Sports, June 19th

By Slaten Swords · Wednesday, June 19th, 2024 at 6:30 am CDT

High School Baseball

Offense was the name of the game last night in New London as the Panthers and Tigers combined for 33 runs. A strong wind to left field led to a J.C. Sitar two-run blast to get Mt. Pleasant on the board in the top of the first inning. The Panthers appeared in control after adding a run in the top of the second inning, but the Tigers responded by batting around in the bottom of the second and scoring six runs, including a two RBI double off the bat of Memphis Watson.

The Panthers and Tigers traded two runs in the third and a run in the fourth, which still kept New London in front 9 to 7 heading into the 5th inning. A leadoff double by Payson Coleman set the tone for the inning as he would gather two more hits before the end of the inning. Every starter would finish with an RBI in the 5th inning for the Panthers as they put up 16 runs. An RBI single by Gage Burden would cement the final score of 23-10 in favor of Mt. Pleasant. 

One of the senior leaders for the Panthers Payson Coleman, who tabbed two RBIs in the win and got the rally started, talked about his team’s success at the plate, 

“You know, we’ve really, I think we’ve swung it well all year. It was one of those tonight that we knew that coming into this game with playing Fairfield last night, that this was easily one we could have dropped and we just, you know, couldn’t show up. And you know, just because they didn’t have a winning record just. You know, didn’t want to drop this game, so we knew coming in that we were gonna have to put it on him. And you know, we struggled on the mound a little bit. And in the field. But our bats were there all night. And, you know, we’ve been working every day in the cage getting our swings in and it showed tonight.”

New London will stay at home to take on West Burlington on Friday, June 21st, at 5:30 pm. 

Mt. Pleasant will host Fairfield tomorrow, June 20th, at 7:30 pm. KILJ 105.5 FM, kilj.com, will be on the call with the pregame show at 7:15 pm. 

Fairfield fell to Mid-Prairie last night 12-6. Sam Weaton went 1 for 3 with two RBIs for the Trojans.

Winfield-Mt. Union will host West Burlington tonight at 5:30 pm. 

West Burlington snuck away with a one-run win against Danville last night 5-4. Brock Thuleen and Isaac Beard tallied two RBIs apiece as they notched five of the seven team’s hits. The Bears will face off against Mediapolis tomorrow, June 20th, at home at 5:30 pm. 

Van Buren County will take on Wapello tonight at 5:30 pm on the road. 

Mediapolis will travel to Highland tonight at 5:30 pm. 

Central Lee lost to Burlington Notre Dame last night 11-4. Brayden Wyrick led the Hawks with two RBIs. Central Lee will face off against Hillcrest Academy on the road today. 

Burlington Notre Dame will host Regina Catholic tonight at 7 pm. 

High School Softball

West Burlington utilized a 12-run second inning to put Danville away after three innings, 18-1. The Falcons will square off against Winfield-Mt. Union tonight at 6 pm on the road. 

Winfield-Mt. Union fell to Pekin last night 6-4. Jessi Renken finished 2 for 3 with a triple in the loss.  

Van Buren County’s offense woke up late in the game to down Mediapolis 12-6 last night. The Warriors scored 11 of their 12 runs in the final three innings, while shutting down the Bulldogs. The Warriors will compete against Wapello tonight at 5:30 pm on the road. 

Mediapolis will take on Highland tonight at 7 pm on the road. 

Central Lee lost to Washington 12-2 last night. Isabella Salazar slugged two doubles and brought home six RBIs for the Demons, while Colbie Greiner added two RBIs towards the win. The Hawks will take on Holy Trinity Catholic tomorrow, June 20th, in a doubleheader with game one at 5:30 pm. 

Holy Trinity Catholic smacked New London last night 12-2. The Tigers will stay on the road to face off against Louisa-Muscatine tonight at 5:30 pm. 

WACO scored their season high in runs last night, but it was not enough as Columbus exited with the win 19-7. The Warriors will travel to Winfield-Mt. Union tomorrow at 6 pm. 

Mt. Pleasant will travel to Cardinal tonight at 7 pm.

Fairfield will face off against Washington tonight at 7:30 pm at home. 

High School Cross Country

Mt. Pleasant’s optional summer runs officially get underway this week. The runs are a great way to get in shape and to run with others. The runs are available for 7th through 12th graders and 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 could not stop the cascade of runs last night, losing 17-9 against the O’Fallon Hoots. Merrick Mathews finished 3 for 6 at the plate with a team leading three RBIs. The Bees will finish their matchup from June 13th against the Illinois Valley Pistol Shrimp that was halted in the 5th inning with the Bees up 11-10 tonight and then start another game against the Pistol Shrimp at the conclusion of game one.

The Clinton LumberKings’ 9th inning rally ended up one run short of forcing extras as the Pistol Shrimp came out on top 4-3 last night. RJ Sherwood rocked a two-run homer to left field for the LumberKings. Clinton will get their rematch tomorrow, June 20th, at home at 6:30 pm. 

This Day in Sports History

1943 – NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers merge to become the Steagles.

1999 – Stanley Cup, Marine Midland Arena, Buffalo, NY: the Dallas Stars edge the Buffalo Sabres 2-1 in triple overtime for a 4-2 series win; Brett Hull clinches the series with infamous “No Goal” ruling.

 1970 – Jim Bouton’s controversial baseball diary “Ball Four” is published.

Anna Woodsmall

By Yorke Prough · Tuesday, June 18th, 2024 at 3:19 pm CDT

Anna Marie Woodsmall, 93, of Salem passed away on Monday, June 17, 2024, at the Southeast Iowa Regional Hospice House in West Burlington.  

Graveside Services will be held on Saturday, June 22, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. at the Kossuth Cemetery, Mediapolis, Iowa, with Pastor Jeff Duffy officiating.  A memorial has been established in her memory. According to Anna’s wishes cremation has been entrusted to the care of Murphy Funeral Home of Mt. Pleasant.

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

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

Henry County Fair Exhibit Deadline July 7th

By Yorke Prough · Tuesday, June 18th, 2024 at 11:07 am CDT
Henry County Fair – Exhibitors entering projects/livestock at the Henry County Fair must be entered by JULY 7TH! NO late entries will be accepted.
Iowa State Fair – Exhibitors intending to participate at the Iowa State Fair must pay entry fees and complete forms in FairEntry by JULY 1ST!
Click the link: https://www.extension.iastate.edu/henry/county-fair and go to General Information for each website and help sheets.

James VanWinkle

By Yorke Prough · Tuesday, June 18th, 2024 at 10:15 am CDT
James L. VanWinkle, age 47, of Washington, Iowa, passed away suddenly on Saturday, June 15, 2024, at Mercy One Hospital in New Hampton, Iowa.

Funeral services will be held 10:30 a.m. Friday, June 21, 2024 at the United Methodist Church in Washington with Pastor Anthony DeVaughn officiating. Visiting hours will begin 2:00 p.m. Thursday, June 20th at the Jones & Eden Funeral Home where the family will be present to receive friends from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. Interment will take place at the Elm Grove Cemetery in Washington. Memorials have been established for his children’s future education funds. Online condolences may be sent for Jim’s family at www.jonesfh.com

Jim was born January 19, 1977, in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, the son of Richard and Becky (Swailes) Van Winkle. He was an accomplished student and graduated from Mt. Pleasant High School in 1995, attended Southeastern Community College in Burlington, Iowa, and later graduated from the University of Iowa and later received his Doctorate from the University of Iowa School of Pharmacy.

Jim worked as a Nuclear Pharmacist for two years and later worked as a Hospital Pharmacist at the Ottumwa Regional Hospital and was the Director of Pharmacy at the Washington County Hospital and currently director at the Van Buren County Hospital. He served as a preceptor to many pharmacy students from the University. Jim was a pioneer and part owner of a pharmacy consulting firm JJRx whose mission was to improve the world of pharmacy. He was extremely gifted in problem solving and generating solutions in areas that other colleagues would not identify. Jim’s brilliant mind, dedication, and compassion combined set him apart in the pharmacy industry.

He was united in marriage to Kristin Kalvig on June 3, 2006, in Nashua, Iowa, and to this union three children were born. He cherished the time spent with his family and attending the many activities his children were involved in. He enjoyed writing, fishing, sailing, target shooting and helping his father-in-law farm. His vast interests led him to become a family renowned meat smoker, drone master, and a walking genealogy book of his family’s ancestry. His passion for travel led him all over the country and world. He loved to tinker with the settings on his camera to capture memories of his family and the many sights he visited. He loved cheering for the Iowa Hawkeyes and especially the women’s basketball team. He served on the advisory committee for the deaf and hard of hearing and was on the Legislative Advisory Committee for Iowa Pharmacy Association. He will be surely missed by all who knew him.

He was a member of the United Methodist Church. Jim is survived by his wife Kristin Van Winkle; children, Madison, Lincoln and Quincy VanWinkle of Washington; parents, Rick and Becky Van Winkle of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa; brother, Dan (Kira) Van Winkle and their children Grady and Cooper of Ottumwa, Iowa; Parents-in-law, Rex and Kathy Kalvig of Ionia, Iowa; and brother-in-law, Michael (Jill) Kalvig and their children Christopher, Elizabeth, Adrienne and Andrew of Nashua, Iowa.
He was preceded in death by his maternal and paternal grandparents.

To send flowers or a memorial gift to the family of James L. Van Winkle please visit our Sympathy Store.

Barb Phelps to be Honored with Governor’s Volunteer Award

By Yorke Prough · Tuesday, June 18th, 2024 at 9:21 am CDT

Barb Phelps, SHIIP/SMP Counselor with Henry County Health Center, will receive a Governor’s Volunteer Award. Governor Kim Reynolds and Lt. Governor Adam Gregg will personally announce awardees during a special recognition ceremony held on June 25th (2pm-5pm) at Ankeny High School (1155 SW Cherry St, Ankeny, IA 50023).

 

Barb will be honored with a 5-year service award by Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP) and Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP). Since 2019, Barb has completed 790 Counseling Appointments appointments and spent more than 764 hours providing guidance to individuals, families, and caregivers on how to navigate their Medicare and identify plans and resources that work for them.

 

“Iowans take great pride in their deep and rich commitment for serving others—it’s in our DNA,” Gov. Reynolds said. “Iowa nice is the foundation of our state–you see it everywhere you turn– Iowans volunteering their time to help others and improve their communities and our state. It truly is an honor to be able to recognize these individuals for their meaningful acts of generosity through the Governor’s Volunteer Awards and inspire others to do the same.”

 

Kristin Griffith, SHIIP-SMP Director, shares “SHIIP-SMP Counselors are some of the best volunteers and people you could ever work with. They care deeply about their community members, and consistently go above and beyond to provide unbiased and trustworthy information helping individuals and their families navigate the complexity of Medicare.”

 

Kirsten Heerdt, Volunteer Services and SHIIP Site Coordinator at HCHC, also shared her congratulations – stating, “Barb is a delight to work with and has made a huge impact on her clients by saving them thousands of dollars in medication costs.”

 

Coordinated by Volunteer Iowa, the Governor’s Volunteer Award program—now in its 40th year—provides an easy way for Iowa nonprofits, charitable organizations, and government entities to honor their volunteers with a prestigious, state-level award. A complete list of award recipients and an electronic copy of this news release are available at volunteeriowa.org

Hot and Dry Weather Helps Fieldwork – Weekly Crop Progress and Condition Report

By Yorke Prough · Tuesday, June 18th, 2024 at 9:03 am CDT

The Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report has been released and Mike Naig, the Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, has commented…

“Summer officially begins this week, and Iowans can expect temperatures that match the season. After the frustrating planting delays, crops seem to be catching up nicely,” said Secretary Naig. “Both corn and soybeans will continue to benefit from the forecasts indicating unseasonable warmth with above average chances for rain through the end of June.”

The weekly report is also available on the USDA’s website at nass.usda.gov.

Despite some isolated rain showers, warm temperatures and mostly dry weather resulted in 5.6 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending June 16, 2024, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Primary field activities were finishing up corn and soybean planting and re-planting. Other field activities included cutting hay and spraying crops.

Topsoil moisture condition rated 1 percent very short, 12 percent short, 77 percent adequate and 10 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture condition rated 2 percent very short, 14 percent short, 75 percent adequate and 9 percent surplus.

Corn emergence is nearing completion at 95 percent. Corn condition rated 74 percent good to excellent. Eighty-six percent of the soybean crop has emerged, almost 2 weeks behind last year and 1 day behind the 5-year average. Soybean condition rated 74 percent good to excellent. Oats headed reached 74 percent, 2 days behind last year but 1 week ahead of the average. Nineteen percent of oats were turning color, 6 days ahead of last year and 13 days ahead of the 5-year average. Oat condition rated 81 percent good to excellent.

The State’s first cutting of alfalfa hay reached 89 percent complete, 6 days behind last year. Hay condition rated 80 percent good to excellent. Pasture condition rated 75 percent good to excellent. Some cattle feedlots remain muddy.

Taylor Collins Comments on Illegal Immigration Following Injunction of Iowa’s Illegal Immigration Law

By Yorke Prough · Tuesday, June 18th, 2024 at 9:02 am CDT

Rep. Taylor Collins released the following statement in response to a federal district court judge granting an injunction of Iowa’s illegal immigration law:

“Instead of protecting our borders, the Biden administration is focused on stopping the State of Iowa from enforcing the laws that they refuse to enforce themselves. Millions of individuals have entered the country illegally since Biden took office and he continues to do nothing to stop it. In fact, if the Biden administration would do its job, the State of Iowa would not have to take these steps to protect our citizens. I fully support Attorney General Bird appealing this decision as soon as possible.”

Hot and Humid All Week Long

By Yorke Prough · Tuesday, June 18th, 2024 at 9:01 am CDT

A heat advisory remains in effect through this evening, and for good reason.

Afternoon highs in the low to mid 90s will combine with humid conditions to produce heat indices between 95 to near 100°F at times!

This heat is no joke, and it is important to take care of yourselves and others. If you must be outside today, drink plenty of water, wear sunscreen and light-colored clothing, and take breaks in the shade or in air conditioning. Check in on people who are most vulnerable to the impacts of heat. NEVER leave a child or pet unattended in a parked vehicle as temperatures inside can quickly soar to 120°F or higher!

It looks like the temperatures will remain in the 90s through Saturday, with Sunday finally bringing much needed respite with a high of 86.