher in Argyle, Iowa.

He is survived by his wife: Kathy; daughter: Heidi Weber; sons: Jarad (Hollie) Weber, Levi Weber; grandchildren: Aubrey, Kellen, Kristen; siblings: Marilyn Gardner of Keokuk, Gene Weber of Des Moines, Bernie (Loren) Weber – Munson of Stone Mountain, Georgia, Gerri (Ken) Weber – Lane of Rock Island, Illinois; brothers and sisters-in-law: Larry Mesecher, Steven (Patricia) Mesecher, Stanley (Janet) Mesecher and Juliene (Alfred) Spiker. Also surviving are several nieces, nephews and cousins.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brother: Wes and sister-in-law: June.

Dean was a 1964 graduate of Central Lee High School. He attended Southeastern Community College and Northeast Missouri State University. Dean was a lifelong farmer in the Argyle area. He drove a school bus for Central Lee Schools and retired from Ideal Ready Mix this year, after over thirty-four years. He served in the National Guard, attended and was active at the Cowboy Church in Wayland. Dean enjoyed working on the farm, riding horses, caring for livestock and camping.

A visitation will be held from 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m. Sunday, July 7, 2024, at Schmitz Funeral Home in Donnellson.

The family will receive friends from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Monday, July 8, 2024, at Schmitz Funeral Home in Donnellson.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. Monday, July 8, 2024, at Schmitz Funeral Home in Donnellson with Pastor Shelby Whitney officiating, with a flag presentation to follow by the Gillaspey-Moodie Donnellson American Legion Post #474.

Burial will be at a later date at Argyle Memorial Gardens.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to been established in his memory for the Central Lee Foundation – ACES, Argyle Community Boosters or the Cowboy Church.

Schmitz Funeral Home of Donnellson is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences may be made to the family at www.schmitzfuneralhomes.com.

Geraldine “Jerri” Dean

By Yorke Prough · Tuesday, July 2nd, 2024 at 11:13 am CDT

Geraldine Marie “Jerri” Dean, 88, of Mt. Pleasant passed away on Thursday, June 27, 2024, surrounded by her loving family.

A Requiem Holy Eucharist will be held at 1:00 pm on Tuesday, July 9, 2024 at St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in Mt. Pleasant with Father Wayne Kamm officiating. Burial will follow in the Forest Home Cemetery. Visitation will be held after 2:00 pm on Monday, July 8, 2024 at the Murphy Funeral Home in Mt. Pleasant where the family will be present from 4:00 to 6:30 pm. In lieu of flowers a memorial in her memory has been established to the Marsha G. Dean Nursing Scholarship at Southeastern Community College, established by Dean and Jerri in honor of their daughter or to St. Michael’s Episcopal Church.

 

Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.murphyfuneralandmonuments.com

 

Murphy Funeral Home of Mt. Pleasant, is caring for her arrangements