Fairfield Police Pursuit Results in Multiple Arrests After Multi-County Chase

By Allison Jacobs · Friday, April 24th, 2026 at 10:34 am CDT

A late-night pursuit involving Fairfield Police ended with two arrests after a multi-county chase Thursday.

According to the Fairfield Police Department, officers attempted a traffic stop around 10:42 p.m. near South 3rd Street and Washington Avenue. The driver failed to stop, leading officers on a pursuit through several city streets before heading out of town.

Authorities say the vehicle traveled southbound on 6th Street, west onto Harrison Avenue, south on 7th Street, and east on Libertyville Road before continuing south on Highway 1 and leaving the Fairfield city limits. The chase extended into Van Buren and Wapello counties.

The pursuit came to an end just north of Agency, where the driver left the roadway and drove into a small embankment. Both occupants then fled on foot, prompting a brief foot pursuit. Officers were able to take the suspects into custody shortly afterward.

Police arrested 25-year-old Edward Steven Feeney of Ottumwa. He is facing charges including eluding, a Class C felony, possession of methamphetamine—second offense, driving while barred, and interference with official acts.

Also arrested was 34-year-old Christina Marie Wagner of Ottumwa, who is charged with possession of methamphetamine, third or subsequent offense.

Both individuals were transported to the Jefferson County Correctional Facility, where they are being held pending an initial court appearance.

The Fairfield Police Department was assisted by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Wapello County Sheriff’s Office, and 8th Judicial District Probation and Parole.

Authorities remind the public that all charges are accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

Fairfield Officer Recognized Nationally

By Allison Jacobs · Friday, April 24th, 2026 at 10:33 am CDT

A local law enforcement officer is being recognized for his work supporting crime victims.

The United States Department of Justice and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa are observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, held April 19th through the 25th, highlighting the theme “Listen. Act. Advocate. Protect victims, serve communities.”

As part of that observance, Fairfield Police Officer Braeden Nielson has received the Law Enforcement Victim Service Award. Nielson, who graduated from the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy in 2023, was nominated by the Jefferson County Attorney’s Office.

Nielson’s dedication to victim advocacy goes beyond traditional patrol duties, with his work making a measurable impact in the Fairfield community. That includes investigations involving kidnapping, sexual exploitation, and sex offender registry violations.

U.S. Attorney David Waterman says the recognition underscores the importance of ensuring victims are heard and respected throughout the justice process.

116th Drake Relays: A Pair of Podium Finishers from Thursday’s Events for Southeast Iowa

By Slaten Swords · Friday, April 24th, 2026 at 9:49 am CDT

Des Moines, IA- A series of strong storms tried to disrupt the 116th Drake Relays Thursday afternoon into the evening causing for an abbreviated schedule; nevertheless, a couple of our local athletes still carved out time to compete yesterday, which included a pair of podium finishers.

The one change that affected our local athletes was Greyson Hartman of Washington will now throw the discus on Saturday morning at 8 am.

Boys’ High Jump

The field events led off the evening for our high school teams with a trio from southeast Iowa competing in Lathan Keller of Mediapolis, Fort Madison’s Nolan Guzman, and former state champion Eli Zillman of Fairfield.

It was already a tough starting height with the competitors starting at 6’2”. It took Keller all three events to clear that height but could not get past 6’4, tying him for 14th place. It took Guzman only two attempts to make 6’2, but was also stumped by 6’4, giving him 12th place.

Zillman had no issues with the starting height and needed second tries for 6’4 and 6’6, but 6’8 was a bit too high for the Trojan, locking him in a tie for 4th place.

The winner of the event was Ajak Malual of Waukee as the sophomore hit 7’0 in just his second try.

Girls’ Shot Put

A pair of state champions made their way into the ring for southeast Iowa as Burlington’s Kylee Hill and Pekin’s Anna Hadley were looking to add more hardware to the mantle. Hadley got off to a strong start with a toss of 40 feet and 6.25 inches, which would secure her spot into the finals, though she would beat that mark in her third throw with a toss of 42 feet and 0.25 inches.

Hill got off to an inconspicuous start, scratching her first throw. She then revealed her hand when she uncorked a throw of 47 feet and 2 inches in her second try. No one else cleared 46 feet in the field. In fact, her three throws that counted would have finished in 1st, 2nd, and 4th place.

In the finals, Hadley would add another foot to her total to finish in 4th place with a heave of 43 feet and 2.5 inches, just five inches away from the bronze. Hill, in her fifth throw, would unleash a heave of 47 feet and 9.75 inches to officially win the day by over two feet.

Both Hill and Hadley are throwing the discus Friday morning.

Girls’ 3000-Meter Run

In one of the last events of the evening, Chloe Glosser of Pekin was competing in the 3000-meter run and there was a clear hierarchy amongst the top three runners. Glosser started closer to the middle of the pack through the first 600-meters but intensified her pace to hold the top spot after the first third of the race.

Evelyn Moeller of Mt. Vernon would take over the top spot before Charlee Gall of Cedar Falls went from 3rd to 1st in the final 1,000 meters and secured the win by three seconds. Glosser, who had fallen back to 4th place, sprinted to a final lap time of 1 minute and 12 seconds to grab the bronze medal with a time of 9 minutes and 39 seconds, which was nine seconds faster than 4th place.

Up Next

Stay tuned to KILJ for updates and recaps throughout the multi-day event!

Diana Lynn Farmer

By Allison Jacobs · Friday, April 24th, 2026 at 9:02 am CDT

Diana Lynn Farmer, 69 of Brighton, died Wednesday, April 23, 2026, at her home in Brighton.

Celebration of life will be at a later date. A memorial in the name of Diana Famer has been established for the Hospice of Washington County.

Diana was born August 07, 1956, in Ottumwa, Iowa, the daughter of Ernest Dale Jacobs and LeDoris Jane (Polson) Jacobs. She attended schools in Ottumwa and Pekin and earned her GED. She was married to Bill Farmer on May 28, 1976, in Wayland, Iowa.

She was employed with Perfex, McCleery Cummings, and was recently a janitor for Brighton City Hall. She enjoyed fishing and boating, where Bill and Diana would spend many hours fishing, taking care of house plants and gardening, and spending time with her family, especially her grandchildren.

Survivors include her husband, Bill, of Brighton, IA; sisters Doris Rump and Deborah Appleget, both of Ottumwa, IA; brother Ernest Jacob Jr., Phoenix, AZ; 5 grandchildren and 6 great-great-grandchildren.

Diana was preceded by her parents, sister Donna Connelly, son James L Jenkins, daughter Heather D Farmer, and grandson Lucas Aaron William McElderry.

Weekly fuel Report, April 22nd

By Allison Jacobs · Friday, April 24th, 2026 at 8:28 am CDT

Weekly Fuel Report

DES MOINES, Iowa (April 22, 2026) – The price of regular unleaded gasoline fell 14 cents from last week’s price and is currently averaging $3.51 across Iowa according to AAA.

Crude Oil Summary

  • The price of global crude oil rose this week on the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) by $0.27 per barrel, and is currently priced at $92.56.
  • Brent crude oil rose by $6.26 and is currently priced at $101.42.
  • One year ago, WTI crude sold for $64.60 and Brent crude was $68.93.

Motor Fuels

  • As of Wednesday, the price of regular unleaded gasoline averaged $3.51 across Iowa according to AAA.
    • Prices fell 14 cents from last week’s price and are up 55 cents from a year ago.
    • The national average on Wednesday was $4.02, down 9 cents from last week’s price.
  • Retail diesel prices in Iowa fell 16 cents this week with a statewide average of $4.91.
    • One year ago, diesel prices averaged $3.37 in Iowa.
    • The current Iowa diesel price is 58 cents lower than the national average of $5.49.
  • The current Des Moines Terminal/Rack Prices are $2.57 for U87-E10, $2.97 for Unleaded 87 (clear), $3.44 for ULSD#2, $3.59 for ULSD#1, and $2.26 per gallon for E-70 prices.

Heating Fuels

  • Natural gas prices were up 10 cents at the Henry Hub reporting site and are currently priced at $2.71 MMbtu.
  • We will continue reporting retail heating oil and propane prices in Iowa in October.

Tips for saving energy on the road or at home are available at energy.gov and fueleconomy.gov.

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About the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship advocates for Iowa’s farmers and protects consumers, animals, our food supply and our shared soil and water resources. Our programs strengthen rural communities, support a thriving agriculture economy, and build a stronger future for all Iowans. 

Sports, April 24th

By Slaten Swords · Friday, April 24th, 2026 at 7:37 am CDT

High School Track and Field

The Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont boys’ team hosted a meet last night and Mt. Pleasant slated the highest of our local teams with a 6th place team finish, collecting 97 points. Kayle Brown won the high jump with a mark of 6 feet and 1 inch. Jaymisen Rich and Mason Frueh took the silver in the shot put and discus, respectively.

Mediapolis grabbed a victory in the 800-meter run with Will Schmidgall claiming a time of 2 minutes and 2 seconds. 

The Washington girls’ team held their invitational last night and Mediapolis led our local teams with three gold medals followed by Mt. Pleasant with one. For the Bullettes, Avery Dietz claimed the 1500-meter run with a time of 5 minutes and 6 seconds, Payton Harris tossed the discus for a meet winning distance of 123 feet and 10.5 inches, and the squad took the distance medley relay with a time of 4 minutes and 29 seconds. 

Mt. Pleasant’s Ella Ensminger won the shot put with a heave of 36 feet and 5 inches. 

Mt. Pleasant and Central Lee will participate in the Keosippi Relays on Tuesday, April 28th.

Winfield-Mt. Union hosted the Pankoke Relays last night and the WACO boys’ team claimed the title with 110 points, while the WACO girls’ team finished as the runner-up, two points behind Keokuk’s 97.

On the boys’ side for WACO, Hayden Shelman won the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.37 seconds and the long jump with a leap of 18 feet and 7 inches. Jude Dykstra outpaced the field in the 400-meter dash with a mark of 51.95 seconds and the 800-meter run with a time of 2 minutes and 2 seconds. Owen Lord glided to a victory in the 110-meter hurdles and the high jump with a leap of 5 feet and 8 inches. 

New London grabbed a victory in the 1600-meter run with Riley Raines clocking a time of 4 minutes and 50 seconds, while Danville’s Ty Frazier won the 400-meter hurdles with the only sub-one minute time and Noah Horn claimed the 3200-meter run.

Winfield-Mt. Union’s Colin Anderson swept the throwing events, winning the shot put with a catapult of 46 feet and 7 inches and the discus with a throw of 124 feet.

On the girls’ side, Macie Carter of WACO swept the long distance events, taking the 1500-meter run with a mark of 5 minutes and 17 seconds and the 3000-meter run with a time of 11 minutes and 53 seconds. Additionally, Bren Graber claimed the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 16.98 seconds. 

Danville’s Alaina Gourley sprinted to the win in the 400-meter dash with a time of 58.97 seconds. The Bears also took the 4×800 and distance medley relays.  

WACO, Winfield-Mt. Union, Van Buren County, and Columbus will compete in the Sigourney Co-Ed meet on Tuesday.

The Drake Relays started yesterday for our local athletes and Fairfield’s Eli Zillman took 4th place with a leap of 6 feet and 6 inches in the boys’ high jump. Burlington’s Kylee Hill snatched the gold medal in the girls’ shot put with a toss of 47 feet and 9.75 inches. Lastly, Chloe Glosser of Pekin claimed the bronze medal in the 3000-meter run with a time of 9 minutes and 39 seconds. 

The Drake Relays will continue today with Mt. Pleasant’s Avery Fedler competing in the 400 and 800-meter events. For a full list, then follow this link: Drake Relays Schedule

High School Soccer

The Mt. Pleasant boys’ team has posted back-to-back conference shutouts after defeating Burlington last night, 3-0. Dylan White was unstoppable, netting the hat trick. The Panther girls’ team fell to #14 Burlington, 12-0. 

The Mt. Pleasant boys’ team will compete in a triangular tomorrow, April 25th, in Muscatine. The Mt. Pleasant girls’ team will travel to Keokuk on Monday, April 27th, at 5 pm.

Washington swept Keokuk in dominant fashion last night with the girls’ team winning 7-0 and the boys’ team coming out on top 8-0. The Demons will take on Fort Madison on Monday with the boys on the road and the girls at home with both games starting at 5 pm.

Fairfield split their evening with Fort Madison, as the girls’ team lost 6-0 and the boys’ team snuck past the Bloodhounds 2-1. The Trojans will face off against Burlington on Monday at 5 pm with the boys on the road and the girls at home.

Burlington Notre Dame will square off against Columbus/Winfield-Mt. Union tonight with the girls’ teams starting at 5 pm.

Central Lee will host Wapello tonight with the night starting at 5 pm.

The WACO boys’ team will travel to Hillcrest Academy tonight at 5 pm.

The Danville boys’ team will face off against Highland at home tonight at 5 pm.

The Mediapolis girls’ team will host Monmouth-Roseville, while the boys’ team will hit the road to compete against Keokuk tonight with both games starting at 5 pm.

High School Golf

The Wapello boys’ team took down Columbus yesterday, 176-196. Wyatt Marlette led the course with a nine-hole score of 41 followed by Columbus’ Kason Dopler, who carded a 44. 

Wapello will host WACO on Monday, April 27th.

Winfield-Mt. Union traveled to Lone Tree for a meet yesterday and the boys’ team finished in 2nd place in the quad behind Washington, while the girls’ team claimed the runner-up position with a team score of 232.

On the boys’ side, Washington’s Kaleb Orr led the field with a round of 35 (-1), the only score to finish under par for the course. Winfield-Mt. Union had Grant Anderson produce the best card with a score of 40. 

The girls’ team saw Kellee Milks and Ella Kann each take home a round of 53 for the Wolves. 

The Winfield-Mt. Union boys’ team will participate in the West Liberty Invitational on Tuesday, April 28th. 

The Mt. Pleasant and Washington girls’ teams competed in the Oskaloosa Invite yesterday and the Panthers finished in 8th place with a team score of 402, while the Demons took 14th place. 

The Southeast Conference girls’ teams will meet up in Burlington on Monday.

The Fairfield boys’ will hold an invitational today with Mt. Pleasant participating.  

The WACO boys’ team will compete in the Sigourney Tournament today.

High School Boys’ Tennis

Mt. Pleasant swept Keokuk last night, 9-0. Sawyer Fulton, Max Heater, and Grayson Walker each defeated their singles opponent 8-1, while Charlie Syfert and Matthew Del Valle shutout their doubles opponent. The Panthers will host Fort Madison on Monday, April 27th.

Fairfield will travel to Burlington on Monday.

Southeastern Community College

The baseball team will look to get back in the win column at home tomorrow, April 25th, against Northeast Community College in a doubleheader at 1 pm.

The softball team will look to bounce back at home tomorrow in a doubleheader against Marshalltown Community College at 1 pm.

College Baseball and Softball

The Iowa baseball team will travel to Indiana tonight at 5 pm. 

The Iowa softball team will take on Nebraska tonight at 5:30 pm on the road. 

The Iowa State softball team will start their series against Kansas tonight at 5 pm.

This Day in Sports History

1956 – AL umpire Frank Umont is the first to wear glasses in a regular season game. 

1963 – Future Basketball Hall of Fame point guard Bob Cousy plays his last NBA game for Boston as the Celtics beat the LA Lakers, 112-109, in Game 6 for their 5th straight NBA Championship.

1981 – Bill Shoemaker wins his 8,000th race, 2,000 more than any other jockey at the time.

Pleasant Weather Predicted for the Weekend

By Allison Jacobs · Friday, April 24th, 2026 at 6:53 am CDT

A beautiful end to the week is shaping up across the area, with decreasing clouds, lighter winds, and mild temperatures expected as we head into the evening. The weekend forecast looks just as pleasant, featuring similar temperatures along with a mix of clouds and sunshine both Saturday and Sunday.

Looking ahead to the start of the new workweek, rain chances return on Monday, with the potential for strong to severe storms developing across the region.

From the last 24 hour rainfall, totals varied across southeast Iowa. Mount Pleasant recorded about a quarter inch of rain, while Fairfield picked up closer to a half inch. Parts of eastern and northern Henry County saw around two-tenths of an inch, and Lee County averaged roughly four-tenths of an inch.

We’ll continue to monitor the storm chances heading into Monday and bring you updates as the forecast develops.

Historic Millstone Restoration Nears Completion in Lowell

By Allison Jacobs · Friday, April 24th, 2026 at 6:50 am CDT

A historic preservation project nearly two years in the making is nearing completion at Stephenson Park in Lowell, Iowa, along the banks of the Skunk River. The effort centers on preserving a nearly 200-year-old millstone that has now been carefully moved to higher ground and reset into a cut-stone monument base.

The work was highlighted during an event held yesterday morning, April 23rd, at Stephenson Park.

The restoration project is led by the Mount Pleasant James Harlan Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, or DAR. The early 19th-century French Buhr millstone was originally used in a mill in pioneer Lowell during the 1830s. In 1930, the stone was placed on a monument along the Skunk River by the James Harlan DAR chapter and the John See DAR Chapter of New London. Over time, years of severe weather, flooding, and even a fallen tree damaged the original monument.

Through grants and coordinated funding, the DAR oversaw construction of a new monument using Anamosa limestone. Henry County Conservation Officer Caleb Waters, the Conservation Department, and others assisted by preparing the large base required to support the heavy stone. Funding for the project has been provided by the William M. and Donna J. Hoaglin Foundation, Incorporated, Enhance Henry County Community Foundation, Henry County Historic Preservation Commission, and the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Design work, stonecutting, and the careful movement of the millstone were completed by McClure Masonry of Burlington. Jason McClure and his employees moved the stone to their Burlington shop last fall, where it was preserved and banded through the winter while stone blocks were cut to size for assembly this spring. The millstone has since been lifted into a specially cut groove in the monument, and the original brass plaque describing the mill’s history will be mounted to the stone.

Millstones like this one originated in France and were made largely from a type of quartz known as buhrstone. Constructed from smaller pieces cemented together and banded with iron, they were valued for their sharp and durable grinding surfaces used in producing white flour.

The James Harlan DAR Chapter is preparing a broader history of the mills at Lowell and plans to host a public re-dedication ceremony for the monument at a later date. Historians at the Dover Museum in New London will be consulted as part of the historical presentation.

The Lowell site marks the location of Henry County’s first mills. Settlement in the area followed the defeat of Chief Black Hawk in 1832 and the Black Hawk Purchase in 1833. By 1835, settlers were drawn to the fertile land and opportunities along the Skunk River, known to Native Americans as the Chicaqua.

In 1837, early settlers Hiram Smith and James Caudill built one of the first mills along the river to grind grain and saw wood, laying the foundation for the growth of the village that would eventually be named Lowell.

A special thank you to Cathy and David Helman for the information and photos included in this article.